Well, here it is! The fanfiction you've all been waiting for-the sequel to Heart of Fire: Pool of Cinders! I've decided to make it earlier than I'd intentioned because I couldn't stand the anticipation! XD So here's the prologue of Book 2~!
PROLOGUE
Cinderpool opened her eyes, revealing large pools of blue, to face the beams of sunlight streaking into the nursery between the brambles. There was scuffling amongst the dusty camp floor and faint squeals of laughter and protest. "Ouch! That's not fair; you unsheathed your claws!" came the squeaking hiss of a tom kit.
"Pinekit, play fairly," Brindleface warned. "Keep your claws sheathed, and I mean it."
"But Mother…" A brown tabby tom kit turned to Brindleface with a pout spread upon his face. His green eyes were pleading.
Brindleface licked her son between the ears. "I don't want anyone to get hurt. Keep them sheathed, or you won't be leaving the nursery for a moon."
Pinekit sighed, sheathed his tiny claws, and turned back to Crowkit to play.
Cinderpool rose to her paws and arched her back in a stretch. She stepped over her two other sleeping kits and squeezed through the nursery entrance. Fresh air whipped her face and ruffled her fluffy gray fur. She parted her jaws to taste the air-it tasted of flowers and new prey, but also of rain.
Cinderpool spotted Cloudpaw, a longhaired white tom with blue eyes. He had originally come from a kittypet, who was Fireheart's sister. But his sister had given Cloudpaw up so he could experience Clan life. Fireheart had recently taken his nephew as his new apprentice.
"Good morning, Cloudpaw," Cinderpool meowed. Cloudpaw yawned and flicked his ears in greeting. "'Morning, Cinderpool. How are your kits? Ya know, they're my cousins." Cloudpaw seemed proud.
"They're healthy and growing. Crowkit was in there tussling with Pinekit and woke me up." Cinderpool twitched her whiskers at the two playful bundles of fur, whom she could hear squealing from inside the nursery. "Soon they'll be able to start eating fresh-kill."
Cloudpaw smiled. "That's great! I hope I can mentor one of them." A gentle breeze ruffled their fur. "New-leaf is here," Cinderpool commented, purring.
"Cloudpaw!" Fireheart was calling his apprentice from the other side of camp. He stood with Mousefur and Thornpaw at the entrance. "Hunting patrol."
Cloudpaw jumped to his paws. "Great! A hunting patrol!" His blue eyes shimmered and his long white pelt glowed in the frosty sunrise. "I'll see you around, Cinderpool. Bye!"
Cinderpool waved her tail, grabbed a water vole, and headed back into the nursery. She settled down beside her sleeping kits and began to devour the water vole. Goldenflower was beginning to stir, and she opened her eyes. "Good morning, Cinderpool, Brindleface," she greeting, yawning and stretching her arms out in front of her. She blinked sleepily at Cinderpool. "I keep forgetting that you had kits."
Cinderpool chuckled and glanced down at Goldenflower's kits, who were at least two moons younger than Cinderpool's own. "How are Bramblekit and Tawnykit?" she asked.
"They're doing
great, Cinderpool, thanks," the golden she-cat replied, yawning
once again. "And yours?"
"Well. Although Crowkit and
Pinekit were tussling this morning and awoke me."
"Kits."
"Yeah."
It was silent for a moment. Birds chirped outside the camp and frosty sunlight streaked into the nursery. A gentle gust of wind rustled the brambles and a few cats called to each other outside of the den. "Well, I'm going to go visit Brackenfur." She rose to her paws and stretched, then headed into the clearing. Immediately she crashed into someone.
"Sorry!" Cinderpool mewed, and when she opened her eyes she saw Tigerclaw. The massive dark tabby tom stared down at her and growled, "How are your kits?"
Like he even cares about my kits, Cinderpool thought, but she responded, "They're well. I just spoke to Goldenflower. Bramblekit and Tawnykit are fantastic as well."
Cinderpool expected the tom to nod and pad away, but he shouldered past her and squeezed into the nursery. Cinderpool gave her shoulder a few quick licks and entered the warriors' den. "Brackenfur!" she whispered. The golden-brown tabby tom peeked out one amber eye and lifted his head groggily. He stretched his mouth wide open in a yawn. "What is it, Cinderpool? I was just having this great dream about-"
"Come here!"
"Why? I'm still tired…"
"Come on, you lazy furball!"
"I was on the evening patrol, Cinderpool…"
"Get out here!"
Yawning, Brackenfur rose to his paws, carefully stepped over the sleeping bodies of other warriors, and pushed his way out of the warriors' den. "What is it, Cinderpool?"
"Today is my kits' three-moon birthday!"
Brackenfur growled and cuffed his sister's ear playfully. "Is that what you woke me up and brought me out here for? Just to tell me that?"
Cinderpool purred in amusement, nodded, and tackled her brother. Brackenfur gave a startled gasp, apparently not expecting it. Cinderpool battered at his belly with sheathed hind paws and nipped at his ear. Brackenfur hissed teasingly and rolled onto his back so he could heave it and send Cinderpool flying off. The gray she-cat climbed off her brother, still laughing, and sat down, purring. She had a loyal, loving mate, an affectionate, fun brother, and three beautiful, sweet kits. What more could she want?
Meanwhile, Thunderstar lay with his paws tucked under his chest. His tail flicked side to side in giddiness. "I remember how much I loved my kits," he purred.
Featherwhisker rested beside the former ThunderClan leader, his feathery plume of a tail curled around his fluffy body. "I wonder if she'll ever realize that her kits were meant to do extraordinary things."
Ugh. This was a horrible prologue. Please excuse it! I had nothing to write about, so I just wrote about a normal day for Cinderpool. –Hangs head in shame- I'm sorry for boring you. Please continue onward with the story when I do update. And I'm not sure I told ya'll this, but Tigerclaw is NOT evil in this series because it's mainly about Cinderpool and Fireheart's kits, not my evilly sexy kitty.
