Rogue (Warriors)

P R O L O G U E

Bramblestar looked down at the cat below him. Cold claws clamped over his heart as the prisoner paced back and forth.

He shook out his pelt. This cat was a traitor. She had killed many and broken the warrior code.

The cat was Squirrelflight.

"Squirrelflight, you have killed many cats, even your own kithood friends." Bramblestar's voice threatened to crack as Squirrelflight sneered up at him.

"They were just as foolish as you were!" She yowled, showing no remorse for the love they once shared.

A voice rose up from the medicine cat den.

"Squirrelflight, please. Why did you do this?" Leafpool whispered. She staggered forward, ragged and torn pelt showing signs of being attack by her own sister.

Squirrelflight snarled and lashed out, barely missing Leafpool's muzzle. The light brown tabby flinched back.

"They were blinded by love! If they hadn't been mooning over each other, they would have seen what was right under their noses!" Snapped the ginger shecat.

Bramblestar went over the night's events. Squirrelflight and two unknown suspects went on a rampage, killing Graystripe, Molewhisker, Sparkpelt, Alderpaw, Blossomfall, Cloudtail, Brackenfur, three WindClan cats, and two ShadowClan cats.

Their own kits. Bramblestar swallowed a choked sob as he remembered the broken body of Sparkpelt, tossed carelessly into the river. Alderpaw was nowhere to be seen,but there was enough of his blood to convince the search party that he had also been attacked, and that his body had drifted farther downriver.

"Squirrelflight, because of your crimes, I now sentence you to exile."

Squirrelflight looked up at him. He searched her emerald eyes for sadness, regret, pain, anything left from the old Squirrelflight he knew. But the anger stayed strong.

"Fine," Squirrelflight sneered. She turned to the crowd. "I'll leave. But don't think you've seen the last of me. Brightheart! Thornclaw! Let's go."

Bramblestar watched in silent horror as the littermates joined Squirrelflight. All three cats marched through the thorn tunnel.

Silence blanketed the clearing. No cat could believe what has just happened.

"Lionblaze, step forward," Bramblestar meowed finally. The golden tabby staggered to the front. His pelt also held signs of a fight. All of their's did.

"Lionblaze, now that Squirrelflight is gone, it is time to appoint a new deputy." Bramblestar's voice shook, and he struggled to concentrate. All that he had known was gone.

Lionblaze stared up in stunned silence. Cats waited for the words, but nothing came. Bramblestar's mind had come to a complete stop.

"I..." He looked around. It was suddenly very difficult to breath, and he staggered backwards a few pawsteps.

A soft pelt pressed up against his. Leafpool's scent filled his nose.

"Come on, Bramblestar," she meowed. Her soft voice comforted him, and he allowed himself to be led into his den.

The large tabby fell asleep just as his head hit the moss.

•¶•

Bramblestar groaned and sat up. Sunlight streamed in through the den entrance, and his blinked his eyes rapidly against the brightness.

"Bramblestar...?"

A shadow fell over the den as a cat entered. Bramblestar recognized the scwnt of Lionblaze. He stood.

"Lionblaze, I..."

"No, it's fine. I understand. A lot happened last night."

Silence fell over the cave. Bramblestar blinked back tears.

"I understand if you're not ready to make me deputy," Lionblaze spoke up. Bramblestar sighed.

"Lionblaze, you were an amazing son," he whispered. Lionblaze pressed against his foster father's pelt.

"Bramblestar! Bramblestar!"

Both toms hopped up and ran into the clearing. A group of cats had gathered, forming a ragged circle. Bramblestar and Lionblaze pushed there way through.

Bramblestar couldn't believe what he was seeing. In the clear space, four cats lay lifeless. Their torn bodies and ripped fur made him want to throw up.

He was more stunned when he recognized them. One was Tigerheart, his nephew from ShadowClan. The other two were Cherryfall, Stormcloud, and....

"No..." He heard Lionblaze whisper.

The last cat was Jayfeather.

Bramblestar turned away, breath hitching in his throat. He couldn't believe it.

He padded up to Bumblestripe, who had led the patrol. The tom turned to him, tears streaming down his face.

"She was too fast... We tried to stop her but...."

Bramblestar didn't have to ask who her was.

"Leafpool!" He called. The medicine cat staggered up. She would take her son's death horribly, he knew. But something had to be done.

"Y-yes, Bramblestar?"

"Please prepare the bodies, and check anyone else for injuries. If you want someone else to do Jayfeather..."

"No. I will do it."

Bramblestar nodded and resting his muzzle of the old shecat's head, and pulled away. He watched as the cats helped, dragging the bodies into the medicine cat den to be prepared for burial.

Bramblestar needed time to think. He padded into the forest. Rowanstar needed to know about his son's death.

The tom didn't get very far before a twog snapped behind him. He jerked around, though saw nothing. A horrid stench filled his nostrils that reminded him of the carrion place.

Suddenly, he was knocked off his feet and pinned to the ground. Yowling, Bramblestar lashed at his attacker, but the blows were slow and clumsy.

"Hello, Bramblestar."

The voice chilled him to the bone. He craned his neck to see better, and saw Squirrelflight padding over.

"Thank you, Jesse. You can let him up now," she meowed coldly. The weight was lifted off of Bramblestar's chest, and he sat up.

The cat who had attacked him was a lithe brown shecat. She seemed very familiar.

It hit Bramblestar like a blow in the chest. This was the cat he had fallen in love with during the Great Storm.

Jesse seemed to recognize him too, for her eyes flashed. But they soon returned to their stone cold gaze.

"Jesse, why..."

Jesse turned away from him and said nothing. Bramblestar swiveled to face Squirrelflight.

"I exiled you from our territory. What are you doing here?"

His former mate sneered. "Taking what is rightfully mine."

Shadows shifted at the dges of the clearing. To Bramblestar's horror, cats stalked towards them. Much more than his own clan.

"You can't kill me!" He snarled at Squirrelflight, wishing he could wipe the smug look off her face. "I have eight lives!"

Squirrelflight's eyes remained calm and cool. "Scourge ripped all nine lives from Tigerstar." She crept forward until they were nose to nose.

"Who says history can't repeat itself?" She whispered into his ear. He snarled and backed up.

Squirrelflight sat back down. Her tail flicked, and the cats surged forward. Bramblestar yowled and lashed as they attacked, but was soon overpowered. He was pinned down by a large white tom, and the cats slinked back.

Squirrelflight and the tom locked eyes, and she nodded. Sharp claws dug into Bramblestar's belly, and he shrieked in pain.

And all went black.