snakestrike

~~~

IVORYSTAR PADDED OUT OF THE LEADERS DEN, her new one-eyed state bringing shock to most of the cats. However, her good eye was as sharp as ever, scanning the Clan with a stern look as she hopped up onto the Clanrock by Snakestrike's side.

"Well, come on now, you were all shouting just moments ago, don't get quiet now," Ivorystar prompted.

Sandstrike spoke up hesitantly, and Snakestrike wanted to twitch his tail in annoyance. They really did show Ivorystar much more respect than him.

Just wait, he thought angrily. Just wait until I become leader.

"We just don't think it's right to send kits off to training," Sandstrike meowed. "They're not old enough."

Ivorystar laughed dryly. "But right now, it's not about age. We're in a war. There may come a time where their lives will be on the line, and I'd like them to have a way to protect themselves."

"And if they get hurt during training?" Berrylight asked shakily, wrapping her tail anxiously around her kits. "There are rogues out there. They killed Clearfrost and gave you... that"- she indicated to Ivorystar's eye -"what if my kits get into trouble?"

"Well, if they don't wander off, away from the warriors, then they should be fine," Ivorystar replied simply.

"The rogue sightings are getting more frequent." Pinefrost, Berrylight's mate, twitched his pelt. "It's dangerous for kits to leave camp."

Ivorystar was beginning to get annoyed now, Snakestrike could see it in her eyes. "All rogue sightings have been by the Thunderpath, near the Burnt Sycamore. We'll be training in Muddy Dip, all the way across the territory. As long as your kits stay with the group, they'll be fine."

"We want to train!" Lionkit chirped, his eyes glimmering with excitement. "We want to help!"

Ivorystar gave a slim smile. "Any more complaints?"

There were lots, Snakestrike could see that. But all of them kept quiet. Well, that was, all of them except Tigerstrike.

"Yes!" The elder stood up, lashing his tail. "This is dangerous, Ivorystar! You've got plenty of cats willing to train, fight, and die - why do you need the kits to do that also?"

Ivorystar twitched her tail-tip. "This meeting is over."

"It's against the Warrior Code!" Tigerstrike snapped. "This entire thing, it's against the Warrior Code!"

Ivorystar's eyes narrowed. "If you care so much about the code, I'm sure you'll remember the rule stating that the word of the Clan leader is the Warrior Code. So by going against me, you're going against the code itself, and we wouldn't want that, would we?"

Tigerstrike growled, lashing his tail. "I've known you since you were a kit, Ivorystar - for StarClan's sake, I watched Featherflight give birth to you!"

Snakestrike watched the exchange quietly. From what he'd known about Tigerstrike, the tom had always been a peaceful member of ShadowClan, pliant with whatever the leader says. But with his dead mate and the recent death of his son, Waspstrike, Snakestrike supposed that Tigerstrike had nothing else to live for; might as well speak his mind.

"You've never been very keen on the rules," Tigerstrike continued. "You were always dragging your friends into trouble. Well this time, this is a rule you can't break! You've gone too far! You're becoming completely power hungry!"

Ivorystar's eyes were cold and she remained silent for two beats. Then she spoke: "Exiled."

Tigerstrike jerked back, as though he'd been scratched. "Excuse me?"

"Exiled," the ShadowClan repeated, in a louder voice. "You are now officially exiled."

"Wha- you can't exile me," Tigerstrike argued. "What did I do?"

Ivorystar twitched her pelt mercilessly. "You went against the word of your leader, therefore, the Warrior Code. And we will not have codebreakers in ShadowClan."

Tigerstrike glanced around desperately, for someone, anyone, to say something. Featherflight stepped forward. "Ivorystar-"

But she was quickly cut off by Ivorystar's sharp look. Nobody else dared to speak. "Shadestrike, Nightstorm, please escort Tigerstrike to the borders. If anyone sees him near or on ShadowClan's land, you have my permission to attack." When nobody moved, she meowed fiercely, "Now, please!"

"I- I don't believe this," Tigerstrike was spitting angrily as Shadestrike and Nightstorm rushed forward to bring him out. "This- this is ridiculous!"

Ivorystar watched him go, then faced the Clan again. "This meeting's dismissed," she meowed in a fake-sweet voice. "If anyone else has any concerns, feel free to come discuss them with Snakestrike and I."

The cats started mumbling instantly with each other about what happened as Ivorystar, unfazed, jumped off the Clanrock and headed straight for Berrylight. Snakestrike, confused, hurried after her.

"Berrylight," Ivorystar greeted, before turning her gaze to the ginger queen's kits. "Lionkit, Violetkit, and..." Her eyes trailed to the last kit, a small ginger she-kit. "Blazekit, was it?"

"Yes, Ivorystar!" Blazekit chirped excitedly.

Ivorystar hummed, lifting her muzzle to look at Berrylight with calculating eyes. "Blazekit..."

Berrylight hesitated. "Ivorystar, it's just a name, I didn't mean it for anything-"

"No, of course not," Ivorystar interrupted. "Well, training starts tomorrow, bright and early. We'll see you then." She twitched her pelt and left, stalking to her den, and Snakestrike was left once again to hurry after her.

"Ivorystar, what was that?" he meowed, a bit in shock himself.

"Well, Blazekit has the same name as a cat I knew long ago," Ivorystar mused softly. "I never liked her much. Rude and arrogant cat. She was Berryfern's sister - well, you wouldn't know Berryfern, would you?"

Snakestrike shook his head. "No, I don't mean that. I mean the thing with Tigerstrike. Exile?"

"Oh, yes." Ivorystar flicked her tail, as though she'd forgotten. "What about it?"

"I just think..." Snakestrike frowned. "He's an elder, and it's leafbare. He'll die in a couple of weeks."

Ivorystar sighed. "Do you know why I picked you as deputy, Snakestrike?"

The gray tom froze. That'd been a question he's been wondering himself. "N-no."

"I could've picked any cat in the Clan. There were plenty of options," Ivorystar continued. "Briarlight, Nightstorm, Dawnfoot, even your old mentor Foxstorm. Yes, I think every cat expected me to pick him. But I didn't."

"Why?" Snakestrike asked, feeling small all of a sudden under Ivorystar's one eye.

"Because," Ivorystar mewed, flicking her tail, creeping closer, "you have more ambition. Much more than Foxstorm. You want to be something great, and I respect that. You're willing to do what you need in order to achieve this... greatness. I had - have - the same dream, you know. Exiling Tigerstrike was simply a step in that.

"You can't show weakness, Snakestrike. You can't let cats think they can walk all over you, that there won't be any consequences." Her green eye bore into his. "Do you understand?"

Snakestrike swallowed roughly. "Yes, I understand."

"The attack on WindClan will be your moment, your chance to prove yourself," Ivorystar meowed, taking a step back. "And I wish you the best of luck. Because the last time a deputy tried to prove himself"- she snorted, as if recalling memories -"he ended up dead."