Firepaw and Ravenpaw were asked by their mentors to go off to hunt on their own. Mistyheart and Bluefur had been wanting to get to relax back at camp while the former was still fully recovering from her White Cough. The two toms decided to split up for hunting. Firepaw took the area near the Sunningrocks, and Ravenpaw took the area near the Snakerocks.
After splitting up, Firepaw caught a two mice on the way to Sunningrocks. As he began to reach the area near the river, he heard a rustling in the bushes. Firepaw opened his mouth to try and better catch the scent, but the scent seemed to blend in with the rest of the forest. Firepaw took position into a hunting crouch and began to slowly creep closer and closer to the bush, suspecting the rustling was the work of some sort of mouse or vole.
As he crept closer and closer to the bush, a large fluffy cat jumped out at Firepaw, pinning him to the ground, the grass crushed under his weight. Panic overcame Firepaw, and he quickly raked his back paws across his attacker's belly, his claws unsheathed. The attacker hissed lowly, their grip loosening, giving Firepaw a chance to push them off of him. He scrambled to find a footing to face his attacker head on, finding the attacker to be a fluffy gray older looking she-cat with a flattened muzzle.
His tail fur had fluffed out from the attack, he held a defensive stance as the dull gray she-cat moved to sit down on the grass, intensely staring down the ginger tom. Firepaw's emerald green eyes stared into the deep golden eyes of the large fluffy she-cat. As Firepaw began to take a closer look at the she-cat, he noticed that she looked tired and her eyes were hunger-pained. She opened her mouth to speak, meowing, "Hmph, just finish me off, kit. I've already lost everythin', just end my sufferin'." Her voice sounded weak and strained. The she-cat's eyes looked heavy with exhaustion.
Firepaw cautiously crept closer to the she-cat. "I won't kill you, a true warrior will only kill another cat if it's absolutely necessary," Firepaw mewed, still cautiously staring down the large gray cat. "Are you okay? You look hungry," Firepaw inquired, curious about the unhealthy looking state of the she-cat. Her fur was dirty and matted, her ribs protruded slightly under her thick gray fur, she looked like a mess, and he wondered what this poor she-cat must have gone through. "I'll be right back," Firepaw meowed before turning and running off into the forest.
Stopping to listen to the sounds of the forest, Firepaw waited until he caught the scent of prey. He steadily dropped into a hunting crouch and began to move slowly advancing towards the scent. As he approached, Firepaw saw that it was plump mouse. Firepaw continued forward, pouncing on the mouse once he was close enough to the small prey.
After placing a kill bite on the mouse's neck, Firepaw raced back to where the old gray she-cat had been. He found her laying down there exactly where he'd left her, laying down and licking the wounds from their small scuffle. "Hey," Firepaw mewed through a mouthful of fur. "I thought you might want something to eat," said the apprentice sheepishly as he gently placed the mouse in front of the heavily scarred old gray she-cat.
The she-cat gave Firepaw a suspicious look before taking a tentative bite of the mouse. After swallowing, the she-cat's golden eyes lit up and she began to hungrily dig into the mouse. As she finished, she looked up at Firepaw, staring intensely at the orange tom. "Why're ya helpin' me, kit?" grunted the she-cat, her voice hoarse.
Firepaw's eyes widened in response to the she-cat's gruff response. "Well, you looked really hungry, and I couldn't just let you starve," Firepaw said, shuffling his paws awkwardly, now unsure of his decision to help the old she-cat. After a long and awkward pause, Firepaw spoke up with an introduction, "My name is Firepaw, I'm a ThunderClan apprentice."
A hoarse purr began emanating from the old, gray she-cat. "Ah, you're the Kittypet that Bluefur recruited. Spottedleaf mentioned you to me a while back," mused the gray she-cat. "My name is Yellowfang, the ex Medicine Cat of ShadowClan," introduced Yellowfang, beginning to rise to her paws. "Well, I should be on my way, kit, I need to get out of the forest," Yellowfang announced, wincing as she began to try and walk away.
"Wait!" called Firepaw. "Why don't you come back to camp with me? I'm sure that you could at least stay long enough for your wounds to heal," Firepaw offered, his pelt prickling with discomfort.
A loud purr burst from Yellowfang. "Have ya ever met Thistlestar? He'd never let me stay," Yellowfang joked. "But if yer gonna insist, I may as well try," Yellowfang said after seeing the embarrassed look in Firepaw's eyes.
Firepaw felt a surge of confidence at the gray she-cat saying this. "Alright! Come on, I'll bring you to camp!" Firepaw mewed excitedly, cheerily striding towards the camp, Yellowfang cautiously treading behind him.
As they traveled through the forest, Firepaw saw Ravenpaw approaching camp, an adder clutched in his jaws. "Firepaw! Look what I killed!" Ravenpaw exclaimed happily, bounding over to his friend. As he saw the imposing figure of Yellowfang he quickly dropped the snake and gave Firepaw a terrified look. "Firepaw, where are you taking her?" whispered the black tom, his green eyes gone wide with fear.
"She's wounded, I'm taking her back to camp so Spottedleaf can help her," Firepaw explained surprised at his friend's apprehensiveness towards the old, gray she-cat. "Come on, Ravenpaw, she won't be able to do anything," Firepaw whispered, trying to reassure his friend, and also kind of trying to reassure himself of his own decision.
After a moment of looking uncertainly at his friend, Ravenpaw seemed to have decided to trust Firepaw. "Alright, I'll walk with you back to camp then," Ravenpaw stated, beginning to walk back to camp, followed closely by Firepaw and Yellowfang.
As the group entered camp, they were greeted by the heated stares of their clan mates. Ravenpaw quietly whispered to Firepaw, "You might want to introduce Yellowfang as a hostage to Thistlestar." Ravenpaw then dropped off the dead adder he'd caught by the fresh kill pile.
"Why?" questioned Firepaw, giving Ravenpaw an odd stare as he padded over to follow his close friend.
"I'm not sure how Thistlestar will react to the idea of taking care of an enemy cat," Ravenpaw whispered worriedly, his eyes darting cautiously. "If we say that you found her in our territory, and that we captured her and escorted her back to camp, then he would view her more as a war prisoner of ShadowClan, and not like us aiding ShadowClan," continued the thin black tom.
As Ravenpaw finished his explanation, a patrol came back into camp consisting of Longtail, Redtail, Dustpaw, Whitestorm, and Thistlestar. As the patrol came back into camp, Thistlestar quickly noticed the presence of Yellowfang. He angrily tromped over to the old gray she-cat, a loud growl rumbling in his throat. "What are you doing here, ShadowClan scum," Thistlestar spat, his ears pinned to his head and his fur standing on end.
As Yellowfang began to open her mouth to speak, Firepaw interjected quickly with, "I was hunting near Sunningrocks, and I found her!" Thistlestar looked furiously over to Firepaw, his amber eyes narrowed heatedly onto Firepaw. "We fought, and I subdued her, and Ravenpaw assisted me in taking her back to camp, he said we could take her hostage..." Firepaw meowed, growing quieter the more her spoke, looking awkwardly at the ground.
Yellowfang gave Firepaw an odd look. "I'm no threat to ya, Thistlestar. Brokenstar already exiled me from ShadowClan," Yellowfang explained roughly, her eyes showing an obvious lack of concern for how the ThunderClan leader would react.
Thistlestar's growl had never ceased, and he angrily hissed, "Alright, we'll take you prisoner, Yellowfang, ShadowClan won't be as much of a threat without their experienced Medicine Cat." Thistlestar then padded over to the Highrock, and leapt up onto it, his fur still standing on end.
"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highrock for a clan meeting!" yowled Thistlestar. The clan gathered around to hear the words of their leader. "Two of our apprentices have captured the ShadowClan Medicine Cat, Yellowfang," Thistlestar announced, glaring sharply down at the dull gray she-cat. "She will be held hostage here in ThunderClan camp, and the apprentices who found her, Firepaw and Ravenpaw, will be looking after her while she is here in camp," Thistlestar continued, "And Ravenpaw will have primary care of the she-cat while his mentor, Mistyheart, is still ill. That is all I have to announce," Thistlestar growled, jumping down from the rock, his ears still pinned to his head.
Ravenpaw stared awkwardly down at his paws. Firepaw nudged his friend's shoulder with his nose, and gave him a sympathetic look. "Hey, I'll help you make her nest and hunt for her," Firepaw offered, trying to make things easier on them both for the first day.
"Thank you, Firepaw," mewed Ravenpaw uncomfortably, looking gratefully to the ginger tom.
The two gathered moss from Spottedleaf's den, Firepaw nervously sharing a few words with the beautiful, calm she-cat. They then build a nest for Yellowfang outside of the Elder's Den. Ravenpaw had volunteered to go out and catch something for the she-cat while Firepaw stayed back in camp to watch her, much to the discomfort of the ginger tom.
Firepaw stares intently at the old she-cat. Yellowfang licks her chest for a few minutes, and then begins staring back at Firepaw. "Kit, check me for ticks, mah pelt's been itchin'," Yellowfang commanded, her fluffy tail lashing impatiently. The ginger tom stood from his sitting position, slightly intimidated by the gray she-cat.
As he began to walk towards her, Firepaw saw Blindkit run up to the grumpy, old she-cat. "You smell weird," the little dark gray tom mewed bluntly, staring dully in her direction. Yellowfang's fur immediately stood on end when she saw the tiny tom, as though she was terrified of him. "Where did you come from?" he asked tilting his head slightly.
As it finally processed to her that the little tom was talking to her, Yellowfang's lip curled back, baring her cracked, yellow teeth, and she hissed out, "Get away from me, kit!" Her claws had become fully extended and her muscles tensed.
Blindkit stood still before her, completely unfazed by the she-cat's obvious displeasure at his presence. "Why?" he questioned, padding closer to the very obviously tense she-cat. "Thistlestar said you were a Medicine Cat, Spottedleaf won't teach me anything about herbs, no matter how much I ask. Will you tell me some of the herbs?" the little tom asked, Blindkit's eyes looked to be filled with hope.
Yellowfang stood quickly, her ears pinned to her head. "I told ya to get away, now ya'd best get away from me!" she screeched, the kit's close proximity to her obviously terrifying her. "I said go!" Yellowfang snapped, trying to scare the little tom off by swiping her claws close to his face, but not hitting him.
"What was that?" Blindkit asked confusedly. "I felt something near my face for a moment," the kit stated confused and slightly distressed.
Firepaw had seen enough and stood between Yellowfang and Blindkit. "Stop trying to chase him off. Blindkit didn't do anything wrong!" the ginger tom said, standing protectively between the old she-cat and the gray kitten.
The mention of what the kit's name was seemed to surprise Yellowfang, but, it seemed to also somewhat calm her down. "Fine, just, get him away. Don't forget to check for the fleas, kit," Yellowfang grumbled padding back over to the nest that had been made for her in the clearing. "Blindkit, eh, what a cruel name," the dull gray she-cat muttered to herself.
Relief flooded over Firepaw as Yellowfang flopped down into the nest. He turned to face Blindkit, giving the kit a sympathetic look. "Blindkit, you need to go back to Mossflower, I'm sure she's worried about you straying so far from the nursery alone," Firepaw mewed gently, nudging the kit with his nose, trying to goad him into heading back to the thistle bush.
"Okay, I just wanted to say hi," Blindkit murmured dejectedly, trudging back to the nursery with his tail limply dragging behind him.
Firepaw then spent the rest of the day checking Yellowfang for ticks, or trading places with Ravenpaw to go hunting while he checked her. He couldn't understand why the presence of a kit could scare a cat like Yellowfang.
