BloodClan: To love a killer

Chapter 4

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, join beneath the dumpster for a clam meeting!" Scourges voice echoed into the night. Briarrose shifted in her nest in the medicine den, she had been here for a moon. In that time, Dove had become Dovewing and Stripe, Stripefur. Dovewing had moved out once her wound formed a scab. But Bloodlilly called her back to the medicine den every day to re-apply the dressing.

It was time for the gathering, so Scourge was calling the clan together. "The cats I take with to the gathering are: Mottledfur, Finchpelt, Sparrowleg, Moonsky, Stripefur, Harkfire, Brickpelt, Minkfur and Briarrose. Eat and rest before we go, then visit Bloodlilly for traveling herbs." He leaped down from the dumpster and padded over to the medicine cat.

He entered and exchanged a glance with Bloodlilly. She left hurriedly. He watched her leave, then turned to Briarrose.

"How is your shoulder?" He asked, somewhat awkwardly. He walked over and sat down next to her. She stiffened slightly and gulped.

"It's fine." She said. "But just a little sore." Scourge walked over to the herbs and shifted through the leaves. He produced a few bitter-smelling leaves and two heart-shaped ones. He took half of them and nudged them toward her, he ate the rest. She awkwardly lapped them up.

They sat in silence for a while, sometimes Scourge would look at her and open his mouth, but as soon as they locked eyes, he closed it again. He left after the third attempt, tail flicking in frustration. Briarrose sighed, he should just spit it out! Why did he seem so awkward around her, surely he knew they were friends...sort of. She shook her head and waited for him to call the clan together to depart for the gathering.

~*~

Once they were off, the small band of warriors made its way through BloodClan territory. They were seemingly heading towards the forest border they shared with ThunderClan.  She ran up to Brickpelt.

"Where exactly is the gathering?" She asked.

"Oh, it's at fourtrees," said the russet tom. "We travel through Thunderclan territory to get there though."

Briarrose then struck up polite conversation with the tom and extracted all information about BloodClan. They were the fifth clan of the forest, apparently, and visited the same locations to meet with starclan and visit the other clans. Once they were on the ridge overlooking the gathering place, Briarrose could see that ThunderClan, WindClan and ShadowClan were already there. RiverClan had just appeared. Scourge padded over to her.

"Once we get down there, um," he hesitated "I want you to stay close to me,"

"Why" said Briarrose defiantly. Scourge sighed.

"I don't feel right if you're not safe, Briarrose." He admitted. "I literally flipped when Moonsky told me you hurt your shoulder." She glared at him.

"I can take care of myself." She spat. He looked wounded at her response, and she suddenly felt bad, he was only looking out for her. She sighed. "But, I'll stay close to you this time." He nodded.

The clan descended into the clearing. Briarrose instinctively looked for Whitstorm, he was her best friend, after all. She scanned the crowd, but the white pelt of her friend was nowhere to be seen.

Moonsky padded up to the brindle warrior, "Looking for someone?"she asked.

"Yes, the ThunderClan deputy." Said Briarrose. Moonsky gestured to a cat in the shadow of the rock. Briarrose blinked in thanks as Moonsky walked off to join some RiverClan friends. As BloodClan never technically got into battles with the other Clans, friendships and even inter-clan kits and mates were not rare. She looked over at Scourge, he was glaring a challenge at Firestar. It wouldn't hurt to leave him, right? I am just going to see my friend after all, it'll only take a second to see how he's doing.

She padded over to the grey warrior. It wasn't Whitestorm, it was Greystripe.

"Oh,"he said in surprise. "Briarpaw, so nice to see you."

She looked quizzingly at him. "Has Whitestorm retired to the elders den?" She asked. Suddenly, all the happiness drained from the grey warriors face to be replaced with grief.

"Briarpaw-"

"Briarrose." She corrected.

"Briarrose," he began. "Whitestorm is-"

"Let the gathering begin!" Shouted firestar. "Thunderclan will go first!"

He stood up and searched the crowd until their eyes met. "Whitestorm is dead! Killed in the battle of fourtrees!" His gaze turned to Scourge. "By none other than your precious leader!" Scorge's gaze slowly made its way to Briarrose. His gaze was pleading her, begging her not to be angry, begging her not to hate him.

She fealt tears prick at the corners of her eyes, Briarrose clenched her jaw to stop from crying. She slowly stumbled backwards until her back legs gave way, she hung her head. Then the pain came. A burning, writhing pain that crawled up her spine and exploded over her chest. Before she knew it, the gathering was over and Scourge was nudging her up to leave.

She wandered home in a daze, but suddenly she was in a soft nest. There was the scent of another cat all around her. She whispered, "Scourge?" Briarrose heard a voice answer back, but it was dry and cracked. It only told her two words before she broke down and sobbed.

"I'm sorry."

She must've stopped sometime, because eventually she was floating through the blackness of sleep.