When Fireheart woke up, it was dark outside and the light of Siverpelt shone down on him as he crawled into the clearing and stretched. When Whitestorm had told Tigerstar that a badger and its cubs were living in the forest, Tigerstar had vowed to take a patrol out to drive them out the next day. Fireheart shivered at not just the cold, but also at the thought of a savage beast roaming around in the forest nearby.
Fireheart noted the tiny fresh kill pile and decided to go out night hunting. He crawled through the bramble tunnel and trotted towards Snake Rocks, heading away from the badger's den. He caught a sparrow on the way there and hid it in a holly bush; he couldn't bury it as the mud was frozen solid. He hunted around snake rocks and caught two scrawny mice. He thanked Starclan for the kills and carried them back to where he had hidden the sparrow. He managed to catch a thrush on the way back to camp; it had been too busy foraging for food to notice Fireheart creeping up on it.
Fireheart was soon back in the safety of the camp and took his fresh kill over to the practically non-existent pile. He then took the sparrow for himself and settled down to eat it. "Where have you been?" Sandstorm suddenly asked, emerging from the warrior's den, with worry showing in her eyes. "I went night hunting." Fireheart replied nonchalantly with his mouth full. "What about the badger?" Meowed Sandstorm.
"I went to Snake Rocks, anyway why do you care?" He asked her, instantly regretting his tone. I'm turning into Yellowfang! He realised.
"You know why." She retorted, "If you don't then you're not who I think you are!" She snapped.
"I'm sorry." Fireheart whispered, pushing the sparrow towards her, "Here, have some sparrow." Sandstorm started to tuck in, driven by her constant leaf-bare hunger. "Do you feel the same way about me as I do about you?" Fireheart asked her as he cleaned his whiskers. Sandstorm swallowed and looked up at him with adoration shining in her whole expression. "If-if you love me then yes." She confirmed shyly.
"That's a yes then." Fireheart purred and licked Sandstorm's ear. She purred back, deafeningly. "My love belongs here and now, in the life we share- and it will last for all moons to come, I promise." Fireheart whispered. Sandstorm repeated the phrase back to him and the two sat sharing tongues until dawn.