Sorry for the lack of updates; been in and out of town for the past few weeks, and I've been tired from travel. Updates on stuff coming soon!

Chapter 17

The smell of Bluefur and her rogues was still fresh in the air as Tinyclaw padded out onto the Thunderpath. His paws felt heavy as stone, and though the world was quiet in the calm after the battle, his mind was buzzing with distress.

Now that the battle had cleared, Tinyclaw was catching faint ShadowClan scent here and there, faint but stronger than it should be. His stomach twisted. Were there ShadowClan cats with Bluefur? He thought. How many, and why? Is the state of their Clan so dire that they would abandon it to join her?

Tinyclaw swallowed. He had to be confused by the monsters stirring up ShadowClan scent along the border. He had to be.

Whitethroat's body still lay in a spray of his own blood, broken and twisted from the monster that struck him. Tinyclaw gently took the tom's scruff in his jaws and began dragging him to the ShadowClan side of the Thunderpath verge.

Why did you join her? He thought. You and Littlecloud had the cure for you Clanmates in your paws! Why?

There were too many questions. Tinyclaw settled Whitethroat down in a clump of bushes just outside ShadowClan's scent markings. They would find him there – and only StarClan could judge him now.

By the time Tinyclaw returned the moon was casting its light down upon the clearing – down upon the bodies of Runningwind and Thornpaw as they lay stretched out in the grass. Mousefur lay between them, her head bowed in mourning for her brother and apprentice, and though her friends were settled with her for comfort, Mousefur would mourn longest of all tonight, and all the nights to follow.

Aside from the mourners, Tigerstar was pacing around the bodies, his great head swinging from side to side as he looked upon the bodies. The rest of the Clan stuck to the shadows, as if they dared not get in their leader's way. Tinyclaw's stomach twisted at the sight of Tigerstar, who would have once hid his grief with dignity and pride. Now it seemed like Tigerstar cared little for putting on a show of strength to the Clan.

Tinyclaw approached Tigerstar, feeling every eye in the Clan on him. As he drew closer, Tinyclaw saw the panic and fear in Tigerstar's eyes. I can't blame him, Tinyclaw decided as he halted before his leader. A warrior and apprentice were just murdered. Tinyclaw had no idea how he'd react, if the same happened under his leadership.

He hoped it would never came to that.

"They say Bluefur did this," Tigerstar rasped.

"It could have easily been one of her rogues," Tinyclaw offered.

Tigerstar's eyes could not go wider. "How many are there?" he demanded.

"I don't know," Tinyclaw answered with a tired sigh. "There were too many, and the battle happened so quickly…"

Tigerstar growled and began shaking his head, to and fro. Tinyclaw swallowed. Regardless of whether or not Tigerstar wanted to hear it, he needed to know as many details as could be recalled. Tinyclaw meowed, "Bluefur stated during the battle that she would kill as many of ThunderClan as she could, one by one, until none were left."

The Clan behind him exploded into horrified yowls. For a moment, Tinyclaw wondered if Tigerstar would join them – but the great tabby tom only stood stock-still, his eyes filled with some shattered emotion that Tinyclaw could not identify.

Gradually, the Clan fell silent along with their leader. Tinyclaw willed and prayed for Tigerstar to face this open declaration of war with the strength the leader had to have still inside – but Tigerstar was silent. The only sound was the call of an owl as it dove through the trees.

Finally, Tigerstar meowed, "It is I that she wants," he growled. "For the good of the Clan, I must -"

"No!" Tinyclaw insisted. He planted himself firmly before Tigerstar. How could he even suggest such a thing? "She wants all of ThunderClan, not just you." It was half a lie – Bluefur wanted to kill Tinyclaw last of all, after she made sure he watched everyone he loved die around him. But Tigerstar did not need to know that.

Tigerstar dropped his head to hiss, "Such vicious betrayal! How could I have not seen his treachery when it was plain before my eyes?" His voice trembled. "Oh, what a fool I am…"

Tinyclaw swallowed. Tigerstar was blaming himself – and would – as if there were no other circumstances that had kept him from seeing this coming. Nothing Tinyclaw could say or do would stop that. With a jolt that made him feel suddenly ill, Tinyclaw realized he would have to take charge.

"The camp must be guarded from sunup to sundown," he decided. He looked over the gathered cats. "Oakheart, you take watch until moonhigh. Frostfur – you take over then." Both chosen cats nodded, Oakheart himself with a fearsome look in his eye. He would not let Bluefur by unnoticed.

Tinyclaw looked over to the bodies. There was no way he could ever tell Mousefur to leave. "Mousefur and the elders will bury Runningwind and Thornpaw at dawn," he decided. "Tigerstar will sit vigil with Mousefur until then." He wondered if Tigerstar had even heard him – the big tabby was only staring at the ground.

"I shall sit with him," Whitestorm declared. The white warrior padded up to Tigerstar, gave him a lick between the ears, and pressed his pelt against the Clan leader. Tigerstar looked up hazily at the sight of the old warrior, and together they settled down to mourn, tails twined together.

One by one the Clan began to pay their respects. Apprentices licked Thornpaw's fur, murmuring good-byes, while other warriors flocked around Runningwind. Frostfur herself came to Thornpaw's side, pressing her nose into her son's pelt and shivering with grief. Oakheart bent his head to say good-bye to Runningwind, and as the big warrior padded off to take watch Tinyclaw was suddenly glad his kits – Bluefur's kits – were nowhere in sight.

Tinyclaw's turn came finally, and he gave each body a lick upon their cheek. He stood between both, eyes flickering between them before he murmured, "I will avenge you – both of you."

It was all too unsettling. Tinyclaw turned away and headed for the medicine cat's den, a place he knew he could find comfort. As if coming into this place of healing had woken up his body, Tinyclaw felt his wounds begin to sting as he passed through the ferns. Yellowfang and Brackenfur were inside, chatting quietly – Brackenfur was looking shaken. Thornpaw had been one of his brothers.

They both looked up when Tinyclaw appeared. "What is it, Tinyclaw?" Yellowfang wondered, her tone protective, as if she were huddled over her own kit.

Brackenfur gave Yellowfang a look, and then got to his paws. He limped over to Tinyclaw, sniffing along the black tom's side with a face forced into its usual place. He meowed, "Tinyclaw has some deep scratches – Yellowfang, can you get some horsetail and cobweb before they get infected?"

For once, Yellowfang did not seem to mind being bossed about. The old gray she-cat got to her paws with a nod and padded into the split rock.

When she was gone, Brackenfur stared Tinyclaw straight in the eye. "He's dead," he murmured.

Tinyclaw nodded.

"My brother is dead," Brackenfur breathed, "and I saw nothing."

Tinyclaw frowned. "Brackenfur, you can't see everything in the stars – not even StarClan can."

Brackenfur looked away. "I know," he said. "I know." Looking back at Tinyclaw, he meowed, "But if you had the ability to save your Clanmates, wouldn't you like to control when it worked?"

"I suppose," Tinyclaw agreed sympathetically.

"Tigerstar should never have allowed Bluefur to leave the camp," Brackenfur decided, lashing his tail. "He should have killed Bluefur – or you should have, or someone…"

"You know Tigerstar would never order something like that," Tinyclaw told the medicine cat. "He would never kill anyone in cold blood."

"But why this?" Brackenfur demanded. "Why come back now, and why kill those she once fought beside?"

Tinyclaw blinked. "She wants to kill as many of us as she can," he told Brackenfur plainly.

"But why?" Brackenfur insisted. "Why this senseless murder? Why not go and live in peace, away from all of us? Why continue to harass ThunderClan when all has been said and done?"

Tinyclaw flicked his tail. "Because ThunderClan did not give her what she wanted," he replied.

"Which was?"

"To be leader," Tinyclaw answered.

"Fat chance of that now!" Brackenfur spat. "We would all rather die than accept her as our leader – I know I would! If she wants to be leader, murdering our cats is not the way to do it!"

Tinyclaw frowned doubtfully. Brackenfur's passionate opinion – and the opinions of others – might remain, but it didn't change the facts. Tigerstar was clearly not the same cat he had been. He was weak. And Bluefur… Bluefur was strong enough to kill not one cat, but two. The Clan's deep fear of Bluefur might end up being what makes her the leader she wanted to be.

"Do you really believe that?" Tinyclaw asked quietly.

Brackenfur narrowed his eyes. "I believe in StarClan, and the path they have laid down for us," he meowed sternly.

"And if Bluefur is ThunderClan's leader down that path?" Tinyclaw insisted. "What if they want -"

Brackenfur's entire being bristled. He rounded on Tinyclaw, snarling, "StarClan would never-"

"StarClan would never what?"

Both toms looked up as Yellowfang padded out from the cleft in the rock. Herbs were packed into her jaws, but somehow she could still speak – medicine cats must be experts at finding out how to do that. Yellowfang laid her bundle down beside Tinyclaw, looking at the toms. "What's gotten you both all ruffled up now?"

"Yellowfang," Brackenfur meowed, still bristling, "do you think StarClan would ever let Bluefur be ThunderClan's leader?"

Yellowfang eyed both toms for a moment. Then, she suddenly found her herbs quite interesting. Finally, staring down at the bundle, she replied: "StarClan or no, Bluefur has the strength of ambition to become whatever she wants to be."