Why can't Longtail just pick on some other cat? Fireheart thought scornfully. It's not like I chose where to be born.
"Fireheart." Graystripe's mew brought him back to the present. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Fireheart lied. He tried to sound believable, but he could tell that Graystripe wasn't fooled. Firestar was grateful that Graystripe let him be.
Fireheart lost himself in his thoughts once more. I only know one Nutmeg - my mother.
He continued to think about what Nutmeg might do if she recognized him as her son, Rusty. Looking up, he saw Bluestar staring at him expectantly. He realized she had spoken to him.
"I'm sorry - what?" Fireheart asked.
Bluestar looked annoyed but honest concern also grew in her gaze. "I said," she repeated, "can you lead the way to Nutmeg from here?"
Fireheart nodded, aware of himself trembling. He hoped it wasn't visible. He led them to a Twoleg den. Jumping up on the fence, he tasted the air. He leaped off of it and landed on his paws.
"Nutmeg's scent is around a couple of days old, but the trail goes this way." He waited patiently for his leader's response.
"Lead the way, then."
They came up to an alleyway, and Fireheart began searching for his old collar. Not the one Longtail tore off. Finding it, he struggled to get it on.
"Are you pretending to be a kittypet?" Brackenpaw asked.
"Kittypet collars don't have dog teeth, or blood on them," Willowpelt pointed out.
"Is that your collar?" Longtail sneered.
Fireheart looked the pale tabby in the eye. "Yes," he replied. "This is my collar."
"Why does it have blood and teeth on it?" asked Whitestorm, looking genuinely curious.
"Because it's a BloodClan collar," he answered.
"BloodClan?" Tigerclaw echoed. "What nonsense are you spewing now?"
Fireheart became serious. "Listen," he meowed, "don't say a word. If a cat here asks for your name, give them your name but nothing more." He paused. "Don't let them smell fear. Don't put a paw out of line. These cats will kill if their leader tells them to."
Tigerclaw seemed ready to tear Fireheart's throat out, but Bluestar spoke first. "What is this, Fireheart? What are you afraid of?"
He didn't answer. Shooting a glance over his shoulder, his green eyes hardened.
"Just trust me," he mewed. "It's kill or be killed."
Once they had gotten a little ways into the alleyway, a voice spoke, "Well, well, well. Look who's back."
"Snipe," Fireheart meowed with a curt nod of his head.
Snipe narrowed his eyes. "Why have you come back?"
"Why do I need to explain myself to you?" Fireheart retorted.
Snipe backed away in response, and Fireheart looked at the approaching black-and-white tom, menace in his amber eyes.
"Bone." He dipped his head to the BloodClan deputy respectfully.
"You came back," Bone remarked.
"Yes, I did." Fireheart stared at the BloodClan deputy.
Bone emphasized his name. "What brings you back, Rusty?"
Fireheart could see Cinderpaw open her mouth to correct Bone out of the corner of his eye. He swept his tail silently across her jaws.
"We need to speak with Scourge," he finally answered.
"And why is that?" Bone pressed.
"That's none of your concern."
"I'm Scourge's deputy," he argued. "I have a right to know."
Bone unsheathed his claws and raked them down Fireheart's shoulders. He ducked and slashed the deputy's belly. Bone was pinned down when a white she-cat barreled into Fireheart, knocking the breath out of him. Her blinding yellow eyes flashed. He was just about to kill the she-cat when someone intercepted the blow.
"Stop this at once!" a high-pitched, ice-shattering-like voice commanded. "Sugar, that's enough. Go lick your wounds."
"Yes, Scourge." Sugar dipped her head to the small black tom.
Scourge stared after her, then turned his icy blue gaze to Fireheart. "It's been a long time, brother."