Warrior Cats Fanfiction: The Changed Clan #1: The Dark Leadership

Chapter Three

"Sandstorm?" Fireheart called out to a pale ginger pelt he saw by a bush. The head lifted into the air and Fireheart recognised Sandstorm. "I'm so--"

"Don't bother," Sandstorm interrupted. "Now are you going to hide or do you want to stay in the open?"

"Hide? Why?" Fireheart questioned. Sandstorm let out a long sigh.

"Because Tigerstar spotted me and he sent out Longtail and Swiftshadow, you mouse-brain," she replied. Fireheart gave a nod and ducked beside Sandstorm, who gave him a glare. "Not here! I do not want to get seen because of--"

"I found Fireheart!" a voice announced and Sandstorm's green gaze began to burn with fury.

"Thanks, mouse-brain!" she hissed and got up, darting away. Fireheart watched, feeling sad that the she-cat hated him.

"End of the line for you, Fireheart the traitor!" Swiftshadow mewed as he appeared behind Fireheart, claws unsheathed and eyes blazing. Fireheart quickly rose to his paws and began to dart away from Longtail and Swiftshadow. The two TigerClan warriors darted after Fireheart, clearly not wanting him to escape.

"You cannot escape us, Fireheart!" Longtail called. The ground all of a sudden fell from Fireheart's paws and he found himself being pinned by Swiftshadow.

"We told you so," Swiftshadow mewed. He put his unsheathed claws onto Fireheart's neck. "Any last words before you join StarClan?"

"A kittypet like you should never have come to the forest," Longtail said as he appeared next to Swiftshadow, settling himself onto the ground. "I don't know what Bluestar saw in you to allow you to join. You only defeated me because I made one wrong move."

"You don't have to do this," Fireheart told the two TigerClan warriors. "Tigerstar is really evil and he killed Bluestar."

"Save it, Firepaw," Longtail hissed. "You have no respect for Clan cats so why should you live?"

"You're a traitor to your former Clan," Swiftshadow mewed.

"Longtail, Swiftshadow." The two cats turned their heads at the mention of their names. Fireheart peered past Swiftshadow to see Whitestorm. "Don't bother wasting your claws on Fireheart. He's not worth it and should be a prisoner to TigerClan."

"I guess that would be better," Longtail mewed.

"Tigerstar could have something better to do for this traitor," Swiftshadow said. Whitestorm walked to Fireheart and looked down at him.

"Get up," he told the ginger tom. Fireheart did as Whitestorm had told him once Swiftshadow had got off of him. "You're going to the TigerClan camp." Whitestorm began walking away and Longtail pushed Fireheart forward.

"You're staying in front of us in case you decide to sneak away." Fireheart followed Whitestorm with Longtail and Swiftshadow right behind him.

Soon the cats arrived in the TigerClan camp and Fireheart could feel gazes turning to look at him, full of hatred. Tigerstar padded over to the cats and looked down at Fireheart.

"Why is he here? Did I not say that if any cat were to trespass on our territory they would be killed?" Tigerstar questioned. "How dare you disobey my orders like that."

"Sorry, Tigerstar," Longtail apologised to the TigerClan leader. "Whitestorm insisted that we should keep Fireheart a prisoner."

"So that he could die a slow and painful death," Whitestorm added in. Tigerstar remained silent for a few heartbeats and then gave a nod.

"Good thinking, Whitestorm," he mewed. "It would be good to have my enemy die a more painful death than being attacked by claws."

"Sandstorm was in your territory too," Longtail decided to report. "She escaped but we managed to get Fireheart instead."

"I don't care about Sandstorm. She's not much of a threat as Fireheart is. You know she-cats, always weak and powerless. All they do is just ruin things and care for stupid kits," Tigerstar answered. Frostfur's ears flicked and she stopped sharpening her claws.

"She-cats are not weak," she said and gave a look that she had been offended.

"Are you questioning me?" Tigerstar questioned. Frostfur shook her head and resumed sharpening her claws on a scrap of bones. "You see, Fireheart, when you are leader you can do whatever you want without others questioning you. It's just too bad that you will never have the qualities to be leader." He walked away and leaped onto the Highrock.

"Cats of TigerClan, gather beneath the Highrock now!" Tigerstar addressed loudly to his Clan. Cats immediately began to race over to the Highrock. When enough cats had gathered, Tigerstar continued. "Fireheart the traitor has been spotted on our territory."

"Did he die?" Thornpaw called.

"No, young Thornpaw," Tigerstar answered. "Instead the clever Whitestorm decided that he should be a prisoner and die a slow and painful death. I-- having hearing of it just a few heartbeats ago-- have decided to agree to it. From this day on, Fireheart will remain a prisoner to TigerClan and will have his apprentice name. No one will care for Firepaw and if I catch any cat doing so, they will die under my claws. Got me?" Cats began to give nods and Tigerstar dismissed them.

"You're going to sleep in the centre of the camp so that every cat can look at you and think what a traitor you are," Swiftshadow mewed.

"You will at least not have shelter, especially if it rains or snows," Longtail added in. "You will also not have. A bedding and you will not be allowed to move." Firepaw opened his mouth to protest but said nothing. Instead, he let out a long sigh. He then settled himself onto the ground and Longtail and Swiftshadow walked away.

He noticed a dark brown tabby with ice-blue eyes and a dappled golden she-cat entering the camp, accompanied by Leopardstar. They must be apprentices, he thought. Tigerstar walked over to the three RiverClan cats.

"Greetings, Hawkpaw and Mothpaw," he greeted the two kits. "This is now your Clan and where your loyalties will lie." Bramblepaw padded to Tigerstar's side and stared at the two kits. The kits stared back at him. "That's Bramblepaw, your brother. Bramblepaw, these are Hawkpaw and Mothpaw."

"Tigerstar told me about you two," Bramblepaw mewed to the two apprentices. "It'll be fun to have you two in TigerClan."

"Of course it would be, Bramblepaw," Hawkpaw mewed. "You will have some competition to put up with as long as we're around."

"I've already got competition with Ashpaw, Fernpaw, Thornpaw, Tawnypaw and Brightpaw," Bramblepaw replied.

"Well, we will be the best warriors in the whole forest," Mothpaw mewed.

"Not as long as I live!" Bramblepaw said.

"We'll see about that. Let's see who can catch the most prey," Hawkpaw mewed.

"Can we do that?" Mothpaw asked as she looked up at her father.

"Of course," Tigerstar mewed. In a flash the three kits raced past Leopardstar, disappearing from the camp.

"They're great apprentices," Leopardstar mewed. "RiverClan will miss them but TigerClan will have two great warriors when it's their time."

"Thank you for accepting to let me have my two kits in my Clan," Tigerstar mewed.

"Although I do not have kits of my own, I'd know how you'd feel about wanting your two RiverClan cats in your Clan."

"Yes, it would be nice to have my two little otters in the camp," Tigerstar said.

"I have to get back to my Clan," Leopardstar mewed. "I would like to stand here and talk but you know what will happen if I left the camp unprotected." Tigerstar gave a nod and watched as the RiverClan leader walked away.