Preface

Happy Easter everyone ahead of time, although I'll probably update AGAIN this weekened. I stayed up late last night to bring you guys chapter 8. Some more chapters will be just as graphic, but I'll try not to make it worse. XP I should really change the genre of this to 'tragedy,' you'll understand after chapter 10. I didn't want to kill Treepaw, because a few others that Firepaw has come to know die, but... important part of the story, so whatever. D:

Thank you so much to: Shadowave, Luminous Snow, LittleSpark, Leafpool407, Darksoul2Firestar'sKiller, and Kitty-flower. You guys rock!

Farewell

Firepaw woke again to feel Whisp pressing up against her. She sat up, feeling wretched as her memories of Treepaw came back. Her stomach still felt sick, but she didn't think she would faint again. Whisp stirred. "Are you all right? They should be coming to take us to the Fire Path soon. Do you think you'll be able to walk?"

The ginger she-cat stood up and stretched until her limbs quivered, and then flinched when she pulled at the gash that was healing along her hindleg. She inspected herself, finding that she had ripped open her flank again, and dried blood was crusting around it. "I'm okay," she meowed as she began to gently wash her side. Whisp watched silently. At last Firepaw couldn't bear it anymore. "What happened to Treepaw then?" she whispered.

Whip dropped her gaze and shook her head. "Firepaw...I don't think you want to know." The ginger and black she cat shuddered.

Firepaw bit her lip as her belly growled loudly, and looked guiltily at the half-dead she-cat crouched in the corner, wondering if she even had a right to say she was hungry. Whisp caught her gaze again. "It's all right, Firepaw. It will be okay. At the auction, I'll look after you."

"Thanks," Firepaw sighed, sitting down again and beginning to groom her pelt just to occupy herself. "But I don't need looking after. Besides, we'll be split up, won't we?"

Before Whisp could reply, a wild snarl came from a gray tabby she-cat in a cage behind them. Her eyes were wild and crazed. "Split up? After you get mated, those toms go wild and you'll be lucky if you ever see daylight again! I've known toms to hole up their she-cats and feed them nothing but crowfood. Their only lives is bringing pleasure to those bastards!"

Firepaw backed away, shaking. Was that really the life she was heading for? The bitter reality of the cat's words were sinking in. Probably. Whisp growled and muttered, "Don't terrify the young cats. Some she-cats are also used for hunting and fed extra of whatever they catch."

The gray she-cat retorted sharply, "Woe to those who are optimistic in the face of-"

But she never finished her silly proverb because Firepaw whirled around and drew back her lip. "Woe to those who give up when they still have breath to give! I'm a ThunderClan warrior and I won't give up until I've breathed my last breath!"

Whisp nodded. "Well said."

The gray tabby rolled her eyes and turned around. "With an attitude like that, you'll be murdered in no time,"

"My attitude is wrong?" Firepaw turned to Whisp. "I actaully feel kind of sorry for her. She's totally given up on life. Waiting to be sold and then die." She hung her head. What if that's all I have to look forward too?

Whisp nodded again, looking proud of Firepaw. Sometimes the ginger and black she-cat reminded her of her mother. With a pang of loss, she remembered the times she had fallen out with her mother, and then tentatively padded back to apologize. Juniperleaf had been so forgiving, and never held a grudge. She remembered the pride in her eyes when she had caught her first prey at only three moons, and the envy in Kestrelpaw's.

They had always loved playing together, and were both overjoyed when Treepaw and Winterpaw left the nursery as well and joined them in the apprentices den. And that had been around the same time that Gingerpelt and Tigerstripe had become warriors. Firepaw couldn't help a sad sigh as she reflected on her nine moons of life. She realized what a short time that really was. Whisp too, seemed lost in her memories.

Did she wonder if her brother was looking for her? Firepaw was almost certain her Clan mates would come looking for her. But she was also almost certain they'd never find her. Treepaw would've known what they were doing. As she thought again of the gentle tabby she-cat, she flinched. Poor, poor Treepaw. But at least she died now instead of going through seasons of torture that was probably Firepaw's future.

About that time, voices once again came down the entrance tunnel, and Purnak emerged, his one white paw seeming to almost sparkle in the darkness of what was probably night time. Although the light changed sometimes, Firepaw never really knew what time of day it was. "Wake up she-cats! We're moving out for the Fire Path!" his growl echoed around the hard stone cave. The tabby rogue whom Firepaw still did not know the name of was there, the orange tom who had tortured her, the ginger tabby too, followed him. Two others pressed up eagerly. Purnak flicked his tail and they split up, heading for the cages.

One of the toms Firepaw didn't recognize, a gray tom whose fur was matted and smelled like bile came to her cage and flicked the latch open. "Get out, you!" he growled. He reached his paw in at her and Firepaw swiped at it with claws unsheathed. He jerked back with a cry of pain and staggered into Purnak who was opening the cage beside theirs. The black tom whirled around and with a snarl, knocked him over and he went sprawling.

"On your feet, Slug!" he snarled. Slug sat up shaking his head dazedly as Purnak whirled on Firepaw, who shrunk under his murderous gaze. "If you know what's good for you, you will behave, our I'll make the rest of your life hell!"

Whisp murmured to Firepaw as they padded out of the cage, "Be careful what you do, young one." Firepaw only shrugged. It felt so good to be off of the terrible mesh of the cage, even though the ground was hard and cold, nothing like the soft, grassy soil of the forest, or the prickly needles underpaw in the pines. The she-cat that had always crouched in the back followed them, every movement painful. As they gathered by the entrance, the scrawny she-cat stumbled and fell. Firepaw turned quickly to help her up, but her legs couldn't support her. Purnak slunk up behind them, and glowering at Firepaw, rasied one massive paw and...

Crack!

Firepaw leaped sideways as the thin she-cats spine snapped with a sickening crack. A loud shreik and she crashed to the ground, lying lifeless at her paws. The ginger she-cat glared at Purnak. "What was that for?! I could have helped her!"

She flinched back as Purnak shoved his face close to hers, his lip drawn back to show his teeth. "There is no room for weakness here." Firepaw jerked her gaze away and caught up to Whisp, shuddering. What kind of cat could do that to someone else? Something like grief stirred in her, grief for all that was lost for every she-cat's family who would never see their beloved family member again. Whisp glanced back at her sympathetically.

Firepaw stayed in line as the she-cats trekked up and out of the tunnels, and once outside of the she-cats' tunnel a large group of toms joined them, herding the captives along. A breath of fresh air filled Firepaw's lungs as they began the climb out of the depressing tunnel, and once out in the air, in the light, Firepaw could have thrown back her head and yowled. But she stayed in line behind Whisp.

Not four foxlengths down the hard, gray path, a body lay strewn on the ground, and although she tried not to look at it, Firepaw glanced sideways as she went by. Maggots were squirming through it, and her stomach churned. Then she realized just who it was. There was only one eye, the other torn out with claw marks running down what must have been its face. No. Treepaw! Firepaw stopped walking suddenly. The she-cat behind her slammed into her rear, making Firepaw stumble.

The lean gray tom nearest to her let out a snarl, jerking her up onto her paws. Firepaw pressed up against Whisp, trembling as they continued on their walk. Just before they rounded a bend, Firepaw glanced back at Treepaw's body. Only a few trees of the forest could be seen from here.

"Farewell to the forest," she murmured. "And farewell, Treepaw. My friend."