Tinyclaw was bringing prey back into camp. It had been a few quarter moons after the fight RiverClan and ThunderClan had with the rogues. RiverClan was doing well despite the fact they would probably be attacked by rogues soon. Tinyclaw sighed; he didn't like the thought of RiverClan being in trouble.
He then made it to his Clan camp and slid through the entrance. Tinyclaw saw the rest of the hunting patrol had made it back also, except for Stonefur. A little pang of worry dropped in the black tom's stomach. He felt like Stonefur was in trouble.
Tinyclaw then shook his pelt out. He's fine, Stonefur is a strong warrior, and he can handle stuff on his own… Tinyclaw mewed to himself trying to feel better.
"Hello father!" Honeykit mewed as she bounded over to her dad from the nursery, followed by Mistykit and Quincekit.
"Did you catch us something to get?" Mistykit asked, licking her lips in hunger.
Tinyclaw smiled at his daughters. "Yes I did!" he purred. "I hope you all like fish!"
Both Mistykit and Honeykit dropped their mouths open and nodded, however Quincekit stuck her tongue out in disgust. "Fish are slimy and gross!" she complained.
Tinyclaw gasped, even though he was just messing with his kit. "You don't like fish?!" he playfully exclaimed. "All RiverClan cats love fish Quincekit!"
"Well I don't," she protested.
Roselily then walked up and giggled. "Well, fish or not, you all better eat before it gets dark," she mewed.
The three she-kits nodded and padded over to the fresh-kill pile. Tinyclaw then laughed and looked at his mate, his mouth still full of prey.
"You can have this fish if you want," he mewed, dropping a fish in front of her.
Roselily smiled back. "Thank you," she mewed as she took a bite of the mouse.
Tinyclaw's belly rumbled; he was hungry too. However it's best I wait on Stonefur to come back…it'll be a bit unfair since he was part of our hunting group and eat without him… He thought. Even though every other RiverClan cat that was part of that patrol seemed to be eating without him. Tinyclaw just sighed, but didn't eat.
Night was falling fast and still no sign of Stonefur, and everyone in the Clan was getting was getting worried.
"We have to find him!" Mistyfoot- Stonefur's sister, exclaimed in worry.
"Don't worry, I'm making some patrols-" Leopardfur was cut off by a noise coming from the entrance.
Finally! Tinyclaw thought as a huge load of worry dropped from his belly.
However it wasn't Stonefur, it was Swiftpaw! The black-and-white ThunderClan apprentice Tinyclaw had known ever since he was a 'paw himself. What in StarClan's name is he doing here?!
Swiftpaw stood there; still panting. He smelled of smoke and some ashes were falling off of him. "Fire!" he yowled. "Fire…ThunderClan…gone…" Then the tom collapsed and everyone gasped in shock.
After a few heartbeats Leopardfur yowled out. "We can't just stand here! There was obviously a fire in ThunderClan's territory!" she exclaimed.
Crookedstar then stumbled out of his den and stood beside his deputy. "I want Tinyclaw, Leopardfur, Mistyfoot, Blackclaw, and Heavypaw to come with us to ThunderClan's camp, the rest of you stay here and help Swiftpaw and guard camp!" he ordered.
Tinyclaw was surprised that Crookedstar call out a patrol from basically out of nowhere. It felt weird since the huge light brown tabby tom usually let Leopardfur handle this stuff. However this could be Crookedstar's last big adventure… Tinyclaw thought. Crookedstar had been getting Greencough a lot here lately; it'll be his time soon.
Tinyclaw just pushed the sad thought away; he didn't need to worry about something that didn't happen yet. Actually, he needed to worry about what was going on now.
"C'mon RiverClan!" Crookedstar yowled out as his patrol gathered behind him.
"We're all here Crookedstar," Leopardfur mewed.
Crookedstar nodded then headed through the entrance, though he stumbled a little. Leopardfur then padded up beside him and let him use her as some support to walk.
Tinyclaw smiled a little. She's a good deputy…she'll lead this Clan well. He thought. Then he followed the row of cats out, giving once last glance at his mate. Once every single cat was out, they instantly started to cough.
Crookedstar's eyes were squinted from the falling ashes, but he carried on. Tinyclaw was even surprised by this, but he continued to follow his leader through the thick smoky marsh.
"I can't see or smell anything!" Tinyclaw heard Heavypaw complain.
"Shush Heavypaw! We can't see or smell either!" Blackclaw- Heavypaw's mentor, hissed.
Tinyclaw then rolled his eyes and kept on following. Finally they made to ThunderClan's border, where Stonefur and Graystripe were aiding the ThunderClan warriors.
Tinyclaw glanced at his pelt and saw his sleek and shiny black pelt was now covered in smoky gray ashes, making him look like a dark gray mottled tom. He sighed; it would take a while for him to clean it out.
Fireheart then came up to Tinyclaw. The orange tom looked a bit sad and confused at the same time. "Tinyclaw," he mewed.
Tinyclaw looked up at Fireheart, reminding Tinyclaw of his father. "Fireheart…" he mewed back.
"I saw something I think you need to look at," Fireheart mewed, beckoning Tinyclaw to follow him.
Tinyclaw then shook his head out while ashes fell to the ground from it. The black tom was very confused now. Why does he need me so bad? He thought. Every intention in Tinyclaw's mind told him to say no to the orange tabby tom; however something else stronger wanted him to say yes. He then sighed. "Leopardfur! I'll be back soon!" he yowled to the deputy.
"Where are you going?" she yowled back, but he ignored her.
Tinyclaw then followed Fireheart back to ThunderClan's territory. The smoke and ashes were worse than before. "Why are you-" then Tinyclaw was interrupted by a series of coughs, "taking me in your burning territory?!" he continued, hissing and coughing.
Fireheart was coughing too. "Don't worry, we aren't going by the fire," he mewed, then he skidded to a halt and Tinyclaw collided with Fireheart's rump.
"Oww…" he mewed.
Fireheart then rolled his eyes. "Look at what I found in our territory…" he quietly hissed.
Tinyclaw walked around the tom and gasped. It was Mosspelt's fur! Did she start the fire…?! He thought. There was also some other fur beside it. Tinyclaw sniffed and gasped once more. Tigerclaw?! Oh no, this can't be good…
Fireheart then sighed. "Graystripe has been telling me about this warrior named Mosspelt in your Clan," he mewed.
Tinyclaw's pelt then ruffled. "You mean that Graystripe has been telling ThunderClan secrets?!" he hissed.
Fireheart then shrugged a little. "Just me, but I haven't been telling ThunderClan! Please don't tell anyone in your Clan! I doubt Bluestar would take him back if he was banned from your Clan…"
Tinyclaw then sighed and let his attentions flow back on the fur. "So I'm guessing you realize how big of a threat she is now?" he asked
Fireheart nodded. "And I guess you know how big of a threat Tigerclaw is now also…" he mewed.
Tinyclaw nodded; remembering the horrible time Tigerclaw-Tigerpaw at the time, attacked him.
"Our old medicine cat, Spottedleaf, has been telling me prophecies about this," Fireheart mewed.
Tinyclaw gaped. "Our old medicine cat is telling me prophecies also…" he mewed.
"Do you think it's a sign from StarClan that ThunderClan and RiverClan need to pair up to defeat whatever Mosspelt and Tigerclaw are doing?!" Fireheart exclaimed.
Tinyclaw nodded. "That's probably it!" he mewed.
Fireheart was getting ready to speak until Bluestar cut him off.
"Time to go to RiverClan for the night Fireheart!" she yowled.
"Coming!" Fireheart yowled back. "Wanna talk once we get to your camp?" he asked Tinyclaw.
Tinyclaw nodded once more. "Wanna race to camp?" he asked.
Fireheart nodded then the two toms blasted off…