Is it too late to say that real life has caught up with me? I know it's been a while, and for those of you still reading, thank you! I'll get around to answering reviews and thanking people for real in a different chapter. If you want the truth, posting a story is draining. You got a whole lot written only to have to go through it piece by piece and it's even more hellish if I didn't label it by chapter and I've been trying to give you all enough to work with and it's just... a lot. But I'm still going to do it despite life dragging me along. I had actually planned to post yesterday, but then my school had a power outage so you can imagine how that dashed all plans. Anyway, if you all could do me a huge favor (if you're still interested) and shoot me a review that reminds me to update (and maybe something you liked about the chapter) that would be way easier to go with. It's not required, but it would be helpful. Anyway, I hope you keep enjoying what I'm cranking out!


Chapter Nine

"Remember when you said that there absolutely had to be four Clans in the forest, no exceptions?"

Bluestar snorted at her former apprentice, eyes light. The prey was returning, slowly but surely, and nothing could spoil her mood. Sandstorm and Dustpelt had found out about RiverClan half a moon into Fireheart's expedition, and they started taking the youngest warriors as a set of extra paws. This went on for a moon, everyone doing their part to make sure things ran smoothly. The group went in shifts, two or three cats per night, and they kept RiverClan on a surprisingly ShadowClan-like schedule of nocturnal hunting. They taught hunting crouches and set the water-trained warriors to chase their prey into their Clanmates' waiting paws. All in all, the mission was a success. And by the time Bluestar found out, the RiverClan warriors were back in their own camp and no longer worrying about the floods.
They would still have to hunt outside the territory, but they could sustain themselves now.

"And this was your solution to such a problem?"

"We couldn't let them starve!" Brackenheart insisted.

"And we hunted outside the territory."

"We even managed to catch enough extra to make up our own fresh-kill pile." Dustpelt added reasonably.

"You lied." Tigerclaw growled.

"We kept secrets." Sandstorm scoffed. Don't act like you've never done that before, Tigerclaw." Fireheart's mate sneered.

"We weren't trying to deceive anyone, and we made sure that the prey we caught never set paw on ThunderClan territory." Brightstorm offered.

"There are far too many of you to reasonably punish." Bluestar grumbled. "Clever ruse, all of you. You're dismissed."

"Bluestar-." Tigerclaw objected.

"If you want the headache of figuring out patrols and finding things for them all to do, then go ahead. I'll have nothing of it."

And that was that. Fireheart recalled easily when he and Greystripe had actually used their own Clan's prey to sustain RiverClan. They'd been forced to act as apprentices, with Longtail, of all cats, as their "mentor."

Fireheart shook himself out.

This is a new life, remember?

He'd never be Firepaw again. He'd probably never see Greystripe or Ravenpaw again. He was closer to Dustpelt and Brackenheart than ever before, and Tigerclaw's imminent betrayal wouldn't be Bluestar's downfall.

Things would be different. He was seeing to it.


The river might be going down, but it was nowhere near what ThunderClan was comfortable with. Just because RiverClan had their camp back didn't mean that everything was okay. The Gathering was tonight, so Bluestar sent out patrols every at sunrise and halfway to sunhigh to check the water levels at the river. The grey queen called the ginger tom over to where she sat with her dark brown tabby deputy.

"Tigerclaw is going to lead a patrol up to Fourtrees," Bluestar went on before Fireheart could respond. "The moon is full, and we need to know if we can make it to the Gathering. Tigerclaw, will you take Fireheart with you?"

Fireheart couldn't interpret the gleam in the deputy's amber eyes. He didn't look pleased, he rarely did, ever since Greystripe had challenged him, but there was a certain dark satisfaction, as if he would enjoy putting Fireheart through his paces.

"He can come," Tigerclaw meowed. "But if he puts a paw wrong, I'll want to know the reason why." His dark coat rippled as he heaved himself to his paws. "I'll find another cat to go with us."

Fireheart watched him as he strode across the clearing and disappeared into the warriors' den.

"This will be an important Gathering," murmured Bluestar beside him. "We need to find out how the other Clans are coping with the floods. It's important for our Clan to be there."

"We'll find a way, Bluestar," Fireheart assured her.

His confidence drained rapidly away a moment later when he saw Tigerclaw reappear from the den. The cat who followed him out was Longtail. It looked as if Tigerclaw had chosen the third member of the patrol deliberately to disadvantage Fireheart.

Fireheart felt a hard lump of apprehension in his stomach. He wasn't sure that he wanted to go out alone with Tigerclaw and Longtail. For a moment, fearful pictures of the two cats turning on him in the depths of the forest and murdering him whirled through Fireheart's mind. Then he shook himself. He was scaring himself like a kit listening to some elder's tale.

No doubt Tigerclaw would make unreasonable demands of him, and Longtail would enjoy every moment, but Fireheart wasn't afraid of being challenged. He'd been through far worse than anything Longtail could throw at him.


Saying a respectful goodbye to Bluestar, he raced across the clearing and followed the other two out of the camp. The sun rose higher as the cats journeyed through the forest toward Fourtrees. The ferns were weighted with glittering drops of dew that clung to Fireheart's fur as he brushed past. Birds sang, and branches rustled with freshly opened leaves. Newleaf had really come at last. As he padded after Tigerclaw, Fireheart was distracted by tempting movements in the undergrowth as prey scurried to and fro. After a while the deputy let them stop and hunt for themselves.

He's in a surprisingly good mood, all things considered. Fireheart thought. Perhaps he's anticipating the birth of his kits?

He was relaxed enough to acknowledge the flame-pelted warrior as he pounced on a particularly speedy vole. Longtail kept his unfriendly comments to himself. As they trekked on, Fireheart's stomach was warm and full, from the vole and Tigerclaw's praise.

On a day like this, he couldn't help feeling optimistic, sure that they'd have good news to take back to Bluestar.

Then they reached the top of a slope and looked down toward the stream that crossed ThunderClan territory, separating them from Fourtrees. Tigerclaw let out a long, soft hiss, and Longtail yowled in dismay. Fireheart shared their exasperation. Usually, the stream was shallow enough for cats to cross easily, keeping their paws dry by leaping from rock to rock. Now the water had spread into a glistening sheet on either side, while the current churned swiftly along the original course of the stream.

"Fancy crossing that?" spat Longtail.

Without a word, Tigerclaw began padding upstream, following the edge of the floodwater toward the Thunderpath. The land sloped gently upward, and before long, Fireheart could see that the shining surface was broken by tussocks of grass and clumps of bracken poking above the water.

"This isn't as deep as when Whitestorm last reported," Tigerclaw noticed. "We'll try to cross here."

Fireheart wasn't sure the water would be shallow enough, but he kept that to himself, and quietly followed Tigerclaw into the flood. He couldn't help noticing that Longtail's ears twitched nervously as he splashed in beside them. The water bit with cold as it lapped at Fireheart's legs. He picked his way carefully, tracing a zigzag course toward the nearest bank of the stream by springing from one clump of grass to the next. Drops of water glittered in the sunlight as he splashed forward.

A frog wriggled out from under his paws, almost making him lose his balance, but he righted himself by sinking his claws heavily into a waterlogged tussock. In front of him, the current was brown where it had stirred up mud from the streambed. It was much too wide for a cat to leap, and the stepping-stones were completely submerged.

I hope Tigerclaw doesn't expect us to swim, Fireheart thought with a wince. Even as the words went through his mind, he heard Tigerclaw's yowl from farther upstream.

"Come here! Look at this!" Fireheart splashed toward him. The deputy, with Longtail beside him, was standing at the edge of the stream. A branch was lodged in front of them, swept into place by the current so that it stretched from one bank to the other.

"Just what we need," Tigerclaw grunted in satisfaction. "Fireheart, check that it's safe, will you?" Fireheart gazed doubtfully at the branch. It was much thinner than the fallen tree that he had used to cross to RiverClan's territory. Twigs poked out in all directions, still with dead leaves dangling from them. Every few moments the whole branch gave a slight jerk, as if the current wanted to sweep it away again. With any other senior warrior, or even Bluestar, Fireheart would have discussed how safe the branch was before he set paw on it. But no cat questioned an order from Tigerclaw.

"Scared, kittypet?" Longtail taunted.

"He's been a member of ThunderClan for exactly six moons less than you have, you blubbering idiot!" Tigerclaw snapped. "I have no patience for the words of a cat who knows not what they speak." The deputy growled.

Fireheart blinked, surprised, but rolled his eyes and focused on the log. Gritting his teeth, he stepped onto the end of the branch. Immediately it sagged under his paws, and he dug his claws in, fighting for balance. He could see brown water racing a mouse-length below, and for a few heartbeats he thought he would plunge straight into it. Then he steadied himself. He began to crawl forward cautiously, placing his paws in a straight line one after the other. The slender branch bounced under his weight with every step. Twigs caught in his fur, threatening his balance.

"We'll never get to the Gathering like this!" Fireheart called back. Gradually he drew closer to the middle of the stream, where the current was strongest. The branch thinned until it was barely as thick as his tail, making it harder to find a pawhold. Pausing, Fireheart measured the distance left; was he close enough to leap safely yet? Then the branch lurched under him. Instinctively he gripped tighter with his claws.

"Fireheart! Get back!" He heard Longtail yowl. For a heartbeat Fireheart swayed precariously. The branch lurched again and suddenly it was free, racing along with the surging water. Fireheart slipped sideways and thought he heard Tigerclaw yowl once more as the waves closed over his head.

Not again! Fireheart wanted to wail as he plunged into the stream. Good thing he managed to keep one clawhold on the branch. He felt as though he were fighting a spiky wooden enemy, twigs that lashed at him and raked through his fur while his breath bubbled into the dark water.

His head broke the surface briefly, but before he could gasp in air the branch twisted and rolled him under again. Terror made him strangely calm, as if time had slowed down. Part of felt like letting go and fighting his way to the surface, but he knew that if he did that he would lead to certain death. The current was far too strong to swim.

StarClan help me! he howled internally.

His senses were just beginning to ebb into a tempting darkness when the branch rolled over again and brought him back to the surface. Choking and spitting he clung to it, with water churning along on either side of him. That was when Fireheart realized that he couldn't see the bank. He tried to haul himself farther out of the water, but his sodden fur was too heavy and his limbs grew stiff with cold.

Just as he was about to let go, something brought the branch to a jarring stop. It shuddered along its whole length, almost throwing Fireheart off. As he clung on desperately, he heard a cat screech his name. Twisting his head, he saw that the other end of the branch was jammed against a rock that jutted out into the stream. Longtail was crouched on the rock, leaning down toward him.

"Move!" The tan tabby tom growled.

With his last drop of energy, Fireheart scrambled along the length of the branch. Twigs whipped across his face. He felt the branch lurch again and flung himself at the rock, his front paws scraping at it while his hind legs thrust through the water. His paws had barely touched stone when the branch was swept away from underneath him. For a heartbeat Fireheart thought he would follow it. The rock was smooth so there was no purchase for his paws.

Then Longtail reached down and Fireheart felt his teeth meet in the scruff of his neck. With the other cat's help he managed to claw his way upward until he was crouching on the top of the rock. Shivering, he coughed up several mouthfuls of stream water before he looked up.

"Thanks, Longtail," he gasped. The warrior's face was expressionless.

"It was nothing."

The deputy raced over from behind the rock.

"Are you hurt?" Tigerclaw demanded. "Can you walk?" Shakily, Fireheart pushed himself to his paws. Water streamed off his coat as he shook himself out.

"Fine." The ginger tom stammered. He gave a rapid sniff down the length of his body.

"Back to camp for you," The deputy ordered. "In fact, we'll all go back. No cat can get across that water; you've proved that, if nothing else." Fireheart nodded and wordlessly followed the deputy back into the forest. Colder and more tired than he could ever remember being before, he wanted nothing more than to curl up and sleep in a patch of sunlight.