Tigerheart's Shadow/Chapter 7

==Chapter description==
:Tigerheart is on a hunting patrol with Grassheart, and the she-cat points out that the rain had driven the prey too far underground, but notices a mouse hole. Tigerheart thinks of Dovewing, and feels an ache in his heart. Juniperclaw pads up behind the deputy, and Strikestone and Snakepaw huddled together beneath a bramble bush. Juniperclaw suggest that frogs might be in some ditches, and Grassheart snorts that there would be fish in there by now, since the ditches had been flooded for days.
:Tigerheart points out that Tawnypelt lead a hunting patrol while Juniperclaw was marking the borders, and came back with a drowned vole and four slugs. Snakepaw shudders, and suggests looking around the beech patch near the SkyClan border, pointing out that the beechnuts might attract something tastier than slug. Tigerheart agrees to her plan, and the apprentice shyly looks down at her paws.
:Grassheart shakes the rain from her pelt, and the patrol heads towards a gap in the pines. When they arrive, Grassheart miserably kicks at an empty beechnut shell, remarking that the prey seems to have come and gone. Snakepaw notes that they didn't get everything, and taps an unopened beechnut. Tigerheart orders the patrol to wait around the beech patch. While the patrol waits, Tigerheart thinks of Dovewing, and wonders where she is. Pawsteps break him from his thoughts, and he feels his heart leap as he sees a rabbit, and notices Juniperclaw's eyes widen with excitement, and flicks his tail to order his nephew to wait. Suddenly, Plumwillow crashes across the border, and kills the rabbit.
:Juniperclaw angrily asks what she is doing, and Grassheart backs her Clanmate up, and tells the SkyClan warrior that it is their rabbit. Plumwillow blinks at them, and says that she caught it. Juniperclaw says that it was on their territory, and Plumwillow argues that she was chasing it from SkyClan territory, which makes it SkyClan prey. Tigerheart pads up to them, and sympathetically mews that prey belongs to the Clan where it was caught. Plumwillow, unconvinced, reminds Tigerheart of the rabbit Sandynose and Rabbitleap caught for him, which was caught on SkyClan land, but Tigerheart took it because it ran from ShadowClan territory. Juniperclaw snorts that if Sandynose and Rabbitleap want to give away prey, it's up to them, but they have a hungry Clan to feed. Plumwillow pulls the rabbit closer, and points out that she has a clan to feed too, and asks if ShadowClan's hunger is greater then SkyClan's. Tigerheart points out that no Clan's hunger is more important, and they have the warrior code to settle disputes like this. Plumwillow eyes the ShadowClan cats, and says that if they want her rabbit, they'll have to take it from her. 
:Juniperclaw asks if that was how SkyClan shows respect, since ShadowClan gave up some of their territory, and now they're stealing prey. Plumwillow argues that she wasn't stealing, and when they moved into their new home, SkyClan did them a favor, since they even said their Clan wasn't big enough to patrol a larger territory. She continues that with SkyClan patrolling, ShadowClan know the border is safe from rogues. Grassheart asks if SkyClan thinks they're protecting them, and Plumwillow points out that there are barely enough of them to make a Clan, and that SkyClan and ThunderClan were protecting them until they could recover. Tigerheart steps between Plumwillow and his Clanmates, and Juniperclaw glares at Tigerheart, demanding that they take the rabbit and leave. Tigerheart, however, says no, explaining that ShadowClan owes SkyClan for the rabbit Sandynose and Rabbitleap caught for them. Grassheart, outraged, asks about the warrior code, and Snakepaw reminds Tigerheart that the prey belongs to where it was caught. Tigerheart says he knows that, and thinks that now his mother and an apprentice had reminded him of the warrior code. Tigerheart explains that the rabbit came from SkyClan, and Plumwillow was barely over the border when she caught it. 
:Juniperclaw stares at his uncle in disbelief, and asks if he was serious, before quietly adding that they needed the prey. Tigerheart hisses that they are warriors, and that warriors are honorable and fair, and taking Plumwillow's prey wouldn't be fair, but remarks that in the future, the prey belongs to the land to where it was caught, and eyes Plumwillow, which she nods to. Snakepaw glances at Strikestone, and the warrior shrugs, remarking that Tigerheart is the deputy. Tigerheart agrees, and the patrol will do as he says, and they won't take the rabbit, and let the SkyClan she-cat go back to her territory. Plumwillow then picks up her rabbit, and heads towards the border. Juniperclaw lashes his tail, and asks if Tigerheart is crazy. The dark tabby tom ignores his nephew, and orders the patrol to get back to hunting. Juniperclaw shares an angry look with Grassheart, and Strikestone nudges Snakepaw back towards the undergrowth. Tigerheart thinks to himself that he made the right choice, but his mind drifts to Dovewing, and wonders if his worry for Dovewing is what made him kinder to Plumwillow.
:The patrol is back at camp, and Rowanstar stares at the fresh-kill the cats caught, and asks if that is it. Tigerheart reports that they were lucky to find it, adding that they would have found nothing if Snakepaw hadn't thought of stalking in the beech patch. Juniperclaw pushes past Tigerheart, and demands that Tigerheart tell Rowanstar about the rabbit he gave away. Rowanstar's gaze flickers to his son, and asks what happened. Tigerheart explains what had happened, and Rowanstar angrily says that if the rabbit had crossed the border, it was ShadowClan's prey. Tigerheart argues with the fact that Sandynose gave them a rabbit a quarter moon ago. Rowanstar says that if SkyClan wants to behave like soft-bellies, then let them, as well as that ShadowClan shouldn't have to starve just to be like SkyClan. Tigerheart thinks to himself that now Rowanstar was acting like a leader, over a piece of prey. 
:Tigerheart assures he did the right thing, but Rowanstar growls that it was their rabbit, and they would have to make SkyClan pay. Tigerheart says he gave it to them, but Rowanstar ignores him, and gathers up a few ShadowClan warriors, and marches out of camp. Tawnypelt comes to her son's side, and remarks that it is just like old times, and Tigerheart points out that it is wrong. Tawnypelt tells Tigerheart to go with his father, adding that Rowanstar wanted to teach him how to lead, since it will be Tigerheart's turn one day, which causes Tigerheart to feel dread in his belly. With Tawnypelt's coaxing, Tigerheart reluctantly follows his father.
:The patrol arrives at the SkyClan camp, and Leafstar appears with Plumwillow, Sandynose, and Sparrowpelt, and asks what was wrong. Rowanstar growls that SkyClan stole a rabbit of theirs. Juniperclaw snorts, and Stonewing raises his hackles. Leafstar, however, looks puzzled. Plumwillow then explains to her leader that she chased a rabbit over the border and killed it, but Tigerheart let her keep it. Rowanstar says that Tigerheart was wrong, and SkyClan should know better to not take prey killed on another Clan's land, and suggests that the Clan had forgotten the warrior code while in the gorge. Leafstar, irritated, remarks that they do, and she assumes Tigerheart does too, since he let Plumwillow take the rabbit. Rowanstar growls that his son was wrong, again. Leafstar says that even if he was, they can't give back what was already eaten. Juniperclaw glares at Leafstar, and asks if they already had. Leafstar asks the warrior if he thinks they are lying. Juniperclaw hisses that SkyClan should be taught some respect, and looks at his grandfather, hoping for the signal to attack. Rowanstar orders for battle stances, and Tigerheart yowls that they shouldn't be fighting over a rabbit. Leafstar cuts in, and offers that the next rabbit SkyClan catches will be given to ShadowClan. Tigerheart remarks that it sounds fair, and Rowanstar glares at his deputy. Snowbird grudgingly mews that having the next rabbit sounds reasonable, and Stonewing concedes that it shows respect. Rowanstar nods at Leafstar, adding that it sounds like a fair settlement. Leafstar meows that they will leave it at the border as soon as they catch it.
:The ShadowClan cats head back towards their border, Strikestone says that they do get a rabbit with no bloodshed. Juniperclaw grunts that he wishes they could have given the SkyClan cats a scratch or two. Snowbird and Grassheart shoot an angry glare at Rowanstar before following Juniperclaw and Strikestone, and Flowerpaw and Snakepaw follow after them. Tigerheart gazes at his father, and offers that he solved the problem. Rowanstar tells the deputy that he dared to undermine him, his voice ice cold. Tigerheart says that it would have been a bad choice to make enemies with SkyClan now, since they aren't strong enough to protect their own borders, and they need them to remain allies. Rowanstar gives his son a look of disgust, and follows his other Clanmates. Tigerheart follows, feeling sick. He thinks to himself that he had done what is right for his Clan, but knows he had crossed a line where his father would not easily forgive him. The tom feels hurt in disappointing his father, but is also worried since Rowanstar is being shortsighted, and wonders if this is what he abandoned Dovewing and their kits for.
==Characters==
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===Mentioned===
==Notes and references==
Category:Tigerheart's Shadow
Category:Chapter subpages
Category:Super Edition arc