Fireheart awoke feeling warm and pleased. Graystripe had already left but the warmth of his pelt was still heavy on his back. He took the time to stretch slowly, working out the kinks and tenseness in his muscles. He shook out his pelt and began grooming himself. He took the chance to groom himself in a way he hadn't since joining ThunderClan. He started at his chest and worked his way to his shoulders, twisting around to wash his spine. He chewed the base of his tail and tossed away some twigs and leaves that had gotten stuck in one of layers of his underfur and cleared the moss from his pelt. He finished off by licking his paws- taking care to remove any dirt caught between his toes- and swiping his cheeks and whiskers.

He stretched one last time and stepped into the cool sunlight of the morning. In the time he'd taken to wash himself, a gentle buzz of activity had arisen in camp. Longtail and Whitestorm were waiting by the gorse tunnel for the remaining members of this morning's patrol.

A hunter patrol, Fireheart deduced from the shivering Swiftpaw glancing towards the space where fresh-kill would be longingly. He chuckled- he'd been there before. Maybe he'd catch something big and juicy for Swiftpaw like Mousefur had done for him once.

He glanced over as the molly in question slipped from the den behind him and Sandpaw emerged from the apprentice's den. Fireheart smiled a little seeing her- Brokentail would have to hurry up and attack. Dustpaw and Sandpaw were entirely too big for the apprentice's den now if the way she struggled to get her shoulders free from the den said anything. Brightpaw came sprinting after her, much to the delight of Swiftpaw who tackled her instantly. They wrestled until their mentors separated them laughing as they headed out for the hunting patrol.

Fireheart felt a pained mixture of envy and homesickness. He loved ThunderClan- he was a loyal warrior and he wanted nothing more than to make Bluestar proud. But all the pride and love for his clan never stopped him from feeling alone. He'd bonded tightly to his apprentice group but Graystripe and Sandpaw will never be Ahasra and Adihikko. The close bonds of littermates and denmates were taken for granted in the clans- the shared experience of being clanborn and knowing all of the unspoken rules wove them together as much as they alienated him.

Fireheart sighed, shaking his head free of the mournful stoat whispering in his ear. As alone as he felt, he still had Cinderpaw and Graystripe and Sandpaw. Though Bluestar always seemed busy lately, she never turned him away when he crept into her den to share a mouse. He felt alone but he wasn't and he'd just have to keep telling himself until he was free from the stoat.

Fireheart glanced up when a shadow was cast over him, purring instantly when he noted Graystripe walking over to him. They rubbed cheeks in greeting.

"How'd you sleep finch?" Graystripe asked.

"Great," Fireheart purred. "Your fur is warmer than the thickest nest moss."

Graystripe laughed and nudged him, "I knew it. You're only with me for my fur."

"You got me," Fireheart snorted. "I'm plotting to steal your fur and run back to the kingdoms with the softest bedding material in the world."

Graystripe purred, shaking out his thick pelt of fur with pride.

"Hey," Fireheart said as his laughter settled. "You want to come with me and Cinderpaw today? I was going to bring her to see my sister."

"Ahasra?" Graystripe asked.

"No my big sister, Isaria," Fireheart corrected. "She's pregnant and I wanted to talk to her more about it. It doubles as teaching Cinderpaw to recognize important cats from the Sun."

He winked at Graystripe, "At least, that's what I'm telling Whitestorm and Bluestar if they ask."

Graystripe snickered at him, "Sure. I've never met your older sister before."

They turned and trotted towards the apprentice's den, enjoying the rays of sunlight running over their pelts even if they weren't very warm.

"It's so sunny today," Fireheart purred. "Rayushu must be in a great mood."

Graystripe looked at him with the same curiosity he always does when Fireheart spoke of his own gods. When they were apprentices, Fireheart had spent some nights lounging in the apprentice's den reciting some of the more common myths and tales to his friends. Watching their wide eyes of intrigue as answering their questions and requests for more legends had warmed his heart.

"Well I hope he stays in a good mood," Graystripe decided. "And tells Isana to go back to her nest."

Fireheart purred with both amusement and joy. Graystripe's disdain for all forms of water falling from the sky was famous in the clan. According to Sandpaw, even as a kit Graystripe would launch complaints to anyone who'd listen and had almost been held back from being an apprentice after announcing that Riversoul was his least favorite god. Long after Fireheart's thinner coat had dried off, Graystripe was still soaked to the bone, chattering and damp. His joy stemmed from his mention of Isana, the Snowbringer in his own culture. He'd remembered!

Cinderpaw was more than eager to see Isaria again, eagerly telling a curious Brackenpaw all about her. Fireheart sighed with exasperation when she instantly charged off through the gorse tunnel and into the forest. He didn't chase her- he figured she'd get bored running by herself when she realized that Fireheart had stayed back, chatting with Graystripe.

Sure enough she came right back looking put out and Fireheart snickered as she fell into step beside Brackenpaw. Her pouting ended quickly as she started chattering to Brackenpaw about their favorite stories of the Souls.

"It's been forever since I was on the stretch," Graystripe said wistfully as the clawed trees came into sight and Fireheart knew he was thinking about Ravenwing. He shoved down his desire to see him- being on the Stretch that far in would be dangerous for him.

Fireheart took the lead and they padded onto the Neutral Stretch sniffing about. When they saw no one, Fireheart walked deeper and deeper in until they were without a doubt on the Sun's stretch of land. A flash of red caught his eye and he glanced over to a bush where Isaria was exiting with a sorely missed sight.

"Woah," said Graystripe, blinking as Fireheart darted towards them. "It's another Fireheart."

Fireheart crashed into his elder brother purring like an earthshake. Hrasi laughed loudly and licked the top of his head.

"Soryn! Isaria was right- you're so big now!"

"I know," Fireheart purred. "I could probably beat you in a spar now!"

"I don't doubt it," said Hrasi, licking his cheek again. Isaria trotted over and touched noses to her baby brother. Fireheart flicked his tail, motioning for his small patrol to join him.

"Guys, this is Hrasi and Isaria, my elder brother and oldest sister. Hrasi this is my best friend Graystripe and our apprentices- Cinderpaw and Brackenpaw."

Brackenpaw gave a friendly and polite nod as Cinderpaw stared wide eyed at Hrasi.

"You're like a lighter blue eyed Fireheart," she said with awe.

Fireheart laughed with his siblings. It was true- he and Hrasi looked the most like their father. Fireheart's coat a charred blazing red and Hrasi's a slightly lighter autumn red. If their eyes had been the same color, cats might've had a hard time telling them apart.

"So, you're pregnant," Fireheart says to his sister. "Who's the sire?"

"Hiha," said Isaria with a flick of her ear. "It was an offering from the Cloud to strengthen our relations since our last meeting. He'll keep one of our kits when he returns home and I'll keep the rest."

"You're giving up your kits?" Brackenpaw said, taken aback. "And your mate?"

Fireheart glanced at him, "He's not really her mate. He's her pair. All crowns have to produce at least one arranged litter."

"Isn't that… uncomfortable?" Graystripe asked hesitantly. "What about love?"

"You can still be with a cat you love," Hrasi interjected. "You have a litter with your pair first and then you can take on a consort. It's just to ensure the line of inheritance is clear."

"Hiha and I haven't known each other long," agreed Isaria. "I've never been interested in finding a mate and Hiha has his eyes on a molly in his home. So we'll have my kits, he'll choose one of ours to take home and that's that."

"That's strange," Cinderpaw announced. "I don't think I'd like it."

"It's very annoying," Hrasi agreed with a snort. "I'm out here avoiding my own pair."

"Avoiding?" Fireheart asked instantly as his siblings scowled.

"The molly I'm paired to is so annoying," Hrasi growled. "She hates when I spend time with friends. It's only been 5 sunrises and she keeps pressing me to make kits now."

Fireheart wrinkled his nose, "Can you tell kina? It usually takes a moon for pairs to be comfortable enough to make a litter."

"I will," said Hrasi. "I've just been worried that it may negate the good relations we've brewed with Hiha and Isaria's pair."

"And I've been telling this wool brain that Hiha hates the way his sister is pressuring him too," Isaria said, rolling her eyes. "He'll support you in sending that creepy molly back home."

"Good," said Fireheart firmly. "You should only make kits when you're good and ready to."

"Anyone special on your end?" Hrasi inquired of Fireheart.

Fireheart chuckled, "No not yet. Almost everyone is much older than me, mated already or too young."

"You'll get there," Isaria purred. "You were popular back home, you'll be popular here too."

Fireheart rolled his eyes laughing, "With the mice maybe."

Graystripe nudged him and motioned to the sun. Rayushu's flame was already at its peak and starting to move downward. He blinked, they'd been talking for a long time.

"Sorry, we have to go- need to have something to show for being out for so long," Fireheart said apologetically to his siblings.

"It's alright ilihira," said Hrasi leaning forward to touch noses with his brother. "We need to report my pair for her actions anyway. I love you."

"I love you too, dun isino," Fireheart purred and touched noses with his sister.

He watched them turn and leave, Isaria waddling a little around her belly with Hrasi resting his tail over her back. Fireheart sighed happily, his homesickness soothed for the day and they started to head deeper into the forest. They had prey to catch.

Fireheart dropped a surprisingly fat mouse in front of a surprised Swiftpaw. Fireheart winked at the apprentice whose face went from confused and guarded to delighted in only a flick of his toe. He gave Fireheart a hasty thanks and dug into his meal.

Fireheart grabbed the rest of his haul- a vole and a robin- to place on the fresh kill pile. Cinderpaw had caught her first mouse on the way back to camp and Fireheart was all too happy to invite her and Brackenpaw to eat with them at the warrior's ferns. He trotted over to join them, settling in beside Graystripe to share the rabbit he'd dragged from the pile.

"You know," Graystripe said. "I never thought about how much you gave up to be here with us. Your brothers and sisters are a single tree sector away and you only see them sometimes."

"I can't imagine a life without Cinderpaw, Thornpaw and Brightpaw," Brackenpaw confessed. "Cinderpaw is my best friend- she's like a noisy shadow. Brightpaw and Thornpaw have always looked out for us."

"It is hard sometimes," Fireheart admitted. "I miss them every day. I feel jealous and sad every time I see siblings playing together. But I made my decision to come to ThunderClan and my siblings supported me because they wanted me to be happy. Every day I do my best as a warrior of ThunderClan, is just another day where I try to make them proud."

The cats around him fell silent in thought. Fireheart purred gently as Graystripe pressed against him, wrapping his tail around him and Fireheart felt none of loneliness that had nipped him in the morning.