Tigerstar's Goals

Chapter 9

"Brindleface is dead?" Tigerstar's body filled with fury as he looked around at his bloody warriors. Every single cat was covered with wounds. "Yellowfang, Cinderpelt!" He snapped. "Start checking the cats!"

Yellowfang immediately went to the medicine den while Cinderpelt limped over to Swiftpaw, sniffing at the apprentice's belly wound. Tigerstar faintly heard a worried meow from Longtail and a reassuring reply from the medicine cat.

Runningnose stepped forward. "Can I help?" He offered.

"What?" Tigerstar looked distractedly at the former ShadowClan cat. "Oh- yes, go on."

As Runningnose hurried off, Tigerstar glared at Darkstripe. "I told you to leave warriors on watch at all times. From the looks of it, no cat was watching at all!"

Darkstripe looked at his paws. "With three warriors missing, it was hard to work around things," the black tabby meowed. "Most of them were out on patrol."

Tigerstar lunged his head forward. "How many warriors were in camp?" He breathed.

Darkstripe flinched. "Three," he meowed hesitantly. "Me, Greystripe, and Fireheart."

He let out a frustrated yowl, resisting the urge to rake his claws down his deputy's face. "I told you to keep five warriors in camp! You basically had no warriors! You had a kittypet, a traitor, and you, a mouse-brain!"

The deputy lifted his gaze. "It was a mistake!" He protested. "We were unprepared, that's all."

Tigerstar hissed. "But I told you to be prepared! Deputies are never supposed to make mistakes! Ever!"

Darkstripe's gaze hardened. "You made a mistake!" He snarled. "When you led the rogues into our camp; the day Bluestar died."

Tigerstar froze. There was a gasp from a couple of warriors as they stared at the two bristling cats.

Darkstripe glared into Tigerstar's amber gaze. "You let them chase you into our camp when no warrior was left except for Bluestar," he breathed. "You did the exact same thing as me."

Tigerstar let out a rumbling growl from his throat. He unsheathed his claws, ready to teach Darkstripe a lesson when a horrified yowl came from the medicine den.

Yellowfang staggered out, her yellow eyes wide with horror. "Our supplies!" She shrieked. "They've destroyed our supplies!"

Gasps of fear and horror came from his cats.

"Our supplies?"

"How are we supposed to heal?"

"First they attack us and then they destroy our herbs?!"

"They took it too far!"

"Quiet!" Tigerstar let out a loud yowl.

The cats turned to look at him, fear in their wide eyes.

Tigerstar turned to Mousefur and Runningwind. "You guys go with Yellowfang to find more herbs immediately," He ordered. "Find as much as you can!"

The large tabby looked at Brindleface's motionless body. "How did she die?" Tigerstar demanded.

Darkstripe bowed his head in respect. "RiverClan went straight for the nursery. Their aim was the kits," He looked up, sorrow in his eyes. "Greystripe was fighting a warrior when Stonefur came up behind her. She didn't have a chance, he wasn't showing any mercy."

"Fox-hearts!" Tigerstar spat angrily. "Ignoring the Warrior Code!" He glanced at the fluffy grey warrior. "And the kits?"

"They're safe," Darkstripe glanced at Greystripe. "We're lucky to have him. He fought with the strength of three warriors to defend his kits."

There was a rustle of branches at the entrance. Tigerstar pricked his ears, wondering if they had found herbs already but his heart dropped when he saw Cloudpaw.

Fireheart looked up and, grimacing, staggered to his paws, swaying on unsteady steps. He had a large wound on his chest which was still pulsing blood. To Tigerstar's surprise, he felt a rush of pity for the former kittypet. He quickly shook it away, snarling. Fireheart's softness was getting to him.

Cinderpelt limped hurryingly over to her former mentor, pressing against his bleeding side and forcing him to the ground. The ginger warrior slumped onto the floor again, his eyes flashing with pain.

Stiff-legged with rage, Tigerstar stalked over to the white apprentice. "Where have you been?" He demanded.

Cloudpaw blinked his blue eyes at his leader. "Hunting."

"Where's your prey?"

The white apprentice shrugged, looking around. "What happened here?"

"We got attacked by RiverClan, that's what!" Tigerstar hissed, narrowing his eyes. "You could have been here helping but instead you were gallavanting out in the forest without a care in the world!"

Cloudpaw curled his lip. "I was hunting," he repeated.

"Then where's your prey?" Tigerstar spat, moving his head closer to the apprentice's. Cloudpaw flinched but met his leader's amber gaze. "Who gave you permission to leave?"

The tabby looked at Fireheart who was lay on his side, breathing heavily. "Did you?" He demanded.

The ginger warrior lifted his head and shook it before resting it on the ground.

"I don't need permission," Cloudpaw meowed boldly.

"Yes you do!" Tigerstar growled. "Your Clanmates are injured. Now do every cat a favour and go and find the cats who are collecting herbs and help them!"

Cloudpaw glared at his leader, defiance in his gaze before stalking off and exiting camp again.

"A Clan of injured warriors, traitors, kittypets and ignorant apprentices," Tigerstar faintly heard Stumpytail muttering. "What kind of Clan have we joined?"