Talonpaw headed towards Snowsplash, who arched her back in a long stretch and blinked thankfully at Talonpaw. She swiped her pink tongue across her lips and padded over to him. Pine needles were scattered on her snow-white fur. Talonpaw was half tempted to flick them off with his tail, but he knew how disrespectful that gesture would be from a young apprentice to such a senior warrior. The rising sun cast golden rays on Snowsplash's sleek fur, and her blue eyes sparkled with yellow.

"Is there anything I should know?" Talonpaw asked.

Snowsplash shook her head. "He's been asleep all night. Stormbrook's poppy seeds really did the job. That means he'll be awake today. I don't know what type of cat he is – RiverClan cats describe him as chaotic, but he's been able to score himself a mate. That's all I know about him. You'll be the one making conversation with him today. Sparrowflight is leading the dawn patrol to the ThunderClan border, and then he'll be heading towards the RiverClan border. You'll probably be here 'til sunhigh." She blinked sympathetically at him.

Talonpaw sighed. "It's fine. It's an important job. If we let him wander free, he could figure out secrets of our Clan and use them against us."

"Well, thanks for relieving me. Good luck." Snowsplash brushed against the dark tabby as she headed across the clearing. Talonpaw took her former position in front of the bramble bush and tensed his shoulders, suddenly realizing what a foolish position he was in. Whitesky could leap at his back anytime and pin him down. He adjusted his posture, sitting so that he was right next to the entrance. If Whitesky decided to pounce, Talonpaw would be on him in an instant. In addition, he also got a good look at the inside of the den. He peered in, seeing the white tom's mound of fur. He barely looked alive, Talonpaw thought, but it was the rise and fall of his chest that assured Talonpaw that he indeed was breathing.

Talonpaw crouched down, tucking his paws underneath his chest, knowing he would be here for quite some time – why not get comfortable? But he knew he would have to take this job seriously. If Whitesky escaped, disaster was in store for ShadowClan. He kept his piercing amber eyes on the bramble den, watching as the RiverClan warrior snored softly. The greenleaf sunlight warmed Talonpaw's broad back, and he shut his eyes as he let out a yawn. When he opened them again, he was keenly aware of Whitesky's pure blue eyes, wide open, and staring at him. Wha…?

"You're awake?" Talonpaw asked gruffly.

Whitesky got to his paws, but his arms were shaking. "They sent a kit to watch over me?" he retorted, rubbing his head where Lionstar had hit him to render him unconscious. A lump had developed on that spot.

"I'm not a kit," Talonpaw protested. "I'm a ShadowClan apprentice."

"Whatever." Whitesky rolled back his shoulders. "So? What's going to happen to me now?" For a cat who was clearly aware that his future hung in the balance of two leaders who would never dare to agree, he sounded rather nonchalant as he licked his front paw and brushed it down his head.

"I guess we wait and see if Lionstar and Reedstar can come to some sort of agreement," Talonpaw told him, flinching at the fishy stench that wafted from his sleek but ruffled pelt.

Whitesky rolled his massive head back and let out a chortle that sounded more like the death rattle of a mouse. "Ha! And you fools really believe that those two will agree over anything, even if it's me?" His sharp eyes glinted. "No. Let them fight."

"What do you mean?" Talonpaw felt his hackles start to rise. "You want the fighting to continue?"

Whitesky stared at Talonpaw. "Reedstar is a fool. All he whines about is peace and unification. He doesn't see that the world needs battle."

"What?" Talonpaw stared at the RiverClan warrior, round-eyed. "What do you mean?"

The RiverClan warrior's torn ear twitched as he held Talonpaw's gaze steadily. The crackles of a fire blazed in his blue depths. "What is your name?"

"Talonpaw," the tabby tom replied. "But I'm not sure what that has to do with anything."

"Tell me, Talonpaw." Whitesky got to his paws and padded over to the tabby tom. "You understand well enough how Lionstar maintains power in his Clan. Now tell me why he clings to his power. What is his motive? Why does he want power?" When Talonpaw was quiet, searching for an answer, Whitesky hissed, "Go on! Speak!"

Talonpaw unsheathed his claws. He felt as if he was being quizzed by his mentor. "He rules over us for our own good – if we didn't have a leader, ShadowClan would be in chaos. We need a powerful cat who can govern us."

"You fool!" Whitesky roared. "You're an apprentice, you should know better than to say something like that. Now, I will tell you the answer to my question. It is this. Clan leaders seek power entirely for their own sake. They are not interested in the good of others, they are only interested solely in power. Not a long life, not happiness, not plenty of food – only power. Pure power."

Talonpaw stepped back, puzzled at Whitesky's sudden anger when he had been so calm and collected just a few moments ago. "Wait, I don't understand," he said. "Isn't power a good thing, if it keeps other cats in line?"

Whitesky sniffed in irritation. "Power is not a means, it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship. The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?"

"Are you saying that's what's going on in RiverClan at the moment?" Talonpaw blurted out. Is RiverClan in chaos? Is that why they led a patrol to attack?

"Perhaps." Whitesky blinked twice. "But I don't really care for that, per se."

"So then why do you attack us?" Talonpaw lashed his tail.

"Malice has its own reason. Malice needs no justification." Whitesky grinned. "You're young, kid. Cats have destructive impulses. Some of us just want to see the world in ruins for the fun of it. Even if we're ruined alongside it. Tell me, young Talonpaw, have you ever killed a cat before?"

Talonpaw shook his head. Maybe in the heat of battle, to protect his Clan. But to kill a cat in cold blood? His stomach twisted at the mere thought of it.

Whitesky clicked his tongue. "Pity. I know what it's like to take a life. To feel a future, a world of possibilities, snuffed out by your own claws. I know the power in it. The exhilaration. It was euphoric. And do you know why I did it?" He leaned in. "Because my Clanmates were moaning on about how it was wrong to kill a cat who wasn't threatening them. That's why they're in the predicament they're in now – with Lionstar at their east and Swiftstar at their west. These cats believe in mercy and justice."

"And what's wrong with that?" Talonpaw retorted.

Whitesky lashed his tail. "Cats are inherently worthless. The only value a cat has is measured in how much pointless suffering he inflicts on others with what he has. The more suffering a cat inflicts, the more powerful he is. Altruistic qualities, such as affection, compassion, conscience, and empathy, are the most egregious forms of impotence. Anyone who values altruism is a weakling, and as such, is worthy of being terminated with extreme prejudice. For far too long, I have been powerless and insecure. For far too long, I have suffered indignity at the paws of others. No more. I am frustrated with my position in the world. I vow to transcend this position and wield the power of life and death over others." He unsheathed his claws and tore some of the brambles from the bush. Talonpaw leaped back, surprised at the jolt of ferocity that came from the big RiverClan warrior.

"So you fight because… you want to?" Talonpaw inquired, baffled. "Nothing else? Not to protect the cats you love, not to protect your Clan? Just because you want to?"

"Now you get it." Whitesky's whiskers twitched and he sat back on his haunches. The fire ebbed from his blue eyes.

"But…!" Talonpaw reared back. "Shadefire, Flamestripe, and Birdflower went back to Reedstar to go make a plan to rescue you! Do you not care about the fact that they're putting their lives at risk to save yours?"

Whitesky's eyes narrowed. "If their rescue plan fails, then it is of no concern of mine if my Clanmates perish in it. I still would not shed a single tear for them, because they did not deserve any better."

How could he? Talonpaw stared at this callous, ruthless cat in front of him. How could he say these horrible things with a straight face? Cats would be putting their lives at risk for Whitesky, a cat they saw as a Clanmate, and he didn't care? He wouldn't care if they died trying to rescue him? And he had nothing to fight for?

"I hate this world," Whitesky hissed through curled lips. "I hate this world and everything in it. The flowers, the trees, the earth, the water. But what I hate the most is the Clans. All of you. You blindly put yourselves at the center of the world, thinking you're the gods' gift to the world. Envious, malicious, and still you all think you're in the right! Jealousy, hatred, arrogance, betrayal, insolence, deception. That is the true nature of warriors. You're sickening. Even thinking of it makes me physically ill. You're all hypocritical fakes. Every last one of you – useless! And that's why…" His blue eyes glowed. "I have a plan."

"You're not making any sense!" Talonpaw wailed. "Why do you want to destroy the world? Why do you want to see it burn?"

The RiverClan warrior fluffed out his fur. "Do you have moss stuffed in your ears? I despise Reedstar for refusing to fight. He does not understand that it is the killing of warriors that gets the blood flowing! He is only interested in power to keep himself at the head of the Clan, nothing else. But it's death – killing – that makes all of it worth it. If I have to kill every single cat in my Clan to finally sate the bloodlust that kindles inside me, so be it. I won't rest until I have." His claws unsheathed as he dug them into the ground.

"You were never loyal to RiverClan?" Talonpaw gasped. How could a cat like this even call himself a warrior? He wasn't honorable! He was nothing more than a snake!

"Don't be ridiculous." Whitesky snorted. "Loyalty is a word wasted on someone like me. I fight for myself, and I'll join whoever the strongest is. It appears that would be Lionstar, and not Reedstar."

"Wait a minute…" Talonpaw stepped back. "Are you… are you wanting to join ShadowClan?"

"If I word my request properly, Lionstar will gladly accept me," Whitesky purred. "You don't think he'd want a former RiverClan cat who can funnel him all of the secrets his old enemy has?"

"But you have no loyalty!" Talonpaw's fur bristled. "Lionstar only accepts cats who have loyalty!"

"I have a way that can destroy RiverClan," Whitesky hissed. "That's all Lionstar wants, isn't it? Isn't that his plan? All the Clan leaders' plans? To defeat the Clans near the borders so they can swoop in for the kill? Isn't that the entire point of unification?"

Talonpaw felt the greenleaf wind turn icily cold as it sank deep into his bones. Whitesky was not a normal Clan cat. This cat had not felt the warmth of friendship, or the fierceness of loyalty, or maybe the kindles of love. There was no way a sane cat could have this outlook. He just wants to watch the world burn, and he'll laugh while doing so. I have to warn Lionstar!

"I see that look on your face," Whitesky said, a smirk teasing the edge of his lips. "You want to warn Lionstar. But didn't you hear what I said? I can help him defeat RiverClan, with what I know." He lifted his head, squared his shoulders, and got to all four paws. "I want to have an audience with him."

"No way!" Talonpaw spat at him. "I'm not bringing you anywhere near him."

"Then I'll howl until I get his attention." Whitesky smirked. "By the time I'm done with RiverClan, they'll all be on their knees groveling and begging me for mercy. And I'll just laugh." His eyes narrowed as he looked Talonpaw up and down. "Bring Lionstar here before I go and find him myself."

Talonpaw swallowed, knowing there was no arguing with this lunatic. "Just stay here," he ordered.

Whitesky wrapped his bushy tail around his paws. "You kidding? I'm going nowhere."

Talonpaw snorted and trotted across the clearing, feeling his fur fluff up against the greenleaf sunshine as he cast his senses for Lionstar. He guessed that the tom was in his den – the only patrol that was out now was the dawn patrol, and he didn't think Lionstar was on it. When Talonpaw approached the gap behind the boulder, where the low-hanging pine branches draped over the roots of the tree, he called out, "Lionstar?"

"Come in." Lionstar's voice was deep, but it was laced with sleepiness. Talonpaw walked into his den as Lionstar's golden tabby fur came into view. Curled up next to him was Robinwing. The dark brown she-cat lifted her head, blinking twice until her gaze steadied on Talonpaw. She arched an eye whisker questioningly.

"Aren't you supposed to be guarding Whitesky?" Robinwing asked.

"He says he'd like to speak to Lionstar," Talonpaw replied.

Lionstar frowned, his eye whiskers furrowing. Robinwing twitched her tail. "Could this be a trick?"

"From me?" Talonpaw gasped. "No!" How could she think that?

"No." Robinwing shook her head, softening her voice. "From Whitesky. He may want to ambush you one-on-one, Lionstar."

Lionstar gazed steadily at Robinwing. "My camp is full of warriors who will pry him off me if he does. Has he told you what he wanted, Talonpaw?"

"He…" Talonpaw scuffed the ground with one of his paws. How could he tell Lionstar what Whitesky had just told him? "He wants to join ShadowClan."

"What?" Lionstar's eyes widened to two green full moons. "Join ShadowClan…? Is he out of his mind?"

Yes, Talonpaw thought wryly. "He thinks RiverClan is weak. He saw ShadowClan's strength and thinks we would be a better Clan to join. He enjoys fighting."

The big ShadowClan warrior narrowed his eyes and got to his paws. "I'd like to speak to him," he growled. "It's possible what he said to you may be different than what he'll say to me."

I doubt it, Talonpaw thought as he followed his Clan leader out of the den and across the camp. Whitesky was still sitting where Talonpaw had left him, his thick tail wrapped tightly around his paws as he lifted his head. His gaze met Lionstar's evenly, and Talonpaw felt a shudder run down his spine as he recalled Whitesky's words to him. Would Lionstar accept a cat as ruthless as him in ShadowClan?

"Lionstar," Whitesky greeted the golden tabby. "Funny. Last time I saw you, it was your paw against my head."

Lionstar's fur bristled. "It'll happen again if you don't tell me what you want."

"Very well." Whitesky's whiskers twitched. His eyes darted around him as cats started to emerge from their dens. When they spotted Lionstar speaking to Whitesky, their eyes widened and they trained their attention on their exchange. Even Toadstep, the Clan deputy, was staring at the two cats, completely baffled. Whitesky smirked, clearly using the attention he had garnered from the entire Clan to his advantage. "I wish to join ShadowClan."

Lionstar's ears twitched in disbelief. Before he could say a word, yowls started to come from the cats who were watching.

"We won't accept a RiverClan cat!" Icefire snarled. "You're treacherous enough asking to switch Clans, why should we trust you?"

"You are a hostage!" Hopflight growled, lashing his tail. "Not a guest!"

Lionstar lifted his tail for silence as he focused his deep green gaze on Whitesky. The big tabby tom took a deep breath as he asked, "Why do you want to join ShadowClan? After all, it is ShadowClan who is keeping you imprisoned in here."

Whitesky swept his gaze through the clearing, and Talonpaw wondered if he was making sure he had the attention of every ShadowClan cat. If that was his intention, he succeeded. Every ShadowClan cat who was awake had their gaze focused on him. Redfeather and Featherheart's tails were twitching in irritation as they stared at Whitesky. Birdpaw and Stormbrook appeared from the medicine den, their eyes shadowed with anxiety. Fallensnow stood next to Shrewpaw, their lips curled. Cloudsong's blue eyes blazed, and Icefire lashed her tail from side to side.

"Exactly," Whitesky said, curling his tail up. "You're not afraid to deal with your enemies. RiverClan is. Swiftstar prowls at our borders, and what does Reedstar do? Nothing. He allows them to bully us, to attack our patrols, and never takes revenge even as cats die. And when your Clan attacks, Lionstar, Reedstar couldn't care less. He has no strategy when he attacks, he doesn't care if his cats live or die, so long as he does not fight. Tell me, Lionstar, have you fought Reedstar, face-to-face?"

Lionstar frowned and said nothing.

Whitesky nodded. "That's what I thought. Reedstar is a coward. I don't want to be part of a Clan who is full of cowardice and weakness. ShadowClan is strong – I've always thought that, even as a RiverClan warrior. That's why I want to join you. I can show you how to destroy RiverClan and kill Reedstar."

"Clever words," Lionstar hissed. "But can they convince me?"

"That would be up for you to decide," Whitesky said, arching an eye whisker. "But if my words aren't enough, let me prove it to you."

Talonpaw's tail shot up in disbelief. There's no way Lionstar believes this! he thought, wanting to yowl in outrage, but he kept his jaws firmly shut. Lionstar twitched his ears.

"How?" the ShadowClan leader asked, curiosity gleaming in his green eyes.

"Allow me to lead a patrol deep into RiverClan territory," Whitesky offered. "Let me show you my worth in battle as we defeat RiverClan."

Talonpaw knew that Whitesky only wanted to fight RiverClan for the sake of killing. He didn't care about defeating them – all he wanted was to feel powerful. All he wanted to do was destroy. As Lionstar paced in circles, muttering under his breath, Talonpaw walked over to Whitesky and hissed in his ear, "If you want destruction, why not just destroy yourself? No one will mind."

Whitesky bared his teeth and half-whispered, half-hissed, "You don't get it. I don't want destruction for just myself, I want it for everything. It doesn't mean anything unless the world itself is destroyed. Not that I really expect you to understand. I don't understand why you want to continue existing."

Talonpaw opened his mouth to say something, but Lionstar cut him off. Talonpaw knew an offer to deal a humiliating blow to RiverClan was just too good to give up, no matter who it came from. "Do you really expect me to believe you?"

"I will give my life to destroy RiverClan for you!" Whitesky roared.

Cloudsong's blue eyes were sharp with interest. "I think we should give him a chance," the white tom meowed as he approached Lionstar, bowing his head respectfully. "RiverClan has terrorized our borders one too many times. I'd welcome help from a badger if it meant stopping them."

Lionstar tilted his head, seeming to take in Cloudsong's words. "Toadstep, Snowsplash, Icefire?" he called over to his deputy and senior warriors.

Toadstep unsheathed his claws and dug them in the ground, as if he was imagining the forest floor was a RiverClan cat's sleek, glossy pelt. "It's worth a shot."

Snowsplash nodded slowly. "It's not hard to believe that there's dissent among RiverClan warriors. We've all been at enough Gatherings to know that Whitesky isn't exactly lying – Swiftstar, after all, has been proving his might on the border, and there's no gossip to indicate that RiverClan has done anything to retaliate."

"They may simply be focusing their attention on us," Icefire murmured.

No! Talonpaw wanted to wail to the sky. It wasn't as if he wanted to defend RiverClan, but Whitesky wasn't suggesting this out of some crusader zeal. It was because he wanted to inflict suffering and torture on as many cats as he could before he departed for the next life – whether they were in his own Clan or an enemy Clan, and he would take whatever chance he could get to do so. I guess every now and then you meet cats who will give up everything if it means causing as much destruction as possible. These kinds of cats leech life from everything around them. They refuse to see the worth in anything, themselves included, and stick solely to hurting and killing.

Lionstar glanced at Whitesky. "Stay here. I want to discuss this more with my senior warriors." The golden tabby tom waved his bushy tail towards Toadstep, Cloudsong, Snowsplash, Icefire, and Featherheart. Talonpaw realized with a pang that Sparrowflight should be there too, but Snowsplash had told him he wouldn't be back in camp until sunhigh. As the warriors disappeared into Lionstar's den, Talonpaw found himself alone with Whitesky once more.

"Are you happy?" Talonpaw demanded, lashing his mackerel striped tail. "I bet Lionstar is going to agree with you! He's going to attack RiverClan because he thinks that you're interested in helping him, when really all you're interested in is your lust for blood! Why are you doing this?"

Whitesky blinked twice and then let out a low chuckle in his throat. "Why?" he countered. "I've run out of patience with this pathetic world that rejects nightmares and only relies on happy dreams. I should think that would be more than reason enough."

"How can you be so selfish?" Talonpaw inquired. "If Lionstar sends out that attack party, you'll be on it, and if your RiverClan Clanmates see you attacking them, they'll kill you!"

"I don't care," Whitesky sneered, curling his lip to reveal pure white fangs. "The world has already rejected me. Now it is simply my turn to reject the world."

Talonpaw had no words for the RiverClan prisoner. He simply turned his back on him, trying to think of what he could say to Lionstar to talk him out of leading an attack party on RiverClan. He wasn't sure if Whitesky would tell the truth – after all, what secret did he hold that would crush RiverClan? And it wasn't as if he wanted Lionstar to attack because he felt a sense of loyalty to ShadowClan. Whitesky was an omnicidal maniac who just wanted to watch the Clans burn and laugh while doing so.

The two cats sat in silence until the sun reached its highest peak in the sky, and that was when Lionstar exited his den. The shafts of the afternoon sun hit Lionstar's pelt, making his golden fur blaze and his green eyes glitter. He padded over to Whitesky, who straightened his shoulders and met his gaze steadily.

"I have discussed it with my senior warriors, and I am willing to entertain you this instance," Lionstar said. Whitesky reared back, shocked. "We will invade RiverClan with you as one of the leaders of the patrol."

Talonpaw's breath caught in his chest at Lionstar's offer – and the look of triumph that crossed Whitesky's face. The RiverClan prisoner sat up, wrapping his tail around his paws and smirking. He glanced at Talonpaw, his amber eyes flashing knowingly. It was as if he was telling him, I've won!

No! Talonpaw thought, feeling his heart race in his chest. Lionstar can't take him up on his offer! Whitesky just wants to destroy the Clans!