My last chapter for the day! This chapter is in Tigerclaw's POV, just so you know.

Chapter 6.

Tigerclaw couldn't sleep. How could he? He was staring down at the beautiful face of Goldenpaw who had just lost her brother in a battle, because some cat was too stupid to watch what they were doing. The Warrior code forbid a cat to kill another cat for no reason, and yet, Blackpaw was dead, and the wound across his neck was obvious that he was murdered, and it wasn't just by accident.

The blood was mixed with his and many cats for fighting had happened all around him. It would be hard for the Medicine cat to decide who was the murderer of poor Blackpaw, but Tigerclaw knew just who did it, he just wanted to know why.

Tigerclaw glanced down at Goldenpaw and licked her ear softly, before crawling away from her. She mewed in protest in her sleep, but she was still fast asleep, so it was obvious that she wouldn't wake up any time soon. Tigerclaw looked around him, before he then exited the Apprentice den. The sun was overcast by now. He made his way to Bluefur and bowed his head at his deputy. "Where is Thistleclaw, Bluefur?" He asked. He kept his voice at ease.

"What is it that you need him for, Tigerclaw?" She asked, tilting her head. She had been keeping watch in the Clearing and seemed quite surprised to see Tigerclaw. "I thought you would still be with Goldenpaw."

Tigerclaw flicked his tail. "Work needs to be done, and she's fast asleep. She'll be fine. Now where is he?" He demanded more urgently this time.

Bluefur glanced at him, before nodding towards the Medicine cat den. "He's getting a bite looked at. I kept telling him to get it checked, but he refused, so I finally ordered him to get it checked on."

Tigerclaw was barely listening. He padded over to the Medicine cat down and waited outside of it. He would wait until Thistleclaw came out, and then he would take him to the forest and demand some truth out of the cruel cat. After all, Thistleclaw hadn't been the nicest of mentors. He had left a few scars across his face plenty of times. Tigerclaw didn't think he ever deserved it, but Thistleclaw didn't care about Tigerclaw. He just wanted to be deputy, then leader, and supposedly become the greatest leader Thunderclan had ever seen, but Tigerclaw doubted it.

Finally, Thistleclaw approached the entrance of the Medicine cat den. He seemed angry, his tail was flicking and his lips were pulled back in a snarl. Then again, that's how he usually looked anyways. Tigerclaw waited, and then, he pounced. He leaped in front of his former mentor and mewed, "Can we talk?"

Thistleclaw jumped back in surprise. He then glanced back at the Medicine cat den suspiciously before nodding, and motioning for Tigerclaw to go ahead. "Not here." He hissed. Tigerclaw turned and stormed off into the forest with Thistleclaw behind him.

"What is it you want, Tigerclaw?" His former mentor hissed. "Did you want to hear how I murdered Blackpaw? Because I'm not afraid to admit it." He sneered.

Tigerclaw's lips drew back into a vicious snarl. "Why did you do it? Why would you do that to Goldenpaw?"

Thistleclaw snorted. "I knew you were getting soft. I had to teach you a lesson."

Tigerclaw growled. "There was absolutely no reason to do that! You hurt her!"

The older cat just shrugged. "He deserved it."

That drove Tigerclaw off the edge.

"He was an innocent apprentice! If you want to go around killing things, why don't you start with something your own size?" He snapped back.

Thistleclaw seemed bored, flexing his claws. "You know, Spottedpaw already knows that I did it. She tried to tell her mentor, but her mentor wouldn't listen to her." He purred, walking around Tigerclaw in amusement. "Said that there was enough evidence to prove that I did it, but who would believe a puny apprentice? Apprentices are always looking for someone to blame, after all."

Tigerclaw pulled away from his former mentor and snarled. "My sister's daughter is not stupid! Spottedpaw knows more than you will ever know! Some wise leader you would make someday!"

Thistleclaw bristled at the last remark.

"I'll be wiser and smarter than Sunstar and Bluefur combined!" He yowled, flexing his claws angrily. "If it wasn't for Bluefur's kits disappearing, I would be the deputy! If it wasn't for her, Sunstar would be dead and I would be the leader! And every weakling in this clan, like your precious little Goldenpaw would die!"

Tigerclaw yowled and attacked his former mentor. The two cats rolled far into the brambles, clawing at each other and biting. Thistleclaw would pay for that. It was bad enough that Thistleclaw had murdered Goldenpaw's brother, but threatening her life on top of Bluefur and Sunstar's death had been the last straw. Tigerclaw was a loyal cat, and Thistleclaw would pay for that. They rolled into the river, with Tigerclaw on top of Thistleclaw, drowning him from underneath him, but Tigerclaw was still no match for Thistleclaw.

Thistleclaw rose from underneath Tigerclaw, knocking the young tom to the bottom of the water, smacking his head against a rock. He groaned as sharp pain shot through his head, but he stood his ground. He got back to his paws and rammed his body against Thistleclaw sending him flying backwards. Thistleclaw was taken quickly down by the current. Tigerclaw leaped off the shore and chased after the tom, until he met the borders of Windclan where the gorge was. Thistleclaw seemed to leap out of the water, but right as he did, Tigerclaw laid on his back and waited for him.

Thistleclaw couldn't see his plan.

He quickly leaped on to tackle Tigerclaw, but Tigerclaw was ready, and with all the brute strength, he lifted his legs upwards and threw Thistleclaw off into the gorge to sudden death. Tigerclaw got to his paws and glared down the slope of the gorge, watching as Thistleclaw's body was taken by the fast moving current and swallowed up by the water.

Tigerclaw spit in the water and turned, walking away from the scene. He would do anything for Goldenpaw, even murder. And when he got back to camp, he told the Clan about how he was too late to save Thistleclaw. That he had already been swept up by the current and Tigerclaw was just lucky to be alive. They bought his story, but the only thing he was worried about was Goldenpaw. She had still been in the Apprentice den when he had made his way back, and she still appeared to be in there.

So, he took a deep breathe and made his way down to the Apprentice den. He purred at the sleeping form of Goldenpaw. She was at peace. Tigerclaw reckoned that she had seen her brother in her dream. Blackpaw would watch her from here on out, Tigerclaw knew. He would be watching her from above, but Tigerclaw would be watching her from down here. It was then that he realized the truth; he loved Goldenpaw, and he reckoned that he always will.