Ashfur's Plan

Chapter 2

"He didn't hit any vital organs so you should be able to recover," Leafpool meowed as she finished placing the ointment on Jayfeather's stomach.

  "Of course I'll recover. And if Lionblaze hadn't gotten in the way Ashfur would be crowfood." Jayfeather's pelt still burned with embarrassment at how easily Ashfur had wounded him. In front of everyone!

  "I think something is wrong with Ashfur's mind."

  "You think?"

  "I wish I'd figured it out earlier. I could've cured him. Or at least kept him from being a danger."

  "It's a bit late to do that now." Jayfeather winced at a stinging pain in his stomach.

  "I know." Jayfeather noticed her bitter guilt.

  "Well, he wasn't too dangerous. No one died."

  "No one died because of you, Jayfeather. Thank you."

  "Well, it's my job." Jayfeather felt confused again by Leafpool's love, and how similar it was to how the queens felt for their kits.

  Outside ThunderClan's territory, Ashfur and Scourge worked on their revenge.

  "Why do you even want revenge on this...Squirrelfight?" Scourge asked, tugging at a pile of rope.

  "She fell in love with Brambleclaw instead of me!" Ashfur flattened his ears at the thought.

  "You're very vengeful."

  Ashfur growled at him.

  "You'd make a good BloodClan warrior." Scourge blinked slowly at him.

  "Oh." Ashfur's pelt grew warm. He started tugging at the pile of ropes.

  "Are you still attracted to her?"

  "No, I despise her."

  "Good. I am sure there are others who want to be your mate."

  "The ThunderClan she-cats hate me." Ashfur thrashed his tail.

  "You aren't a ThunderClan cat anymore, Ash. And besides, who said it would just be she-cats attracted to you?"

  "Do you mean...toms?" Ashfur felt his eyes widen. Ashfur had been attracted to some toms before along with she-cats. It confused him. He'd never spoken about it to anyone. He almost never spoke about his feelings.

  "Yes. I'm sure there are toms who would be your mate."

  "Okay." Is one of them you? Ashfur thought. The thought startled him. 

  They continued with the rope until well after sunset.

The next morning Ashfur and Scourge padded alongside the ThunderClan border. Ashfur tried to concentrate on the lower tree branches like he was supposed to, but kept thinking of Scourge. If they were mates...that would be weird, of course, but the thought made him happy.

   Ashfur smelled ThunderClan cats-Dustpelt and Brakenfur. "I smell the border patrol," he whispered. Then he smelled an unfamiliar cat whose pelt was covered in scents of Twolegplace.

  "Get out of here, kittypet!" He heard Dustpelt hiss.

  "Kitty...what?" Ashfur walked close enough to see the unfamiliar cat; a large muscular she-cat with black and white fur and a pink collar. She sniffed the ThunderClan cats. "Oh, you must be the cats who have been peeing all over these tree roots."

"That's how we show that this is ThunderClan territory!"

"It's a disgusting way of showing it." Dustpelt slashed at her ears.