Firepaw padded into camp, a plump squirrel in her jaws. Brightwing padded through the thorn tunnel after her, then nodded approvingly as she placed it on the fresh-kill pile. Froststar padded over, her eyes dark. "Firepaw, Brightwing."
"What is it?" Brightwing asked.
"There's been another murder. Look, this time it was Willowkit. If this goes on any longer, we won't have a clan anymore."
Firepaw gasped in horror, and Brightwing dug unsheathed claws into the ground.
"And Firepaw, I want to see you in my den." Firepaw opened her jaws to protest, but her mother cut her off abruptly, and her blue eyes were horrified. "Now. Come on." Firepaw shot a glance at the worried Brightwing before padding after the white leader into her den.
"What is it?"
"Firepaw, did you kill Willowkit?"
"What? No!" Firepaw's heart twinged at the fact that her mother could think that she had killed an innocent kit. "I would never do that, honestly."
Froststar looked hesitant. "Then how come all you brought back was the squirrel?"
Firepaw sighed in relief. "No, I buried the rest behind a bush. Really, do you think I could do such a thing?"
Froststar purred. "I didn't want to believe it."
oO0Oo
Firepaw padded to Willowkit's limp pale gray body, staring sadly down at it. She felt that she could have stopped this young kit's death. Even if she didn't know Willowkit well enough, her death meant a lot to the clan. Now, they knew that both Willowkit's and Blossomshade's deaths weren't accidents; they were murders.
Four cats were already there. Blueshadow and Shadekit, obviously, stood grieving over the dead she-kit. They were her mother and sister, respectively, and both looked upset. Firepaw's heart sank to her paws as she saw Froststar pad out of her den to stare at Willowkit.
Heartbeats later, Froststar leaped onto the Highledge. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highledge for a clan meeting!"
"Why?" Heatherpaw whispered to Firepaw, and she shrugged, but she padded to the Highledge anyway.
"I realize that ThunderClan is in dire need of more warriors," Froststar mewed. "I know that my kits have not yet completed their warrior training, but I wish for their mentors to speed it up. I want their final assessment to be in the next two moons."
Two moons! Firepaw's heart soared, and she watched eagerly as Brightwing nodded.
"It shall be done."
oO0Oo
Firepaw hissed in frustration, her sheathed claws striking nothing. "Mouse-dung!"
Brightwing cuffed her around her ear. "Come on, Firepaw. I know you can do better than that! If you want to be a warrior soon, you'll have to show it!"
"I'm trying!" Firepaw snapped.
"Well, clearly, it's not enough," Brightwing growled. Then, she sniffed the air, and her eyes widened in alarm. Firepaw sniffed the air as well, and met her mentor's gaze with horror.
"Brightwing! What are WindClan doing on our territory?"
Brightwing growled, lashing her tail.
"Do you mean, what are you doing on our territory?" an insolent growl returned smoothly, and Firepaw saw at least five WindClan warriors pad out of a bush. Brightwing got into a defensive stance, and turned her head slightly to mew to Firepaw.
"Go get help. Now."
Firepaw nodded, turning to dash away, through the trees, but a weight landed on her from behind, and she yowled in pain. Rolling over, she swiped her unsheathed claws at the tom's face, and he drew back, but not before her claws raked over his eyes. Firepaw turned and ran.
She ran until she couldn't breathe, and she burst into the camp.
"Firepaw? What's wrong?" Froststar padded over to greet her.
Firepaw's mew came out in short gasps. "WindClan... attacking... outnumbered..."
Froststar's eyes widened. "Darkpaw, Stonetail, Stormpaw, Whitefoot, Sandshade, Scorchclaw. Go and fend off this attack!"
"I'll go, too," Firepaw volunteered, having caught her breath.
Froststar shook her head. "No, you're exhausted-"
"I can fight," Firepaw interrupted firmly, then turned and darted out of the thorn tunnel, following the battle patrol. She sprang down the slope with a loud caterwaul, ramming her paws into a WindClan she-cat's chest. Brightwing's eyes glowed with praise, and Firepaw kicked out, raking her hind legs across the cat's underbelly.
She broke away from Firepaw, eyes wide. Firepaw turned and sprang onto the cat that was holding Darkpaw down. The tom yowled in surprise, rolling, and Firepaw jumped off, while Darkpaw shot her a grateful look and darted away.
"WindClan! Retreat!" The yowl was wonderful for Firepaw's exhausted ears to hear.
oO0Oo
"Brightwing, do you really think I'm ready?" Firepaw persisted, exchanging an eager glance with Darkpaw and Stormpaw.
Brightwing purred. "You have always been."
Today was their second assessment, hopefully their last, if they succeeded. They had to bring back as much prey as they could before sundown. Firepaw crouched, her muscles pumping in eagerness, as Brightwing dipped her head.
"Go."
Firepaw dropped into a crouch, her jaws open to taste the air. Suddenly, she flinched back, then sniffed the air again before turning back to Brightwing. "Do you smell that?"
Brightwing narrowed her eyes. "You're not supposed to talk to me."
"No, but, just smell the air!"
Brightwing sighed, opening her jaws, and her eyes widened in terror. She whipped her head back around to face Firepaw, and her tail lashed once. "Yes, I do. It's the smell of... the smell of..." She trailed off, and Firepaw swallowed. Was she all right? "... of death."
What's wrong with her? Firepaw wondered, but she shrugged the thought off. "Darkpaw! Stormpaw! Come back! Now!" Brightwing ordered, her mew coming out as a yowl. Heartbeats later, Darkpaw and Stormpaw burst through the trees, and Firepaw winced as their claws ripped at the ground.
"What happened?" Darkpaw demanded.
"There's been another murder," Brightwing announced in a growl, sniffing the air. "Let's get back to camp."
Firepaw turned and bounded away through the trees. Oh, StarClan! She skidded through the thorn tunnel, her breath coming in gasps, and Darkpaw and Stormpaw skidded to a halt beside her. Brightwing's tail lashed again, and her eyes were wide with fear. Firepaw flinched, blinking rapidly to clear the image of the limp, lifeless body of the cat in front of her.