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Calzar snapped out of his thoughts and trod to Flora’s den. A female tiger was standing guard, and Calzar nodded to her. “Hello. May I speak to Flora Goldenclaw, please? You will see why in a moment,” he added.
She looked at him curiously but stepped to the side for him to pass. “Go ahead,” she said and stared at him suspiciously. Calzar stepped inside and trod into the den. It was dark and cozy, and Flora was stretched out in the nest of soft green moss at the bottom of the cave.
“Bone, what brings you here?” She rolled over lazily and fixed him in a cool glare.
Calzar bowed down. “Flora Goldenclaw, I, Bone Sharpclaw, want to make a challenge,” he growled.
Flora’s eyes widened. “I see. And . . . who do you wish to challenge?” She asked as if she didn't already know. Calzar met her gaze. “I would like to challenge your Silverclaw, Ignatius, for a reward of becoming Silverclaw myself. Do you accept my challenge?” he asked in a serious tone.
Flora hesitated, and the silence was louder than ever. She then spoke after a long moment. “I accept. I will announce it now,” she snarled.
She rose from her nest and padded out of her den, Calzar at her tail. The female tiger standing guard glanced at them from the corner of her eye, confused, but stayed where she was, keeping guard. Flora leaped onto the Jagged Cliff and called out to the Streak. “Tigers! Littleclaws! Sharpclaws! Listen to what I must say!” she roared. The tigers poked their heads up to look at her and listened.
“I have... interesting news. Bone Sharpclaw would like to challenge Ignatius Silverclaw to replace his rank.”
At her words, the tigers murmured to each other in surprise, and Chara met Calzar's gaze. Ignatius cocked his head, but stood up and stretched, showing his muscles.
“I accept this challenge, and I will remain Silverclaw. Bone, you are courageous, working up to head Sharpclaw and making a challenge, when it’s your very first day. Impressive. But I know a foolish tiger when I see one. You’re going to have to wait a little longer if you want to be second in command,” he sneered.
“We'll see about that, Ignatius,” Calzar growled back, turning all his focus on the Silverclaw.
They circled each other, baring their teeth and growling, unsheathing their claws. The other members of the Streak leaped away, giving the fighters space, and watched at the edges of the camp. Calzar and Ignatius suddenly stopped circling, and froze, ready to pounce into single combat, at Flora’s word.
“Ignatius and Bone, I ask for the final time, do you fully accept this challenge? Do you know the risks that come with this? We will not stop you if you're injured,” Flora warned.
“I do,” Calzar and Ignatius both snarled.
“Then you will meet in combat, and once this fight is over, there will either be a new Silverclaw, or everything will stay the same. And after this, we will all remain loyal members of the Streak. Now, on my call... ready . . . bare your teeth . . . attack!”
Ignatius sprang immediately, claws outstretched, at Calzar. He swerved to the side just in time for Ignatius to crash onto the ground, but the tiger immediately found his paws again and charged for Calzar, crashing into him and sending him reeling. Calzar snarled in fury.
“Prepare to yield before me, Bone Sharpclaw!” The Silverclaw sneered.
“I'll yield when the stars fall!” Calzar retorted.
Ignatius sprang again, but Calzar sprang too, just enough to be right under his opponent’s belly, and scored his claws across the stomach. He landed and swerved around, and Ignatius was flopped on the ground, flanks heaving. There were claw marks on his underbelly, but that didn’t stop him. He got up and faced Calzar, growling.
Calzar unexpectedly charged and grasped Ignatius’s shoulder with his claws, forcing him to the floor. He pinned him down and bit his forepaw, crunching hard. The Silverclaw howled in pain and fury and flailed in Calzar’s grasp, but could not get free. Calzar let go of his forepaw and planted his claws on his enemy’s neck.
“Yield,” he growled. The words that came out of his mouth seemed to make everyone freeze, waiting for Ignatius to respond.
“Yield,” he repeated, and Ignatius’s mouth gaped open.
“I. Said. YIELD!” Calzar roared. He sank his claws just a bit deeper into his opponent’s throat, and he said it.
“I yield,” he panted.
Calzar released him and got to his paws. He raised his head high, and the tigers finally started cheering. “Bone! Bone!” They cheered.
Flora announced the news from the Jagged Cliff. “Bone Sharpclaw has defeated Ignatius Silverclaw in fair combat. Bone is now Silverclaw, and Ignatius is second-highest Sharpclaw, after Kopono, who can now take his leading rank back,” she said. Kopono dipped his head, and the event ended.
Calzar padded to the shady tree again, and many tigers crowded him. “Wow, Bone, you’re so strong! I can’t believe you beat Ignatius!” they exclaimed.
The evening patrol had set off, and Calzar took a quick nap.
He woke up to Flora’s call to eat, lazily got up, and trod over to sit beside the Goldenclaw. He sat in silence.
Flora was first and tore down one of the horn-headsCalzar had caught. She gulped and swallowed, and the Streak watched in patient silence. Then, when Flora finally stepped away from the pile, Invincible finished off the horn head and also munched down a long ear and three bare tails.
The Sharpclaws were next, Kopono first, who picked two fat gophers and some bites of buffalo. Then came Ignatius, who chewed up the legs of an antelope and gulped down some more bare tails. The eating went on and on until it was Chara’s turn, who picked the last of the buffalo, all of the long ears that remained, and the last bare tail.297Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCpfymGazsU
That finally left the lowest-ranking member of the Streak. The Noclaw, Zale.
The tiger ripped open the very last of an eland and crunched at a scrawny gerbil. After he was finished, Flora announced black-sky. Finally, they went to their dens, and Calzar stalked up to the area at the edge of the clearing where he had last met Invincible. Chara followed him.
Sure enough, after a moment of looking around, a black-and-white coat came out of the undergrowth with an impressed expression.
“You challenged Ignatius and became Silverclaw; I give you my praise, Calzar. I've decided that it’s time for me to tell them who we are. It begins tonight. I will reveal myself and deal with Flora,” Invincible growled quietly. Calzar whispered, “We will be ready with you.”
Invincible then left into the undergrowth again and Chara and Calzar went to their dens, and Calzar went to sleep in the Silverclaw’s den for the first and last time.
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