Ack, sorry I haven't posted a chapter as often as I usually do, school and writer's block got in the way. ^^*
Chapter 31: Cinderpaw
Tigerclaw padded out of the warriors den. The sun was going to rise soon.
"Tigerclaw." The deputy turned to see Bluestar heading towards him. What do you want now?
"Please tell Fireheart to take Cinderpaw and Brackenpaw out for a hunting assessment. Greystripe, I'm afraid, is still not well enough." Bluestar told him.
Tigerclaw flicked his tail, "Already?" Bluestar nodded. "You and Whitestorm can plan out where they will hunt. And remember not at Sunningrocks, RiverClan warriors were scented there." The leader turned away to, padding towards the nursery.
Tigerclaw spotted Cinderpaw approaching her brother, who waiting near the freshkill pile. Maybe... Maybe it's time Fireheart's apprentice knew a little more about her mentor's past...
"Cinderpaw," Tigerclaw meowed softly. "Just a quick word."
Cinderpaw pricked up her ears, and quickly headed towards him. "What's up Tigerclaw?" She asked, not at all nervous or bewildered to be pulled over by the clan deputy.
"Well... Did you know Fireheart used to be a kittypet?"
Cinderpaw didn't react to this news besides the slight flick of her tail and ear twitch. "Really?"
"Yes." Tigerclaw murmured. "I just want to make sure, if he ever goes to near the twoleg place, he might be considering to go back, and Bluestar will need to be told, alright?"
"Okay, Tigerclaw!" Cinderpaw hurriedly scampered off to greet her brother, who was motioning for her to come over.
I'm not sure if she got my point...
"Mousefur, get Whitestorm now and call Fireheart when the sun has risen and tell him that I want to see him." Tigerclaw ordered to the dusky brown she-cat. The warrior nodded, and slipped into the warriors den.
Whitestorm soon reappeared with Mousefur behind him. The white warrior went up to him, meowing, "Yes?"
"Cinderpaw and Brackenpaw are going to be assessed on their hunting skills today by Fireheart, as Greystripe is feeling ill." Tigerclaw told him. "Bluestar told me we will be deciding where they hunt."
Whitestorm nodded. "So," he meowed, keeping pace with Tigerclaw as he headed to the Highrock. "Where should they hunt? Sunningrocks?"
"No," Tigerclaw growled. "RiverClan was scented there, it's not exactly safe enough for two new apprentices to be roaming around hunting with only one warrior."
Whitestorm mumbled a faint "Ah." Before sitting down at the bottom of the Highrock with Tigerclaw.
"How about Tallpines, as far as the Twolegplace?" Tigerclaw meowed. Whitestorm stayed silent for a moment as he thought it over, and nodded. "Just like where Fireheart had his hunting assessment, eh?"
"Yes." Tigerclaw muttered briefly. "Now, the sun is rising. There goes Mousefur..."
The warrior had poked his head into the warriors den, and Fireheart soon appeared, slipping out from beneath the branches of the den. Quickly locating where Tigerclaw and Whitestorm were sitting, he bounded forward.
Fireheart turned to Tigerclaw as the deputy spoke. "It's about time Cinderpaw and Brackenpaw were assessed."
Fireheart sounded surprised. "Already?"
"Bluestar wants to see how their training is progressing." Tigerclaw replied stiffly. "Especially with Graystripe being too ill to train Brackenpaw. If Brackenpaw is falling behind, she needs to know so she can appoint another mentor for him."
"I've been taking Brackenpaw out with me and Cinderpaw every day." Fireheart sounded slightly annoyed.
Can you handle two apprentices kittypet? Tigerclaw sneered in his head. Aloud, he meowed with an edge to his voice, "Yes, but this is your first time as a mentor. It's a lot for you to take on, and ThunderClan needs well-trained warriors."
Fireheart looked at his paws, almost bitterly, as if Tigerclaw had spoken his thoughts out loud to him.
"Send Brackenpaw and Cinderpaw on a hunting mission through Tallpines, as far as Twolegplace." Tigerclaw continued. "Keep an eye on them, watch them hunt, and report to me. I'll be interested to see how much fresh-kill they add to the pile."
Whitestorm licked a paw and drew it over his ear. "If Cinderpaw's skills match her enthusiasm, there should be plenty to eat tonight. I hear she is a keen apprentice." He purred.
"Yes, she is." Fireheart murmured, not looking at him.
Fireheart lifted his head, gaze flickering to Tigerclaw. "The Sunningrocks would be an equally good place to test their skills. The sun there might have burned away some of this mist, too."
Trying not to risk your apprentice knowing your true self Fireheart? Glad he had a reasonable answer, he replied, "No. The dawn patrol reported scenting RiverClan on Sunningrocks. They may have started hunting there again."
Tigerclaw looked at the young warrior more intently. Does it have anything to do with you? "They will need to be warned off before we do any more training there. For now, Tallpines would be much safer for the assessment. As for the fog, hunting in difficult conditions will make the test more interesting."
"Yes, Tigerclaw." Fireheart stood up, dipping his head. "I'll tell Cinderpaw and Brackenpaw. We'll get started right away."
The flame coloured warrior turned away and padded to the siblings, who were still chattering near the freshkill pile.
Tigerclaw and Whitestorm sat next to each other, not moving for several heartbeats, until Whitestorm finally spoke.
"Tigerclaw. For the last time, for StarClan's sake, you should at least make up with a Goldenflower. I know you two fell apart, but at least you could talk to her more often..."
Tigerclaw almost snapped back a retort when he remembered what Mapleshade had said.
"W-Wel- Yeah. Yes, maybe I should." He mumbled. "I will. Sometime today I suppose."
Whitestorm turned to him, eyes wide in a strange shocked relief, mouth opened slightly. "That's great!" He purred loudly.
"I and Lion-" he broke off, sounding slightly pained at the deceased warrior's name. Tigerclaw, Whitestorm, and Lionheart had all grown up together, and Whitestorm was evidently still feeling some grief at the thought of Lionheart.
"I and Lionheart..." He started again. "We had been saying that you need to settle down some more. Goldenflower is a nice cat you know."
Tigerclaw didn't reply, but stood up, and left Whitestorm alone by the Highrock, and began to order patrols out.
• • •
Tigerclaw set off for Bluestar's den. He wanted to speak with her, perhaps he would be able to convince her that Fireheart's mentoring wasn't going well. It was nearly Sunhigh, the sun rising steadily towards it's peak.
He had almost reached the lichen covered entrance when he saw a flash of Greystripe's tail disappearing through the entrance of the camp.
Where's he going? Suspicious, he wanted to follow him when Bluestar called from within the cave. "Yes, Tigerclaw?"
Caught off guard, Tigerclaw hastily turned his head away from the quivering ferns where Greystripe's tail had vanished. "Oh, Hello Bluestar. Sorry to disturb you."
"That's alright. Come in, what is it you would like to share with me?" Bluestar beckoned him with her tail. The tabby warrior brushed past the lichen and sat down.
"Do you think Fireheart is mentoring Cinderpaw well enough?" He meowed.
The leader looked surprised. "Why do you ask?"
"I know Fireheart does his best, but Cinderpaw seems a little too... Headstrong." Tigerclaw meowed politely.
"Well she certainly is eager, but what is so bad? I am sure that Fireheart is mentoring his apprentice excellently."
'Mentoring his apprentice excellently.', ugh could you be any more adoring? "Too much eagerness is not a good thing." He growled. "It might as well lead to her jumping into danger because she is so eager."
Bluestar pricked up her ears higher when she heard this.
"We wouldn't want any accidents." Tigerclaw added when Bluestar didn't reply.
"Well, of course we wouldn't... I could have a word to Fireheart to try and make Cinderpaw a... Calmer apprentice..." Bluestar murmured half to herself. "You may go Tigerclaw..."
Dipping his head, the tabby warrior padded out into the clearing.
Goldenflower was at the freshkill pile, searching for something to eat.
Might as well get this over with.
He padded over, straining to remember her favourite prey. Either rabbit or some sort of bird I think...
Picking up a rabbit in his jaws, he flicked his tail at Goldenflower. "Wanna share?"
The she-cat looked mildly surprised and almost embarrassed to be invited. "S-Sure." She mewed.
Tigerclaw and Goldenflower settled down side by side, and the tabby warrior took a bite of the rabbit, and Goldenflower did the same.
"Listen." Tigerclaw hoped he sounded sincere. "I know our relationship didn't go out like planned, and you thought that you were bearing my kits when they were actually... Another cat's."
Goldenflower looked away, eyes flashing in guilt and regret. Still, Tigerclaw persisted. "Let's start over. All right? Will you be my mate?"
There. I said it.
Goldenflower turned to look at him, yellow eyes softening gently. "All right." She murmured. She leaned forward, her soft fur ticking his whiskers as Goldenflower licked his fur. "All right."
• • •
Tigerclaw licked his paw and drew it over his ears, washing himself while he waited for Fireheart to come back from his training with Cinderpaw and Brackenpaw. He was eating with Bluestar, the meal he had shared we Goldenflower felt like ages ago.
Soon enough the three cats pushed through the ferns and into the camp. Brackenpaw was hauled a huge squirrel and a vole over, Cinderpaw carried a mouse and a plump blackbird, and Fireheart was holding a fat vole and two shrews.
His clanmates placed the prey onto the freshkill pile and a Tigerclaw padded towards them. They caught all that...
I wouldn't put it past Fireheart being a soft-hearted kittypet to 'help' them in their hunting. Tigerclaw poked the squirrel Brackenpaw had been dragging along. "They caught all this themselves?"
Fireheart quickly dipped his head. "Oh, yes." He told the deputy.
Hmph. Suppose I have to take your word. "Good, come and join me and Bluestar. Bring some fresh-kill for yourself; we're already eating." Tigerclaw waited while Fireheart dismissed the two siblings and joined his side.
"By the way, have you seen Greystripe?" Tigerclaw asked coolly, remembering he saw the warrior slip out of camp. "He's supposed to stay in camp while he has this cold, but I haven't seen him since sunhigh."
Fireheart looked worried, flicking his tail anxiously. "No, perhaps he's with Yellowfang?"
No. I saw him go out. Aloud he meowed, "perhaps." He left Fireheart at the freshkill pile so the warrior could pick out a piece of prey, and the deputy headed towards Bluestar.
The blue-grey she-cat was eating a plump pigeon. Tigerclaw sat down beside her. "How did the apprentice's hunt?" She addressed her deputy, swiping her tongue over her jaws.
"Brackenpaw and Cinderpaw brought back an ample amount of prey." He told her. Bluestar nodded approvingly. Tigerclaw looked up to see Fireheart straightening up from grabbing a chaffinch.
"Are you..." Should I ask? Tigerclaw wondered. Too late now too late now go on go on- "are you going to ask Fireheart about Cinderpaw's... Enthusiasm?"
Bluestar didn't reply for a few heartbeats. "Yes." She mewed at last, before bending down to take another bite of prey.
Fireheart reached them. "Welcome, Fireheart." Bluestar greeted him. The ginger tom sat down in front of her.
"Tigerclaw tells me your apprentices caught plenty of prey." Bluestar meowed cordially. Tigerclaw glared at him. Did Cinderpaw not ask him about life as a kittypet? I needed her to say either she wasn't comfortable with a kittypet mentor or that she's wondering if Fireheart was loya-
"Yes. They've never hunted in the mist before, but it didn't seem to put either of them off. I watched Brackenpaw catch a wood mouse. His stalking was excellent." Fireheart's words interrupted Tigerclaw's thoughts.
"And what about Cinderpaw?" Bluestar asked more firmly. Tigerclaw felt satisfaction ripple through him as Fireheart looked slightly worried and confused.
"Her hunting skills are developing well. She has lots of enthusiasm, that's for sure, and she doesn't seem to be scared of anything." Fireheart replied evenly.
Enthusiasm. Bluestar don't fall for coverup words...
"Aren't you worried that might make her reckless?" Bluestar took another bite of pigeon. "She's quick and inquisitive, which makes her a good learner. I think that will make up for her-" Fireheart hesitated. "Eagerness." He finished.
"Her eagerness as you say, worries me." Fireheart looked dismayed at her words. However, Bluestar's tone softened.
"She was always going to be a challenge. But she is clearly turning into a fine hunter. You have done good work with her, Fireheart. With both of them, in fact."
Fireheart perked up immediately. Stupid little attention, praise seeking kittypet. Tigerclaw felt bitterness rise up in him. "I've noticed how you've taken over Brackenpaw's training without being asked, and I want you to carry on mentoring them both for the time being." Bluestar added.
Tigerclaw looked away, suddenly not hungry. He barley heard Fireheart thanking Bluestar.
He pricked up his ears when he saw the thick- furred pelt of Greystripe coming out from behind the nursery, glancing around.
Oh now he comes back huh? "I see your missing friend has returned." He growled.
"He was probably just getting some peace and quiet." Fireheart quickly defended his friend. "He's still feverish, and it can't be easy being stuck in the camp all day."
"Easy or not, he should be concentrating on getting better, Leaf-bare is no time for sickness in the camp." Tigerclaw kept in mind that Bluestar was listening. "Mousefur was coughing on patrol this morning. I just hope Star-"
He felt like choking back the words but forced him to say it calmly. "-Clan protects us from greencough this season. We lost five kits to it last year."
Bluestar nodded gravely. "Let's pray this leaf-bare isn't as long or as hard. It's never an easy time for the Clans."
Turning to the flame-coloured warrior, she meowed, "Take that chaffinch and share it with Greystripe. He'll want to know how his apprentice did in the assessment."
"Yes, Bluestar. Thanks." Fireheart stood up with his fresh-kill, and headed towards Greystripe.
• • •
A couple days had passed since Fireheart had assessed the apprentices. Greystripe, Tigerclaw noticed, wasn't always resting in the camp, and more often than not, he wasn't in the camp at all.
The scent of herbs wafted over him. Yellowfang. I'll never get used to having that ShadowClan rat as my clanmate.
"Tigerclaw, I must tell you." The long-haired she-cat hissed. Tigerclaw flicked his tail, "What is it?"
Yellowfang's gleaming eyes flashed with worry. "Bluestar has whitecough. I'm afraid it's affecting her quite badly, she's not as strong as she used to be, nor as young. Frostfur is currently with her."
Whitecough! "How serious is it? Will she lose a life?" Tigerclaw asked, trying not to seem eager, but anxiously urgent for news.
"She might. Whitecough can turn into Greencough, especially in this cold and damp weather. I must go check on her now, but you should keep the clan in order while she is sick, she may not be strong enough."
A thrill of excitement ran through the tabby warrior and he had to suppress his eagerness. "I hope she will get well soon." He murmured. Yellowfang nodded, and briskly set off to Bluestar's den.
Tigerclaw watched her fluffy tail disappear behind the lichen. With the prospect of power being so near, he flexed his claws in anticipation.
Consider failure!
Tigerclaw started. Mapleshade! The Dark Forest warrior hadn't visited for a while now.
"Mapleshade?" He muttered awkwardly, feeling very self-conscious to be talking to what seemed like nothing. Don't worry no cat can hear me except for you. Remember! Consider your failure!
Failu-
That's right! What if Bluestar gets better? Or if she only loses one of her four lives? You must make sure, that she is completely gone, destroyed!
Alright, alright! Tigerclaw spat angrily to Mapleshade in his head. I'll think of something!
Tigerclaw sensed the presence of Mapleshade's spirit vanish. A way to make sure Bluestar is completely gone, dead forever, so I can rise to power...
• • •
The Thunderpath. It was perfect, the perfect place for murder. Let the monsters finish the cat off, with nothing to blame but the stupid twolegs and their roaring beasts.
Tigerclaw knew his plan would work perfectly. Bluestar was definitely still well enough to walk from the camp to the Thunderpath, she only had Whitecough, not Greencough.
"Patrols!" He called. "Whitestorm, lead a border patrol, check the RiverClan border. Bring Mousefur and Sandpaw with you. Darkstripe, go with Longtail and Willowpelt on a hunting patrol. Darkstripe, while you're out hunting could I take your apprentice with me to the ShadowClan border? I want to test his skills."
"Only with you?" Darkstripe asked, but not waiting for an answer meowed, "Sure."
Dustpaw, his apprentice, look pleased and proud to be on the dawn patrol with the Clan deputy. Tigerclaw dismissed the patrols, and led Dustpaw out of the camp in the direction of the ShadowClan border.
To the Thunderpath.
Well, everyone who has read the first series knows what happens at the Thundrpath. Look forward to that next chapter! :P
Check my other Fanfiction, Raining Feathers!
Review!