Here's another update for everyone!!
Remember to favorite, follow, and review!
O0O0O0O
Stretching lazily in the warm glow of sunhigh, Tigerclaw cautiously glanced around the surrounding area before picking up the squirrel he had tactically caught previously in the day and began heading back to camp.
Tigerclaw took his time, in no hurry to return home, as he immersed himself in the contentment that he was experiencing at the moment.
Things with the former band of rogues were turning out nicely as they had all been accepted back into their former Clan. They were still secretly in contact and Blackfoot had been the one to take charge of the unstable chaos that was currently going on in ShadowClan due to lack of proper leadership. Truly, it was a perfect opportunity for them and Tigerclaw's plans.
Tigerclaw's good mood only seemed to heighten as he spotted his horde of kits coming up from the ravine as he came closer to camp. It appeared as though Fireheart was taking them outside of camp today for the first time. Although he felt a bit snubbed that his mate hadn't informed him of their plans, he would have happily taken the time off to accompany them as well.
The awe and excitement in their eyes reminded him of when he left camp for the first time. He was escorted by his mother, Leopardfoot, who didn't take him far, just the sandy hollow where she allowed him to watch one of the apprentices train with their mentor. Later Tigerclaw would try to reenact those same moves behind the nursery and almost get them right.
It didn't take Fireheart and the kits long to spot Tigerclaw slowly making his way towards them. His young children's eyes lit up as they charged at him, squealing in delight as they swarmed the giant, dark brown tabby warrior, clambering all over his massive paws and onto his back, getting their tiny claws buried into his fur like little burs.
Tigerclaw allowed them to tip him over, acting as though their combined weight was enough to unbalance his hulking form, and dramatically gasped as though he was shocked that they managed to do such a thing. It might have made him seem foolish but the shine that it brought to his kits eyes was well worth the momentary humiliation.
Tigerclaw let them have their moment of triumph before standing up and carefully getting them to jump down. All but Squirrelkit, his most rebellious daughter, who he didn't realize still clung on to his pelt, and as he shook out his thick fur he accidentally sent his young dark ginger bushy-tailed daughter flying.
It was only when he heard Fireheart gasp did he realize what he had accidentally done. The guilt that he felt as he saw his mate pounce on their daughter, quickly looking over the little she-kit for injuries, was immense. But the giant, dark brown tabby warrior let out a sigh of relief as Squirrelkit shook off her mother, springing back to her paws and acting as though nothing had happened.
"I wanna do that again!" Squirrelkit squeaked but quickly settled down when her mother stroked her back with her slightly crooked tail.
"I think your paws are better on the ground for now," The flame-pelted queen told their daughter. "Now go play with your siblings."
Squirrelkit looked ready to protest but a nudge from Fireheart sent the kit racing towards her siblings who were sneakily scrawling up towards the top of the ravine.
Tigerclaw watched them act as though their parents weren't watching them. But the dark brown tabby also noted that his mate seemed to have a troubled look on her face.
Tigerclaw playfully bumped Fireheart's shoulder. "Hey, is everything okay? You seem…down."
Fireheart barely even spared him a glance, instead choosing to nod at the ground. "Yeah, I'm fine."
The amber-eyed tom-cat didn't believe her. "Are you sure?"
"I said I'm fine." Fireheart's words came out more harshly than either of them were expecting, it shocked the both of them.
"Are you --" Tigerclaw didn't manage to get another word out before Fireheart was brushing past him, ears down and calling after their kits. A change of focus.
Tigerclaw shook off the strange conversation, letting it settle to the back of his mind to pick over and discuss a little later. Instead, he decided to focus on his family, padding after them and watching in amusement at the amazement that appeared on their faces as they saw the outside world for the first time. Tigerclaw was thankful they were born near Greenleaf, they did not have to worry about them freezing from the winter snow, starving, or getting sick. He thanked StarClan that they weren't born with defects or weak bodies, that they were born strong and continue to become even stronger as they grew day by day. A true miracle, seeing as all seven of their kits have lived this long. Usually, losses from such a big litter were always expected but it seemed that Tigerclaw and Fireheart were more than compatible to create such healthy kits.
Tigerclaw watched his kits with their little tails wagging in the air and their high-pitched meows as they pounced on each other. Though, his attention wasn't completely on the scene in front of him. He kept glancing over at the mother of his kits, who seemed unnaturally distant towards him recently, though he couldn't figure out why. They had been getting along pretty good recently, especially with their plans being put into effect. Tigerclaw thought that perhaps it had to do with Graystripe getting banished, and while he couldn't wrap his head around that idea because Graystripe was a mouse-brained, lazy warrior who couldn't contribute anything to the Clan, he was Fireheart's bestfriend.
He was just about to approach Fireheart and try to talk to her about it when Sandstorm and Dustpelt bounded into the sandy hollow.
"See! I told you she was taking them out today." Sandstorm playfully cuffed Dustpelt over the ear.
Dustpelt snarled a bit and moved himself away from Sandstorm. "Yeah yeah, you were right and I was wrong. Big deal."
"Hey," Fireheart went over to the pair to greet them, and Tigerclaw tried not to let his jealousy show, since she greeted the pair with more friendliness than she greeted Tigerclaw. "I thought you two were hunting?"
"We were," Sandstorm happily informed her. "But we caught like five prey, and I remembered that you were taking the kits out today so I wanted to come by and see how they like it."
"It's great!" Squirrelkit piped up, practically knocking Dustpelt to the ground. "There's so many scents and greenery out here! Why can't we go outside more?" She accusingly asked her mother.
"Because you aren't apprentices yet." Fireheart reminded her rambunctious daughter, a conversation they had way too often. "And it's dangerous for kits outside of camp."
"You go out all the time, though!" Tawnykit groaned.
"I'm not a kit," Fireheart said.
"You have the height of one, though!" Squirrelkit reminded her, and Tigerclaw, as well as the other two warriors, had to hide their amused chuckles from the annoyed mother.
"Be nice." Tigerclaw playfully cuffed Squirrelkit over the ear. "After all, you might be her height one day. Imagine how you'd feel."
"Bleh!" Squirrelkit exclaimed, hiding behind Hawkit as if that would protect her. "As if! I'm going to be big and strong like you!"
"So I'm not strong?" Fireheart asked accusingly.
"No!" Leafkit squealed in her mothers defense. "You're the strongest cat ever!"
"More like stubborn." Dustpelt remarked, before being nudged by Sandstorm.
"Don't go talking about another cat's height, Dustpelt, you look a little short from where I'm standing." Sandstorm said teasingly, causing the dark brown tabby to cringe.
"Don't even joke about that." Dustpelt hissed, taking a swipe at the pale ginger she-cat, who easily sidestepped the attack.
"I'd even say Dustpelt is shorter than mom!" Hawkit enthusiastically added. Tigerclaw could barely contain his amusement at Dustpelt's crestfallen face.
"I thought we were talking about Fireheart here!" Dustpelt grumbled, flattening his ears to his head.
Tigerclaw could only shake his massive head in exasperation. Dustpelt could talk a big talk but couldn't handle it when it was given back to him.
"I think we should have another meeting soon." Fireheart suddenly meowed, sending the kits off to play amongst themselves, and lowering her voice so only the other three warriors could hear her. "I've been thinking about a few things and I think it's time to introduce more new ideas to the Clan."
"Such as what?" Dustpelt asked, looking curious.
Yes, what ideas have you been thinking about, Fireheart?. Tigerclaw suddenly felt a bit of frustration bubble up from his chest. Fireheart hadn't confided anything about any ideas for the Clan with him. He felt slighted that she was just now mentioning this, and in front of others instead of in private with him.
"Unity between Clans." Fireheart meowed, her green eyes glittering. "We've almost lost the trust we've been building with RiverClan because of the kit incident. We're still on shaky ground with WindClan over Brokentail, and as for ShadowClan…" Fireheart shot Tigerclaw and unreadable look that he didn't quite understand, though it left him with a belly full of dread.
"We should hold another meeting then." Sandstorm exclaimed, getting a nod of approval from Dustpelt. "Let everyone know what we should do next. Get their say on it as well."
"Good idea, Sandstorm." Fireheart meowed, not looking for Tigerclaw's input at all.
Suddenly a trampling of little paws came charging forward and Dustpelt was completely swallowed by small balls of fur. "Get him!!"
Tigerclaw watched in silence as his kits buried the younger warrior under their combined numbers and flailed, meowing for help that none of the other three warriors provided.
"Can some cat help me?!" Dustpelt hissed, trying and failing to shove Bramblekit off him.
"Sorry Dustpelt, but I'm too short to get involved." Fireheart purred, looking more relaxed than she had been all day.
Fireheart's strange shifts in emotions was daunting, and he very much wanted to confront her about them, but instead Tigerclaw could only agree to the future meeting.
When rounding up the kits and heading back to Camp, Sandstorm and Dustpelt leaving to retrieve their catch for today, Tigerclaw tried to talk with his suddenly emotionally distant mate.
"Fireheart, is something is wrong--"
"Nothing's wrong, Tigerclaw." Fireheart meowed, but the she-cat did not look at the dark brown tabby warrior once the rest of the trip back.
Something was most definitely wrong. But what?
O0O0O0O0O
Long time!!! Very long time since the last time I updated one of my Warriors fanfics! I hope no one is too mad about it!
Fun Facts:
Let's face it, ShadowClan is within Tigerclaw's grasp at this point.
Fireheart is certainly taking the Graystripe thing hard and it certainly has negatively affected her own relationship in the process.
Kits just being kits!
By this point Dustpelt is the fun uncle (a.k.a the one the kits like to mess with the most) even though he'll never admit to it!
Tigerclaw just confused about his wife's behavior. Like most men in real life!