"C'mon!" Ashpaw yowled to his sister as they approached Twolegplace's fences.
"I'm coming, Ashpaw. Keep your fur on." Fernpaw mewed, face illuminated by the post-dawn light. She turned to Fireheart, smiling. "We'll visit a lot of nests; don't be surprised if most of the cats decline."
"Alright." Fireheart said. He had already expected that the pampered kittypets of these nests would be hesitant to leave their comforts. They approached the first nest quietly.
"This is Speedy's home."
"Speedy?"
"Apparently, it is after his grandfather, or so he tells me. I think it is just 'cause the guy runs so fast." Ashpaw muttered.
"Well, it's always valuable."
"Yeah. He always beat us in races!"
They jumped the fence, where a brown tabby was sunning in the garden.
"Fern! Ash! You've been gone awhile!" He called. "And who may you be?"
"We're Fernpaw and Ashpaw now," Fernpaw corrected gently. "And this is Fireheart."
"Why such the weird names? You two smell like the forest – don't tell me you've gone off there... without me that is!"
"We're coming to invite you." Fireheart mewed. "We are ThunderClan-"
"Like in the stories?"
"Yep. If you wish, we will hold a meeting in four moonrises at the big gorge – you know the one?"
"Yeah. Explored it a bit."
"Well, you can hear us out there and then make up your mind."
"See you then!" He mewed. The trio moved out of the garden.
"The rest won't be so easy -" Ash started to mew but was cut off.
"Well, well, well. Look who comes crawling back."
"Peter." Fern mewed with contempt – Fireheart did not think the apprentice knew contempt's meaning.
"Not so easy now, is it? And who is this? Come to train some housefolk? You'll be hard-pressed; I hear they only take in cats with something to offer."
"Well, that can't be true if you're standing here with a collar, now can it?" Fireheart mewed amiably.
"Watch it, you. The Twolegs have the means to take on savages like you."
He slunk away.
"Yeah, he's a fox-heart." Ashpaw remarked. "We'd best get on."
They visited Lily and Rose next, two sisters who seemed horrified at the idea of losing their creamed chicken. Then it was onto Cedar, a kind-hearted tortoiseshell who wished them luck but did not wish to leave her Twolegs. Then Amanda, a blind and deaf old cat who could barely hear them. By the time they had reached the last nest, where a feisty young kittypet named Kip had told them to get lost, Fernpaw and Ashpaw were racing towards the same nest their mother had been in. The only problem was that she was not there.
"Her scent's fresh! I really wanna see her!" Fern yowled, racing towards it. At the same moment, a gray shape bolted out of the trees, desperately running from the nest. Then Fireheart saw her pursuer at the same moment Fernpaw and Ashpaw saw it, racing away from the slavering dog. Fernpaw started to slip, then Brindle appeared behind her, pushing her up and shoving her towards the front of the group.
"Up here!" Fireheart called, pointing his tail at a large beech. He started to ascend swiftly, Fernpaw and Ashpaw hot on his tail. When he was high enough to be safe, he surveyed the land. The apprentices quivered beside him while Brindle was racing towards the tree. She started to climb, the dog chewing at where she had been a split second ago.
"I don't think I can do it!" She yowled.
"Grab on!" He outstretched his paw, letting Brindle grasp it with his claws as he tugged her up. When she was just shy of the branch, she started to slip.
"Brindle! Hold on!"
He was met with eyes that spoke of panic and desperation as her claw slipped from his pawpad and she plummeted from the tree. Fernpaw let out a screech as she hit the ground, while Ashpaw made no audible noise, his jaws simply gaping as the dog attacked.
Yowling filled the air as Whitestorm, Graystripe and Brightpaw rushed to the scene. The dog turned from its prey, but it was no use; Fireheart could see that the wound was fatal already. Brightpaw lunged at the dog, tearing at its eye; the dog yelped and then growled as she flung herself on. Whitestorm attacked its flank, while Fireheart got the drop on it from behind; Fernpaw and Ashpaw followed his lead, attacking the dog with vigor as Graystripe went for its legs. The dog did not care about the others, though; it was fixated on Brightpaw as it snapped at the cat who had scratched its eye. Within a split second, everything slowed as Brightpaw's right eye was encased in the dog's jaw.
"No!" Whitestorm yelled, leaping onto the dog's neck. "You have taken my mate. You will not take my apprentice!" He bit the dog around the neck while Graystripe scratched it from below; the dog, realizing that it was outnumbered, fled.
"My eye..." Brightpaw choked out, half-sobbing.
"Cinderpaw will help you." Whitestorm murmured, licking the wound.
"Fernpaw! Cobwebs, please!" Fireheart yelled out, watching as she ran away, tears streaming down her face.
"Whitestorm..." Brindle murmured.
"You're alive... hang on, we can get you to the medicine den, there's still time!"
"The wound is too deep." She stated. "Take care of our kits... all of them. I just had a litter and they should be by the cat-flap."
"Okay, Brindle..." Whitestorm choked.
"Graystripe, can you handle Brightpaw?" He asked. When the gray warrior nodded, he continued. "Wait for Fernpaw to come back, get something on her to stem the bleeding and then transport her to Cinderpaw."
Turning to Ashpaw, who had something unintelligible shining in his eyes, he asked if he could do anything to help.
"No!" Ashpaw burst out. "You were supposed to save her – you killed my mother!"
"Ashpaw-"
"It's Ash now. Remember, Fireheart. I will never forgive you for this." He lashed his tail. "A life for a life." He stalked off, disappearing into the woods.
"What'd I miss? Is she still okay? Is Ma still alive?"
Whitestorm took her aside for a second, murmuring in her ear.
"So that's it? He left?"
"Yes."
Brindle started rasping even as Graystripe loaded Brightpaw onto his back and trudged down the trail.
"Thank you... for protecting my kits."
"Would you like a warrior name so you can walk among the stars?"
"Would it help me to see my kits?"
"Yes, it would." Fireheart mewed.
"Alright."
"I ask my warrior ancestors to look down on this cat. She has followed the Code and has given up her life defending her kits. Let StarClan receive her as a warrior. You will be known as Brindleheart."
"Thank you." Brindleheart said, eyes shining with gratitude one last time before she went limp. Whitestorm let out a sob as Fernpaw wailed, an eerie sound that rang through the forest.
"Whitestorm, please move her to camp for her vigil. Fernpaw, let's get your siblings."