A/N - Back with the big chapters again! Sorry for being gone for a while AND for missing TSoT's second birthday. Lots of IRL stuff as the summer season approaches its end—you know how it is.
Disclaimer: Warriors is owned by Erin Hunter/HarperCollins Publishers LLC
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The River's Vengeance
…
Rays from the morning sun were drifting through the medicine den as Fireheart stirred from his sleep. His head greeted him with an infernal pounding as he slowly blinked his eyes open. The ginger tom groaned, stretching his limbs.
"Good morning."
Fireheart jumped when he heard Whitestorm speak. He blinked as he looked up at the older tom who stood between him and the den's entrance. A squirrel rested between his paws, and Whitestorm greeted him with a neutral smile before passing the prey to him.
"Cinderpaw told me once that this was one of your favorites. Lucky for you, we had one left," he said.
"Oh… Thank you." Fireheart breathed, shuffling uncomfortably under his gaze. Although, as he took a whiff of the prey, any question in his mind suddenly disappeared. He couldn't remember the last time he ate a squirrel, and indeed, he favored it. He eyed the prey warily before leaning over to bring it closer.
Humming, Whitestorm watched as he picked at it. "It appeared nobody was going to feed you, seeing how Cinderpaw and Yellowfang have yet to return from the Moonstone," he said plainly. "I know Yellowfang wanted you to stay here after what happened, but no cat should be left to go hungry."
Fireheart gave him a confused look, processing his words. "I see… You're the last cat I would've expected to do this for me."
Whitestorm raised a brow. "Well, it would be unwise to incur the wrath of Yellowfang by letting you go hungry," he explained. "Besides, you helped my apprentice once before. One good deed begets another, wouldn't you say?"
Fireheart couldn't help but look away sheepishly. That?... It was just a thorn," he mumbled.
"The size of the deed doesn't matter, only what it means to us," Whitestorm said with a soft smile. "You helping Brightpaw meant a lot to me, even if you don't think it was anything special."
Fireheart suddenly felt his heart glow, sensing the genuine appreciation in his tone. Honestly, he couldn't fathom what ThunderClan had done to deserve a cat like Whitestorm. The senior warrior was just as altruistic and benevolent to him as everyone else—someone he believed to be a murderer.
Fireheart pulled the squirrel closer to him. After a second, he finally took his first bite, prompting Whitestorm to hum.
"You know, I've been watching you." Fireheart's ears perked up as he began. "Sandstorm appears to be interested in you, even though, last I recall, you wanted nothing to do with us." He sighed. "Really, I'm just glad to see you two getting along."
Fireheart didn't respond as he kept his gaze on the ground, the tom's words seeming lost on him.
…Getting along? He echoed to himself.
It was not long ago that the thought of getting along with Sandstorm would never have occurred to him. But then he remembered how just last night, Fireheart finally decided to reveal to her everything she needed to know about Tigerstar, the rogues, and Redtail and Bluestar's deaths.
It was a big weight off of his chest, yet the she-cat seemed to leave the den even more conflicted. Fireheart could tell she suspected there was more he wasn't telling her. He wasn't even sure if she believed half of it, but what mattered was that she knew, and he trusted her to keep quiet.
Fireheart snapped out of it when he heard Whitestorm shuffling awkwardly, putting on an apologetic look.
"I'm glad to hear that from you, Whitestorm," he said. "I know that I act out sometimes, but really, I don't hate any of you. I'm not the cat everyone thinks I am, and I'm trying to prove that."
"It seems like that goal of yours is neverending," Whitestorm said. "Believe me when I say that it pains me the way they treat you sometimes. I've discussed it with Brightpaw as well, and it makes her uncomfortable too, yet when I bring it up with Tigerstar, he always seems to lose his patience."
"I see," Fireheart replied. "I know you're loyal to him, but you must see how unfair it is. Those rogues he thinks he can redeem, but he doesn't think I deserve a chance."
"Perhaps, but Tigerstar never does anything without good reason," Whitestorm tried to argue before grumbling to himself. "Although... those rogues claimed to have worked with you, yet he seems closer to them and ShadowClan than anyone else... Maybe I should talk to him about it again."
Fireheart shook his head, letting the warrior continue to ponder. He could try and convince him further, but by now, Fireheart was tired of repeating himself. Everyone's heard his pleas about how he didn't kill Bluestar, how the rogues made up stories about him, and how he doesn't deserve this or that. If Whitestorm and his apprentices were starting to doubt, then there was no need to keep reminding them.
With one last bite, Fireheart finished his prey, licking his lips in satisfaction. Stretching, the ginger tom stood up. His limbs and head were still sore from yesterday, but it was nothing he couldn't handle.
Looking over, he saw Whitestorm had his ears perked towards the entrance, his eyes wide with alarm. Fireheart raised a brow.
"What is it?" he asked, only for Whitestorm to shush him with his tail.
"...Do you hear that?"
Fireheart looked at him strangely, but before he could respond, the older warrior was already on his paws, quickly making for the exit. Blinking in confusion, Fireheart followed him as he passed through the lichen.
The cool morning air gave him a shiver once he emerged, and the morning sun blinded him for a moment. Once he got a look around the clearing, though, his heart promptly sank.
The gorse tunnel shook as cat after cat suddenly poured into the clearing, each carrying a foreign scent. Fierce screeches could be heard as the few ThunderClan cats outside of their dens found themselves getting pounced on. Fireheart watched in awe as more of his clanmates stumbled outside, seeming just as confused as he was, only for each of them to be confronted by the invaders.
His whiskers twitched as he immediately recognized their scent. Whitestorm folded his ears back after tasting the air himself.
"RiverClan!? What are they doing here?" He exclaimed, looking mortified. "We haven't even sent out the dawn patrols yet!"
Fireheart sat frozen in place, watching as the clearing quickly spiraled into total chaos. By Silverpelt, what are you doing, Crookedstar!?
Whitestorm whipped his head around as if he could hear his thoughts.
"No, you couldn't have had something to do with this, could you?" He looked at him, confused.
Fireheart's breathing hitched as he looked back. "W-what?! Of course not! You really think RiverClan would listen to me if I told them to assault our camp?!" He quickly replied, sounding offended.
It wasn't the whole truth, but while it was true that he had confided in RiverClan about his problems with Tigerstar, an ambush was certainly not what Fireheart had in mind. Still, unlike most of the other things he was accused of, he genuinely could have influenced this, and that thought made his stomach ache.
Whitestorm squinted, processing his response, when a loud cry near them pierced through the air. The two looked over to see Willowpelt just outside of the nursery, being pinned to the ground after a RiverClan warrior pounced on top of her. The pregnant she-cat managed to throw them off as the other queens hurried outside, only to be met with even more RiverClan cats closing in on them.
Whitestorm growled fiercely, giving the ginger tom one last look. "Well, Fireheart, if you truly strive to prove yourself, then now would be a great time for it," he said through his teeth.
Fireheart sat speechless as Whitestorm turned away.
Prove myself? He screamed in his head. By what—battling?!
Fireheart looked around anxiously as his senses were assaulted, the sounds of screeching and claws grappling fur now echoing loudly across camp. Fireheart could've sworn the whole of RiverClan was in their camp right now.
The ginger tom locked his eyelids shut, trying to drown it all out.
Prove myself… Fireheart mulled over those words.
The more he repeated it, the more he could picture Umbra urging him to do just that. But then again, the last time his camp was attacked and he tried to "prove himself", that just landed him in the prisoner's den.
Fireheart then quickly shook his head.
No, I can't think about that. He told himself. Again, I'm getting stuck in the past, just as Umbra said.
In reality, there was nothing to think about. This time around, it had nothing to do with Tigerstar or Brokentail's rogues. RiverClan was not here to help him—they were attacking his home, the same one he's grown to love despite its ups and downs.
Fireheart flexed his claws as his dreams of the Dark Forest flashed through his mind. He reminded himself of all the faceless opponents he'd gone against, each practically frothing at the mouth and fighting like mad dogs.
If I could defeat them, surely a RiverClan warrior couldn't be much more difficult.
Looking up with a determined glare, he quickly began to pad after Whitestorm, who was now fighting alongside the queens.
However, as he grew closer, he was quick to realize the queens and Whitestorm appeared to be holding their ground just outside the nursery's entrance. The kits must have been hiding inside, likely watching the adults with fear. Fireheart understood immediately. The adrenaline that must've been running through their veins - their primal instinct to protect their young at all costs - will no doubt give them the edge in this battle.
Fireheart shook his head. Who am I kidding? The nursery will be fine.
Turning away, he flicked his gaze around to see if his other clanmates needed help, and it was then that a pair of figures suddenly moved out of the corner of his eye. Snapping his head towards the medicine den, he was barely able to catch a glimpse of a pair of tails slithering through the lichen.
His eyes flashed with worry. Oh, mousedung! I left the medicine den undefended!
Fireheart quickly took off, bounding towards the entrance.
As he passed the hordes of cats fighting, he only grew even more infuriated. After all, Fireheart couldn't help but feel a little betrayed - Crookedstar never said he promised peace, but an attack on their territory so soon felt like a spit in the face.
Fireheart burst through the lichen, the scent of RiverClan hitting his nose as he spotted the two intruders already in the back of the den, rummaging through the stock. They whipped their heads around, and Fireheart got to recognize them almost immediately.
Blackclaw and Heavypaw. He thought with distaste. Fireheart had seen them many times since he joined the clan, and neither had been particularly fond of the former kittypet.
And it was rather obvious now, as Blackclaw's face curled into a huge snarl, clearly recognizing him as well.
"Fireheart," he began as he turned towards him. "Stand down right now, and we might not hurt you. Think of it as a token of our gratitude for your… assistance."
Fireheart had to scoff—he would rather be harmed than take credit for this disaster.
"This is not what I had in mind when I talked to Crookedstar, and you know it," Fireheart growled, lowering himself to the ground. "You won't lay a paw outside of this camp with those herbs."
Blackclaw didn't seem fazed. "You think you don't owe us anything? My clan fought to protect yours, despite how you all have seemingly forgotten."
Fireheart ignored him, lowering his head further as his eyes focused on his opponent. Blackclaw simply shook his head in amusement.
"Your clan has been a pain for long enough. Here I thought you understood that," he said before crouching down. "But if you insist, then do your worst, you scar-faced frea-"
Fireheart surged forward before he had the chance to finish speaking. Blackclaw widened his eyes, quickly jerking his head away just in time for Fireheart's claws to graze past his whiskers.
But Fireheart recovered in an instant, his concentration unfaltering. Blackclaw pulled away to avoid the blow, thus shifting his weight onto his back legs. Planting his paws in the dirt, Fireheart launched forward.
Blackclaw hissed as the ginger tom threw his entire weight under his stomach, toppling him onto his back. Standing up, Fireheart quickly bit down into one of the tom's forepaws. Blackclaw howled in pain, only encouraging Fireheart to bite even harder. He felt the bone start to crack when a force shoved him off.
Stumbling away, Fireheart quickly looked back to see Heavypaw before him. Despite being an apprentice, his size was that of a true RiverClanner, standing just as tall as his mentor. He may as well be another warrior.
Heavypaw growled as he stood imposingly between Fireheart and Blackclaw. Fireheart licked his lips, watching as the apprentice refused to make the first move while his mentor tried to stand on their injured paw. The ThunderClan warrior knew it was dangerous if they were to fight him together—he had to even the odds. Now that his element of surprise was gone, he knew he couldn't give them time to recover.
The ginger tom suddenly shot forward again, leaping around Heavypaw and towards Blackclaw. Heavypaw snarled, diving to the side with shocking speed and slamming into Fireheart. The ginger tom yowled as he was knocked into a wall of herbs, sending them flying everywhere.
Fireheart grunted as he tried to stand. With a screech, Heavypaw rushed toward him again. Fireheart quickly stiffened as the apprentice struck him, knocking the ginger tom back a few foxlengths. Growling, Fireheart swore he saw double as Heavypaw struck him again, pushing him back towards the entrance.
The ginger tom hissed with frustration, breathing heavily as he backed off.
Ah… His paws certainly are heavy. He thought, feeling his chest ache. …But they're nothing compared to Tigerstar's.
Heavypaw suddenly lunged forward again, his face suddenly growing more confident. Fireheart braced, letting himself take a direct hit to the muzzle. With a pained grunt, a flash suddenly went through the ginger tom's eyes. Twisting, Fireheart swung his arm around, his claws slamming into Heavypaw's head with all the strength he could muster.
The apprentice screeched as the hit sent him stumbling away, having clearly not expected it. Blackclaw's face turned to horror as he saw his apprentice fall over, blood seeping from his face. Growling, the tom forced himself to stand, despite how his paw scorched with pain. He limped over to Heavypaw, where he only needed to sniff his wounds to know his apprentice had taken a bad hit.
The tom glared daggers at Fireheart, watching the ginger tom as stumbling away in a daze. Scrambling, Blackclaw rushed towards him, his previous mission seemingly all but forgotten.
Fireheart perked his ears as he looked up, gasping as Blackclaw tackled him to the ground. He hissed in pain, gripping the tom with his claws as he tried to push him off. Blackclaw held on, sinking his teeth into his shoulder. The pair rolled and stumbled through the den like rabid dogs, refusing to let go as one tried to make the other submit.
Their struggle eventually led to them tumbling out of the medicine den. Fireheart let out a growl as he was slammed on his back. Feeling the cool air, he quickly released his grip. Blackclaw sneered as Fireheart twisted around, kicking him away and tearing a small chunk of fur out of his shoulder as a result.
Fireheart winced with pain as he stood, his wounds starting to bleed even more. Seeing Blackclaw put no weight on his injured paw, however, proved in his mind that he still had the advantage.
Fireheart growled, ignoring the pain as he darted to the side, making Blackclaw wince with pain as he tried using his paw to dodge. Fireheart struck the tom's flank, but Blackclaw took it with a grunt, swiping at him in retaliation.
Fireheart grumbled at his tenacity, wondering how long it would take to finally drive him away. With his ears on a swivel, he leaped away just in time as Heavypaw pounced on where he stood, missing him by a mouselength. He looked towards the apprentice with a glare, only to yowl as Blackclaw swiped at his flank.
Fireheart hissed at the two of them, backing away as he lashed his tail. Heavypaw huffed, blood oozing down his face, before rushing forward again. Fireheart scoffed, dodging the injured tom with ease.
Blackclaw growled, padding over to his apprentice before whispering to him. Fireheart lowered his brow. They had to be planning to attack him together; it was their only option. By now, surely they considered him too difficult to face alone.
Fireheart slowly backed away as they began to circle him, awaiting their next move in anticipation.
With a great yowl, however, Fireheart perked up as Mousefur suddenly tackled Blackclaw from behind. Heavypaw whirled around in shock at his mentor's yowl, but was stopped by Runningwind before he could react. The ThunderClan warrior batted him away as Blackclaw shoved Mousefur off.
Fireheart huffed, stepping forward to flank his other two clanmates. Three ThunderClan warriors now surrounded the pair, each closing in with furious glares. Blackclaw and Heavypaw exchanged glances before finally turning tail and retreating through the gorse tunnel.
Seeing the two gone, Fireheart let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding in. He looked back towards the pair of cats who'd suddenly appeared to his aid, feeling a wave of relief as he saw them fighting back against another pair of RiverClan cats.
The medicine den will be safe with those two here. He concluded. And so, the ginger tom scanned the clearing for his next fight, doing his best to ignore the throbbing pain in his shoulder.
In the midst of battle, a cry of pain could be heard outside the apprentice's den. Fireheart whipped around, where he noticed Fernpaw crawling away from a much larger RiverClan tom. The apprentice hissed in pain as she tried to stand, only to fail. Looking closer, Fireheart could see her leg was bleeding.
The RiverClan tom stalked closer, but was distracted as the other apprentices pounced on them, leading him away from Fernpaw. Fireheart watched as she kept struggling to stand, licking her wound after every attempt as if by some miracle that would heal it.
Scoffing, Fireheart looked away. Someone else can help her. He told himself. The adrenaline in his veins kept urging him towards the sounds of fighting.
But as he went to step away, Fernpaw mewled with pain again as she tried to stand, sounding like some helpless kitten. Fireheart paused, her whimpers beginning to sound more desperate and pitiful—sounds he was all too familiar with.
No, wait… She can't get help. We have no medicine cats. He suddenly realized. I'm the closest thing to one.
He looked back, seeing that Fernpaw had resorted to just licking her wound and peering around warily. If she'd seen him, she'd yet to acknowledge his stare.
Too proud to call for help anyway, I assume. Fireheart grimaced. StarClan, give me strength.
Before he knew it, he found himself padding towards her.
"You don't need to do this."
"They don't deserve help after what they've done."
"You owe them nothing."
His thoughts protested with each step he took. Nevertheless, Fireheart proceeded. No matter how much his mind told him otherwise, he could not ignore someone in need, almost like it was some primal instinct.
Fernpaw perked up when she heard him approach, widening her eyes as she curled her tail around her body.
"Oh, not you!" She meowed in a mix of fear and anger. "Get away from me!"
Fireheart swallowed, ignoring her demand.
"Fernpaw, your leg is bleeding badly," he said, observing her. But Fernpaw didn't seem to be listening as she tried to crawl away, causing Fireheart to panic. "W-wait! Stop moving so much! You're just making it worse." He exclaimed, swallowing before he spoke his next words. "Fernpaw, look, let me… help you."
Fernpaw recoiled, turning back in a state of disbelief. "What? No!"
Fireheart sighed, shaking his head, before quickly stepping around her to search through a nearby underbrush. His eyes landed on a bundle of cobwebs, and he hurriedly grabbed a nearby stick to wrap them around. After picking a few dried leaves, he went back to Fernpaw, who'd seemingly been trying to crawl away, as evident by a short trail of blood following her.
Fireheart rounded in front of her, putting his supplies in her path. Ignoring her scowl, he took a look at her flank, seeing that the wound was bleeding even more now thanks to her stubbornness. He had to act quickly, despite Fernpaw's clear objection. Leaning over, he started to dress the wound, making Fernpaw gasp in pain.
"Ngh– What are you doing?!" she mewled in distress.
The ginger tom huffed, trying to hold her still. "What does it look like? I'm trying to save your leg from infection," he told her irritably. "You've been licking it clean, but that only does so much."
Fernpaw whined again as he pressed the cobwebs and leaves into her leg, her paws kneading the ground as if she was struggling to keep them from ripping into his pelt. Her eyes darted wherever his paws went, watching his every movement with clenched jaws, only adding more pressure on the ginger tom.
Fireheart felt a short burst of relief as the blood soaked into the leaves, and he assumed her lack of protest meant she was slowly starting to believe he wasn't lying.
"Do you have any other injuries?" He found the confidence to ask, but Fernpaw refused to look at him, staring at her wound where his paws were still pressing down.
"Fernpaw," he said a bit more loudly.
With a pout, she just shook her head. Fireheart grunted in disbelief but didn't push it as he looked back down.
"Well, then you're lucky to have gotten away with just an injury like this," he said absently as he replaced the already blood-soaked cobwebs, prompting Fernpaw to hiss again.
The ginger tom looked around once he finished, slightly unsettled by the fact that no cat had noticed them yet.
"I need to get herbs," he said, standing up. He turned his gaze back. "Fernpaw, listen. Hold these leaves in place. You need pressure to stop the bleeding," he advised before twitching his ear. "And if anyone tries to attack you, just yowl."
Fernpaw still seemed addled, but she nevertheless gave him a tiny nod. Fireheart turned away, feeling satisfied as he quickly headed towards the medicine den, praying their stock wasn't too badly damaged during the fighting.
As he approached, he felt relieved to see Mousefur and Runningwind were still there, batting at each RiverClan warrior as they retreated towards the gorse tunnel.
Fireheart could hear Runningwind's growl as he batted away another one.
"Get out, all of you foxhearts!" he yowled. "Attacking our clan at the crack of dawn before our medicine cats even return? Some honor you have!"
Fireheart silently tried to slip past them, hoping they wouldn't suspect anything of it. However, to his disappointment, Mousefur snapped towards him instantly, stepping in his way.
"Where are Yellowfang and Cinderpaw?" She asked fervently. "You're always with them. You must have some idea, right?"
Fireheart blinked, not expecting Mousefur of all cats to pry him for help.
"I'm not sure," he replied. "All I know is that they went to the Moonstone."
Mousefur didn't like that answer, lashing her tail in frustration.
"Great. Just bloody perfect," she said. "For all we know, RiverClan might've gotten to them first!"
"Nobody would dare attack a medicine cat, even RiverClan." Runningwind suddenly came up to her side, licking his wounds. "Oh, and don't look now, but that coward Crookedstar finally decided to show up."
Fireheart perked his ears, following his gaze to the gorse tunnel, where the RiverClan leader could be seen calmly stalking through. His fur seemed free of wounds, yet he appeared more than ready for a fight as his huge claws dug into the earth. An angry look bore across his face as he raised his muzzle into the air.
"TIGERSTAR!"
The leader's yowl made everyone's heads turn. Whoever remained amongst the RiverClan invaders suddenly perked their heads up before turning tail to fall back towards their leader.
Fireheart watched as Tigerstar appeared from a crowd by the warrior's den, his fur matted with blood and a few claw marks across his flank. His lip was already curled when he gazed upon the rival leader.
"Crookedstar, what is the meaning of this?" He growled with outrage. "You dare poison my camp with your hideous presence?"
The clearing was dead silent now. Crookedstar just lashed his tail.
"As if you are one to talk," he said smoothly. "We've caught wind of your dealings with ShadowClan. Your code breaking has gone on for far too long without reprimand."
Tigerstar narrowed his eyes. "You old fishbrain, is that why you've thrown yourself into my camp? You call me a codebreaker, yet you do something like this… Did your blundering medicine cat tell you something?" He shook his head with a scoff. "You are as paranoid as you are spineless. No matter how much you refuse to accept it, I have my nine lives. I've been accepted by StarClan. You've sent all your warriors out for nothing."
"Your medicine cats would have to disagree with that-" Fireheart looked over as Mudfur suddenly stepped from behind Crookedstar, sharing a knowing look with the tabby. "Once they return, of course."
Tigerstar leered at them both, but Crookedstar raised his tail before he could speak. The RiverClan leader paused for a moment, holding his head high.
"ThunderClan, you may consider today my official declaration of war." His statement was loud and bold, peering across the clearing as cats looked at him with anger. "I know you only listen when claws are involved—especially you, Tigerstar. From now on, if we see any ThunderClan on our territory, we will not wait for an explanation. We will attack, and we will drive you out."
The clearing was nothing but furious hisses after that. Fireheart looked around worriedly as some of his clanmates seemed ready to pounce.
"So be it," Tigerstar mewled roughly, staring at him with a cool look. "I know my warriors won't hesitate to do the same."
Crookedstar looked crestfallen as he turned away.
"If your warriors truly valued the code and clan they fight for, then all this could've been avoided," he began, "but I know it is too late. You all have chosen this path. Whatever becomes of you all and your clan, only yourselves are to blame."
Fireheart could only hear hisses and growls as the last of RiverClan retreated through the gorse tunnel. Crookedstar stayed behind, eyeing the clearing one last time.
"As long as Tigerstar remains your leader, you will never know peace!"
Tigerstar curled his lip, but before he could respond, the brown tabby had already slipped through the tunnel and out of sight.
Fireheart heaved a sigh then, finally able to relax, knowing RiverClan was now gone. Beside him, he practically felt his two clanmates do the same.
"Pah! It's about time those fishbrains fought back," Mousefur commented, licking her blood-stained paws. "But could they have at least waited until midday?"
"I'm sure that was intentional," Runningwind said, sounding frustrated. "Still, they must have misinterpreted something. We've all been on edge this whole greenleaf, after all."
Darkstripe must have heard them as the deputy peered over from near the apprentice den.
"Oh, I believe we all saw a pretty clear sign ourselves the other day," he said, speaking louder than Fireheart thought was necessary. "I'd say it's possible one of us could've influenced RiverClan somehow."
Fireheart groaned internally, although he couldn't be surprised considering how much his past with RiverClan was a topic of discussion nowadays. He curled his lip as he looked back at the deputy, feeling the need to defend himself.
"I can't convince you all about anything. Why do you suddenly think I can convince RiverClan to do this?"
Darkstripe furrowed his brow, hardly listening to the ginger tom's words as he opened his mouth to retort.
"Oh, for StarClan's sake, lay off him for once." Whitestorm huffed, peering at Darkstripe. "No cat can be certain what messages from StarClan truly mean. Besides, there are more factors to consider than his potential involvement."
Fireheart could see Darkstripe grow more defensive, frowning in an attempt to repress his ire.
"He fought alongside us today," Runningwind suddenly spoke up. "RiverClan was certainly not holding back. I saw him hold his own against two RiverClan warriors who had infiltrated our medicine den. I'd say he's owed at least a little credit for that, despite the past.
Fireheart blinked at him, suddenly feeling a warm glow in his chest. He couldn't recall the last time he'd interacted with Runningwind, but he had a newfound respect for the tom's integrity.
"Forget him, then."
Tigerstar's harsh growl drew the clan's attention as he sauntered to the top of the Highrock. Despite his enervated glare, the ThunderClan leader lashed his tail, as if he expected RiverClan to come back at any moment.
"Whitestorm is right; there are other factors to consider," he growled slightly. "I'm sure Graystripe and Cloudpaw were somehow involved in this."
Fireheart sighed internally. After seeing how those two acted the last time I saw them, he's probably right. He thought with disappointment. But they weren't in the battle today, so Crookedstar probably doesn't want them around ThunderClan still.
"Just how much could they tell them?" Brackenfur inquired amongst the clans' murmuring, sounding concerned for his former mentor and denmate. "They can't know everything."
"Nevertheless, their affiliation with RiverClan already puts us at a disadvantage," Tigerstar said. "You all saw it for yourselves. Riverclan warriors who have never set foot in our camp navigated it just as well as any of us, almost like they planned this attack beforehand with knowledge of our camp and our whereabouts."
The tabby's reasoning made everyone tilt their heads, making Fireheart roll his eyes. Deflection was quite the habit of both his deputy and leader, and Fireheart had grown rather sensitive to it. Whether it was true or not, Tigerstar was still trying to insinuate that their former clanmates were nothing but trouble. Fireheart wouldn't be surprised if they hadn't known about the attack at all.
"Some of them were just in our camp a few moons ago, during the rogue's attack." Sandstorm suddenly raised her head from the outskirts of the crowd, giving the tabby a plain look. "Actually, they've had many opportunities to learn its layout over the seasons…"
Tigerstar reeled his glare over to her. "The point is, Sandstorm, that they have an advantage over us by harboring two of our former clanmates now that they've finally decided to retaliate."
"What in StarClan's name happened here?!"
Fireheart widened his eyes when he suddenly heard a familiar voice.
They're back! He thought, feeling elated when his eyes landed on Yellowfang and Cinderpaw pushing through the gorse tunnel.
His clanmates shared his excitement, surrounding the medicine cats as they approached.
Cinderpaw darted her gaze around, seeming anxious. "We saw a huge RiverClan patrol just now, and we could smell blood!" she said worriedly. "I-I'm sorry we were gone! We-"
"Yellowfang." Tigerstar interrupted her with a stark growl. His gaze was piercing into the older medicine cat, silencing the clan with his tone. "How convenient that you show up as soon as the fighting is over. I would ask if you received a sign from StarClan if RiverClan hadn't beaten you to it."
Yellowfang looked back with a piercing gaze of her own, appearing on the edge of clawing her own fur out. She seemed about to retort before Goldenflower suddenly stepped in front of her, the large queen appearing similarly disheveled.
"Yellowfang, is it true?" she asked breathlessly. "Did you receive a prophecy about Tigerstar?"
Fireheart felt his breath catch in his throat, watching as the medicine cat released a groan.
"Yeah, I received a prophecy all right, but it was never said to be about Tigerstar," she explained. "I told Mudfur about it, and he thought otherwise. I imagine he told Crookedstar, who I assume decided it was a good enough excuse to raid our clan, judging from the looks of it."
Fireheart blinked, trying to wrap his head around the fact that StarClan had not only finally spoken but also revealed a prophecy, before Tigerstar released a growl.
"Why even tell him in the first place? StarClan spoke to you, not him. Therefore, it is strictly ThunderClan's business." He raised his head, narrowing his eyes on her. "One could say it was your actions that led to this ambush, Yellowfang."
Yellowfang's eye seemed to twitch as she froze for a moment. Gripping the ground with her claws, her face curled into a snarl.
"Oh, you can take that and stuff it!" she shouted. "If you stopped bothering other clans so much, then maybe they wouldn't have felt the need to attack in the first place!"
Tigerstar bore his fangs, but Goldenflower quickly stepped in-between them before a fight could ensue.
"Don't start, you two!" She scolded loudly, glancing at Yellowfang before looking up towards the Highrock. "Tigerstar, we have several injured, including elders and queens, and the entrance to the nursery is damaged. Clearly, we have much more important things to worry about than whose fault this is."
Tigerstar hummed for a moment, slowly sheathing his claws.
"Yes, of course, my dear... You are right, as always," he said, looking past her sharply. "However, Yellowfang will meet me in my den before anything else. Her apprentice will treat the wounded for now."
Yellowfang grimaced, sharing a look with Cinderpaw, before stalking her way towards the medicine den while Tigerstar continued.
"ThunderClan! I want the least injured of you all to form a patrol and sweep the territory. Make sure not one paw of RiverClan is still on our lands!" he demanded. "As for the rest of you… obey your deputy. That is all."
The tension receded in an instant as Yellowfang and Tigerstar disappeared into his den. The clan dispersed quickly, with the healthiest already starting to gather around Darkstripe near the nursery. Fireheart's gaze drifted towards the apprentice den, where Fernpaw and a few others were being examined by senior warriors, promptly reminding him why he was heading to the medicine den in the first place.
Quickly, he turned around, hoping he could now retrieve his herbs without another interruption. Although, out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Cinderpaw had already noticed him, limping over with vigor. He groaned to himself as the she-cat appeared to be fuming.
"Are you insane?" she hissed at him in as muffled a voice as possible. "Out of all cats, you went to RiverClan? You know how the tensions are between us! Do you have any idea how mad Yellowfang is?"
Fireheart just sighed as he kept trudging towards the medicine den. Cinderpaw quickly limped behind, not intent on letting herself be ignored. Fireheart huffed, knowing he was in for it.
"...So, Mudfur told you about that, I assume?" He replied in a low voice, only to be met with a look of betrayal. "Ugh, okay. Cinderpaw, look… I'm sorry, I just– I couldn't keep quiet anymore. I had to tell someone outside our clan. It felt like the best option at the time."
"Weren't you just telling us how dangerous that was before?" Cinderpaw argued, looking hurt. "You still trust us, don't you?"
"Of course I do!" Fireheart said quickly. "No, it's just… I've decided I don't want you two to be the only ones burdened with what I know. It's not fair to put that much pressure on you. Besides, you know how much I want to protect you, right?"
"Oh, I know, but sneaking off to an enemy clan is a funny way of going about it, don'tcha think?" she sneered. "How come you trust RiverClan so much anyway? Graystripe and Cloudpaw already know enough, right? What else are you doing there?"
Fireheart clenched his eyes as he was assaulted with questions, plopping onto his haunches in front of the lichen draping the medicine den's entrance. Cinderpaw huffed, silently waiting for a response.
"Cinderpaw… I think we should save this for when Yellowfang is here."
She rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'm sure she wants to rip into you about it anyway," she drawled, giving his body a second glance. "And by Silverpelt, Fireheart, like I'm the one who needs protection in the first place, your shoulder looks like it's been mauled!"
As if to prove her point, Fireheart felt a wave of pain over his shoulder, making him swallow a hiss. Cinderpaw scowled again before stepping forward through the lichen.
"Oh, come on, I'll get you something for it. Just lay down while I fetch-..."
Fireheart looked up as her words drew off, her body halfway through the lichen in the den. He twitched his whiskers, getting up to see what she was looking at. As he peeked inside the medicine den, however, her reaction was made clear.
Bundles of tainted herbs were strewn all across the ground, looking like a windstorm had ripped through the den. Broken sticks and ripped leaves lay smooshed into the dirt, clearly indicating a battle had taken place.
Fireheart couldn't help but lower his shoulders, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
"Ah, sorry," he said meekly as Cinderpaw kept staring at the carnage. "There was an entanglement."
"I-... Ugh!" Cinderpaw batted away a few ruined leaves in front of her, huffing in frustration. "Just sit down and let me fix your stupid wounds."
Fireheart pinned his ears. "But Tigerstar said-"
"No buts!" she snapped. "I know there are other wounded, but you were already bedridden before all this. As such, you're a priority."
Fireheart blinked. I guess I can't argue with that. And as if to reassure him, his mind flashed back to when Fernpaw was being looked over by the senior warriors just moments before. Fernpaw can wait a little longer.
Fireheart laid down as Cinderpaw quickly began to work, salvaging the herbs she needed from what remained of their half-destroyed stockpile. Watching her only made him even more self-conscious about what happened, knowing they might not have enough to treat everyone.
"It was Blackclaw and his apprentice. They were trying to steal herbs," he blurted, feeling the sudden need to explain. "They didn't get any, but they sure damaged our supply."
"I can see that," Cinderpaw half-murmured as she chewed a poultice, putting it on his shoulder afterward. "And you were lucky Runningwind and Mousefur were here to fight them off. Otherwise, who knows what more they would've done to you?"
"Oh, they only showed up to help drive them off." Fireheart gave her a curt huff. "I was the only one there when I found them in the den, so I made sure those thieves didn't make off with a single leaf myself."
Cinderpaw's face flashed with concern as she looked up from her work.
"You fought two cats by yourself?" she asked. Fireheart frowned, not appreciating her tone, but confirmed it with a nod. Cinderpaw just gawked. "How?"
"How?" He echoed, looking at her strangely. "What do you mean how? It's not like I've forgotten my warrior training or anything."
Cinderpaw stared at him wide-eyed, seeming at a loss for words, before suddenly pulling away from him.
"What do I mean? You had a seizure yesterday, Fireheart!" She exclaimed, sounding almost alarmed. "Cats need at least a few days' rest to recover from that. They can't just get up and throw themselves into a fight!"
Fireheart leaned back, startled by her words. He still wasn't sure what happened to him exactly - Yellowfang never got the chance to explain - but that would explain why he couldn't recall the details of his experience and why his body and head were still aching. Even if it didn't feel like it, he appeared to be reaching a limit.
"Well, I don't know what to tell you then," Fireheart replied after a moment. "When I woke up, my whole body was sore, but I was able to get around just fine. If I can walk, then I can fight. It's not like I had a choice, anyway."
"But, you– Oh, nevermind." Cinderpaw shook her head, going back to her work. "I've just… been concerned. Yellowfang thinks your seizure was stress-induced, and as for that lighting... Well, the other medicine cats believe StarClan is angry with our clan."
Fireheart grumbled, knowing there was no way to disprove that.
I hate that StarClan can't just talk directly to me. Maybe that's what they're mad about. He pondered with annoyance. These stupid markings on my face really aren't helping right now, Umbra.
He grunted when Cinderpaw pushed into his shoulder roughly, securing the cobwebs. Fireheart turned to give her a look, but seeing her muzzle folded into a blank frown made him think twice. It was the same look she would put on as an apprentice after he told her they couldn't go hunting together. She was disappointed. Fireheart pinned his ears, wearing a frown of his own. He hated when she was disappointed.
"Cinderpaw, I know you're concerned, and I'm sorry for making you worry. I don't know what's happening with me either, but it's not like I'm trying to make you lose your fur," he said. "I know what I'm doing doesn't make sense. You don't have to understand it or support it, but... you know me well enough, don't you? I wouldn't be doing all this if I didn't think it was the right thing."
The she-cat gave him a look, huffing as she shook her head. "At least now, I can actually believe you when you say you can take care of yourself," she said. "I want to support you, Fireheart. Just... Please don't push yourself too far. You'll feel better as long as you stop throwing yourself into trouble."
"That would be difficult–" A gruff, old voice suddenly made them turn their heads. Yellowfang stepped through the lichen, a scowl prominent on her face. "Trouble seems to stick to him like a tick."
"Yellowfang?" Fireheart breathed as she stalked over. The old she-cat only acknowledged him with a growl, eyeing her apprentice instead.
"There are more cats waiting out there. Hurry up," she ordered harshly, passing her to sort through the piles of herbs on the ground, not even questioning why they were strewn about in the first place.
Cinderpaw blinked. "I just finished," she replied.
Yellowfang snorted, whipping around. "Then quit blabbing with him. You're a medicine cat, aren't you? You should know that your duties come first!"
"Yellowfang, what happened?" Fireheart interrupted, taken aback by her anger. "What did Tigerstar say to you?"
She snapped her head toward him. "And you. Can't you forget about Tigerstar for one second?" she snarled. "All you need to know is that it looks like you're comin' to help the clan, injured or not. Tigerstar was informed about how you've taken the liberty of giving us a headstart in our work after you fought two cats by yourself, so clearly "
Fireheart felt his heart sink. He was exhausted! Although that hardly served as an excuse when the she-cat before seemed just as worn out. He could see Cinderpaw was giving him an anxious look, almost like she was begging him not to push things further.
Fireheart grumbled, stretching his injured shoulder. Ugh, it hurts, but this bandage must be good enough if Yellowfang thinks I can help.
"I understand," he mewed to Yellowfang. It wasn't surprising they needed help, considering nearly the whole clan had been involved in the fighting. And it looks like we both have a lot we want to say to each other, but it will have to wait for now.
He figured as much, seeing how she hadn't even bothered to reply, instead making for the exit with a mouthful of herbs.
Fireheart cleared his throat, turning to grab his own herbs that he needed for Fernpaw before heading outside with his companions.
…
A/N - So, war is finally "official" and stuff. How nice! Not only that, Fireheart shows he still kinda cares about cats and can also still kinda fight! (Even though he really shouldn't, as Cinderpaw said.)
I haven't written fight scenes in a while, so I'm sure I could still improve on a lot of things. Luckily, I will have many opportunities in the near future!
