Chapter 17

"Squirrelpaw, what are you doing here?" Tigerclaw hissed, stalking back to his sister.

"I-I wanted to f-find you and bring you home," Squirrelpaw stammered, her green eyes were wide with pain and fear.

Feathertail glanced at Tigerclaw. "I'll be right back," she meowed and disappeared into the undergrowth.

Tigerclaw sighed and started pacing. "Why did you follow us?" he demanded.

"I just told you I wanted to find you," Squirrelpaw hissed, struggling to her paws.

"Yeah, and look where that got you, if Solar hadn't warned me you would be here, you would be dead by now," Tigerclaw hissed, still pacing.

"Solar?" Squirrelpaw asked, confused.

Before Tigerclaw could reply, Feathertail returned with her jaws filled with what smelled like marigold.

She sat down beside Squirrelpaw and began to put marigold on her wounds. Tigerclaw sighed again. The only reason he was angry was because he was afraid for Squirrelpaw. If you hadn't warned me, Squirrelpaw would be dead by now, Tigerclaw thought.

There's no need for thanks, I did what I had to do, Solar whispered into her mind, I know she was your sister and I didn't want her to get killed.

Thank you, Solar, Tigerclaw thought back as he continued to pace.

I said there's no need for thanks, but your welcome, Solar whispered into Tigerclaw's mind.

Where are you? We were put a little bit behind schedule because we had to back track to find Squirrelpaw, Tigerclaw thought to Solar.

We're still in the forest, but we have our own problem right now, just continue on going, you might meet up with us sooner then we expected, Solar thought back.

Why do you say that? Tigerclaw thought.

Because the cats that chased us out of our old home are still after us, but they took a long break and we were able to get ahead of them, but we need to keep going, Solar meowed into Tigerclaw's mind.

Okay, we'll try to find you as soon as we can, Tigerclaw thought back, as he continued to pace.

"Tigerclaw, are you okay?" Feathertail's voice made Tigerclaw stop and look up. She was gazing at him with concern in her blue eyes.

"I'm fine," he meowed, "just thinking."

"Oh, great, he's thinking," Squirrelpaw muttered, standing up.

Tigerclaw narrowed his eyes, "does Firestar know you are here?" he asked.

"Yes, No, um...Kind of," Squirrelpaw stammered, her eyes were wide.

Tigerclaw sighed, "Squirrelpaw, you have to go back," he meowed.

"Not without you, Feathertail and Stormfur," Squirrelpaw retorted, "I promised Firestar I'd bring you home safe."

"I thought you said you didn't tell him," Tigerclaw gasped.

"I didn't, somehow, he figured it out, it was thanks to Flamepaw that I got out of the camp at all," Squirrelpaw meowed.

Tigerclaw flinched, and looked away. Why can't I trust Flamepaw? It's like he reminds me of someone I used to know, he thought.

"Tigerclaw, we can't have her go home by herself," Stormfur meowed, breaking

Tigerclaw out of his reverie.

"I made it here all by myself," Squirrelpaw retorted, her eyes narrowed to green slits.

"Yeah, and you nearly got killed by a fox," Tigerclaw hissed.

Squirrelpaw's fur started to bristle and she took a few steps toward Tigerclaw. "It wasn't my fault you left without letting anyone know," she hissed, "Firestar has been worried sick."

Tigerclaw felt his fur starting to bristle, and he glared at Squirrelpaw. "This is something I have to do," he hissed, his amber eyes narrowed to slits, "you don't understand, this is something important I have to do."

Squirrelpaw glared at Tigerclaw, "what could be so important that you would abandon your clan?" she hissed.

Tigerclaw hissed and unsheathed his claws. His amber eyes were narrowed to even smaller slits as he glared at Squirrelpaw.

"Maybe you are just like Tigerstar, willingly to abandon your clan for the sake of your own ambition," Squirrelpaw hissed, her eyes were wide with anger.

"Thats not fair, Squirrelpaw, you can't judge Tigerclaw just because he looks and has the same name as Tigerstar," Feathertail protested.

But Tigerclaw could not hold down his temper any longer. Letting out a low snarl, he leaped at Squirrelpaw and pinned her down with one paw on the neck and the other on the belly. "I am nothing like Tigerstar," he snarled at Squirrelpaw, "Tigerstar is a cold-hearted cat who is to ambitious for his own good."

"Get off of me!" Squirrelpaw hissed, struggling beneath Tigerclaw.

Tigerclaw didn't let go, but instead he had another flash back.

Tigerclaw saw himself waiting in the bushes as he saw Fireheart racing toward him. Gathering himself, he leaped and tackled Fireheart to the ground.

Fireheart struggled beneath him, glaring at him with hatred and anger in his green eyes.

"Remember me to Starclan," Tigerclaw hissed into Fireheart's ear.

"Only after you," Fireheart hissed back.

Tigerclaw glared at Fireheart and held him still before looking up. Just as he expected, the huge dogs were gaining on him. When they were no more then a few fox lengths away, Tigerclaw let go of Fireheart.

He reared back and pelted away, heading for the nearest tree. He scrambled up it and sat down, staring down at his enemy.

"Tigerclaw, Tigerclaw!" Tigerclaw blinked his eyes as Feathertail's voice yowled his name.

Tigerclaw looked up to find Feathertail staring down at him with wide blue eyes. He blinked his eyes and turned to look at his sister, pinned beneath him. What am I doing? He thought and sheathed his claws before getting off of Squirrelpaw.

Squirrelpaw stood up and shook her fur, before glaring at Tigerclaw. "What in Starclan's name were you doing?" she hissed.

Tigerclaw didn't hear her he just stared down at his paws. He couldn't believe what he had down, and to his own sister, for Starclan's sake.

"Tigerclaw, are you okay? Tigerclaw!" Feathertail meowed, coming to Tigerclaw's side.

Tigerclaw shook his head, "come on, we need to keep going," he meowed and padded away, his head down.

Stormfur and Feathertail exchanged glances. "Come on, Squirrelpaw, I guess your coming with us," Feathertail meowed before following Tigerclaw.

A/n what do you think?

Stardream: please review, next chapter soon

Tigerstar: what just happened here?

Stardream: you remember when Flamepaw acted nice?

Tigerstar: yeah, what about it?

Stardream: (points to outburst and flashback)

Tigerstar: oh, I get it, kind of

Stardream: (sigh) please review, next chapter when I get one more review