Through the silent, misty forest, a broad-shouldered dark tabby tomcat padded up to a boulder. His ice-blue eyes shone with admiration as he gazed up at the boulder, where another dark tabby tom was perched. The cat on the boulder bore a strong resemblance to the first tom, only with broader shoulders and glittering amber eyes.

"Hawkfrost," growled the cat on the boulder, peering down at his son.

"Tigerstar," Hawkfrost replied, equally gruff.

The pair stood in silence for a few moments.

"Well" asked Tigerstar, whipping his tail back and forth "What have you got to say for yourself?"

"A- about what?" Hawkfrost shivered. The one cat dead or alive who could strike fear into Hawkfrost, was his father.

"You know very well what."

"I-I didn't mean to die."

"You failed," hissed Tigerstar. "You failed to kill Firestar, and Brambleclaw has joined him, the traitor! Now we are both doomed to wander these dark forests for the rest of eternity!"

"But surely there's something we can do."

"And what's more," Tigerstar continued. "You are going to have kits."

Hawkfrost stared at Tigerstar in horror, his fur bristling. "What? I don't have a mate."

"Yes, you do. I 've been watching you."

"But…but…" How could this be?

"She's pregnant, you fool!" Tigerstar lashed out at his son's muzzle, his claws unsheathed. Blood welled up on Hawkfrost's nose. "How could you be so mouse brained?"

"It's not a bad thing!" whimpered Hawfrost.

"She a WindClan idiot! You couldn't have chosen a nice, ShadowClan she-cat...or better yet, a rogue?"

Like my mother, you mean? Hawkfrost bit back the rude reply and stared down at his paws instead. "It's not a big deal."

"Out of all Clans, WindClan is the most mouse-hearted. If you wanted to recruit her to our side, you would fail horribly."

An idea struck Hawkfrost, faster than a bolt of lightning. "Her kits will be our kin! We can recruit them! "

"Brambleclaw is our kin. What use was he?"

"None. " admitted Hawkfrost. "But I promise you, my kits will be on our side."

His father lashed his tail angrily. "Kits of WindClan? Never!"

"Of course they will." Hawkfrost stood up straight, holding his head high. "If we teach them from a very young age to depend on us, they will no doubt owe loyalty to us, and us only."

"They will be too connected to their mother," Tigerstar said dismissively.

"No..." meowed Hawkfrost, the idea blossoming in his mind like flower buds in newleaf. "Not if something comes between the kits and their mother..."

"How are you going to manage that?"

"Oh, I will. Their mother still trusts me...I'll make sure something bad happens to those kits, so that they'll turn to us for help!"

Tigerstar glared at his son. "They're your kits. Do what you please."

Hawkfrost dipped his head, and stalked away from the clearing. He approached a murky pool of water surrounded by clumps of half-dead bramble bushes. He gazed into it, and saw his former mate- a black she-cat with luscious fur and tapered ears. She was streaking across the hills after her clanmates, eyes washed with grief.

Now, what could he do to his kits to make them come begging to him, to make them feel pain so harsh that they HAD to join the dark side?

He spotted the answer in a cluster of Windclan warriors. Hawkfrost's gaze fell upon Crowfeather, a young dark grey warrior who was scowling deeply as he carried his prey back to his hunting patrol. Crowfeather had recently fallen in love with a ThunderClann medicine cat, but had given her up. His clanmates were still deeply mistrustful of him. Hawkfrost guessed that Crowfeather woud do anything to be accepted again, even taking someone he didn't love as a mate.

It was perfect. Hawkfrost's kits would grow up thinking Crowfeather was their father, and what better pain is there then having a bitter-tounged, insensitive fool for a father? The kits would be vulnerable and easy to recruit.

Yes, thought Hawkfrost. Crowfeather it is!