Frosttiger let out a yawn. Things have been hectic lately, Bramblestripe had gotten attacked along with Thunderheart by the badger that prowled about. Both weren't doing well, all their wounds reeked of infection and no mater what Rainpebble tried never worked.

He pushed out of the warriors den and saw Rainpebble carrying a pitiful bundle of goldenrod and horsetail, he bounded up to him, "Who's those for?" He asked, hoping he wasn't right. Rainpebble put down the bundle, "Thunderheart and Bramblestripe, who else?" He asked, ear twitching in annoyance at the stupid question. Frosttiger let out a sigh, "You're wasting those herbs Rainpebble." He mewed, causing his brother to bristle and open his mouth to yell.

"He's right." A new voice said, Frosttiger looked up to see Whispersong padded up, recently the she-cat had retired to the elders den, but she still helped out sometimes. "You cannot continue treating them anymore, your wasting valuable herbs, we rarely get goldenrod or horsetail, we need to save them."

Rainpebble sighed, "They'll die if I don't." He whimpered, tail trembling. Whispersong blinked then looked down, "Sometimes letting a cat to live is torture to them." She shuffled her paws, "Maybe it's time that you give them something to.. kill them." She looked away.

Rainpebble looked horrified, "What?"

Frosttiger stared at the medicine cat, a tremor of unease and horror making him move away from her, "Whispersong."

"She's right." Thunderheart, who had made his away outside, rasped, "Bramblestripes on his way to StarClan."

Frosttiger blinked then rushed inside with Rainpebble, "Bramblestripe?"

The tom was wheezing, his chest rising dramatically for breath. Infection reeked through the den, making Frosttiger wrinkle his nose but he padded in front of Bramblestripe. The tom looked up, a tired look in his blue eyes, "Tigerfangs waiting.." He wheezed, "Frosttiger... thank you.. thank you for carrying his name.." He weakly reached out his paw, resting it on the gray toms, "I hunt with StarClan now.." He gazed at Thunderheart, "Goodbye my friend.." he mewed quietly before he fell still, a clouded look in his dull blue eyes.

Thunderheart stared at him sadly, "Goodbye Bramblestripe, may you hunt well." He mewed.

"Thunderheart.." Rainpebble mewed slowly.

"Feed me one." Thunderheart told him, his eyes not leaving Bramblestripe.

Rainpebble let out a shaky sigh before he padded into his store, looking around for the deadly red berry and snatched it by the stem and dropped it at Thunderhearts paws.

The tom stared at it before eating it, almost instantly his head dropped and his paws kicked about before he fell still.

Rainpebble stared at his dead body before dragging his gaze to Frosttiger, tears running down his face, "Am I a murderer?"

Frosttiger blinked then shook his head, "He asked for death, your a good medicine cat."

Rainpebble stared at him before he closed his eyes and lifted a paw to rest on his head.

Whispersong blinked before she gave him feverfew, "It will help with your headache."

Rainpebble looked at her thankfully before eating the flower and leaves.

Frosttiger grabbed Bramblestripe and Thunderhearts bodies and brought them into the clearing where the camp was sitting.

Stormysky let out a wail of grief while Nightkit only stared in shock, Fernkit, Icefalls kit, looked away.

Lionclaw looked between the two dead warriors, then shook his head and padded away.

Graystar, who was watching, stood from where she was atop her den. "Two warriors are dead, but StormClan continues. Thunderheart and Bramblestripe were amazing warriors, but now they serve StarClan, may they find good hunting, swift running, and shelter when they sleep." she dipped her dead and sighed.

Fernkit looked up, "Why did they die?" She asked, Frosttiger gazed at her in sadness, "StarClan wanted them."

The kits didn't need to know about the badger, though he was sure they knew, he didn't want them to get mouse brained ideas. He had hoped that they were smart enough to understand that an animal strong enough to kill a full grown cat would easily rip them apart. Gruesome thought, he knew, but he had to understand that this badger wasn't the elders like how they were when he was a kit, this was a real one, a creature seemingly without conscience of guilt to murder them.

He let out a sigh, and turned padding away.

The following days were slow, an hard day of training and hunting, the Gathering wasn't anything special either, Heatherpaw was still an apprentice, probably due to her meetings late with Frosttiger. The two had been sneaking out at night, greatly lowering the progress of her training. Blueheart had yelled at Frosttiger, but the tom ignored her, crying in indignation 'You can't tell me what to do with my mate!'

Eagletalon was beginning to slow as well, gray speckled across his muzzle, Frosttiger realized, with a jolt of fear and concern, that the tom was older than most of the other deputies.

Now he watched Tangledpaw leap on a rook, a rare bird that usually never strayed from MarshClan territory. The tom quickly struck it down, his forth piece of prey.

He let out a purr, recently, the warriors didn't go to Highstones, as the journey was to far and with the badger hanging about was incredibly dangerous. He jumped out of the tree, "Good, you passed well. Let's go, you are ready." He beckoned his apprentice off, making the tom quickly grab his catches and follow.

He pushed his way through the bramble entrance and let out an yowl of alarm. A blur of black was flung past him, rolling to a stop and, with a jolt of fear, he saw Nightkit laying there, a scratch down his left eye.

He let out a snarl and turned, seeing Lionclaw with blood on his claws, glaring at the kit with bared teeth.

"How could you?" He hissed, tail lashing, "He's your kin!" Lionclaw snorted and turned, padding away.

"What happ- Nightkit!" Stormysky yowled, rushing to her kit, "Nightkit! Oh Nightkit!" She wailed. The Clan rushed around them, concern flooding there eyes, but a soft voice suddenly sound, "Move, get away from him."

Frosttiger turned, seeing his brother padding through the crowd, eyes narrow. He sniffed the wound and snatched the tom off and, with a flick of his tail, disappeared inside his den.

Frosttiger went to follow him, but a strong voice rang out throughout the clearing, "Trust your medicine cat, though, does anyone know what happened?"

Frosttiger opened his jaws but suddenly he saw a glint of green eyes and glanced, seeing Lionclaw glaring at him, he unsheathed a claw and waved it across his throat. Frosttiger gulped, suddenly his mouth felt dry, the words that he was going to say gone. Murmurs of confusion rang throughout the surrounding cats, "No one saw." Foxfur called, tail tip twitching, "Though that's a tad strange."

Frosttiger saw Graystar stare at him, as though expecting something, but with a blink of his eye she wasn't. Did I imagine it? He couldn't help that thought, but he quickly shook his head as Graystar beckoned the cats around her.

"Frosttiger, a Clan cannot survive without warriors so I must ask, is your apprentice Tanglepaw ready to become a warrior?" she asked, tail tip twitching. As Frosttiger began to speak, his apprentice rushed forward, "Wait!" He called, making his mentor freeze. "I don't want to be a warrior, I mean I do but I want to wait until Heatherpaw is named, she's my sister afterall."

Frosttiger felt a flash of surprise, then pride. "Tangledpaw, you speak like a true warrior, you do not need permission to do as you wish for you already have a warriors spirit." Tangledpaw nodded in thanks, but then turned his gaze to Graystar, who was nodding. "If that is your wish, then so be it."

Heatherpaw rushed forward, touching noses with her adoptive brother, "Oh Tangledpaw, you didn't have to, it's not like I would of been alone." She purred. Tangledpaw chuckled, "I wanted to, I like sharing a den with you so hurry up and finish your training!"

Mews of amusement and Frosttiger saw a couple at cats, Chestnutflight in particular throw teasing glances at him, then smiled slightly when he heard Bluehearts annoyed mew, "Yes. Please hurry up."

Frosttiger suddenly glanced at the medicine den, paws already moving on their own and looked at Rainpebble who was licking a sleeping Nightkit. "Is he okay?" He asked, fear rising in his pelt. Rainpebble nodded, chewing on some feverfew leaves. "He says he can open it just fine, I put some dock and celandine on it, that should take care of it, I gave him a poppy seed so he'll sleep."

Relief made Frosttigers pelt light, then be blinked, "Do you have headahces allot?" He suddenly asked. Rainpebble glanced at him, "What gave it away?" He mewed sarcastically, causing gray tom to roll his eyes, "Maybe your addiction to feverfew?" He chuckled as Rainpebble flung a juniper berry at him then picked it up, along with a few daisy leaves, "Ivytail swears to StarClan she can hear Scarpelts hips creaking." He told him, voice muffled, "And Reggys breathing is ragged."

Nodding, Frosttiger glanced at some horsetail and goldenrod, "Where did you get all that?"

Rainpebble glanced at it then beckoned the tom, leading him into the elders den after Frosttiger snatched a blackbird from the fresh kill pile. "Cloudwing and Nettlebush gave me a huge bundle." He was saying, shoving two juniper berries towards Reggy and pushing the daisy to Scarpelt. "All of you need to get out and walk around, the badger hasn't been sighted in long while, why not do it now?"

Scarpelt looked up, eyes shining, "Yeah.. yeah! We'll do that." He mewed enthusiastically, jumping to his paws. Whispersong, who was laying in her nest, rolled her eyes, "Calm down Scarpelt." She chuckled, standing to her paws.

Frosttiger smiled and watched as the elders followed Scarpelt, who was talking about the first time he took down a badger.

"Flamepaw! Sparkpaw! Brokenpaw!" Rainpebble called, making the cats look up from the mice that they were eating, "Yeah?" Sparkpaw asked, approaching him.

"The elders are gone so refresh their bedding." He flung a large wad of moss at the three and padded off, disappearing inside his den. Flamepaw let out a groan, while Brokenpaw sighed, Sparkpaw glanced at his father who shook his head. "I'm a warrior, I don't have to refresh anyone's bedding but my own." he laughed, running off.

He glanced around his clan, letting out a hum of satisfaction when he saw a patrol leaving.

He turned, making himself busy in the Nursery.

It was a while later that the stench of blood made it's way into the clearing, making the tom, who was eating a vole, look up and freeze. Scarpelt was getting carried by Ivytail and Reggy, both looking distressed, "The badger attacked us near Sunningrock." Whispersong rasped, "He protected us, but the badger overpowered him." She dipped her head.

Iceheart stared at his limp body before shaking in rage, "We need to take care of that thing!" He spat, whipping around to face Graystar.

Graystar let out a sigh, "And we will, Lionclaw, Dogclaw, and Thornstrike go scout the area, "Chestnutflight, Adderstrike, Crookedheart, follow them through the trees and ambush the badger if they find it." She ordered, "No more death." She vowed, tail lashing.

The cats ran out, all holding fire in their glimmering eyes. Frosttiger watched, then padded to Scarpelt and let out a shaky sigh, "Farewell grandfather, may you find good hunting, swift running, and shelter when you sleep." He pushed his nose close into the elders fur before padding away.

"I would give all the mousetails so get my paws on that vile creature." He heard Iceheart snarl softly, tears running down his face. Deciding to leave his father to his own devices, he turned and pushed through the Nursery, where Stormysky was watching Nightkit, Brackenkit, and Sablekit playing. Sablekit was smaller than the two toms and didn't seem to like wrestling around roughly with her denmates. He let out a purr, remembering that Rainpebble was the same way when he was a kit.

"Oh!" Foxfur exclaimed, hearing his loud purring, "Frosttiger I didn't see you come in." She licked her fur to hide her embarrassment, earning a amusement snort from Stormysky, "The tom smells worst than a fox, how did you not know he came in?" She tantalized him teasingly, smiling up at the tom.

Ignoring the remarks, he sat down, "How's Nightkit doing? I wasn't aware he was allowed out of the medicine cat den." He meowed, tilting his head at the rough housing tom. "Rainpebble said that he was healing well, the wound wasn't all that deep so it healed quickly but Nightkit has been complaining about his vision being slightly blurry."

"Has he gone blind?" Frosttiger felt a flash of alarm, only for it to be soothed by Stormyskys next words, "No, it's because of the herbs and a slight infection that Rainpebble claims that he can fight off with sweet-sedge and oak leaves." she reassured him, "but he will be apprentice at least a moon late, when Brackenkit and Sablekit are apprenticed."

Brackenkit and Sablekit were born a moon after Nightkit and were Foxfurs two kits. Brackenkit was gray with mottled red streaks, and Sablekit was ginger with white spots on her muzzle. He also spotted Icefalls kit, Fernkit, watching from the shadows but never participating.

He nodded, "Not as bad as what it could of been." He mewed, relief making his heart swell. He was angry though, Lionclaw purposely attacked Nightkit for whatever reason. He was determined to find out.

"Hey Nightkit," He said casually, "come with me." He beckoned the tom away, leading him into an ignored and empty corner of camp, behind the medicine cats den.

"You want to know what happened, don't you?" Nightkit asked, looking at his father with clear blue eyes. He let out a sigh, "Why did he hurt you?" He was desperate for an answer. "I stepped on his tail." He deadpanned, looking at his paws. That answer made Frosttiger freeze, a lightning bolt of rage flashed through him, "What?" He whispered, not wanting to believe the answer. "I stepped on his tail when he was asleep in the sun, I guess he was having a nightmare or something and he lashed out his claws."

Or training in the Dark Forest. Frosttiger thought bitterly, he hated that place, it wasn't any good, sure the techniques where great but.. the way they spoke, the way they acted, as though they never were Clan cats. As if they've never heard of the warrior code. They fought, and if they fought they fought only to the death. 'A dead enemy is a defeated enemy.' Darksoul once told him, his eye glinting.

"I'll tell-"

"Please don't!" Nightkit cried, rushing in front of him as he turned, "I don't think he meant it!" His blue eyes shone desperately, in a way that Frosttiger knew he couldn't refuse. He heaved out a sigh, "Fine, but if he puts one more claw on you," He growled, rage searing through his pelt, "I will personally rip him into crowfood." Nightkit smiled, and touched noses with the tom before turning and running over to Fernkit, who was playing with a mossball.

He let out a soft sigh, looking around. There was a great evil coming, he could feel it, and he never felt so compelled to stop it.