Almost two weeks had passed since Jynx's death. Smoke had started teaching Bloom how to hunt and fight. The molted gray tom was also trying to convince Bloom to help him recreating BloodClan. Bloom had said she would think about it, but Smoke knew she wouldn't accept, unless something terrible happened.

Smoke was returning to the alley, from the forest, with Bloom. He could notice that since after the day they met, Bloom had changed, and wasn't a scared kit anymore. She still wore her blue collar, just because he had said to her that it would be useful if she used it with dog teeth.

Bloom had a squirrel in her jaws, and Smoke was still amazed that she was able to catch one. The gash on Bloom's leg was now healed, and it wouldn't leave a scar, as he had thought when he met her. They headed for Hell Alley, in total silence. The alley was silent, but the smell of blood hung in the air. The molted gray tom knew that it meant a fight had happened. It wasn't Bloom's first time, so she knew exactly what to do.

She ran straight for their shelter, and Smoke stayed behind. He opened his mouth and caught the blood scent. Smoke waited until the black she-cat returned, and they followed the blood scent together. By following the scent, Smoke and Bloom made it to the darkest part of the alley, exactly where Tiger lived. Tiger was the meanest cat Smoke had ever seen, without including Scourge of course. Tiger had eyes as yellow as the sun, and long curved claws. Smoke had already fought with him, and gained a huge scar on his shoulder.

The molted gray tom had already talked about Tiger to Bloom, but she had never seen him. As they approached where Tiger had made his territory, the blood scent flooded Smoke's mouth, and he could her a cat's yowl in the distance. He left the black she-cat behind and ran to where the battle was happening. There was a crowd of cats forming a circle around two cats. Smoke tried to spread himself between the cats, but he was too big. He turned to see Bloom laughing "May I?" she purred and spread herself between the cats.

While this, Smoke was searching for a place where he could climb to see what was going on. He saw a stack of boxes a few taillengths from him and trotted fast to the stack. Without difficulties, Smoke made his way up the stack of boxes, where he could see almost everything. The molted gray tom gazed down at the concentration of cats and saw three cats in the middle of the circle; a large orange tabby tom he recognized as Tiger, Tiny and a small figure that he thought was Venom, but then Smoke realized it wasn't Venom. The small figure was Bloom!

"I have to get her out of there!" Smoke thought out loud, but before he could do anything, Tiger had leapt on Bloom, that dodged swiftly. She dropped in a crouched and launched herself at Tiger, that got her by the collar. He will try to suffocate her! The orange tom started shaking Bloom by the collar, and Smoke could see she was struggling to breath. A heartbeat later Smoke couldn't see her belly rising and falling, and Tiger stopped shaking her and let go of her. Smoke closed his eyes in pain and bowed his head.

As he looked down at Bloom's body, it was still, and when Tiger turned around to enter an old human house, Bloom suddenly regained life and her claws and teeth headed straight to his throat. Her claws scratched his neck, drawing some blood out, and Tiger fought to get free from Bloom's grip. After long minutes of this, getting tired, Tiger tripped over his own paws, giving Bloom the perfect opportunity to slit the larger tom's throat open. She pinned him to the ground, exposing his belly fur, and tore his throat. Smoke was amazed. What happened to her? She never fought like that. He jumped from the stack of boxes to the ground, and ran towards the middle of the circle.

Bloom was sat by Tiger's body, cleaning her white paw, now covered with the orange cat's blood. Bloom's chest was also covered in the red sticky liquid. Now, from the middle of the circle, Smoke could see Tiny lying on the ground, a pool of blood around his body. His fur was covered in blood, and a sleek scrawny light brown tabby she-cat cleaning his wounds. He hissed at the she-cat and jumped at her.

The she-cat yowled in surprise with the extra weight and fell to the ground. The molted gray tom kept one of his paws on her head, and the other on her shoulder. He dug his claws into her shoulder and head, and she hissed in pain "Stop!!! Please!!!" she begged him.

"Who are you!?" Smoke hissed into her ear. He dug his claws deeper into her skin and she yowled in pain. Then the molted tom felt something pushing his side and fell beside the she-cat, with a small weight over him. He looked up at his attacker and saw Bloom pinning him to the ground "What are you doing!?" Smoke growled at Bloom, then kicked her stomach so hard that she was thrown and hit a wall.

Smoke was ready to pin the tabby she-cat to the ground again when Bloom put herself between the molted gray tom and the she-cat "I am protecting my brother's mate!" Bloom hissed. Smoke stared at her and started to laugh. When he realized Scouge's daughter wasn't joking, he sheathed his claws again and looked over Bloom's shoulder to gaze at the she-cat.

The tabby she-cat padded forward and meowed "Thanks Bloom," then sat beside Bloom "I'm Bella, and yes, I am Tiny's mate," Bella gazed at Tiny, that was behind her, still laying on the pool of blood "or at least I was.." the she-cat sighed and pressed herself against Bloom. The gray tom saw a tear fall from Bloom's eye. Smoke had seen Bloom get closer to Tiny, but he had never seen this closeness between the black she-cat and Venom.

"I thought you were that stupid orange furball's mate," Smoke hissed as he pointed to Tiger's dead body. Bella pushed away from Bloom and sighed, then nodded.

"He used to. But then I met Tiny and he changed my life." Bella murmured between sobs.

Bella curled herself and started crying. The molted gray tom left the two she-cats alone and headed to Tiny's body. He crouched beside the dead cat and whispered into his ear "I'm sorry you had to die, but now Bloom has a reason to rebuild BloodClan with me." then he padded to the she-cats and asked to talk to Bloom alone.

"What do you want?" She hissed "And did you really have to kick me that hard?"

"Sorry, but that's not the point." Smoke meowed, "We can recreate BloodClan, and I can give you everything you've ever dreamed of and even more, if you join me. Will you join me and be loyal to blood?"

"What would I win with that?" Bloom spat at him. She was really mad at Smoke.

"You would be able to avenge Iris' death, or become the most powerful cat in the city, and also help me avenge my parent's death."

"I'm sorry, but my answer is still no." The black she-cat hissed and padded back to Bella. She murmured something in her ear and they left the alley. Smoke was tempted to follow them, but knew that if Bloom caught him, she would claw his ears off and shred him, so he stayed where he was and watched the two she-cats trotting away.

The molted gray tom sat and unsheathed his claws, then scratched a nearby trash can, leaving claw marks. How can I make Bloom join me? Smoke asked himself, then he remembered that someone was owing him a favor, and left Tiny's bloody body. Now you'll join me, no matter what.

Bloom was so mad at Smoke. First he had attacked Bella, then he asked her to help him rebuild BloodClan for the thousandth time "Can't he understand I don't want to?" Bloom thought out loud, forgetting that Bella was with her.

"What?" Bella meowed puzzled. The black she-cat stared at Bella, wondering if she should tell her about Smoke's plan, but decided not to. Bloom didn't know how Bella would react, and Tiny's death was enough for one day.

"Nothing." The black she-cat meowed quickly "Let's go to the forest and hunt a little." Bella nodded and they padded to the forest. Bloom could see that Bella was mourning for Tiny, and didn't dare talking or making much noises. Every time the brown tabby gazed at Bloom, she would smile or purr, trying to hide the anger and sadness.

They crossed the road and entered the forest. The workfolks had taken almost all the forest, and now, Bloom had to be a lot more careful because of the traps the workfolks had put all over the forest. She and Smoke had already seen some cats being trapped, including Cloudtail and a white she-cat with orange patches who Smoke had said was Brightheart, Cloudtail's mate. He had already told Bloom how Brightheart's face was disfigured, and Smoke called her Lostface to tease her.

Bella followed Bloom into the forest, and she guessed this was Bella's first time. Where can we go? The black she-cat asked herself. Maybe ThunderClan or RiverClan. WindClan's moors are basically dead and if we were caught by a ShadowClan patrol it wouldn't be nice. RiverClan it is.

"We're going to RiverClan's territory ok?" Bloom informed the light brown she-cat "We just need to cross ThunderClan and the bridge."

"What if we are caught by ThunderClan or RiverClan?" Bella asked, looking scared.

"We won't. Just follow me. If we are, just stay behind me." Bella didn't seem to like this plan, but nodded anyway, and they set off to the bridge. To get there the she-cats had to reach either Sunning Rocks or Owl Tree, but it would be easier following to Sunning Rocks, where they would follow the river course to get to the bridge.

The sun as up in the sky by the time Bloom and Bella got to Sunning Rocks, and fortunately, no ThunderClan patrol had found them, but Bloom could still see that Bella was worried. They padded upstream silently, with only the sound of splashig water and rustling leaves. Bloom was chilling, but everywhere she looked, she was reminded of Smoke, and the anger seemed not to fade. She had decided to go to RiverClan because it was a long way from the city to their territory, but Bloom had forgotten that Bella had never entered the forest before. Bloom looked over her shoulder and saw Bella heaving exausted, trying to pick up with Bloom. She felt guilty rise in her and sat down. Bella sat beside her and laid on the ground.

Bloom laid and rested her head on her paws. She closed her eyes right there, in the open, and tried to get some sleep. Bloom was tired of hidding, and knew that no one would kill her during her sleep, and if ThunderClan cats found them, they would only wake them up and chase them out. No big deal. Bloom emptied her mind, forgot Smoke and her anger at him, then let herself be caried away by sleep.