Chapter 3
"Fireheart! Gray stripe! Fireheart! Graystripe!" The clan cheered the two toms names, welcoming them to their new warrior life.
Fireheart felt his pelt turn hot with embarrassment with all the cats cheering. He and Graystripe quickly went down from Highrock, and joined their clan mates.
"As you all know, there has been a shortage of prey this leaf-bare. So Tigerclaw will send out extra hunting patrols. Okay. This meeting is over!" Bluestar called.
"Graystripe, Sandpaw, Dustpaw, and Icepaw will hunt near Wind Clan. Fireheart, you will hunt alone with me near Shadow Clan border." Tigerclaw ordered.
"Oh no! You sure you should go alone with him?" Graystripe whispered.
"I'll be fine." Fireheart padded towards Tigerclaw.
"Come on." Fireheart followed Tigerclaw deeper in the forest. They came to a stop at River Clans border.
"Wait. Weren't we going to hunt at Shadow Clans border?" Fireheart questioned.
"That's the least of your problems, Fireheart. I know you've been with the medicine cat!" Tigerclaw snarled.
Fireheart couldn't feel any words coming out of him. He felt as If a stone was stuck In his throat, clogging any lies or ways to deny it.
"I knew it. First I'll kill you, then your mate!" he yowled.
Tigerclaw leapt at Fireheart in less than a second, not giving Fireheart enough time to dodge. He clawed at Fireheart as hard as he could, then threw him in the river. Fireheart tried to swim, or ever take a breath, but his wounds were too much. He closed his eyes, and sank into the water.
Spottedleaf followed Yellowfang into the forest. They were dangerously low on catmint, and If they were going to survive leaf bare, they needed more.
"Spottedleaf, you go near the river. I'll go near Sunning Rocks. We'll meet back here, and you'd better have herbs by the time I get back!" Yellowfang hissed.
"Okay, okay...you're not my mentor, you know." Spottedleaf mumbled.
She padded towards a clump of marigold, then continued her search on catmint. There were many holly bushes and dock leaves, but there was no catmint. Maybe at the river shore? Spottedleaf thought, Oh no! Is that a cat In the river?
She peeked farther in the river, looking to see which cat It was. Wait...Oh no! Fireheart!
She jumped Into the water, pleading for her mate to be alive. She pushed through the strong currents of water, sinking her teeth into his scruff. She felt a faint heartbeat, but knew she had no time to sigh in relief.
"Spottedleaf…" Fireheart whispered.
"Yes, I'm here. Now I'm going to pump all this water out of you. Okay...one, two, three!" She gave a harsh push at his chest, letting all the water out of him.
"You're going to be okay!" Spottedleaf let out a sigh of relief.
"Tiger..claw.." he gasped.
"What?" she asked.
"Tigerclaw...tried to...kill me…" Fireheart sputtered.
"What!?"
-A Few Moons Later-
"Fire! There's a fire!" Fireheart called out, yowling though the flames.
The fire spread through camp, leaving only a slight opening to escape through. All the cats ran through, yowling to escape.
Sandpaw saw Spottedleaf, stuck under a fallen branch. The fire was reaching her fast. If she helped Spottedleaf, she might not have enough time to escape for herself. And Fireheart and Sandpaw would never be mates.
"I'm sorry, Spottedleaf. I'm so sorry.." she cried as she ran to join the rest of her Clan.
"Everyone is out! Come on, Fireheart! We need you, you're our deputy!" Bluestar hissed.
"No...Where's Spottedleaf? She's not with the Clan!" Fireheart ran through the flames, searching for his mate.
"No! It's probably too late! Come on!" Bluestar pleaded.
"I can't just leave her! She's...she's my mate!" Fireheart ran farther in camp, and found her.
"I'm sorry Fireheart…" Spottedleaf gasped for air.
"What can I do? Spottedleaf, you can't die!" Fireheart wailed.
"I love you Fireheart. But this cannot happen. This isn't real. I was meant to join StarClan way earlier. Fireheart, all I was ever doing was distracting you from your real destiny. I'm sorry…" Spottedleaf cried.
Fireheart watched her go limp, as she died.
"No!"
Spottedleaf was dead.