gotta learn a thing or two [Tigerjaw, Charredpelt]

[Deleted]

"All we have is what's left today.
Hearts so pure in this broken place"

It was sunset, the scale of oranges and reds painting the horizon, surrounding a disappearing sun. Above, the stars in Silverpelt were just being to peak through the warm colors and lingering clouds. The ground of the moorland reflected the sky's colors, making the land in distance glow warmly. The wind blew across the moorland bringing a bitter chill with it. Luckily all the patches of snow that had covered the ground had melted away. Although this did tend to make the ground rather muddy underpaw, Frostpaw was just thankful that greenleaf would be on its way. Though she would not lie to herself and say she had not enjoyed the snow. She purred to herself confidently as she and her mentor headed out of camp, remembering the many days she had rolled and played in the fluffy white stuff. So what if the other apprentices looked at her funny? It was her first leaf-bare after all as well as her first time around so many cats. What did they expect? Her kittenhood had been filled with her mother - who never wanted to play the games she did - and baths and collars and Twolegs hands. Honestly, she did not miss anything about her old life. And these kits and apprentices? They had the life, a life she had dreamt of. They had siblings to play with as well as other cats from the Clan. The first six moons of their lives they were in that sanctuary called the nursery playing with leaves and moths and moss balls. And did she mention leaves? Dear StarClan, those things were the best! Those apprentices doing their duties didn't know what they were missing. They really needed to learn a thing or two from her.

Frostpaw hopped ahead of her mentor Tigerjaw, thinking about leaves and all the different ways to pounce and catch them. The queens in the nursery would always compliment her on her pouncing skills, saying how good her hunters crouch was becoming and how she would be an excellent hunter for the Clan. Not that she cared much about hunting really. Leave that to the other apprentices and the warriors. She just wanted to play! Now if mice and rabbits could be as entertaining as chasing leaves... well then maybe she would show more of an interest. True, she did want to become a warrior and try her best for her Clan. But she was new, she was young, she was deprived of the interaction of other cats, being held up in a Twoleg place most of her life. She had not been in the Clan very long. In fact, she had only had one training session with her mentor Tigerjaw - this was the one where he caught her the hunters crouch. She loved being an apprentice for her Clan; she even hoped she would be as skilled a fighter as her father Froststar, who was her namesake. But right now, all the little feline wanted to do was play and have fun. Her father had always told her stories about his adventures in WindClan and how fun and enjoyable it was. And so far he had been right.

Speaking of her father.... No, Frostpaw thought with a shake of her head. I can not think about that right now. I have to concentrate on heading to the Moonpool with Tigerjaw. The deputy was on his way to receive his nine lives from StarClan and had brought his apprentice along as she had never been to the Moonpool or met with StarClan before. She hoped that she would be able to meet one of the starry cats. Maybe they would be able to tell her something about her father and what had become of him. Working her way up the hills leading to the pool, her thoughts kept coming back to her father and she tried her very best to keep biting and clawing them away. She didn't have time to worry about that right now. She would just get into a nervous fit and it would be awful and all she would do was embarrass herself in front of her leader. Coming to a halt, she turned around and flicked her tail impatiently. Dear StarClan her mentor was so slow. He was a few fox lengths behind her, still picking his way up the hills. Ears pinned back and tail waving from side to side, she paced in a short tight line, looking down at her paws. As she waited for him, she paced and focused on controlling and evening out her breathing. But her paws looked so muddy and her legs felt so dirty and her tail felt so gross. All she wanted to do was lick away the dirt and grime and mud caked in between her toes. Before she could stop herself, she had lifted a front paw and started grooming it with strong licks. Her maw tasted like fur and the leaf-bare frost. She could not taste the nonexistent mud that her eyes seemed to see.

Finally her mentor caught up to her. With embarrassment warming her fur, she flicked her ears back and lowered her paw back to the ground. Without a word regarding her behavior, she purred, "Took you long enough, mouse-brain! I was falling asleep up here, waiting for you to catch up." She said it in a playful, teasing way. "Come on! Let's go! We are almost there."

WORDS: 907
OOC: Woo I am very rusty but I hope this is alright!

[Tigerstar]

Tigerjaw
"Speak for yourself, you paper tigers
You'll crash where you stand, you've got a riot on your hands"

[/color]

Stars, which seemed brighter tonight, dappled Silverpelt in small white spots. Toward RiverClan's territory, the sun sent brilliant colors of pink and honey streaking across the sky. The sun was just a fiery glow on the horizon, getting hazy as the time passed. It was absolutely magnificent- magical, even. It made Tigerjaw wish he could run in that direction, if he could see that vision forever. His desire to escape his current situation overwhelmed him like a tidal wave. It held him, pushing his small frame into the dirt as he gawked, transfixed. There's nothing you can do about it, though, he thought angrily, giving his head a quick shake. Froststar appointed you deputy, and there's no arguing with that. Then your own brother killed him. It's your duty to be WindClan's next leader. He walked without thinking for a few moments, feeling nearly dead. Just accept it. With a sigh, Tigerjaw turned his attention back to the trek. His apprentice was climbing up small hill, her eyes bright with triumph and happiness. He wished he was her, for a small moment. She didn't have the worries that were pressing down on Tigerjaw's shoulders, didn't feel it beginning to worm it's way into her heart. Frostpaw seemed like the normal happy-go-lucky, bubbly, playful apprentice.

Does she remember him...? he asked himself thoughtfully. Of course, she had to. He was her namesake, and she left her mother behind to come to his Clan. If she knew that Froststar had lived in WindClan was beyond him, but something about the spunky little white she-cat intrigued him. By that time, Frostpaw was long ahead of him, her feet planted firmly on the ground. He caught a flash of movement, and noticed that she began to lick one of her paws rapidly, as if trying to clean it. It was a bit muddy due to the snow melting, but it wasn't bad enough that their paws would need to be cleaned. Tigerjaw looked quickly away as she looked up, slightly embarrassed. He decided not to say anything about her behavior because it was nothing too out of the ordinary. As he caught up to his apprentice, she said playfully, "Took you long enough, mouse-brain! I was falling asleep up here, waiting for you to catch up. Come on! Let's go! We are almost there." Tigerjaw purred happily, his troubles momentarily forgotten. Frostpaw was a good apprentice and would make a fine warrior. Just like her father.

He still couldn't believe that his only friend was dead. With his brother gone, he was left with no one. Maybe if he hadn't told Charredpelt that he would be WindClan's next deputy... Froststar may still be alive. He had to force himself to not think of Froststar or Charredpelt, for him and for Frostpaw. Shaking himself away from his thoughts, Tigerjaw meowed cheerfully, "Well you're just to fast for me, I suppose." Tigerjaw stopped next to his apprentice, sniffing the air. The strong scent of ThunderClan whipped through his nostrils, burning it like smoke. A faint whiff of fox followed more slowly. He remembered that this was the fox that he'd sent a patrol to chase out of their territory not long before. He decided to quiz Frostpaw, to see if she would remember their first day out of camp together, when Tigerjaw showed her the territory. "Let's see if you were paying attention when I toured the territory with you. What's that smell?" He started walking uphill again. The small rolling hills began to get steeper than normal the closer they got to the Moonpool.

"Are you excited?" He figured that she would guess what he was talking about. What did she think she would dream about? He tried to cover up his own sense of dread when he told her, "I'm pretty excited for my own dream." Lying to her just made his head hurt. But what would receiving his nine lives be like? As he looked down at Frostpaw, he wondered if she felt as frightened as he felt. Did she think that something magical was going to happen to him? Or did she not think about him, but of what her own vision would be? When he walked away as Tigerstar, would he be a different cat? Yes. I'll be a leader.


OOC: No worries! I'm a bit rusty too. Also a really lame ending, I apologize!

[Deleted]

frostpaw
"Tell me everything will be alright.
Walk this way with me into the light,
because you can let it slide, baby just for tonight,
Just know that everyone feels broken sometimes."

Waiting for her mentor to catch up, Frostpaw clawed at the coarse grass beneath her paws, kneading the ground with embarrassment and nervousness. Her belly felt tight and sick, like she had just ate a bad rabbit or herbs from the medicine cat's den and it had settled uneasily in her stomach. Trying to ignore the feeling, she watched her mentor - and soon to be leader - with bright eyes, hoping he hadn't noticed her quick grooming. It did not seem like he had, much to Frostpaw's glee. Though he was rather slender, even for a WindClan cat, she could still see his strong muscles work as he walked up to her. The setting sun really complimented his pale orange tabby fur, making him look warm and more red than usual. The stripes that raced down his sides and wrapped around his legs gleamed in the fading sun's light. "Well you're just to fast for me, I suppose." Distracted by his words, Frostpaw looked away and flicked her ears in amusement at Tigerjaw's response. Too fast? Ha! She was walking at a normal speed! Frostpaw still maintained that it was Tigerjaw that was just too slow. After what had seemed like forever, he stopped beside her and scented the air. Standing next to him, she followed his example even though her legs were just itching to run ahead, to run to the Moonpool and see the starry cats of StarClan.

Bitter smells invaded her nostrils, making her want to gag. Remembering how close the Moonpool was to ThunderClan territory, she realized she recognized one of them. "I smell ThunderClan!" she said in triumph. Closing her eyes, she breathed in deeper, trying to pin point the other smell. It was strong, though not as strong as the acid-like scent of ThunderClan drifted from the neighboring forest. Recalling the tour of WindClan territory that Tigerjaw had taken her on just recently, she knew it could not be RiverClan or ShadowClan. It was impossible for their scents to drift this far across the lake. Definitely not a kittypet either. A rogue or loner then? No, it was not cat-like, she decided. Ears peaked and mouth partially open, Frostpaw's mind raced through the possibilities. If not a cat... then what? She knew very well it wasn't prey. No prey smelled that musky and strong; they were all warm fur and sickly sweet smells. Badger or fox then?

Great StarClan she needed more practice. Again she found her embarrassment warming her fur as she mewed quietly, "I'm sorry Tigerjaw but I'm just not sure. I've narrowed it down to badger or fox though." Looking shyly at her paws as they walked, Frostpaw continued, "I'm sorry but I'm still not-" meow! "-very good at-" meow! "-this...." There it was... that nervous feeling flickering like a fire at her belly, consuming her from the inside out. Frostpaw tried her best to ignore the feeling by opening her maw again and breathing in deeper. I know this scent... she thought, her mind racing to the things Tigerjaw had taught her already. This was so pathetic. She was making her leader look like an awful mentor! She couldn't even tell the difference between a fox and a badger for StarClan's sake! The scent was putrid and so overpowering. Biting her tongue, she stopped herself from saying "Fox!" as she decided it was better to be unsure than to risk the chance of being wrong.

By now they were almost to the Moonpool. Frostpaw could see the glistening water a few fox lengths ahead of them. The stars of Silverpelt sparkled brighter overhead, their shining no longer dulled from the brightness of the sun which had now hidden itself behind the moorland. The reflection of the crescent moon high above shone perfectly in the pool's water. The scene was absolutely beautiful. Was she allowed to play and splash in that water? Was that allowed? Eyes wide with wonder, Frostpaw barely heard her mentor speak. "Excited...." she mused, only half thinking about her reply. "Yeah I am pretty excited as well. I wonder if I will get to meet StarClan." Her mind raced with excitement as she took in the scene. Would she meet her father among these sparkling cats...?

WORDS: 708

[Tigerstar]

Tigerjaw
"I'm tired of waking up in tears
'Cause I can't put to bed these phobias and fears"

As he trudged on, his dread grew into fear. What if StarClan didn't want a cat like him leading one of their beloved Clans? Already the living cat disliked him with such a passion that it left him feeling hopeless and wounded, so up to this point he figured that the dead would, too. He meowed absent-mindlessly, "That's right! That is ThunderClan, considering we're walking practically on their scent markers." The smell was disgusting- nothing like the nice scent of grass and moorland that clung to a WindClan cat's back. He still couldn't get over the scent of the other cats. And I've only smelled ShadowClan's scent once at a Gathering, he thought, remembering all of the times he'd skipped going to their moonly Clan meeting due to his fear of other cats. That would all change soon enough, since he was being forced against his will to go to the next Gathering. The thought of the embarrassment he'd feel made his belly knot up and his heart beat rapidly, like a caged bird trying desperately to escape. He couldn't shake the feeling until Frostpaw's shy words broke him free. "That's alright, Frostpaw. That's fox. I'm proud of you for getting that close." He allowed a purr to escape past his lips, but it was choked and sounded rather sickly. His skin pricked, and he thought that his fur had turned redder. He laughed nervously and found that he wanted to pounce on a blade of grass, like a kit, and eat it. It took all of his strength not to, and instead bit his tongue. His sharp teeth pierced the muscle easily. Tigerjaw pretended it was that blade of grass and attacked it, then blood began to seep from the cuts. Without much of an option, he swallowed the blood instead of spitting it out. He didn't want to frighten Frostpaw. He didn't know if she had heard the other cats talking about him yet, but if she hadn't, he didn't want to ruin his reputation of him to her.

Then they reached the Moonpool. It was rather sudden, and he didn't notice it at first until Frostpaw spoke. That was the third time that he'd been so self absorbed that the hadn't even been paying attention to his surroundings. His yellow-green eyes looked at the beautiful scene that had unfolded in front of him. The thin crescent moon gleamed on the surface of the almost black pool, illuminating just enough light for them to see their footing. The sun offered no more warmth for the day, and Silverpelt was completely dark blue in turn. The stars dappled the surface of the Moonpool, glinting their fur with a few flecks of white. He almost whispered, "It's beautiful," until he noticed the thousands of tracks leading to and from the sacred hollow. The tracks gleamed in the mud. He placed one paw gingerly on the slippery mud, leaving his own mark. It made him not feel as lonely somehow. As he settled down next to the Moonpool, he found himself saying, "You don't have to feel nervous around me, Frostpaw. I'm your mentor and friend." He decided not to remind her that he was also her leader, because that would probably intimidate her. "Relax. Please be yourself around me." He purred happily. He wished someone had told him that same thing when he was younger, because he saw himself as Frostpaw. She was shy and got embarrassed as easily as he did, so it wasn't hard to put himself in her paws. Like any other leader-to-be would say, he meowed, "Remember, I can't speak about my dream after it's all over. I cannot share it with you, so please don't ask, Frostpaw." He paused for a moment, letting that sink in with her. "So that means you don't have to share your dream with me, either, if you don't want to." Without waiting to see what she would do or say, Tigerjaw stuck his nose in the pool gingerly and was immediately thrown into his own dream.

When he opened his eyes, he was standing in a large, golden field. Mice crawled as far as the eye could see, and the sun beat down warmly on his back. A soft breeze ruffled his fur and made the grass sway gently. Standing in front of him were nine cats, some he recognized, other he did not. As he looked among the ranks, he saw his best friend and former leader. Froststar! He longed to call out to the tall white cat, but he held his tongue, a little nervous in front of these new cats. "Welcome, Tigerjaw," they said in unison. Before he could even say a word, the first cat stepped out from the ranks. It was a small white she-cat. "I'm Icekit," she squeaked happily. "I'm Froststar's sister. With this life I give you justice. Use it when you need to decide who's right and who's wrong." Tigerjaw leaned down and touched his nose to the small kit, and a rush of warmth went from his muzzle to his tail tip. It was a beautiful feeling. "Thank you," he purred, but the kit didn't acknowledge that she heard him. He realized that she was deaf.

The kit padded away and stood back in the small spot where she came from. The next cat who stepped forward was an elegant she-cat with long black fur. "I'm Darkstar, leader before Froststar. I may not know you, but I know that you will be a great leader. With this life, Tigerjaw, I give you tireless energy. Use it to lead our Clan into greatness." When his nose touched Darkstar's, he felt like he could run his whole life across forests, mountains, and fields. He couldn't imagine ever going to sleep again. She stepped away, and up came someone he did know. It was an apprentice that was younger than him that had been killed by a loose dog from the Horseplace. Her name was Patchpaw. "With this life I give you protection. Use it to protect your Clan and loved ones." Expecting another wonderful feeling, Tigerjaw was caught off guard when a fire broke out from inside, exploding his body with sharp pain. His legs weakened, and he nearly fell. Wincing, he looked up to see that another cat was already standing above him. It was Adderstrike, an senior warrior at the time of his apprenticeship. "Get up, young leader," he purred, nudging the orange tabby tom with his grayed muzzle. When Tigerjaw got up, Adderstrike meowed, "With this life, I give you determination. Use it to lead WindClan when your times look tough." Warmth spread across his body, but it was quickly replaced with a fiery energy that knocked the breath from his body. How could he continue if every life received nearly killed him?

Adderstrike stepped back into the ranks of the starry warriors, and the cat that replaced him was another that he recognized from when he was younger. It was Birchtail, an elder that he had taken care of when he was an apprentice more times than one. "Tigerjaw," he meowed slowly, "with this life I give you courage. Defend your Clan with the courage of a tiger." Under his breath, he murmured, "Shine bright, young star." A sharp, hot pain erupted through his side, but subsided into a beautiful, cold feeling; quite the opposite of the last life he got from Adderstrike.

His mother's sister padded up next, a short, lanky she-cat with brown tabby fur. Tigerjaw grasped for her name- his mother had told stories about her sibling, but he didn't get a chance to meet her because she dead before he was born. The cause of death had been in the claws of an intruding warrior from RiverClan, and the fight had gotten out of hand. She had died in this border skirmish. "It's Barkfeather," she purred when she saw his puzzled expression. "With this life I give you strength in battle. Use it to hurt your enemies and protect your Clan." A rush of pure, steaming pain exploded in his body, making his legs go weak again. Though this time, he collapsed. He gritted his teeth as his head met with the soft meadow grass. The pain was never ending; a deep red filled his vision. It felt like gigantic claws were running down his sides and began to crush his spine. A spasm ran through his body. Was it supposed to take this long? He screwed his eyes closed, his heart pounding in his throat. Suddenly, he heard a voice crying in his ear, "Tigerjaw, your life is in danger!" It was Froststar. "Tigerjaw, wake up!" Then his vision faded into black.

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[Deleted]

Charredpelt awoke in the desolate shelter of the abandoned twoleg nest. His fur was cool, and he felt well rested. Charredpelt's eyes glistened in the darkness. He felt warmer air pushing through the walls and the ground. Every breath had been cold since leaving Windclan, he felt weight on his shoulder, pushing him down with his first pounding pawstep of the day. He scrambled over to the opening in the wall and was filled with happiness for once in a very long time.

The thick warm air filled his lungs, bright light pierced his sun colored eyes making him wince. Charredpelt walked through the magnificent hollows of trees and shrubs and brightly colored flowers that lay in clusters on the soft rocky ground. This area was foreign to him, this was the closest to Thunderclan camp he ever was, even the closest to any clan since being exiled by his own brother Tigerjaw. He look at the yellow sand twoleg path, he wonder if it once was a thunderpath, a small one maybe?

He touched to sand with his paw pad, surprised at the warmness he decided to quickly cross before he got burnt like all of the other times. He crossed in fear in hopes that the Thunderpath wasn't active. Thankfully it wasn't active and he made a swift dart across to the other side. Charredpelt didn't know where he was going, but he knew he had to explore and get familiar with his new surrounding. In the distance he saw the Ancient oak, he knew he was to close to Thunderclan and thought to turn back, he didn't want trouble... not just yet.

Charredpelt's brown fur glimmered as he peered into Thunderclan camp. He saw them all sharing tongues. One group of old she cats caught his eye, then he listen carefully to their words. "Did you know that Tigerjaw is the new leader of Windclan?!"

"No! Did that ragged leader die finally? Whats his name again?" Another she-cat joined their group as they continued licking and talking, using their tails to suggest gestures. "His name was Froststar!"

"So that means that Tigerjaw will have to get his nine lives from Starclan and the Moonpool." What? Charredpelt knew that Tigerjaw was going to be the leader. He didn't deserve to be leader. No! "I deserve to be leader" thought Charredpelt. This old news struck new ground and reignited his hidden anger, he thought he could control himself secretly he knew that wasn't going to happen... "Hey, I even heard he is getting them tonight." Ugh! He had dozed off again, but that didn't matter his brother would be at the Moonpool tonight. He had to talk to him.

Charredpelt arrived at the Moonpool at dusk. The sky was starting to turn grey and faded away in orange. He could spot his brother along with a random white kit, a Windclan kit, a new one. Was this his apprentice? Tigerjaw and the little kit slept quietly and made it easy to move around them. He padded over to Tigerjaw. How would he express his anger to him? He just wanted to talk to him, ask why he thought he could handle being the new leader of Windclan. Then the other option, wake him up. He'd be unable to receive nine lives.... With one sharp lash, Charredpelt slashed at Tigerjaw's back.

OCC: God modding approved by Tigerjaw

[Deleted]

The Moonpool sure was a beautiful thing. The surface of the water was dark, almost pure black in the darkness of the night. The moon shone brightly from above them, the only source of light for the two cats. Countless of stars shown in Silverpelt above their heads, though their faint light was nothing compared to that of the moon. The night sky - stars, moon, and all - sparkled on the surface of the small pool, the flecks of white shockingly bright against the black. Even with the bt of light from above, the night was dark, far too dark for Frostpaw's liking. A cool breeze ruffled her fur and she shivered, not entirely from the cold wind. Though beautiful, the place looked lonely and eerie to Frostpaw. Maybe this was because her belly was in a knot of nerves but the darkness still did not help that any. More than anything, Frostpaw wanted to get this night over with so she could head home and curl up next to her Clanmates, the feeling of their warmth driving the ice and loneliness from her veins. When Tigerjaw spoke to her, she flicked her ears in acknowledgement but her maw seemed like it was full of fresh-kill and she was unable to speak. Instead, she followed her leader mutely to the edge of the pool. She watched as he laid down on the smooth stones and touched his nose to the water delicately. Moments later, her leader was deep in his dream, his face expressionless.

A little unsure of herself, Frostpaw eyed the pool's waters, her tail brushing against the worn trail. From the many paw prints on the stone and mud, Frostpaw couldn't shake the feeling of being watched by many cats - StarClan or not. Pushing the feeling out of her mind for the time, she curled herself up next to her leader, happy to have him by her side. Wrapping her plume tail neatly around her paws, she took a deep breath and touched her nose to the cool water. Moments later, she felt herself being dragged to sleep and she welcomed the feeling. When she opened her eyes, Frostpaw found herself in a brightly lit meadow. The breeze here was warm and welcoming and the air smelled of fresh rabbit and heather. Eyes wide with wonder, she looked again, searching for her father white pelt - or even any movement in general. The grass was silent and still, only moving when the breeze brushes its fingers through the tall stalks. The air was silent too, though in the distance Frostpaw though she could hear the sound of a river.

Where is StarClan? she wondered. Fear began to prickle her skin, making her fur fluff up. If this was were StarClan lived, surely there would be more cats? Was she alone in this meadow because she was part kittypet? Did her fathers ancestors not accept her because of this? Panic rose in her chest and she felt herself choke on her own breath. No! Frostpaw refused to believe that was truly. If the legends of the great Firestar the elders had whispered to her were true, StarClan would not refuse her. After all, Firestar had been a full kittypet. Surely if they had accepted him (and if these legends were true), they would accept a half-kittypet too. Letting the panic control her paws, she raced across the meadow, tail striking behind her. Left, now right, watch out for that tree branches, right again... Frostpaw raced aimlessly, unsure of where she was going or what she was supposed to be doing here. Suddenly dark trees came into her line of sight and Frostpaw skidding to a halt at the edge of the meadow. The air here was darker and damp. Trees, bark almost a pure black even in this light of the meadow, loomed over her, taller than any she had seen before. The majority of them were bare, hardly a leaf clung to their sharp branches. A shiver raced down her spine but Frostpaw told herself this was because she was lonely - not because of the dark woods.

"Frostpaw!" Frostpaw turned around at the the sound of her name, fright gleaming in her eyes. A brown tabby she-cat pushed her way through the tall grass, her tail held high in warning. She eyed the forest behind Frostpaw with wary eyes but she did not comment on it. Instead she whispered, "Time to wake up, young one." The she-cat pressed her nose to Frostpaw's and in an instant, she found herself back at the shining pool. In a flash, she leaped to her paws, a hiss rising to her lips as she spotted a large brown-orange tom pinning Tigerstar to the ground. "Get off him, you fox-hearted coward! Attacking a cat while they are sleeping - how disgraceful!" She unsheathed her claws and throw herself at the tom, not thinking or even acknowledging Tigerstar as he started to speak. Fury blazing through her muscles and through she had little experience with battle training, she was able to push the tom off her mentor, simply because she had the advantage of surprise.

Words: 858 | OOC: God modding approved!

[Tigerstar]

The darkness was welcoming and almost soothing. Tigerstar was suddenly thrown into this endless world of black, but by what? What was happening? Where was he? He couldn't tell whether or not his eyes were open or closed. Am I... am I blind? Tigerstar thrashed his legs, desperately trying to escape this strange darkness, but his claws struck nothing to help pull himself free. Then his mind suddenly flung back to what Froststar had told him, "Tigerjaw, your life is in danger!" Why had he told him that? Tigerstar didn't see anything wrong with this empty blackness, unless he could die of boredom. Then a pain hit his back, dull at first but quickly growing sharper. It felt like talons raking relentlessly down his body. The never-ending world of darkness suddenly turned red as the pain exploded. A loud yowl escaped past his lips as the affliction settled in. Tigerstar curled his back in, hoping that it might ease the distress he was feeling. But it only made it worse. A spasm erupted his body and he tried to liberate himself for the hazy redness. He longed to scream for help, but his lungs burned and his throat knotted as he choked on the blood color. When Tigerstar thought that he was going to die, suddenly he could see. His brother was standing over him, his large orange paws placed firmly on his shoulders. Surprise gleamed in Tigerstar's yellow-green eyes. Charredpelt's claws were unsheathed, digging in deep through his skin. His orange tabby pelt was speckled with blood, and a fiery feeling made his back throb. A small pool of sticky blood came from beneath him.  "Get off'a me!" Tigerstar spat, but at that instant Frostpaw launched herself at his brother. She only managed to get Charredpelt off of him because she had the element of surprise.

Tigerstar staggered to his paws; blood trickled down from his spine, making his fur crawl. He noticed that he had a few clumps of fur missing, but he would live. Frostpaw, brave despite the fact she knew no battle moves, stared Charredpelt down with hostile bi-hued eyes. Even though his brother had attacked him, he felt a rush of relief upon sight of him. So he was alive and well, he noted, as he stared somewhat jealously at his large, powerful shoulder muscles. But he was also angry that Charredpelt had interrupted his dream with StarClan and was now looking at his apprentice like she was his next meal. With a blood-curdling howl that shocked even himself, Tigerstar leaped on his brother. From birth, his older brother had always been much stronger than him, but life as a rogue was treated him well. How could he ever beat Charredpelt in a fight and survive, unless his brother was exhausted and gave in? Though he knew he had to try- for Frostpaw. He pushed past his apprentice, and instinctively, he found his claws raking across his shoulders. His teeth met his ear- he bit down hard, but felt only worried, guilty, and melancholy as blood poured into his mouth. He somehow managed to push his brother to his stony ground. The Moonpool reflected the moon just as bright as before- did StarClan approve of this? No cloud threatened to cover the moon- did they want him to kill his own brother? Tigerstar spat out the salty blood and his brother's ear, his claws going back in their sheath.

Though Tigerstar didn't want to hurt his brother, he still had him pinned to the stones. He glanced over his shoulder and registered that Frostpaw was unharmed, then his attention turned back to Charredpelt. The pain came back from his own injuries, but Tigerstar refused to let it show that it was bothering him. Tigerstar leaned down in his brother's ear and whispered, "What were you thinking, attacking me while I was sharing tongues with StarClan? You, of all cats, should know not to attack a leader, let alone one that is at or on his way to the Moonpool." His words were cold and rude, rather out of character for Tigerstar. Without meaning to, his words had referenced to Froststar. Tigerstar had nearly forgotten that she was there. Then he murmured, too quietly for his apprentice to hear, "Don't you dare mention Froststar around her. That's his daughter, you fox-heart." He loved his brother and didn't want to fight him, but he couldn't resist throwing a jibing insult at him. He deserved it, anyway. "You must leave WindClan territory, now," he meowed loudly, hoping that Frostpaw didn't notice that he had spoke something without her knowing, "If he want to see me, though, meet me at the lakeside in WindClan territory in two days time." He realized, too late, that he had added that last comment louder than he expected. Hopefully Frostpaw wouldn't tell on him or something. He stepped off of his brother, dipping his head to him. "Go in peace, wherever your home lies, Charredpelt. Remember, if you want to... rejoin WindClan, you can. No one knows why you left." Tigerstar shook the blood from his pelt and padded back over to his apprentice. "That's my brother," he meowed a little awkwardly, "He left WindClan to become a rogue." He felt bad for not telling Frostpaw the full truth, but at least it wasn't a lie. "Are you alright, Frostpaw?" he asked, his eyes scoring over her body for wounds despite the fact his own were stinging.

Words: 919 | OOC: God-modding approved!