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Chapter 8

Scourge Stalked through the trees, Graystripe and Cloudtail at his side. Scourges jaw open to taste the breeze, rabbit, Scourge flicked his tail to signal the scent, Graystripe nodded and backed off, but Cloudtail, stalked a wide circle around the scent. Scourge continued forward silently setting his paws down, then the rabbit hopped into view. Cloudtail was in the bushes behind it Scourge in front, Suddenly the bushes rustled and Cloudtail shot out. The rabbit fled right into Scourges paws, he lifted his head and the rabbit hung limply in his jaws.

"Nice catch." Graystripe meowed approvingly. "Thanks Scourge meowed, holding his head high

"I helped." Cloudtail meowed in annoyance, padding up to Scourge. "The sun is setting, we should get back to camp." Scourge followed them back through the forest, the setting sun, freckling the forest with glowing spots. Scourge let the forest blurr around him as he thought of the ceremony that morning, he'd never been able to remove his color on his own, in the end he'd just filled it with dogs teeth. But at the end of the ceremony Firestar had removed Scourged collar to pronounce him a Warrior of Thunderclan, something that he couldn't do on his own had been done within seconds by his brother. A warm feeling washed over him as he pushed through the fern tunnel. He was growing quite fond of these cats. Scourge pushed his way into the medicine den Cinderpelt had moved her nest out so she could keep an eye on him, fear nestled in his heart. He felt like he'd really crossed the line when he told Firestar where his loyalties lay, Tigerstar wouldn't be happy. Scourge laid down in his nest, Cinderpelt was only a tail length away. Scourge closed his eyes and awoke in the Dark forest. Claws gripped him almost immediately and he heard Ruby's voice in his ear. "I've wanted to shred you for awhile now." Socks was at the otherside. "I feel exactly the same." Socks forced Scourge to the ground and Ruby began to claw his pelt, Scourge yowled in agony, as he felt his blood well up. Ruby flipped him over and Socks went to ripping clumps of fur from his belly and soon blood stained his claws. "We've never seen someone die from pain." Socks meowed. "But we're going to try." Ruby continued. Scourge wasn't sure how much time passed as they went at him back to back, but soon he felt his consciousness slipping away, Suddenly a sweet scent Scourge recognized, Spottedleaf? Scourge thought. The beautiful she-cat stepped into the clearing, and following her appearance Socks and Ruby stopped their assault to glance at her, when they saw her they bowed their heads and disappeared.

"Scourge." Spottedleaf meowed in disbelief, she padded over and nudged him to his paws, his pelt was soaked in blood. He was barely conscious, she led him through the forest and into Starclan's hunting grounds, where he collapsed out of exhaustion.

"What happened?" Bluestar meowed.

"He was attacked in the Dark forest." Spottedleaf replied

"That's normal." Bluestar replied, "It's been happening since he chose a side."

"Yes, but this time they were trying to kill him." Spottedleaf replied.

"Not good." Bluestar replied as Spottedleaf crouched to clean the blood from Scourge's fur. "That means Tigerstar has decided he's to much trouble and is trying to kill him off."

Cinderpelt awoke to something wet licking at her paw. She almost fainted, so much blood, she leaped into her den and grabbed cobwebs and herbs and set to work, the sun rose without her taking notice and when she finished finding and patching all the wounds it was reaching towards sun high. "Great Starclan!" "What happened?"

"He's dying, it seems Tigerstar's done with him." She replied, "I'll do my best but there isn't much I can do."

"Tigerstar?"

"Yes." Cinderpelt whipped around. "Oh Brambleclaw, you haven't been told yet, go to Firestar he'll explain." She turned to Scourge again and began replacing blood soaked Cobwebs. "He's stopped breathing." Cinderpelt meowed in Defeat, as Brambleclaw turned to go. "Is he dead?" The young tabby asked.

"Maybe." she replied.

"Come in." Firestar meowed in response to Brambleclaw's mew. And the young tom padded in. "Firestar, Scourge is either dead or dying." Brambleclaw meowed. "Cinderpelt told me to come to you and that you'd explain."

"Dying?" Firestar repeated. "I'll explain later."

"But-" Brambleclaw meowed.

"I said I'll explain later." Firestar meowed sternly, padding out of the den, and crossed the clearing in two bounds, ducking into Cinderpelt's den.

"Great starclan." Firestar whispered. Scourge wasn't a black cat anymore, his pelt riddled with cobwebs soaked in blood, more like a red, white, and black patched tom. "Is he still alive?" Firestar asked.

"Not that I can tell." She replied, "But I haven't given up yet." She returned to replacing the patches of cobwebs. Graystripe ducked in the medicine den, his paw covered in cobwebs.

"Thank you Graystripe." Cinderpelt meowed. Suddenly she sank back in relief. "The blood has stopped flowing, He's stable now, If he's even alive."

Scourge awoke in Starclan's hunting grounds, Am I dead he wondered. "You're awake, good." Spottedleaf called from behind him, he turned to see the beautiful she-cat staring worriedly at him. "You almost died." She meowed.

"So I'm not dead?" He meowed, padding over to her.

"No, but your very close." She replied. "The full moon's tomorrow."

Scourge awoke in a blood stained nest, he started to cough, and within seconds Cinderpelt was there.

"Here." She meowed, pouring some honey down his throat, she then began to rub it and within seconds Scourge stopped coughing. "My little guardian spirit." He coughed. "Think you could've waited longer to save me." he teased.

"See, Jerky but you have a heart." Cinderpelt meowed, checking his wounds. "You're healing and The full moon's tomorrow, but I don't think you should go."

"I must go." Scourge meowed. "Starclan said they could sever my connection with Tigerstar on the full moon."

"I can't stop you?" Cinderpelt meowed, worried

"No." Scourge replied, struggling to get to his paws.

"Your awake." Firestar meowed, padding into the medicine den

"Full moon's tomorrow."

"I know, I'm terrified." Scourge replied.

"Why?"

"Because, Tigerstar is planning something I know he wouldn't let me go this easily." Scourge replied

"Easily, he nearly killed you." Firestar replied

"Nearly." Scourge replied menacingly

Chapter 9

Scourge awoke, the morning sunshine in his eyes. He scrambled to his paws, the wounds inflicted by his fake siblings mostly gone. He padded out into the clearing, dew stuck to his paws as he padded up to the Fresh-kill pile. Hunger nawing at his stomach he grabbed a mouse and settled down beside the Fresh-kill pile and began to eat

"You get in a fight?" Cloudtail asked padding up and grabbing a finch.

"Not much of a fight." Scourge replied, finishing the mouse.

"What do you mean?" Cloudtail meowed, curiosity filled his mew.

"Nevermind." Scourge replied getting to his paws. "Hunt?"

"Sure." Cloudtail replied, spitting out feathers, "I don't like finch anyways."

"I do!" Fernpaw meowed snatching it and dashing to the apprentices den

"Ok let's go." Cloudtail meowed enthusiastically, and dashed for the fern tunnel followed by Scourge, bounding to keep up. They followed the beaten path and came out in the clearing at sunning rocks.

"He we are." Cloudtail meowed, "This is a great spot." I already smell prey, Scourge thought. He stalked silently up to the rocks, scrabbling sounded in a crack. He Waited silently til the small creature showed it's nose, then it's head popped out and looked around, too late! Scourges claw whipped out, caught the vole in the side of the head, the voles neck snapped from the impact and it's limp body flew from the crack and Scourge landed on it.

"Caught one." Scourge meowed, the vole hung limply from his jaws. Cloudtail looked up a mouse in his jaws. "Me too." Cloudtail replied. Scourge proceeded to catch two mice and a squirrel before they decided to go back to camp. Scourge padded through the Fern tunnel, the breeze ruffling his neck-fur, it still felt odd without his collar. He padded to the Fresh-kill pile where he deposited his prey and padded over to Firestar's den, for the fifth time in two days,

"Come in." Firestar meowed from inside. Scourge hesitated for a few seconds before pushing threw the lichen. "Firestar, It's tonight," Scourge meowed, "Right?"

"Yes." Firestar replied, getting to his paws. "We go at sunhigh, the journey is long and hard." Firestar padded towards the entrance to the den and looked back over his shoulder and said. "Walk with me." He then turned to pad through the lichen, Scourge on his tail. "I've noticed that your fitting in nicely." Firestar meowed, as he walked towards the Fresh-kill pile.

"Yes." Scourge replied, coolly. "I'm growing fond of these cats." Firestar grabbed a Rabbit from the Fresh-kill pile and continued his walk across the clearing. "Good," Firestar meowed, glancing back at Scourge, "I had hopes that you would." Firestar padded into Cinderpelt's den.

"Welcome." Cinderpelt meowed to Firestar, as he set down the rabbit "Can't stay out of my den?" She meowed teasingly, a meaningful glint in her eyes.

"Guess not." Scourge replied, confused. Firestar turned to Cinderpelt and meowed. "So tonight's the full moon." Firestar meowed.

Cinderpelt's eyes flashed with guilt, she whipped around, "Oh no!" She meowed, dashing to her den, "I forgot!" She rummaged around and returned. "I need to head out and get some Burnet, I'm out of it!" She dashed out of the the den.

"Good, I thought she'd forgotten." Firestar meowed, Amusement glittered in his gaze. "Come on, Let's go I'm hungry. Firestar picked up the rabbit and padded out of the den Scourge followed, and they settled down outside of Firestar's den and shared the rabbit.

Sun-high came as Scourge padded out of Cinderpelt's den, were he'd basically made his home while he dealt with Tigerstar's horrible tactics, his plans of destruction. He made his way to Firestar's den and met him at the entrance.

"Ready?" he meowed, Scourge nodded his head in response, and turned, almost walking right into Cinderpelt, who'd snuck up behind him. The traveling herbs hung from her mouth.

"Well done apprentice," Scourge teased, "you're learning, you might just beat me in battle one day." Scourge brushed his muzzle against hers and took the herbs, Her eyes clouded with pain.

"I can't beat you if you don't come back." She meowed, her voice trembled, "Come back please." She turned and padded back to her den. Firestar and Scourge ate their herbs, ignoring the terrible taste and padded out of the fern tunnel. "Let's hope we don't run into any cats from the other clans." Firestar meowed as they jogged down the beaten path, the sun speckled the ground like golden dew. "We'll do fine." Scourge replied, shouldering Firestar playfully, and they both dashed away leaving the path behind and pushing through, clingy brambles leaping fallen trees till finally Scourge broke out of the forest. A river wound around a bend cutting a natural border between the edge of the forest and the edge of the moor.

"You're gonna miss the gathering." Firestar meowed padding from the bushes. "I put Whitestorm in charge while I'm gone. He'll lead them to the gathering while we're at the moonstone. Scourge leaped the stream side by side with Firestar and they sped away. They'd made it halfway to the edge of the border when Firestar stopped.

"Windclan!" He meowed, Stopping, Scourge turned, confused. "Shouldn't we move faster then not stop?" Scourge replied.

"No, they've seen us already." Firestar replied turning, he sat down to wait, but Scourge began to pace back and forth. "How bad is this."

"Not bad." Firestar replied, as a tall, black and white cat padded up followed by a brown tabby, and smaller cat followed the tabby

"Onewhisker?" The small cat asked the tabby. "Not now." Onewhisker replied

"Firestar," The black and white cat meowed. "Scourge? Couldn't be." Scourge looked up, Then he recognized him, "leader of windclan." Scourge replied, respectfully, "You're a formidable warrior in battle."

"It is you." The black and white warrior replied in astonishment. Scourge lifted his head proudly and smiled. "The one and only."

"Tallstar-" Firestar meowed

"What are you doing here?" Tallstar growled, "The forest is ours, you can't take it."

"I don't want to take it." Scourge replied, bowing his head. "I caused great grieve on you're clan and the rest of the clans, for that I am sorry." Tallstar looked taken aback as onewhisker padded forward and asked. "Where are you headed Firestar?" Firestar looked over at him. "Moonstone," He replied, "Don't know what to do with him, I'm going to ask Starclan."

"Firestar. Do you always have to be so fair?" Tallstar replied, "It has gotten you in trouble before, don't let it get you killed." Tallstar stared into Firestar's eyes, meaning glinted there. Tallstar turned and padded away. Firestar got to his paws. "Come on." Scourge and Firestar sprinted to the border, Scourge relaxed a little as they passed the scent line. Their pace slowed to a walk as they left the clans' territory, and in the distance, lay criss crossing thunderpaths and twoleg homes.

"Ever crossed one before?" Firestar asked, as they stopped at the massive black path. Scourge looked across with interest. "Yep." Scourge replied, leaping across, followed closely by Firestar. They padded along a twoleg fence, suddenly Firestar leaped away as a flurry of barking exploded on the other side of the fence, Scourge just glanced calmly at the trembling fence and continued walking, Firestar followed

"Used to dogs?" He asked, as they left the dog and finally the fence behind.

"No, I'm not scared of them because I've killed so many." Scourge replied, coldly, glancing at Firestar's ruffled pelt with interest. Suddenly cuts crawled along his pelt blood poured from them, Firestar looked like a dead cat walking! Oops, Tigerstar whispered in his ear, Looks like your too late. Scourge dropped to the ground, trembling with the effort to control himself.

"Scourge?" Firestar meowed. "You're dying! And I can't stop it." Scourge meowed hysterically. Firestar began to back away, bad place for Tigerstar to take over Firestar thought, we were so close Scourge got wobbly to his paws, a menacing smile spread across his lips, his eyes hidden till his head popped up, red as blood, Tigerstar was back!