It was quiet in camp; the moon was just about at its highest and almost every warrior was curled up sleeping in their nests. Fireheart was somewhat dozing; his eyes were half-closed and he could feel himself about to drift off to sleep. He could practically see the forest – smell the prey that would be scuttling around in the leaf litter, waiting for him to catch them. It had been so long since he had caught prey, so long since he had gone about this mundane task that drifting into this dream felt good. All that was needed was to fall asleep and set out sinking his teeth into these little creatures. The scent of this dream prey was almost overwhelming, filling his nose and muzzle alike when a yowl woke him.
"Fire!"
Fireheart snapped his eyes open and almost immediately began coughing, the smoke hitting him as suddenly as that yowl had woken him. He forced himself up on shaky legs, stumbling out of his nest and towards the entrance of his den. His lungs were heaving.
Much to his surprise, Fireheart found that the entrance of the den was no longer blocked by some cat crouching in front of it as he would normally find it. The tom was able to push himself out of the den with nothing stopping him. He must have left me, Fireheart realized as he saw that his guard for that night – Runningwind – was no longer in the clearing.
He stayed where he was, his lower half still within his prison as he watched his Clanmates flee towards the camp entrance. A light caught Fireheart's attention; he turned his attention away from his fleeing Clanmates and towards the light. A sense of fear filled him as he recognized the orange flames licking at the bramble barrier across camp.
"Head towards the Thunderpath!" Fireheart turned his attention towards Tigerstar as he heard the brown tom roar. The ThunderClan leader had jumped onto the Highrock to make his announcement, bunching his muscles before jumping back off the large stone and heading quickly towards the camp entrance.
Fireheart's mind raced, why did he send ThunderClan towards the Thunderpath? Did Tigerstar think his friendliness towards ShadowClan these last few moons would benefit them? Did he think that they could shelter from the fire with the other Clan? If nothing else, there was no way for this fire to cross the Thunderpath.
None of this mattered, Fireheart was frozen where he stood. What was he going to do? He should probably follow after them, after all, where ever ThunderClan was heading was the safer bet than staying here. He let out a cough as he took a step towards his fleeing Clanmates. He froze again as a thought occurred to him. It was almost as though a switch had flipped in his mind. He had no guards. He had no cat watching him, they were all leaving.
An excitement filled him that he had not felt for moons, ThunderClan had forgotten him. Fireheart could make his escape, all he needed to do was lay low and wait until the rest of the Clan had fled. All he needed to do was head in any other direction than the Thunderpath.
What would happen if he was caught? A sense of fear filled him at the thought. If they realized he was missing and came back for him and he'd get punished. A tension formed in his chest at the thought. I should go after them. Fireheart willed himself to shake away that thought. He'd get punished for being alone if he went after them. He might as well take this chance to get away, another might never present itself.
He looked back towards the thorn barrier; fear rose in him as he realized the fire had hit the barrier. The flames were getting closer.
Fireheart scanned the clearing as he took a few more steps out of the den, he spotted Patchpelt and Halftail. They were the only cats left, it seems they had breathed in too much smoke and were struggling to make it out of the camp. After a moment of thought Fireheart made his way over to them, they were his Clanmates. He needed to help them. He moved towards Patchpelt, the black and white tom being closer to him, and grabbed the old cat by the scruff of his neck. He helped the old tom to his feet, forcing him forward. Patchpelt let out a surprised hiss.
"Get away from me! What are you doing?" Patchpelt tried to jerk away from Fireheart, almost toppling the weakened cat over but he held his ground. A feeling of frustration hit Fireheart at the other cat's resistance.
I am trying to get you out of here!" He snapped, "Now, do you want to live?"
The old warrior curled his lip, letting out a growl before he stopped his struggle. Fireheart nudged the cat along towards the camp entrance, helping him up the ravine. As he did, the forest around them continued to burn. The fire seemed to be growing closer with each passing heartbeat. In turn, Fireheart's heart continued to beat rapidly. Energy he had not felt in moons seemed to fill him as he continued to half drag Patchpelt out of the ravine. It helped him as the other cat grew weaker, each breath seeming to become slower and slower. As they made it to the top of the ravine, Fireheart spotted a shape racing towards them from the alit forest.
Yellowfang!
She slowed in her pace, stopping a few tail lengths in front of Fireheart and Patchpelt, "Have you seen Halftail? Or Bramblekit?"
"I saw Halftail in camp," Fireheart forced out, he let out a cough, muffled by the scruff in his mouth, before continuing, "I haven't seen Bramblekit."
The medicine cat nodded before moving past the two cats, back towards camp. As Patchpelt grew weaker, Fireheart was reminded of his weakened state. It seemed whatever force that had been driving him was beginning to wear thin but he was determined. They needed to get to safety.
With each step, the elder became heavier and heavier. Above them, the trees were ablaze, hissing and crackling as the occasion branch fell to the ground. A sense of fear filled Fireheart, the urge to run was filling him but he needed to save his Clanmate. He needed to save Patchpelt. Suddenly, the old tom fell limp.
Fireheart stopped in his track, setting the old tom down and letting go of his scruff before he put an ear to his muzzle. When no breath hit it, Fireheart touched his nose to the cat's black and white pelt. Patchpelt was dead. While he had not trusted Fireheart throughout these last few moons, he was a Clanmate nonetheless and he would mourn for the black and white elder.
Fireheart turned back the way he had been, resisting the instinct in him that told him to run. That told him to get away from this place and away from the fire. Halftail and Yellowfang were still down there, he needed to get to them. He needed to make sure Yellowfang was safe.
Fireheart forced his legs to move forward, coughing as he headed back down the ravine when he heard a screech overhead. He stopped in his tracks, looking up to the burning treetops. He spotted a small shape dangling from one branch; it took Fireheart a second to recognize the shape as a kit. That must be Bramblekit!
Fireheart looked back towards the camp entrance, a burning oak was sagging not far from the entrance and there was no sign of Halftail or Yellowfang. Thoughts raced through his head as he looked back up to the stranded kit and then back to the camp entrance before he made his decision.
Fireheart spotted a tree not far from the tree which the kit was in that was not flaming, he rushed up to it, jumping onto the trunk. He sank his claws into its bark, gripping it as tightly as he could muster. His head was pounding and his muscles screamed as the warrior forced himself to climb up the tree.
He pulled himself onto a branch, taking a moment to balance before racing along it and jumping onto the flaming tree which the kit clung to. He grappled for a grip on this tree, pulling himself onto the branch the kit clung to. Fear filled amber eyes turned away from the flames and looked to him as Fireheart made his way towards the small cat.
Almost on instinct, fear-filled the warrior and he paused for a moment before he shook it off. Fireheart grabbed the young cat firmly by his scruff before hurling himself off the branch and to the ground, blocking out the kit's terrified mewls.
He crashed into the ground, letting out a groan of pain as his legs buckled beneath him and he rolled. He cringed as he heard the small tom-kit let out a squeak of pain at the sudden impact. The tom forced himself onto shaky legs, still keeping his jaw secured around the kit's scruff.
Now that he had the kit, he could try to find Yellowfang and Halftail. Fireheart turned in the direction of camp. He froze as he watched, horrified, as the sagging oak crashed down in front of the camp entrance. It's sound filled the ravine, booming like thunder, overpowering the hiss and crackle of the burning forest. He searched desperately for any sign of Yellowfang, any sign that the gray medicine cat had made it out of camp and was safe. Fear gripping him as he realized she was nowhere in sight. With the tree in front of the camp entrance, there was no way he could reach Yellowfang and Halftail.
His fear for the medicine cat was distracted as the kit began to squirm in his jaws and as another branch broke not far from them, crashing to the ground and spitting sparks in different directions. Fireheart backed away from the branch, his mind was racing.
He needed to get somewhere where there would be no trees. The Thunderpath was a good option but ThunderClan had already headed there, there was no way he was going to walk right back into Tigerstar's clutches. Fireheart had already decided against it, it would be a worse decision now that he had the kit. He needed to go somewhere where the Clan had not gone.
Sunningrocks! That would work! There were no trees and the rocks would prevent any further spreading of the fire. In addition, it was in the opposite direction of where the rest of ThunderClan had gone. Fireheart turned in the direction of RiverClan territory, forcing himself to start running again as his muscles screamed at him. The blood in his ears roared as he jumped over downed branches on what was left of the paths the Clan had walked on for so many seasons.
As the rocks came into sight, Fireheart sped up, fueled by relieved hope. He jumped onto the hard stone surface, leaving the heat of the fire behind him as he set about finding a place to shelter for the night. When Fireheart found a small cave, created by two large jutting boulders, he headed in quickly.
Once he was certain there was no danger, the warrior set the kit down. He let out a few coughs as he let his legs buckle beneath him, his lungs felt as though they were burning. His head hit the ground hard, causing his teeth to clink together. He wheezed, panting deep breaths as he tried to steady himself. He could hear the kit coughing as well. Fireheart lifted his head a moment later, looking to the other cat in the cave.
This was definitely Bramblekit. Those amber eyes were staring at him again, wide with fear as the tom-kit stepped back from Fireheart. Another cough rattled the small body. Through the smell of smoke which engulfed them both, Fireheart could begin to smell the small tabby's fear scent.
He looked over the small cat for the first time, Bramblekit's fur was sticking up. There was ash covering his pelt. He had his small tail tucked beneath his body, pressed against his belly as he crouched and he was shaking. Despite everything this kit's father had done to Fireheart, the warrior felt a rush of pity for the quivering scrap.
"You're… you're safe now," Fireheart panted through each word. "There's no reason" He let out a cough, "to be scared." It hurt to speak; Fireheart let out a few coughs as he forced his neck forward. He gave the tom-kit a soothing lick on the top of his head before looking at his own pelt. Ash was covering it as well, the warrior turned in on himself as he began to lick himself clean. As he did, amber eyes continued to stare at him. Fireheart felt a shiver run down his spine at this all too familiar gaze.
"W-Why d'you s-save me?" The kitten's voice was trembling, barely more than a squeak. Fireheart stopped mid-lick in his washing, surprised by the question. He turned his gaze to the tiny tom. Why had he saved the kit? The kit's father was his tormentor, the cat who had framed him for murder and kept him imprisoned for moons. The cat who made Fireheart pay for the crimes he himself had committed.
He should have continued back into the camp and gotten Yellowfang out, it was the logical choice, and yet he had not. Why hadn't he?
Fireheart shook away that thought, this was a kit he was looking at. He might look like Tigerstar, but he was not the ThunderClan leader. This was only a kit. This was only Tigerstar's kit.
"Because you're a kit," Fireheart replied. "I would have done it for any other cat, too." He thought of Patchpelt as he spoke.
"Papa says you're bad," Bramblekit squeaked. "He said you'd kill me if you got the chance." He cocked his head to the side slightly, "Would you? Are you gonna?" Fireheart moved himself into a more comfortable lying position, golden eyes following him as he did. There was a mixture of fear and curiosity in the young tom's gaze.
"Why would I save you if I was just going to kill you?" What else has he been told about me? That one thing alone was rather graphic for a kit his age to be hearing, did Tigerstar want to fester a hatred of Fireheart in his son from the start?
"Tawnykit says you eat kits, maybe for that?" Bramblekit rose shakily to his paws, cocking his head further to the side as he took a nervous step towards Fireheart. Despite what he was saying, the fear the small tabby was showing towards the warrior seemed to be fading. Curiosity was winning that battle, replacing the fear this young tom had. Fireheart's whiskers twitched, he almost could have purred in amusement.
"No, I don't eat kits. Why would I do that?" The small kit shrugged in response. Fireheart eyed Bramblekit's ash-covered pelt again, raising a shaky paw. "Come here, I'll clean here." After a moment's hesitation, Bramblekit nodded. He moved over to Fireheart as the ginger cat scooped his paw around him, pulling him closer. He began to lap the ash from the tom-kit's pelt, curling his lip at the smoky taste it left in his mouth.
As Fireheart continued his wash of Bramblekit, the young tabby began to settle down, calming down from the terror of not only the fire but being rescued by this cat who he had been taught to fear. It was not long until his eyes were closed and his breathing slowed, lulled to sleep by Fireheart's rhythmic licks.
As he licked the ash from Bramblekit's fur, his brown striped pelt began to show and just who Fireheart had rescued began to dawn on him. Fireheart had Tigerstar's kit. Fear overcame him as he looked at the small shape huddled against him; it did not matter that he had saved the kit. It did not matter that Bramblekit most definitely would have died had Fireheart not been there. All that would matter in the ThunderClan leader's eyes was that Fireheart had taken the kit and that meant trouble for Fireheart. As soon as Tigerstar found out about where his lost son was and who he was with, Fireheart would be shredded.
His chest tightened at the thought. Oh Great StarClan, what have I done? Fireheart gently nudged the kit closer to his belly, curling around him as he did. The flame-colored cat let out a slight groan as it hurt to move. It had been so long since he had done more than walk across camp. Since he had last exercised and had the energy to do so. The exhaustion of that night was all catching up to him. His head was pounding rapidly.
He turned his head towards the cave entrance as he began to hear a pitter coming from above. He recognized the rain as it began to hit the rocks just outside the cave. He watched it fall for a moment, the rain was good. It would put out the fire, what happened next could be decided in the morning once the rain had finished and the fire was gone.
Fireheart turned back towards the kit again, looking at his sleeping form. Oh, what am I going to do with you now? He curled himself further around the small brown tabby, resting his head down. His body felt heavy as he closed his eyes, that was a problem for tomorrow. For when Fireheart was not utterly exhausted and needed to rest. He listened to the soothing sound of the rain falling outside as he drifted to sleep.