Merry Christmas! Since it's such a happy occasion, I am posting TWO chapters today. Enjoy!

Tigerclaw

Tigerclaw awoke to the sound of a herd of monsters rushing past the alley. The disgusting smell burned the back of his throat, and he stood up still tired. Those monsters would drive by all night. He wandered out of his box, vowing that he'd find something comfortable to put in it. From the looks of it, all of the other cats in the camp were asleep. Well, all of the cats except one.

"Couldn't sleep, Princess?"

The she cat sat beside him with a sigh, "I've never been a late sleeper. Never been much of a sleeper at all, actually."

Another monster zoomed past, showering them with specks of rock.

Tigerclaw shook himself to get them off, "Ugh, I wouldn't be much of a sleeper either in a place like this. Is it ever quiet?"

"Not really, but you get used to it. I can't see how you can sleep in the forest, with all those bugs chirping through the night. It's a racket!"

"Huh," Tigerclaw purred, "And you didn't even have to sleep with the warriors. Take it from me, those snores are almost as loud as the monsters."

Red rays of sunlight were peaking up from over the top of the twoleg nests. A pigeon was flitting on the roof of one of those nests, silhouetted against the rising sun.

Princess broke the silence, "How are you liking it here? Are you glad you came?"

Tigerclaw shrugged, "I don't know yet. It seems all right. I still don't understand though, if you guys are going to be deceitful, why do you need me?"

Princess glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, "You're a weapon Tigerclaw. You can turn the tide in this battle. You're big, strong, skilled, and smart. Your presence alone could change the opinions of many cats."

"Who exactly are we going to overthrow?"

"The Lord of—"

"I meant the cats specifically. What is he like? What's his name?"

Princess paused for a minute, licking her paw and swiping it back over her ears.

"Shredder is the Lord of the Street," she began, "He's ruthless and bloodthirsty. But he's getting old, and a little crazy. We all know that he'll be dying soon. So who's going to take over after him? The main contestant is a cat named Fox. He's Shredder's son. He's sneaky and smart, but I doubt he's fought for himself once in his life. He's got a bunch of minions who do whatever he says."

"What are you two doing?" Sasha's mew surprised Tigerclaw, but he didn't show it.

Princess rolled her eyes before turning around, "I was just telling him about Shredder and Fox."

The tawny she cat sneered, "What cat told you to tell him?"

Tiny pushed past his mate, sounding annoyed, "I did, Sasha."

"Just making sure."

Tiny turned his gaze towards Tigerclaw, "I was thinking I could show you the streets."

Tigerclaw dipped his head, "That's fine with me."

Tiny turned to the two she cats, "You two are staying here to guard the camp. We'll be taking Smoke and Haze with us."

Sasha's eyes widened, "Wait, But-"

Tiny ignored her as the two brothers padded towards them, "Let's go. No use sitting around mewing like a bunch of oldies."

The four cats stepped out of the alley and padded down the smaller path next to the thunderpath, or the street as these cats put it. They followed the path, passing a few alleys. A few were occupied, and the cats there stared at Tigerclaw in wonder. Tiny noticed them.

"Don't worry Tigerclaw," he whispered, "They're just scared. You're big, and you've got wicked claws. Plus they don't recognize you. For all they know, you could eat twolegs for fun." Tigerclaw couldn't help but feel a spark of pride at this comment.

"There's some things you need to know about the streets," Tiny continued, "The most important is the Law. It's like a set of rules that we live by."

"Like the Warrior Code?"

"Yah, kind of like that. But it's more of an idea than a strict set of laws. I'll try to explain it as best I can.

"First, only the weak fight the weak. A tough cat will fight those tougher than him, or he's merely a coward. Kits must prove themselves once they're five moons old. If they are not accepted, they are abandoned on the streets. Never defy the Lord of the Streets unless you're willing to challenge him. Never mess with a forest cat. Never scare a twoleg. Don't hurt kittypets unless they hurt you first. Those are the main Laws."

Tigerclaw flicked his ear, "Seems a little harsh, about the kits I mean."

Tiny shrugged, "I was thrown out on the streets. Yet here I am. The ones with the will to live will find a way to live. If not… Well they can go beg to the twolegs for all I care."

The small cat saw the look on Tigerclaw's face and sighed, "Look Tigerclaw, it's a hard world out here. It's not like the forest, where every cat plays by the rules. On the streets, it's kill or be killed. You let an enemy go, he'll just come back with some friends." Tigerclaw glanced down at Tiny. This cat had grown up to fast. Tigerclaw felt sorry for him.

They arrived back at the alley when the sun had reached its peak. The streets were like nothing Tigerclaw had ever seen before. Cats would kill for a few scraps of crowfood. To be leader of these cats would be like being leader of a pile of snakes. They might fear you, but they wouldn't obey you. And they'd kill you the second your back was turned. It really was sad that this was the best position possible for rogues.

Tiny and Tigerclaw sat together sharing a bird that Princess had killed. Tigerclaw knew that Tiny had been watching him throughout the entire meal. He knew a question was coming. The black cat asked it when they were finished.

"Tigerclaw," he began, "I wanted to know if you could teach me to fight."

Tigerclaw met the tiny cat's blue gaze, "Why do you need me? You've got to be a good fighter to survive this long."

Tiny shook his head, "I wouldn't say I'm a good fighter. I'm just smart and fast. I'm lucky."

"You don't get this far in life through luck."

Tiny paused, searching for a response.

Tigerclaw purred, "Don't worry, of course I'll teach you how to fight. I'll teach you how to be a true warrior."

The smaller cat squinted his eyes, "What exactly is the difference between a warrior and a fighter? You act like a warrior is the best you can be."

"That's because I think it is the best a cat can be," Tigerclaw replied, "It means so much more than being a fighter. You see, a great fighter can win a battle. He can hurt, maim, and destroy. But a warrior isn't limited to the arts of battle. He can follow a code. He can fight with honor. He doesn't need to kill or cripple a foe to prove his worth. He fights from necessity, not from a desperate need for pride."

Tiny's ear twitched, "That's a bit confusing."

"Well… I'm not the best cat to explain it."

"Tigerclaw, if you're a warrior, that's what I want to be."

The statement surprised the forest cat. Suddenly, Tiny didn't seem like a shrewd leader. He seemed like a young apprentice desperate for acceptance. Like Ravenpaw.

Tigerclaw stood up quickly, determined not to let his emotions get the best of him, "Let's get started, then. No use wasting time."