Chapter 7

Hi everyone! I'm so sorry about last chapter! I took so long to update because we have heaps of homework & stuff like that! Anyways on with the story. Also tell me on your reviews if you want me to focus on Bramblestar or do different POV'S every couple of chapters.

Bramblestar was sharing tongues with Squirrelflight, the rhythmic lapping of her tongue rasped on his fur. He purred in contentment, it had been a long time since he had been able to spend time with her like this. The tension between them had vanished after the The Dark Forest Battle. Bramblestar thought about how nicely her dark ginger pelt shone in the sun light. Squirrelflight looked at him with her brilliant green eyes.

"Do you want to go for a walk?"she asked .

" Sure! I'll just get Graystripe to keep an eye on camp." replied Bramblestar, as he stretched his muscles and padded over to Graystripe.

"Can you keep an eye on things until I get back?" he asked.

"Ok, where are you going?" mewed Graystripe curiously, his amber eyes glinted in amusement as he saw Squirrelflight waiting impatiently. "Actually, never mind ." he added. Squirrelflight beckoned to Bramblestar with her tail then disappeared through the thorn tunnel. Bramblestar followed, soon they were walking side by side through the forest. He saw a sparrow hopping around on the ground. Bramblestar whispered to Squirrelflight.

"Lets hunt! Look there's a sparrow, you go and wait by that oak and I'll scare it over to you." Squirrelflight nodded silently waited with claws unsheathed under the oak tree. He stalked towards the bird, suddenly he 'accidentally' disrupted a leaf. The sparrow stopped pecking at the forest floor and flew away , right into Squirrelflights paws. Squirrelflight took a powerful leap into the air and grabbed the bird, paralyzing it. She gave it a killing blow to the neck.

"Do you wanna eat it with me?" Squirrelflight crouched down beside the sparrow.

"Okay." Bramblestar took a bite out of it, the sparrow was delicious.

"You crazy furball, save some for me!" joked Squirrelflight. She knocked a low tree branch with her bushy ginger tail, leaves cascaded onto Bramblestar.

"Hey!" Squirrelflight meowed with laughter at the look of outrage on his face. Then she got up and dashed towards the Sky oak.

"Race you to the Sky oak! Catch me if you can!" yowled Squirrelflight over her shoulder. Bramblestar got up and shook himself then he raced after her, his muscles rippling under his dark, brown tabby pelt. Bramblestar thought, he hadn't had this much fun with Squirrelflight since the secret had broken out. He had been furious when he had found out that Lionblaze, Hollyleaf and Jayfeather were actually Leafpool's kits. But now he has forgiven Squirreflight, after all she had only done it to help her sister. Soon the Sky oak loomed ahead and Squirrelflight was only a few mouselengths ahead. Bramblestar put on a burst of speed and streaked past her, he touched the Sky oak with his paw.

"I won!" yowled Bramblestar triumphantly. Soon Squirrelflight arrived panting, her green eyes were shining.

"That was fun!" she exclaimed. Right now Bramblestar could see Squirrelflights old energetic self shining through. A positive change from the sad she-cat that used to mope around camp. Squirrelflight sat down with her tail wrapped around her forepaws.

"You know, I'm really sorry for not telling you. But whatever happened I know that they will still seem like our kits to me." she apologized.

"I have already forgiven you. Maybe I should say sorry for holding a grudge for far too long." confessed Bramblestar.

"I forgive you." Squirrelflight purred then added. "Maybe someday we will have kits of our own!" Suddenly Bramblestar heard a yowl of pain coming from the WindClan border. It sounded like a cat!

"Lets go and check it out!" mewed Bramblestar anxiously. They ran towards the sound of the yowl, but suddenly it stopped. He opened his jaw to search for scents, Bramblestar detected the fresh scent of blood. "Squirrelflight, follow me!" Thorns stung his pads, brambles snagged at his pelt. Finally they arrived at the WindClan border. On the ThunderClan side of the border it was splattered with blood and even worse was two bodies. Squirrelflight crouched down beside the bodies which were so matted with blood that she could barely make out who they were. She looked up her eyes dull with grief.

"They're Ivypool and Foxleap!"for a while they were speechless. Finally Bramblestar looked up.

"Who could have done this?" he asked, his voice was hoarse with grief.

"I just don't know, the clans have enjoyed many moons of peace and now this." Foxleap had been Squirrelflight's former apprentice and Ivypool was her kin. "They had their whole life ahead of them!" Squirrelflight was wracked with sobs. Bramblestar pressed his pelt to hers and tried to comfort her. Suddenly Foxleap started to cough, there was a big gash on his belly. Blood was spewing out of the wound.

"Foxleap! You're alive!" exclaimed Bramblestar.

"Not for long I've lost too much blood. I always loved Ivypool and soon we can be together in Starclan." mewed Foxleap each word was an effort and his eyes were starting to glaze over.

"No! Wait, who did this too you?" asked Bramblestar desperately.

"I don't know but they had traces of Windclan scent." uttered Foxleap. Then he writhed around viciously before giving a final heave. His body went limp. Squirrelflight yowled out her grief to the world. Then she grabbed Ivypool by the scruff, Bramblestar did the same to Foxleap. They walked pawstep by painful pawstep back to camp, dragging the dead bodies behind them. Bramblestar thought how he had been having such a great time with Squirrelflight when there were cats dying. You can't even protect your own clamates! He told himself sadly. Soon they arrived back to camp and lay the lifeless forms in the middle of camp. Dovewing was sharing tongues with Bumblestripe and yowled in grief when she saw her sister's body. She came racing up to it and buried her head in the already cold silver and white fur. Dovewing turned around, her blue eyes blazing with anger.

"How could you let this happen!" she yowled voicing out her grief.

"We couldn't do anything, when we arrived she was already dead." answered Squirrelflight. Dovewing's legs buckled underneath her as she lay by her sisters body. Bumblestripe came and comforted her. Soon cats started to come out to see what was happening. Their eyes filled with horror at the sight that met them. Whitewing and Birchfall came to sit with their daughter. Bramblestar jumped onto the HighLedge he didn't need to call for everyone since they were already here.

"Cats of Thunderclan! I am grieved to report that two of our loyal warriors have joined Starclan today. They are Ivypool and Foxleap, Squirrelflight and I found them by the WindClan border. The cause of their death is unknown but Foxleap told us before he died that the murderer had traces of WindClan scent!" Yowls of anger caterwauled across the clearing.

"Those mangy pieces of fox dung! I will flay them for what they did!" protested Birchfall.

"They will wish they were never kitted!" growled Dustpelt.

"We must declare war!" mewed Cloudtail.

"Wait, I would like to declare war as much as you, but can we afford to disturb the peace or lose more cats? This is just like when Ashfur died, although we have proof is it enough?" asked Bramblestar.

"So you doubt Foxleaps word?" asked Icecloud.

"No, but I think I'll call all senior warriors to my den tommorow at sunrise to discuss what we should do. Tonight we will have a vigil for our fallen warriors" mewed Bramblestar then he leaped down from the Highrock.

Later that night Dovewing, Whitewing, Birchfall, Dustpelt, and Icecloud sat vigil for their kin. Dovewing was shaking with grief as her parents comforted her.

The mysterious black cat purred. He had completed phase one of his plan; destroying the infuriating peace that the clans were experiencing. Soon ThunderClan and WindClan would be at war and he would be able to complete his plan!