hhheeeeeeeeeeyyyy. It's uh. It's been a while. sorry. but i've brought a long chapter! so, y'know. hope that makes up for it.
-break-
Fireheart opened a single eye and watched Darkstripe exit the warriors' den. After a moment, Fireheart quietly lifted himself and weaved silently through the sleeping bodies around him. It was time to figure out where Darkstripe kept going in the morning. Carefully, Fireheart followed Darkstripe's scent, pausing whenever he felt he was catching up. Eventually this led him to the Thunderpath—the border between ShadowClan and ThunderClan. Fireheart's eyes widened as he realized what this could mean.
Turning and walking swiftly back to camp Fireheart pondered this. Was Darkstripe doing what Tigerstar once had and planning to overthrow the cat who led him? Who had mentored him? The cat who had worked with him likely long before Fireheart had ever come to the clans? Maybe, but still… Fireheart broke out of his thought at the smell of familiar clanmates. Camp. He ducked through the entrance giving the guard—Runningwind—a nod as he entered.
Fireheart looked into camp and found a few cats by the fresh-kill pile—Goldenflower and Brindleface herding kits to eat, Graystripe looking on fondly as Stormkit and Featherkit fought over a plump mouse, Mousefur almost nodding off into her squirrel, and Longtail prodding her anytime her head fell too low. Fireheart let out a purr of amusement at the sight.
Mousefur and Longtail looked up as he walked over and sat by Graystripe, snatching a thrush from him and ignoring the tom's protests.
"Any of you want to volunteer for the dawn patrol?" Fireheart asked through some feathers. Longtail let out an amused purr.
"I think if we sent Mousefur she might fall asleep on snakerocks." Fireheart chuckled, a twinge of surprise at Longtail making jokes around Fireheart but that feeling was swiftly squashed down.
"I'd volunteer myself, but I was planning on asking Tigerstar about something." Longtail said, briefly glancing towards the high rock. Longtail's words also reminded Fireheart that he should tell Tigerstar what he'd found this morning.
"How about I come with you? I need to talk to Tigerstar myself." Fireheart asked. Longtail's tail flicked and he looked down at Mousefur.
"Did you want to give your apprentice his warrior assessment as well?" Fireheart blinked. "Whitestorm, Mousefur, and I talked it over last night and decided we'd talk to Tigerstar today. It'd actually probably help our case if you came with us." Longtail gave Fireheart a nervous smile.
Thinking it over, Fireheart realized it probably would be nice if he could give Cloudpaw his warrior assessment. It had been about half a moon since Cloudpaw's last journey to twolegplace, and Fireheart was proud of the leaps and bounds Cloudpaw had made recently in his training. But on the other paw, Fireheart still needed to tell Tigerstar about Darkstripe. But that could wait. Darkstripe hadn't done anything in the full moon Fireheart had seen him leave camp early. Why would he suddenly do something now?
"It would be nice to get some free time until we have to train the next batch of kits." Fireheart agreed, after some thought. Longtail gained a look of exhaustion.
"The nursery is pretty full, we have Goldenflower's kits—Bramblekit and Tawnykit—as well as Graystripe's—Stormkit and Featherkit—and Speckletail's son—Snowkit—and Willowpelt's due any day now. That's going to be six apprentices at least." As Longtail listed it, Fireheart felt a bit of surprise trickle through him. There had been quite a few of kits as of late. Fireheart turned at the sound of someone walking over to see Whitestorm. Longtail stood and stretched before very purposefully stepping on Mousefur's tail.
"That's our cue to meet up. Better get moving unless you're planning on spending another moon training your 'paw." Mousefur grumbled but stood nonetheless. Fireheart gave Graystripe a helpless sort of smile before standing and joining the others.
Whitestorm looked mildly surprised when Fireheart joined the entourage of mentors, but gave Fireheart a reassuring brush of his tail. Whitestorm motioned for Longtail and Mousefur to wait by the entrance while Fireheart followed the white tom inside.
"Tigerstar," The addressed tom looked over to Whitestorm, "Longtail, Mousefur, Fireheart, and I have all come to the conclusion that our apprentices are ready to take their warrior assessments." Tigerstar took this information.
"So you believe that Brightpaw, Swiftpaw, Thornpaw, and Cloudpaw really are ready?" Tigerstar asked giving the two an interrogating stare. Whitestorm nodded, conviction clear in his eyes.
"I have no doubt that these four are prepared." Fireheart said, stepping forward slightly. Whitestorm gave Fireheart a thankful look while Tigerstar nodded.
"Then tell them that they are to be assessed today. If they pass, they will become full warriors of ThunderClan." Tigerstar meowed, standing up and stretching. "I'll take care of the patrols during the assessment, so you don't need to worry about it." Tigerstar said to Fireheart who sighed in relief. Whitestorm laughed at his reaction.
"Well then Fireheart, you'd better get your apprentice and we'll get ours. Meet at the entrance to camp," Whitestorm said, before exiting the den. Fireheart paused before leaving.
"Tigerstar… Do you think you could put some extra cats towards the ShadowClan border?" Fireheart asked, looking back towards his leader. Tigerstar gave Fireheart a long look.
"I won't ask and trust your judgement." Tigerstar meowed softly. Fireheart was almost shocked. Bluestar would have interrogated him as to why even if Fireheart was deputy. And Tigerstar hated Fireheart. Fireheart turned and left the den, pondering Tigerstar's confusing methods.
Fireheart ducked his head into the apprentice's den to find Cloudpaw and his foster siblings looking curiously at where Brightpaw, Swiftpaw, and Thornpaw's nests were.
"Cloudpaw?" The white apprentice looked up. "Come with me." Fireheart said beckoning him over. Only after exiting the den did Cloudpaw speak up.
"Is this my warrior assessment? If it is why am I being made a warrior before Ashpaw and Fernpaw? Am I going to be working with Brightpaw and Swiftpaw and Thornpaw, or is this a solo kind of thing? Will I be allowed to ask for help even if it is? What if?-" "Slow down Cloudpaw!" Fireheart said, a purr rumbling in his throat.
"Yes, this is your warrior assessment, the reason you will not be taking it with Ashpaw and Fernpaw is because you're older and became an apprentice earlier, whether or not the four of you will be working together will depend on what we choose to assess you on, and if we ask you to not work with the other apprentices then you simply won't work with them." Cloudpaw still looked on edge, but seemed somewhat appeased by Fireheart's answers.
The two met up with the other mentors and apprentices by the entrance and then made their way over to the sandy hollow. It was here that Longtail took over.
"We will begin the assessment by splitting into pairs and fighting each other." Longtail said. "Cloudpaw will be fighting Thornpaw and Brightpaw will be fighting Swiftpaw. After a bit of fighting we will have two of you switch, and then two more switch." Brightpaw and Swiftpaw grumbled a bit at these arrangement but the four positioned themselves accordingly. After being given the signal to begin, they attacked.
Fireheart nervously watched as Cloudpaw fought. Fireheart noticed that Cloudpaw's moves were just slightly slower than Thornpaw's and because of it the golden-brown tabby was gaining the upper hand. Both Fireheart and Thornpaw were surprised, however, when Cloudpaw ducked underneath Thornpaw and shoved himself upwards, headbutting and throwing Thornpaw back.
Before any other move could be made, Whitestorm called for Cloudpaw and Brightpaw to switch partners. Now Cloudpaw would face off against Swiftpaw. This match felt a bit more even. While Swiftpaw was definitely faster, Cloudpaw could hit harder. The two fought for a while, neither gaining nor losing ground, until the next switch came from Longtail.
Now Cloudpaw fought Brightpaw. Fireheart would have believed that these two could have been evenly matched, but one thing that he had noticed was that both of Whitestorm's apprentices were forces to be reckoned with. While Brightpaw had less of the fire that Sandstorm held, she was still no less of a storm to fight with. Cloudpaw struggled fighting her more than Swiftpaw and Thornpaw.
"Alright, that's enough for now." The apprentices stopped and turned to Mousefur as she spoke. "The next task we have for you will be hunting. You may choose to work together or alone. Go once you've decided." Thornpaw took one look at Brightpaw and Swiftpaw—who had jumped together the second they heard they could—and turned and trotted off, Mousefur taking an alternate route to follow him.
Cloudpaw paused, glancing over at Brightpaw and Swiftpaw. As Fireheart, Whitestorm, and Longtail turned to disappear in the undergrowth around the hollow, he spotted Brightpaw beckoning a relieved looking Cloudpaw to join the duo. Fireheart smiled at the growing friendship between the three. It was good that Cloudpaw was making friends now instead of keeping to himself and his foster-siblings.
The trio of apprentices proved to be very successful when working together, and by sunhigh they had come up with a sizeable sum of prey. It was near the great sycamore that all four apprentices met up again.
"Oh StarClan, not you too Cloudpaw." Thornpaw groaned. Cloudpaw puffed up.
"What? It's no fun hunting by yourself!" Thornpaw rolled his eyes.
"Yeah well this is an assessment. It's not really supposed to be 'fun'." Thornpaw meowed in annoyance.
"Well-" Before Cloudpaw could argue further the sound of a cat's yowl cut through the forest, shocking Fireheart and causing Whitestorm and Longtail next to him to tense. A two cats leapt through the bushes towards the apprentices, and the three mentors, joined shortly by Mousefur, jumped forward to meet them.
The apprentices leapt into help them, and as Fireheart kicked down a warrior—whose scent told he was from ShadowClan—Fireheart saw a familiar dark tabby join their enemies ranks. It was Darkstripe!
"Darkstripe!" Fireheart heard Longtail growl, betrayal and anger clear in his voice. In the corner of his eye, Fireheart saw Longtail throw himself at his mentor. Fireheart clawed at his opponent once more before the tabby drew back and ran. Several of his allies noticed him running and joined. Darkstripe kicked Longtail off of him before running along with.
The final cat shook off the four apprentices that had managed to pin him down and sprinted after his comrades. The eight cats simply stood there for a moment, panting.
"So, uh," Swiftpaw began, "Do we pass?" Whitestorm let out a choked laugh.
-break-
The group of soon-to-be-former mentors and soon-to-be warriors returned to camp with minimal wounds, but still shocked clanmates.
"What happened out there!?" Tigerstar demanded when he saw them, as cats crowded by them.
"Darkstripe has been going to ShadowClan for at least a moon now." Cats let out shocked gasps as Fireheart spoke. Tigerstar scowled.
"And when were you planning on telling us this?" Tigerstar growled.
"I only just found out where he was going today. He done nothing else before." Tigerstar still looked angry but let it pass.
"All of you, go to Yellowfang and get yourselves checked out. Afterwards," Tigerstar turned to look directly at Fireheart. "I'd like to speak with you." Fireheart stood strong against his glare and after a moment, Tigerstar whipped around and left for his den.
-break-
Fireheart entered Tigerstar's den with marigold and cobwebs placed on his scratches. Whitestorm, Longtail, and Mousefur told him to tell Tigerstar that the apprentices had passed. But first, there was the matter of Darkstripe.
"I'm going to be honest with you," Fireheart blinked at Tigerstar's words, "I never had a doubt that Darkstripe would betray me." Tigerstar turned to face Fireheart, a look of—something, but not quite disappointment—on his face.
"I had promised him that should I become leader, he would be my deputy. I never had any intention on doing so of course, but Darkstripe didn't. So when I made you of all cats deputy, well." Tigerstar looked into Fireheart's eyes for… Something.
"Darkstripe was always a bit volatile. Father dead before he was born, mother never really with him. I never really helped that. I used him, and I am ashamed of that, but there are many things I have done that I am ashamed of." Fireheart wondered if one of those things was killing Bluestar.
"On a lighter note, how did the apprentices do?" Fireheart relaxed at this.
"They are all ready to become warriors." Tigerstar nodded, and gestured for Fireheart to follow him as he walked out of the den. Fireheart sat before the high rock as Tigerstar jumped atop it.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather before the high rock for a Clan meeting!" Fireheart's clanmates began to gather closer, and Fireheart noticed the mentors and apprentices walking out of the medicine den. When all the cats of ThunderClan stood before Tigerstar, he spoke.
"Today, a clanmate of ours has betrayed and attacked us. I hereby banish Darkstripe for breaking the warrior code and attacking his clan." Mournful and outraged meows scattered through the crowd as Tigerstar went on, "Fernpaw was Darkstripe's apprentice, and as such, she will need a new mentor. Fernpaw's new mentor will be Runningwind." The two approached each other and touched noses. Runningwind whispered something to Fernpaw that Fireheart couldn't hear, but caused Fernpaw to smile.
"Something else, far greater, has also occurred today. Four of our apprentices have taken and passed their warrior assessment. Brightpaw, Cloudpaw, Swiftpaw, Thornpaw, please step forth." The four cats did so with pride and purpose.
"I, Tigerstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn." The four stood straighter, preparing for their part.
Brightpaw. Cloudpaw. Swiftpaw. Thornpaw. Do you four promise to uphold the warrior code, and protect and defend your Clan—even at the cost of your life?"
"We do." It was brightpaw who spoke as the three others nodded next to her, light and passion shining in all of their eyes.
"Then by the powers StarClan has granted me, I give you your warrior names. Brightstorm," Whitestorm's chest puffed out in pride, "for your strength and perseverance, Cloudheart," Fireheart could not smile wider, "for your loyalty and bravery, Swiftstrike," Longtail pressed closer to Mousefur, "for your speed and diligence, and Thornclaw," Mousefur gave a pride-filled gaze at her apprentice, "for your initiative and wit." Tigerstar paused, before stepping down and standing before them.
He pressed his nose to each of their foreheads, and they in turn licked his shoulder. Finishing, he stepped back and looked over them once more. Before he spoke, Firestar realized that this was Tigerstar's first ever warrior ceremony. He did this not with the experience of Bluestar, but with the words that were now his.
"StarClan honors you, and we welcome you as full warriors of ThunderClan." After Tigerstar spoke their Clan's name, the cats around Fireheart cheered out the four cats' new names. Everything was cut short however, when a pain-filled yowl cut through the camp, and Goldenflower shot out of the nursery.
"Willowpelt is kitting!"
-break-
sO. dat cliffhanger tho, amirite? hahA. yeah. Uh, a thing you'll notice from really here on out is that everything's order is a little screw-y because I have read Rising Storm ONCE in my life and that was some six or so years ago. so. yeah. Also names are going to be different because this isn't Bluestar or Firestar naming cats, no this is mE. yeah. but anyways, i'll see you guys in the next chapter!