Chapter 11

Firepaw returned with a chaffinch in his mouth, he approached the hollow entrance where Tigerclaw, Lionheart, and Bluestar were waiting for their apprentices. Firepaw dropped the bird in front of Bluestar.

"You're the first one back." Tigerclaw meowed.

"Yeah, but I've got loads more of prey to fetch. I buried it back at the…" Firepaw explained, panting.

"Don't think we don't know what you did, Firepaw. Me and Bluestar were watching you." Tigerclaw growled.

Firepaw was startled by this, not only by the tiger-like growl, but by the fact that they saw him with Smudge. Bluestar looked at Tigerclaw with a glare, then at Firepaw.

"Go get your prey, then meet me in my den." She instructed.

"Yes Bluestar." Firepaw nodded.

He turned around, but before he ran, there was rattling in the bushes. Greypaw came out of the bushes with a furry squirrel in his mouth, he dropped the squirrel next to Firepaw's bird and started spitting out hairs.

"Yuck! Squirrels are too furry, I'll be picking hairs out of my teeth all evening." Greypaw spat, complaining.

Everyone waited for Ravenpaw to show up. Lionheart and Tigerclaw kept an eye out while Bluestar looked at the sky to see if Ravenpaw would fly back. After a couple of minutes, he didn't show up and Firepaw and Greypaw were getting worried.

"Ravenpaw's late." Lionheart observed.

"We'll give him a bit longer and then return to camp." Bluestar meowed.

"But what if he's been bitten by an adder?" Firepaw asked, protesting.

"Then it's his own fault, there's no room for fools in Thunderclan." Tigerclaw meowed, coldly.

Bluestar glared at Tigerclaw again, then looked at Firepaw and Greypaw calmly.

"Don't worry Firepaw, Ravenpaw can fly and can just hunt around snakerocks instead of hunting on them." She comforted.

"Plus, Ravenpaw can hunt on the sky." Lionheart added.

Firepaw and Greypaw were a little bit calmed by this, but it didn't exactly bring too much comfort. Adders were quick and could strike quickly at a cat too; plus, they were venomous. Suddenly, Firepaw could scent Ravenpaw approaching them.

"Ah, there he is." Lionheart meowed.

Everyone looked up and saw Ravenpaw landing on the ground. His back carried some geese, rabbits, and a vole, but in his mouth, was a long, diamond-patterned body of an adder. Bluestar, Lionheart, and Tigerclaw were surprised while Firepaw and Greypaw were impressed. They approached Ravenpaw.

"Ravenpaw, are you okay?" Firepaw asked, concerned.

"Did that adder bite you?" Greypaw asked, fascinated.

"Nope, I was too quick for it." Ravenpaw purred.

"That's an impressive catch, Ravenpaw." Lionheart complimented.

"Thank you, Lionheart." He meowed.

"Bluestar, do we eat adders?" Firepaw asked.

"No, but you should put it on display, so all of the clan sees your catch, Ravenpaw." Bluestar meowed.

"Right, thank you, Bluestar." He meowed with pride.

Ravenpaw walked toward the hollow entrance, but not before he managed to get two of the geese he caught into his mouth and carry them back to camp. Tigerclaw approached the pile and managed to grab the last goose and the two rabbits. Lionheart placed the vole on Tigerclaw's back and Tigerclaw carried the prey back to camp.

"Let's go get the rest of your prey, then get back to camp." Lionheart meowed.

Firepaw and Greypaw nodded and ran to go get their prey. Once they got their prey, everyone returned to camp. As Firepaw, Greypaw, Bluestar, and Lionheart entered the camp and placed the prey into the fresh-kill pile, kits came out of the nursery to see the apprentice's catch.

"Look, the apprentices are back from hunting!" one of them squeaked.

"Isn't that the kittypet, Firepaw?" one kit mewed

"Yeah! Look at his orange fur!" another kit mewed.

"They say he's a good hunter. He looks a bit like dad, do you think he's as good as him?" another kit asked.

"I can't wait to start my training, I'm going to be the best warrior Thunderclan has ever seen!" another kit mewed.

Firepaw looked behind and saw a dark grey she-kit with blue eyes, two golden-brown toms with brown stripes and amber and green eyes, a white she-kit with ginger patches and green eyes, a black and white tom with yellow eyes, and black she-kit with yellow eyes, outside the nursery looking at him and Greypaw. Firepaw recognized them as Cinderkit, Thornkit, Brackenkit, Brightkit, Swiftkit, and Mistlekit. If Firepaw remembered right, Cinderkit was fireproof, Brackenkit and Thornkit looked alike; they were honestly twins. However, to tell them apart, Brackenkit's fur was thick like bracken and had amber eyes and Thornkit's claws were sharp as thorns and he had green eyes. Swiftkit can really run fast, leaving behind flames, Brightkit can glow in the dark, and Mistlekit can control small showers. Firepaw was impressed by Swiftkit and Cinderkit's powers, he remembered this one time where Swiftkit ran past him and saw the flames; in fact, the flames were even on Firepaw's paws. Another time was when Firepaw was demonstrating his power to the kits and Cinderkit had touched his paw. Firepaw was afraid that he would get in trouble with Frostfur, but luckily, she told him that Cinderkit was immune to fire, so that brought Firepaw some relief. Firepaw felt pride from the kits admiring comments and dropped the last piece of prey he caught into the fresh-kill pile.

"Firepaw!" a voice called out.

Firepaw perked and looked to see Bluestar signaling him to come to her, as she went into her den. Firepaw looked at Greypaw.

"I've got to go see Bluestar, I'll be right back." He meowed.

Greypaw nodded and left to find Ravenpaw. Firepaw went to Bluestar's den and found Bluestar looking troubled and concerned.

"You wanted to see me?" Firepaw asked.

"Yes, I did. Tigerclaw and I saw you talking to a kittypet from the twoleg place. You just approached the cat and started talking to it." Bluestar meowed.

"It's true, but he was an old friend, we grew up together." Firepaw defended.

Bluestar just looked at Firepaw, Firepaw wasn't sure if she believed him or if she was just lost in her thoughts. After a long moment, she started to speak.

"Do you miss your old life, Firepaw? Think carefully now, do you wish to leave the clan?" Bluestar asked.

Firepaw was scared to answer, if he said yes, would he be killed? When he first met Bluestar, she hinted that if he told anyone that he had powers, she would kill him. Firepaw honestly thought that cats weren't allowed to leave their clan, but if they were, where would they go? Would they join another clan or would they leave the forest, keeping their powers a secret. Firepaw would've said no anyway, he had come too far now and its not like he could go home knowing that cats with powers exist and that he had powers.

"No, of course not! My place is here, this is my home." Firepaw answered.

"I need more than that, Firepaw. I need to be able to trust your loyalty to Thunderclan, especially now. We don't have room for anyone who isn't sure whether their heart lies in the past or the present." Bluestar meowed.

"Bluestar, when I saw Smudge, I saw what life would've been like if I stayed with the twolegs. I'm happy that I didn't stay, I'm proud that I left my home. Meeting Smudge made me certain that I made the right choice. I could never be satisfied with the life of a kittypet, especially now." Firepaw meowed.

"Very well, Firepaw, I believe you." Bluestar meowed.

She smiled at Firepaw and Firepaw felt relieved. Bluestar's expression soon changed.

"While you show poor judgement in approaching a kittypet like that, you were right to not reveal your powers. I'm also impressed by how much prey you caught today, it's clear to me that you're improving. That's why you, Greypaw, and Ravenpaw are going to the gathering tonight." Bluestar meowed.

"Really?" Firepaw meowed surprised.

"Yes, you've all been improving this past moon, its time you all go to your first gathering." Bluestar meowed.

Firepaw jumped for joy, it was about time Firepaw, Greypaw, and Ravenpaw went to the gathering. Firepaw couldn't wait to meet cats from different clans and see all the amazing powers they have.

"Thank you, Bluestar!" he meowed joyfully.

"Of course. Now, go tell your friends." Bluestar meowed.

"Right!" Firepaw nodded.

Firepaw turned and was about to leave Bluestar's den but stopped and turned around.

"Hey Bluestar, what happens if a cat leaves their clan? Do they get killed?" he asked.

"Well, no, if a cat chooses to leave their clan or is exiled, then he or she looses their power for good." She meowed.

"Really?" Firepaw meowed, surprised.

"Well so the stories go. But seriously, enough of that, go tell you friends the good news." Bluestar meowed.

"Right!" Firepaw nodded.

He left Bluestar's den and bounded towards Greypaw and Ravenpaw. Both apprentices were play fighting and Ravenpaw was getting the upper paw.

"Hey guys!" Firepaw shouted.

Ravenpaw landed on the ground while Greypaw was laying down. He and Ravenpaw looked at Firepaw.

"Guess what? We're going to the gathering tonight!" Firepaw beamed.

"Really?!" Ravenpaw meowed.

"That's awesome! Are Sandpaw, Dustpaw, and Chestnutpaw coming?" Greypaw asked.

"Nope, it's just us three." Firepaw meowed.

"Good, Sandpaw, Dustpaw, and Chestnutpaw have been to too many gatherings. Speaking of which, I wonder what they'll be like?" Ravenpaw meowed.

"It'll be fantastic. I bet all the great warriors will be there; Clawface, Stonefur, Blackfoot…" Greypaw meowed.

Firepaw stopped listening to Greypaw and became lost in his thoughts. Firepaw didn't regret approaching Smudge like that, but he knew what Bluestar meant by poor judgement; next time, he wouldn't meet a friendly kittypet like Smudge. Firepaw wondered if Bluestar thought sending him to the tall pines area would let go of any thought of Firepaw returning to the twoleg place. He knew cats were expecting him to just crawl away back to his twoleg home, but Firepaw wondered if Bluestar was testing him?