Hi guys! I'm sorry for not updating recently, but I've been busy and stressed out. While I do love writing fanfiction, it is, unfortunately, the first thing I have to cut when my life gets too busy. :( This will probably be my last update until December. I promise I'll be back, but I've got other things going on right now. :) Thanks for understanding!

Breakaway

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Chapter 4

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The next day, Firetail was woken by Fleetfeather's gentle nudging. She opened her eyes sleepily. He stood over her with two dead mice in his mouth. She purred as she pulled herself into a sitting position. "Thanks for the food," she told him as he placed one of the mice at her paws.

"Mmm," he said in response, chewing on the other mouse.

After their quick meal, the couple walked over to the great tree where the Gatherings took place. They discussed the previous night as they waited for sunhigh to come. Fleetfeather seemed very nervous, but Firetail was excited. They had gotten pledges from several cats the night before, and she was certain that more would come today.

"Stop fretting," she told her mate gently. "It'll go great!" She beamed at him, her eyes bright.

He purred rustily, but worry still clouded his gaze. Fleetfeather was always one to overthink a situation. "Come on," she purred. "Let's go hunting to take your mind off things!"

As their meeting place was an island, there wasn't much prey to be found (especially since it was frequently used as a gathering place for lots of cats). Still, Firetail managed to amuse herself—and take Fleetfeather's mind off things—for a few hours before they heard a voice calling out their names in the clearing.

Firetail turned and raced toward the voice. It was the ShadowClan party: her siblings Leafclaw and Darkfeather, Stonewing, and the older she-cat's kits, Mousepaw and Amberpaw.

"Friends!" Firetail purred happily. "I'm so glad you came!"

There was a friendly greeting between them. Fleetfeather walked up beside Firetail and began to make small talk with the ShadowClan cats.

No, she scolded herself. They're FireClan cats now. She glowed warmly at the thought.

After a few minutes, Darkfeather cleared her throat awkwardly. "So...is this it? Just us?"

"No," Firetail said immediately. "We got several pledges last night."

"And several 'no's," Fleetfeather muttered.

Firetail ignored him. "Anyway, it's a good hour 'til sunhigh. We can wait." She smiled brightly.

In a matter of minutes, there was another shout of, "Fleetfeather? Firetail?"

This time it was Sparkfur, the ThunderClan tom who had trained with Fleetfeather. Fleetfeather greeted him warmly, and he was introduced to the ShadowClan cats.

"Ashwhisker's coming, too," Sparkfur said. "But he's taking his own sweet time."

Soon the gloomy old tom arrived and greeted them awkwardly. Stonewing drifted over toward him and tried to make him feel comfortable, but he politely refused her company.

When no one else came for the next several minutes, Fleetfeather began to grow worried. Firetail pulled him aside for a few minutes to talk.

"Fleetfeather, calm down," she said softly. "It's all going wonderfully. We've got plenty of time. I said we'd meet here at sunhigh, not leave here at sunhigh."

"Yes, I know," Fleetfeather sighed. "But since you're not worried at all, I have to do all your worrying for you."

Firetail laughed at that. "I wouldn't go that far. I am a little worried. But I'm mostly just excited."

There was a shout from the clearing. Firetail smiled at her mate and went to greet their newest Clanmate.

There were three cats this time, all from RiverClan. One, a dark gray she-cat, was named Petalfur. She did most of the group's talking. She and her brother Ravenwing had decided they wanted to join FireClan. They announced this to their Clan, who angrily tried to force them to stay. The couple had escaped RiverClan with the help of a senior warrior, Cinderfoot.

"I'm sorry that had to happen to you," Fleetfeather said solemnly, "but I'm glad you could join us." Now that cats they hadn't recruited the night previous had showed up, he seemed to be relaxing.

Next to arrive was Daisypelt, a middle-aged cat from ShadowClan. Firetail was surprised to see her among their group—she was not a close friend of hers, and didn't really seem the rebellious type.

"Daisypelt, what brings you here?" Firetail asked curiously.

The black-and-white she-cat looked away, blushing, and said, "I couldn't stand watching Darkfang sit all smug next to Willowstar." Firetail blinked, surprised that the quiet she-cat was so jealous of her brother. "He's had three apprentices, I haven't had one, and... maybe jealousy is a poor reason to leave, but I'll probably have better opportunities in FireClan. Right?"

"Of course," Firetail purred. "I'll see you get an apprentice as soon as possible."

Daisypelt grinned at her, then went to talk to Stonewing.

At last, sunhigh came. It was almost like a "last call" for new recruits. FireClan was small, with only thirteen members, but it didn't need to be large.

To Firetail's surprise, the next two cats to join were Skyfur, Ashwhisker's mate, and another WindClan cat who introduced herself as Harepelt—Skyfur and Ashwhisker's daughter.

The joy in Ashwhisker's eyes at seeing his mate and kit was immense. Firetail's heart warmed, and she gazed lovingly at Fleetfeather.

"See what we're doing, Fleetfeather? Bringing families together," she purred.

He smiled sadly at her and sighed. "And tearing them apart."

Firetail frowned, concerned. "Are you missing Smoketail?"

He nodded, his green eyes flashing with pain. "I think I will for a long time. But it will get better. I have you."

The next two cats arrived together, though they were from different cats. Just as it occurred to Firetail that FireClan wouldn't have a medicine cat, her fears were soothed as RiverClan's medicine cat apprentice, Sunstreak, stepped hesitantly into the clearing, a small black apprentice from WindClan beside him.

"Hi," Sunstreak said. "I...well...I want to join."

"Welcome!" Firetail beamed. "You're a lifesaver, Sunstreak! I was just worrying that we wouldn't have a medicine cat."

The pale golden tom scowled. "Well...that's the reason I left. I don't want to be a medicine cat anymore." He glanced longingly at Petalfur, who was chatting happily with her brother Ravenwing and Sparkfur. "I want to have a mate, not be a medicine cat."

"FireClan's code is different," Firetail said. "You can be a medicine cat and have a mate, if you want. Of course, if you don't want to be medicine cat, that's fine... but it would be nice if you helped us train someone else for the job."

Sunstreak smiled happily. "It's not that I didn't like being a medicine cat—I just thought I had made the wrong choice, forfeiting a life outside my job. I'll happily be your medicine cat, if I can have a mate, too."

"Deal," Firetail said brightly. She felt so great—she was making dreams come true, reuniting families... and she would be with Fleetfeather.

She smiled. Turning to the black apprentice who had come with Sunstreak, she asked, "And who are you?"

He scowled at her. "I'm Wildpaw. I didn't like WindClan much, so I decided to come with you guys. If you'll let me. If you don't tell me to go back to my Clan because I'm just an apprentice who doesn't know anything."

"Of course not!" Firetail exclaimed. "You're plenty old enough to make your own decisions." He was an older apprentice—perhaps only a moon or two away from becoming a warrior. He was brave to have left at a time like this.

Wildpaw smiled hesitantly. "Thanks." Then he wandered off.

When it was well past sunhigh and no one else had arrived, Firetail took a deep breath. "I think it's time to go," she murmured to Fleetfeather. "This is a good group, and no one else has come for awhile."

He nodded at her and smiled, his mood much improved. "I agree. You make the announcement."

She grinned at him, excited to lead her own Clan, and stood up taller. "Cats of FireClan!" she announced. "It's time we go. We need to find a new home, beyond these territories."

"Will we return for Gatherings?" Cinderfoot called out.

Firetail hesitated. "Maybe, in a few moons. Once the Clans realize we're serious about this and won't be violent when we we visit."

There was a murmur of agreement. Firetail sighed in relief. Despite her excitement, she was a bit worried about how they would treat her as leader. Evidently they were happy.

"All right. FireClan, follow me!" she cried out, turning to go.

She almost ran right into three cats staring at her guiltily. "Who are you?" she asked them in surprise.

Fleetfeather let out a cry of joy. "Smoketail!"

Firetail blinked in surprise. "Your brother?"

Smoketail, a black tom with amber eyes, looked away guiltily. "Yes, I'm Fleetfeather's brother."

"But he said you weren't coming!" she exclaimed. Beside her, her mate looked at his kin longingly.

Beside Smoketail, a ginger-and-white she-cat scowled. "I didn't want to. It was against the code, and I convinced him otherwise. But yesterday..."

"We saw you, so excited, so full of life, and we rethought our decision," Smoketail said. "Especially when my apprentice, Olivepaw, wanted to come."

A small gray she-cat smiled shyly from behind the mates. The ginger-and-white she-cat could only be Hollynose, Smoketail's mate.

"Well, whatever your past, you're welcome here in FireClan," Firetail said forgivingly. "Come on—we've got a long journey ahead of us!"

FireClan

Leader: Firetail—ginger she-cat

Medicine cat: Sunstreak—pale golden tom

Warriors: Fleetfeather—pale brown tabby tom
Leafclaw—black tom (Apprentice, Mousepaw)
Darkfeather—black she-cat
Stonewing—pale gray she-cat
Sparkfur—ginger tom
Ashwhisker—gray tom
Petalfur—gray she-cat
Ravenwing—black tom
Cinderfoot—gray she-cat
Daisypelt—black-and-white she-cat
Skyfur—gray-and-white she-cat
Harepelt—brown she-cat
Smoketail—black tom (Apprentice, Olivepaw)
Hollynose—ginger-and-white she-cat

Apprentices: Amberpaw—tawny she-cat with amber eyes
Mousepaw—pale gray she-cat
Wildpaw—black tom
Olivepaw—gray she-cat with green eyes