Chapter 10
StarClan give me strength, Jaypaw silently prayed as she lunged into the flames after Flowerpaw, Rosepaw and Toadpaw at her side. Jaypaw emerged from the flames and looked around at ShadowClan's camp, for probably the first and last time. All the dens were erupting in flames and the blue sky was black with all the smoke so Jaypaw couldn't tell what the camp was like. Jaypaw coughed loudly, wanting to be safely back inside ThunderClan camp where the air was pure, but she knew she had to help ShadowClan.
"The nursery's this way!" Flowerpaw coughed, running towards one of the flaming dens, Toadpaw and the others hard on her heels. Without even flinching as the flames growled hungrily, Flowerpaw and Toadpaw entered the den while Rosepaw and Jaypaw waited outside, knowing that with the flames, the nursery was going to be crowded. They might as well stay outside and help when the kits arrived. Suddenly, the flames crackled and the roof of the den crashed down. Rosepaw gave a loud yowl that Jaypaw was about to echo before Flowerpaw and Toadpaw scrambled out of the den, unharmed, but their eyes wide with horror. Gasping, Flowerpaw rasped, "The kits aren't in there!"
Jaypaw snarled and suddenly a thought crossed her mind. Were the kits even in the camp or we they safely by the lake? The tortoiseshell she-cat had only said that the kits weren't with Snowbird, but what if they had escaped with another cat? Were Jaypaw and her friends risking thier lives for nothing? Jaypaw turned to Toadpaw, wanting to explain her fears to him, but the black-and-white tom wasn't even looking her way. Toadpaw eyes were only for Flowerpaw and in them was the love of a dozen cats. Jaypaw felt her heart ache for them despite that they were breaking the warrior code: were the two cats going to live to see each other another day? Jaypaw turned to see if Rosepaw had noticed Toadpaw, but the ginger she-cat was thinking about something else. Jaypaw opened her jaws to ask Rosepaw what was wrong, but a wave of smoke filled her lungs and Jaypaw began gasping for air.
"Wait! Over there!" Rosepaw coughed and started taking off to the far side of the camp. Jaypaw was about to question Rosepaw's sanity when she could hear the mewling of kits. Jaypaw ran after Rosepaw and could feel Flowerpaw's fur brush against hers as they ran. The threat of the fire and the safety of the kits had made Jaypaw and Flowerpaw one. It didn't matter that one was ThunderClan and the other ShadowClan; as long as the kits were in danger, they were one.
Rosepaw pushed aside some of the fallen branches and suddenly white kits' appeared, both of them coughing with all the smoke in the air. Jaypaw noticed that as the ash and soot continued falling from the flames, the white kits' fur grew darker. Jaypaw cast a glance at Toadpaw and saw that his pelt was only black; his white fur was now a dark gray. Rosepaw gave each a fierce lick- showing a softer side of her that Jaypaw had never witnessed- and flicked her tail for Toadpaw to pick up one. Rosepaw grabbed the other one and as Jaypaw looked at her friend and the small gray kit, she could almost believe that the two cats were part of the same Clan.
Flowerpaw led back the way they came and Jaypaw noticed how weak the reddish brown she-cat was getting. Flowerpaw was wheezing with each step she took and more than twice, she stumbled over her own paws. It wasn't only Flowerpaw either. The kits' mews were growing quieter and Jaypaw feared that if they didn't get them out of the fire soon, Snowbird would lose her second litter. Jaypaw didn't want that to happen so she pushed forward and brushed her pelt with Flowerpaw, hoping to give the ShadowClan apprentice strength. It seemed to help because Flowerpaw nodded and all the cats increased their pace. Jaypaw could tell that they were all worried about the kits' lives as well.
"Okay," Flowerpaw coughed, her paws trembling despite Jaypaw's support, "Rosepaw, Toadpaw, you take the kits out first. Jaypaw and I will follow." Rosepaw nodded and exited the camp, her ginger tail waving before she disappeared in a sign of strength. Toadpaw looked more hesitant to leave and his amber eyes were looking with fear at Flowerpaw. Flowerpaw- noticing his stare- snarled, "Go! Go!" Toadpaw nodded reluctantly- brushing his tail along Flowerpaw's flank- and raced out of the camp. Jaypaw hoped Rosepaw and Toadpaw got out okay.
Flowerpaw flicked her tail for Jaypaw to go next, but Jaypaw shook her head and coughed, "You go next. You need the air more than I do." Seeing the disbelief in Flowerpaw's eyes, Jaypaw added, "I'll be right behind you." Flowerpaw nodded and lunged forward just as a dozen flaming branches came crashing down onto the forest floor. Flowerpaw gave a loud shriek as she collapsed underneath them. Jaypaw yowled, using the rest of her air, "Flowerpaw!"
Jaypaw lunged forward, but her legs gave way. Jaypaw's eyesight began to blur, but she managed to search the flames, hoping Flowerpaw got out. Jaypaw saw a glimpse of reddish brown fur and suddenly she saw Flowerpaw walking out of the flaming branches, fine. Jaypaw sighed, but it caught in her throat as she realized that Flowerpaw's fur was sparkled with stars and a gray warrior padded beside her, fur in his pelt as well. A large gray cat with giant black paws suddenly appeared at Jaypaw's side and she tried to look up at him. Jaypaw's head fell against the ground and before blackness claimed her, she thought: Why is death so painful?
