Brambleclaw was drowning in ocean of guilt. Blood all the cats he killed was surrounding him and it seemed like there was no escape. His deeds were haunting him.
But then, he hit something solid and he desperately tried to clung to it, to anything he wouldn't drown in. He held himself to a rock big enough not to be wholly underwater, but it was too smooth and wet for him to be able to climb it. Looking up, he noticed two amber points on top of it, shining in the surrounding darkness.
It was Tigerstar.
"Am I dead?" - Brambleclaw asked, struggling with the current of the water.
Was it the place where was to spend eternity, atoning for his terrible crimes?
Tigerstar let out a low growl, and then said - "I'm not sure."
There were many things that Brambleclaw wanted to say to his father. But did it have any meaning now? Did anything had a meaning now?
Was he like him? A cruel cat, willing to do anything for power, even at the cost of somebody's life?
The answer was so simple, he knew he was.
"Stop moping like a kit. You need to get hold of yourself, nobody will respect a leader who doesn't respect himself," - Tigerstar's voice brought him back to reality.
Did Tigerstar ever doubt his decisions? Did he feel remorse for his actions? Maybe it would be easier if he rejected his conscience...
"It doesn't matter now," - Brambleclaw replied, - "I have all what I wanted".
Tigerstar twitched his whiskers in amusement. "All you ever wanted? You aren't even a leader. You have nothing, and unless you find courage to never doubt yourself again, you will die with nothing!"
"That's not true!" - Brambleclaw thought, but then he was hit by a wave. Strength of the water was too great, and he going away from the rock where Tigerstar was standing. His strength was fading, each his movement was more difficult to make. He fell deeper and deeper into the water, until he no longer saw the surface.
"Is it the end?"
"No, I won't die like this. I gave up too much, and I will have the power I always dreamt of!"
He suddenly found strength to move his limbs, and he began to swim up. He noticed the light coming from above, but current was still pulling him with great force.
He opened his eyes and saw Hawkfrost lying on him. They were both very wet, water drenching from their fur.
"You're awake. I thought it was over for you." - said Hawkfrost.
"You saved me?" - Asked Brambleclaw, still dazed from his memories.
"When you fell into the water I jumped straight in to rescue you." - He answered, nodding.
"Then... Why were you here?" - Brambleclaw meowed, remembering how he asked his half-brother to leave.
"I thought you might need help. You weren't in best of shape when I left you, and ThunderClan or ShadowClan could appear at any moment. But you handled the situation yourself, so I didn't step in".
"Thank you... I would have died without you." - Brambleclaw finally began to understand that maybe there was something left for him... His family.
"But you planned this all without telling me! Why you plotted with Ashfur? You could have told me, I would come up with better idea." - Brambleclaw asked, hoping that his half-brother answer would remove last of his doubts of Hawkfrost's disloyalty.
Hawkfrost narrowed his blue eyes.
"You wouldn't do it. Remember what you told me earlier, before Firestar felt in the trap? That you couldn't do it? You needed nudge in the right direction, and I was here, ready to give it to you!" - Hawkfrost spoke this with so much compassion in his voice that Brambleclaw knew he was speaking the truth.
"And don't worry about Ashfur. He's a gullible idiot. He's no threat for you."
It all came together now. Hawkfrost was willing to help Brambleclaw all along. How could he mistrust him?
"Thank you... You did so much for me, Hawkfrost. I will repay you one day. But now, I have to go back and seize the power in my clan," - Brambleclaw said.
Hawkfrost nodded, and jumped off Brambleclaw.
"You're welcome. I hope I will see you at the gathering as Bramblestar this time."
Then, he swiftly ran among the lake shore into Shadowclan's territory.
Sunset was coming to an end. It was getting dark and he was racing across the forest back to the camp.
It wasn't long after he arrived at the Thorn tunnel, guarded by Dustpelt and Spiderleg.
As soon as they noticed Brambleclaw, they turned their heads and looked at Brambleclaw with suspicion.
"Go on in." - Dustpelt said, but there was something weird in his voice...
Nevertheless, he had more important things on his mind, so he pushed right through. Both warriors followed him.
Brambleclaw expected that at this time most of his clanmates would be sleeping.
But camp was strangely active, for such late time. Sandstorm, Brackenfur and Ashfur were talking vigorously under the highledge, rest of the warriors were standing in the clearing looking at the three senior warriors, and Birchpaw and Whitepaw were standing alert in front of the nursery.
"Brambleclaw is back." - Dustpelt announced loudly.
He, along with Spiderleg, looked was blocking Thorn tunnel, and looked very cautious.
After Dustpelt's words all eyes turned on ThunderClan deputy. Brambleclaw knew what happened, and he prepared himself for what was about to happen, but weren't sure if his plan would work...
"Clanmates, I have something very important to say!" - he announced with sadness in his voice.
Sandstorm, Brackenfur and Ashfur quickly ran over to him.
"Brambleclaw, how c..." - Ashfur began to speak, but Brambleclaw didn't want to let him.
"Ashfur, you fox-hearted traitor, why did you kill your own clanmates? How could you kill your leader and medicine cat!" - Brambleclaw shouted in anger.
He noticed the flash of pain in Sandstorm eyes.
"Medicine cat? I di..." - Ashfur asked, but Brambleclaw interrupted him again.
"And how could you do it to Squirrelflight? Was your jealousy too great to allow her to be with me than with her? Where's your loyalty?" - Brambleclaw snarled.
"Squirrelflight and Leafpool are dead?" - Sandstorm asked, while looking like she was about to faint. This revelation made her a shadow of the fierce cat she was.
"And yo..." - Ashfur started again.
Ashfur was respected warrior, but Brambleclaw knew he was timid and had hard time speaking his mind. If Brambleclaw would use a bit of his authority, maybe it would end well for him...
"Silence, Ashfur! Murderers have no voice here!" - Brambleclaw snarled, looking fiercely at the gray warrior.
"I'm sorry Sandstorm... But Ashfur killed Firestar, Squirrelflight and Leafpool. You're a monster!"
Whole clan was shocked, but nobody dared to raise his voice.
"I was returning from patrol, when I heard yowling from the ShadowClan's border. Firestar and Leafpool were already dead, but Squirrelflight managed to tell me that Ashfur ambushed them."
"I? It wa..." - Ashfur tried to interrupt again.
"Can you swear on StarClan that you weren't involved in this, Ashfur? With a paw on your heart?"
Sight of most cats turned toward Ashfur. His plan was working...
"I... I didn't do it!" - Ashfur screamed.
Brambleclaw hoped that Ashfur would crack under pressure, but he didn't. It was a difficult situation, and it could be a difficult to win for Brambleclaw.
He needed something...
He looked around his clanmates, trying to guess what they would like to hear, or what could he get out of them. And then it struck him.
"Birchpaw! Why are you so nervous? Do you know something?" - He asked the apprentice.
Birchpaw looked down and shuffled his paws.
"It's important Birchpaw! Fate of the whole clan could be decided by your loyalty!" - Brambleclaw said as seriously as he could.
"Ashfur sent me for assessment today... And he insisted that I should hunt near ShadowClan's border, even when Firestar suggested other places... And there I met Blackstar..." - Birchpaw said distressed.
"Go on," - Brambleclaw encouraged Ashfur's apprentice.
"And Blackstar asked me to fetch Firestar..."
"So, Ashfur really wanted you to hunt by ShadowClan's border, where conveniently was both Blackstar and Fox-Trap... Interesting." - Brambleclaw threw the insinuation and he knew everyone would understand what it meant.
But inside, Brambleclaw was puzzled. Why did Ashfur took part in Hawkfrost's plan? What he wanted to gain? Why did he trust Hawkfrost?
Yowls of shock rose among his clanmates.
Ashfur threw himself at Brambleclaw with the speed of a lightning.
He unsheathed his claws in air and slashed left Brambleclaw's flank. Before Brambleclaw could react, Ashfur was already at the other side and he knocked Brambleclaw over.
Brambleclaw felt Ashfur's claws raking his belly. He tried to wriggle out of Ashfur's hold, but he was too weakened.
But then, he felt the attacks stopped, and he no longer felt Ashfur's weight.
Turning his head, he saw Sandstorm slashing at Ashfur with great fury in her eyes. She was like a fire quickly engulfing Ashfur.
On the other Ashfur's side, Dustpelt was holding Ashfur leg in his teeth.
"Enough fighting!" - Brambleclaw ordered.
He knew he won. Nobody would believe Ashfur now.
Sandstorm and Dustpelt let Ashfur go. The injuries he received in this short combat must have been very serious, because he didn't have strength to stand any longer, and fell on his flank.
"Why, Ashfur? Why did you wanted to kill Firestar?" - Brambleclaw asked, wondering what Ashfur's motives might have been.
"I wanted to see Squirrelflight suffer... For what she did to me..." - Ashfur replied, barely maintaining his conciousness.
"And that why you killed almost her whole family and then her? You sicken me." - Brambleclaw decided to pause for a moment, to allow his clanmates to yowl their disapproval for Ashfur.
"Murderer!"
"Traitor!"
"Fox-heart!"
"Filth!"
It was enough. It was time to finish it.
"For your heinous crimes and utter disloyalty, I sentence you to death." - Brambleclaw announced.
Yowls of approval were shouted around the clearing.
Brambleclaw jumped at Ashfur, unsheathing his claws in the flight, and slicing his throat with his right paw.
Despite his serious wounds, Ashfur didn't gave up. Seeing incoming claws, he tried to dodge. But he was too slow, and Brambleclaw managed to land his blow.
Ashfur died quickly.
Silence came over the clearing. Everyone was looking at Brambleclaw. He was their leader now.
He realized that he had no idea what he wanted to do. All this came so out of the sudden... He had many important decision to make. He looked at his clanmates - which of them who could trust absolutely? He knew that Thornclaw, Dustpelt and Spiderleg would welcome his new, aggressive policy. But what about Sandstorm, Brackenfur, Brightheart, Cloudtail and Rainwhisker? After four cats died today, could the clan defend itself? How would they manage without a medicine cat?
He would also need a deputy. Would it be a better idea to give it to a cat he trusted or should he offer the position to win a cat to his side?
Birchpaw needed a new mentor. Who should he give him to? Who would appreciate an apprentice the most?
But it all could wait a bit.
"Sandstorm, Cloudtail, Thornclaw. Go to ShadowClan border and bring the bodies. They should be buried with honours." - Brambleclaw ordered.
They nodded, and ran out of the camp.
"What should we do with Ashfur?" - Brackenfur asked.
"Take his body out of the camp and leave it to rot. A cat who killed leader and the medicine cat is nothing more than a crow-food."
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