Fireheart was still wondering about the StarClan's message as he dabbed mouse bile on One-eye's ticks.
"It's nice to have somecat experienced get rid of my ticks for a change," One-eye rasped, interrupting Fireheart's thoughts, "Apprentices never really know what they're doing."
"Don't forget you were an apprentice once, One-eye." Meowed Smallear. One-eye's only response was a grunt.
"Tigerstar is mouse-brained wasting such good warriors," Patchpelt spoke up, "You could be doing something more useful, like patrolling or mentoring."
"I like that idea!" One-eye meowed, "You could teach those pesky apprentices how to get rid of ticks properly, they always leave the heads in." She complained.
Fireheart mrowed with amusement, "I doubt Tigerstar will be making Graystripe or me a mentor anytime soon!"
"He's a sorry excuse for a leader," One-eye grunted, "In all my time as a ThunderClan cat, I've never come across a worse 'star!"
"And that's a long time!" Smallear joked. One-eye swiped at him half-heartedly with another grunt.
"You can go now," One-eye told Fireheart, "All my ticks are gone."
"Thank you, One-eye." Meowed Fireheart gratefully, backing respectfully out of the den and bumping straight into Tigerstar himself.
"I trust you're looking after the elders properly?" He sneered.
"That's right he is!" One-eye yowled from inside the den, "He's going to go and hunt for us now!"
"Is that so?" Tigerstar asked.
"It is." Fireheart meowed.
"Well off you go then, don't just stand there!" Spat Tigerstar, his tail twitching irritably.
Fireheart raced out of the camp, making a mental note to thank One-eye later for getting him out of having to do a nastier task, set by Tigerstar. He followed Graystripe's scent; Graystripe was already out hunting for the elders, but Tigerstar didn't know that.
"Graystripe!" Yowled Fireheart as he stopped in the clearing which he thought smelled most like his friend.
"Hi!" Graystripe mumbled cheerfully around the squirrel he was carrying in his mouth, as he squeezed through the bushes, "What are you doing here?"
"One-eye sent me to hunt, to get me out of a row with Tigerstar." Fireheart explained.
"Well I've already hunted far too much." Graystripe nodded towards the pile of fresh-kill that he had gathered at the edge of the clearing.
"Right," Fireheart mewed, "Well I'll just soak some moss for them to drink from and you can carry it. I'll carry the fresh-kill into camp and you can carry the moss and then Tigerstar won't be able to question us."
"Good idea." Graystripe replied, and started to sort the prey into smaller, more carriable piles.
"Then we can come back to get the elders some fresh bedding, and you can carry the rest of the prey and I'll carry some dry moss. That way, we've both been hunting." Fireheart meowed with a wink.
Graystripe mrowed with amusement, "You crafty cat!" He said, batting his friend's muzzle affectionately. Fireheart grinned cheekily before racing off to collect the moss.
They returned to camp a while before sunset, Fireheart laden with fresh-kill and Graystripe with dripping moss clamped between his jaws. They both went straight to the elder's den, tactically pretending not to notice Tigerstar's suspicious stare.
"Thank you, One-eye," Fireheart touched noses with the pale grey she-cat, "You saved me from a lecture from our so-called leader earlier; I owe you a favour."
"You owe me no such favour youngster," One-eye purred, "You rid me of ticks that had been irritating me for moons! And look at all of this fresh-kill!"
"Graystripe is a brilliant hunter." Fireheart replied, bowing his head gratefully.
"Thank you, Graystripe." One-eye purred, and the long-haired grey tom gave his chest fur a few brisk licks to hide his pride.
"Now go and fetch our bedding." Smallear ordered the two tom cats, his amber eyes twinkling.
"How did you-" Graystripe started.
Smallear cut him off with a mrow, "I assumed you would have given yourselves something else to do so that Tigerstar can't bother you. I know you're not mouse-brained and neither am I."
"Well you are a bit…" One-eye rasped.
"Oh, be quiet you!" Smallear meowed with affection, flicking One-eye good-humouredly with his tail. She swiped it away with a playful mrow and grunted as she picked up a piece of fresh-kill.
Graystripe and Fireheart shared an amused look before padding out of the den. They slipped through the bramble tunnel before Tigerstar noticed and trotted briskly towards the rest of the fresh-kill, which Graystripe had buried in the clearing earlier.
"I'll go and get some moss." Fireheart mewed. Graystripe nodded and began to dig up the hidden prey.
Fireheart ran to the Owl-tree, dodging around bushes and springing easily over logs and tree roots as he went. When he arrived, he scratched off as much moss as he could carry and checked it was enough for the six elders' nests. Satisfied with the amount he had, he carefully picked it all up in one big wad and trotted back to where Graystripe sat waiting for him.
"That's a lot of moss!" Graystripe exclaimed, yellow eyes wide.
"We need a lot," Fireheart mewed simply after setting the wad down, "It has to fill six nests."
With a nod, Graystripe got to his paws and picked up the rest of the fresh-kill; Fireheart picked up the moss once again and the pair padded back to camp, careful not to drop any of their load.
When they arrived, it was pitch black and only the moonlight guided their paws towards the bramble tunnel. They slunk through and split up, Graystripe heading towards the fresh-kill pile and Fireheart to the elder's den.
"What took you so long?" Snapped Halftail, he had been asleep all day, and so hadn't realised everything Fireheart and Graystripe had done earlier on.
"Keep your fur on!" Mrowed Smallear, "Fireheart and Graystripe have been on their paws all day, getting our prey and water and bedding. Be a bit more grateful, would you?"
"Oh. I didn't know," Halftail meowed sulkily, "Is that moss for us?"
Fireheart nodded and set down the wad of moss, "Let me make your nests." He offered.
"No, no," Smallear objected, "We may be old, but we can do that ourselves thank you."
"If you're sure…" Fireheart mewed reluctantly.
"Quite sure," One-eye added, "We'll put our old moss just outside the den there and you can dispose of it tomorrow."
"Okay," Fireheart mewed politely, "Goodnight." He left the den and padded over to Graystripe who was eating a mouse at the base of the Highrock.
"Why are you eating so close to Tigerstar?" Fireheart whispered.
"The ground is soft here, and our 'leader' is out on a night patrol." Graystripe explained. Fireheart nodded and padded over to the fresh-kill pile. He returned a few heartbeats later with a squirrel. The two cats ate in silence, both thinking about the same thing, about Tigerstar's plan of attacking RiverClan.
Sandstorm padded over and lay down beside her mate, "I haven't seen you all day!" She exclaimed.
"I know," Fireheart mewed apologetically, "I've been looking after the elders all day with Graystripe."
"I still can't believe that Tigerstar is treating you two like apprentices," Sandstorm sighed, "We need you on patrol."
"You need us?" Graystripe asked, "Has something happened?"
"We need you there so someone can stand up to Tigerstar. He keeps getting us to do ridiculous things on patrol, like climbing trees with barely any grip and digging deep holes. He even shoved Willowpelt into the river a couple of sunrises ago she nearly drowned. He said we all need to learn to swim in case we fall in!" Sandstorm spat bitterly.
"Is Willowpelt okay?" Fireheart asked, concern flooding his expression.
"She is now," Sandstorm sighed, "Tigerstar told her she wasn't allowed to go to Spottedleaf, so she took a while to recover without any herbs."
"That's awful! How do I not know about any of this?" Asked Fireheart.
"I have a feeling that Tigerstar wants you two out of the way because he knows that you'll stand up to him." Meowed Sandstorm.
"Then we'll have to convince him to let us back on patrol." Graystripe mewed.
"I'll get some warriors to complain to him, to tell him we need you two. If they all go to him separately he doesn't have the time to argue with each individual cat." Sandstorm mewed helpfully.
Fireheart and Graystripe nodded, "I'm going to sleep." Yawned Graystripe, and he padded away, disappearing inside the apprentice's den.
"It's ridiculous that he's making you sleep in there." Sandstorm mewed quietly to Fireheart.
"I know." Fireheart sighed. They shared tongues until Moonhigh and then went to their separate dens, Sandstorm shooting Fireheart a sad look.
When Fireheart entered the den, he had to be very careful not to step on any tails because it was so crowded. He squeezed into an empty nest between Graystripe and Cloudpaw before tucking his paws underneath him and closing his eyes. He found it very hard to get to sleep that night.