Fire Stroken: Prologue

“…I will follow in my father’s paw steps… And join you. All the clans will bow down to me.” Brambleclaw narrowed his eyes, a glowing amber sheen in the moonlight. Hawkfrost snickered. “And the great leader Firestar can’t do anything about it!” The fiery ginger tom choked and strained his neck to catch a glimpse of his deputy. “…Brambleclaw…” He whispered, gasping for breath as the fox trap took over his senses.

He closed his eyes in defeat. “…I trusted you.” With one last shudder, Firestar was gone. Brambleclaw stared at his former ThunderClan leader with remorse, but shook himself and pushed the guilt away.

“Finally,” Hawkfrost muttered. “I thought he’d never die.” Brambleclaw glared at his half-brother, then opened his jaws as if he was going to make a retort, but was interrupted by a familiar voice calling his name.

“Brambleclaw! We heard you were in trouble and…” The voice belonged to Squirrelflight, who looked in terror at Firestar, then Hawkfrost. “You... you killed him!” Squirrelflight’s eyes swelled up with tears, her voice filled with anxiety.

Leafpool, who’d followed her sister to help her Father, looked at her clan leader with dread. But Ashfur, who had warned them with concern of Firestar’s condition, looked at the broken family. But he smirked, his amber eyes glittering with triumph. The two sisters were in mourning, too distracted to notice Ashfur quietly snickering.

Hawkfrost looked at them, them, rolling his eyes. “What a pathetic scene. Come on, Brambleclaw. Let’s leave these puny mice to suffer.” Brambleclaw glanced at his friends, then remembered his decision, and followed his brother toward ThunderClan territory.

Squirrelflight looked up, eyes filled with tears at her former mate. “Where are you going?” She choked. Brambleclaw glanced at her, then lifted his head high. “Go mourn for your former leader,” He hissed. “He won’t matter when I become the greatest one of them all.”

Leafpool made a frown. “So my dream was right,” She murmured. “He is a traitor.”