"Sweet, innocent Jayfeather," Ashfur cooed, nearing him.

Squirrelflight's tail, curled around Jayfeather, bristled angrily.

"Touch one hair on his head...-" she began.

"-and what? Don't tell me your going to rip off my face," he paused dramatically, mocking a painful glare at Squirrelflight.

He continued on.

"I know about your powers, Jayfeather," he growled as Jayfeather shut his eyes tight, as if to block out some noise.

Ashfur paused carefully, planning out his next words.

"You are blind, but you see things others cannot."

Jayfeather tightened into a ball, tears streaming silently down his face as the fire roared on.

He seemed to be whispering to himself.

"Can't... Control..." he choked, sobbing and shaking involuntarily.

"Don't... want to see..."

Squirrelflight tried her best to calm him, confused herself, but Jayfeather seemed completely oblivious to anything but his own mind.

Jayfeather was still choking, voice cackling like the fire that was pursuing them.

Ashfur lashed out without warning, nicking Jayfeather's left ear before darting away as Squirrelflight drew a threatening paw over where his head used to be.

"That's right, Jayfeather..." Ashfur hissed.

Jayfeather felt like he wanted to world to end, his life to end.

He couldn't control his mind, couldn't shut it down.

It was torture, swirls of grey, orange and brown tabby fur burning into his mind.

Ashfur drew his tongue over his jaws, as if he was tasting a particularly plump piece of prey.

Squirrelflight had some small idea of what was going on.

Somehow, just somehow, Ashfur was torturing Jayfeather using his mind.

"Stop it!" She screamed, finding her voice.

Ashfur stared at Squirrelflight.

"Can't you see it's hurting him? Stop it! He's been through enough!"

Large grey clouds had begun to form over the past few minutes, and in this moment, a raindrop fell delicately on Ashfur's shoulders.

He knew their clanmates would find them soon.

"I need him to feel how I felt."

Jayfeather let out a scream, like a mewling kit on the day of its birth.

Ashfur shoved his muzzle until he and Squirrelflight were breathing the same air.

There was a crack of lightning, and a small drizzle that was gradually lengthening in heaviness.

"I want you to be my mate, Squirrelflight..." he growled softly.

Squirrelflight pushed his muzzle away.
"Never."

Ashfur showed his unsheathed paw, covered in dried blood, and motioned his head toward Jayfeather.

"You don't want him to go too," Ashfur murmured.

"Or Brambleclaw."

Squirrelflight looked at Ashfur in disgust.

"You said your quarrel is with me, not him!"

Ashfur simply shrugged.

Squirrelflight lowered her head in defeat.

"I guess I have no choice."

Ashfur purred, tuning his tail with hers, fur immediately flattening.

"Great!" But he lowered his voice.

"Tell anyone what happened, and there are serious consequences."

Squirrelflight licked his cheek half-heartedly, and Ashfur's heart was thumping faster than ever before.

"As long as you don't hurt them..." she whispered, referring to Jayfeather and Brambleclaw.

"As long as you love me..." Ashfur replied drowsily.

The rain thundered on, clearing the fire, and clanmates started flooding towards them.

Squirrelflight greeted them, sharing tears with the others for their clanmates who had supposedly died in the fire.

Brambleclaw was among the others, and rushed forward to lick the top of Jayfeather's head and moved to do the same to Squirrelflight.

Squirrelflight had genuine pain in her eyes.

But she knew it was the only way to keep them alive.

"Brambleclaw..." she meowed.

Brambleclaw leaned in to her to hear what she had to say, before twisting, snarling and spitting harsh words at her.

Ashfur moved closer to Squirrelflight, whispering one more thing in her ear.

"Sorry it had to be this way."

It was the least he could do to offer comfort to his new mate.

Poor old Brambleclaw.