Chapter 28

Tigerstar and Bluefur were writhing in one corner of the den, blood smattering the ground – from the both of them, it seemed. Tigerstar was on his belly, his eyes wide with shock - but he was digging his claws into Bluefur's pelt as best he could while she tore at him from almost every angle.

Tinyclaw stood on no ceremony. He sank his fangs into her haunches and his claws into her hindquarters. With a great growl, he pulled Bluefur off of Tigerstar and spat her onto the ground. Before she could move he placed himself between Tigerstar and Bluefur, every bit of him bristling with anger and hatred.

"Traitor!" Tinyclaw snarled.

Bluefur got to her paws. There was a broad slash across her muzzle, dripping blood onto the sandy floor. Her blue eyes narrowed.

"You knew," Bluefur meowed. "You knew about it all, Tinyclaw, and this is where you choose to stand? I could have given you everything."

"I wanted nothing you had to give," Tinyclaw spat.

Bluefur rolled her shoulders. "Very well," she said coolly.

The tension in the air was thick as thunderclouds, rumbling and ready to break open into a storm. For so long, neither Tinyclaw nor Bluefur seemed to move – and then, like a crack of lighting, she was in the air.

Tinyclaw pushed himself onto his hind legs. If he slid underneath her, Bluefur would sail right into Tigerstar – but this way, she would meet his claws. As she descended, Tinyclaw slashed, sending her off in another direction. Bluefur landed on her paws, but Tinyclaw pounced and landed on her back.

Digging his claws in, Tinyclaw knew he couldn't drag her to the ground, but he could claw at her and claw at her until she screeched in frustration, which was far more satisfying than Tinyclaw figured it ought to have been. Suddenly Tinyclaw was being thrust away, thrown off his perch by Bluefur. Tinyclaw bumbled on his paws, but he landed safely.

"You piece of fox-dung!" Bluefur snarled, her muzzle contorted in fury. "I made you the warrior that you are, and I will unmake you!"

She rushed at him, snarling like a beast, but Tinyclaw danced away. With everything finally out in the open, Tinyclaw felt light, like a feather on the breeze. He slipped away from one, two, three of Bluefur's attacks. Everything was bare now, all the secrets were over and done with – Tigerstar, Bluefur… no one had anywhere to hide. There was only the battle to see who would stand on top.

Tinyclaw stepped into one of Bluefur's attacks, and she bristled in shock as he slammed his paws into her flanks. With all her weight on her front paws, Bluefur had nothing to steady herself – she fell rather ungracefully to the ground.

With a hiss, though, Bluefur's hind legs tangled with Tinyclaw's. They fell together onto the sandy floor, tangled with tooth and claw. Over and over they rolled, each one trying their hardest to sink their fangs into the other's throat – when they weren't doing that, they were clawing one another, as if they both understood that only one would leave this deadlock alive.

Tinyclaw fought defensively, waiting for one moment – just one – where Bluefur would mess up. Yet the longer they rolled and fought, Tinyclaw was convinced that there was no weakness in her. His limbs grew weary, dogged by the blows and the weight of the blue-gray warrior… and it dawned on him just what he needed to do.

He allowed Bluefur to roll them so that she pinned him down. Tinyclaw let out a grunt of shock and distress as his body slammed against the stone floor of the den, and he laid himself still.

That was all it took.

He felt air rush against his face – but before Bluefur's teeth could sink into his throat, Tinyclaw flashed his paws up and caught her head in his claws. With a shocked howl, Tinyclaw pushed her to the side – with all her previous momentum, Bluefur's head slammed against the floor.

She crumpled off of him, stunned but not down. Tinyclaw got to his paws and rolled her onto her belly, knowing he had barely any time. He sank his claws into the soft fur of her underbelly and scored them down, again and again until blood welled up and Bluefur slid out of her stunned state with a screech of horrible pain and Tinyclaw's claws felt like they were going to break.

Blood welled up and spilled onto the floor. It took the feeling of it splashing against his hind paws before Tinyclaw stepped away, stunned with shock.

Bluefur was alive, still. Her blue eyes gleamed hatred at Tinyclaw – but she could not move. Blood pooled beneath her, and she trembled. She would live, but if Tinyclaw had gone on much longer…

"Finish it!" Bluefur spat. "Finish me, you coward!"

Tinyclaw was trembling.

Bluefur's eyes narrowed into slits. She spat mockingly, "I know it's what you want. Finish me!"

In a flash, Tinyclaw saw himself lunging forward and ripping out her throat – but that moment rang with Bluefur's mocking, cackling laughter. It rang with the realization that if he killed her, he would undoubtedly become her, as if her spirit would somehow replace his own in the act.

"No," Tinyclaw growled.

"No?" she rasped.

"No," Tinyclaw repeated. He took a strong paw step forward, glaring down at her with his ice-blue eyes. "You may have trained me, made me who I am – but I will never be anything like you."

Bluefur's eyes were judgmental slits. But her head fell back, and she growled curses unheard of by any cat. She tried moving, but nothing came of it. Still, Tinyclaw could sense that the blood was done pooling – she could have her strength back at any moment.

"Tigerstar," he called. "Help hold her down!"

Silently, like a shadow, Tigerstar appeared. The warrior's shoulders were squared as he placed his huge paws on Bluefur's body, holding her down with his far greater weight. Tinyclaw stepped back, his eyes wide at his leader. The great tabby's amber eyes were pale and unfocused, his tail low.

This… no, Tinyclaw realized. I should have come sooner. Now everything Tigerstar had ever known is gone, and… and who knows what will happen now?

"What in StarClan is happening in here?"

Both Tinyclaw and Tigerstar looked up in shock. Graystripe was standing at the very entrance to the den, his eyes wide. The gray warrior was bleeding heavily from wounds all over his body, but the pain seemed to mean nothing compared to the sight within the Highrock.

Quickly, Tinyclaw blurted, "Bluefur attacked Tigerstar – tried to kill him. We were right all along, Graystripe. She was a traitor!"

Graystripe's jaw fell open, but he closed them. Then, he shook his head. He meowed, "The fighting is too much," he meowed. "We can't handle any more. We need help!"

Tinyclaw looked at Tigerstar, but the great tabby warrior was staring off into the distance. Tinyclaw swallowed, his throat dry at the sight. Then, he told Graystripe, "I'm coming." There's still Darkstripe to handle.

"Graystripe, help Tigerstar hold Bluefur," Tinyclaw told him. Graystripe looked uncertain, but he nodded and padded forward. Graystripe planted his paws onto Bluefur, who said nothing. Her eyes were distant, too – but not quite like Tigerstar's. She was plotting, planning – trying to think of how to turn this upset into something beneficial.

Tinyclaw pushed it out of his head. He didn't need to think of that now. Darkstripe. Darkstripe brought the rogues, and Darkstripe needed to be taken care of before anything else.

He pushed his way into the clearing, feeling full of energy despite fighting with Bluefur just a few moments before. He scanned the battlefield for Darkstripe, but an attacker – dark she-cat from before – tore him away quite literally.

Tinyclaw halfheartedly wrestled with her – despite just trouncing Bluefur moments ago, everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. He pushed the ginger she-cat off of him and snapped at her tail, driving her off. Then he resumed his search.

Despite the amount of rogues in the camp, there were a lot of ThunderClan cats here and there, fighting for every advantage. Patchpelt and Runningwind were facing down one rogue together, while on the other side of camp Dustpelt and the apprentices were driving away two attackers together. Tinyclaw could not see Darkstripe anywhere.

Before Tinyclaw could get into the thick of it to search, a brown streak flew across the battlefield. Tinyclaw's eyes widened, stunned – had Tigerstar somehow gotten his wits together and come out to fight?

No! The way the shape slid into one of the rogues was not a ThunderClan attack. Slowly but surely, Tinyclaw realized that the tabby was Brambleclaw… and all around, RiverClan warriors were sifting into the fray: Tawnypelt, Blackclaw, Leopardfur… the RiverClan warriors were clamoring into the battle through the thorn tunnel – and just behind them was Sandstorm and her patrol, and Cloudpaw!

In an instant the tide turned. The rogues, suddenly faced with an influx of attackers – far more than they'd bargained for – turned tail and fled immediately, scrambling over one another to be the first out of the thorn tunnel. That didn't stop the defenders from giving a few good strikes before the rogues left – but gone was gone, and they were definitely gone.

Suddenly the camp was as it had been before the attack – quiet. The only enemy who remained was Brokentail, crawling about the camp and wailing from hurts and bloodied wounds. Everyone ignored him. Slowly the warriors gathered themselves together, licking their wounds and muttering about the RiverClan warriors, who stood off to the side, just as shocked as the rest of the Clan. Sandstorm's eyes met Tinyclaw's, widened, and suddenly she was before him, covering him in licks and purring.

"Oh, you're safe!" she breathed.

"Thanks to you," Tinyclaw purred back. Her attention was almost enough to make him forget what had just happened. He let himself be doted on, just for a moment – and then he asked, "Did you see Darkstripe anywhere?"

Sandstorm stepped back. She shook her head, "No."

Tinyclaw frowned. He looked over at the gathered cats. Darkstripe wasn't there, either. Where could that monster be? He decided it wasn't worth the time. If Darkstripe showed up, Tinyclaw would deal with him – for now, there was a harder matter.

"Sandstorm," Tinyclaw breathed, "I need you to go into the Highrock and help Graystripe deal with what's inside. Take another warrior with you."

Sandstorm's eyes widened in confusion. "What?" she wondered.

"Please," Tinyclaw mumbled. He pressed his muzzle into her's. "Please, just do it. I… it's too hard to explain right now."

Sandstorm's eyes shone with understanding. She licked his shoulder and pressed against him as she moved away, towards the Highrock. Sandstorm flicked her tail and Cinderpelt joined her. Tinyclaw breathed a sigh of relief as she went. Then, he turned to the RiverClan cats. Leopardfur was padding about, sniffing at the ThunderClan cats, though most rebuffed her. When her eyes locked with Tinyclaw's, however, she loped up to him.

"Your warriors say Silverstream is all right," Leopardfur meowed. "That she sheltered in the nursery."

"I'm guessing now that you came because of the kits?" Tinyclaw decided. "We -"

"I know; you gave us your answer," Leopardfur meowed sharply. "But Crookedstar demanded that we bring his daughter back by any means necessary. However…" She looked around the clearing. "We had not expected this."

Tinyclaw waited for her to continue her demands. But Leopardfur went on, "We will retreat, for now. I don't think it's appropriate to make demands of your leader, especially after this."

Grateful, since Tigerstar had plenty enough to deal with already, Tinyclaw breathed, "Thank you. For all of this."

Leopardfur narrowed her eyes. "Of course," she meowed evenly.

The RiverClan deputy turned and summoned her warriors with a flick of her tail. Then, as soon as they had left, they were gone. Tinyclaw breathed a huge sigh of relief and flopped down onto the ground, in the shadow of the Highrock.

All around him the Clan did its best to repair itself. Brackenfur was padding amongst the wounded, distributing herbs and helping with the tougher wounds. Despite his exhaustion from the previous night it was clear he was happy doing what he was doing. Meanwhile Yellowfang was half-pushing, half-dragging Brokentail back to her den, not caring who was watching as she disappeared into the ferns. Mutters rose as warriors returned from their patrols, and the situation was passed down and explained again and again – Whitestorm mentioned that he'd smelled familiar rogues, and guessed that they had been Brokentail's band. The rest of the Clan was simply happy to agree with that.

Almost as if they had been waiting for every cat to be gathered, Sandstorm came out of the Highrock den. Behind her, dragging her paws and yet still somehow keeping herself dignified, was Bluefur. Flanking them was Graystripe, and Cinderpelt. Behind them still was Tigerstar, who leaped onto the Highrock.

There was no need for a summons – the guarded escort of Bluefur was enough, and the Clan huddled together to see what was happening. Tinyclaw huddled with them, his eyes narrowed at Bluefur. Darkstripe was nowhere to be found, nowhere at all – but Bluefur was here, and she was still dangerous.

Brackenfur bounded over to Graystripe, his tail fluffed with worry. Off he went after a quick sniff, off to the medicine cat's den to get herbs. Graystripe flopped down gratefully, knowing that Cinderpelt and Sandstorm had Bluefur guarded well enough.

Up on the Highrock, Tigerstar seemed a worse sight than any wounded warrior. His tail was dragging on the stone, and his eyes were dull. Yet the Clan looked up at him expectantly, as if they didn't notice anything off about him at all.

He looks wrung out, Tinyclaw thought, a trace of fear in the thought. The great, powerful Tigerstar… was reduced to this. Even if Bluefur didn't manage to kill him, she still seems to have killed his spirit.

"What is the meaning of this?" demanded Oakheart. "Bluefur is your deputy, and yet here she sits, under guard like some prisoner?"

The Clan clamored behind Oakheart. Brackenfur was limping back now, his ears pinned at the noise. He dropped a pile of herbs off to Bluefur, then went to tend to Graystripe. Bluefur sniffed the herbs, then lapped at them without saying a word.

"Enough," Tigerstar snarled. The Clan quieted at his tone. "Bluefur is a traitor," Tigerstar went on. "Just now, during the battle, she attempted to kill me in my own den. She would have succeeded if Tinyclaw had not interfered."

The Clan was aghast, shrieking with disbelief. "You can't be serious!" claimed Longtail.

Tigerstar growled dryly, "I think I know when a cat tries to murder me."

"But -"

Tinyclaw had had enough. It had gone on long enough, this dancing around the truth. Standing tall, he shouted above the din, "Bluefur is and has always been a traitor to ThunderClan! She is the one who plotted to bring the rogues here today!"

The Clan riled, stepping away from him as if he had greencough. Tinyclaw strode through the crowd to its front, glaring back at it and daring any one to speak out. All stared at him, and none spoke, until Oakheart stepped forward.

"Prove this," Oakheart demanded, his eyes torn between belief and disbelief, and love for his mate. "Prove it!"

Oh, Oakheart, Tinyclaw thought, sympathy for the warrior stabbing him like a claw. You really didn't know anything at all…

"Tinyclaw," Tigerstar breathed, tired of it all. "Tell them. Tell them everything."

Tinyclaw swallowed. He padded around and up the Highrock, until he stood beside Tigerstar. Here he had a clear view of the Clan, seeing all their eyes staring up at him in judgment and confusion. Their deputy, a traitor? A mother to kits, try to murder the Clan leader? How could they ever believe such a thing?

"Cats of ThunderClan," he began. His voice cracked, but he went on: "Do you remember when Redtail died? Bluefur told you it was Swiftclaw who killed him, and that she killed Swiftclaw in revenge; but in reality it was all lies. Swiftclaw died from an accidental rockfall… and Redtail… Redtail was killed by Bluefur!"

The Clan was thrown into chaos. "How do you know?" demanded Longtail. "You weren't there!"

"I spoke with several cats who were," Tinyclaw answered aptly. "Ravenpaw, for one."

Longtail's growl turned into a sneer. He chided, like an adult scolding a kit, "Fat lot of good that does you – Ravenpaw is dead, remember?"

Tinyclaw shook his head. "No, he's not."

The entire Clan was frozen silent. Tinyclaw took a deep breath. I am sorry, Ravenpaw – I can't tell the whole truth without revealing you. But for the truth, it had to be worth it: "Ravenpaw witnessed Bluefur murdering Redtail, and for that Bluefur attempted to turn the entire Clan against him. He had to be taken away, to someplace safe, before he was murdered himself."

The Clan was a turmoil, a storm of questions – half of which Tinyclaw couldn't even decipher. Through the clamor Tinyclaw glanced down at Bluefur. The herbs were taking effect, and she was regaining her strength – but if she cared about Ravenpaw being alive, she didn't show it one bit. Finally, Whitestorm cried out: "Enough! Let Tinyclaw speak!"

All was silent.

Tinyclaw swallowed. He went on: "Ravenpaw told me of how Swiftclaw truly died. How rocks had fallen on him, and Redtail only just made it out in time. Redtail ran right into Bluefur, who killed him."

Before any cat could deny this, Graystripe spoke up: "I was there, too," he said. "I heard what Ravenpaw said."

That seemed to shut any naysayers up. Tinyclaw meowed, "I spoke with cats from RiverClan as well, and they tell the same story – that Swiftclaw died in a rockfall."

He had expected some noise – something – from that statement, but nothing came. The Clan was stunned into silence, staring up and him expectantly, with fear in all their eyes.

"Bluefur had expected to be made deputy then," Tinyclaw went on, his voice growing stronger, "but Tigerstar appointed Lionheart instead. Lionheart died fighting, and finally Bluefur achieved her ambition – but she wanted more. She had always wanted more." He swallowed. "She… laid a trap for Tigerstar, beside the Thunderpath. Brackenfur and Cinderpelt were caught in it instead, and Brackenfur's leg was injured as a result."

Brackenfur's jaws were open, as gasp of shock and surprise. Cinderpelt trembled beside Bluefur, down below, but didn't move an inch otherwise, as if her resolve to guard her prisoner was even more strengthened. The Clan, again, was perilously silent.

Beside him, Tigerstar meowed, "Tinyclaw told me of his suspicions… not once, but several times." He breathed heavily, "I didn't believe him. How could I, when Bluefur had us all so fooled?"

"But how?" Mousefur wondered, a voice in the crowd. "How could she be leader if she killed you to get there? We would never allow it!"

"That's why Bluefur planned this attack the way she did," Tinyclaw meowed firmly. "She planned with Brokentail behind everyone's back, and even used Darkstripe to gather up the rogues so no suspicion would fall upon her. If she killed Tigerstar while the battle was going on, all the chaos would let her say that an outlaw had killed Tigerstar, despite the blood on her paws. Who would suspect her, after all – loyal deputy, warrior, and a noble mother – to law a claw on her own leader?"

He trembled with exhaustion. Getting it all out had been like fighting ten battles at once, and now it was all there, laid bare for everyone. Bluefur was unaffected, still sporting her steely demeanor – but the Clan was staring up, stunned and shocked. No face was calm or collected.

"What now?" Whitestorm wondered. The white warrior stood beside Oakheart, who was huddled in a ball of what seemed to be torment. "What will happen to Bluefur, Tigerstar?"

"Kill her!"

"Blind her!"

"Drive her from the forest!"

Oakheart seemed to flinch at every cry. The Clan shouted for his mate's blood all around him, and he was silent. Tinyclaw looked down at him in sympathy – he had known none of this, nor would he have condoned it. He's blaming himself, Tinyclaw realized. Thinking that, of any cat, he ought to have seen some sign, somewhere…

Tigerstar flicked his tail, and silence descended. Finally, Tigerstar meowed, "Bluefur… have you anything to say in your defense?"

The Clan was utterly silent as Bluefur's cackling laughter grew like a bramble amongst them. Her laughter lit up the night, causing every cat to take an uncertain step back from her position, despite their deadly certainty before.

"Defend myself to you?" she laughed. "You, a gutless, clawless excuse for a warrior? Everything you've done – defending other Clans, helping them… letting in all manner of rabble from rogues to kittypets? You are nothing worth fearing."

The Clan was silent, and Tigerstar said nothing.

"You have long forgotten what it meant to be a warrior, Tigerstar," Bluefur went on, "and it was long past time your leadership ended. Your softness has poisoned this Clan, turning it into a gaggle of kittypets and fools. I was going to change it all for the better. Now I have nothing more to say to any of you."

"How many cats would have died for the utopia of a ThunderClan you envisioned?" Tigerstar wondered, his tone sad. Tinyclaw knew he was picturing Sunfall, and the horrible thing that the cat had done to make Tigerstar take leadership in order to spare ThunderClan. "If you've nothing else to say, then I sentence you to exile." His tone was sharp. "You will leave ThunderClan territory and never return – and if you are seen in the forest after the next sunrise, you will be killed."

Bluefur chuckled, "I'd like to see someone try."

Tinyclaw stepped forward. "I am perfectly willing to finish what I started," he growled down to her.

"You," Bluefur snarled, meeting his eyes. Her mouth curled into a sneer. "Keep your eyes open, Tinyclaw. Keep your ears sharp – for I will find you… and I will kill you."

Tinyclaw bunched his muscles – but Tigerstar laid his tail along his flanks, calming him. "No," he decided. "Enough fighting. Leave, Bluefur. Be gone."

Bluefur laughed yet again. She got to her paws and, though she was injured, she seemed to make limping look dignified. As she padded through the crowd, it parted around her like water parting around a stone. Longtail shrank away from her, while Dustpelt openly spat at her paws. Nothing stopped Bluefur – except Oakheart, who had placed himself just before her.

His eyes were dark. "We all trusted you," he growled, his voice almost too low for Tinyclaw to hear. "I loved you."

"What is this?" Bluefur wondered, flicking her tail.

"You were one of the best warriors in the forest," Oakheart went on, "in the Clans, even. You were revered everywhere, spoken of like a legend to kits in other Clans. But you threw it all away, all for something that would have come to you if you'd only had the patience for it."

Bluefur said nothing.

"You threw it all away – home, love, family… all for power. You lied to me, again and again, and to our kits." Oakheart's eyes were slits. "Go, Bluefur. Go and leave and never return, for if you do I swear I will be the first to tear your throat out."

Bluefur said nothing. But she padded around him. She did not stop to look back, not to Oakheart, not to anyone. She limped through the thorn tunnel and, suddenly, as if the whole world seemed to be holding its breath for this moment, she was gone.