Sandstorm woke up in Firestar's den. Her mind was swimming with worries and thoughts of Tigerstar driving the Clans to war. The ginger tom's flank rose and fell with each soft breath. He would've been deep in sleep by now. She slowly rose from the nest and quietly padded out of the den. The moon was nearing it's peak in the clear sky. She leaped down from Highledge and bounded across the clearing, slipping out of the camp without a sound.

She bounded through the forest, weaving around the trees and bramble thickets, her paws carrying her farther and farther from the camp as anger pushed her forward. She finally slowed when the trees thinned and the scent of the border markers reached her nose. She growled and raked her claws across the nearest tree trunk, leaving deep claw marks in the bark.

Tigerstar had taken so much from ThunderClan. He killed her father, Redtail. He killed Brindleface in cold blood. He had attempted to lead the pack of dogs right into ThunderClan camp, resulting in Swiftpaw's death and Brightheart losing half the fur on her face. Too many cats lost their lives at the claws of that heartless monster.

She was too busy clawing the ground to notice the approaching cat until he meowed, causing her to leap back hissing. Her pelt bristled at the sight of a small black tom sitting a few tail lengths away. His small paws bared large, dog-like claws, and he wore a purple collar that was strangely studded with what looked like teeth. His icy-blue gaze watched her cautiously as she glared at him.

"Who are you?" She demanded, keeping her claws unsheathed. "Where did you come from?" She couldn't place his scent, but she knew it wasn't any Clan scent.

"I am Scourge, leader of BloodClan." He spoke slowly, his gaze never leaving her's. "Tigerstar has told me quite a lot about the four Clans of the forest." His voice was deeper than she expected. He was barely bigger than a new apprentice. "What are you doing out so late?"

Sandstorm snorted. "Why should I tell you?" She growled. "I'm on ThunderClan territory."

Scourge tipped his head to the side. "Are you?" His voice was level, as if asking a question he already knew the answer to.

Sandstorm sniffed the air, stiffening when she realized she had crossed the border. She wasn't in unclaimed territory now. Fear began to prick her thoughts. Would he attack her for crossing the boundary? Was she in BloodClan territory? But there were no other scent markers in the area.

"So," Scourge drew her attention back to him, his gaze seemed a bit softer. Or was she just imagining it? "What are you doing out this late?" He sounded genuinely curious.

"Can't a cat go out for a walk at night?" Sandstorm sat and licked her chest fur indignantly.

"You call running through the forest like a dog is chasing you a walk?" He asked, sounding amused. "What next? Flying hedgehogs?"

Sandstorm's tail-tip flicked in irritation. "Oh and I don't suppose you were just going for a stroll?" She meowed sharply.

The small tom shrugged and padded closer to her until he was under a patch of moonlight that broke through the trees. His black pelt shimmered in the moonlight, smooth muscles moved easily under his soft pelt. "It's a good night to go for a walk." Sandstorm began to bristle as he came closer. He was only a tail-length away, his warm, almost sweet, scent rolled over her. His icy gaze seemed to pull her in. "Or a run." He added, jokingly. He wasn't much smaller than her, but she still had to look down at him.

He broke eye contact and walked around her. Sandstorm let go of a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She looked over her shoulder to see him waiting for her. "Walk with me." He meowed.

Before she could come up with a response, her paws were carrying her over to him and walking alongside him as they padded along the ThunderClan border, though Scourge was careful to stay at least a few tail-lengths from the markers.

"How did you become the leader of…BloodClan?" Sandstorm asked carefully. He kept his gaze on the path in front of him.

"I made BloodClan. I showed the other street cats that if they messed with me, blood would be spilled, and it wouldn't be mine." He answered slowly.

"Tired of cats treating you differently just because of how you look?" Sandstorm asked without thinking. She stiffened when she realized what she'd said.

He was quiet for a minute, but showed now signs of anger. She dared a glance at him and thought she saw a flash of sadness in his deep blue eyes. "I wasn't always a street cat." His voice was barely audible over the sounds of the forest. "I used to live with twolegs. Right on the edge of this territory, actually." He looked around as if hoping to see his old twoleg den.

"You were a kittypet?" Sandstorm asked. "And then you made your own Clan of bloodthirsty rogues and loners?"

"We are not bloodthirsty!" Scourge hissed. "We take care of ourselves. We're not afraid to shed blood if it means we live to see another day!" He turned to face Sandstorm, blue fire blazing in his gaze. "Do Clan cats not fight over territory and prey like every other cat?" He challenged.

Sandstorm thought for a minute. Would an outsider really see Clan cats as cruel and bloodthirsty if they were only fighting to protect what was theirs? "I guess you're right. But Clan cats take care of each other too. Our elders and kits are fed by the warriors. Our medicine cats care for the sick and wounded. And our leader would give their nine lives to protect their Clanmates." She explained.

They stared at each other for a few heartbeats, then he sighed. "What else are we supposed to do?" He sounded defeated. "Everyone fights for any scrap of food they can find. There's never enough food for everyone. Cats lose their lives over a bit of scraps and bones." He crouched down and curled his tail over his paws.

Sandstorm sat next to him, curling her tail over her paws. "It gets hard in the Clans during leaf-bare, but I can't imagine having to fight tooth and claw for every meal." She gazed sympathetically at him.

"Tigerstar promised us the forest. All the territory and food we could want. No one would go hungry again." Scourge growled. "I know that flea-ridden mange-pelt is planning on double crossing me as soon as he gets what he wants." The fur on the back of his neck bristled for a moment before lying flat again. "But, without Tigerstar's plan, my cats will starve."

Sandstorm waited a moment before resting her tail on his shoulders. "There must be a better way than starting a war that will only result in cats losing loved ones." She tried to keep her voice from wavering as she continued. "There must be an end to the senseless killing." Her voice cracked and she gritted her teeth as images of her dead clanmates, her family, flashed through her mind. All at the claws of Tigerstar.

She felt a tail brush her pelt and looked down at Scourge. She looked at her paws. "He killed so many cats I cared about, and he has no plans of stopping there." Scourge sat up and brushed her muzzle with his own.

"There may be a future where cats can live among each other in peace," his breath was warm on her neck. His fur was even softer than it looked. He leaned back to look into her eyes, somehow stern and sorrowful at the same time. "But someone has to deal with Tigerstar. He will pay for what he's done." Sandstorm knew what he meant by that.

She leaned over and licked his forehead. "I will support you. Whatever happens." He licked her cheek in response.

"No cat will ever harm you again." He purred. "Not while I'm around." Sandstorm didn't try to hide the purr rising in her throat.

She looked up at the stars and noticed the moon was slowly creeping toward the horizon. It wouldn't be long before cats would wake for the dawn patrol. "I should get going." Sandstorm meowed. She stood and arched her back in a stretch.

Scourge sat up and began cleaning his pelt. "I'll see you soon, clan cat." Sandstorm realized she'd never told him her name.

"Call me Sandstorm." She dipped her head. "I'll see you later, Scourge of BloodClan." She touched her nose to his ear before bounding away towards camp.

She made it back as the moon was touching the treetops. Everyone was still asleep as she leaped up on highledge and padded into Firestar's den. He was fast asleep in his nest. She curled up next to him, his warm pelt reminding her of Scourge as she drifted off to sleep.