Thank you all for keeping up my story! Sadly, summer is winding to a close. Hope you guys had fun vacationing/partying/sleeping/eating! I'm still open to critiques and comments, and I've been trying to read more fanfiction lately, so if you have a story you want reviewed, I'd be happy to oblige! Just let me know. So enjoy the chapter...

Tigerclaw

"Come on, do we have to be doing this?" Darkstripe leapt out of the way, Tigerclaw's paw whistling past his face.

"Just because you're a mentor doesn't mean you can't keep up your skills." Tigerclaw neatly dodged a halfhearted blow, "Come on, Darkstripe. You can do better than that!" The smaller warrior rolled his eyes and dropped into a low, weaving battle crouch. Tigerclaw immedietaly recognized the style as ShadowClan.

He warily eyed his ex apprentice, "I see you're keeping up with the different fighting styles. You've always favored ShadowClan's."

"Well," Darkstripe purred, "It's hard to forget a training session with you." Tigerclaw thought back when this grown cat had once been a tiny apprentice, drinking in information as Tigerclaw had painstakingly taught him each of the Clan's unique fighting styles. Most mentors skimmed over this, focusing on ThunderClan's techniques only. But Tigerclaw knew that the best warriors were the ones with as many options as possible.

"So," the massive warrior mewed, "Have you been passing all of this on to Dustpaw?" Darkstripe shot out a paw in a lightning fast blow, and it took all Tigerclaw's skill to roll out of the way.

"It's hard," the other warrior grumbled, "Redtail hardly taught him anything, except that the winner of a fight was always the one who was willing to be the most vicious. I've basically had to teach him from the ground up." Tigerclaw lunged at Graypaw, hitting him head on. The two cats were knocked to the ground, rolling in the dirt, each trying to gain an upper hand. Finally, Tigerclaw managed to pin Darkstripe down, with one paw on his neck and the other on his chest. Then he let his friend stand back up, and the two cats trotted towards the nearby lake to get a drink. This was their own private sparring ground. They had found it while chasing squirrels back when Darkstripe was a new apprentice.

The two old friends sat panting, both happy with the mock fight.

Finally, Darkstripe mewed, "How's Goldenflower?"

"She's happy," Tigerclaw was glad to report, "I think having to keep our relationship a secret put a lot of pressure on her. I'm glad that's over."

"Speaking of which, how is it being the deputy?"

"Well, it's a lot of responsibility. I have to organize all the patrols, and make sure I pair the strong fighters with the fast hunters and-"

"I'm not a kit," Darkstripe purred playfully, "I know what a deputy does. I mean, have you had a chance to talk with Bluestar?"

"Not very much. She has a lot on her mind, what with all the ShadowClan business going on right now. Not to mention what just happened to Whiteclaw."

Darkstripe shook his head sadly, "I never liked that cat, but I wouldn't wish death on any cat. Hearing that kind of stuff kind of puts things in perspective, you know?"

Tigerclaw nodded in agreement, "But we can't complain. We are warriors, after all. Life in the forest has plenty of dangers."

"It makes me want to do something with my life."

"What do you mean? You're already a great warrior."

"Thanks Tigerclaw, but I meant something more than that. Like... I dunno. Go see the mountains. Find a mate. Something like that."

Tigerclaw purred at his old apprentice, "You used to say things like that all the time when you were an apprentice. About going to the mountains, I mean. Not finding a mate."

Darkstripe rolled his eyes, "I think I was a little young to be thinking about those kind of things."

"I guess so. Anyway, why don't you find a mate?"

"I just haven't met the right she cat, I guess. Maybe some day." The two old friends sat in silence for a while.

Then Darkstripe mewed cautiously, "Well, not to change the subject or anything, but have you thought about what I said?"

"What do you mean-"

"About Bluestar." The silence was instant and uncomfortable.

Tigerclaw shuffled his feet, "You're saying that Bluestar is secretely breaking the Warrior Code. You're saying that the leader of ThunderClan is a hypocrite, and a lier."

Darkstripe sighed heavily, "Look, Tigerclaw, I don't like this any more than you do. But it makes sense! That would explain the long walks in the woods, the suspicious behavior," he paused for a second, "Maybe… maybe even Spottedleaf's death." Tigerclaw was on his feet in an instant. No matter how close he was to Darkstripe, he couldn't make such an outrageous comment.

"What?!" The dark warrior howled, "You're calling her a murderer?"

The warrior's yellow eyes hardened, "I'm just saying that's a possibility."

"Well then, what is it that she's supposed to be doing?"

"I don't know! I just have a hunch."

"You and you're mouse brained hunches! You're making baseless attacks on our leader's honor!"

The young warrior shot to his feet, teeth bared, "What do you expect me to do?" Darkstripe hissed, "Ignore the obvious? Sit back and wait to be surprised like every other cat when she betrays us?!" Tigerclaw fell silent.

He didn't know why, but he suddenly blurted out, "I might know how to get some answers."

Darkstripe's eyes widened, "What? How?"

Tigerclaw suddenly just felt tired, "I met a rogue the other day. She goes by the name of "Princess". She told me that the forest problems weren't all Brokenstar's fault. She said that if I met her next sunset she would explain." Darkstripe sat silent for a moment. All of the fury was gone from his deep yellow eyes.

"You'll have to meet her then." He mewed finally.

Tigerclaw shook his head, "She'll just make up some lies or something. She might even try to ambush me."

A glimmer of humor returned to his friend's eyes, "Well, that won't wouldn't work out too well for her, would it?"

The deputy shrugged, "I guess not."

"Look," Darkstripe explained, "If you go, and she gives you bad information then you can just forget it and move on. But if she gives you the truth, that'll be invaluable."

"I guess you're right. Thanks Darkstripe."

"Don't mention it, rock head."