~ I always feel like somebody's watching me. And I have no privacy. I always feel like somebody's watching me, who's playing tricks on me? ~ Somebody's Watching Me, by Rockwell


Chapter 55

"Somebody's Watching Me."

7/16/17 - 7/17/17 - 7/18/17


~ Otterheart ~

The next two moons into October, Quailheart's kits become apprentices, leaving the nursery empty with only Otterheart and her kits. Otterheart grew restless and left the kits to play with each other while she went for air.

She didn't go too far from her territory when she hears quiet paw steps. Otterheart looks at her surroundings and sees a light brown pelt moving in the bushes.

She almost made the mistake of calling out to the stranger.

The bushes far from the stranger moves again, yellow fur catches Otterheart's eye. Her bright blue eyes widens with horror.

Otterheart races back to the camp, startling her Clanmates as she looks around for her kits. Fuzzykit, Reedkit and Streamkit were playing with each other near the nursery when she found them.

"Kits!"

The three five moon old kits stop playing and look at their mother. Otterheart nuzzles each of her kits.

"Did any of you see a yellow she-cat?"

"What are you talking about?" Fuzzykit asks her.

"A yellow she-cat, with green eyes, has she tried to talk to you?"

Reedkit tilts his head. "Are you talking about the RiverClan cat?"

Streamkit shakes her head, but Otterheart is still trembling and looking in the brambles for sneaking eyes.

She could be in there. Waiting for the chance to steal them.

"Mom? Mom?!"

"Otterheart?"

Otterheart looks at her kits in surprise then looks to Fernblossom.

"What happened? You looked like you saw Tigerstar's ghost."

"Y-You saw Applefoot, didn't you? I saw her coming to camp."

Fernblossom squints at her. "No. Nothing unusual."

"But I saw her!" Otterheart insists. The three kits behind her stare at their mother in intense fear, which Fernblossom notices.

"Kits, why don't you talk to Frostpool and Marshfoot while we talk?"

Reluctantly, Fuzzykit herds Streamkit and Reedkit away from the two she-cats. Fernblossom moves Otterheart away from the elder's den.

"Otterheart, you need to get a hold of yourself and think. If you go around spouting 'RiverClan invasions' you'll spook everyone out."

"I saw her. I know I did, and I thought I saw Olivestar, too-."

"Shh!"

Fernblossom watches Patchflower eye them suspiciously as she passes by.

"Everyone is already on edge with RiverClan. Olivestar's demand for your kits is making cats tense, and hallucinating isn't going to help."

Fernblossom uses her tail to flatten Otterheart's fur along her spine.

"When's the last time you slept? Go to sleep and relax with your kits."


~ Heatherstar ~

"We haven't seen Olivestar or her cats all day."

Heatherstar nods to her deputy's report. "That's good. Fernblossom told me Otterheart was very stressed for the safety of her kits."

Rabbitstep shuffles his paws. "If you don't mind me asking, why is Olivestar so intent on harming us?"

"Excuse me?"

"I didn't miss her aggression towards you." Rabbitstep points out. "It didn't look like she was interested in the kits at all, if she was she would have stolen them already."

Heatherstar frowns. "Nothing gets past you, does it?"

Rabbitstep blinks. "Heatherstar?"

The light brown tabby lays down in her nest.

"Have you noticed how our pelts matched, and our eyes?"

Rabbitstep flicks an ear. "What are you implying?"

Heatherstar sighs. "Olivestar and I are half-sisters. Let's just say that our father was a RiverClan warrior who wasn't loyal to her mother, he was just loyal to mine."


~ Streamkit ~

Twitching her tail in a dreamless sleep, Streamkit's nose is disturbed by the unfamiliar air. She looks around the darkened nursery, and outside the moonlight is a grey mist.

The mist didn't smell right.

Streamkit turns to Otterheart and shakes her side. The dark brown she-cat stirs, but doesn't wake up.

"What is that smell?"

"It's fire, you frog brain!"

Streamkit bristles to the urgency of the warriors' voices. Mallowfrost goes inside the nursery and shakes Otterheart awake.

"Otterheart, we have to go - now!"


~ Otterheart ~

Quickly grabbing her bearings, Otterheart herds Reedkit and Fuzzykit outside while Mallowfrost grabs Streamkit by her scruff. A growing flame towers over the camp as the ShadowClan cats scramble to escape.

"Help the elders and queens!" Heatherstar calls out.

Foxfur and Dewpelt help Frostpool while Wishfeather, Swallowfur and Dusktail lead Marshfoot outside. The fire crawls up from the brambles and reaches out to the pine trees.

The tallest pine tree groans as the roots reveal themselves from the ground. Mallowfrost and Otterheart looks at a falling, burning branch. The two she-cats jump from the branch, and they dodge a falling pine tree and race out of the camp.

Heatherstar looks at her cats. "Is everyone here?"

"It looks like it."

"Wait, where's Rabbitstep?!"

Otterheart looks at Mallowfrost's empty paws, and her heart plummets.

"Where is Streamkit?!"


~ Streamkit ~

Wild flames dance around the camp as Streamkit desperately tries to look for an opening. The fallen tree crushes the brambles and bridges an outside to the camp. Flames block Streamkit from the tree and push her further back, singeing her whiskers.

Streamkit lets out a soundless wail that is drowned out by the crackling fire.

Mom, Dad! Help me!

A ginger tabby pelt crosses the tree with haste and lands in front of Streamkit. Firepaw grabs Streamkit's scruff and runs back over to the tree, and leaps between the roots as the fire spurts out overhead.

Firepaw places Streamkit with a relieved Otterheart and Smokeclaw.

"Thank StarClan you're safe!" Otterheart exclaims.

Smokeclaw dips his head to the dark ginger apprentice. "Thank you for saving her."

Firepaw stifles a growl to the ShadowClan warrior and nods.


~ Firepaw/Tigerstar ~

By morning light, the light rain wipes out the last of the fire. Heatherstar looks around the dens and camp for Rabbitstep.

He was right behind me before we left.

The light brown tabby she-cat notices a charred, motionless body lying behind the boulder. She wipes off the soot and sees pale grey fur.

Oh, Rabbitstep… Heatherstar briefly touches her deputy's fur. You would have been a great leader one day.

Milkpaw hasn't seen death yet. She leans toward Owlflight for support and tries not to break. Heatherstar looks at her Clan.

"Rabbitstep was a great warrior and deputy. He would have been a fair leader for ShadowClan had this not happened. He will be missed."

The ShadowClan cats bow their heads in respect for the ShadowClan deputy.

"So, I will decide on our new deputy later. Instead, I decided that an apprentice's bravery should be rewarded. Firepaw, please step forward."

Many of the older warriors weren't thrilled with the young apprentice becoming a warrior in such short moons, but the young warriors were excited. Firepaw strides toward Heatherstar, ignoring the older warriors narrowing their eyes and muttering how "overconfident" he appears.

"I, Heatherstar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in return."

"Firepaw. Do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Firepaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Firestorm. StarClan honors your strength and courage, and we welcome you as a full member of ShadowClan."

Firestorm licks Heatherstar's shoulder.

"Firestorm! Firestorm!"

The ginger tabby meets with his slightly jealous sisters and overjoyed mother. Patchflower covers Firestorm's face in licks and purrs, and glances triumphantly toward Longfoot.

The tall, grey tom merely stares at Firestorm before checking on Milkpaw, leaving Firestorm with a burst of rage in his stomach.

Fine, be that way. You'll be the first to die when I'm leader.

Firestorm laid his eyes on Streamkit, curled up in Otterheart's tail, watching with wide eyes, making him puff out his chest with importance.