AN: Ain't got much to say, so enjoy :)

Racing towards the Gustclan camp with Heronlegs and Batear beside her, Snowpaw had a moment of wondering if she had completely lost her mind. The fire was raging, and they were running right for it. More than once they had to dart around the squealing, frightened sheep. There was a primal fear in her chest as the smoke smell filled her nose and the heat wafted across her fur. Instinct told her to flee, and yet, she kept running anyway.

The she-cat panted as she ran, and her muscles strained. She had no idea how the Gustclan cats ran up and down these hills all day.

They were getting closer to the camp. The fire was on top of it now. Heronlegs led the trio around in a curve to avoid the flames.

Batear perked up his ears. "I hear cats." A few beats later, Snowpaw heard them too. Terrified wails and desperate yowls. She looked around, trying to spot them. Through the smoke, she saw shapes the next hill over.

Four or five cats were silhouetted against the black sky. Heronlegs spotted them too and called out to them. They didn't respond, but just turned away and vanished over the hill. Nobody had time to reflect on the oddness of this behaviour, because shortly after a small cat, likely an apprentice, came bolting up to them from the direction of the camp.

The tabby tom's long fur was standing on end and smoke stained. The fear scent was rolling off him in waves; almost paralyzing by proxy. "Fieldclan!" He cried, sounding deeply relieved. "You have to help us! There are cats trapped in camp and we can't-" He broke off with a hacking cough.

"That's alright." Heronlegs said when he tried to splutter through the rest of his explanation. "We'll do what we can." She indicated with her head for him to lead the way and the Fieldclan cats followed him as he loped back towards his camp.

The fire crackled menacingly like the lightning in the sky above as they reached the entrance to the camp. The heat coming off the camp in the ditch below was awful. Snowpaw felt like her whiskers were being singed off just looking at it through squinting eyes. The flames were dangerously close. Everything in her body told her she shouldn't be here right now. It looked like the flames weren't coming this way yet at least; they were busy consuming the stand of pine trees next to the camp.

"This won't be safe for long, we need to get everyone out of here!" Finchstar's voice sounded over the roar of the fire and the storm. Her black and white pelt was wet from the rain falling (quite pointlessly at this stage) and dirty from the smoke. It looked burnt on one side too, yet Snowpaw couldn't see any wound on the she-cat herself. She was trying to urge those of her clan gathered to keep moving.

When she spotted the Fieldclan cats, her mask of calm leadership nearly broke. "Thank Starclan…" She cried, padding urgently over to Heronlegs. There are cats still inside. Most of the clan was out when it came… We don't have anyone in any state to go in." Looking around Snowpaw could see it was true. Finchstar looked to be the cat in the best condition there. Bramblepaw was coughing, as were the several other cats. A queen had her two kits wrapped under her tail, trying to reassure them as they trembled. A warrior was walking gingerly on burnt paws, trying to rouse a listless elder. One was lying still. Snowpaw wasn't sure if the old cat was even alive.

Heronlegs looked back at Batear and Snowpaw. They both nodded. They were ready as they were ever going to be. "We'll have a look for you. Another patrol should be on the way. They'll help you… Get down and away from this fire as fast as you can!" There was no time for further reassurances.

"Good winds bless you." Finchstar mewed, moving to try and get her clan going again.

Heronlegs led the way into the flames.

Inside, it was blisteringly hot, dancing blaze licking the short walls of the ditch; most of the den areas were on fire. The center of camp, lacking vegetation, and the entrance they had come through, was really the only area still clear. Smoke hung thick in the air as the fire ate away at the shrubbery, tussock and pines that provided the camp with shelter.

"Let's not get ourselves killed here." Heronlegs said. "Search the den areas safely as possible. I won't have either of you dying for another clan." The cats then spread out. Batear turned his head slowly, listening intently to see if he could pick up any cries for help. Heronlegs moved off to one side, so Snowpaw went the opposite way, hissing as a flaming branch from the pines above fell down in front of her. She danced around it, moving towards a den site.

The top of the sheltering bushes had just caught flame. A large branch from the pine on fire had fallen through. She only had moments to peer inside and check. It was a very large den. Possibly the warriors… She heard a cough.

There, at the very back, stuck with a rear paw under the log that had collapsed behind her, was a pale red she-cat. "Help!" She cried in a weak, scratchy voice as she spotted Snowpaw, her eyes so wide they seemed to take up most of her head. She had to be in a lot of pain.

"Heronlegs, Batear!" Snowpaw yowled at the top of her voice. The two older cats were at her side in seconds. Along with a mysterious third individual.

"Rockfang!" The warrior knew him obviously.

The dark grey tom was quick to her side, pushing at the log with his front paws. "It's okay Goldwind, we'll get you out of this!" Snowpaw and the other Fieldclan cats were quick to start pushing at the branch too. While it wasn't ablaze, it was burning hot and coal-like. She could feel her paws shrieking in pain as protest, but she kept pushing, gritting her teeth.

They needed get it off this cat as quickly as possible, or they'd all be done for! Hot ash fell against Snowpaw's pelt. She felt like she was going to be set alight any second!

With one last great heave, just as Heronlegs looked like she was about to make the call to abandon the cat for their own sake, the branch was shifted enough for Goldwind to slip her paw out from under it. Rockfang practically dragged her out by the scruff as top of the den started to cave in, broken down by the fire.

Snowpaw's tail just cleared the exist as the den collapsed into a blazing pile. She was panting, causing her to cough as the smoke irritated her throat.

"We need to go." Heronlegs stated the obvious. "I found a dead elder, I'm afraid." She told the two Gustclan cats. There was a white cat laying motionless in the clearing by the exit. Heronlegs must have dragged her that far before Snowpaw called her.

"Lakeeye…" Goldwind said sadly. She was holding her back paw up. It looked badly hurt.

'I'll bring her. Go!" Heronlegs ordered. The Gustclan cats didn't have to be told twice. Rockfang led his injured clanmate out of the destroyed ditch that was once their camp. Batear helped Heronlegs pull the elder's body out. Snowpaw found herself looking back one last time as she escaped.

These poor cats... they'd lost everything.