"Get up."

Fireheart woke to a sharp jab in his ribs. "What?" he groaned.

"I said get up." Jab.

Fireheart blinked his eyes open. Silverthorn was standing over him with a scowl. He lifted a paw to prod Fireheart again. "I'm awake," Fireheart growled. "What do you want?"

Silverthorn narrowed his eyes. "Get. Up."

"Why?" Fireheart meowed.

"Because this is depressing and embarrassing to watch," Silverthorn snapped. "StarClan's sake, you've been wasting away in here for almost half a moon. Get up or I will drag you out of your nest myself."

Fireheart stared at him blankly before he snorted. "No." He laid his head back on his paws. "Leave me alone."

Without another word, Silverthorn leaned forward and sank his jaws into Fireheart's scruff. Fireheart let out a yowl as Silverthorn dragged him just clear of his nest before releasing him and spitting in disgust. "Fox-dung!" Silverthorn hissed. "Your fur tastes like moldy moss. When was the last time you groomed yourself?"

Fireheart reeled away from Silverthorn, bristling. "You didn't have to take a bite out of me!" he retorted. "I don't know! It's been a while."

Silverthorn looked him up and down. "You look like a mess." He sat down and stared at Fireheart with a furrowed brow. "Clean yourself up. You can't go outside like that."

"I'm not going outside," Fireheart muttered. Irritation pricked at his pelt. He knew he was being pointlessly stubborn, but Silverthorn was the last cat he wanted to be forcing him out of the den. I have been in here too long, he thought, feeling a stab of regret. But with all the ThunderClan visits that had been happening… he couldn't risk running into Sandstorm.

Silverthorn curled his lip. "Do I have to groom you myself, too?" He leaned closer, his nose wrinkled in annoyance. "Because I will. You're getting up today, and I'll drag you out clawing and screeching if I have to."

"Don't groom me!" Fireheart snapped. He and Silverthorn stared at one another for a few heartbeats. Silverthorn's glare was unnerving. Fireheart swallowed. StarClan's sake, he's actually serious. Fireheart broke the stare to glower at his own paws. "Fine. I'll groom myself." Part of him felt a bit like a petulant kit, but he wasn't going to give Silverthorn the satisfaction of just doing whatever he wanted nicely. He turned and began to wash his flank.

Silverthorn snorted to himself and leaned back, but continued to stare at Fireheart watchfully, as though intending to be sure Fireheart actually cleaned himself up.

Fireheart's nose wrinkled at the taste of his own fur. Fox-dung, he's right. I'm disgusting. He couldn't remember the last time he'd groomed himself. Although it was unpleasant, the realization spurred him on a little. His pelt was matted down and dull. Tufts of old moss clung to it. He was sure he smelled. I really can't keep living like this, he thought, wincing. Silverpelt's sake, this is embarrassing. He began to lick his pelt faster, feeling strangely eager to get clean.

"This is taking forever," Silverthorn grunted. He leaned forward and rasped his tongue over one of Fireheart's shoulders.

Fireheart paused and shot Silverthorn a startled glance. What is he doing?

"What?" Silverthorn meowed. "Clanmates do this all the time." He was still scowling. "I'm still trying that 'starting from scratch' thing."

"I…" Fireheart was at a loss for words. He didn't have the energy to fight Silverthorn off—and it probably would be faster if he had help with his mess of a pelt. He sighed wordlessly and continued grooming his flank while Silverthorn washed his other side.

The grooming did go faster with help. It struck Fireheart as he washed his fur that he had never shared tongues with a Clanmate before, even though it was a normal occurrence. He had seen cats groom one another before, even if they were only the most minor of friends, but he had never groomed with others. It made him wonder if Silverthorn had never shared tongues as well. He's got kittypet blood like me. He never got the kind of treatment I did… but maybe he was still excluded in ways I didn't notice.

When Fireheart's pelt was satisfactory, Silverthorn quickly pulled back and washed his own chest, perhaps in embarrassment. He coughed awkwardly. "Well, come on."

Fireheart sighed. There's no use arguing with him, is there? Truthfully, he did feel a little better now that he was clean. I should get up. "Fine." He pushed himself up to his paws. "Are we going on a patrol or something?" He frowned. "I thought Leopardstar didn't care what I was doing."

"You'll see." Silverthorn turned around and headed for the exit to the den. Fireheart shrugged to himself and followed.

Fireheart shivered in the cold. It was lightly snowing, but still quite sunny. Many RiverClan warriors were lying about camp. A few looked up as Fireheart padded out the den. He noticed some exchanged glances and murmurs.

His throat tightened in embarrassment. Everyone knows.

"Ignore them," Silverthorn grunted. He continued padding towards the camp exit.

A sharp yowl rang out. "Fireheart!"

Fireheart glanced over his shoulder to see Yellowfang padding towards him. The ragged molly's eyes were narrowed curiously. "It's been some time since I've seen you out of your nest," the old molly huffed.

Fireheart looked down at his paws. "Yeah." He paused for a few moments. "I haven't been feeling well."

"Hm." Yellowfang's thick tail twitched. Her gaze softened, and she had a rare look of sympathy. "I suspect it wasn't a sickness."

Fireheart swallowed. I can't tell her about Sandstorm. Especially not in the middle of camp like this!

"No cat can hold it against you," Yellowfang meowed. The old molly touched her tail to Fireheart's side. "Sometimes things happen, and you need some time to yourself." She fluffed out her thick pelt. "You know, a medicine cat isn't just for shoving herbs down your throat. You ever need someone to talk to…"

Fireheart found himself smiling a little, touched by the molly's rare kindness. "Thanks, Yellowfang," he meowed. "I appreciate it."

Silverthorn glanced over his shoulder. His tail flicked impatiently. "Are you coming?" he growled.

Yellowfang's gaze travelled towards Silverthorn. She snorted quietly. "That one is an interesting young cat," she muttered.

Fireheart frowned once more. "What do you mean?"

Yellowfang smiled knowingly. "He's spent such a long time being an angry little brat that even when he's not, he tries to pretend he's furious." She chuckled to herself. "Reminds me of myself when I was young." She turned around and plodded back towards her den.

Puzzled, Fireheart turned back towards Silverthorn and followed him to the camp boundary. The silver tabby tom stalked out of camp and padded towards the riverbank, then turned sharply to follow the river downstream.

Fireheart padded alongside him. Silverthorn didn't seem to be tasting the air for prey or looking around for signs of trespassers. What are we doing? Fireheart glanced out across the river and stiffened.

There were ThunderClan cats on Sunningrocks.

He didn't recognize any of them. Two were either apprentices or young warriors, rolling around and playing without a care. A pair of warriors watched over them, laughing. How dare they! It's like they don't even care if we see them! "Silverthorn!" Fireheart hissed, his pelt bristling with anger. "Intruders!"

Silverthorn let out a wordless growl. He glanced sharply towards Sunningrocks and curled his lip, but made no move to go after them. "Just another thing you missed out on," he hissed.

"What?" Fireheart demanded. "Did ThunderClan take Sunningrocks again?"

Silverthorn shook his head. "No. It's even more ridiculous than that. Tigerstar and Leopardstar made it neutral territory." His lip nose wrinkled in anger. "We're not supposed to fight over it anymore."

Fireheart blinked a few times. "So… wait." His tail twitched as he tried to make sense of what Silverthorn had said. "So does that mean we both get Sunningrocks?"

"I guess," Silverthorn muttered. It was clear he disapproved of the idea. "It's insulting. We had no reason to give it up!"

Fireheart pulled his gaze away from Sunningrocks. I mean… it's not the worst thing I've ever heard. When he had first joined the Clans, he couldn't understand why cats would fight so desperately over small pieces of territory. Then again… Silverthorn's not wrong, either. I don't get why Leopardstar of all cats would just hand it over. She's never been friendly to ThunderClan.

"What's even with all these Tigerstar and ThunderClan visits, anyway?" Silverthorn carried on, his tail lashing. He started to walk again. "I don't get it! We've only ever been their enemy, and all of a sudden our leaders want to be best friends?" He let out a short growl. "I don't buy it."

"It doesn't really make sense to me, either," Fireheart meowed. He sneezed as a snowflake hit his nose. "I mean, I don't know. I don't like fighting ThunderClan, but I can't picture Leopardstar being friendly to them."

Fireheart braced himself for the scathing "Of course you would say that," but it never came. Silverthorn just lashed his tail again. "Seriously!" he spat. "We have nothing to gain from working with them. Especially not if it costs us territory that's rightfully ours!"

Fireheart held his tongue. I'll be glad if we stop having minnow-brained battles, he thought. I don't like the idea of Clanmates dying. But confusion still nagged at him. Leopardstar's never seemed to like Tigerstar. Why be friends now? He shook his head. The politics of Clans never ceased to boggle his mind.

"Anyway," Fireheart finally meowed. "What are we doing?" He fluffed out his short pelt. "It's cold."

Silverthorn smoothed his pelt. He looked almost a little sheepish. "I, uh… well." He frowned. "I thought maybe it would do you good to go see those kin of yours. The 'BloodClan' ones."

Fireheart's eyes widened. We're going to find Princess? He felt warmed and excited by the thought. She said I have a brother and a nephew there, too. "Are you sure?" he meowed. "I'd get it if you never want to go back to the town again, after—"

"—After I realized my mother is a dirty traitor that abandoned me?" Silverthorn cut in. His eyes narrowed. "Yeah, I didn't really want to go back, either."

"Then why?" Fireheart asked. Hesitantly, he added, "Why are you… being so nice to me?" He flattened his ears. "I don't get it. You made it pretty clear you didn't approve of Sandstorm and I, even after I tried to offer a fresh start between us. Now you keep going on about 'starting from scratch'. What made you change your mind?"

Silverthorn was quiet for a few moments. His head was held low as they walked. "Look…" the tabby sighed. "I've been thinking a lot since we got back from the town that day. I want…" He hesitated. "I don't know. I've been thinking about the kind of cat I want to be."

"Okay," Fireheart meowed.

Silverthorn lifted his head. "And… I've been feeling a lot of regret." He paused again, looking uncomfortable. "My whole life, the only thing I was sure of was getting revenge on Sawyer. I wanted to hurt him for what he did to my mother. I hated kittypets because of it. I hated myself because I had kittypet blood." His brow furrowed, but for once, he didn't look angry. "I hated myself a lot."

Fireheart's pelt pricked uncomfortably. He wasn't sure what to say. Silverthorn doesn't talk about his feelings much, he thought. I always thought he was stuck-up as an apprentice.

Silverthorn glanced at Fireheart. "So when you came and joined RiverClan, it just… I don't know, it felt personal. The warriors always gave me pity as a kit for being inferior and for being the kit of a murdered queen and they acted like I knew I'd always be nothing." His frown deepened. "And then Crookedstar welcomes you in with open paws." He shrugged. "It felt unfair. I know it's stupid now, but…" the fur on his spine lifted. "All that fox-dung you got from cats like Blackclaw… that was what I got before you came here. And I wanted to make sure it stayed that way."

Fireheart felt his throat tighten.

"But I was doing it too because I still hated that I was a kittypet's son," Silverthorn said. "And I…" He gritted his teeth. "After learning what really happened, I feel so…" He stopped walking and flattened his ears. "I feel so stupid. I was horrible and angry for no reason, and…"

Silverthorn… Fireheart felt his stomach turn. He didn't like hearing any cat talk about themselves this way.

"And I'm sorry," Silverthorn finally choked out. "I'm really sorry." He opened his eyes and looked at Fireheart again. "I was a total fox-heart to you. I was just so angry for so long and…" Silverthorn let out a breath. "I don't want to be that cat anymore." He looked embarrassed again. "So, I guess I thought I'd start trying to make up for everything I did."

"Oh," Fireheart quietly replied. "I… thanks for telling me all of that."

"Yeah," Silverthorn mumbled. "Shadefang says I should just talk about my feelings instead of 'bottling it all up and exploding at every cat that looks at me the wrong way'. I guess she's right."

Fireheart snorted softly. "I mean, I could have told you that."

"Don't push it," Silverthorn growled, but he didn't sound angry. He was quiet for a few moments before he straightened up a little and cleared his throat. "So how do we find that sister of yours again?" He frowned. "I don't really want to get surrounded by another BloodClan patrol. They were…"

"Kind of freaky?" Fireheart meowed. "Yeah, I don't know. She said I should just tell whoever we run into that I'm her brother." He shrugged. "I'm not sure if it'll work, but…"

"It better work," Silverthorn grumbled. "I didn't do this to get my pelt torn off."

Fireheart rolled his eyes. He had to admit that it felt good to be out of his nest. "Have you ever heard of BloodClan?" he asked. "I thought there were only four Clans."

"There are only four Clans," Silverthorn retorted. "I don't know who these BloodClanners are, but they're not one of our Clans, if you get what I mean. I've never heard of them before. My guess? Some kittypets that ran into a warrior once and wanted their own adventure from the comfort of home."

Fireheart frowned. That's not the impression I got. The BloodClan cats had been cocky and aggressive. They talked about how amusing we could be. Didn't sound like angry kittypets to me. Let's just hope this will go better when we actually want to run into them.

Fireheart and Silverthorn had reached the busier part of town once again. They stuck to the side of the road as best they could, glancing into alleys whenever they could. Every so often they would spot a stray cat or two from across the street, but no one tried to challenge them.

Fireheart was about to turn down another alley when Silverthorn tasted the air. "Wait," he meowed. "I smell some cats up ahead. Let's go further." He picked up his pace, and Fireheart hurried to keep up with him.

Just as they were about to reach the corner of the block, three cats rounded the block and turned to see the pair heading their way. Fireheart stiffened as he noticed that one of them, a tall russet cat, had a collar like Princess—worn, a bit tattered, and displaying a number of claws and teeth protruding through the material.

Fireheart gulped. The collar was still an unsettling sight. Where do they get those from? The three cats narrowed their eyes. They're definitely BloodClan. Right?

"You!" the russet molly hissed. "Who are you?" She began to pad forward, claws unsheathed. "You don't smell like one of ours."

Fireheart lifted his tail in greeting, trying to keep himself from bristling nervously. "Hello!" he meowed. "I'm sorry for intruding. My name is Fireheart. I came here to see my sister, Princess."

The three cats immediately stilled. The other two BloodClan cats widened their eyes in amazement, while the russet cat looked curious. "You are Princess's brother?" she asked.

Fireheart dipped his head. "Yes, she invited me to visit her."

The russet cat glanced at Silverthorn. "And who is this?"

"My Clanmate," Fireheart meowed. "We're from the Clans outside of town."

The stranger raised a brow. "How interesting." She kinked her tail to the side. "Well, if you are Princess's brother, I'm sure Scourge will be pleased to see you as well. If you aren't who you say…" Her claws flexed in the slightest. "Well, you'll be today's entertainment, I suppose."

Fireheart felt a short chill at the word entertainment. "Well, we, er… we'd be really grateful if you could take us to see her," he meowed. "I haven't seen my sister since… well, since we were kits."

The molly dipped her head. "Any kin of Scourge and Princess is welcome among us," she meowed. "Come with us."

Fireheart and Silverthorn exchanged a relieved glance. The BloodClan cats started padding back the way they had come. "This way," the russet molly meowed.

The warriors padded after them obediently. Occasionally, Fireheart would catch the two BloodClanners who had not spoken staring at him curiously. It made his pelt twitch uncomfortably. He looked up at the russet molly. "Can I get your name?"

"I am Brick," the molly meowed. "Advisor to Scourge."

Advisor? Fireheart blinked. Is that like a deputy? Whatever it was, the molly gave herself the title like it was important.

One of Brick's companions, a small black tom, squinted curiously at Silverthorn. "Have you come to join us?" he meowed.

"No," Silverthorn grunted. "I have my own Clan."

The tom tipped his head to the side. "You must be brave to refuse to join us," he replied. "Most cats wouldn't dare walk around our territory."

"Max!" the third cat hissed. She was a small tortoiseshell. "That one is Scourge's brother. Of course they're welcome here!"

Scourge, Fireheart thought. That's my brother's name. Sounds sort of… dark. He twitched his whiskers thoughtfully. "What's Scourge like?" he asked. "I met Princess, but—"

"Oh, Scourge is the best leader!" the tortoiseshell immediately gushed. "He's really boosted BloodClan's numbers since he took over. No one dares to challenge him because he's too good of a fighter."

Fireheart noticed Brick give Max a sharp look. Max looked nervous as he quickly added, "Y-yeah! He protects us and gets rid of cats that would take our food."

Brick nodded slowly. "Scourge runs BloodClan well," she meowed. "Before he led us, BloodClan was merely a rag-tag bunch of flea-bitten strays." Her tail swished from side-to-side. "Perhaps he will invite you to join us. Blood is very important to us." She looked down at Fireheart from the corner of her eye. "We take care of our own."

Fireheart swallowed. Something about the molly's sharp gaze made him wary. "My Clan does the same," he replied.

"I have heard only whispers of the Clans that live outside the city," Brick meowed. "I would be curious to hear more."

Silverthorn curled his lip at that, but he did not hiss. Fireheart wasn't sure what to say, so he held his tongue. I hope Scourge is friendlier than this Brick cat. She's… intimidating.

It wasn't much longer before they reached an alley that Brick stopped the group at. She nodded towards a chain fence a few fox-lengths into the alley. "Our camp is just through here." She led the way, pushing through a small gap in the bottom of the fence where the links had been torn. Fireheart followed her through. The scent of cat was strong here, flooding his senses. So many cats, he thought. Large bins were at the end of the alley. A few cats sat on top as though acting as sentries. They watched the returning patrol with sharp eyes. The alley turned at the end, opening up into a large, abandoned lot.

Fireheart's eyes widened. The sheer number of cats was overwhelming. They littered the ally like rats. Small cats clung to the edges, crouched low to the ground as they cleaned their pelts. Larger cats were out in the middle of the lot, sharing tongues or fresh-kill. Fireheart could hear the mewling of kits not far off.

All matter of human rubbish was strewn about. An overturned dumpster made for a makeshift nest. Cats slept in old boxes while younger cats batted around tin cans. The lot was quite large, much of it obscured from view by piles of junk.

"This way," Brick meowed. She led them through the throng of cats confidently. Fireheart noticed that when any cat spotted Brick, they scrambled out of the way.

She is important around here, Fireheart decided. His nervousness continued to build as countless stares turned to him.

"We can still go, you know," Silverthorn muttered. The tom was clearly nervous himself, for his pelt stood on end.

Fireheart shook his head. We've already come this far, he thought.

Brick was leading them towards an abandoned car that stood at the far end of the lot. It was rusted over and missing a tire. The front window looked as though it had been shattered open long ago. A long line of cats waited outside the car. Fireheart frowned curiously as he noticed them. They waited in twos and threes. Many carried something with them—mostly scraps of food, but he saw some odd human baubles, or the occasional bone. What are they waiting for?

Brick nodded to the top of the car. "There he is." Fireheart followed her gaze.

Atop the car sat a black cat. His pelt was sleek and glossy, and his eyes were a striking blue. His thin, long tail curled around his paws. He sat up straight, alert, as he looked down upon the cats that had come to visit him. Fireheart caught sight of the telltale collar studded with teeth and claws and gulped. This cat had so many trophies that the collar itself was almost impossible to see. It looked as though the teeth were growing out of his very throat.

"That's your brother?" Silverthorn whispered.

"Scourge," Brick meowed. "That's him."

Fireheart's gaze caught sight of a fluffy white tail, and he smiled eagerly. Princess was lying on her side on the car. She watched the goings-on with interest, but seemed less involved. She caught sight of Fireheart and smiled widely.

Brick began walking again. "Come on." As she approached the car, Princess pawed at Scourge's shoulder. She meowed something to him, and he pulled his gaze away from the cat below to look upon Fireheart.

Scourge made a short gesture with a white paw, and down below, a huge black-and-white tom stepped in front of the line of gathered cats. "That's enough for today," the tom gruffly meowed. "Go on. Scourge will see you tomorrow."

It took a few moments, but the cats quietly gathered up their offerings and left. Some looked terribly disappointed, and shot irritated looks towards the incoming patrol.

When the crowd had dispersed, Scourge leaped down from the top of the car. He eyed Fireheart curiously. His blue gaze was piercingly bright. "Welcome to BloodClan," he meowed. He padded towards Fireheart slowly, tasting the air. Brick stood aside, and Fireheart took a step forward, sniffing.

Fireheart's ears pricked straight up. He does smell familiar! It's so distant, but… I can remember it, just barely.

"You feel it too, don't you?" Scourge said. His tail kinked back and forth slowly as he examined Fireheart. A slow smile spread across his features. "It is good to see you, brother."

Fireheart heard a loud thump as Princess leaped down from the top of the car and padded towards them. "See?" she purred. "I told you I found our brother. Fireheart, this is Scourge."

Despite how strange and unnerving arriving in BloodClan had felt, Fireheart felt his heart leap with joy. He grinned at his littermates. "It's great to meet you," he purred. "I never thought I would see my littermates again!" Fireheart kneaded his paws. "How did you both end up here? What happened to your housefolk?"

Scourge and Princess exchanged a glance. Scourge spoke first. "We have much to catch up on, Fireheart." His whiskers twitched. "I'm quite interested in how you found your way to the forest Clans as well." The slim tom shivered slightly. "Come. This is no place to talk. I loathe the cold." He turned and leaped into the car through the open window. Princess followed him quickly.

Fireheart glanced at Silverthorn. "Sorry," he meowed. "Do you mind?"

Silverthorn was staring at the car with wide eyes. "Uh—yeah, whatever." He flattened his ears. "You couldn't make me go inside that thing."

Fireheart had a feeling the car was long dead, but he didn't tell Silverthorn that. He padded closer to the car and leaped up into the window. The seats had been laid flat, making it much like wide, cozy den. Scourge crouched on one side. Princess laid down on one seat. Fireheart caught sight of a second white cat beside her. This one was young, about the age of a new apprentice. He stared at Fireheart with wide eyes. His eyes were mismatched—one green, one blue.

"Is that him?" the young tom gasped.

"Yes," Princess purred. "Meet your uncle." She glanced up at Fireheart. "This is my son, Cloud."

Fireheart leaped down from the window and into the car. It was warmer in here, even with the open window. He sat down and gave Cloud a friendly blink. "Hello," he meowed.

Scourge eyed Fireheart from across the car. "It must be strange to be back in the city after being away so long," he commented.

Fireheart nodded. "Yes," he meowed. "Although I never lived this deep in the town at all. I only moved a few blocks away from Mother." He curled his tail around himself. I haven't talked about my old home in a long time. "My housefolk lived right on the edge of the forest."

"Funny," Scourge quietly meowed. "So did mine."

Fireheart tilted his head to one side. "So how did you end up here?" he asked. "I'd barely even heard much at all about the city. Nobody I knew came this deep into town."

Scourge sighed softly. "It is a long story," he meowed. "And an uninteresting one. I went exploring when I was far too young for it and got terribly lost." He shrugged. "There is not much to tell. Brick and Bone brought me here and told me BloodClan needed a leader."

Fireheart blinked. Just like that?

Princess rolled her eyes. "Oh, you're such a terrible storyteller!" She flicked Scourge with her tail. "He frightened off a dog when he was barely three moons old. BloodClan took it as a sign he was meant to be their leader."

Cloud sat up quickly, kneading his paws with excitement. "That's where uncle Scourge got his first tooth!" he piped up. "Beat it right out of that dumb dog's mouth!"

Scourge snorted softly. "Yes, that is true." He lifted his head to meet Fireheart's gaze. "Who was I to deny them? The dog was old and half-dead, but they thought I had some kind of power for scaring it off." He shrugged again. "They needed hope. I would not take that from them."

Fireheart blinked again. Leader at three moons old? He tried to picture Brambleflower's kits in charge of RiverClan and resisted the urge to shake his head. "That's… quite the honor," he meowed. He glanced at Princess. "What about you?" he asked.

Princess's smile fell. "Oh… well, I was with my housefolk a little longer than Scourge," she meowed. "I got pregnant young." She sighed softly. "I don't know if it was a coincidence that my housefolk abandoned me when it became obvious or if they were just that tired of me." Her ears flattened. "I tried to be a good kittypet, you know—played with my housefolk's girls, kept quiet, stayed in our yard… but they still left me." She gave Cloud an affectionate lick. "I was wandering the streets half starved when BloodClan found me. They offered me their protection, and when I made it here… well, Scourge and I realized we were kin."

Fireheart felt his heart wrench with sympathy. That's horrible, he thought. My housefolk were always nice enough to me. "I'm sorry that happened to you," he murmured. "I'm glad you two found each other."

"What about you?" Scourge meowed. "Surely you must have a grand tale for how you joined the Clans." His eyes seemed to narrow in the slightest. "To all my knowledge they have always rejected outsiders harshly."

Fireheart felt his throat tighten as he thought of his first day out in the woods. Some of them certainly did… He frowned. "I didn't really mean to find them, at first," he meowed. "I ran into some ThunderClan cats when I tried to go out hunting, and… I got attacked." He looked down at his paws. "One of them, their leader, clawed me up pretty bad. I got lost when I tried to escape and ended up running to the river. Another Clan, RiverClan, found me, and they saved me." He lifted his gaze and smiled. "They were different. I mean, not all of them were totally accepting of me, but… I didn't know how to get back home without getting attacked by ThunderClan, and Clan life seemed so… exciting."

Princess looked curious. "So this RiverClan let you in just like that?"

"I guess so," Fireheart meowed. "They trained me as a warrior. It wasn't easy, but… I think it's been worth it. It's great to be a part of a Clan." He wrinkled his nose. "The politics still confuse me every day, though."

"'Warrior'?" Cloud repeated. The young tom blinked. "That sounds cool."

Fireheart smiled at his nephew. "It's a lot of work. We have to patrol our borders with the other Clans, fight off intruders, and hunt to feed our Clanmates."

Princess snorted softly. "You should join us, brother," she meowed. "You wouldn't have to work if you were part of BloodClan."

"Why not?" Fireheart asked.

"Others bring us all the fresh-kill we need," Princess breezily replied. "We lead the Clan, and as thanks, they take care of us."

Fireheart frowned. "I wouldn't know much about leading." I don't want to join BloodClan! He thought. I just want to get to know you.

Scourge shot Princess a warning look. "Fireheart is new to our ways," he meowed. "There is no need to pressure him." He looked back towards Fireheart, eyes bright. "But I would be pleased if you did consider joining us. Kin is everything here, Fireheart. You would be taken care of."

"Thanks," Fireheart meowed, trying to keep from frowning. "I'll… think about it."

"Don't feel like you need to decide anything," Scourge meowed. "But it would be good to see more of you regardless." He smiled in the slightest. "Perhaps you could stay for a while. There is going to be a performance soon. A warrior like yourself might enjoy it."

A performance? Fireheart blinked. Curiosity tugged at him. "I wouldn't mind staying longer," he purred. "I want to get to know you all, too. Kin matters a lot in my Clan as well, and it's definitely hard not to have any." A heartbeat later, he felt a stab of doubt. I should go back to my own Clan, he thought. I just spent so long avoiding them all in my den… I haven't patrolled since before Sandstorm ended things. I can't talk about how much work being a warrior is when I've hardly been doing any of it lately. He frowned and looked away. "Actually… I don't think I can stay," he meowed. "I should really get back to my Clan. Things have been kind of hard for us lately, and they need me."

Princess flattened her ears, looking disappointed. "But you've just arrived!"

"I know, I know, I'm sorry—" Fireheart quickly meowed. "I promise to come back, if you'll have me again."

"I understand completely," Scourge evenly replied. "One's Clan should come first." He stood up and stretched. "You are, of course, welcome to return anytime you like."

"Thank you," Fireheart purred, dipping his head quickly. "I'm not sure when I'll be back again, but I hope it's soon." He would be lying if he said that the BloodClan camp with its countless members wasn't a bit startling, but his littermates intrigued him.

"Bye!" Cloud meowed. His fluffy tail lashed from side to side in excitement. "Will you teach me warrior moves when you get back?"

"Sure," Fireheart chuckled.

"Safe travels," Scourge meowed. Fireheart dipped his head to his brother before he turned around and leaped out through the car window.

Silverthorn was waiting outside, his eyes darting about nervously. Many of the cats that had cleared out of the way clung to the edges of the lot, staring at him through narrowed eyes. Brick was speaking to the massive black-and-white tom near the back of the car, and they paused as Fireheart landed on the ground with a thump.

"That was quick," Silverthorn muttered. "Can we go? This place gives me the creeps."

Fireheart nodded. "They invited us to stay longer," he meowed. "But I think we should go back." He took a breath. "I think I want to go hunting."

Silverthorn looked smug. "So it did work, huh?" He stood up and fluffed out his pelt. "Well, let's get going. The sooner we're out of this town, the better."

Brick padded over towards them. "Are you leaving?" she meowed. "I trust you had a good visit."

"Yes," Fireheart quickly replied. "I have to get back to my Clan, but I'd like to come back soon."

"Very good," Brick purred. "Any kin of Scourge and Princess are friends of BloodClan." She turned back towards her companion. "You should have no trouble from our cats should you return here. It will be known that you are welcome."

"Thank you," Fireheart meowed.

"Fireheart," Silverthorn muttered. His tail twitched impatiently.

Fireheart rolled his eyes. "We're going." He started off towards the alley they had come in, with all the eyes of BloodClan's gathered cats watching them as they went.