Thistleclaw let out a snarl as Silverhawk dodged his attack. His paws landed neatly onto the damp ground and he shot around at once, his eyes blazing with fury. I have to prove myself worthy to my Clan!

"You fight like a kittypet," Silverhawk sneered. "Do you really call yourself a warrior?" There was no way Thistleclaw was going to let the Dark Forest warrior think a kittypet was a better fighter than him! Sliding his claws out, he bared his lip into a snarl; his thorn-sharp claws dug into the ground easily.

"You can stop fighting now, the both of you," Mapleshade's voice echoed through the air like the cats were in a cave. "Thistleclaw, you have the power to do better than that. Next time, I expect the both of you to sharpen up your skills. Silverhawk, you've improved slightly."

Silverhawk's dull eyes brightened up at Mapleshade's words. He then dipped his head in respect to the tortoiseshell. "I can assure you I'll be better next time," he promised.

"I still want to fight," Thistleclaw protested. "I want to be the strongest warrior in my Clan - more stronger than Tigerclaw. Bluestar needs to die for killing Snowfur."

"You do not protest against my orders; you obey them." Mapleshade began walking over to the evenly mottled tom. Thistleclaw's nose wrinkled in disgust at the foul stench of her breath. She unsheathed her claws, showing them to Thistleclaw. "Do you want to die or do you want to prove to ThunderClan that you're the most powerful cat in the forest?"

I have to try and get away from here for good, Thistleclaw thought with a sudden change of heart. This isn't me at all. Why did I let myself get dragged into this? Another voice, much like his own, replied to his thoughts. You're a warrior, not a kittypet! You belong to the Dark Forest more than StarClan or ThunderClan. Remember that, mouse-brain.

"Now," Mapleshade began, forgetting about Thistleclaw's protest, "we need Bluestar to die. Thistleclaw, you'd be better in power than that rotting crowfood. You must kill her - rip out her remaining three lives."

"She lost five of her lives already?" Thistleclaw blinked, surprised. Bluestar had said she had only lost four of her nine lives. Mapleshade nodded.

"But first you must make yourself worthy of being the next deputy," she replied. "You have to earn Redtail's trust and respect so he will become Redstar and then choose you as his faithful deputy." Thistleclaw frowned.

"But then I'd have to rip out eight lives without the Clan knowing or being suspicious."

"If you can kill Bluestar, you would be able to kill Redtail. Actually - kill Redtail and make it look like an accident. Then ThunderClan will have no deputy or leader," Mapleshade meowed.

"StarClan would never choose me as for their little omen," Thistleclaw answered. "They wouldn't choose a fox-hearted warrior as a leader, now would they?"

"Leave that for us to worry about," Mapleshade responded. "It's our duty to shape your destiny if StarClan is too blind to do so. Remember the plan, Thistleclaw. You owe it to us for the training we offered you."

Thistleclaw nodded. "I won't let you down." With that, Thistleclaw found himself fading from the dark, misty forest. Mapleshade's echoing voice whispered through the fading forest like cold air.

Thistleclaw woke up to find himself back in the warriors' den in ThunderClan. It was already Sunhigh and he was the only warrior left in the den. Mouse-dung! he thought. I'm late. He shot onto his paws immediately and raced out of the den.

"You took your time." Thistleclaw turned to see Tigerclaw, his former apprentice, looming over him with his usual blank face. "Seeing. . . them again, eh?"

"How - yes," Thistleclaw replied. "Where is Bluestar currently?" Tigerclaw blinked, silent for several heartbeats.

"Bluestar," he echoed the name in disgust. "She's in her den mourning for Thrushpelt." Thrushpelt had died a sunrise ago. The shortage of prey killed off most of ThunderClan's good warriors, making the camp emptier than usual.

"Right." Thistleclaw began trotting over to a lichen entrance by the Highrock where Bluestar's den was hidden. He paused at the entrance, taking a deep breath. "Bluestar?" he then called in.

There was a silence before he heard Bluestar's voice. "Come in." With his leader's invitation, Thistleclaw pushed past the dangling lichen and saw the blue-grey pelt of Bluestar sitting on a moss bedding, her blue eyes staring at him. "What is it, Thistleclaw?"

Thistleclaw could sense Bluestar's unease. Their past was not good and resulted in an everlasting rivalry. She's always been frightened of me for what I could do to her. She must think. . . "Something bothering you?"

Thistleclaw was snapped out of his thoughts. "N-no," he replied. Bluestar was still waiting patiently. Kill her now while you have the chance! he heard Mapleshade's voice command. Are you a kittypet or a warrior?

Thistleclaw hesitated to reply to Bluestar. If he remained silent for longer, he'd be making her more impatient and would end up wasting her time. He found it hard to keep his claws sheathed as the darker part of him wanted to do what Mapleshade expected from him.

"Are there any patrols I could join?" he then asked. What are you doing?! Mapleshade's voice, now angry, questioned. You're supposed to be killing her cold-heartedly instead of asking to go out on stupid patrols!

Bluestar blinked as if she had expected something different. "Yes, of course," she then replied. "I want you to go on Redtail's patrol. You better hurry before he takes off." Thistleclaw nodded and then walked out of the den.

He saw Redtail talking to Lionheart, Darkstripe and Longpaw being by them. "Redtail!" he called to the deputy. Redtail's ear perked and then his head lifted as Thistleclaw swiftly padded over to the patrol.

"What is it?" Redtail questioned. "I was just about to go off to RiverClan's border." RiverClan. They had been stirring up trouble as usual, claiming Sunningrocks as their own.

"Bluestar told me to join your patrol," Thistleclaw answered. Darkstripe's eyes brightened up all of a sudden. Redtail sighed and then nodded.

"Very well." Not many cats were happy to have Thistleclaw on their patrol as he was known to stir up unnecessary battles with any patrol. Thistleclaw all of a sudden thought of Snowfur, feeling his heart ache with pain as he began to realise he still missed the beautiful white she-cat.

I should have been there for you, he thought sadly. Maybe you'd still be alive right now. . . Redtail beckoned his patrol to follow him as he began to leave the camp. Thistleclaw immediately followed the red-tailed deputy.

He felt like he could grieve for Snowfur again but for the rest of his whole life, hoping she'd be alive again so he wouldn't have to go through more pain. His own son, Whitestorm, wasn't that fond of him for his reputation but still tried to appreciate everything he did.

Every cat in the Clan hates me, Thistleclaw realised. And it's all my fault. No wonder Sunstar replaced me with Bluestar. He remembered being brought into the Dark Forest by Shredtail because of how much agony he was in.

"Keep up, Thistleclaw!" Thistleclaw realised he was trailing behind the patrol. He quickened up his pace, reaching the patrol again. The patrol went through a bush and Thistleclaw instantly became mad.

RiverClan warriors were lying on the rocks, the sun beating down on them. RiverClan knew well enough that Sunnringrocks belonged to ThunderClan! Oakheart, the RiverClan deputy, was stretched out on the stone. He makes it look like he's in his own territory.

"Don't think about doing anything, Thistleclaw," Redtail told the mottled warrior as he knew what Thistleclaw was going to do. "Let me take this matter into my paws. Oakheart!"

Oakheart's body moved and then he got onto his paws. His gaze met the ThunderClan patrol. His warriors began to line up by the crest of the rock. "Redtail," the deputy began, "do you not remember Bluestar saying Sunningrocks belongs to RiverClan?"

"That was for a half moon," Redtail replied. "It's been a full moon since Bluestar said that. Sunningrocks is now ThunderClan's and you know it."

"Crookedstar hasn't made Sunningrocks out of bounds," Oakheart replied. "Sunningrocks still belongs to RiverClan."

"Yeah," Stonefur, one of RiverClan's newest warriors, agreed with his deputy. "Back off because you're trespassing on RiverClan's territory. Has Bluestar not taught ThunderClan to respect Clan boundaries?"

"Over my dead body!" Thistleclaw answered.

"Thistleclaw, no!" Redtail yowled. Thistleclaw had already sprung, plunging into the clearing with unsheathed claws. Oakheart's pelt bristled as his claws became unsheathed. The RiverClan warriors had separated from the line to get out of the way.

Darkstripe was going to leap to Thistleclaw's assistance but Redtail's tail blocked him. "Let Thistleclaw realise he's making a big mistake he'll regret."

"Do you think you can take on my warriors?" Oakheart questioned. Thistleclaw was getting ready to spring at the deputy but he felt a body ram into his side, throwing him off of his paws.

Letting out a hiss of rage, he immediately got onto his paws, lashing his tail as he glared at the patrol. The RiverClan cats were beginning to form a circle around him. He hurled himself forward but only felt claws tear at his belly.

He could feel his blood running from him like prey and he crashed onto the ground, feeling nothing but pain he couldn't imagine. Redtail had darted forward and cleared off the patrol. He could hear voices but couldn't recognise what they were saying.

Before the ThunderClan warriors could even get to him, his eyes began to close. As his spirit escaped his body, he found himself in a star-covered clearing. At once happiness took over him as he saw a white as snow star-lined pelt.

"Snowfur!"

"It's been a while," Snowfur purred. Thistleclaw was glad to see the white she-cat after many moons. Suddenly, Thistleclaw felt claws grip at his pelt. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Mapleshade and a few other Dark Forest warriors he couldn't recognise.

"You belong to us," Mapleshade growled. "You're a Dark Forest warrior through and through."

"Let him go!" Snowfur yowled as Thistleclaw tried escaping the dark cats' grip as he felt himself being dragged into darkness. Snowfur began to fight against the warriors of the Dark Forest. Thistleclaw didn't want to lose her again.

At once Thistleclaw was yanked forward and the darkness behind him had vanished, along with Mapleshade and her warriors. Panting, Thistleclaw was glad they had disappeared. "You belong to StarClan," Snowfur told him. "You're welcomed here more than you ever were in ThunderClan."

Why would StarClan want me in their grounds? Thistleclaw wondered. I'm sure they would have sent me to the Dark Forest. But maybe it is my fate to be a StarClan warrior rather than living among coldness and darkness. I am a loyal warrior, and I want nothing to do with the Place of No Stars. This is my home, not the Dark Forest.