Chapter 3
Brambleclaw leapt onto Tigerstar’s back. The massive tabby tom yowled in surprise as he fell onto the ground. Tigerstar lashed out with his claws and Brambleclaw barely managed to avoid them. He realized that Tigerstar had nearly clawed his eyes.
Tigerstar rose to his feet. Brambleclaw darted forward and gave Tigerstar a quick nip to his left forepaw. He retreated swiftly before Tigerstar could strike back.
Tigerstar charged. Brambleclaw barely rolled out of the way on time. Tigerstar raced towards him again. When the tom was only a few tail-lengths away, Brambleclaw sidestepped. But Tigerstar was ready for that. Tigerstar skidded to a halt and turned to face Brambleclaw. He took a massive leap off of the ground. Brambleclaw thought that Tigerstar was trying to land on his back. He realized what his father was actually doing too late.
Tigerstar twisted in mid-air so that his hindpaws were aiming right towards Brambleclaw’s face. With claws unsheathed, he aimed a blow from his left hindpaw right at Brambleclaw’s eyes. Brambleclaw ducked out the way soon enough to avoid being clawed in the eyes, but not soon enough to avoid the blow entirely. Tigerstar’s paw caught him on the neck and sent him crashing to the ground. Tigerstar landed cleanly on all four paws, and placed one massive forepaw on Brambleclaw’s chest.
“Traitor!” Tigerstar spat. “You betrayed us. And now, you will pay.”
“The only traitor here is you,” Brambleclaw meowed weakly, struggling to breathe.
“You killed my only son that was worth anything! And now the same will happen to you,” Tigerstar meowed. “I gave you a chance to become great, to rule over all of the Clans. But you didn’t take the opportunity.”
“I told you this once as an apprentice and I’ll say it again. I’d rather die than follow you!” Brambleclaw meowed.
Tigerstar responded, “And you will.”
