Chapter 19: Bluestar's Assessment
Today was the first day I'd spend under Bluestar's tutelage. She guided me out of camp, but instead of taking me to the training hollow, she led me to a secluded part of the forest, a very narrow clearing that had a hill with a rock shelf jutting out of it to form a small cave. Then she turned to face me.
"This is a place I do not show many cats. It is a place meant for private meetings, and it is a place to get away. Tell me, can you guess why I brought us here?" Bluestar mewed cryptically.
The way she stared at me as if to flay my secrets right out of my pelt and that perfectly crafted neutral expression gave me chills. It was a face I'd only seen myself bear before. That face took me years of hardship and training to accomplish, and here was a cat displaying it with such power. There was no denying it. Bluestar could only be a masterfully trained manipulator of cats, and I was genuinely in awe. It took me a minute to actually come up with an answer after witnessing her display of skill.
"You want to know what I know. You want to see how much I've figured out. You see me as kin of mind, but you want to know how close. Is that about right?" was my reply. It was a vague answer that banked on her giving me additional information.
"Even now, you keep playing games trying to get the upper paw. Don't think I'm so foolish to fall for your ploy, but I am willing to make a deal. If you drop this act, I'll be more forthcoming. So to start, what have you figured out about Tigerclaw?" Bluestar commanded.
There was no going back after I answered. If I remained vague, I'd never gain her trust and she'd remain distant to me. On the other paw, if I revealed myself and she did not like it, she had all the possible authority to dispose of me. It was a gamble either way. I decided on the latter, relying on the possibility of her being interested enough to keep me around. This was a gamble that could either win big or cost me my life, but only one option benefited Firepaw, so it was the option I was willing to take.
"I've learned a lot about Tigerclaw. He has a bloodthirsty nature and is aggressive beyond reason, btu beneath it all, he has been misled." I answered while pacing slowly.
"Misled?" Bluestar asked.
"Don't get me wrong. Whomever misled him likely never had an idea they were. You see cats like Tigerclaw have a certain… condition. It is something one can be born with, something I was born with as well. My condition was somehow repaired when I woke up at the vet, but that did not mean I simply let it go. You see, Tigerclaw is a sociopath. Sociopathy isn't exactly evil or wrong, but it leaves a cat unable to empathize. Do you know what happens to a cat when they cannot empathize and are taught violence is the solution to all problems? You get Tigerclaw. Fortunately, I've managed to convince him that I am just like him, or at least am a resource able to get him what he wants."
Bluestar seemed intrigued by what I'd revealed thus far, nodding at some aspects and seemingly taking notes on others. "And what does Tigerclaw want?" Asked Bluestar.
"In a word, victory. Tigerclaw exists to win. He wants to become leader of the clan because some cats compare him to his father. Thus, he now had a challenge. He wants to 'beat' his father. If he wins, he'll search for a new challenge. The problem lies in his methods." I paused for dramatic effect. "Tigerclaw will do anything to win. He can, has, and will do unsavory things if he thinks it'll bring him closer to his goal. That is where I've come in. I've been teaching him more… acceptable methods of getting him what he wants. I've been reforming and refining him to make his desire a weapon to protect what is valuable. If all I planned for works, he'll soon win your game and become your deputy."
Bluestar seemed to laugh slightly at my last statement. "And what pray tell is this game?"
"Graypaw and Ravenpaw. We both know their mentors are poor fits for them, but the rest of the clan pretends it's a lapse in judgement. I know what you really did. You wanted whatever cat who could overcome their biggest shortfall to become your deputy. Redtail was in this game as well before he was… forcibly removed. Lionheart used to be winning until an event that coincides with Firepaw and I entering the clan. Now Tigerclaw is winning, and you just need a little justification to have Lionheart step down."
Bluestar actually looked pleased with my analysis. "Well done. You've discovered phase one, but can you discover phase two? After all, if Tigerclaw or Lionheart is to succeed me, who would I leave as their deputies? Since you entertained me, I'll leave you to think on that. In the meantime, I want to show you something and get your opinion. I held off from speaking about it yesterday since I thought your input might prove insightful."
As Bluestar began guiding me off, the question burned in my mind. Who were these deputies Bluestar was preparing and how had that slipped by me? She was one step ahead of me and that left a nasty taste in my mouth, but, at the same time, I could respect someone who bests me. It gave me motivation to work harder to catch up.
We soon found ourselves at the Shadowclan border… No that isn't right. It smells like Shadowclan, but this was supposed to be the Windclan border. Why was Shadowclan's markings out here. I wrinkled my nose in disgust.
"Ah. I see you noticed. As of yesterday, Windclan's borders were remarked as Shadowclan. On top of that, we caught the scent of blood on the wind. It is likely Windclan was driven away. I want to know what you'd do about it. Think of it as an assessment of sorts." Bluestar mewed.
I tilted my head in thought before answering. "It isn't like we can hide this from the clan. They'll know Shadowclan has taken the territory, but at the same time, we don't have enough information. Driving out a clan from their home is a monumental task. For Shadowclan to have succeed in doing that, they must have some kind of trick, one we can't afford to chance. The next Gathering isn't too far away, so I suggest informing the clan but holding back until we can meet Shadowclan and probe in some questions to discover this strategy that defeated Windclan."
I actually heard Bluestar purr in response. I apparently passed her assessment. "I concur. That is my plan. It seems you are the exact type of cat I was looking for. I imagine we'll have many more entertaining conversations in the future. Remember that this is our secret. Now go hunt something before returning to camp."
I scampered off at her request. I didn't know how to feel about Bluestar. Was it admiration or fear? She had her own interests which seemed to be the betterment of her clan, but that did not mean I was safe. If she believed Firepaw's and my death would bring prosperity to her clan, she'd kill us without a second thought. She was my biggest threat but also my best asset. Right now I needed to dance on her strings to set up my own puppetry. It's a dangerous game.