*~Hey yall heres the new chapter. Please more reviews, I know lots more people are reading this story. And just so you all know, there will be 13 more chapters after this, and then soon after I will begin the next book. And as always, the more reviews I get, the fast I post.~*

Thanks!

~Blaze~

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CHAPTER 23

Small flames still burned outside the cave entrance, as the smoke began to die away. Bright embers floated down the spiral of stones that lead to the base of the cave, one landing right in front of Jayfeather. The crimson light lit up his shining blue eyes, as he gazed into it, trying to sense it. He waited until the smoke and fire died down, to check if it was safe above.

Pulling himself to his feet, Jayfeather sniffed around the Moonpool. Most of the cats were sleeping, Hazeltail especially. In the middle of all the chaos, her kits began to come. Jayfeather did know what to do, but he prayed to StarClan nothing went wrong, he had none of the herbs with him. Luckily it went smooth, and the gray and white queen gave birth too three healthy kits.

He padded over to the queen, who was almost completely knocked out. Cinderheart had been able to find some thyme to help calm her down, it worked. Nestled under the young queens belly, were three small, mewling kits. The first was a golden-brown tom, that looked surprisingly identical to his father, Thornclaw. Hazeltail had chosen to name him Tinderkit, because his pelt was the same shade as tinder. The next kit was a tom, more identical to Hazeltail then anyone else. She had a dark gray pelt, that looked a bit like Cinderheart for some reason, her name was Emberkit. And finally the third kit was named Aspenkit, for her bright brown pelt, with bits of white mixed in. Jayfeather smiled at the kits, ad least they were healthy.

"How are my cousins?" a mew made him turn around. Cinderheart ran her tail along his pelt, as she walked over to the new ThunderClan cats.

"Fine" he answered, "They're healthy and strong. They'll make fine warriors one day". It was true, the kits already appeared to be larger than normal, perhaps it was Thornclaw's part of the family.

"Do you think the fires gone?" he could smell fear scent coming off of Cinderheart as she asked the question.

He shook his head, "I don't know, but there's only one way too find out" Jayfeather turned to the stepping stones.

The gray warrior padded after him, "I can't let you go alone, its dangerous" she treated him like a kit in the nursery, but Jayfeather didn't mind.

Cinderheart was really his only friend in ThunderClan, other than Lionblaze and Hollyleaf. Lionblaze, Hollyleaf. His siblings had to be safe, they were on the island with all the other clans, they were fine. And Burningpaw, the young apprentice was surely fine.

"Are we going?" the sharp mew of Cinderheart jolted him alert, as she pushed him with her paw.

He rolled his eyes, she could be so impatient sometimes.

"Lets go then" he breathed a sigh of relief, as there was no nearby scent of smoke. As the two gray cats walked gracefully along the spiral stones, Cinderheart rested her tail on the medicine cats shoulder. Jayfeather felt hot with embarassment, what was she doing? The stone was covered in ashes, probably from the tree above, the leaves were all scorched off, leaving dry, gray cinders on the forest floor. The first sight of dawn flooded through the entrance, as Cinderheart went ahead, and peaked her gray head out. Cautiously the she-cat glanced back and forth, and motioned to him that it was safe to follow.

Jayfeather felt breathless, as he walked out of the Moonpool, and stepped into the forest. It could barely be called a forest. He couldn't see it of course, but the smell was what made his breath run short. There were no smells except burnt trees, and fire. Not even a single scent of flowers, or prey, or even a leaf!

"StarClan no" Cinderheart let out a faint gasp.

Jayfeather tried to imagine the scene, ash covered forest, the leaves and ferns burnt to a crisp.

"What are we going to do Jayfeather? A clan can't survive in a forest like this!" the she-cat shook her head in sorrow, pressing her muzzle into his dark gray fur.

Jayfeather buried his nose into her soft pelt and whispered, "I don't know, I just don't know".

* * *

"Copperkit stop it right now!" Daisy scolded her young kit, batting him aside lightly.

The golden tom was prodding at Hazeltail's new kits, as if they were a dead mouse. Jayfeather sighed, this was going to be a long journey. After checking out the forest, he had decided it was best for them all to try and return to the island, that was the most likely place to find the rest of ThunderClan.

"I don't think I can go" the gray and white queen mewed, "My kits are only a few hours old, will they make it?". Hazeltail had a point, the kits were extremely young to be leaving safety, but they had no other choice.

"Im sure they'll be fine" he reassured the new mother, "We'll get cats too carry them". For a moment, Jayfeather thought the queen was going to object, but she nodded in agreement, pushing her kits closer to her belly.

Jayfeather gazed across the cave, checking to see if everybody was ready to go. Daisy was herding her kits together, as they ran in all different directions. Ferncloud and Poppyfrost were helping Honeyfern and Hazeltail with there kits. On the other side of the cave, near the pool, Graystripe sat, talking with his daughter. Briarpelt didn't look the least bit scared, but boldly puffed out her chest. And the last cat, Berrynose was giving his son Juniperkit a quick lick. Looks like everyone's ready, Jayfeather nodded, preparing for the journey to the island.

"My kit!" a voice shrieked, before Jayfeather could even speak. The cream pelt of Daisy was looking wildly around the cave, searching for something. "Violetkit's gone! She was here last night when I went too sleep!" the queen cried out as her pelt began to bristle.

Honeyfern darted to the queens side, licking her pelt too calm her down.

"She couldn't have gone far" Cinderheart meowed, we can send a search patrol before we leave.

Jayfeather sighed, great, that kit just had to wander off in the middle of all this! Kits are crazy.

"Jayfeather?" Cinderheart mewed, "Can we send a patrol to look for Violetkit?".

His friends question rang in his dark gray ears, what kind of Medicine Cat would he be if he left an innocent kit alone out there. "Of course" he meowed, "Cinderheart, Graystripe and I will search for Violetkit. Poppyfrost and Briarpelt guard the kits".

The warriors nodded, as Daisy padded up to him. "Please find her" she mewed, her eyes watering from sorrow. The emotions coming from the queen were overpowering, it almost was too much for him.

"I'll bring her back safely" the medicine cat nodded with certainty, as he followed Cinderheart towards the exit.

Jayfeather could still smell the faint scent of the kit, she had left not too long before he awoke. Violetkit was a smart but reckless kit, she could have gotten stuck in a badger set, or even worse, a fire. The cave entrance appeared above him, dawn light flooding through. Golden sunlight drifted through the trees, allowing more light than usual in, there were no leafs to block the rays anymore. Graystripe leapt up, following Cinderheart through the ash covered forest. The gray Medicine Cat followed, taking in the air as he searched for the kits scent. It was almost impossible to distinguish the different smells coming from the forest, it was covered in left over smoke, and light gray ash.

"Anything?" Cinderheart was sniffing the air also, as she turned to the Medicine Cat.

He shook his head, "No. Its too hard to distinguish her scent from everything else. We'll have to go further". Trying to focus his senses, Jayfeather traveled towards WindClan camp, it was the most likely place the kit would have gone. Soft fur rubbed up against his pelt, as a voice spoke in his ear.

"What are we going to do?" Cinderheart was shaking from fear.

"Do about what?" he didn't know what his friend meant.

The gray warrior sighed, "About everything! Our home is destroyed Jayfeather, we can't rebuild our camp from nothing! We can't just live on the island forever, and there is most likely no more prey left in the forest, its all either dead or it fled."

It was all true, the clans couldn't survive on dead territory. The last fire too hit the forest was a few moons ago, when he was still an apprentice. That had only been on ThunderClan, but it didn't destroy the whole territory. "I don't know" he confessed, "We'll do whatever it takes too survive. Thats what we've always done".

The she-cat shook her head, he could feel overwhelming emotions radiating from her, it was complete sadness and horror.

"I have something!" a yell came a few tail lengths in front of them. Graystripe was sniffing the ground, as Jayfeather and Cinderheart ran too join him.

The senior warrior showed Cinderheart something, Jayfeather waited as the she-cat examined whatever he found.

"Come over here" she motioned for him to join. They were peering below, behind a bush.

"What are they?" he asked, did they think he could see?

"Footprints" the gray and white warrior answered, bending down to sniff the prints.

"They're Violetkits" Cinderheart meowed, "The tracks are way too small too be a warriors, and I think I can smell her scent!".

He could smell it too, it was faint, but the kit had definitely came this way. Cinderheart led the patrol through the burnt forest, Jayfeather and Graystripe following closely behind. As Jayfeather searched for the kit, his mind wandered back to the last time he visited StarClan. Bluestar and Yellowfang had revealed that Lionblaze should be deputy, and then Sandstorm. He couldn't quite place it, but something seemed wrong about the two omens. Why would StarClan choose two deputies for ThunderClan? It didn't make sense, but as everything else involving StarClan, he would have to wait for another sign. The wind shifted, blowing ash across the sky. Light was shining, as the Sun rose higher in the sky. As the wind direction changed, a scent blew under his nose, making his fur bristle. It was a cats scent, not a clan cat, but for some reason Jayfeather had smelled it before.

"Get away from her!" a growl came from Cinderheart. The gray she-cat sped forward as a hiss came from an unknown cat. Violetkit was on the ground, her small black body laying lifeless. Jayfeather could hear pads running swiftly away, and faded into nothing.

"No!" Cinderheart raced to the kits body, fear scent coming off of her pelt. Jayfeather bent down to examine her, the tiny kit was dead.

"What killed her?" the mew of Graystripe came from next to him.

It appeared that a slight gash was slit across Violetkit's throat, dry blood was on her pelt. "She was murdered" he told the two silently, his throat felt like a rock was stuck in it, he could barely talk. Jayfeather had promised Daisy he would bring her cat back safely, how was he going to face the queen now?

"Who was that cat?" he asked Cinderheart, the mysterious tom's scent still lingering.

"I dont know, just a black cat" she answered, "But he was the one that killed Violetkit, I just know it. That piece of Fox-dung was standing over her like she was prey" Cinderheart cursed the tom, a tear falling from her blue eyes. Jayfeather pulled himself up, not able to be around the kits body. "Whoever he was" Cinderheart growled, "I will find him, and get revenge for Violetkit".

The second he heard her voice, Jayfeather knew Cinderheart was serious, she was a bit scary. Some cats deserve to die, he meowed in his mind, that cat should watch his back. A rustle moved behind the group, coming from a bush. He ducked down, was the cat back?

"Its the black cat!" Cinderheart yelled, throwing herself into the bush. The two cats tussled, as Jayfeather realized it wasn't the same cat. Hollyleaf, his sisters scent flooded around him, as did his brothers.

"Cinderheart stop" Jayfeather grabbed the she-cats scruff, pulling her off Hollyleaf.

"What are you doing?" she growled furiously, her sapphire blue eyes burning with fury.

Jayfeather waved his tail at Hollyleaf, "Its the rest of ThunderClan, not the black cat" he explained soothingly to her.

Cinderheart tilted her head in confusion, as his sister gave her a dirty look with her green gaze. "Im sorry" she mewed quietly, turning away and lowering her head.

"Its fine" Hollyleaf hissed, padding forward, "Im just glad you're alive. We thought the whole clan was dead, it was totally scorched when we got there".

He could just imagine the scene, but forced it out of his mind. "Lionblaze is that you?" he asked into the cats, he could also smell WindClan, and another scent.

"Im here" his brothers calm voice meowed, "And so Is Breezepelt and Crowfeather, and Midnight".

Midnight? The badger?

"Hello young healer" a voice came from his side, it was a badger.

"You're the one in my dream, you're the badger that guided us too the lake home aren't you?" he asked excitedly, he had always wanted to meet the legendary badger.

She nodded, "Yes, long way I travel to save cats. But no time for talk, clans in danger they are".

Right, we need to make it too the Island.

"There are others right, you arent the only ones?" Hollyleaf meowed, gazing across the three of them

. "No, Poppyfrost, Honeyfern, Hazeltail, Ferncloud, Daisy and Thistlepaw are at the Moonpool. They're safe and so are the kits" he told his sister, his sightless gaze drifting to the small body behind him.

The golden body of his brother shuffled, "What about Dustpelt?".

Jayfeather only shook his head, it was enough to tell them he didn't make it.

"Lets head back too the Moonpool, And then the Island." A fear scent came from his sister, was she worried about her Clan-mates? "I have something to tell them" she meowed, "Something that could either save us, or destroy us" Hollyleaf stared at her brother, her green eyes hiding a dark secret.

Jayfeather knew instantly, that it was bad. What was his sister hiding?