The Scourge of BloodClan (Warrior Cats)

First blood

Silence fell  upon the hollow as the two apprentices circled each other, with not even the sound of a bird daring to break the silence.
Scourge took a deep breath as he studied his opponent. Tigerpaw was undeniably larger, stronger and with many moons of  training. Perhaps he has been hasty in accepting the challenge but just one look at Tigerpaw's arogant sneer made him unsheath his claws in anger.
"Time to teach you a lesson kittypet," Tigerpaw growled, lunging at  Scourge with exceptional speed and force staggering the black tom. Blood ran down Scourge's face as Tigerpaw's  claws opened a cut across his forehead. Pinning Scourge before he could fully recover, Tigerpaw allowed  a smirk to spread itself across his face as he raised  his head to yowl his victory, while Scourge squirmed to get out of his grip. 
" Kick his underbelly! " 
Bluefur's yowl caused Scourge to wheel around. Distraught, the blue grey she cat's eyes were willed with worry as her apprentice struggled to face an obviously superior fighter. 
" Do you yield?" Tigerpaw sneered, baring his fangs. 
" Never! " 
Grim determination entering his cold blue eyes, Scourge snarled and pushed against Tigerpaw's underbelly using all the might in his hind legs. Taken by complete surprise, Tigerpaw was thrown off of Scourge. Leaping to his paws, Scourge panted as he saw Tigerpaw scramble to his paws, hatred burning from his eyes.
" You'll  pay for that Kittypet!"
Lashing out with his front claws fully unsheathed, Tigerpaw slashed at Scourge only for the hom to nimbly evade the clumsy attack. Enraged, Tigerpaw spun around, attacking with his hind legs before coming back around and slashing viciously with his unusually long front claws. Knocked down by the flurry of blows, Scourge watched as Tigerpaw approahed.
"Out here you win or you die," hissed  Tigerpaw leaning down so that he was now face to face with Scourge, "And you should know that I never lose!"
" There is a first time for everything," Scourge growled before swiping his paw, not at Tigerpaw but at the ground, kicking sand into the tabby's eyes. Rearing back in agony, Tigerpaw spat at Scourge and lashed out again. However briefly blinded by the stinging sand, Tigerpaw had fallen into Scourge's  trap.
Darting to the side of the large tabby, Scourge raked his claws across Tigerpaw's  flank, earning a yowl of agony as he drew blood.  
Yet Scourge did not hear this cry of pain for a red mist of rage had descended upon him,  filling him with a kind of demonic strength. Too long had he been tormented and now it was his time to fight back and so Scourge seized it with both paws. Lashing out with a new reserve of speed  and strength, he clawed Tigerpaw across the face then again slashing his chest.
Bewildered, Tigerpaw was unable to defend himself against the series of rapid and viscious strikes Scourge assailed him with. Though untrained in combat, Scourge's sheer ferocity was gaining g him the upper hand. Backing away slightly, Tigerpaw watched Scourge then leapt at the young tom Ince more.
Hissing as the adrenaline  surged through his veins, Scourge barely winced as he felt Tigerpaw claw at his fur. Attempting to use his greater size  to his advantage, Tigerpaw lurched forward. But Scourge would not be tricked twice and darted to the side. Realisation hit  Tigerpaw like a lightning strike as he tried to stop his momentum, but it was no use. Not allowing his opponent to recover, Scourge rammed  Tigerpaw's  flank,  knocking him to the dust with a thud. Pouncing upon the tabby as though he were merely a piece of freshkill, Scourge felt the rage start to leave him as he held down Tigerpaw  by the throat.
"I think it's clear who the winner is here," smiled Thrushpelt looking at Scourge.
" This isn't over yet, " snarled Tigerpaw. 
" Yes it is,"  snapped Thistleclaw, "It's obvious  that you need more training Tigerpaw. What warrior allows himself to be beaten by a kittypet."
" I don't think a kittypet could do that father, " Whitepaw chirped.
"Agreed," nodded  Bluefur, "That was most impressive for a beginner Scourge."
Beaming at the pride his mentor had in him, Scourge leapt off of Tigerpaw, allowing the tabby to  stand. For a second Tigerpaw glared at Scourge as though he intended to restart  the combat anew. However as arrogant as he was, Tigerpaw was no fool and instead he snorted in disgust  before padding off with Thistleclaw. 
"Scourge, where did you learn those moves?" Bluefur mewed once Tigerpaw and Thistleclaw were out of ear shot ,  "I've never seen anything like it. It's almost like you were  a warrior of TigerClan itself."
Panting,  Scourge shook his head. " I have no idea. Something just came over me...I can't really describe it."
"Well good work," smiled Bluefur, "That arrogant mouse brain had it coming for some time. Now why don't you get that wound treated in the medicine den."
Caught up in the rush of the duel, Scourge only now began to feel a stinging above his eye where Tigerpaw's claws  had torn open a wound. Now as the adrenaline rush began to lessen, the pain  slowly increased. Dipping his head, Scourge padded back to camp.
Approaching the medicine den, Scourge quickly noted that the white grey cat who had been in there when Featherwhisker had treated him was sniffing around the herb piles as though searching. Clearing his throat to announce his arrival, Scourge watched as the tom spun around  to face him. Instantly, there was something about this tom, something in his eyes, something that made every hair on Scourge's pelt bristle even though  he could not place a paw on it.
"What are you doing here?" The tom asked, his voice vague and distant as though his gaze was focused upon something beyond the ken of normal cats.
"Well I got a scratch during training,"  Scourge began before pausing unsure if the strange cat was listening, before going on, "I came to ask Featherwhisker to treat it. Is he in?"
Shaking his head, the tom snorted slightly, "No, he went out to collect herbs. I suspect no one told you to come to crazy, old Goosefeather, Featherwhisker's mentor, to get your wound treated hmm?"
"No , I..I didn't know, " mewed Scourge. At this Goosefeather almost visibly relaxed.
" I suspose  it isn't your fault, " he sighed, "Featherwhisker  performs most of the duties that used to be mine, it's no wonder you thought of him as the medicine  cat. However I assure you that I  more than capable of treating that scratch."
As Goosefeather picked up some cobwebs and padded over, Scourge felt a single drop of blood run down from the cut and down his face. Dripping onto the earth within  the medicine den,  Scourge watched as the droplet stained the ground a fiery crimson.
Suddenly Goosefeather dropped the cobwebs as every hair on his pelt bristled. His eyes widened and seemed to glow with unearthy power. Briefly Scourge  thought that the older tom might have been having a fit and considered getting Featherwhisker before,  just as suddenly  as it had begun, Goosefeather's  peculiar actions ceased. 
Panting, his eyes widened,  Goosefeather muttered.
" StarClan have sent me a sign. "
Intrigued, Scourge tilted his head and padded forward slightly towards Goosefeather.
" Really? What did they say?"
Looking up, Goosefeather's eyes seemed to burn directly into Scourge's soul.
"You shall become the scourge of the other clans. But if you let the hate consume you, you and everyone you hold dear shall drown in blood."