Fireheart
Power is a wonderful thing. To finally fulfill the desire he had waited for oh so long... There was nothing better. Fireheart watched the cats milling about beneath the leader's den, going about their daily business. Tigerclaw was already forgotten. It had been so easy. Three moons ago rogues had attacked the Clan. Fireheart had taken advantage of the fight to run to Bluestar and tell her Tigerclaw had killed Redtail. The Clan had obviously thrown their once beloved deputy out. Fireheart himself had replaced Tigerclaw, assuring Bluestar that he would fix all the problems the "traitor" had caused. Again, it had been so, so easy.
Then there had been the poppy seeds. Yellowfang had instructed him to start giving Bluestar poppy seeds every night to help the troubled leader sleep. She had then proceeded to warn Fireheart that too many of the seeds could produce harmful hallucinations and incapacitate a cat. How stupid could you get?
He had tried it on Bluestar and found that what Yellowfang said was true. Now Bluestar was almost always on the stuff. Fireheart shook off the memories and turned back to the silver gray she cat lying on her nest behind him. Bluestar barely regarded him through glazed eyes, and Fireheart almost felt sorry for his leader. It was pathetic really.
I might as well go order around some patrols. Fireheart trotted down from the leader's den, keeping his green eyes out for any cats who didn't look busy. He had only one loose end at the moment. Silverstream. The fact that Tigerclaw had been easy to throw out of ThunderClan scared him in a way. If she suggested something… All it would take would be for a few of the less friendly cats in ThunderClan to agree. Then he all of this work would be for nothing. He shook himself again. He would deal with that she cat when the time came. Until then, it was pointless brooding on her.
He spotted Sandpaw and Dustapaw, now Sandstorm and Dustpelt, wandering towards the elder's den, probably bringing them fresh kill. He felt a flare of frustration. Why couldn't there be more apprentices? Fireheart looked and spotted Darkstripe on guard duty. Now there was a cat who would be happy to see the new deputy dead. The warrior turned his piercing gaze towards Fireheart, and the ginger tom took an involuntary step back. The hate was as frightening as a bloodthirsty warrior.
Fireheart stepped out into the clearing, his paws sending little puffs of dust flying up in the air. He decided on the spot to visit the medicine den. Cinderpaw, the worst apprentice in the forest, had recently become the medicine cat apprentice. Her leg never did heal. He stepped into the cool cave, relieved to be out of the heat.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't our most esteemed deputy." Yellowfang's sarcastic mew made Fireheart's tail lash. This old mousebrain didn't understand just how powerful he really was.
"I came to visit Cinderpaw."
Yellowfang purred humorlessly, "Sure you did. She's out gathering herbs. You couldn't care less how she feels."
Fireheart sat down, "That's not true. I just don't have a lot of time to visit. Being deputy and all."
A groan sounded from a nest farther back inside the den, "He betrayed me. He used me."
Yellowfang ignored the ex ShadowClan leader, "That's not very helpful of a deputy. I'm stuck with a hyperactive cripple and a blind psychopath. The least you could do is bring over some prey once in a while." Fireheart tried to ignore Brokenstar, wallowing in his own misery. That was a cat who had failed in his bid for power. It served as a warning. It truly showed how far a cat could fall.
Then he remembered Yellowfang, "I'll try to send down an apprentice once in a while. We don't have very many after Mosspaw's… untimely demise."
The old medicine cat narrowed her eyes, "You really are heartless, aren't you?"
Fireheart licked his paw, swiping it back over his ear, "It was a terrible tragedy, but at least he died fighting. Now he won't follow in the pawsteps of his corrupted father."
Brokenstar's harsh mew rang through the small cavern, "I don't think that warrior was corrupted. The Clans are so blind…" Fireheart ignored him, and so did Yellowfang. He bid Yellowfang goodbye and walked back out of the den. He didn't want to let on just how much he agreed with Brokenstar. The Clans were as blind as baby mice.
