Scorchstar's body was burning with rage when he entered his den after coming home from the Gathering. His muscles were taut and tense as he unsheathed and sheathed his claws, waiting for the anger to ebb, but it never did. First he had heard about Ravenfeather's death, been threatened by Rootstar at the Gathering, but also…
He had seen his sister, Russetstripe, slink off with the ginger-and-white tabby warrior, Runningflame of RiverClan. I knew it. I knew there was something going on with her. Scorchstar poked his head out of his den and spotted his mate's triangular tortoiseshell-and-white face. "Wildheart!" he called out. "Can you come here?"
Wildheart walked over to Scorchstar, her yellow eyes round with curiosity as she entered his den. "Is everything okay?" she asked.
"No." Scorchstar shook his head. "Wildheart, do you think you could keep an eye on Russetstripe, for me?"
Wildheart's eye whiskers arched, darkness shadowing her yellow eyes. Scorchstar knew that Wildheart hated Russetstripe, but he didn't know of who else to ask. "Why?"
"I saw her with that good-for-nothing Runningflame at the Gathering," Scorchstar hissed through clenched teeth.
"Really?" Wildheart gasped in shock.
"Yes," Scorchstar replied. "Please, don't tell any cat!"
"I won't." Wildheart shook her head. "But why do you want me to keep an eye on her?"
"Just tell me if you see any suspicious behavior from her," Scorchstar replied. "I need to know if this has gone farther than a simple friendship. I can't trust her right now, but I also can't afford to follow her constantly. We're at war with ThunderClan, and I need to fight."
"Am I not going to fight?" Wildheart tilted her head.
"Listen…" Scorchstar sighed. "I don't know, yet. I haven't decided who to bring on the battle patrol. Please, for now, can you just watch Russetstripe for me?"
"Sure." Wildheart licked her fur. "I'll tell you what I see."
"Thank you." Scorchstar nuzzled his mate in relief as she licked his cheek and walked away. Fury made Scorchstar's blood burn as he recalled their pelts slightly brushing as they left the island and melted towards the shore. I swear to StarClan, I'll rip her pelt to shreds if I find out there's anything going on between them! He took a deep breath. No, there can't be. Russetstripe is a loyal WindClan warrior, and she's my sister. I trust her.
But he knew he couldn't afford to think of that anymore. Wildheart would let him know if there was anything wrong with Russetstripe. He had a bigger issue to focus on – ThunderClan. Scorchstar stared at the ground, trying to think about the best angle to approach a ThunderClan attack from. He was knocked out of his thoughts by his daughter's call.
"Father! Father!" Scorchstar turned on his heel as Hawkfire bounded into his den, staring at her father with wide green eyes, her body trembling and her fur pricked.
"By the gods, Hawkfire, what is it?" Scorchstar jumped to his paws, looking her up and down. She didn't look injured – just utterly panicked. But why? What happened? "Are you all right?"
"We need to talk!" Hawkfire gasped.
"Calm down." Scorchstar wrapped his tail around his paws and allowed Hawkfire to compose herself. "Tell me what happened."
"When you were gone, I went on patrol," Hawkfire explained. "An odd voice was telling me that ThunderClan was planning to invade WindClan and overtake our territory – to avenge Ravenfeather. And the voice… it said… it didn't want to see another innocent group of cats massacred." Hawkfire's green eyes were stretched wide. "I think it was a StarClan cat."
What…? Scorchstar stared at his daughter. A StarClan cat told Hawkfire that ThunderClan is going to invade WindClan? Well, that makes sense, considering what Rootstar said at the Gathering. But why would the cat tell Hawkfire? And what does that mean, they don't want to see another innocent group of cats massacred? He had so many questions for Hawkfire, but he doubted his daughter knew the answer to any of them.
"Thanks for letting me know, Hawkfire," Scorchstar finally said, licking his daughter's ear. "Go get some rest."
"Are you going to do anything with what I told you?" Hawkfire demanded.
"Of course I will." Scorchstar narrowed his eyes. "But I need to think about what I'm going to do. I can't just jump into it with my eyes closed."
Hawkfire's fur flattened and she gave him a nod before leaving the den. Scorchstar was ready to lie down and rest for the night when he caught a glimpse of Brambledusk's pale tabby fur at the entrance to his den. He shut his eyes in frustration when he remembered how Brambledusk had asked to speak to him earlier today. "Come in, Brambledusk."
Brambledusk entered Scorchstar's den with a grim look in his eyes. Scorchstar frowned at him. "What is it?" he asked. He had never seen his former deputy look so churlish.
"Do you remember when I told you that there was a scent I was sure I could recognize, but couldn't put a name to it?" Brambledusk asked. "When I saw Ravenfeather's body?"
Scorchstar nodded. "Yes. Why?"
"I went back to the border before we left for the Gathering," Brambledusk said, "and gave it a closer look. Now… I know. I recognize the scent on Ravenfeather's body – and the border. It was Gorseflight."
The entire world froze around Scorchstar as he took in Brambledusk's face. He was hoping that Brambledusk would say something else – apologize for the prank, say he wasn't sure, or something else. But Brambledusk's face was hard and his eyes were serious. He was sure of this. And Scorchstar trusted him – Brambledusk had lived with Gorseflight, he knew his scent well. Scorchstar swallowed a lump in his throat.
"I will have my revenge. I swear."
The day came rushing back to him, where the Nirvana cats had been exterminated, one by one, by Swiftstar after he had fell into a rage believing they stole his prey. Gorseflight had fought on their side and had ended up in a battle with Swiftstar. Russetstripe had saved Gorseflight's life, but Gorseflight had sworn revenge against Swiftstar and had left. Gorseflight had looked like a completely different cat when he glared at Swiftstar, anger and fury glittering in his yellow eyes, as if he had burned all bridges. The lust for revenge had been thick in his voice when he declared it. But, Swiftstar is dead. Who is he going to have his revenge on now? He skidded to a halt. Wait…
Gorseflight had asked him to try to get his father to cease the attack on the Nirvana cats. Scorchstar had tried the best he could, but his father never budged. Was it possible that, now that Swiftstar was dead, Gorseflight would try to get his revenge on Scorchstar? Did Gorseflight see Scorchstar just as equally complicit in the death of the Nirvana cats as Swiftstar was? Is he going to come after me?
Was that possible? Gorseflight had been his best friend. Had. Their relationship was nothing now that Gorseflight had been exiled. Scorchstar had always longed to have him back, even considering sending a cat after him when Swiftstar died, but he assumed that Gorseflight would not want anything to do with him. It wouldn't be ridiculous to think that Gorseflight found Scorchstar guilty as well. But we were best friends.
The light in Gorseflight's eyes when he glared at Swiftstar game back to Scorchstar. In that moment, Gorseflight had become a completely different cat. The cat who cared about sparing life at all costs was gone. But who had replaced it? Gorseflight hadn't stuck around long enough for Scorchstar to be able to see it. Finally, Scorchstar gazed at Brambledusk. Whatever Gorseflight was now, Ravenfeather was dead, and ThunderClan was out to get them.
"Do you think that Gorseflight killed Ravenfeather?" Scorchstar finally asked.
"I have no idea." Brambledusk shook his head. "All I know is that his scent was on Ravenfeather's body. That puts him as a suspect, but it doesn't make him the cat who killed her. We still have no idea who killed her."
Scorchstar clenched his teeth and sighed. "Okay. Get Wildheart, Russetstripe, Blackdove, Heathercloud, and Harewhisker in here. We need to tell them about Gorseflight."
"Not the entire Clan?" Brambledusk asked.
"I've worried them too much for the time being," Scorchstar said quietly. "We need to tell them about Gorseflight, and then we have to deal with ThunderClan. I… I have no idea what's going to happen, next. I don't know if Gorseflight had something to do with Ravenfeather's death, or it's just a coincidence his scent is near the border."
"It was on Ravenfeather's body," Brambledusk pointed out.
Scorchstar sighed. "I know." He put a paw to his head. "Please, will you get them?"
"Yeah." Brambledusk slipped out of the den, giving Scorchstar time to think. He didn't think Gorseflight was possible of killing a young ThunderClan warrior in cold blood. He was better than that, even if he was a rogue now. But what did he do? ThunderClan had declared war on them – there was no escaping that. Did he explain to Rootstar it was possible Gorseflight had something to do with this? No, he'd never believe me.
Brambledusk entered with the cats Scorchstar had named. They settled in his den, their eyes wide with worry. Scorchstar studied them individually before saying, "Gorseflight has returned."
Blackdove narrowed her eyes. Russetstripe's jaw tightened, and Wildheart twitched her ears. Heathercloud shifted her paws while Harewhisker let out a sigh. Brambledusk twitched his tail back and forth. Scorchstar went on. "His scent was found on Ravenfeather's body."
"He couldn't have killed her," Russetstripe exclaimed. "It's not something he'd do."
"He changed, after what happened with those rogues," Wildheart pointed out. "The light literally left his eyes."
"We don't know what he's capable of, now," Heathercloud murmured.
"His scent on her body doesn't mean he killed her, though," Russetstripe argued.
"Russetstripe's right," Scorchstar said. Wildheart flattened her ears angrily at Scorchstar, but he ignored her and went on. "I just wanted to let you all know that Gorseflight has been scented on our territory and to keep an eye out for him. Whether he has anything to do with Ravenfeather's death is up for debate. Just because his scent is on her body does not mean he killed her. Was it strong, Brambledusk?"
Brambledusk shook his head. "The scent wasn't strong, but when we saw her body, she had definitely died recently. So, if he was there, he was there long before she died."
"That doesn't mean he didn't inflict the killing wound," Heathercloud argued.
"But that's the thing," Harewhisker said, seeming to take Russetstripe's side. "We don't know. We have no idea who killed Ravenfeather. Arguing about Gorseflight is just going in circles. He could be the key to the puzzle, or he could have nothing to do with it at all."
The arguments between his warriors went back and forth until Scorchstar finally interrupted it. "Enough!" he growled. "For now, just know that Gorseflight is in WindClan territory, and keep your ears and eyes peeled when you're on patrol. We don't know what kind of cat he is now, or what he's capable of. What remains the most dangerous is that ThunderClan declared war on us during the Gathering. We don't know when Rootstar will come, but it does not change the fact that he is going to. We must prepare for war. Reinforce the camp, make training sessions – older warriors with younger warriors, send hunting patrols, don't go alone… we all know the drill."
His senior warriors let out nods before exchanging glances and disappearing from the den. Scorchstar sighed and watched them go. The morning sun was just beginning to rise, and Scorchstar realized he hadn't slept at all. Just as Harewhisker exited the den, he looked over his shoulder and meowed, "You should rest, Scorchstar. I'll take care of everything."
"Thanks, Harewhisker." Trusting his deputy, Scorchstar shut his eyes and let the world of sleep take him.
Scorchstar woke up to a piercing alarm cry. He scrambled to his paws, blinking sleep out of his eyes, and raced into the clearing, his fur on edge as Skyheart and Frostpetal rushed into camp. Their fur was bristling as they stared at Scorchstar.
"ThunderClan scents are strong on the border!" Skyheart exclaimed.
"Fresher than before!" Frostpetal added. "They're coming."
"Damn!" Scorchstar cursed. So soon? He skidded to a halt and swung his gaze to examine his Clan. "Listen, all. This is going to be the fight of a life time. Who is going to fight with me? Who is going to defend WindClan's honor from unjust accusations?"
"I will!" Harewhisker yowled, claws unsheathed.
"And so will I!" Redmoon lashed his tail.
"Me too!" Hawkfire chimed in.
"And I." Dovewillow's amber eyes blazed.
"Always, Scorchstar." Heathercloud lifted her head.
Cries of agreement ricocheted through the clearing until Scorchstar was sure every cat had spoken. He needed to organize a battle patrol – and now. "Brambledusk, Russetstripe, Blackdove, Redmoon, Harewhisker, Heathercloud, Cinderfall, Songbreeze, Briarsnow, Lilystream. You're all coming with me. Wildheart, Iceheart, Hotaru, Waspberry, guard camp in case…" Gorseflight… "…in case this is a trap."
Iceheart nodded firmly. Wildheart flicked her tortoiseshell tail. Hotaru looked around, puzzled, and although it had been a moon since the young tom came to camp, he had shown himself to be a strong and capable warrior. I have to show him that I trust him, and defending camp is one of the best options. Scorchstar turned to look at his warriors, seeing the light of resolve shine in their eyes. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a shadow falling across camp. He glanced over at the top of the hill and made out Hailstep's thick pelt and muscular figure.
"They're here," Scorchstar said, staring at Hailstep's body. The gray tom turned on his heel and pelted away. "Let's go." Tensing his muscles, Scorchstar led his patrol out of camp, from the moor and towards the stream that marked the ThunderClan border. The tension in the battle patrol was rampant, and as he dared to look at them, he saw that their muscles were tense and their claws were unsheathed. They were ready for a fight. And it's going to be a hard one, too. I know just how strong ThunderClan is, with Rootstar as their leader. We won't get out of this unscathed.
When Scorchstar arrived, the ThunderClan patrol was already camped out on the stream bank. Rootstar and Brookfeather were at the head of the patrol, their eyes burning. They had crossed the stream and were on the moorland. Their gazes met each other, and Scorchstar curled his lip, digging his claws into the moorland as he seethed quietly at Rootstar. He accused me of killing my own warrior. Harewhisker padded over to stand at Scorchstar's side, his shoulders squared.
"You have come." Rootstar's voice was silky, but within it were hints of danger.
"It's time to settle this, Rootstar," Scorchstar growled. "We didn't kill your warrior. WindClan didn't ask for this fight – you did. All of the blood spilled today will be on your paws."
"Then let the blood flow." Rootstar led the charge, an ethereal figure that moved as easily as moonlight in the dawn, something not quite like a cat. He brought his claws down as if it could cleave the very world into two, singing glory to all who fell to its victims. There was nothing but the defeat for his foes in his eyes, the blood of their slaughter transforming like petals in the air. Scorchstar gasped as Rootstar lunged for him, and the two leaders rolled onto the moorland, hissing and spitting at each other as their claws tore through each other's fur.
Around them, the rest of the cats broke into the war. The WindClan cats and ThunderClan cats surged forward. Hawkfire leaped through the first line with an incredible leap and slammed into Foxdapple, pushing her into the ground. Harewhisker threw himself at Brookfeather, who was ready to meet him. Just as he landed on top of her, Brookfeather sank her teeth into his neck and threw him towards the stream. Heathercloud slashed her claws down Winterfall's chest and Songbreeze sank her teeth into Briskheart's stomach. Peartuft flailed under Brambledusk's grip, and Bearstep flung Lilystream across the grass. Buzzardwing clawed Houndheart's chest and sank his teeth into his neck.
Rootstar dodged Scorchstar's blow easily and unsteadied the much larger cat with a blow to the chest. Scorchstar tucked and rolled before Rootstar could leap at his exposed belly. Scorchstar sent Rootstar sprawling across the ground with a powerful blow across the face. Rootstar, dazed for a moment, lay still. Scorchstar took this opportunity to leap onto him with his full weight, smothering Rootstar. Suddenly, Rootstar sent Scorchstar flying through the air with a shocking kick from his hind legs. Scorchstar gasped with pain as Rootstar leaped on him with a flurry of teeth and claws. Blood splattered the ground.
The God of War, Scorchstar thought with a panic as he kicked Rootstar off him. Rootstar leaped off and turned on his heel, curling his lip and flattening his ears. Scorchstar leaped to the side just as Rootstar turned and lunged for him, but Rootstar seemed to have anticipated that move already, for he turned just at the same time and grabbed Scorchstar's neck with his paws. Scorchstar snarled as Rootstar's claws sank into his throat, and Scorchstar shook his head viciously to dislodge the ThunderClan leader.
Scorchstar craned his ears to hear what was going on in the battle. Just as the hisses and snarls were prominent, so were several cats exchanging the dialogue.
"Hawkfire, don't do this!" Foxdapple was begging.
"I know that trick." Hawkfire's voice was seething. "Don't think I'll go easy on you just because we were friends."
Sunfire of ThunderClan was snarling at one cat. "Do you know what you're fighting for?"
Russetstripe's voice was twice as venomous as Hawkfire's. "Do you?"
A triumphant yowl came from Redmoon. "You fight good, but I fight even better!"
"Is that all you've got?" Hailstep was taunting a cat. "You call yourself a warrior?"
"Push further!" Harewhisker was yowling. "Use your WindClan skills!"
Rootstar pressed Scorchstar to the ground with a strong black-and-white paw. "Surrender the battle," he growled, his claws digging deep into Scorchstar's throat. The pain from the torn skin was intensifying by the moment, and Scorchstar was keenly aware of the blood pouring down his throat. "Do not force me to make your cats suffer even more. I do not like war, but I will fight if I must."
"WindClan will never surrender to you!" Scorchstar barked at Rootstar. Rootstar stepped off him, his yellow eyes narrowed into slits as Scorchstar felt his head fall back. The world was spinning around him, and his senses were starting to fade. The sounds of the fight were dying, he couldn't smell the blood on the battlefield, and the faces of the cats in front of him were blurring. He tried to move, but his paws refused to obey him, and a sudden realization hit him.
I'm losing a life, Scorchstar thought, sudden dread filling his body. He curled his paws over his face as a quick burst of agony shot through him, and then darkness seized him.
When Scorchstar opened his eyes, he recognized the cat in front of him. It was a black-and-white tom with an unusually long tail. Tallstar. The first time he had lost a life, it had been Swiftstar who had visited him. Now it was Tallstar. Was Swiftstar so ashamed of him that he had refused to meet him? "Where's my father?"
"He's fine." Tallstar fixed his burning amber gaze on Scorchstar. "You must rest for a few moments."
"Did I do the right thing?" Scorchstar burst out, ignoring the searing, burning pain that sent bolts through his body. He had to know the answer, and Tallstar was the cat that could give it to him. "Did one of my Clanmates kill Ravenfeather, and they just didn't say it? Or did ThunderClan kill her? Or…" His voice trailed off. "…Did Gorseflight?"
"You will receive the answers you need in time," Tallstar said calmly.
Scorchstar lashed his tail. "That doesn't help!" he snarled at Tallstar. "Did I mess up?"
"Calm down." Tallstar's voice was laced with irritation. "I can't tell you if you did. That's up to the eye of the beholder. But if I were you… I would've done the same thing." Guilt shadowed Tallstar's eyes. Even though Tallstar said he would have done the same thing, Tallstar did not say if it was the right thing to do.
Scorchstar opened his mouth to say something, to ask him about the guilt, to demand answers about Gorseflight, but when he looked down at his paws, he saw that they were turning transparent.
"You're going back," Tallstar told him, his long tail twitching. "Deal with what you find."
The WindClan leader watched the StarClan cat until the territory around them disappeared, and Scorchstar found himself back in his battered, bloodied body. His legs jerked and a bolt of agony shot through his body again, making it clear that he was very much back in the real world. He blinked open his eyes to see Hawkfire's worried face peering into his eyes.
"Hawkfire," Scorchstar whispered, shakily pulling himself to his paws.
"You're back." Hawkfire pressed her nose against Scorchstar's shoulder. Scorchstar gave his daughter a relieved lick and looked through the cats. The fighting had stopped, and Scorchstar wondered if they had all seen him lose a life. He searched for Redmoon's dark red fur in the crowd and sighed with relief when he spotted him at the edge of the cats, next to Blackdove. He's safe.
"Brookfeather!" The voice came from Sunfire, and Scorchstar stepped forward to see the yellow tabby tom crouching over a brown-and-white tabby body. Scorchstar gasped in horror as a waterfall of blood gushed from Brookfeather's numerous wounds. The ThunderClan warrior was blinking repeatedly and was opening her mouth, but nothing was coming out.
Rootstar raced over to Brookfeather. "Brookfeather!" he gasped, desperation making his voice shrill.
"Rootstar…" Brookfeather finally spoke, her eyes softening as she caught the glance of the leader she had served for so long. "I've… finally… made a leader of you."
The ThunderClan leader's yellow eyes were wide with horror. He shook his head sadly and sat down next to Brookfeather. "I wonder…" he murmured. "Haven't I been a leader from the start?" There was a sad smile pressed on his face, and in his gaze was a world of pain as he nuzzled his deputy.
"In what way?" Brookfeather rasped. "You were nothing but a spoiled child."
"Is that right." Rootstar's voice cracked with agony.
"But… in the end… I'll always be serving you." Brookfeather let out a trembling sigh. "Rootstar…"
Rootstar leaned over, his eyes only mouse-lengths away from Brookfeather's. "What is it, Brookfeather?" he asked, his voice trembling with pain.
"I loved you. I've always loved you." Brookfeather lifted her head weakly to lick her leader's shoulder one last time.
"Loved…? Why past tense…?" Rootstar croaked out.
Brookfeather gave Rootstar a weak smile. "May you… always be… yourself." With those last words, the ThunderClan deputy rested her head on the ground, shutting her eyes and taking her last breath. Rootstar watched the life leave her body, stiff as a cat made of stone.
Scorchstar watched, his heart breaking into thousands of pieces just as Hailstep turned on his heel and raced over to Scorchstar. A feral snarl escaped his mouth as he shoved his face into Scorchstar's. "You did this. You killed her."
"Enough!" Harewhisker leaped in front of Scorchstar before Hailstep could cut him down. "The battle is over."
"Get out of the way unless you want to die too." Hailstep's callous words were delivered flippantly to Harewhisker.
Scorchstar hung his head, shame burning his body. "This was never meant to be. Too many cats have died today. We have broken the warrior code."
Hailstep growled lowly in his throat but was ushered away by Winterfall. Harewhisker nudged Scorchstar's shoulder. "We should go," he said. "It's not safe to be here much longer."
Scorchstar nodded numbly and followed Harewhisker as the strong WindClan deputy led them away from the battlefield. The rest of their warriors followed suit, and all Scorchstar could think about was the death of Brookfeather. Even though Scorchstar himself had lost a life, he still had several more, and Brookfeather had none. Was this supposed to happen? Scorchstar wanted to wail to the sky. Did we fight a battle over nothing?
Behind him, Scorchstar could see that his Clanmates hadn't exactly gotten out unscathed. Russetstripe leaned against Blackdove for support while Hawkfire's blood was staining the grass beneath her and Redmoon was hanging his head. Lilystream was letting out ragged breaths while Songbreeze was clearly limping, wincing with every step.
When the WindClan warriors returned to the camp, Scorchstar could instantly tell something had happened. The camp was in an uproar, with several cats racing to and fro, panic written on their face and desperation in their tracks. Scorchstar skidded to a halt when he entered the clearing, shocked at the commotion. The pain in his wounds was still evident, burning with every step, but he was more focused on what was causing the uproar in the camp.
"What happened here?" Scorchstar demanded the closest cat – Skyheart.
Skyheart's blue eyes were round with fear as Sedgefall bounded over to the battle patrol and started to urge in cats to her den as fast as she could. "Scorchstar…"
"What?" Scorchstar snapped. "Tell me what happened!"
Skyheart exchanged a horrified glance with Hotaru, who bounded towards them with his yellow eyes wide with worry. Skyheart took a deep breath and said, "Wildheart… she was kidnapped."
"What?" Scorchstar's roar rivaled the ones of lions told in nursery stories as he leaned over Skyheart, his fur bristling and his tail lashing. "What in all the hells do you mean, she was kidnapped?"
"A rogue took her!" Hotaru exclaimed.
Panic made Scorchstar's heart race in his chest, and all the pain from his battle wounds were completely forgotten. All he could think about was Wildheart. She was the only thing important to him, now. His wounds could wait. Wait… could it be…? "This rogue… was he gray-and-white?"
"We don't know," Skyheart confessed, looking down at the ground with her ears flattened. "There were two of them, and they disappeared into the shadows."
"Iceheart went after her," Hotaru added.
"Iceheart, too?" Scorchstar's amber eyes widened. "They haven't come back?"
Skyheart and Hotaru shook their heads.
"Which way did she go?" Scorchstar demanded.
"Towards the far edge of the moor," Skyheart replied. "But it's long, and you all are injured, so—"
"I don't care." Scorchstar lashed his tail. "She's my mate and the mother of my kits. I'm going to search for her, no matter what. Hotaru and Skyheart, you're well rested, right? Come with me." He turned on his heel and started to march away but stepped back when Redmoon and Hawkfire rushed towards him. Their pelts were scattered with wounds, but the worst of them had stopped bleeding, and the blood was dry.
"What happened, Father?" Hawkfire gasped.
"Your mother was taken hostage." Scorchstar had no time to sugar coat anything, and he certainly didn't have time to stand around and talk. "I'm going to rescue her. You stay here."
"No!" Redmoon exclaimed. "We have to come! She's our mother!"
"If you don't let us go, we'll just follow you." Hawkfire's green eyes were burning with rage, and that look in her eyes told Scorchstar that she would not take no for an answer.
Scorchstar stared at his kits steadily. "All right. You can come." He knew it was better to allow them – they were his kits – and Wildheart's. If any cat could take on rogues with the sole intent on getting Wildheart back, it was them. Scorchstar scanned the battle patrol and spotted Russetstripe licking her wounds. "Russetstripe."
"What?" Russetstripe lifted her head, her words sharp and her green eyes narrowed. Scorchstar had no time for her temper. If it really was Gorseflight, Russetstripe had been one of his closest friends while he was in the Clan. Maybe she could get to him.
"Come with me." Scorchstar stalked away.
"Where?" Russetstripe twitched her ears in irritation. "Don't you know that—"
"Silence!" Scorchstar roared at his sister. Russetstripe gasped in horror as she stared at her brother. Scorchstar cursed himself for lashing out at her just as his father did to her, but there was no time to waste. "Please, just come with us. It involves Gorseflight." With that, Scorchstar leaped out of camp, making sure his patrol was following him. His muscles tensed, and even as blood streamed down from his wounds he had received in the battle, nothing was going to stop him from completing his mission.
He had to save Wildheart, and it was time for the final battle between Gorseflight and Scorchstar.