Traitor

"Whitestorm! Whitestorm!" yowled Cloudpaw as he skidded to them. "R-rogues..." Cloudpaw panted.

"Slow down, young one. Take deep breaths," mewed Whitestorm. Cloudpaw did, and the apprentice's breath calmed. "Now, what about the rogues?"

"Rogues are attacking camp! Fireheart told me to look for your and Sandstorm's group!"

Whitestorm nodded. "I see. Then, hurry to Sandstorm." Cloudpaw ran off to Snakerocks. Whitestorm turned to his group and yowled. "Now, to camp!"

The group raced off to camp. A she-cat, Bluestar, padded though the tunnel with a group of cats. Wasn't Bluestar in camp?

The blue-gray she-cat yowled, Mistyfoot, he realized, as Leopardfur, Stonefur and Blackclaw threw themselves in battle, followed by him and Whitestorm's group.

The black warrior noticed Brokentail in the clearing. He snarled and tackled the former Shadowclan leader. Nightfrost scratched the prisoner's face, making it yowl in fury. The blind tom turned his head around before laying flat, whimpering in fear. Nightfrost growled in disappointment and looked around the clearing.

Terrified by the sudden appearance of reinforcements, the rogue cats scattered. Surprised when they thought their victory was certain, the rogues had no fight left in them. Yellowfang padded to Brokentail and guided him back to her medicine den.

The RiverClan cats were gathering together again with murmurs of concern as Fireheart limped across to them. "Thank you," he meowed. "I've never been so glad to see any cat in my life."

"I recognized some of the old ShadowClan warriors," Leopardfur told him gravely. "The ones who left with Brokentail." The deputy turned to Fireheart with a questioning look. "I thought I saw Brokentail?"

"Yes. And you did see Brokentail. He attacked with his rogues." Fireheart didn't seem to want to say anything about something. "How did you know we needed help?" he asked, puzzled.

"We didn't," replied Mistyfoot. "We came to talk to Bluestar about—"

"Not now," Leopardfur interrupted, though any cat can easily guess what Mistyfoot was going to say. "ThunderClan needs time to recover." She dipped her head graciously toward Fireheart. "We are glad to have helped. Tell your leader we will return soon."

"Yes, I will," Fireheart promised. "And thanks again."

The Riverclan cats left though the tunnel. Yellowfang examined the injured cats, boring injuries from the battle. Paws thundered from the tunnel. Nightfrost looked up to see Sandstorm, wide eyed at the clearing, with her group and a panting Cloudpaw. She turned to Fireheart and took Brackenpaw with her to Bluestar's den. Sandstorm padded out with Tigerclaw, limping and matted with dust and blood and one eye closed. The deputy lay on his side in front of the rock. Brackenpaw had followed the two closed, watching Tigerclaw.

Behind the apprentice was the leader, with a drooped head and had dragged her tail in the dust. Bluestar raised her head and looked around now that Tigerclaw was in front of the Highrock. "Come here, all of you," she rasped, beckoning with a flick of her tail.

Bluestar watched Fireheart for a moment and then began to speak. "I present you with Tigerclaw, now a prisoner. He—"

A chorus of worried murmurs interrupted her. The Clan cats were looking at each other in shock and dismay. Nightfrost flicked his ears. Could it be...

"A prisoner?" Darkstripe echoed. "Tigerclaw's your deputy. What has he done?"

"I'll tell you." Bluestar's voice sounded more even now, but the cats could see the effort it was costing her. "Just now, in my den, Tigerclaw attacked me. He would have killed me if Fireheart hadn't arrived in time."

The sounds of protest and disbelief swelled even louder. From the back of the crowd, an elder let out an eerie wailing. Darkstripe got to his paws. He was one of Tigerclaw's strongest supporters, Nightfrost knew, but even he was looking uncertain. "There must be some mistake," he blustered.

Bluestar raised her chin. "Do you think I can't tell when a cat tries to murder me?" she enquired dryly.

"But Tigerclaw—"

Fireheart sprang up. "Tigerclaw is a traitor to the Clan!" he spat. "He brought the rogue cats here today."

Darkstripe rounded on him. "He'd never have done that. Prove it, kittypet!"

Fireheart glanced at Bluestar. She nodded and beckoned him forward. "Fireheart, tell the Clan what you know. Everything."

Fireheart padded slowly to her side. Fireheart seem strangely reluctant and hesitant. "Cats of ThunderClan," he began. His voice squeaked like a kit's, and he paused before speaking again. "Cats of ThunderClan, do you remember when Redtail died? Tigerclaw told you that Oakheart killed him, but he was lying. It was Tigerclaw who killed Redtail!"

"How do you know?" That was Longtail, with the usual sneer on his face. "You weren't at the battle."

"I know because I talked to someone who was," Fireheart replied steadily. "Ravenpaw told me."

"Oh, very useful!" growled Darkstripe. "Ravenpaw's dead. You can tell us he said anything, and nobody can prove you wrong."

"Ravenpaw isn't dead," he explained quietly. "I took him away after Tigerclaw tried to kill him for knowing too much."

More uproar, as each cat yowled their questions and protests. While Fireheart waited for them to settle down again, he glanced at Tigerclaw. As Yellowfang's herbs did their healing work, the huge tabby had begun to recover some of his strength. He pushed himself onto his haunches and sat staring out over the crowd with eyes like stones, as if he were challenging any cat to come too close. The news about Ravenpaw must have shocked him, but he did not show it by a single twitch of his whiskers.

When the turmoil showed no sign of dying down, Whitestorm raised his voice. "Quiet! Let Fireheart speak." Nightfrost turn to his friend, grateful for Whitestorm's support.

Fireheart dipped his head in thanks to the older warrior. "Ravenpaw told me that Oakheart died when rocks fell on him. Redtail fled from the rockfall, and ran straight into Tigerclaw. Tigerclaw pounced on him and killed him."

"It's true." Graystripe raised his head from where he still lay in the shade, with Yellowfang pressing herbs to his wounds. "I was there when Ravenpaw told Fireheart all this."

"And I've spoken to cats from RiverClan," Fireheart added. "They tell the same story, that Oakheart died in a rockfall."

An eerie hush fell on the Clan. Cats were staring at one another as if they could find a reason for these terrible revelations in the faces of their friends.

"Tigerclaw expected to be made deputy then," Fireheart went on. "But Bluestar chose Lionheart instead. Then Lionheart died fighting ShadowClan, and at last Tigerclaw achieved his ambition. But being deputy wasn't enough for him. I…I think that he even laid a trap for Bluestar beside the Thunderpath, but Nightfrost was caught in it instead." He glanced at Nightfrost as he spoke, who only twitched his tail, not surprised.

Bluestar too looked astonished. "Fireheart told me his suspicions," she murmured. Her voice shook. "I didn't—I couldn't—believe him. I trusted Tigerclaw." She bowed her head. "I was wrong."

"But how could he expect to be made leader if he killed you?" asked Mousefur. "The Clan would never support him."

"I think that's why he planned this attack the way he did," Fireheart ventured. "I guess he meant us to think that one of the outlaws killed Bluestar. After all"—Fireheart's voice grew hard—"who would expect Tigerclaw, the loyal deputy, to lay a claw on his leader?" Fireheart fell silent, his whole body was quivering.

"Bluestar," Whitestorm spoke up. "What will happen to Tigerclaw now?"

His question set off a crescendo of furious yowling from the Clan

"Kill him!"

"Blind him!"

"Drive him out of the forest!"

Bluestar sat motionless, her eyes closed. Fireheart could feel the pain coming off her in waves, the bitter shock of betrayal as she discovered that the deputy she had trusted for so long was black at heart. "Tigerclaw," she meowed at last, "have you anything to say in your defense?"

Tigerclaw swung his head around and fixed her with a yellow glare. "Defend myself to you, you gutless excuse for a warrior? What sort of a leader are you? Keeping the peace with other Clans. Helping them! You barely punished Fireheart and Graystripe for feeding RiverClan, and you sent them to fetch WindClan home! I would have never shown such kittypet softness. I would have brought back the days of TigerClan. I would have made ThunderClan great!"

"And how many cats would have died for it?" Bluestar murmured, almost to herself. "If you have nothing else to say, then I sentence you to exile," the leader announced, her voice cracking. Every word seemed to be dragged out of her. "You will leave ThunderClan territory now, and if any cat sees you here after sunrise tomorrow, they have my permission to kill you."

"Kill me?" Tigerclaw spoke now, snarling his defiance. "I'd like to see any of them try."

"Fireheart beat you," Graystripe called out.

"Fireheart." Tigerclaw turned his pale amber eyes on his enemy, unfettered hatred flowing from there. "Cross my path again, you stinking furball, and we'll see who's the stronger."

Fireheart leaped to his paws, anger in his green eyes. "Anytime, Tigerclaw," he spat.

"No," Bluestar growled. "No more fighting. Tigerclaw, leave our sight."

Slowly Tigerclaw got up. His massive head swiveled back and forth as he scanned the crowd of cats. "Don't think I'm finished," he hissed. "I'll be a leader yet. And any cat who comes with me will be well looked after. Darkstripe?"

The sleek tabby remained in his place, his shoulders hunched wretchedly.

"I trusted you, Tigerclaw," he protested. "I thought you were the finest warrior in the forest. But you plotted with that…that tyrant and you said nothing to me. And now you expect me to come with you?" He looked away deliberately.

Tigerclaw shrugged. "I needed Brokentail's help to make contact with the rogue cats. If you choose to take this personally, that's your problem," he growled. "Longtail?"

Longtail gave a nervous start. "Come with you, Tigerclaw? Into exile?" His voice shook. "I…no, I can't. I'm loyal to ThunderClan!"

"And a coward as well, Longtail," Nightfrost thought, catching the fear-scent as Longtail shrank back into the crowd of cats.

For the first time, a look of uncertainty flickered across Tigerclaw's face, as the few cats he had trusted turned him down. "What about you, Dustpelt?" he demanded. "You'll have richer pickings with me than ever you will in ThunderClan."

The young brown tabby got deliberately to his paws and picked his way through the surrounding cats until he stood in front of Tigerclaw. "I looked up to you," he meowed in a clear, level voice. "I wanted to be like you. But Redtail was my mentor. I owe him more than any cat. And you killed him." Grief and fury made his limbs shake, but he kept going. "You killed him and betrayed the Clan. I'd rather die than follow you." He turned and stalked away.

A murmur of appreciation rose from the listening cats, and Whitestorm whispered, "Well said, youngster."

"Tigerclaw," Bluestar broke in. "No more of this. Go now."

Tigerclaw drew himself up to his full height, his eyes blazing in cold fury. "I'm going. But I'll be back; you can be sure of that. I'll be revenged on you all!" He padded unevenly away from the Highrock. As he drew close to Fireheart he paused, drawing his lips back in a snarl. "And as for you…" he hissed. "Keep your eyes open, Fireheart. Keep your ears pricked. Keep looking behind you. Because one day I'll find you, and then you'll be crowfood."

"You're crowfood now," Fireheart retorted.

Tigerclaw spat, then turned and walked away. The Clan cats parted to let him through, every eye tracking him as he went. The great warrior was not completely steady on his paws, his wounds from Fireheart hurting, but he did not stop or look back. The gorse tunnel swallowed him up and he was gone.

Talk was beginning to break out again, as cats mewed urgently to one another about the startling events. "Who'll be deputy now?" he heard Runningwind ask.

Bluestar slipped around the side of the Highrock toward her den. Her head was down and her paws dragged as if she were ill. There would be no announcement yet.

Sorry Flippy3131, but no. I am following the story based on Scourge's interference. Plus I need them in Riverclan for the roles they have in the New Prophecy arc.