Thistleclaw strode through the crowd with a Whitestorm, a large light grey tom who looked menacing and scary, and a small apprentice-sized black tom. Bluestar gulped. The strangers' claws were long and sharp and when Bluestar got a better look she realised with a pang of dread that the cats' paws were fixed with dogs teeth and claws.

She squinted. The small black tom looked familiar. His icy blue eyes and the colour of his collar... she felt she had seen him before.

Thistleclaw leapt up onto the great rock with ease. He smiled charmingly at Bluestar as Whitestorm and the two other cats leapt up onto the rock. Bluestar heard the murmuring of cats down in the crowd, some suspicious and some anxious.

"Bluestar, Brokenstar, Tallstar and... Redtail," Thistleclaw meowed, eyes narrowing at the last name.

Redstar growled at Thistleclaw. "Actually, I'm Redstar now."

Thistleclaw rolled his eyes. "Good for you," he grunted with a lash of his tail.

"Who is this?" Tallstar asked with a confused look at the black tom. "Is he a healer, or...?"

Thistleclaw snorted. "Oh, we don't need a healer!" He snorted. "We have Spottedleaf. This is Bone and Scourge. Scourge is BloodClan's leader."

Redstar took a step back. "BloodClan...?"

"A group of cats that live in the alleys of twolegplace. I have told them that once you join me, we can all share the forest together."

"What a charming thought," Tallstar muttered.

Bluestar didn't reply. He looked at the black tom who was glaring at Thistleclaw. "I can speak for myself," he hissed, his voice icy cold.

Then he met Bluestar's eyes and a surprised look crossed his face. Bluestar suddenly realised what was so familiar about the black tom.

"You were the kittypet," she murmured in surprise.

Scourge sunk his claws deep into the rock. He gave Bluestar a curt nod and looked at Brokenstar. "I was told one of you would be joining us...?"

Brokenstar stepped forward with a smile. "ShadowClan will be allying with Thistleclaw and BloodClan."

Gasps came from the audience of cats. ShadowClan cats looked terrified, furious and even triumphant. Yellowfang stared at Brokenstar with indescribable emotion. She looked terrified and yet looked like she had given up.

"Now," Thistleclaw snarled, tail lashing. "Redstar, Tallstar and Bluestar. This is your last chance. Join us in TigerClan or you will pay."

Bluestar's eyes narrowed. She opened her jaws to react to Thistleclaw's question- or was it a statement? Either way, she wasn't feeling positive about what the grey tom said, she was sure of that.

But she wasn't able to reply for a few moments, as she faintly felt a cat wind itself around her. She could feel the negative energy radiating off of the stranger in overwhelming waves. She didn't manage to answer, just glowering at the ex-leader until he got what she was saying. The strange presence had made it feel like something was lodged in her throat, making her unable to speak.

Thistleclaw snarled at her, then turned to Redstar and Tallstar. "And you two?"

Redstar's eyes narrowed and Tallstar gave Thistleclaw a wry smile.

"No, we won't," Redstar meowed firmly, gaze giving away nothing.

Tallstar let out a huff of amusement. "Do you really think we'd agree after we said we would never join you?"

Thistleclaw looked absolutely furious. "At least one of you is smart," he growled.

The black tom stepped forward. "I am Scourge," he meowed. "Thistleclaw is right. My cats and I can slice you open from your neck to your tail if we please."

Bluestar felt sick. "What?" She managed to splutter, shock causing her body to freeze.

Thistleclaw smiled sadistically. "You heard him. If you don't join us, Scourge and BloodClan will slaughter all three of you as many times as it takes."

The presence around her began to take form, and Bluestar felt even sicker as she realised who it was. The cat pulled away, a grin lighting up its - or her - face. Her amber eyes sparkled and her tail lashed.

"You're finally getting what you deserve," the she-cat rasped. "I'm so excited."

Bluestar nearly scowled but didn't want to seem insane. Mapleshade, she thought furiously. Why are you here?

Mapleshade grinned. "To see you die," she replied.

Great, Bluestar thought awkwardly, ignoring the she-cat by staring through her. Now she can read my mind.

Thistleclaw was staring at her in rage. "This is your last chance," he snarled. "Will you join us, or die?"

Bluestar responded immediately. "I'd rather die," she snarled, hearing a quiet chortle from Mapleshade who was now sitting next to her.

She turned her head away from the dead spirit to see Redstar and Tallstar nodding along approvingly. "Bluestar's right," Redstar meowed calmly.

Thistleclaw looked so fuming that he could explode any moment. "Of course," he meowed, his desperate attempt to keep his tone level and intact failing as his voice cracked. "Well then. I guess Scourge here will have to kill you."

Bone looked at Thistleclaw blankly. "We don't take orders from anyone but Scourge," he growled.

Thistleclaw rolled his eyes. "Fine then. Whenever Scourge is ready," he spat sarcastically.

Scourge narrowed his eyes. He murmured something in Bone's ear. Bluestar could only make out a few words. Kill her? She thought with a sinking feeling in her stomach. Does he mean me in particular?

Bone nodded, staring at her and confirming her anxieties. Scourge wants to kill me.

She turned to Mapleshade but the she-cat was gone, sitting at the front of the crowd with an amused expression on her face. Bluestar turned back to Bone and returned his gaze, tail tip twitching.

Redstar yawned. "Well, if you're going to attack and kill all of us, get it over with. Otherwise I'll be taking ThunderClan back home."

Thistleclaw snarled. "Oh no you won't-"

Scourge silenced Thistleclaw with a glare, turning back with the faintest triumphant and amused tint in his eye. He got to his paws and Bluestar stared disbelievingly. This tom was the size of Thistleclaw when the black tom stood and the grey warrior sat and yet he had the power to start a war and kill cats.

Scourge stared ahead distantly, a small smile on his face. "BloodClan," he meowed icily, staring at the crowd of BloodClan cats near the edges of the gathering hollow.

"Attack."