Brambleclaw's Fury

Part 8

He didn't hesitate. He lunged forward, but Crowfeather was ready. He dodged, and Brambleclaw whirled around to try to strike again, but the black tom was too quick and leaped onto his back before he could react. Rearing backward, he smashed his back into a heavy rock and heard a grunt from him. He was slightly bigger than Crowfeather and stood over him now.

"You should've stayed ran," he growled.

"And be a coward like you? Never," he retorted. Brambleclaw began to laugh, but he shot up with a such force that the tabby heard a crack! and felt a sudden sharp pain in his jaw. He yowled, abandoning caution at that moment. He flung himself forward, furious, and felt his claws swipe through the air. A ditch nearby had a shallow puddle of water in it, and he had a sudden idea. Brambleclaw feigned right and when the tom started to duck left, he leaped and dug his claws into the tom's shoulders, making him howl, and bowled him over into the ditch. The water level wasn't higher than Croweather's head, but the mud was deep, and as he leaned his weight forward on the tom's upper half, the mud gurgled as it sucked him in. His old friend struggled as he realized what he was doing but couldn't break free. The mud was past his eyes, and only his mouth, nose, paws, and the tip of his tail stuck out of it now.

"They'll find out," he breathed, gasping for air. Brambleclaw threw his head back and laughed maniacally.

"How? Who was here to witness this?"

"Someone's... always..." he didn't hear the end of Crowfeather's reply. And frankly, Brambleclaw didn't care to. As he stepped back, he glanced down with a satisfied smile. The job was done. Two cats who opposed him were dead.

He didn't even need to hide the evidence, because he had a plan for that, too. He stalked off onto the moor, following the scents of the ThunderClan apprentices to the camp. He marched straight into the camp, not bothering to wait. He saw Birchpaw and Whitepaw sitting by themselves, surrounded by WindClan kits who kept asking them questions and WindClan warriors who were shooing the kits off. Cats exchanged questioning and suspicious glances as Brambleclaw marched through the camp.

"Where's Ashfoot?" growled Nightcloud. Two cats who he thought he recognized called Owlwhisker and Webfoot were behind her, glaring at him.

"Brambleclaw!" growled Onestar. "What are you and two ThunderClan apprentices doing in my camp?"

"I will tell you everything you need to know, outside."

"I do not take orders from the ThunderClan deputy." One day I won't be just a deputy. I'll be the leader! he thought furiously to himself.

"You might want to this time," he hissed back, leaving the camp.

"We're keeping the two apprentices here until Onestar comes back to camp."

"Fine," he answered, padding out the entrance. This left Onestar with no choice but to follow. He bounded towards the brown tabby angrily.

"Why should I come with you?" he declared.

"Well you are, aren't you?" They padded across the moor, and Onestar flicked his tail for them to halt, and reluctantly Brambleclaw did so.

"You are going to make a deal with me."

"Says which cat?"

"Says me." Onestar gave him an annoyed and frustrated look.

"Why would I?"

"Because I know everything. All of your secrets, all of your weaknesses." He was bluffing, of course, but it worked. The mood changed quickly, and he detected a little bit of tension, but mostly nervousness in the air.