“Tonight, my TigerClan warriors, is the night we take RiverClan’s and WindClan’s territory!” Tigerstar yowled as he stood on the Highrock. Every bone he had longed for this moment. Though it would be a battle that brought death Tigerstar didn’t care about any other individual but himself. He just wanted power over the whole forest badly. Thistleclaw longs for this moment. Now he can be proud of me for completing our long dream.

It had been a while since the last Gathering took place and Tigerstar found he couldn’t wait any longer to rule all four Clans of the forest. Tonight will be the beginning of the bloodshed. I’m getting closer to accomplishing my dream.

Some cats below him looked willing to rush into battle while others remained silent. Scourge, who was lying on the rock next to Tigerstar, looked excited while his cold ice-blue eyes showed hunger for blood spill.  Some of the apprentices looked nervous. Though queens and elders were not meant for battles, Tigerstar had decided to throw them into it to have a bigger number.

“I want the former ShadowClan cats to charge into WindClan while the rest of us will head to RiverClan,” Tigerstar went on. “I want the WindClan attackers to be drawn to the gorge where all Clans will fight. We will leave now.” He leaped from the Highrock and Longtail walked up to him.

“Are you sure we’re ready for battle?” Longtail asked with concern. “We never even got to practise our fighting strategies. You’ve basically just thrown this unexpectedly at us.”

“I am the ruler and battles will happen when I say so,” Tigerstar snapped. “Do you want to join the elder’s den and be replaced by some other cat as deputy?”

“No, of course not,” Longtail replied. “I like serving as your deputy and I respect your orders. I just think it’s a bit unfair how you threw the battle onto the Clan without them having training.”

“Their life just isn’t that fair,” Tigerstar answered. “But after the battle TigerClan will be the strongest and only Clan in the forest. I’ll wipe WindClan and RiverClan with my own paws if I have to.”

“Wouldn’t the camp be a bit too crowded?” Longtail questioned. “It’s as crowded as it is with the former ShadowClan cats. There will be no room with WindClan and RiverClan in our camp.”

“That’s the whole point of taking over the whole forest. There will be more room for a whole Clan,” Tigerstar pointed out. “There’s no need to be fretting about the battle that will give us more power. You’ll be the deputy of the whole forest, Longtail.”

“I know,” Longtail sighed. “I should be happier about the upcoming battle instead of worrying like a kit.”

“Exactly,” Tigerstar agreed. “Now just remain quiet until the battle officially starts.”

“Tigerstar?” Tigerstar looked down to see Runningnose at his side, staring up at him. “It might be too risky to be throwing elders and queens into battle. Elders are weak and queens will not be able to --”

“Just shut up,” Tigerstar snarled down to the small medicine cat. How many cats are going to complain about my choices? They should approve of them as I am their leader! the tabby thought with annoyance. “Queens and elders can fight. It’s not as if they’ve lost their fighting spirit.”

Runningnose gave a nod and began to fall behind Tigerstar. It didn’t take long until the cats reached RiverClan’s territory. As it was around moonhigh the Clan would have been sleeping peacefully. Tigerstar overlooked the camp, unsheathing his claws and gripping them into the ground.

His gaze scanning the cats around him, he spotted Ravenflight looking nervous with shaking legs. His eyes were full of worry and anxiety and Tigerstar felt disgusted by it. A warrior is never nervous of battles. Serves the puny right if he dies in battle for being a coward, he thought.

Ravenflight had always been so nervous and frightened of everything. He was made Tigerstar’s apprentice in hopes of getting away from his anxiety but he only grew worse after witnessing Redtail’s death.

His gaze setting back to the RiverClan camp, he took a deep breath before yowling to his Clan, “TigerClan, attack!” At his order cats immediately ran past him and down to the camp, claws glinting in the night.

RiverClan cats began to emerge from the dens, looking alarmed before TigerClan clashed with them into battle. Tigerstar noticed Crookedstar looking shocked before he unsheathed his claws.

Brokenstar, who was guided by One-eye and Smallear, was standing around. It was almost impossible for him to fight due to being blind, and he was left venerable against his foes. But Tigerstar didn’t care about the tyrant not being able to fight. He had better things to be thinking about like winning the battle.

He began to walk down into the clearing of hissing and screeching cats, fur and blood flying onto the ground. Tigerstar slid past Nightwhisper, who had a hissing Blackclaw pinned onto the ground.

He could see Crookedstar fighting with Dustpelt, who seemed to be taunting him. The RiverClan leader looked much weaker and weary up close than from a distance. Dustpelt lashed out his claws but Crookedstar moved out of the way, making the TigerClan warrior miss.

Tigerstar gave a mightly leap and crashed himself into the pale tabby, making them roll as their pelts collided. He had a wriggling Crookedstar pinned under his paws, hissing. “You’re pretty weak for a leader,” Tigerstar told the RiverClan tom. “You won’t be leader for long when I’m done with RiverClan.”

“You’ll never take away RiverClan’s freedom,” Crookedstar growled back. “Deep down we’ll still have the pride we have.”

“Dustpelt, go deal with some other warrior,” Tigerstar told the young warrior. Dustpelt gave a nod and began to go away. Crookedstar kicked his paws into Tigerstar’s belly, making the dark tabby feel pain hitting him. You’ll pay for that.

As Tigerstar opened his jaws to snap at Crookedstar’s neck, the pale tabby leader lashed his claws at him, making them slice open the scar on the bridge of his nose. As blood fell into his eyes, making it hard to see and land attacks, Tigerstar felt himself being thrown onto the ground.

Letting out a spit in rage, Tigerstar rose to his paws and shook dust from his pelt. Crookedstar tried lashing out at his tail but the dark tabby only hid his tail from the claws. As he was going to turn to fight the RiverClan leader, he let out a yowl of surprise to be knocked onto the ground.

He’s stronger than I thought, the TigerClan leader thought to himself. Those moves. . . they’re like the ones Thistleclaw taught me from Silverhawk in the Place of No Stars. Is it possible Crookedstar had been there? He saw Crookedstar leaping for him and rolled to the side, making the RiverClan tom hit the ground.

“You’ll have to do better than that, Crookedjaw,” Tigerstar meowed to the RiverClan leader. “I’m not going down as easily as you think I will.” Crookedstar looked angered at being called ‘Crookedjaw’.

Being taken by surprise at a cat slamming themself into him, Tigerstar noticed Stonefur had him pinned. Although Stonefur was proven to be a RiverClan warrior at heart, Tigerstar knew that his true heritage was in TigerClan. He had overheard Fireheart tell Mistyfoot that Bluestar was really their mother and Oakheart was their father.

“Do you really believe that knocking me to the ground will defeat me?” Tigerstar questioned. Stonefur did not reply. Instead the warrior snapped his claws for Tigerstar’s neck, catching on a bit of fur and pulling it.

Tigerstar let out a growl and bit into Stonefur’s exposed neck. The RiverClan warrior let out a screech full of pain as he drew his head back. Tigerstar then batted his paws with full force into the tom’s belly, making him loosen his grip.

Then Tigerstar pushed explosively up, pushing Stonefur off of him as he got onto his paws once again. Crookedstar had gone off to fight another cat while Stonefur was left to deal with Tigerstar.

“You’re going down,” Tigerstar told the grey warrior. “You’ll regret getting between Crookedstar’s and I’s fight.”

“Your Clan doesn’t seem to be that prepared for this battle,” Stonefur meowed as he stared at the fighting cats around him. “It’s as if you didn’t even plan anything for them to fight against RiverClan.”

“But we all know TigerClan will win in the end,” Tigerstar replied. “Then RiverClan and WindClan will just be a bunch of mice under my paws.” Stonefur lashed his claws at Tigerstar but the TigerClan leader only moved his head out of the way.

Tigerstar went around Stonefur and opened his jaws, sinking his sharp teeth into Stonefur’s hind leg. Stonefur let out a yowl and pain shot through Tigerstar as teeth bit down onto his tabby-striped tail.

***

Fireheart and Greystripe peered through bushes at the sound of screeching and hissings. They saw former Shadowclan cats fighting against WindClan. Claws glinted in the night as cats fought against each other in the clearing.

Alarm went through Fireheart like a bolt of pain, realising Tigerstar must have issued a battle. He looked at Greystripe who looked alarmed himself.

“I think Tigerstar has called upon a battle,” Fireheart told his friend. “We better go and report this to Sandstorm and the others.” Greystripe gave a nod.

“We should help them fend TigerClan off,” he suggested. “We cannot let Tigerstar have every cat in the forest squirming like prey under his claws.” At once the two loners began to get away from the clearing to make their way back to Barley’s farm.