Warriors || Hopestar's Choice: Book 2 (2 of 3)

Chapter 7

Tigerstar's question swirled in her head like a dark fear that never fades. She raced out of Tigerstar's den and left Fourtrees. Her stomach twisted with anger and anxiety. Hopeflame didn't want to leave TigerClan! She's only just returned!

"Hopeflame, wait!" Brambleclaw called and he sprinted after her.

She pretended not to hear him and disappeared into the undergrowth. Brambleclaw was on her paws, she could feel his presence right behind her. Hopeflame kept running, her paws itched to run. With everything that's happened recently, she just needed to go somewhere.

Brambleclaw appeared out of nowhere, cutting her off from the path before her. Hopeflame skidded to a stop and narrowly missed Brambleclaw. The dark tabby warrior stood in front of her, paws firmly planted, and a look of fierce determination on his face.

Hopeflame doubled over, heaving for breath. Everything was piling up to be too much: the Merge, her betrayal, Graystripe's death, and now Tigerstar's proposal which didn't really feel like a choice all at all. Her heart was heavy with the things she carried, the things she would never be rid of.

Brambleclaw watched her and moved closer, but almost afraid to touch her. He probably thought she would crumble. "Hopeflame? You don't have to go to WindClan. I can talk my father out of it."

"And how would that look, Brambleclaw?" Hopeflame shot back angrily. She chose her next words carefully. "If I don't accept his offer, then I'll look disloyal and if you try to talk him out of it you could loose your deputyship."

The tom's jaw squared and he stood tall. "I won't let you leave again. I lost you once, Hopeflame, and I don't want to loose you again." He carried sorrow and regret in those amber eyes of his. Brambleclaw had enough to worry about, but somewhere along the way he decided she was worth worrying about.

"You're leaving?" A small voice squeaked.

Hopeflame glanced over her shoulder and saw her sister, Maplepaw. She had dropped the bundle of herbs she carried and they were now covered in dirt. Her ginger and white pelt was criss-crossed with shadow and sunlight. Despite them being the same age, Maplepaw still looked small compared to Hopeflame.

She made a move towards her sister who only took a step back. "Maplepaw...I don't want to go..."

A look of pain and anger flashed across Maplepaw's face. "You seemed eager to leave the first time! You left us alone, you left me alone! And now you're back and I think that we can finally rebuild our relationship, but you're leaving?!"

"I don't have much of a choice, Maplepaw!" Hopeflame wailed. She felt Brambleclaw press against her side for support. "It won't be as long as last time!"

"You've already made your decision?" Brambleclaw looked to her in surprise.

Hopeflame took a deep breath. "I think so. If I'm going to serve my clan, and this is what I must do, then I'll do it." Even though it didn't end well last time.

Maplepaw's gaze became cold, her amber eyes hardening like stone. "I guess pleasing Tigerstar is more important to you than kin. Look what happened to Graystripe."

It happened before Hopeflame realized what she was doing. Her claws were outstretched as she lashed Maplelaw across the face. Maplepaw screeched and reeled back, blood oozing down her cheek. All she could do was stare in horror at what she did to her sister.

"Come on, Hopeflame," Brambleclaw nudged her towards Fourtress. "Let's give Tigerstar your answer." She let him lead her away from her sister and the horrible act she just committed. Maybe she was more like Tigerstar than she thought.

~*~

Back in the camp, she went straight for Tigerstar's den. She was intercepted by a very angry Stormblaze. "Is it true?!" Her half-brother demanded. "Is it true that you're going to help Tigerstar bring down WindClan?!" He advanced on her and she became smaller under his gaze.

"How did you learn that?" Hopeflame murmured, amazed that word had traveled so quickly.

The dark gray tom stepped closer, his lips pulled back in a scowl. "Answer my question!"

"Stand down!" Brambleclaw growled, putting himself in between Stormblaze and her. The two toms locked eyes and it seemed as if they were having an entire conversation only they could hear. "I said stand down!"

Tail lashing, Stormblaze backed away but not before he threw Hopeflame an angry glare. "You're a TigerClan cat to the bone!" Then he stormed off and Hopeflame longed to go after him.

"Let him go," Brambleclaw whispered. The eyes of the entire clan were on them, having witnessed the entire ordeal. They were waiting for her to mess up, for her to fail. She was shaking and was grateful to Brambleclaw whose close presence gave her strength.

Together, they entered into Tigerstar's den. The dark tabby tom sat at attention as if he'd been expecting them. His amber eyes glinted with arrogance. "So tell me, Hopeflame," Tigerstar meowed, "Have you made a decision?"

Hopeflame glanced at Brambleclaw who gave her a small nod. This was her decision to make, she knew that. To go to WindClan would be to put her life on hold...again. Strangely though, in RiverClan, she found herself instead of losing herself.

"Yes, I've come to a decision." She raised her head and met the eyes of her manipulative leader. "I will go to WindClan."

A smirk pulled at Tigerstar's lips. "Excellent, you leave in the morning."