"He got away!" Ashpaw squealed.
"That's okay little one," Tigerstar meowed, and Fireheart wondered why his leader was suddenly being kind, "It's RiverClan we really need to focus on."
Ah, Fireheart thought bitterly, still pretending to be dazed on the ground, there's the catch.
Ashpaw nodded, his dark blue eyes brightening. He trotted over to help up his sister who had also been knocked over when Whitethroat threw off Darkstripe.
Fireheart heaved himself onto his paws, wincing as he pretended that he was in pain.
"What a shame that mange pelt knocked you out." Tigerstar meowed sarcastically, "I wouldn't want to lose such a 'fantastic warrior', as Sandstorm put it. You'd better watch out Kittypet, lose an enemy like that again and it's not only you who will have to suffer the consequences." The tabby tom turned and started to pad back to camp.
"Are you okay?" Graystripe meowed as he rushed over to his friend, "Darkstripe just told me what happened."
"I wouldn't trust anything Darkstripe says," Fireheart scoffed, "Yeah, I suppose I'm fine, but our clan isn't."
"What?" Graystripe asked, "Hang on."
He padded up to Tigerstar and bowed, before mewing something to him. Tigerstar nodded, and Graystripe bowed again and backed away before running back over to his friend.
"What was that all about?" Fireheart hissed.
"I just asked him if we could hunt so that you can tell me what happened. Dustpelt told me the best way to get what you want from that sorry excuse for a leader is to act humble. The flea bag is so arrogant that he soaks it all up! He's too mouse-brained to see that it's all an act. I've known Dustpelt since we were kits, trust me, he doesn't really agree with Tigerstar's ideas." Graystripe explained as they headed for the Great Sycamore.
"Oh, okay," Fireheart mewed, "Let's hunt quickly and then I'll tell you what really happened."
Graystripe nodded, and the pair worked together to catch two mice and a squirrel before settling down to talk.
"Tigerstar is teaching apprentices his own version of the warrior code in which you attack any cat near your border and kill any cat who crosses it." Fireheart began to explain simply.
"That's awful!" Graystripe meowed, yellow eyes wide, "I suppose that's why he didn't let Sandstorm become a mentor."
"That's exactly what I thought!" Fireheart mewed before carrying on, "Anyway, we were setting the markers by the thunderpath when we saw Whitethroat sniffing around on his side, probably just checking that none of our cats had crossed recently, so he could report to Nightstar."
Graystripe nodded and started to relax more as he listened, tail twitching with curiosity.
"Suddenly, Darkstripe attacked him out of nowhere and the apprentices followed, they've been influenced by Tigerstar so much," Fireheart looked sad and shook his head, "I had to pretend to join in, Tigerstar just watched. Anyway, I raced ahead and pinned Whitethroat down before quickly whispering to him that this was all because of Tigerstar and that he should warn ShadowClan. Then I had to fake being knocked out by him and he managed to get away." Fireheart sighed.
"That's terrible!" Graystripe exclaimed, "The gathering is tomorrow night, I'll bet ShadowClan will be hostile now."
"If we even go." Fireheart pointed out as he stood up.
Graystripe got to his paws, "What do you mean? Surely we won't miss a gathering!" His yellow eyes were wide.
"I'm not sure what to think anymore." Fireheart mewed as he picked up his squirrel.
Graystripe picked up the two mice, "We can't let Tigerstar destroy ThunderClan." He mumbled around them.
The two cats padded back to camp, they pushed their way through the bramble tunnel and dropped their catches on the fresh kill pile. The others were already back and Fernpaw and Ashpaw were playing moss ball, squealing loudly.
"You're not kits anymore!" Tigerstar snarled at them, "Go and get me a rabbit from the moor, before I turn you into crowfood."
"That's prey stealing!" Sandstorm spoke up, "WindClan will attack them!"
Tigerstar glared angrily at the she-cat, baring his sharp yellow teeth, "You go then." He hissed at her.
"No." Sandstorm refused. The other cats shrank back in fear as Darkstripe approached the defiant warrior. Sandstorm braced herself, ready for his attack, but Fireheart and Graystripe were by her side in a heartbeat.
"You'll have to kill me first." Fireheart growled in fury.
Tigerstar watched with evil amber eyes. Darkstripe looked at his leader for advice.
"I'd gladly kill you Fireheart," Tigerstar circled the three warriors menacingly, "But I'd rather watch you suffer."
Fireheart smirked, "How are you planning to 'make me suffer'?" He mocked.
"You'll see." Tigerstar breathed, and with that he bounded to his den.
The tension in the clan was slightly relieved. Darkstripe flashed a dangerous look at Fireheart before following Tigerstar. Sandstorm mewed a quick and shaky goodbye before joining the patrol she was meant to be going on.
"That was close." Graystripe mewed before changing the subject, "I wonder if those apprentices have been checked over by Yellowfang since your fight." He went over to the medicine den and Fireheart watched as he was immediately shoved back out. Yellowfang emerged after him with sharp words such as "What kind of medicine cat do you think I am?" and, "Of course I've checked them over!"
Sharp words, Fireheart thought, remembering the prophecy.
It suddenly boomed again in his mind, blocking out all other sounds and thoughts and sending a searing pain down his spine: "A cat in your clan who is like a brown shadow, always watching, always listening; is plotting something which will turn all water to blood and all fresh kill to crowfood. You and the grey one must save the clans. For forever there will be suffering if fire and stone do not merge."
Yellowfang, sharp words, stone. Stone, sharp, Yellowfang.