hey-o i've got a new chapter for y'all. haha
-break-
With Greenleaf typically came two major things; flourishing life and prey, and unbearable heat. The Cats of ThunderClan had come up with the idea of soaking moss in the river and bringing it back to camp for the queens and their kits. But even then, many cats simply wanted to collapse into their dens and attempt to wait out the heat.
It was on a day like that when Greenleaf took a turn for the worse. Fireheart was with a border patrol on the way home, when he smelled it. The faint scent of sparks and smoke, and the whole patrol went rigid in fear. There was a fire. The four cats raced home to find everyone already beginning to move out. Fireheart met up with Tigerstar as soon as he found him.
"What's the plan to get to safety?" Fireheart asked Tigerstar through the commotion around them.
"We're heading to the river where the fire won't reach us. We'll figure out what to do from there." Fireheart nodded at his leader and went through the camp once more to make sure everyone was out. He found Patchpelt and Halftail lagging behind, and called over Sandstorm to help get them back with the group.
Once the two elders were safely with the other cats, the Clan started evacuating. Once at the river, everything calmed down slightly. Until, of course, Goldenflower realized Tawnykit and Bramblekit were missing.
"Th-they must have gotten left behind somewhere in the forest, oh StarClan what if I lose them!?" Goldenflower wailed, Brindleface supporting her from one side as she coughed slightly. Tigerstar looked ready to jump off and into the forest, when Fireheart stopped him.
"Tigerstar," The tabby tom looked at Fireheart, posture saying he was angry, but eyes revealing his fear, "I'll go after them. You stay here and keep your Clan from falling apart." Tigerstar paused and stared helplessly at Fireheart for a moment before nodding in resignation and turning back to Goldenflower. Fireheart didn't stay long before running back into the fire, following the trail the cats had taken to leave the forest.
Earlier along the path and closer to camp was when Fireheart found the two kits, or more accurately, when they found him. Fireheart was scouring the bushes, trees, and path around him as the fire grew, when he heard a familiar voice calling out to him.
"Fireheart!" Fireheart turned and found Bramblekit and Tawnykit huddled on a branch above him. Fireheart's eyes widened.
"Don't move a mouse-length!" He called out to them, running to the base of the tree, "I'll get you down!" Fireheart began to pull himself up the tree, but flinched at the ominous creaking sound it made. He continued up, more carefully now, until he reached the branch the two kits clung to. He set a single paw onto the branch and heard a loud crack. Fireheart froze and gathered himself, before launching his body towards the kits and curling around them as the branch under them snapped.
Fireheart hit the ground hard, and rolled through sparks and fire, and came to a stop in a patch of dirt and ash. Fireheart stood shakily, and inspected the kits pressed close to him. Bramblekit was shaking, and Tawnykit was looking up at him with worry. Fireheart smiled at her through the searing pain in his back from the fire.
He carefully picked the two up, and blinked at a sudden hissing sound by him. After a moment a couple more hissing sounds came and Fireheart realized that it had started raining. Maybe ThunderClan's forest could be saved yet.
Returning to the river with the two kits in tow, Fireheart found that the only cat there was Sandstorm.
"Sandstorm?" Fireheart said, setting down the kits, "What happened to everyone else?"
"RiverClan is letting us stay in their camp until the fire has passed." Sandstorm said. "I was waiting for you." Fireheart smiled sheepishly at her. Sandstorm leaned down and picked up Bramblekit before gesturing for Fireheart to follow. Fireheart did so, carrying Tawnykit with him into the river.
In RiverClan's camp the two were immediately greeted by Goldenflower and Brindleface, who curled around their two kits and thanked Fireheart profusely. Fireheart smiled at them, and looked around camp. He trotted over to Cinderpelt who was currently sitting by Speckletail and Snowkit. He saw that Snowkit was signing something and decided to 'listen in' so to speak.
"-saw something when fire started." Snowkit signed at Cinderpelt.
"What?" Cinderpelt signed back.
"Saw hawk above me. Picked me up and carried me to silverpelt. Saw cats there. Cat like Fireheart. Orange. Very big. Saw cat like weasel. Long and skinny. Brown. Saw cat like Featherkit but bigger. Male. Saw cat like shadow. But a cat instead of a shadow." As Snowkit continued signing to Cinderpelt, Fireheart realized that Snowkit was describing a vision he saw, along with describing the four founders of the Clans.
"They looked like stars, and when they spoke… I could hear them." Snowkit signed, causing Speckletail to gasp next to him. Cinderpelt gave him a wide-eyed look, before nodding and signing a 'thank you' to Snowkit. Snowkit smiled as she turned away.
"Fireheart!" Cinderpelt meowed before looking next to him and brightening. "Sandstorm!" Cinderpelt bounced over and touched noses with Sandstorm, surprising a meow of delight from the sandy she-cat. Fireheart laughed lightly at the two, causing them to look over at him. Fireheart then gestured for Cinderpelt to follow him.
"How are our cats?" Cinderpelt lowered her gaze to the ground.
"Most cats are fine, but Tigerstar lost a life from smoke inhalation and Patchpelt and Halftail are dead. They've been buried here." Fireheart lowered his head in quick remembrance. Cloudheart would likely be distraught. He had spent a lot of time as a kit with the elders.
"And what of you?" Cinderpelt asked accusingly, causing Fireheart to blink at her in surprise, "Do you have any scratches after leaping into a fire?" Fireheart felt his face heat in embarrassment and he pointed with his tail to his back. Cinderpelt shook her head at him and dragged him over to the RiverClan medicine den where they were met with Mudfur, Leopardfur, Crookedstar, Yellowfang, and Tigerstar.
"-You're sure you won't give us her kits?" Crookedstar was asking Tigerstar, who shook his head.
"They're too old now. They'd be heartbroken if they were taken away from their Clan." Tigerstar explained to the RiverClan leader. Crookedstar sighed, and Fireheart recalled that Crookedstar was Silverstream's father, and therefore Featherkit and Stormkit's grandfather.
"Can I see them at least?" Crookedstar asked. Tigerstar glanced out of the den towards Graystripe who was carefully watching as his kits interacted with RiverClan warriors. After a moment, Tigerstar nodded to Crookedstar who thanked him and gestured for Leopardfur to follow him. After the two had left Cinderpelt dragged him further in and set him next to Tigerstar before turning and speaking with the two other medicine cats.
"So are my kits safe?" Tigerstar asked him. Fireheart nodded, settling himself down somewhat.
"Are you?" Fireheart asked in return. Tigerstar's surprise showed briefly at the question.
"For now." He said, "I lost a life and Yellowfang and Cinderpelt want to keep me here until they're sure I'll be fine. Fireheart nodded and gestured for Tigerstar to lie down next to him. The dark brown tabby did so and rested his head on his paws.
"We'll head home tomorrow." Tigerstar said softly, and Fireheart nodded, moving to a more accessible position as Cinderpelt limped over.
-break-
Fireheart headed back to ThunderClan ahead of the group with Yellowfang to see how damaged the camp was. Currently it looked as though the camp was mostly intact. A couple burnt holes in dens, but all around salvageable. Now that Fireheart was alone with Yellowfang, it was time to ask about something he had seen on the day Bluestar died.
"You killed Brokenstar." Fireheart stated, quietly, "Why?" For a moment, Yellowfang was silent.
"Brokenstar was my son. But he wasn't my son. I didn't raise him. I was never there for him. But I still felt responsible for everything he had done in his life. If I hadn't birthed him, none of this might have happened. Though I suppose then I would never have met you." Fireheart was touched by her words. Yellowfang rarely ever gave praise, so when she did, you knew she meant it.
"I'm stepping down from my position of medicine cat." Fireheart blinked at that.
"What?" He said, confusion so blatant in his voice that yellowfang laughed.
"I'm retiring. These old bones have helped many cat in their lifetime, but it's about time that another generation took on my duty. I'll miss it but it'll also be nice to finally get some peace." Yellowfang explained. Fireheart gave her a soft smile.
"You realize that Cinderpelt will be hounding you for advice until after you've faded from StarClan, right?" Yellowfang purred in amusement at his words.
"Then so be it."
-break-
It was a full moon and ThunderClan was heading out to a gathering. As cats flooded into Fourtrees, Fireheart noticed that ShadowClan had yet to arrive. Before he could ask around, shocked gasps came from several of Fireheart's clanmates, and his head swiveled around to see what all the fuss was about. He went rigid when he saw.
ShadowClan prowled into the gathering, filled with many of the exiled rogues. But at the head of that group stood Darkstripe himself. Darkstripe jumped up onto the rock in the center of Fourtrees and called out to the cats below him-
"Let the gathering begin!"
-break-
wow that cliffhanger tho am i right? 'til next time!