this chapter is terrible and sweaty. like me haha.
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Every cat in ThunderClan was panicking, Whitestorm and Graystripe especially. Fireheart stood by his best friend, attempting to cut into his panicked tirade.
"-But what if everything isn't okay and she doesn't come out of it alright?" Graystripe." "-What if she gets hurt, she's an older queen she could-" "Graystripe," "-Or what if something happens to one of her kits and it breaks her heart, or what if-" "Graystripe!" The gray tom finally stopped, breathing heavily.
"Nothing bad will happen to your mother Graystripe. She has two medicine cats and four queens with her. She's done this before and can do it again." Graystripe looked at Fireheart with worried eyes.
"I know that, but I just can't help but worry!" Graystripe meowed. Fireheart felt sympathy wind around his heart.
"Well then try and distract yourself from it. Let's uh," Fireheart paused, thinking for a moment, before deciding on, "go visit you're kits! They're probably pretty scared right now." Graystripe straightened in realization and looked around to find Stormkit and Featherkit with the other kits by Tigerstar.
The two padded over and as Graystripe began talking to his kits, Fireheart looked over at Tigerstar. The dark brown tabby had his tail curled around his two kits as well as Snowkit. Bramblekit and Tawnykit looked as worried as Graystripe was, and Snowkit was looking on confusedly and the panicking cats.
"Fireheart?" Fireheart looked down at Tawnykit. "Is Willowpelt gonna be okay?" She softly asked. Fireheart briefly looked up at Tigerstar, who nodded to him.
"Willowpelt is going to be just fine. She's got your mommy to help her after all!" Tawnykit and Bramblekit brightened a little at that.
"And Brindleface!" Bramblekit mewed. He then wiggled out of Tigerstar's grasp and faced Snowkit. He began making motions with his tail, and a look of understanding came across Snowkit's face.
"What are you doing?" Fireheart asked the kit. Bramblekit looked up excitedly.
"Well, Daddy figured out that Snowkit can't hear stuff, so Speckletail's been teaching him these signs that mean stuff so he can talk to cats! I could teach you some, and we can make a sign for your name!" Fireheart was surprised.
"Your father is letting a deaf kit be in this Clan?" Fireheart smirked up at Tigerstar, "Preposterous!" Bramblekit laughed as Tigerstar sighed.
"Bramblekit and Tawnykit are awfully attached to their friend. I'd also feel bad for kicking out Speckletail's only son. Having more silent signs could also prove useful to ThunderClan." Tigerstar said, mostly to Bramblekit. Fireheart looked back down to Bramblekit.
"I'd be honored to be taught these signs by the great and mighty son of Tigerstar." Bramblekit looked smug at that until his sister tackled him to the ground.
"And," Tawnykit said, sitting atop her brother, "the great and mighty daughter of Tigerstar!" Fireheart laughed at this and settled down next to Tigerstar for a lesson. Graystripe—with Featherkit and Stormkit in tow—joined them on Fireheart's other side.
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After learning a couple signs, Cinderpelt exited the nursery. Fireheart, Tigerstar, and Graystripe stood and walked over to her with kits trailing behind them. Graystripe got there first.
"Is she okay!?" He asked, worry overtaking him again. Cinderpelt gave him a tired smile as she nodded.
"Willowpelt is fine albeit tired. She has three healthy kits—two toms and a she-kit." Graystripe leaned over onto Fireheart in his relief. Whitestorm walked over joining them.
"Can I see them?" He asked, joy and awe bright in his eyes like Fireheart had never seen before. Cinderpelt nodded and stood aside. Graystripe swiftly followed with all five kits tumbling behind him. Tigerstar nodded at Cinderpelt before turning and leaving. Fireheart turned and followed.
"It's always a better day when kits are born, isn't it?" Tigerstar smiled thoughtfully at Fireheart's words.
"I suppose. You'll understand when you have your own. Get some rest, Fireheart." Tigerstar continued towards his den, and Fireheart realized how late it had become. But even with all that had happened today, Fireheart wasn't that tired. He decided to go on a quick run-around the territory to release some energy.
By the time Fireheart came back the sun was almost fully set, and all of the cats had gone to sleep. He gave a nod to the new warriors standing vigil, and headed to his den. Tomorrow would be another day, and nowhere near as exhausting as today had been.
-break-
"So. Why do you think they're here." Fireheart said softly to Brackenfur. Lying asleep and pressed against each other were two ShadowClan cats—Littlecloud and Whitethroat if Fireheart remembered correctly.
"Well why don't you wake them up and ask." Brackenfur whispered to Fireheart.
"You ask!" Fireheart whispered back. The two went on like that for a moment before Whitethroat stirred. The black tom looked up at the two, eyes watery and delirious. Fireheart felt pity and worry worm its way through his pride. He sighed.
"Let's take them back to camp," Fireheart said to Brackenfur before looking back over to Whitethroat. "Can you stand?" The ShadowClan cat looked confusedly at him for a moment before comprehension came over him. Whitethroat nudged Littlecloud who let out a pained groan and blearily looked up at his clanmate. Whitethr
Taking the two back to camp had been a little difficult, the two almost falling over multiple times, but they eventually got there. When they did, the cats milling around camp looked towards the four in shock.
"Where's Yellowfang and Cinderpelt?" Brackenfur asked. Tigerstar emerged from his den and scowled at the sight of the two ShadowClan warriors. Cinderpelt poked her head out of the nursery. She gasped when she saw the state Whitethroat and Littlecloud were in.
"Quick! Bring them to my den!" She said, urgency clear in her voice. Tigerstar looked almost affronted by this, but simply followed the group of cats as they made their way to the medicine den. Yellowfang took one look at them and groaned.
"Lay them down here." She said, gesturing to a moss bed. Whitethroat and Littlecloud gladly collapsed into it. The two medicine cats looked over the sickly ShadowClan warriors before a look of horrified realization overtook Yellowfang's face.
"I know this sickness. These two cats need to get as far away from ThunderClan and any other cats as fast as possible." Yellowfang said. Fireheart looked up at her shocked, but before he could voice his protests, Cinderpelt beat him to it.
"But Yellowfang! These cats are dying and if we don't help them they will! It'd be the same as killing them! We can not simply send them away when we have more than enough herbs and prey to help sustain them! Right?" Cinderpelt looked over to Fireheart and her brother. Fireheart sent a pleading look towards Tigerstar. The dark brown tabby met Fireheart's gaze and then looked towards Whitethroat and Littlecloud.
"I will allow you to look after them," As Tigerstar began, Cinderpelt smiled brightly at him, and Yellowfang scowled, "However! You may only do so away from camp. I will not have these two spreading plague through ThunderClan. Cinderpelt did not look put out by this at all.
"Oh, thank you Tigerstar! Fireheart! Brackenfur! Help me get these two someplace safe to hold them." The two scrambled to help as Cinderpelt gathered up some herbs. As they left, Fireheart shot Tigerstar a thankful smile. Tigerstar blinked in surprise before swiftly turning around and walking off. Tigerstar was proving to be an… alright leader.
-break-
"So why did you two come here?" Fireheart asked Whitethroat. The two ShadowClan cats had made a full recovery and now only remained to try to regain their strength. Whitethroat sat pressed against Littlecloud, and looked a little sad as Fireheart asked this.
"Cinderfur is dead," Fireheart started at this, "And Nightstar is gravely ill. It wouldn't be a problem with any other leader, but Nightstar was not granted nine lives." Fireheart didn't know what to think at that.
"What's worse," Littlecloud continued, "Is that one of your cats came to ShadowClan with all the exiled warriors and started bossing everyone around. Runningnose for whatever reason has named him the new deputy, and ShadowClan is just fine with all this!" Littlecloud's voice became tinged with hysteria at the end of his tirade, and Whitethroat gave the tom a reassuring lick.
"We'd like to see if Tigerstar might allow us to stay with ThunderClan until all of this has blown over." Whitethroat said softly, and Fireheart was once again surprised. But he nodded to the two nonetheless.
"I'll see if I can convince Tigerstar to let you stay." Fireheart said, before internally sighing over how hard it would probably end up being to attempt to convince Tigerstar of this.
-break-
"No." Tigerstar said, deadpan. Fireheart groaned.
"Tigerstar please! Just think of how much they could help us out! Drought has started to set in and we need all the paws we can get!" Tigerstar sighed as Fire heart went on, "Not to mention we have even more mouths to feed now that Willowpelt's had her kits! Please!" Tigerstar scowled and ground out, "Fine." Fireheart grinned at him in response, and left the den, bearing good news.
"Fireheart!" Thornclaw yowled, rushing into camp, "ShadowClan is attacking!" For a moment the the only thought that came to Fireheart's mind was Why is so much happening all of a sudden but he called out to Swiftstrike, Brightstorm, and Cloudheart to follow Thornclaw and him to the border.
When they got there, the first thing Fireheart noticed was that Littlecloud and Whitethroat were there, fighting alongside Runningwind, Mousefur, and Longtail against cats they had likely fought beside before. Fireheart and his group joined the fight and the cats quickly drove away the ShadowClan warriors. Once the last of them had run towards their border, hissing, Fireheart looked over his cats.
Both Whitethroat and Runningwind had relatively serious wounds, but all the other cats just had scratches. Fireheart sighed. This definitely could have gone a lot worse. Littlecloud pressed against Whitethroat, supporting the tom as the group headed home. Mousefur stood worriedly over her brother, Longtail behind her. Definitely could have been worse.
Tigerstar was furious at this and Fireheart knew that he was definitely going to bring this up at the next gathering. But in the meantime, Fireheart decided to take some time he would have otherwise reserved for training Cloudheart and rest far away from the sweltering heat of greenleaf.
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this chapter was originally gonna be part of a way longer chapter but I decided to cut it in half because it takes less time to write two shorter chapters than two longer ones haha soz
