Ashfur's pelt bristles slightly, disliking the Riverclan warrior's gaze descending on him with such confidence. Everything about this reeks of conspiracy.

„Perhaps. You must surely think you've got something important to say, drawing us away like that. If any of our clanmates saw us meeting in such a way, we'd be both considered traitors, no matter what we say. Be fast about it, Hawkfrost, what do you want?"

Hawkfrost's eyes sparkle in amusement, his tail flicking behind him before resting comfortably beside him.

„As you wish. Although I would have been very interested to learn details about your new mentor"

The grey Thunderclan warrior's fur spikes it, eyes narrowed at the high perched cat before him.

„Still spying on Thunderclan. Well, what of it? What concern of a Riverclan warrior is it whom I meet?"

Hawkfrost smirks, but it does not escape Ashfur's notice that despite his confident demeanour, Hawkfrost's claws faintly glisten in descending rays of sunlight, unsheathed in cautious preparation. The Riverclan warrior knows he could be attacked here, yet lets none of it show. If he hides his caution this well, what else might his cocky smile disguise? Ashfur gets but a brief moment to ponder, before the tabby answers

„None I would care to report to anyone. You are right, Ashfur, what you do is your business. But it was my, as you say 'spying' that allowed you to meeting the first place, no? Don't judge something too harshly if it works in your favour. Besides, I've done you no harm, have I?"

Ashfur silently thinks over the words of this son of Tigerstar. He speaks no lies so far. It was his hint that allowed for this and so far he's kept quiet. With a scoff, Ashfur's pelt slowly lays back down.

„Fine. Yes, your hint helped and no, you did nothing to me yet. But why keep spying then?"

„What if something interesting were to happen? I would hate to miss it"

Hawkfrost grins, laying down on the high root he remains on

„But we only have so much time tonight. You seemed like you had something on your mind as well. Maybe we should get that out of the way first"

After a small pause, the blue eyed Thunderclan warrior nods and sits down. He needs to know how and whom with Brambleclaw's been training.

„Yes. As his kin, perhaps you would know something I care to know"

Hawkfrost tilts his head, humming calmly. His eyes hold undisguised interest as he deduces the subject of Ashfur's inquiry

„It's about Brambleclaw then? Well, depending on the question, I might know something, yes. What is it about?"

„I know Brambleclaw has been training behind the clan's back. He's probably been doing so for a long time now…"

Ashfur holds Hawkfrost's stare as he begins. For the first time, and only for a brief moment, Hawkfrost's mask falters a little. His ears perk up, a subtile hint of worry flashing over his face for less than a heartbeat, before his confident smile plasters back over it.

„Is that so? You must have been very observant to figure such a thing out, or he must have been very careless. What of it? I don't remember the warrior code forbidding warriors from training"

Ashfur's tail lashes slowly behind him

„I want to know how and with whom. No one has seen him do so, nor would I know who helped him. I think you know however."

The Riverclan warrior observes Ashfur quietly for a moment, scanning him more carefully than usual. Does Hawkfrost suspect Ashfur to know more than he lets on? Or perhaps there is more to it than he'd willingly tell.

„You've not answered my question, Ashfur. Perhaps I know. Maybe I might tell you. If I know why you wish to know such a thing"

Ashfur growls quietly, claws extending and digging into the dirt below.

„I need to know… so I can overcome him. I want to train regularly again, grow stronger and in the end eclipse Brambleclaw. I know you two are kin, but it is important to me, Hawkfrost."

Hawkfrost blinks, surprise showing in his blue eyes, followed by deep thought. The two toms remain silent for a small while, only the faint, mumbled noise of the Gathering reaching them through the foliage. After a bit, Hawkfrost's eyes light up, his smile growing into a smirk.

„I might be able to help you with that, in fact. Both in getting the answer you seek, and getting the training you desire. But I'd be doing you a pretty big service with that one. I hope you'll remember my help if ever I were to need some in return"

Ashfur feels his pads sweating slightly. Something is off… but help training is exactly what he was hoping to find recently. He'll finally be able to make the most out of Talon's training, grow as strong a warrior as he needs to, all while learning how Brambleclaw managed to surpass him. For the briefest moment, Ashfur beliefs to catch the scent of Squirrelflight waving over to him from the Gathering clearing. She could be his again. Plenty of warriors have friends in other clans, would owing a favour to a Riverclan cat be that bad, keeping in mind it might get him all he's ever wanted? Ashfur's eyes have lowered away from Hawkfrost, looking at nothing in particular as they reflect the warrior's mind at work. His pelt spikes up in a moment of startled surprise as Hawkfrost brushes past and around him, the Thunderclan warrior having never even noticed the tabby's descend from the root.

„Let me guess… this is all in the end about that mate of his. Squirrelflight, was it? You know, he has already mentioned once or twice that he is worried about you on that matter…"

As Ashfur's pelt lays flat again, his ears swivel with Hawkfrost's motion, as the Riverclan warrior circles closely around him.

„Brambleclaw said he's worried?"

„More than once"

Hawkfrost's smirk remaining, his eyes behold the grey tom as a hungry hunter would a great piece of prey they just caught and secured

„He has not forgotten whom she found comfort and refuge at last time things got… stressed between them. He knows you'd take Squirrelflight back given the chance. And I think that Squirrelflight distracts Brambleclaw a bit too much from other things. I think we can help each other, Ashfur. I think we can all get what we want most out of this in the end."

The Thunderclan warrior descends into deep thought. A sigh escapes him, emotion loud in his mind. Anger at not having seen Brambleclaw's activities earlier. Worry that is he doesn't take this chance, he might lose his shot at becoming Squirrelflight's mate. Disgust at himself that he needs both Bloodclan and Riverclan warriors to help him succeed. But slowly rising above all others, shining in Ashfur's eyes as he raises his head again, hope. Hope and determination that he may finally succeed, he may at long last prove himself as the better choice. The pain may finally end after all. The grey tom nods

„When does training begin?"

Hawkfrost chuckles amused, sitting down before Ashfur

„Eager to get started? Good. You won't need to wait long, I assure you. I'll see if I can arrange things tonight still. Obviously I don't need to mention that this is not something you should tell any cat. Our clanmates are a bit too narrow minded for some things"

Ashfur nods once more, determined eyes looking back into Hawkfrost's confident ones.

„Fine. What is one more secret. I'm not harming anyone and Thunderclan will have a stronger warrior for it if anything. Will we speak again next Gathering?"

Hawkfrost's grin grows once more into a smirk

„If all goes well, we won't need to wait that long. It will go very quickly, you will see."

„Good. I'm trusting you on this, Hawkfrost. Don't let me down"

Hawkfrost parts his jaws to reply, when he suddenly stopps, ears turning in the direction of the clearing. Ashfur turns his head, doing the same. Many voices are speaking once more. The leaders must have finished their reports. Ashfur looks up into Silverpelt, past the crowns of the surrounding trees. Clouds have almost swallowed up the entirety of the moon, it's not long now until the Gathering ends.

„Almost time to leave"

Hawkfrost nods in agreement, rising to his paws

„Seems that way. Well, I think tonight was very productive indeed. A pleasure speaking with you, Ashfur. We should rejoin our clans, but we'll meet again very soon. I promise"

With a hum, Hawkfrost brushes past Ashfur and back through the foliage. The grey Thunderclan warrior stays behind a moment longer, quietly raising his gaze back to silverpelt

„…I've asked you many times before, but I'll ask one more time. Please give me advice if you have any. Show me the right way in all of this, if you can hear me. I need to find a way to make this work, and now I think I have one, at last. If you disagree, then let me know, give me some sort of sign, some alternate path to travel…"

His eyes fix on the few stars sparkling in the inky darkness of the cloudy night sky. Ashfur waits patiently, eyes and ears trained on the sparkles that are meant to be his ancestors. The stars remain silent, the muffled voices of cats talking and the wind rustling through the empty branches all there is to hear. Ashfur takes a deep breath of the cold leafbare air, before rising to his paws. Either his path is the right one, or Starclan does not care to answer. Either way, all remains as is, he must choose and travel his own path, his ancestors won't guide his paws on this. Slowly the muscular tom pushes through the foliage, slightly intrigued that with the first snow of the year having descended already, there are even green plants still aside from the pine trees. His interest vanishes quickly however as he reemerges on the other side, managing to return to his clan without anyone being any the wiser about where he's been. He has barely any time to join a circle of warriors before Firestar descends from the Great Oak, Thunderclan being quick to fall in behind him. Ashfur casts one last gaze into the clearing before leaving it alongside his clanmates, finding Hawkfrost observing him from afar, satisfaction clear in his eyes, even from afar. He's playing games. But Ashfur's not betraying anyone, nor will he. He owes Hawkfrost a favour, nothing more. One small favour, in return for which he gets a chance to regain what he's lost at long last and put an end to his heartache.

Laying in his nesting, back in the warriors den, Ashfur twists and turns. Most other warriors are already well asleep, those returning from the Gathering falling into their nests quickly and those woken by their return soon finding their way back into their slumber. Maybe one or two others remain awake, but it'd be hard to tell. Only Ashfur remains moving, unable to find comfort. Restless nights are nothing new to the grey warrior, but usually they are caused by his racing thoughts, or the stinging pain in his chest returning after seeing Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight huddled up against each other. Tonight is somehow different. His thoughts are racing and his chest hurts, yes, but something else is going on, something new, much to the tom's great frustration. Suppressing the urge to let out a deeply annoyed grunt only to avoid waking his clanmates, his eyes keep moving over the sleeping, calm bodies of the cats around, then back to the den's entrance, then back to the clan. A feeling as if someone was watching him, closely at that. It feels as if some cat were observing him close enough for him to feel their breath on his neck. He all but sees them before him, a pair of amber eyes piercing him. Yet each time he turns around in his nest, there is no open eyes to be seen, yet the feeling remains. Grey fur, grey and white, and piercing amber eyes. Watching, sizing him up. Familiar somehow, yet no matter how he turns, he can't spot his stalker. How can he know the fur and eye colour if he can't find his insistent observer? Paranoid stress prickles in his mind, refusing him even a hint of rest. Is the stress getting to him perhaps? Maybe he's taken ill. Resigning himself to this miserable feeling and finally laying still, the blue eyed warrior accepts that tonight little sleep will be gotten. He'll visit Leafpool first thing in the morning when she's up. If he's ill, or if it's perhaps just stress, she might have something to help him. Hopefully.