EIGHT.

There was a loud clamor at Spottedleaf's announcement. Cats couldn't believe it - a prisoner they had captured attempting to kill their own apprentice…and StarClan themselves had declared that she was innocent? Protests swarmed up at the medicine cat, the loudest being from Graypaw who was outraged that Yellowfang was allowed to live. Desperate questions were thrown about the clearing - "What did they say?" "How can we possibly declare that she was innocent?" "Why would StarClan themselves defend her?" "She's a ShadowClan cat! We can't just let her get away without punishment!" Lionheart in particular looked outraged, looking right at his leader who just simply gave him a pensive, nervous look.

Firepaw's heart was racing, but this time not with terror. He looked up at Spottedleaf, giving a relieved nod as she continued onward. He didn't know what she knew, how she was going to pull this off…

"Quiet!" called out Bluestar eventually, bringing an uneasy hush over the Clans. Firepaw wanted to look out to his friends, tell them that everything was alright, that there was a plan…but he kept his eyes forward on Spottedleaf. Letting her take the lead.

"As you know," she began, "Our apprentice Firepaw was attacked by an adder on Sunningrocks and bitten in the leg. Despite the poison he received being enough to kill even the strongest of warriors…he lived. And I believe StarClan was involved in this miraculous event…in a very specific way."

She glanced down at Firepaw in the back, meeting his eyes once again. "Firepaw…step forward."

The Clan looked back towards where he stood and the ginger tom suddenly was subconscious of his racing heart and the signs of running all over his body…his matted fur, the thrumming pulse in his ears…he was half-expecting someone to notice that he had escaped from camp and call him out, but there was no way that they could know. The only one that knew for sure was ThunderClan's medicine cat.

In that moment, for the first time since they met, Firepaw trusted her with his life.

Slowly he passed through the parting cats, careful not to glance in Tigerclaw's direction - he wanted to see the look on his face, but knew that he couldn't give anything away to him. But as he passed by Ravenpaw and Graypaw, the former looking baffled and the latter looking horrified, he tried to give them something of a reassuring glance. Though he probably looked just as nervous as they did.

The rocks felt cold as he ascended slowly, passing behind his deputy. It felt different than the cave holding the Moonstone - cold, rough and anything but inviting, yet the apprentice continued forward until he stood before the medicine cat at the base of the Highrock.

"Show me your snake bite, please," Spottedleaf said loud enough for the other Clan cats to hear. Firepaw awkwardly turned and slouched onto his flank, holding his hind leg up so that the tortoiseshell could examine it. The ginger tom looked down as well, not even seeing a bite mark with the marks that Ravenpaw's teeth had made in the gash. But there was no way that Ravenpaw was involved in this…he had looked just as confused as the rest of the Clan.

But after a few tense moments, Spottedleaf saw something and gave a nod. "I knew it," she said with a nod to Bluestar, who in turn gestured for her to speak to the Clan. As she turned, the she-cat quickly cast a firm glance at Firepaw that left no doubt in its meaning. Stay quiet.

"Cats of ThunderClan, we all know how adders are feared for their venom…" she began, "The venom is held in both of their fangs and sent into the bloodstream when bitten. However…the older an adder is, the older the fangs. And when an adder is near the end of its life, one fang or both may discolor and rot, unable to release its venom. This can be seen when one wound is smaller than the other."

She gestured to the apprentice with her tail. "Firepaw here should be dead, but his life was saved because of that rotten fang. A yellow fang."

Firepaw's jaw almost dropped to the floor. No way.

There was an outbreak of loud shouting in the camp - Firepaw could even hear incredulous laughter. The apprentice himself looked down at his leg wound, trying to see where his wound was. "There's no way…" he heard Lionheart murmur to himself as he even went in closer to examine the wound.

Bluestar, keeping her expression shielded, responded by giving him a whack with his tail. "Compose yourself, Lionheart," she chided. Spottedleaf let the clamoring play out for a bit before gesturing with her tail for quiet as she continued.

"I understand that StarClan's message here may come as a surprise…for how would a medicine cat from ShadowClan trying to kill one of our own receive a blessing from our ancestors. Cats of ThunderClan, we have been praying to them for moons for good fortune because we've needed it. We have lost battles, we barely made it through the cold leaf-bare season and we lost our beloved deputy in a battle with RiverClan." Spottedleaf paused in silence at that - Firepaw could hear isolated murmurs and even a few cats spitting at the mention of RiverClan's name. "But we have an opportunity on our paws here," continued the tortoiseshell, "With StarClan telling us that she is important enough to not be killed for her crimes…we do not simply have to let one of the wisest and battle-trained medicine cats who was spent her whole life in ShadowClan be just our prisoner."

Slowly, understanding as to what she was hinting swept over the Clan. Nervous understanding, but understanding all the same. Spottedleaf turned back and moved to Bluestar, who Firepaw couldn't read at that moment.

"This is the best way forward," the medicine cat murmured to her leader, "Trust me."

The leader stared at her, looking deep into her eyes before she nodded and took her place on the Highrock. Firepaw tried to catch the tortoiseshell's eyes, but she instead firmly looked out across the clearing. "Bring out the prisoner!" called the ThunderClan leader.

The apprentice shifted so he could see Runningwind and Mousefur escort Yellowfang into the clearing. Cats made a wide berth for her to be moved so she was before the leader, a few stray hisses before they were silenced by the cats around them. "Yellowfang, this is our decree," said Bluestar, "Though your crime of attempting to kill one of our own apprentices is enough for a punishment of death, we will allow you to live…if you relinquish your loyalty to ShadowClan and agree to become a part of ThunderClan. We will not be giving you all our good graces right away - should you attempt to siphon information into ShadowClan or harm another ThunderClan cat, you will be killed all the same."

Yellowfang's head was down. She was hiding what she was thinking, Firepaw noticed. Uneasiness began to prick at him - he didn't know if she was caught off guard by all this, or somehow expected Spottedleaf to receive a vision that would knight her as exempt from death. Still guilty of the crime, but needed enough by StarClan to not die. Still, even with the threat of death should she go against Bluestar's orders, Firepaw still did not feel safe.

Again, he looked at Spottedleaf. Again, she did not look back at him.

"So, Yellowfang, the choice is yours," said Bluestar, "Do you choose to revoke your alliance to ShadowClan and become a member of ThunderClan?" At first, Firepaw grew nervous that she would choose her original Clan over them - loyalty to the Clan you were born in was a paragon of every cat in the forest. Then he remembered - she wasn't. She had been falsely exiled from what Clan and Bluestar couldn't say because then she'd need to give away the kit-killing allegations.

Meaning that the only reasonable answer Yellowfang could make was…

The black she-cat lifted her head for the first time, yellow eyes restraining her emotions as she spoke. "Yes. I do."

"Then by the power vested in me through StarClan, I hereby pronounce you as Yellowfang, warrior of ThunderClan."

There was a hesitancy to the celebration, but there was a celebration. Spottedleaf's promise of perhaps a backdoor into ShadowClan had stuck with the Clan cats and they had seen the value. As Bluestar ordered the nursery to be cleaned and prepared for the queens to move back in, Spottedleaf brushed up next to Firepaw, whispering "Come with me."

He followed her down from the Highrock and headed for the medicine den. "Firepaw!? Wh-wh-wha…?" stammered Graypaw as he walked past, "She-...I-...how is this-...what's going on!?"

Firepaw bit his lip, giving a sigh. He wanted to just lie and say he didn't know, but he couldn't. Not to him, not again. "I…you will know when I know," he said gently. At least it wasn't an outright lie. The ginger tom just hoped that he could honor that promise.

He walked into the medicine den, mind burning with questions. "Spottedleaf!" he said excitedly, "How did-"

"Shh!" hissed Spottedleaf, gesturing firmly for him to sit on the nest for patients. Confused, Firepaw took his spot as the tortoiseshell grabbed cobwebs and a small leaf, moving behind him and beginning to patch his leg.

"But the wound's healed?" he asked quietly.

"You like it when people stare at your cuts, then?" she retorted. Firepaw started to feel uncomfortable, he had never heard Spottedleaf this tense.

"What's going on?" he asked quietly, "How did you know about the bite? How did you know that was a sign from StarClan?"

Spottedleaf gave one last look out the entrance to camp, gesturing for some of the stragglers peeking in to see Firepaw to move along with her head before turning back, her eyes cold and calculated.

"Listen to me very carefully," she said, voice nearly a whisper. "If you wish for me to give you answers and not give away that you went to the Moonstone against Bluestar's wishes, you must never tell a soul what I am about to tell you. Not Bluestar, not Graypaw…nobody."

Now Firepaw was scared again. But he nodded, needing to know some answers as Spottedleaf got up and went through her herbs. Acting normal. "How did you know about the snake bite? Like, that it was a sign from StarClan?" he asked quietly.

"There was no sign from StarClan," said Spottedleaf calmly, "I made it up."

Oh.

Oh…great StarClan.

Firepaw was speechless, trying not to panic as his medicine cat gave away that she had lied. "Wh…What!?" he hissed under his breath, "Why!?"

"For the same reason that you looked to me and panicked about the execution," the medicine cat said, "Yellowfang needed to live."

Firepaw looked at her like she had grown three heads as she looked back to him and spoke. "Firepaw, you are an incredibly perceptive cat. That's likely something that you didn't even know you brought from where you came from, but I know that you came to the same realization that I did. You realized that Brokenstar was using Yellowfang and kit-killing allegations as bait, correct?"

He slowly nodded. "Y-Yeah…but-"

"So how do you make Brokenstar not reveal the allegations at the Gathering tomorrow night and completely ruin Bluestar's reputation?" Spottedleaf's eyes looked to be cutting into his very soul, making Firepaw seem exposed, "Unless, perhaps…we threaten him into silence by saying that we have their most knowledgeable cat now loyal to ThunderClan? A cat that is willing to give away information if conflict arises?"

Holy cussing ratspit. Spottedleaf knew. She knew everything. Firepaw's eyes were wide as small green moons. "Yeah…how…?"

"Bluestar doesn't know," said the tortoiseshell, "But she will tonight."

Firepaw gulped. "So you know about…everything? Even ShadowClan and…"

Spottedleaf sighed. "This is where I cannot tell you what I know."

"Why? Why not?" he pleaded in a whisper. If Spottedleaf knew about Tigerclaw, then she knew that he was guilty. That he had something planned, that he needed to be thrown out. The tortoiseshell sighed and began to speak, voice back in a calm, gentle tone that he could at least relax at.

"StarClan is a composition of deities of those who have passed, retaining their age and loyalty to their Clan. Though the afterlife is that of peace and respect between cats of all Clans who have died, there are those who retain their fierce loyalty. They look to do everything that they can to bring along all of the Clans, make them stronger and protect them from danger. Now there's a separate place for those with evil intentions, one far away from there and excluded from influence. But nevertheless, the information that StarClan sends down, specifically the ones that I speak to, contains more information about the future that is so sensitive that not even leaders are told the same.

"Sometimes there are messages the deceased want to bring to those still living, but if one were to die with their family still healthy and want to desperately protect them…well, that information comes through me. StarClan cannot change the future, but they can see into it. And when the future is dangerous, as it is right now…well…"

Firepaw didn't need the sentence to be completed. "You know everything," he said in a shaky breath.

Spottedleaf gave a grave nod. "Do you know why medicine cats are forbidden by the Warrior Code to take a mate?" Firepaw shook his head.

"Because StarClan knows that the information they pass on, this amount of divine counsel should only be passed onto someone who cannot use it to inflict damage upon others. If medicine cats were allowed to take a mate, they would risk the integrity of that information being sent out to the rest of the Clan. All of the unique things that you will be able to do as a warrior we are forbidden to do as medicine cats…confined to this den for healing in exchange for having the closest connection one can have with the deities in charge of this world."

"Woah…" murmured Firepaw.

"When I was an apprentice in training to become a medicine cat, I caught the eye of this warrior named Thistleclaw," said the she-cat quietly, "He was ambitious, bitter about the loss of his former mate and quite cruel to both his apprentice and his son. In his ambitions, he found out about the special connections that medicine cats would have to StarClan and set his eyes on me…" The tortoiseshell looked deeply haunted and vulnerable about this, making Firepaw's very soul shiver, "He spent seasons taking a keen interest in me, trying to flatter me and…I was a young apprentice at the time and despite the fact that he was nearly a senior warrior, he was telling me things I wanted to hear…that the code was too restrictive, medicine cats should have been allowed to take a mate…These are the kinds of risks that medicine cats in all four Clans must endure. Because there will always be ambitious cats who want to be great in every generation of cats, cats ambitious enough to come and try to strip us away. But the oath we take is something that could cause the very fabric of StarClan and our world to be ripped apart. One break and we could lose connection to our ancestors forever."

Firepaw's eyes twinkled in sympathy. He felt bad for her, having to go through all of this. "Why…why would anyone choose to become a medicine cat, then? I don't understand…all that sounds like is torture."

Spottedleaf smiled, perhaps expecting that question. "I have seen…so many cats that could have gone completely forgotten lest I had been there to hear their story. StarClan is kept strong by the knowledge of those before us. The stories that elders tell about warriors keeps their souls in StarClan alive and healthy. Those souls fade once there is no one there to remember them, so passing on their stories and keeping them present and able to help their Clan through me…there are so many great cats up there that I've met. And in times like these, the more cats you have around you that will support you through that connection?"

Spottedleaf leaned in quietly to whisper. "Every medicine cat you will ever meet is seven to fifteen steps ahead of their Clan's most powerful warrior."

Now that was a massive revelation, one Firepaw almost couldn't completely stomach. Bluestar may have been the leader and Lionheart may have been the strongest warrior, but Spottedleaf knew more about them then they probably knew about themselves. Yellowfang telling Bluestar that Spottedleaf was keeping things from her wasn't a bluff - she was keeping pretty much everything from her.

Spottedleaf wasn't just the most powerful cat in ThunderClan. She was the equivalent of a deity walking among them, posing as just a healer. Knowing more about the future than one could possibly know yet remaining bound to loyalty for the sake of her Clan. Though she would never say, she probably knew about Tigerclaw and how ShadowClan had an in through him. And even though Firepaw was scared about the Gathering, she had probably known the outcome of it for longer than he had been alive.

Spottedleaf sighed. "Listen to me, Firepaw. You know well as I do that there are dark and uncertain times coming. Taking Yellowfang into ThunderClan was always the right choice for the Clan, but in the coming days, I believe that one of the consequences…will be my death."

Firepaw felt panic shoot through his veins. "What!? You can't die! You're supposed to know everything about…everything!"

The tortoiseshell smiled. "Yes, and while I have requested that the terms of my death be kept secret…the foretelling I've received grows more vague and uncertain than I've ever experienced. Perhaps something only those who reside in StarClan can understand. Yellowfang is now set to be my successor and she will have as weak of a connection to the souls in ThunderClan than a medicine cat apprentice does - even in death there is xenophobic discrimination between Clans that can't be avoided. But I also know enough to understand that times will be better and ThunderClan will grow strong…and that of all the cats inexorably tied to that surge, you are among them."

Firepaw looked down at his paws as Spottedleaf moved closer to him, voice lowering again to a whisper. "So if my death comes soon, I hope that you will not grieve. Because I do not just believe in you…I know…" The she-cat was right up against his ear now, voice barely over a breath.

"Fire will save the Clan."

Firepaw felt a surge in those words, not unlike that when he entered the cave of the Moonstone. Like a hole inside him that he didn't know was there suddenly filled. There wasn't a click in his brain, but a brilliant explosion of life as the vision he saw but was blocked from remembering, the prophecy he knew but couldn't read…it was combed further and further into clarity.

Fire will save the Clan. A foretelling that he didn't need to ponder, didn't want to ponder. For all talks of being cryptic and speaking in riddles and tongues cats couldn't understand, there was a crystal clear sentence. One forged in the stars made out of the destiny that was to come in the future. That feeling that he wanted a glorious future, a life that would be remembered forever…it was always meant to be, written in the stars.

Firepaw would be that. He would be that glorious leader. He would be the savior.

Firepaw was the chosen one. He was going to save ThunderClan.

As Spottedleaf pulled away, the ginger tom freshly ignited with that which the divine spoke, smiled brighter than he ever had before.

"Why would they do this to you?" pondered Graypaw aloud once Firepaw had returned to the apprentice den later that evening. He had been in a frenzy ever since Yellowfang was found innocent, much to the irritation of the other apprentices. "I mean…there's no denying the fact that she wanted to kill you! Why would StarClan then send down a message saying that she should just…become a member of our Clan! And we're supposed to trust her? She's from ShadowClan!"

"Great StarClan, will you shut up!?" snapped Dustpaw from the other end of the den, sounding particularly bitter, "I can't sleep with you lumbering around and making the den shake!" Graypaw had a retort ready but Firepaw saw him think better of it - Sandpaw had moved her nest to the other side of the den across from Dustpaw, telling of how well his confession to her had gone. If Graypaw went there, Firepaw had no doubt that claws were coming out.

Giving in to the demand, Graypaw sat down next to where Firepaw was lounging in his nest, unable to sleep, and continued to rant in a whisper. "I mean, how sick are they to use a wound that almost got you killed to do it? Like, you almost died and StarClan was like…'we'll almost make him die just to show Spottedleaf that the cat that almost killed him actually shouldn't die!' That's a load of foxdung! Like, I genuinely don't know why you're not more upset over it!"

Firepaw bit his lip. Well, even though he was in a joyful mood when the medicine cat let him go, he was still tampered by the fact that he couldn't really tell Graypaw anything. It wasn't like he had no one to talk to anymore - Spottedleaf revealing the extent of her divine acumen gave him peace that he could at least vent his fears and get some kind of cryptic comfort in response. But still…Graypaw was his friend. And there were "dark and uncertain times" ahead that he couldn't tell him about…

It was going to bother him for a really long time, if anything because Graypaw clearly cared about him. I mean, was anyone else as outraged that Yellowfang was getting a pass after nearly getting him offed? "Well, I don't think she's gonna break in and murder me in my sleep…I just…don't really want to think about it right now," he murmured quietly.

Graypaw settled down onto his belly and sighed. "Yeah…I'm sorry that I'm so nervous…it's just that when my friends are in trouble, I like to know why…so I can protect them." He glanced at him pensively and Firepaw sighed - he was asking why he had to disappear from camp earlier that night.

"It's complicated," he said quietly, "I don't think I could…explain it all to you well even if I was allowed to."

"What does that mean, Firepaw?" wailed Graypaw, "I mean…you know me. I want to help protect you!"

"I know you do, Gray…" said Firepaw quietly, "I just…took an oath to not speak about it. And if I break it, I get in really, really big trouble."

The other apprentice looked at him in silence for a moment. "Firepaw…if you're in danger, you'll tell me, right?"

"Of course I will," said Firepaw without a moment of hesitation, "A lot of what I do have is just…nerves for the future, I think. Cause the Gathering's tomorrow and I don't know what ShadowClan is gonna do when they find out we took in Yellowfang." Spottedleaf had gone to Bluestar's den to discuss what she was going to say in order to make sure Brokenstar couldn't undercut him.

The mention of the Gathering, at least, lifted Graypaw's spirits. "Oh yeah! I'm so excited to go tomorrow…I'm really excited to talk to the apprentices from other Clans…especially WindClan! I wanna know how they get to run so fast!" Firepaw was about to respond when he remembered, crushingly, that Tigerclaw said that he would make sure that he was not invited.

Then he remembered why. The circumstances, the bite, the realization that Tigerclaw had simply watched him nearly die from poison…he glanced at Ravenpaw, who was either asleep or trying really hard to be. Even though it had felt like a week, the altercation where he had seen the tabby cat slash his apprentice on the cheek as reprieve for saving Firepaw's life was only half a day ago. He was very, very worried about Ravenpaw and knew that he needed to get to the bottom of whatever he was hiding, especially since he was involved in something with ShadowClan.

"I…" started Firepaw before leaning in, "Okay…I do need to talk to you about something. But it cannot…Ravenpaw can't know I told you."

Graypaw looked like he had a feeling where this was going and leaned in, voice firm. "Okay. My lips are sealed."

Firepaw gulped. "When I was doing my assessment today…Tigerclaw cut Ravenpaw on the cheek."

A look of abject horror grew on Graypaw's face. He looked at Ravenpaw's curled up form before looking back and speaking with a shake in his voice. "I…he…why would he do that?"

Firepaw shrugged. "I don't know, but…he was there at Sunningrocks and he helped save my life. And Tigerclaw saw and…"

"He saved your life!?" hissed Graypaw, "But I thought Spottedleaf said that you didn't die because of the adder having a bad fang!"

Ratspit. He was right - Firepaw couldn't risk contradicting the medicine cat's story. "Well, yeah, but…he saw and helped…kill the adder. I don't know exactly what he did, but he checked on me and…Tigerclaw was there and he…got mad because Ravenpaw had left his territory assignment cause he heard me. But…"

Firepaw remembered the weight of what exactly he was saying to Graypaw. "He put me down as well, saying that I was pathetic for not knowing how to fight an adder."

"Adders aren't in season, I thought?" said Graypaw. Then slowly, the revelation came next.

"He knew? And he…didn't try to help you?"

Firepaw nodded. Graypaw looked like he was about to have a panic attack. "Oh StarClan…he's out to kill you! He might be out to kill Ravenpaw too!"

"Graypaw, listen to me…" said Firepaw, leaning forward and pressing his paw to his chest, just as he did before he left for the Moonstone, "You're closer to Ravenpaw than I am. I need you to get him to tell us…everything. About Tigerclaw and…we need him to tell Bluestar that he's dangerous."

Still shaking, Graypaw nodded. "Oh…StarClan, this is what you meant when you said that you were in danger, wasn't it?" First Yellowfang and n-now…" The poor apprentice looked like he was about to cry, breaths coming in short gasps. Firepaw knew that he needed to help calm him down.

Scooting over and putting aside the realization that he was much smaller than Graypaw, he pressed his muzzle right into the side of his neck. The erratic thrumming of his pulse into his neck assaulted his muzzle and Firepaw just continued to rub into his fur. "Breathe, Graypaw…"

"I-I can't-" he choked out.

"Yes, you can," said the ginger tom firmly. His foreleg snaked over the top of his back, pulling him closer. Holding him like he was glass about to shatter. "I'm right here…I'm not going anywhere."

Firepaw could tell that he was trying to calm down, but he still struggled. "I don't…want to be alone here…" he murmured quietly, "I don't want to be alone again…"

"You won't…" said Firepaw quietly, not thinking of the words he said as anything but nonsense. "I won't leave you."

"R-Ravenpaw…he-"

"He'll be here, too…Just like me…We'll be with you, Graypaw…"

This was the first time Firepaw had seen Graypaw like this. An excitable, aloof chatterbox…suppressing fears that he would be abandoned all this time. The ginger tom himself was growing upset just thinking about it. He was too good to deserve that feeling - he put up with bullying and snide remarks, put enthusiasm into his training…

He wished he had Spottedleaf's powers in that moment. The connection with StarClan to be told the future. He wished that he could tell Graypaw in that moment that the ancestors themselves had said that things would be alright. That he and Ravenpaw would be by his side fighting with him and for him until the day they died. He wanted something, anything to mend the poor tom's soul.

"Do you remember…the very first thing you told me when you found me in the forest?" he said quietly into Graypaw's ear. The other tom shook his head. "Well…you told me your name was Graypaw and then…you talked about what your warrior name was gonna be. What was it again…something epic like Grayclaw."

"Noooo no no," said Graypaw with a shuddering chuckle, "I don't want Tigerclaw's name…that sounds weird…"

"Ah, alright…well, what about…I dunno, Graymouse?"

Graypaw looked at him like he was absurd. "G-Graymouse."

"Cause you're really good at catching mice," said Firepaw with a cheeky smile. The other tom cuffed him over the ear with his sheathed paw and giggled - he seemed to be calming down already.

"Or what about Graybelly? Cause you have a comfy gray belly?"

"If I get named Graybelly, Dustpaw will never let me hear the end of it."

"True…" said Firepaw, "Okay, what about me? What do you think I'll get as a name?"

Graypaw didn't hesitate for a second. "Firebite."

"Ha ha. You're so funny," said Firepaw, who actually did smile at that. "Now, actually…" Graypaw thought about it for a moment, looking to be much calmer now. The other apprentice shifted so he wasn't awkwardly hugging him anymore, so they sat right next to each other.

After a moment, he said "Fireheart."

"Why Fireheart?"

"Because…like Lionheart, you're the strongest warrior I know," said Graypaw with a smile, "And you have a really amazing heart."

Oh.

Oh StarClan.

Firepaw genuinely didn't know what to say to that. He blinked for a bit, trying to think of a response, but there wasn't one coming. He was speechless, caught slack-jawed staring at his best friend with eyes wide and breath nearly stripped from his lungs.

What even was he supposed to say?

Graypaw was calm now, but noticed that Firepaw was clearly not comprehending what he was saying and turned away hastily. "Alright…goodnight, Firepaw," he said, face turned away and muffled by his tail as he curled up. Firepaw barely even moved, staring dumbly down at Graypaw's soon-sleeping form before slowly looking out the entrance of the den.

Fireheart.

He knew that he wasn't going to sleep tonight. Too much had happened, it was impossible. But of all the things to keep him up at night, he didn't expect his best friend to be the one to do it.

Fireheart.

Staring into the darkness of night and the quietness of camp, he felt the word move along his tongue, caress it and speak it quietly. Like it was a holy word. Like it was always meant to be.

"Fireheart."

a/n: i have been writing since 2017. that last scene right there was the gayest shit i have ever written, and i've written boys kissing. with tongue.

chapter nine will be released on august 10th.

any and all feedback is greatly appreciated.

with love,
cj