Life wasn't going on as usual in FireClan. The cats went to sleep hungry each night, in strange territory. StarClan had not sent them a sign, and the monsters were moving closer each day, so they decided to move on. Most cats were to shocked about the leader's sudden death to do anything. No matter how many poppy seeds Leafflight and Grasspaw fed them, they were still petrified.
At least Nighttrance was getting used to it. Redstar had become leader when it was very peaceful, so he fitted right in. But Nighttrance was stuck in the middle of a problem, one who's solution was beyond reach. For him, anyways. Sorreltail felt bad for him.
"Hey, Nighttrance, need some help?" Sorreltail asked.
He looked grateful. "Sure, thanks. Could you help us hunt for fresh-kill?"
Sorreltail nodded. "Anything." She padded away to the camp entrance.
Soon they got to a barren, cold land that suited FireClan perfectly. "Is this where StarClan destined for us to be?" Ashnose asked the leader.
Nighttrance looked over the land carefully. Finally, with all the Clan cat's eyes staring up at him, he nodded. "Yes. It's perfect."
And just as that moment, Emberpaw spotted a rock with a star carved onto it. "Look, everyone, look!" he cried. "We really are destined to be here!"
Sorreltail, Stormfur, and Pantherclaw smiled. Their mission was completed. "Well," Pantherclaw mewed, "I'll be here, always. Come back anytime." With that, Pantherclaw padded off.
Emberpaw bounced up toward them. "Thanks," he told them. "I really appreciate it. Without you we would have died."
"You're welcome," Stormfur replied politely. "And now it's time for us to leave."
Emberpaw looked as though he was going to miss them. "I wish you didn't have to," he mewed. "But I understand that you have your family back at your territory." And the fire, he added mentally. But didn't say that out loud. Instead he touched noses with both of them.
The camp soon gave Sorreltail and Stormfur a big farewell. Then they set off.
"You know," said Sorreltail, remembering something Emberpaw once told her, "Emberpaw told me that he had a dream. But I doubt it's true. I mean, he is a normal apprentice, right?"
Stormfur hesitated. "Firestar had dreams when he was an apprentice," he offered. "And Emberpaw also knew about the prophecy, so..." he trailed off.
Sorreltail considered this. "I guess," she admitted. "He said there was going to be a fire at camp and only Heatherpaw can stop it."
"Heatherpaw? Crowfeather's daughter?" Stormfur asked incredulously.
Sorreltail nodded. "Although I have no idea just keeps everything a secret. Sometimes I wish they wouldn't do that."
"That would take all the fun out of life," Stormfur pointed out.
In her opinion, Sorreltail thought an easy life was much better. But she didn't say that. "I guess," she mewed. She missed Pantherclaw.
Soon, they spotted the Twoleg place looming in front of them. They hunted to satisfy themselves, and ran like wildcats through it. They slowed down when they reached an empty place.
There was a snap. Stormfur's head whipped around. There was a rat. "Sorreltail," he mewed.
Sorreltail looked at him, then at the rat. "I know. I saw one too."
"This place is dangerous. Let's go!" But before the two cats could escape, rats from all directions blocked the way out. Ten rats leaped on Sorreltail, and about twice as many on Stormfur. They fought long and hard. Sorreltail slashed at them, but there were so much more.
Emberpaw felt as if teeth were nibbling into his fur. He squirmed in his sleep. Burdock, burdock. Burdock, he thought, over and over again.
Stormfur lashed out blindly. Suddenly all the rats stopped. And ran. He collapsed. Sorreltail rushed to the side, limping. She found some burdock root, chewed some up, and rubbed it over Stormfur. Stormfur did the same to Sorreltail. They rested.
The next day, the rat bites started to heal. But there were still faint marks of red on their fur. "I'll grab some burdock and we'll set off," Sorreltail told him.
They soon reached a river, the same one where they had found the Moonstone. The Twoleg thing was still there. Stormfur and Sorreltail climbed in. Sorreltail tucked the burdock root in, and they sailed across the river.
"I want to see if the Moonstone is still there," Stormfur mewed. He dug around. Soon, he exclaimed, "Found it!" He pawed over a shiny rock. Sorreltail looked at it.
"We better bring it back to camp," Sorreltail mewed. Soon, the ThunderClan camp drifted into view.
"We're home," Stormfur mewed wistfully. He broke into a fast run.
Firestar was the first one to spot them. "Stormfur and Sorreltail are back!" he announced. He padded over to greet them. "How was it?"
"Fine," Sorreltail told him.
Then he noticed the rat bites. "What happened?"
"Rats attacked us," Stormfur informed him.
"You better see Leafpool."
As they walked through camp, lots of cats greeted them. Squirrelflight bounded up to Sorreltail and had a happy reunion. It was a very hot greenleaf day.
Suddenly the smell of smoke hit Stormfur's throat. "Fire!" he mewed in distress.
Sorry for the late update! And it's a little short. Anyways, I'm going to be very busy so I won't update for a while.
