Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The allegiances of the forest clans as of Forest of Secrets - Chapter 1.

Approximately 7.5/8 moons have passed since Into The Wild - Chapter 1.

Characters have their original canon names in their description unless considered obvious.

Not all family trees remain the same from canon, some blood relations were altered.

Characters marked with a * are trans and described by their preferred pronouns

ThunderClan 

Leader:

Thunder Blue Fur — blue-gray molly, tinged with silver around her muzzle and blue eyes. (Bluestar)

Deputy:

Tiger's Claw — big dark brown tabby tom with unusually long claws and amber eyes. Golden Flower's mate.

Healer(s):

Violet Fang — old dark gray molly with a broad, flattened face and wide orange eyes. Formerly of ShadowClan. (Yellowfang)

Apprentice, Fire Heart

Fire Heart — flame-colored ginger tom with bright-green eyes. 

Warriors:

Black Leopard — tall and slender black molly with large paws and amber eyes. ( Leopardfoot )

Apprentice, Bright Flame

White Flower — big white tom with yellow eyes. ( Whitestorm ) Willow Branch's mate.

Willow Branch — light-gray molly with blue eyes. ( Willowpelt ) White Flower's mate.

Misty Step — blue-gray molly with lighter paws and blue eyes. (Mistyfoot)

Brindle Face — spotted gray tabby molly with green eyes. Mossy Patch's mate.

Apprentice, Bracken Leaf (temporary)

Stone Pelt — stocky gray tom with battle-scarred ears and blue-green eyes. (Stonefur)

Dark Pine — sleek black and gray tabby tom with yellow eyes. (Darkstripe)

Mouse Fur — small dusky brown molly with yellow eyes.

Apprentice, Thorn Claw

Fleet Foot — swift light brown tabby tom with green eyes. (Runningwind)

Pale Tail — sandy-gray tabby tom with dark stripes and blue-green eyes. (Longtail)

Apprentice, Swift Bird

Dusty Earth — dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes. (Dustpelt)

Sand Storm — pale ginger molly with green eyes.

Apprentice, Blazing Cinder

Gray Stripe — long-haired gray tom with a dark stripe along his spine and yellow eyes.

Apprentices:

Swift Bird — black-and-white tom with golden eyes. (Swiftpaw)

Bright Flame — white molly with ginger splotches and hazel eyes. (Brightpaw)

Thorn Claw — golden brown tabby tom with a nicked ear and green eyes. (Thornpaw)

Bracken Leaf — golden brown tabby tom with amber eyes. (Brackenpaw)

Blazing Cinder — small dark gray molly with fluffy fur, a broken hind leg and blue eyes. (Cinderpaw)

Queens:

Frost Shine — beautiful white molly with blue eyes, partially deaf. Nursery caretaker. (Frostfur)  

Golden Flower — pale ginger molly with golden eyes. Tiger's Claw's mate.

Mossy Patch — large sleek furred gray and white molly with amber eyes. (Mosskit) Brindle Face's mate. *

Mother to Fern Cloud and Ash Fur. (Ashkit, Fernkit) Nursing Cloud Tail. (Cloudkit) 

Hop Speckle — old pale brown tabby molly with amber eyes. (Specketail) Small Ears' mate. 

Mother to Snow Flight. (Snowkit)

Elders:

Sparrow Nest — big long-haired dark brown tabby tom with part of his tail missing and yellow eyes. (Halftail) White Eye's mate.

Small Ears — gray tom with small folded ears and amber eyes. (Smallear) Hop Speckle's mate.

Patchy Shade — small brown and white tom with yellow eyes. (Patchpelt)

White Eye — pale gray molly with one yellow eye and poor hearing. (One-eye) Sparrow Nest's mate.

Dapple Pelt — once-pretty tortoiseshell molly with a lovely dappled coat and amber eyes. (Dappletail)

Rose Fall — gray tabby molly with pinkish ginger markings and pale eyes. (Rosetail)

Prisoner:

Broken Tail — blind, long-haired dark brown tabby tom. Formerly ShadowClan leader. 

Windclan

Leader:

Wind Tall Tail — black-and-white tom with a very long tail and pale yellow eyes. (Tallstar)

Deputy:

Hop Step — black tom with a twisted paw and green eyes. (Deadfoot) Ash Dust's mate.

Healer(s):

Bark Face — short-tailed brown tom with yellow eyes.

Warriors:

Rush Tail — skinny creamy-brown tom with pale blue eyes. 

Dark Foot — dark gray tom with a lighter belly and yellow eyes.

Pigeon Flight — dark gray tom with white patches and dark eyes. Torn Ear's mate. *

Apprentice,Tawny Tail

Shining Sorrel — gray-and-brown molly with bright yellow eyes. (Sorrelshine)

Bristle Thorn — black tom with long spiky fur and orange eyes. ( Bristlebark )

Fly Swoop — small black-and-white tom with green eyes. ( Flytail )

Muddy Claws — mottled dark brown tom with amber eyes.

Apprentice, Web Foot

Torn Ear — wiry gray tom with a torn ear and pale eyes. Pigeon Flight's mate.

Apprentice, White Nose

Ash Dust — speckled gray molly with blue eyes. (Ashfoot) Hop Step's mate .

Apprentice, Running Brook

Short Whisker — brown tabby tom with amber eyes. (Onewhisker)

Apprentices:

Running Brook — light gray tabby molly with light green eyes. (Runningpaw)

White Nose — small white molly with green eyes.

Tawny Tail — golden-brown molly with pale yellow eyes.

Web Foot — wiry dark gray tabby tom with orange eyes.

Queens:

Morning Bloom — tortoiseshell molly with amber eyes. (Morningflower) 

Mother to Gorse Stem. (Gorsekit)

Elders:

Rye Stalk — gray tabby molly with soft fur and amber eyes. 

Wren Flight — brown molly with dark green eyes.

Crow Fur — black tom with patchy fur and orange eyes. 

Riverclan

Leader:

River Crooked Jaw — huge light-brown tabby with a twisted jaw and green eyes. (Crookedstar)

Deputy:

Leopard Fur — unusually spotted golden tabby molly with amber eyes.

Healer(s):

Muddy Brook — long-haired light brown tom with golden eyes. (Mudfur)

Warriors:

Beetle Nose — tom with crow-black fur and amber eyes.

Petal Dust — tortoiseshell molly with green eyes.

Vole Claw — gray tom with blue eyes.

Lily Stem — pale gray tabby molly with green eyes.

Ember Dawn — tortoiseshell molly with bright ginger patches and gray eyes. Dawn Bright's mate.

Blooming Grass — brown tabby molly with a white splash under her chin and one white hind paw, with green eyes. (Greenflower)

Black Talon — smoky black tom with orange eyes. (Blackclaw)

Apprentice, Heavy Step

Sky Heart — pale brown tabby molly with green eyes.

Rush Whisker — mottled brown molly with green eyes. ( Grasswhisker )

Vixen Leap — large black molly with amber eyes and a short tail.

Reed Tail — pale gray tabby tom with orange eyes.

Loud Belly — dark brown tom and green eyes.

Apprentice, Cold Silver

Mallow Tail — tortoiseshell tabby and white tom with green eyes. *

Apprentice, Soft Shade

Dawn Bright — ginger-and-white molly with hazel eyes. Ember Dawn's mate.

Leaping Frog — muscular gray tom with a striped tail and amber eyes. (Frogleap) Dappled Moss' mate.

Silver Stream — silver tabby molly with blue eyes.

Snow Paws — dark brown tom with stark white paws and amber eyes. (Whiteclaw)

Apprentices:

Soft Shade — dark gray molly with pale green eyes.

Heavy Step — thickset brown tabby tom with yellow eyes.

Cold Silver — lithe silver tabby tom with dark green eyes.

Queens:

Dappled Moss — tortoiseshell and white molly with green-blue eyes. (Mosspelt) Leaping Frog's mate.

Mother to Swimming Wood, Stone Ripple and Sweet Flower.( Woodkit, Stonestream, Dawnkit)

Elders:

Gray Pool — thin gray molly with patchy fur and a scarred muzzle with yellow eyes. 

Bird Song — tabby-and-white molly with ginger patches around her muzzle, flecked with gray, and yellow eyes.

Shadowclan

Leader:

Shadow Night Pelt — black tom with a chronic cough and green eyes.

Apprentice, Vole Burrow

Deputy:

Cinder Fur — thin dark gray tom with orange eyes. Ashen Heart's mate.

Healer(s):

Wet Nose — small gray-and-white tom with amber eyes. (Runningnose)

Warriors:

Rowan Berry — cream and brown molly with amber eyes. 

Apprentice, Little Cloud

Scorching Pelt — ginger tabby tom with green eyes. (Scorchwind) Dark Petals' mate.

Boulder — silver tabby tom with blue eyes.

Apprentice, Wet Pads

Russet Talon — dark ginger molly with green eyes. (Russetfur)

Blizzard Wing — mottled white tom with amber eyes.

Finch Flight — black-and-white tom with pale yellow eyes. Apple Seed's mate.

Apprentice, Brown Pelt

Wolf Step — blue-eyed dark-gray and white tom with a torn ear. Fern Shade's mate.

Ashen Heart — pale gray and ginger molly with golden eyes. (Ashheart) Cinder Fur's mate.

Speckled Newt — black and ginger tabby molly with pale yellow eyes. (Newtspeck)

Flint Fang — gray tom with thick-furred paws and amber eyes.

Apprentice, Oak Fur

Fern Shade — tortoiseshell molly with yellow eyes. Wolf Step's mate.

Apprentice, Tall Poppy

Apple Seed — mottled light-brown molly with pale green eyes. (Applefur) Finch Flight's mate.

Deer Hoof — dark gray tom with white paws and yellow eyes. (Deerfoot)

White Throat — black tom with white neck and paws and green-blue eyes.

Rat Bite — scarred dark brown tom with pale green eyes. (Ratscar)

Dawn Cloud — small ginger tabby molly with pale yellow eyes.

Apprentices:

Brown Pelt — thick-furred brown tom with amber eyes.

Wet Pads — gray tabby tom with bright green eyes.

Little Cloud — small brown tabby tom with blue eyes.

Vole Burrow — brown tom with a limping hind leg and light yellow eyes. (Volepaw)

Tall Poppy — long-legged light brown tabby molly with green eyes. 

Oak Fur — small light brown tom with green eyes.

Queens:

Dark Petals — black molly with yellow eyes. (Darkflower) Scorching Pelt's mate.

Mother to a gray tom, a dark ginger molly, and a black molly.

Elders:

Cloudy Pool — gray-and-white molly with green eyes. (Poolcloud)

Crow's Tail — black tabby molly with green eyes. 

Holly Flower — dark gray-and-white molly with amber eyes.

Cats Outside the Clans

Smudge — plump black-and-white kittypet tom with yellow eyes who lives in a house near the edge of the forest.

Princess — young light brown tabby kittypet molly with a white muzzle, chest and paws and green eyes.

Barley — black-and-white loner tom with blue eyes who lives on a farm close to the forest.

Raven Shadow — small, skinny black tom with a tiny white dash on his chest, white-tipped tail and green eyes. Formerly of Thunderclan. (Ravenpaw)

Black Paws — large white tom with huge jet-black paws and amber eyes. Formerly ShadowClan deputy. Broken Tail's follower. (Blackfoot)  

Stumpy Tail — brown tabby tom with green eyes. Tangle Burr's mate. Broken Tail's follower.

Tangle Burr — gray-and-brown molly with dark green eyes. Stumpy Tail's mate. Broken Tail's follower.

Snag — large thick-furred ginger tabby tom with amber eyes.

Mowgli — scrawny brown tom with green eyes and a pointed muzzle.

Chapter Text

Cold gripped the forest, fields, and moorland like an icy claw. Snow covered everything, glittering faintly under a new moon. Nothing broke the silence in the forest except for the occasional soft rush of snow sliding from the branches of trees and the faint rasping of dried reeds when the wind swept through them. Even the murmur of the river was stilled by the ice that stretched from bank to bank.

There was a flicker of movement at the edge of the river. A large tom, his auburn-colored fur fluffed up against the cold, emerged from the reeds. He shook snow impatiently from his paws as he sank into the soft drifts with every step.

In front of him, the shadowy shapes of large glittering boulders were the only thing he could see under the moonlight. Slowly and carefully, he scanned the rocky slope for the shape of a cat. Straining his ears, he soon noticed a rustle in the frozen undergrowth at the edge of the woods. A muzzle, followed by a pair of paws and a sleek silver shape, soon peeked out of the forest.

Braving the icy chill, both cats scurried around the rocks to meet with each other. Snow crunched rhythmically with his eager race and her hurried and deliberate trot. Then, silence, as they both halted a tail-length away from each other. The tom started to lean forward, as if he wanted to touch noses with her, but shifted his paws and stepped back like he thought better of it.

“Where are they?” he asked, eyeing the snow past the molly.

“In the nursery, asleep.” she replied. At his look of confusion, she added. “I changed my mind.”

A billow of fog shone and faded away as the tom let out a breath of relief, but the light in his eyes was still pained. “Only about bringing them to me, I assume.”

Her eyes narrowed in resignation. “I told you. My Clan needs me to protect them. They can’t know what I’ve done, for their sake.” her meow was firm, and her features contorted further as she looked down. “But I… I can’t lose my kits. This is too risky. They can barely walk properly, I can’t bring them out like this.”

His eyes were soft as he padded closer. “I know you love them. I’m happy you wouldn’t give them up.” he bent down his neck to meet her lowered gaze. “What are you going to do?”

For a moment, they locked eyes. The freezing air warmed up ever so slightly with the closeness of their breaths. Then she looked away, resolutely, into the distance. “Whatever’s necessary. To keep both them and my Clan safe.”

The chill surrounded them once more at the darkness in her words. He drew back, tipping his head to the side, studying her. “I’ll always be here for you. And for the kits.” He murmured.

She looked at him. “They’ll be ThunderClan kits.” 

“Doesn’t matter.” He replied. Slowly, as if scared to frighten her, he reached forward to place his chin on top of her head. She allowed him. “I’ll always love each of you. I’ll always want to protect them. It’s the least I can do.”

“I don’t think you’ll love me if you know what I’ll have to do.” she whispered, barely audible over her own breath.

Eyes closed, he took in her scent for a long moment. “You are keeping our kits after all. I think you’ll always be the cat I know you are. So I’ll still love you.”

She let herself be comforted by his scent. One last time. “Make it to leader. Don’t be hung up on me.”

A light, airy chuckle came out of him. “May our meetings beneath the starlight be under the light of the full-moon, looking down on our Clans. Sounds romantic.” he blinked away his tears so she wouldn’t see his grief as he drew away from her. “I love you. I love our kits. And... Good luck.”

Could she allow herself to say it back? Just for their last true meeting? 

Perhaps. 

But she had already chosen her kits and her path above all else, hadn’t she?

As the snow began to softly fly down once more, coating their pelts in soft white specks, she turned away from him.

With an indulgent glance over her shoulder, she whispered. “Goodbye.” 

And left him to the snowfall.

Chapter Text

The icy wind whirled snow into Fire Heart’s face as he struggled down the ravine toward the ThunderClan camp, the mouse he had just killed gripped firmly in his jaws. The flakes were falling so thickly that he could scarcely see where he was going.

His mouth watered as the prey-scent of the mouse filled his nostrils. He hadn’t eaten since the previous night, a grim reminder of how scarce prey was in leaf-bare. In the half-moon since Broken Tail's attack on camp, snow had fallen relentlessly on the forest, finally ThunderClan's luck with finding prey ran dry.

As Fire Heart pushed his way through the gorse tunnel leading into the camp, he dislodged snow from the spiky branches above, and he flicked his ears as the cold lumps fell on his head. The thorn trees around the camp gave some shelter from the wind, but the clearing in the center of the camp was deserted. All the cats preferred to stay in their dens to keep warm when the snow lay this thick. Broken tree stumps and the branches of a fallen tree poked above the covering of snow. A single line of pawprints crossed from the apprentices’ den to the bramble thicket where the kits were cared for. Seeing the trail, Fire Heart could not help thinking of Blazing Cinder. 

The young gray molly, who had suffered an accident in the Thunderpath, was still too weak in her three healthy legs to drag herself around the territory in deep leaf-bare snow. It had been frustrating for both her and Sand Storm, her mentor, due to how much it halted her training. After the few trips to the forest that they had been able to make, Blazing Cinder had been extra compliant with her leg exercises under Violet Fang to ensure she would struggle less next time. He'd overseen quite a few of these exercises while the healer taught him about some of the medicine in her store. His mind still swam with the names of several herbs and their uses. It now felt like every single root, berry, seed, leaf and even tree bark in the forest had some kind of healing purpose. He could only be grateful he wasn't supposed to remember them all yet, and it had been a mere introduction. He had already forgotten what the effect of each of the traveling herbs was, how would he even fit all of it in his memory? I'll have to, somehow , Fire Heart told himself. He could not fail.

Soft crunching of snow and rustling branches behind him warned of Sand Storm pushing through the tunnel herself, pale ginger fur turned near white by snowflakes. She dislodged some of the snow as she lingered beside him, a small blue and yellow bird grasped firmly in her jaws. Slim pickings even for the best of us, he mused, daring not to speak it out loud. Sand Storm put a lot of pride, rightfully so, on her hunting skills. Wouldn't do any good to test her temper when StarClan knew she was doing her best to feed the Clan.

Trotting side by side across the snow into the heart of the camp, the warriors walked up to the snowy pile of fresh-kill near the bush where the warriors slept. The pile was pitifully small. Such prey as could be found was thin and scrawny, hardly a mouthful for a famished warrior. There would be no more plump mice until newleaf, and that was still a moon away.

Sand Storm wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Better take the fresh-kill straight to the queens, those frozen scraps won't do them any good.”

Fire Heart considered that. “I wanted to bring mine to Violet Fang. She's been working hard. And, well, cold meat is hard on her teeth.”

Throwing the cloud-heavy sky a quick glance, Sand Storm adjusted the bird in her mouth to better speak through the feathers. “It's tonight, though, isn't it?”

“What is?” Fire Heart asked, confused. The Gathering wasn't for a while still, and there shouldn't be any warrior or apprentice ceremonies anytime soon.

She stared at him in bewilderment. “It's… the half moon. Aren't you going to travel to Highstones with Violet Fang?”

“... Ah.” Fire Heart managed to let out. He'd forgotten. Tonight, healers of all four clans would travel to see the Moonstone and listen to any guidance StarClan had to offer - and Fire Heart would for the first time come with Violet Fang for it. If StarClan approved of him, he would officially become her apprentice, as Blue Fur had agreed. With how overworked he'd been lately, Fire Heart had had no time to think about anything but herbs and patrols. “You're right. It slipped my mind.”

“I don't know how.” Sand Storm replied, shaking her head. “I wouldn't be able to sit still. I mean, aren't you worried at all?”

He was, but something in her tone gave him pause. “About what?”

“Well.” She averted her gaze, tail lowering and flicking with discomfort. Her green eyes flickered as she seemed to measure her words. “A kittypet-born healer is unprecedented.”

Instinctively, his neck fur bristled, but he forced it to lay flat. There was no malice in her words, he knew, but it still stung. While they were friends now, Sand Storm had bullied him for moons on the basis of his blood back when they were apprentices. A pool of doubt formed in his stomach that he choked down in order to speak. “Violet Fang, Stone Pelt and Leaf Spots believe I can do it. StarClan wouldn’t turn me away, surely.” He meowed carefully, unable to keep an edge of defensiveness from his tone.

“Right.” Sand Storm accepted quickly, keen to move past the sore subject. “Anyway, can you and Violet Fang even eat tonight?”

“Guess not.” Fire Heart grumbled in agreement.

Sand Storm quickly took the mouse from him and they parted ways, her leaping across the snow towards the nursery and him heading to the healer's den. Before Sand Storm was out of sight she paused, looked back and waved her tail at him.

After waving back, he pushed his way inside Violet Fang's den, the frozen bracken scratching at his pelt. Fire Heart soon noticed Gray Stripe and Blazing Cinder wrestling some moss and bracken at the back of the den. He imagined they were clearing out Broken Tail's old nest, as he had now been given a nest by the oak near the elder's den, much like Violet Fang once had back when she was a prisoner moons ago; he didn't understand why his friend was performing a task suited for apprentices, though. 

Violet Fang walked out of her herb store, a bunch of leaves in her jaws. He recognized them as traveling herbs. "There you are, kit. I hope you haven't eaten anything before the ceremony; you know you can't speak to Starclan with food in your belly." She crouched in front of the herbs. "Me, I'm too old and creaky to get to Highstones and back without something to keep me going."

"Hey, Fire Heart!" Gray Stripe called, waving his tail. The gray tom had finally noticed him. "Ready for tonight?"

Fire Heart walked over to his friend and touched noses with him as Violet Fang gulped down the herbs. "Ready as I'll ever be." He answered, twitching his whiskers anxiously.

"We're making your new nest!" Blazing Cinder announced excitedly. She limped over to a sheltered corner of the clearing, where a half-finished nest of moss and bracken stood beside Violet Fang's nest, in the spot where Stone Pelt's nest used to be. Fire Heart stared at it. He'd forgotten that, by becoming a healer apprentice, he would no longer sleep beside Gray Stripe in the warriors' den. He raised his head and caught Gray Stripe's eye.

The tom seemed bashful. "It was Blazing Cinder's idea. She thought you'd appreciate having a place to sleep once you get back."

"And we still need to finish it!" Blazing Cinder interjected, shooing Gray Stripe out of the way so she could walk over to a clean moss ball near the frozen pool of water on the edge of the clearing. The gray tom purred good-humoredly as he stepped out of the way. Fire Heart also purred, then turned to him. 

"Thank you... Will you be alright by yourself?" He knew that Gray Stripe had been feeling isolated in ThunderClan. Even if he was working harder lately, Fire Heart didn't want to validate his friend's darker thoughts. 

"I'm a grown cat." Gray Stripe meowed, shrugging. "I'll just shift my nest closer to Fleet Foot's. Honestly it might make it easier for me to be awake in the morning if I don't have to sleep through your tossing and turning every night."

Fire Heart felt self-conscious at first, then saw the glimmer of amusement in the tom's yellow eyes and gave him a weak shove. "Sure, and I'll be glad to be free from your snoring."

"Violet Fang also snores!" Blazing Cinder piped up through the moss between her teeth.

"Hm! No louder than you, young one." Violet Fang meowed, getting to her paws and swiping her tongue around her mouth. The small apprentice giggled to herself in response, setting down the moss on the nest. 

The healer gave herself a brisk shake. "It's time to go. Don't forget to clean up my nest as well, Blazing Cinder!" Violet Fang called as she led the way through the ferns to the clearing outside.

"I won't! Gray Stripe will help me!" 

"I never said that!" Gray Stripe interjected.

Fire Heart exchanged goodbyes with both cats and followed Violet Fang. The camp was still deserted, although some more tracks in the snow showed signs that cats had come and gone through the clearing. The only cat he saw was Stone Pelt, standing in a sheltered spot near Broken Tail's nest with some snowflakes managing to find their way onto his blueish gray pelt.  No cat would think Broken Tail, the fearsome rogue who was once the leader of ShadowClan, was any less dangerous despite his injuries and blindness, thus a guard was always posted to keep an eye on him. Fire Heart waved his tail to Stone Pelt as he passed by him. The other tom stared into the distance with glazed eyes, and for a moment Fire Heart thought his friendly gesture hadn't been seen, or even ignored, but then a small smile lit up the gray warrior's face and he returned the wave.

As the two cats made their way to Fourtrees, the icy wind eased somewhat, but the frost still gripped at Fire Heart's pelt in an attempt to suck out any heat in his body. The leafless branches above did little to stop the snow from plunging down into the forest floor, piling up in stark whiteness. The ginger warrior was reminded of his hunger as he trudged on, praying to StarClan that his energy wouldn't give out before they got to Highstones.

As they climbed up the slope, the gigantic four oaks stretched upwards ahead of them, branches reaching for the sky. The scent of ShadowClan flooded over him. His muscles tensed involuntarily as his gaze flicked from side to side, but he noticed that Violet Fang remained calm. A moment later he relaxed as, from the spot the old healer gazed at, Wet Nose emerged from the undergrowth. The sick-looking gray tom had once been Violet Fang's apprentice in ShadowClan, and he raised his tail happily to greet her, although his eyes drifted curiously to look at Fire Heart.

"Good to see you well, Violet Fang." The ShadowClan healer greeted. His meow was soft, although made husky by his strange cold. 

"Likewise, Wet Nose." Violet Fang replied, bending over to scratch something in her pelt. 

Wet Nose looked at Fire Heart. "And… Fire Heart, right? Hello."

The ginger tom dipped his head, unsure on how much respect to show a rival Clan's healer. He knew healers were permitted by StarClan to stand apart from Clan rivalry, the bond of healing greater than the pride of territory disputes, but he didn't know if that meant they were equals. Wet Nose seemed like he had more to say, but Violet Fang suddenly turned to them. "Let's move. My joints will freeze solid if we stand here to let snow pile on our pelts!" Without waiting around for their agreement, she set off at a brisk pace through the deep layer of snow. Fire Heart exchanged an amused glance with Wet Nose and followed the old cat around the top of the hollow and away from Fourtrees. The windswept moors stood ahead of them, and here even the leafless trees from the woods were sorely missed. As if it was a patrol of WindClan cats itself, the snowy wind howled around them as they made their way beside the border. 

Soon, another shape appeared among the whiteness, and the scent of RiverClan wafted over Fire Heart through the ice. Muddy Brook, the RiverClan healer, slowed his pace to wait for the others. As they got closer, the broad-shouldered brown tom narrowed his eyes at Fire Heart.

"What's a warrior doing here, Violet Fang? Tonight the Highstones are for healers only." Muddy Brook called over the sound of the wind. He wasn't as calm and friendly as Wet Nose, and Fire Heart wondered if his Clan's hunger was what made him more defensive. He recalled that Silver Stream told him RiverClan's territory had been damaged by Twolegs in Greenleaf, and with the river freezing, the Clan was going hungry.

"Keep your fur on, Muddy Brook. I'll explain everything in Highstones, where we won't freeze to death before I'm finished!" Violet Fang called in response, not slowing her pace. Muddy Brook grunted, dissatisfied, but marched on beside her, nodding to Wet Nose in greeting before keeping his eyes on the path ahead. Fire Heart wondered, not for the first time, what the other healers would think of Stone Pelt stepping down from his position, and of himself taking it in his place. Most of his clanmates didn't know yet about the fact that tonight, Fire Heart would likely return as a healer apprentice. Blue Fur hadn't made an announcement of her son's return to his warrior duties, but it took only about a day for the whole Clan to notice and gossip about it. It was a matter of time before the same happened to Fire Heart. These thoughts weren't pleasant, but kept his mind away from his empty stomach and numbing extremities. 

Lost in thought, he barely noticed Bark Face until the group slowed down to let him catch up. The old tom streaked down the moors with ease despite the cold, and greeted the other healers calmly, eyes gleaming with delight as he saw Fire Heart among them. The ginger tom himself was glad to see him, but didn't miss the confusion in his gaze, or the way he avoided looking at Wet Nose and Muddy Brook for too long before they marched on. Fire Heart frowned. Maybe Clan rivalries aren't that distant from healers after all . He couldn't blame him, though, as WindClan had scarcely returned from exile when RiverClan and ShadowClan threatened their territory again. I'd be angry too .

The sky had grown dark by the time the trekking cats reached Highstones, very few openings among the heavy clouds made the hopes of the moon shining through scarce. The other healers didn't seem dissuaded, however, and climbed up the rocky slope toward Mothermouth. Fire Heart had only been here once, and the pitch black tunnel wasn't any less intimidating than it had been last time, making his pelt prickle. 

The cats gathered at the entrance of the cave, where a stone archway shielded them from the snow. Relieved, Fire Heart sat down heavily on the cold stone floor, licking the frost from his orange pelt before it soaked him, and heard the others follow suit nearby. Once he was satisfied, Fire Heart crouched down, bone-weary, flexing his claws and moving his tail in an attempt to keep his blood flowing warm through his body. The barren landscape around Highstones had darkened further, stars showing through the small gaps in the clouds, and snow covered the ground as far as the eye could see. Even the Thunderpath was covered equal parts in snow and in dark ice. 

"StarClan might as well have been keeping us from coming. I'm freezing to my bones!" complained Violet Fang, crouching down beside him. Fire Heart shivered, and he hoped it would seem that it was solely from the cold. He knew she was being dramatic, but he hoped there wasn't truth to those words. Could StarClan deny him, after everything?

"At least the wind won't get inside Mothermouth." Wet Nose meowed, then tilted his head. "Most of it, anyhow." His point was punctuated with a sniffle.

"Perhaps Stone Pelt had the right idea with staying behind." Bark Face commented, with a glance at Fire Heart. All the other healers turned to Violet Fang at that, their curiosity tangible. The orange warrior looked at the old molly, who sighed in exasperation at being put on the spot. 

"Stone Pelt found himself better suited for being a warrior, and Fire Heart stepped up to be my apprentice." She meowed briskly, and glared at the other healers before they could speak. "That's all I have to say about it, it's ThunderClan business."

Bark Face dipped his head. "I'm just glad Stone Pelt is alright, he's done a great deal for our Clan." Then he turned to Fire Heart. "I knew you showed promise. I'll be eager to see your progress, young one."

Wet Nose joined in welcoming him, and Fire Heart murmured his thanks, but felt his pelt prickle as Muddy Brook's critical gaze bored on him. "Are you certain StarClan will accept him?" The brown tom inquired, studying him with narrowed eyes.

"Why wouldn't they?" Violet Fang challenged, bristling.

"He's a kittypet, is he not?" Muddy Brook stated, making Fire Heart wince. "Most cats know the rumor, and no cat in ThunderClan has a coat of that fiery orange. Not to mention most cats of your Clan are larger than he is, and his birth wasn't announced in any Gatherings to my memory. Clearly, he isn't Clanborn. Would StarClan really share tongues with a cat outside the code?"

It was the same thing Tiger's Claw had said. He was used to the deputy and his inner circle throwing his heritage in his face, but to hear it from another Clan's healer and from Sand Storm on the same day was something else. The words also made him aware that rumors about him were being spread around beyond the ThunderClan borders. What if his antagonistic clanmates were right, and the other Clans were laughing at ThunderClan because of him? He tucked his tail around him, suddenly feeling very small.

Violet Fang fixed her orange eyes on Muddy Brook. "Fire Heart is a ThunderClan cat. StarClan will do as they wish, but you mustn't question that." She rasped, an edge to her meow as her dark fangs poked threateningly out of her lips. Fire Heart felt warmed at how fiercely the old cat defended him, and touched her flank with his nose.

"I've felt drawn to this path for a long time, and my faith in StarClan is true." He assured Muddy Brook. The brown tom regarded his words with a slight narrowing of his eyes, but said nothing.

A long silent moment passed afterward. The four healers then got to their paws at once, and began to form a single file to enter the tunnel. Fire Heart followed right behind Violet Fang, energy surging through his limbs. 

It was time.

Chapter Text

The tunnel sloped steadily downward, and Fire Heart soon lost his sense of direction as it wound back and forth. Sometimes the walls were so close together that his fur and whiskers brushed the sides. Each paw step felt like it made his heart beat faster, and he soon became unsure if he was short of breath from the walls closing in around him or from his anxiety. He parted his jaws to draw in the scent of the other healers, Violet Fang's comforting him the most, trying to keep his heart steady. Her bushy tail often brushed his nose, reminding him she was still there.

At last he realized that he could see the shape of cat ears outlined against a faint light ahead. Other scents began to reach him, and his whiskers twitched with a flow of chilly, fresh air. A heartbeat later he rounded a bend in the tunnel and the light grew suddenly stronger. Fire Heart narrowed his eyes as he padded forward, sensing that the tunnel had opened out into a cave.

High above his head, a hole in the roof showed a chunk of night sky. A shaft of pale moonlight shone through it, falling directly onto an iridescent rock in the center of the cavern. The ginger tom drew in his breath sharply. He had seen the Moonstone once before, but he had forgotten just how startling it was after the darkness of the tunnel. About three tail-lengths high, tapering toward its top, it reflected the moonlight in its dazzling crystal as if a star had fallen to the earth. Some frost lay around it, glowing like pools of starlight. 

Violet Fang padded up to the stone and turned to look at Fire Heart, her dark gray fur turned to a softer tone by the light that filled the cave.

“Fire Heart.” She rasped solemnly. “Is it your wish to enter into the mysteries of StarClan as a healer?”

Fire Heart swallowed; his tongue felt numb with anxiety. Much heartache had led to this moment. What if he'd come all this way, disregarding Blue Fur's expectations of him, only for StarClan to turn him away? Or even worse - not acknowledge him at all? 

He glanced at the Moonstone, and once again, he felt it call to him. Lulled into a calmer breathing by the glimmer, he felt able to speak. “It is.” 

“Then come forward.” She signaled to him with her tail to take place beside the Moonstone with her, and went on as he hesitantly did as commanded. “Warriors of StarClan, I present to you this young warrior. Heeding your call, he has chosen the path of a healer. Grant him your wisdom and insight so that he may understand your ways and heal his Clan in accordance with your will." She looked at Fire Heart, eyes gleaming like embers. “Lie down here, press your nose against the stone, and share tongues with StarClan.”

He obeyed, anticipation shooting through his body from nose to tailtip. He'd seen Blue Fur do the same moons ago, turning fully still as StarClan transported her mind to a dream. He lay down in front of the stone, settling his head on his paws so that his nose touched the smooth surface. The cold was a shock, so that he almost drew back, and for a moment he blinked at the light of stars sparkling in the depths of the stone.

Then he closed his eyes, and waited for StarClan to send him to sleep.

All was darkness and cold, fiercer and more overwhelming than any snowstorm. Fire Heart felt as if he had been blinded and smothered by the shadows on all sides. There were no dreams, no sounds, no scents. Only the cold and the dark. Something must be wrong , Fire Heart thought, beginning to panic. Had the warrior ancestors rejected him after all? He strained his ears and whiskers, but couldn't even feel the air currents inside Mothermouth, or the gentle sleep of the other healers. All his senses managed to reach was his own fear and the voices of those who doubted him echoing into his mind. 

He dared to open his eyes to a narrow slit. At once they flew wide with shock. Instead of the shining Moonstone in a cavern far below the ground, he saw short, well-trodden grass stretching away. Many scents flooded over him, of green, growing things moist with dew, prey scuffling in the undergrowth. A warm breeze then ruffled his fur, fresh like the days of newleaf, his surroundings bright like a gentle morning.

Scrambling into a sitting position, Fire Heart realized he was in the hollow at Fourtrees, near the base of the Great Rock. The towering oaks, in full leaf, rustled over his head, and the Starpath glittered beyond them in the night sky. His breath caught in his throat as he realized - atop the Great Rock, a cat shape padded forward, made out of pure starlight. It streaked down the rock, towards him, but he felt frozen solid at the sight. 

As the starry cat gained more shape and fur patterns among the stars in its pelt, a sweet scent washed over Fire Heart. He tasted it, noticing traces of lavender, tansy, broom and others he couldn't place. Below all those, however, was a very familiar warm scent. As her amber eyes and narrow muzzle showed beneath the starlight, he could finally believe it was her. Leaf Spots!

Stars swirled on her pelt and dimmed to a pleasant glow, showing her beautiful dappled coat and white markings. He stared in awe as the pretty tortoiseshell stood in front of him, as young and healthy as he remembered her, no sign of the claw wounds that took her life.

"Hello, Fire Heart." She greeted softly, her gentle meow holding an ethereal edge to it.

"Leaf Spots!" He breathed. "You're…" the word alive got stuck in his throat as he trailed off, for he knew it wasn't true. She would never again race through the woods with her clanmates, feeling sunlight on her pelt and the leaf-litter on her pads. Never again would she join in sharing tongues with her friends and family, or eat freshly caught prey, or gather herbs and gently speak to the sick or injured. Taken away before her time, her spirit would now reside forever in StarClan's lush hunting grounds, and he could see wisdom as vast as the night sky reflected in her eyes. Although Fire Heart was happy to see the youthful healer again, the sight was nearly powerful enough to make him grieve for her all over again, and he understood why Stone Pelt never returned to the Moonstone after her death.

Leaf Spots' gaze softened, as if she could see the thoughts that raced through his mind. She beckoned him with her tail and they padded, side by side, to the spot in the hollow where healers often sat to partake in the Gatherings. The molly gazed at the oaks, their branches swaying calmly to an eternal breeze.
In that moment, Fire Heart took in the scenery around him and the sensations against his pelt. He was really here; the air in his lungs and blades of grass underpaw felt more real than any dream he’d ever had. The sky above seemed locked in an eternal state of the hour just before dawnbreak, though with a much closer Starpath shining down enough light to feel like daytime. 

"This is where the warrior code was born." Leaf Spots meowed, getting his attention once more. Fire Heart nodded, recalling the tale the WindClan elders told him about a terrible battle that led the Clans to unite under a single code to prevent it from ever happening again.

"Many stories are told among the living about how it happened." Leaf Spots went on. "But they all know the importance of this place. Here, in StarClan’s territory, we can continue gathering in peace beneath the four oaks long after our time under the sun has come to pass." She lowered her gaze and turned to him, her eyes blazing so intensely he felt them peering into his soul. "Fire Heart, StarClan welcomes you as an apprentice in the path of the healer. As the previous healer of ThunderClan, my spirit will be here to guide you for as long as necessary.”

Fire Heart felt a swelling warm his chest. StarClan had brought him here. They welcomed him. They accepted him. Few cats would ever see StarClan’s territory before their deaths, and he was one of them despite being born a kittypet. 

Suddenly, the feeling of grass and warmth beneath Fire Heart's pads began to vanish, and the sensation of cold stone seeped through. Alarmed, he realized Fourtrees was beginning to dim into dark starry fog, and Leaf Spots herself began to vanish.

"We'll meet again soon, Fire Heart. StarClan will be with you, but don't forget your allies among the living. With them you may brave the storms to come." Her meow sounded into the darkness.

Fire Heart blinked, and opened his eyes to the dim light that seeped down the cave. The moon had gone on the rest of its journey through the sky, leaving the Moonstone dormant. Around him, the other healers stirred, awakening from their own dreams with StarClan. Getting up, he grunted, stiffness gripping his worn-out muscles. How long had they been here? 

Beside Fire Heart, Violet Fang stretched her back, pelt rippling. Their eyes met, and he saw something of a proud glint to her eyes. He blinked at her happily, sure that they shared the same thought: StarClan had accepted him.

The snow crunched underpaw as the two ThunderClan cats made their way down the lands around Highstones. Muddy Brook, Wet  Nose and Bark Face had set out ahead of them, allowing Fire Heart to have privacy to share his dream with his new mentor. 

Leaf Spots' parting words were still ringing through his mind. It seemed like some sound advice he'd get from an elder, but the way she said ‘the storms to come’ made him uneasy. Such words from a warrior ancestor must be an omen.

Violet Fang’s scoff broke the silence. “Don’t lose sleep over it, kit. StarClan will hardly ever be direct with you, no matter how pathetically you beg. If there's something I'm looking forward to in death is getting to demand some good clear answers.” She croaked out a short purr of laughter. “I’ll make you work yourself into some early gray hairs already, don't overthink StarClan on top of that.”

The tip of his tail flicked back and forth. “What about the dream I had a while ago? It seemed to spell danger for ThunderClan.” Memories of the blood of his clanmates resulting from the betrayal of one warrior flooded back into his mind as if he'd only just woken up from the dreadful vision. 

“Didn't I tell you to stop fretting? Your tail flicking is starting to drive me mad!” She scolded, swiping at his tail half-heartedly with a large sheathed paw. 

Fire Heart nearly yelped as he jumped out of the way, successfully startled out of his thoughts. 

“If you believe her words have meaning beyond what's on the surface, don't go thinking you can already solve it all just by bashing your head at it repeatedly. Danger to our Clan is something we'll always have to deal with, after all.” She rasped. The wisdom of her many years shone in her eyes as she looked into the distance, towards ShadowClan territory. Bedore he could interject, she continued. “If your vision wasn't clear enough to give you all the answers, and StarClan told you to look to the living instead of sending another sign… perhaps this means you have what you need within reach already. Don't sit around waiting for omens or reality will come in clawing.”

Swallowing his reply, Fire Heart nodded quietly. Violet Fang had been clear to him that if he'd never spoken up about his visions, his connection to StarClan might simply weaken into nothing. He was very familiar with the fact the biggest threats to his Clan came from within. If more storms came for ThunderClan to weather, then he had to strengthen the Clan by dealing with Tiger's Claw first.

The snow had ceased to fall, though the wind was still cold with the lack of sunlight. Dawn hadn't come yet, and clouds still covered the sky, so the only lights were of the rare Twoleg light, still lit deep into the night. The farmlands stretched ahead of him, just beyond the slowly awaking Thunderpath. He could see the outline of the large, well-kept twoleg nest - a barn, was it? - where Barley lived, standing tall among the deserted fields of farmland. The roof was covered in a thick layer of snow, but he imagined the wooden nest must be a warm and comfortable shelter from the freezing night winds, perfect for the two sleeping loners within.

A thought crossed his mind like a bolt of lightning. Raven Shadow. Fire Heart had set aside his concerns for his friend upon meeting him again just before leaf-bare, when he'd helped shelter WindClan. While the former ThunderClan apprentice seemed way happier and healthier living with Barley, the entire reason he'd fled the Clan was to protect himself from Tiger's Claw.

He felt his throat go dry. He had never asked Raven Shadow for any details about how Red Tail had died in the battle against RiverClan all those moons ago. At the time it had seemed more important to get the apprentice out of Tiger's Claw’s way. Thanks to his limited information, Blue Fur hadn't believed him about how dangerous the deputy was. Whatever else Raven Shadow knew would be valuable information to figure out exactly what happened in Sunningrocks that day.

And there stood the barn, tantalizingly close compared to how far away it was from ThunderClan territory. 

"Fire Heart? Are you still dreaming?" Violet Fang's brisk meow brought him out of his thoughts. He now realized he had stopped walking. 

"Sorry- I was- I was just thinking about Barley." Fire Heart half-stuttered out, thinking quickly. "He's the loner who helped us with the rats and also helped shelter WindClan. I'm worried about… how he's handling himself in leaf-bare. I- I'd like to go check on him." He pleadingly looked at the old molly.

She narrowed her eyes at him, suspicion clear as day across her face. “You're a decent liar under pressure, aren't you. Wonder who you got that from.”

Fire Heart’s jaws part as he tries to object, horrified that she’d seen through him, but the rise of her tail stops him. “Very well, do what you must. But hurry up! Your training will start as soon as you're back and I won't want to hear a peep of complaint.” Then, as an afterthought, she added. “And check in on the comfrey root, we need to harvest more when the ground softens.”

“Will do.” Fire Heart agrees with a grateful dip of his head, a flash of affection for his new mentor running through him. Almost anyone in ThunderClan would forbid him, especially after he confessed to visiting his kittypet sister in Twolegplace. 

As she turned around with a twitch of her tail and stalked away, taking the shorter route home, Fire Heart forced energy into his aching limbs and bounded away to Barley's farm.

In the distance, he heard Violet Fang call out to him one last time. “And look both ways before you cross the Thunderpath!

Chapter Text

Crossing the Thunderpath was thankfully simple with how few monsters roamed this late into the night, and Fire Heart soon got to the farmland. He sniffed warily at a path where the snow had been trampled down by Twolegs. Yellowish lights shone from the Twoleg nest, and somewhere close by he could hear a dog barking. He remembered Barley telling him that the Twolegs let their dogs off the chains at night. He just hoped that he could locate Raven Shadow before he was noticed. 

Fire Heart lifted his head to taste the air, and almost at once he caught the scent he was searching for, faint but familiar. Raven Shadow! He crept along the path, the hard surface icy under his paws. Cautiously he followed the scent to a gap at the bottom of a barn door where the wood had rotted away.

He sniffed, drinking in the warm smell of hay and the strong, fresh scent of cats. “Raven Shadow?” he whispered. When there was no reply, he repeated, louder, “Raven Shadow?”

“Fire Heart, is that you?” A drowsy, surprised mew came from the darkness on the other side of the door.

“Raven Shadow!” Fire Heart squeezed through the gap, thankful to be out of the wind. The scents of the barn flowed around him, and his mouth began to water as he detected the smell of mouse. The barn was dimly lit by what little light filtered through a small window high under the roof. As his eyes adjusted, Fire Heart saw another cat standing a few tail-lengths away. His friend looked even sleeker and better fed than when Fire Heart had seen him last, a few bits of hay sticking to the rounded dark shape of his pelt. He realized how scrawny and bedraggled he must look in comparison.

Raven Shadow purred happily as he padded over to Fire Heart and touched noses with him. “Welcome!” he mewed. “It’s good to see you. Did you get WindClan back to their camp safely?” Raven Shadow asked. 

“Yes.” mewed Fire Heart, “But it’s a long story. We can’t—”

“Well, what’s going on here?” Another cat’s meow interrupted them.

Fire Heart spun around, flattening his ears, ready to fight if this newcomer was a threat. Then he recognized the stocky black-and-white tom. “Hi, Barley.” Fire Heart meowed, calming down. “I need to talk to Raven Shadow.”

“So I see.” Barley mewed, a note of sleepiness to his meow. He must've been woken up by the commotion. “And it oughta be important, to bring you across the moors in this weather.”

“Yes, it is.” Fire Heart agreed, not finding it fit to inform him that he'd come for other reasons at first. He glanced at the former ThunderClan cat, the urgency of his mission prickling through his fur. “Raven Shadow, we haven’t any time to waste.”

Raven Shadow looked puzzled. “You know you can talk to me as much as you want.”

“I’ll leave you to it, then. Feel free to hunt. We've got plenty of mice here.” Barley offered. “I’m going back to my nest, too cold for mousing. Later, Raven Shadow.” He gave Fire Heart a friendly nod, and leaped back up to a higher section of the barn as Raven Shadow watched him go until he disappeared in the darkness.

Fire Heart felt sharp pangs of hunger grip his belly at the mention of mice. He hadn't eaten for a couple of days now, and was starting to feel dizzy with hunger. "Can I truly hunt?"

“Of course.” mewed Raven Shadow with a blink, looking back at his friend. “Why don’t you eat first? Then you can tell me why you’re here.”

Grateful, Fire Heart accepted, and crouched down to follow one of the many trails of juicy mice.

“I know Tiger's Claw killed Red Tail.” Raven Shadow insisted. “I was there, and I saw him do it.”

The two cats were crouched in the hayloft of the Twoleg barn, on the opposite side of where Barley now snored softly. Hunting had not taken very long. After the desperate struggle to find prey in the snow-covered forest, the barn seemed to the hungry ThunderClan cat to be overflowing with mice. Now Fire Heart was warm, and his stomach felt comfortably full, if not somewhat guilty at how well fed he was. He felt sleepy, but the weight in his conscience and the knowledge that he'd have to come back soon kept his mind on task. “Tell me everything you remember." he urged, giving Raven Shadow an encouraging nod.

The black tom stared ahead of him, his eyes dark as he journeyed back in his mind to the battle at the Sunningrocks. Fire Heart could see his confidence beginning to ebb. Raven Shadow was losing himself in his memories, reliving the fear and the burden of what he knew.

“I’d been wounded in the shoulder.” he began, “And Red Tail told me to hide in a crack in the rock until it was safe to get away. I was just going to make a dash for it when I saw Red Tail attack a couple of RiverClan cats. Mossy Patch went to help him, looking very mad. A RiverClan cat surprised her when he knocked her off her paws, and looked as if he was about to sink in his claws for some serious injury.”

“Why didn’t he?”

“Oak Heart came out of nowhere.” Raven Shadow explained. “He sank his teeth into the warrior's scruff and pulled him off Mossy Patch, then told him to just run away before he got hurt.” His voice shook as the memories flooded through his mind’s eye. “The cat ran, and Mossy Patch wasted no time shoving Oak Heart aside and going after the two fleeing cats.” The black tom paused, unconsciously crouching down as if he were scared of something very close by.

“What next?” Fire Heart prompted gently.

“Red Tail spat at Oak Heart. He asked him if RiverClan warriors were unable to fight their own battles. Red Tail was brave.” Raven Shadow added, closing his eyes. “The RiverClan deputy was twice his size. And then... then Oak Heart said a strange thing. He told Red Tail: ‘That warrior won't fall in battle under my watch.’ And… Mossy Patch was certainly losing before he interfered. He must have been talking about her.”

“What? Are you certain?” meowed Fire Heart, brow furrowed. “Why would the RiverClan deputy want to protect Mossy Patch?”

“I don’t know why, but I'm certain of what I saw.” Raven Shadow shrugged, shying away from the searching questions.

“What did Red Tail do after Oak Heart said that?” asked Fire Heart, moving on.

Raven Shadow’s ears pricked up and his eyes widened. “He flew at Oak Heart. He bowled him right off his paws and underneath a rocky overhang. I... I couldn’t see them, though I could hear them snarling. And then I heard a rumbling sound, and the rock collapsed on top of them!” He stopped, shivering.

Fire Heart inched closer to his friend, placing his tail around the tom. “Please go on.” He murmured. He hated putting Raven Shadow through this, but he had to know the truth.

“I heard a pained screech, but I couldn't see anything.” Raven Shadow closed his eyes, ears flat as if he wanted to shut out the memory, and then opened them again. “Just then I heard Tiger's Claw behind me. He ordered me to go back to the camp, but I’d only gone a little way when I realized I had no idea if Red Tail was okay after the rockfall. So I crept back from the other side, clinging to the undergrowth. And when I got close to the rocks, Red Tail was charging out of the dust. His tail was straight up and his fur stood on its end, but he was all right, not a scratch on him that I could see. And he ran straight into Tiger's Claw, who was in the shadows.” Raven Shadow’s claws flexed as if he was imagining himself back in the battle. “Tiger's Claw grabbed Red Tail and dragged him, pinning him down into the dust cloud. I got closer to see Red Tail struggling, but he couldn’t break free. And...” Raven Shadow swallowed, and stared at the floor. “Tiger's Claw sank his teeth into Red Tail’s throat, and it was all over.” He dropped his chin onto his paws.

Fire Heart pressed his head on top of Raven Shadow’s back, grooming him comfortingly between his shoulders. 

As warmth passed between the two friends, Fire Heart reflected on the information he'd been just given, and for a heartbeat he felt discouraged, imagining Blue Fur's angry eyes as she found herself unable to believe the noble Red Tail would kill another cat. 

Then his eyes widened and he sat up, paws tingling with excitement. No cat had seen Oak Heart's body. 

“What if it was the rockfall that killed Oak Heart? A RiverClan warrior would know!” Fire Heart meowed excitedly as he realized. “If Red Tail didn’t kill Oak Heart, that would prove Tiger's Claw lied! Blue Fur will have to listen!”

Fire Heart’s brain was whirling with everything he had discovered. He wanted to ask Raven Shadow more questions, but he could smell the fear-scent on his friend, and saw the old haunted look in his eyes, as if telling his story had brought back all his unhappy memories of ThunderClan. “Is there any more you can tell, Raven Shadow?” he mewed gently.

The black tom shook his head.

“This means so much to the Clan.” Fire Heart told him. “Hopefully now we stand a chance of convincing Blue Fur that Tiger's Claw is dangerous. I just need to ask a RiverClan warrior. They must have seen Oak Heart’s body. They would be able to tell us whether he died from a rockfall, and not a death blow from a warrior.” And I just know which warrior would be willing to listen to someone from ThunderClan , he added to himself. As soon as he relayed the information to Gray Stripe, his friend could then ask Silver Stream what she knew.

The black cat gazed at him with a smile, though Fire Heart could see a deep weariness in his half-lidded gaze. He settled beside Raven Shadow, purring encouragement, and for a short while the two friends shared tongues. Then Fire Heart pushed himself to his paws. “I must be on my way,  I have to be back before it's too long past dawn.” he meowed.

“Take care.” Raven Shadow mewed. “And watch out for Tiger's Claw.”

“Don’t worry.” Fire Heart assured him. “You’ve given me what's needed to deal with him.” After touching noses with his friend, he slid under the door and ventured out into the snow.

Bounding down to the fence at the edge of the Twoleg farm, Fire Heart felt blasted by the freezing wind. The moon was close to setting, and soon the sky would begin to pale toward dawn. The chill of the snow soon penetrated Fire Heart’s winter-thick fur, even colder after the warmth of the barn. His legs were aching with weariness. It had been a long night, and he still had to cross WindClan’s territory and check on the comfrey roots before he could rest in the ThunderClan camp. 

Fire Heart could not stop thinking about what Raven Shadow had told him. He was sure that his friend was telling the truth, but it would be hard to convince the rest of the Clan. Blue Fur had already refused to believe Raven Shadow’s original story. Yet that was when Fire Heart thought Red Tail had killed Oak Heart. If Blue Fur's main objection was that Red Tail was too honorable to kill another warrior, Oak Heart’s death being a mere accident would be the proof he needed. 

However, there was still the matter that Mossy Patch, too, was in the battle. And had been apparently saved by Oak Heart himself for some unknown reason. The honor of a Clanmate was still in question, Blue Fur's own daughter no less. His leader wouldn't take kindly to implying her kit was involved with RiverClan in some way. And even if he didn't suspect her of having anything to do with the murder, he had to get to the bottom of it to ensure Blue Fur would listen. And he'd need someone who knew Mossy Patch well to help him.

Limbs heavy with weariness and the weight of his task, he raced over the snow, keeping close to the Thunderpath in fear of being seen by WindClan patrols. Even if he was a healer apprentice now, he was well aware that being in other territories without his mentor at an odd hour was going to raise questions.  Mercifully, he reached Fourtrees without any conflict. 

As he skirted the hollow and entered his own forest territory, he relaxed a little, slowing his pace to a trot as he headed towards the Owl Tree. Comfrey was one of the herbs that Violet Fang was using to treat Blazing Cinder leg, and she taught him early on about it so they could be kept well-stocked, as most of the herbs to be used on the small apprentice's treatment were now out of season. Comfrey root, however, could still be found beneath the frozen earth, and a patch of it grew near the large oak.

The sky was already growing lighter above the trees, tinging the clouds with lighter grays. Unsheathing his claws, Fire Heart dug through ice and frozen soil to find the beginnings of a tangle of roots. It would be impossible to dislodge it now, and his limbs burned so much he feared he might be too weak to even try. He kicked back the earth on top of the roots, keeping the snow out of it. Then, after a moment of thought, he grabbed some branches of bracken from a nearby bush to cover the disturbed patch of soil. Maybe if it's sheltered it'll be easier to dig up later , he thought, parting his jaws into a yawn. Time to go back before anyone besides Violet Fang misses me .

The dawn light was growing stronger as he reached the ravine. Limbs aching with weariness, muscles stiff with cold, Fire Heart bounded silently between the boulders toward the gorse tunnel. Thankful to be home at last, he pushed through the tunnel’s dark mouth. 

As he emerged into the camp, he skidded to a halt at the sight that greeted him. A few tail-lengths away, in the middle of the clearing, was Tiger’s Claw. His head was sunk below his massive shoulders, and his yellow eyes were gleaming.

“Now where have you been?” he demanded with a growl. 

Fire Heart raised his head to hold the deputy’s amber gaze. “Mothermouth.” He replied.

Tiger’s Claw’s lip curled. “Don't get smart with me. Violet Fang returned long before you did. Where were you? ”

If he were to be honest, Fire Heart had burned through his excuses already with Violet Fang, and she'd merely chosen to trust him. Brain fogged up by weariness, he couldn't bring himself to come up with any other convincing lie for the deputy. “Barley's farm. I went to check on Barley after the ceremony.”

“What.” the deputy growled. “First kittypets, now rogues?”

“Loner.” Fire Heart corrected, blinking calmly. “He's a friend to ThunderClan and WindClan. I'm a healer apprentice, and I wanted to make sure he's alright in leaf-bare. Showing some goodwill.”

Tiger's Claw glared at him, getting to his paws. “That rogue led our patrol into a trap. Thunder Blue Fur lost a life to the rats-”

“That he warned us about and helped us fight.” Fire Heart interrupted, his weariness seemingly driving him mad.

“Quiet, kittypet!” Tiger's Claw spat, marching until they were nose to nose. “Real warriors don't fraternize with outsiders, or need help from the likes of them. We fight for what we need and take it ourselves.”

“Not this one, anymore.” A raspy meow sounded behind the deputy as Violet Fang padded forth, shouldering her way between the two toms. “Fire Heart has been welcomed by StarClan, he follows the path of healing now as my apprentice. I let him check on a friend, Tiger's Claw. Saw no harm in it.”

“No harm?” Tiger's Claw hissed. “This traitorous kittypet leaves his Clan hungry to-”

“With all due respect, you're wasting my time, Tiger's Claw.” Violet Fang interrupted, chin high. “I can manage an apprentice, and this one is needed for his training. Rest assured, he'll make up for his detour with extra work in my den.”

With his fur rising to twice his size, Tiger's Claw looked ready to pounce at Violet Fang. Fire Heart braced himself in case he needed to drag the massive deputy away from his mentor. But thankfully Tiger's Claw pelt smoothed, though his eyes still blazed with sheer hate as he shot a last glare their way. “Blue Fur will hear of this, Violet Fang. I don't know if this poor excuse for behavior was accepted in ShadowClan, but in ThunderClan it isn't. Next time you and your kittypet behave like this, I'll drag you out of the Clan myself.” He growled, furious, turning away to march towards a small crowd of warriors that now pretended to not have been staring.

Fire Heart breathed a sigh of relief, the peak of adrenaline from the confrontation waning and leaving him exhausted. “Thanks, Violet Fang.” He murmured.

The old molly turned her broad face towards him with a frown, and she promptly cuffed him over the ear. “Toad-brained kit! Are you out to get your ears clawed off?” She hissed in his ear. “I’m not bailing you out of trouble next time, so you better learn to bow your head a little!”

“From who, you?” He grumbled back.

She cuffed him again, gentler this time, and there was unmistakable warmth in her orange eyes. “Hush, now. Go take a nap, you'll be useless to me in this state. And you'll be ready and alert for training when I wake you, you hear me?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Fire Heart dips his head, giving her a small purr. 

As Fire Heart moved his stiff limbs towards the path of the brand new nest Gray Stripe and Blazing Cinder had made for him, he felt the deputy’s glare burning into his pelt. He did not move his head to look at him, knowing what he'd see in the tabby’s eyes.

Soon , Fire Heart thinks. You won't hurt my Clanmates when I finally get the truth out, Tiger's Claw.

Chapter Text

The sky was as vastly white with clouds as the earth below, the presence of the sunhigh sun unfelt by the creatures of the woods. Underpaw, the snow was hard, often betraying its depth. Looking over his shoulder, the marks on the tracks on the snow left by Gray Stripe, Misty Step and himself were still plainly visible in the deep snow around Snakerocks.

Gray Stripe stood on one of the boulders around the rock pile, looking around anxiously. While the cold kept away the many adders that hid in the clearing, it was better to be safe than sorry - especially while talking about Tiger's Claw.

He'd taken the two cats with him to gather herbs with him at Violet Fang’s request. From late morning until just past sunhigh, the healer quizzed him on other herbs he recognized either by sight or scent, then detailed other uses for them. Finally, Violet Fang she'd for an herb he wasn't familiar with. She placed it in front of Fire Heart, where he could look at it and learn its scent as she gave her lecture.

"This is yarrow. I've found it grows quite well in Snakerocks. The poultice heals cracked pads, but ingesting it will make you throw up." She explained.

Fire Heart tipped his head, puzzled. "Is that something we'd want to happen?"

"Think." The old gray molly leaned forward. "If some cat accidentally eats crowfood, or even poison, it could make them extremely sick, even if they only had a little bit."

He frowned. "So… yarrow will empty their stomach of what's making them sick?"

Violet Fang leaned back. "Yes and no. It will prevent them from getting more sick, but they still need to be treated for what went to their bodies already. Perhaps they'll only have a bellyache from a bad mouse, so some juniper berries after they throw up will help."

The orange tom raised his eyebrows, amazed. Never would he have thought before that making a cat sick could aid in healing them.

Now, he dug up some of the shriveled, dormant sprigs of yarrow. Hop Speckle’s pads were cracked and the poultice used up the last of their stocks, but the other elders were bound to complain before the weather improved.

As he pricked his ears, Misty Step’s silence made his pads prickle with anxiety. Before sharing the new information Raven Shadow gave him, Fire Heart had to open up to Misty Step about everything he'd been keeping secret from her, and she took the information with thoughtful silence. He knew Gray Stripe shared his apprehension at her lack of reaction, albeit for slightly different reasons. The gray tom now knew Misty Step had found out about Silver Stream, and was not enthused about it. 

Finally, Misty Step opened her blue eyes. "So… Raven Shadow is alive." she murmured.

Fire Heart nodded. "But you mustn't tell anyone, Misty Step. It's really important."

"I won't. I have no reason to go against Blue Fur's decision on that matter." She looked at the sky. "Though I do believe Black Leopard deserves to know…"

The flame-colored tom felt a familiar twinge of guilt at the mention of Raven Shadow's mother. He remembered how she had once noticed how her son had been anxious and had asked Fire Heart if he knew anything, and he had to lie to her, as he couldn't risk accusing her brother. And then once again, making her believe the black tom was dead. Fire Heart swallowed. "Yes. But hopefully she will know the truth soon, once we get Blue Fur to believe it."

Misty Step got to her paws. "So, I'm assuming you want to talk to Mossy Patch about the battle. I already know her version of the story, you can just ask her yourself. Thinking back to it might make her somewhat hesitant, but you can tell her I sent you about it." the warrior paused to lick a paw and run it on the top of her head. "I'd like to come along to talk to RiverClan. I need to hear what they have to say myself. If Oak Heart had an interest in my sister specifically… I have to know why." she finished, staring in the distance with a determined frown.

Fire Heart met Gray Stripe’s eyes, and the gray warrior shrugged. "Fine by me. Misty Step already knows enough that it won't do any harm. But you can’t exactly just walk into the RiverClan camp and ask about their dead deputy, even though you're a healer apprentice now. It’s too soon after the battle.”

The ginger tom leaped up the rock to sit beside his friend. “I know one RiverClan warrior who would welcome you...” Fire Heart murmured.

“Yeah, I got it.” Gray Stripe sighed, knowing that Fire Heart meant Silver Stream. "We agreed to meet only at the next Gathering, though . Can't it wait?"

Fire Heart was about to protest, but Misty Step meowed her agreement. She stood on her hind legs and placed her front paws on the rock so as not to raise her voice as she spoke to them. "RiverClan already accused our Clan of having an alliance against them and ShadowClan, and we know how desperate they are right now. If we get caught disregarding their borders like this, they'd feel well within their right to kill us then and there. Or even try to use us to bargain for Sunningrocks." She shook her head. "It'll have to wait. Hopefully tensions will have lessened by the next Gathering."

Beside Fire Heart, Gray Stripe shifted uncomfortably at the older warrior's words. Fire Heart lashed his tail in frustration, though he was more frustrated at the fact they were right than at his friend's sympathy for RiverClan. The thought of letting Tiger's Claw run free as the deputy made him feel like his pelt coated in ants. Who else from his clanmates would be hurt by Tiger's Claw next if they waited too long? 

With deep breaths, he forced the fur on his neck to lie flat. "Alright. We wait." 

Misty Step eyed him sympathetically, before getting on all fours and padding away. As the undergrowth rustled behind her, Fire Heart climbed down from the boulder and carefully took the sprigs of yarrow in his jaws. Gray Stripe soon followed him, jumping down on the ground and opening a hole on the snow with his weight. 

As the gray tom took a step, however, he yelped. Fire Heart nearly dropped his bundle as he started. "What's the matter?" 

His friend lifted up his paw, face contorted. "I stepped on a thorn!" Beneath the snow where his paw had been, a small dry thistle hid under the cold surface. A claw-shaped thorn was ever so lightly stained by the blood of Gray Stripe’s paw pad.

Fire Heart felt momentarily entranced by the sight, until Gray Striped nudged his shoulder to get his attention. "It hurts, Fire Heart. If only I knew a healer who could help me with this wound…" his eyes rounded in mock-pleading. 

Fire Heart stared at him, then rolled his eyes. "Right. Come on, furball. Let's go to the healers' den, try not to bleed out on the way."

Despite his anxieties clouding his mind, it felt like a ray of sunshine to have Gray Stripe in his corner once again.

Chapter Text

With her single eye narrowed, White Eye watched critically as Fire Heart worked an ointment onto her paw. 

"You sure you know what you're doing?" She rasped, for the third or fourth time, craning her neck to look.

Fire Heart sighed. Violet Fang had approved his mix of marigold and yarrow for White Eye's cracked pads, and he didn't really know anything short of adder venom that could make the most common frost-related injury worse. 

"I'm sure. You can ask Violet Fang if that makes you feel better, but she's not going to give you anything different unless the pain gets worse." He answered, his tone strained to sound calm. Half a moon had passed since his ceremony. Fire Heart knew that his new status as healer apprentice was known through all the Clan by now, even though Blue Fur had chosen not to announce it formally,  thanks to the steady flow of Clan gossip. 

Both Stone Pelt and Fire Heart were now victims of suspicious stares and rushed whispers through camp, much worse versions of the story being shared around and the validity of their positions being questioned. Wouldn't surprise him if they were the least trusted cats in ThunderClan at the moment - not that this was new for Fire Heart.

White Eye grunted, but soon settled back on her nest. "Well, it does feel better, I suppose…" You don't have to sound surprised! Fire Heart thought crossly. It felt like he was back to square one with proving himself to the Clan. But at least when I was a warrior apprentice the elders were nicer!

He instructed the elder to keep off her paws for the night and call for an apprentice if she needed anything, then left the den.

Unable to scent anything through the herb juices that coated his mouth, Fire Heart nearly collided against Bright Flame. The healer apprentice fell back on his haunches with a thump, and the molly skidded to a halt, spraying him with snow. She stared wide eyed at him, old bedding between her jaws. 

"Fire Heart!" Bright Flame mewed, spitting the dried moss on the ground. She quickly dipped her head. "I'm so sorry! Didn't see you there."

Fire Heart blinked, shaking the snow off his coat. He placed the roots down to speak. "No harm done." he told her with a smile. He saw Thorn Claw heading their way, carrying an even larger amount of old bedding. "Moss duty?"

Bright Flame nodded, as Thorn Claw half-dipped his head to Fire Heart, eyes glinting with amusement at his sister. "Mama- er, Frost Shine asked our mentors to let us clean out the nursery. We're finishing up now." the ginger-and-white molly told Fire Heart. Craning his neck to look over the two apprentices, the warrior could see Ash Fur, Fern Cloud and Cloud Tail playing together near the apprentices' den while Mossy Patch watched. Hop Speckle's son, Snow Flight, was playing by himself with a moss ball not far from them while his mother watched. The elderly queen seemed somewhat overly protective of her surviving kit, who would likely be the last kit she'd have before moving into the elder's den. 

"Bracken Leaf and Swift Bird were already out on hunting duty, so it's just us." Bright Flame finished her explanation, still seeming embarrassed by almost bumping into someone her senior.

"I'm helping!" a loud, yet muffled meow sounded behind the two apprentices. Blazing Cinder bounded to them, scattering the thin snow layer with her rabbit-like run, a ball of dried old moss in her mouth. Thorn Claw and Bright flame jumped to the side as their sister nearly rained white flakes on them. The gray molly spat the moss ball onto the ground, then proceeded to shake the snow and moss strands stuck to her fur.

Thorn Claw finally let go of the bedding between his jaws. "Making us take twice as long, more like!" he meowed, spitting a leafy-bit that had gotten stuck to his tongue. "You're too messy."

Fire Heart shot him a stern look, but Blazing Cinder didn't seem at all affected by her brother's teasing. Her blue eyes sparkled with mischief, and her fur stuck out in all directions. This was how she used to look before the accident. It seemed like her injury was now but a single passing cloud in her sunny skies.

"Have you already done your exercises?" Fire Heart asked her.

"Yep! My legs are stronger than a WindClan warrior's." she meowed, puffing her chest. "I was bored so Violet Fang kicked me out and told me to do something useful."

"And you chose to get in our way instead." Thorn Claw meowed in fake disapproval. Blazing Cinder swiped playfully at him, but the tabby tom dodged easily. Fire Heart's whiskers twitched in amusement.

She finally noticed the bundle of roots by Fire Heart's paws. "I'll have to change the bedding at the healers' den soon, I think. Violet Fang is too busy, she's been grumbling like an old badger about one thing or another all day." she meowed.

Bright Flame gasped. "You shouldn't talk about the healer like that!" she exclaimed, glancing quickly at Fire Heart as if thinking he'd punish them.  But he wasn't paying attention to that. Old bedding has been the last thing on his mind lately. Looking at Mossy Patch, he realized that this was the perfect opportunity to talk to her alone, while Tiger’s Claw was out of camp.

He quickly said his goodbyes to the three apprentices, and hurried to where Mossy Patch sat alone watching her kits. Fern Cloud and Ash Fur threw a ball of moss to each other, Cloud Tail squealing as he tried to leap to grab it. Hop Speckle had just taken her kit further away for a bath. It seemed StarClan was on his side this time.

The gray-and-white warrior noticed Fire Heart, beckoning him closer with her tail. "Hey, Fire Heart!" she greeted. He raised his tail in acknowledgement and sat beside her. "I managed to convince Brindle Face to go stretch her legs while the apprentices clean out the den." Mossy Patch went on after a moment, purring. "She deserves the break. With how big the kits are, they're turning into a pawful, especially with their little brother Cloud Tail around. He seems to have a natural talent for trouble."

Flattening his ears apologetically. Fire Heart murmured. "I apologize once again for that day when they snuck out, if I had taught him better-"

"He would still be a kit, doing some other dumb thing." Mossy Patch interrupted him., an ear flicking dismissively "He's barely three moons old, Fire Heart. While he might've started early, all kits want to test their limits. You found him, and he's healthy, that's all that matters." the molly finished, shooting the three kits a fond look.

The flame-colored warrior knew Mossy Patch and Brindle Face had lost two kits - the intensity of the pain of their loss and the fear for the surviving kits' safety was not something he could ever fully grasp. Despite that, they did not seem to resent caring for his kin. Fire Heart smiled, dipping his head to Mossy Patch. "Thank you. You are both great mothers, I'm glad to have you and Brindle Face taking care of Cloud Tail." he meowed.

The older cat seemed to glow at that praise. "And I thank you for bringing him to us. Cloud Tail helped both us and the kits greatly after the loss of Tulip Pelt." Mossy Patch's gaze saddened, but she smiled. "While he'll never replace our lost kits, he's still our son. He fits right in." she meowed softly, before brightening up again. "He kind of looks like me, doesn't he? Big and fluffy. And he has green eyes, just like Brindle Face! It's like there's some of us both in him. Though, even if his pelt was as orange as yours, Cloud Tail would fit in. He's a delightful little tom."

His heart warmed, Fire Heart purred happily. Unlike himself, Cloud Tail would grow up in a loving family in ThunderClan thanks to Mossy Patch and Brindle Face, like any clanborn kit. For a few moments, he just watched as his kin ran away from his adopted siblings, moss ball between his small sharp teeth.

“They grew up so fast…” Mossy Patch murmured, catching his attention. “Soon, they'll be made apprentices, and we won't be able to cuddle them to sleep anymore.” Her chest heaved with a sigh. “Between the bouts of sickness weakening our kits and feeding Cloud Tail, Brindle Face was nursing much longer than she should have been. At least, with Cloud Tail still being so young, I'll be able to enjoy most of his kithood as a queen. Or as close to one as I can be.”

Fire Heart blinked in surprise. “Brindle Face is leaving the nursery?” the gentle molly had moved into the nursery right before Fire Heart joined the Clan, probably too worn out with four kits on the way. He'd basically forgotten she wasn't one of the caretakers like Frost Shine and Hop Speckle. But then, he vaguely recalled the hesitancy Mossy Patch’s stride had as she touched noses with Bracken Leaf during the ceremony. The way she exchanged a strange look of surprise and confusion with her mate at being summoned by Blue Fur. Perhaps this mentorship hadn't been in their plans for raising their kits.

Mossy Patch nodded in response to Fire Heart’s question. “She's taking over Bracken Leaf’s training for me until Cloud Tail leaves the nursery. Her fighting style is nothing like mine, but he should adapt. He's smart.”

That sentence reminded Fire Heart what he’d come for. He needed to ask everything he needed to know from Mossy Patch about the battle in Sunningrocks, before Tiger's Claw showed up. "Mossy Patch? Could you tell me about the battle you were in the day I joined the Clan?" he asked. 

The gray-and-white warrior visibly stiffened for a moment as recognition flashed in her eyes. "Why do you want to hear it from me? Tiger's Claw told the story plenty." she murmured.

"I'd like to hear from your point of view." he meowed, measuring his words carefully. "Misty Step suggested that I ask you about it." 

Mossy Patch frowned, but seemed to accept that. Her posture relaxed once more, the surprise in her features being replaced with wistfulness. "Alright… I…" she took a deep breath. "Do you want to hear it from the beginning?"

"From the point Raven Shadow got injured is fine." he replied softly.

"Okay. Well…” Her eyes darted about for a moment as she collected her thoughts. “I believe it was that big brute, Black Talon, who injured Raven Shadow like that. Raven Shadow had managed to get a good hit in, though, so Black Talon raced into the bushes." She began, golden eyes narrowing at the memory. "I saw Red Tail going to check in on Raven Shadow, so I raced after Black Talon to teach him not to hurt our apprentices." as she spoke, she lifted a large white paw and studied her sharp claws. Fire Heart shuddered, imagining how much a blow from the large molly would hurt, especially when fueled by righteous fury. "RiverClan warriors were running towards the river. Tiger's Claw was fighting off those who seemed to have any fight left in them, so Red Tail and I chased away the remaining ones to make sure they wouldn't double back. Some young tom crashed into me out of nowhere, knocking the wind out of me. He was about to strike me when…" she hesitated, eyes clouding in confusion as if she doubted her own recollection. "Oak Heart just grabbed him by the scruff like a kit and yelled at him to leave. Honestly… didn't give that much thought until now. I just got back on my feet and made sure the RiverClanners would cross the river and not come back, leaving Oak Heart for Red Tail to figure out. They're clearly not as good runners as they are swimmers, because it was easy to catch up to them. Black Talon did try to be troublesome, turning back and swipe at me. But after I gave them a couple more blows to remember me by, they jumped into the river. In two twitches of my whiskers they disappeared in the reeds on their side of the border, wet tails between their legs."

With some amusement Fire Heart noticed that, like many warriors, Mossy Patch had no issues boasting about her feats in battle. The sentiment faded when her eyes suddenly grew sad.

"So, I came back. We had won. Sunningrocks was ours. There was no way Oak Heart could take on Red Tail and Tiger's Claw on his own, I assumed he'd run away too." she paused, ears flattening. "I then found Tiger's Claw standing by himself. When I walked to him… I saw Red Tail. Dead. I… I shouldn't have left him alone with Oak Heart. There was a clear killing bite on his neck, there was intent there. The foxheart murdered him. At least Tiger's Claw made him pay for it." her voice was bitter, face twisted with anger and guilt.

"How did you know Tiger's Claw got him?" Fire Heart leaned in to ask, keeping his meow quiet.

"He told me himself. I almost didn't hear him." She let out a humorless chuckle. "I just stared at Red Tail. I had basically forgotten all about Raven Shadow until I caught his fear scent on the way to camp."

He didn't want to prod her further, feeling like he was poking at an open wound, but he needed to be sure. "Did you see Oak Heart's body at all?"

Mossy Patch frowned slightly, her tail twitching as she tried to recall. After a moment, she meowed. "No. I could smell him, and his blood. It was strong and fresh. But so was Red Tail’s scent. I think Tiger's Claw tossed Oak Heart’s body into the river or something… crass, but I can't say I’d concern myself  with honoring the body of my Clanmate’s murderer if it had been me." She clicked her tongue. "I don't care about Oak Heart. He got what he deserved. Our deputy was killed while I was too busy chasing the stupid fish-faces away, that's what weighs on me the most."

Fire Heart placed his tail on her back, heart lurching. In her shock and guilt, Mossy Patch had accepted what Tiger's Claw told her that day. While her narrative placed more blame on her than she deserved, there was some truth in it - Tiger's Claw was unlikely to dare kill his deputy if they hadn't been alone in Sunningrocks at that moment. Or would he have just killed Mossy Patch too, like he tried to get Raven Shadow killed? , he thought darkly.

Regardless, it was no one's fault but Tiger's Claw's. His ambition would clearly not have been deterred by failing to kill Red Tail that day. A warrior who would kill someone who had been his mate in the past, and would try to permanently silence his own kin for witnessing it… Fire Heart blinked a couple times to center himself. He knew the deputy's crimes already, this wasn't why he chose to talk to Mossy Patch.

"It was strange Oak Heart would get one of his own cats away from you when they had an advantage, wasn't it?" Fire Heart meowed slowly. "I wonder what the reason could have been?"

"No clue." she meowed, regaining composure as Fire Heart's voice broke her out of her thoughts. "I’d only met Oak Heart in Gatherings before then. Polite, I guess, but I didn't pay him any mind past what I could use against him in battle. I’d imagine it was the same for him." Unlike when she spoke about Red Tail, her meow was completely detached when mentioning Oak Heart. Judging by things she'd said before, the RiverClan tom's safety was not a concern for her in the slightest. "The cat he dragged away did look rather young, though. Maybe Oak Heart knew they were no match for me." She finished with a toothy, cocky smirk.

Fire Heart offered her an amused smile before dipping his head. "Thanks for telling me all this, Mossy Patch. If there's anything I can do for you-" Before he could finish speaking, Fire Heart heard the shrill voices of kits. He turned and stared at the branches of a fallen tree, close to the elders’ den. 

The three kits had walked away from where they'd been playing before, and were now surrounding Broken Tail. Mossy Patch immediately bristled and got to her paws, staring at them. Fire Heart followed suit. The kits had no reason to be anywhere near the prisoner!

“Rogue! Traitor!” That was Ash Fur's voice raised in a jeering meow. Fire Heart watched in alarm as the gray kit darted forward, jabbed Broken Tail in the ribs with one paw, and scrambled back out of range. Cloud Tail copied him, squealing. “Can’t catch me!”

Dark Pine, whose turn it was to guard the prisoner, made no attempt to send the kits away. He sat a fox-length away, watching with his paws tucked under him and a gleam of amusement in his eyes.

Broken Tail swung his head from side to side in frustration, but with his cloudy, unseeing eyes, he could not retaliate. His dark tabby fur looked dull and patchy and his broad face was scored with scars, some of them from the clawing that had ruined his eyes. Past his angry expression, there was no trace of the former arrogant and bloodthirsty leader now. Many cats, Fire Heart knew, thought Broken Tail deserved to suffer, but seeing the former leader so old and helpless, he could not help feeling a scrap of pity. Anger began to burn inside him as the taunting went on. 

He saw Cloud Tail pounce on the blind tom’s tail, worrying it with needle-sharp teeth. Broken Tail scrambled away from him on unsteady legs and swiped one paw in his direction.

In an instant, Dark Pine jumped to his paws, hissing, “Touch that kit, rogue, and I’ll flay your skin in strips!”

Fire Heart was too angry to speak. Leaping toward Cloud Tail, he grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and swung him around, away from Broken Tail.

Cloud Tail wailed in protest. “Stop it! That hurts!”

Mossy Patch stood between the other two kits and Broken Tail, back arched and hissing furiously at the prisoner. Ash Fur and Fern Cloud stared, wide-eyed with fear.

Fire Heart dropped Cloud Tail roughly into the snow and let out a low growl through bared teeth. “ You —” Fire Heart hissed to the white kit.

“Leave the kit alone,” Dark Pine interrupted, padding up to stand beside Cloud Tail. “He’s not doing any harm.”

“Keep out of this, Dark Pine.” growled Fire Heart.

Dark Pine shouldered past him, almost knocking him over, before stalking back to his prisoner. “Kittypet!” he sneered over his shoulder.

The ginger warrior's muscles tensed. He wanted to leap at Dark Pine and force the insult back down his throat, but he stopped himself. This was no time for Clan warriors to start fighting each other. Mossy Patch, however, narrowed her eyes at the dark tabby tom. 

"Don't you ever let my kits near that mangepelt again, Dark Pine, or I'll skin you alive." she snarled, and not waiting for his response, she rounded up the kits and walked towards the apprentices' den, beckoning Cloud Tail and Fire Heart as she went.

Cloud Tail followed her with heavy steps, head low. Fire Heart followed close behind him, trying to force his fur to lie flat. 

When they all arrived to the place the two warriors had been talking before, Mossy Patch started sniffing the kits over to check them for injuries. Ash Fur and Fern Cloud let out low mews of protest, but Cloud Tail didn't react. Once his adoptive mother's muzzle was away from him, his green eyes met Fire Heart's. "Why do they call you that? Kittypet ?" he asked.

Fire Heart blinked. He looked at Mossy Patch, who twitched her ears. "We… thought it would be best if you handled this part." 

Fire Heart gulped. Cloud Tail had not yet learned what his origins meant to the Clan. The kit was staring intently at him. “Well, a kittypet is a cat who lives with Twolegs, in their nests.” he began carefully. “Some Clan cats don’t believe that a cat who’s born a kittypet will ever make a good warrior, since they're fed by Twolegs and are shielded from hardship. And that includes me, because like you, I was born in Twolegplace.”

As Fire Heart spoke, Cloud Tail’s eyes grew wider and wider. “What do you mean?” he meowed. “I was born here !”

Fire Heart sighed. “No, you weren’t.” he meowed. Fern Cloud and Ash Fur stared in silence at Cloud Tail, shooting wide-eyed glances at their mother. Mossy Patch stayed calm, placing her thick-furred tail on the small white kit's back.

“Your mother is my sister, Princess. She lives in a Twoleg nest. She gave you to the Clan when you were very young, so you could be a warrior.” he continued.

For a few moments Cloud Tail stood rigid, as if he were a kit made of snow and ice. 

Mossy Patch leaned forward, eyes gentle. "Remember how Brindle Face and I told you that Fern and Ash are older than you because you aren't littermates?" she asked him softly. At the kits' slow and hesitant nod, she continued. "This means that, while we're your mothers, you aren't our blood. Your birth mother, Princess, and her brother Fire Heart are your kin. Ever since you were sent to live here, we've been taking care of you."

Cloud Tail stood silent for a few heartbeats, then shook Mossy Patch's tail off him, backing away a couple of tail-lengths. The shock in his green eyes was slowly replaced with cold understanding. “So that’s why the other cats hate me.” he spat. “They think I’ll never be any good because I wasn’t born in this dump of a forest. It’s stupid! ” There were tears in his eyes as he looked between his kin and his adoptive mother.

Fire Heart struggled to find the right words to reassure him. He couldn’t help remembering how excited Princess had been when she gave her son to the Clan, and how he had promised her that Cloud Tail would have a wonderful life ahead of him. Now he was forcing the kit to think about his past, and the difficulties he would have before being accepted by the Clan, even if he didn't even have memory of what a Twoleg nest looked like. What if Cloud Tail began to think that Fire Heart and Princess had made the wrong decision?

"Cloud Tail." Mossy Patch meowed firmly, before Fire Heart could say anything. "Regardless of any of this, we're still your family. Brindle Face and I are still your mothers—"

"But you're not!" Cloud Tail squealed, interrupting her. "Fire Heart's sister is. You're not my mother and everyone knows that!" he cried.

Hurt flashed in Mossy Patch's face briefly, and the white kit managed to pick up on it. He looked down, stammering as tears fell from his eyes. "I… I want you to be my mom. I want Brindle Face to be my mom. But if this Princess is my mom, what does that mean?" he sobbed.

The large molly approached him, placing her muzzle on the top of her son's head. "That you're very lucky." she meowed. "You have three mothers, who all love you very much, and who believe you can be a fantastic warrior of ThunderClan." she bent her neck to lick at the crying kit's face. 

Fire Heart padded closer, putting his tail around the kit's shoulders. Fern Cloud and Ash Fur followed more slowly, full of worry for their little brother in spite of their own shock.

Mossy Patch straightened up, and Cloud Tail looked up at her expectantly, sniffling. "And see? You also have Fire Heart and your two older siblings who also love you. It doesn't matter what anyone thinks of where you came from. We'll all love you no matter what."

The white kit seemed to brighten up a little, smiling softly. Ash Fur sniffed. "Except when he hogs space in the nest. Then I don't love him much." he meowed mutinously.

His mother gave him a gentle cuff over the ears. "Hush, you."

Cloud Tail smiled, looking at Ash Fur. "It's fine, mom. I also don't really love Ash Fur when he shoves me from the nest."

Ash Fur hissed playfully. Fern Cloud just padded over to the smaller kit and pressed herself against him. "Ash Fur is feeling left out because he doesn't have 'cloud' in his name like we do!"

The two warriors backed away, purring in amusement, the three kits burst into playfighting.

"Incredible how fast kits can bounce back." Fire Heart commented, relieved to see Cloud Tail’s spirit overcoming the shock of his discovery.

Mossy Patch nodded. "He might be upset again later, but Brindle and I will keep an eye on him." she meowed. The warriors stood in silence watching the kits play for a few moments. Then, tail tip twitching, Mossy Patch spoke again. "I must confess… I also had a prejudice against kittypets. I thought you weren't going to make it in the Clan, Fire Heart." she confessed, some shame in her face. Fire Heart looked down at his paws. "It upset me that my sister was your mentor. I believed that you'd quit the Clan and dirty Misty Step's reputation. But you didn't." The warriors made eye contact again. "You had a positive effect on her life, I think. She seems more lively. And you brought Cloud Tail to us, too."

Warmed by the molly's sudden praise, Fire Heart bowed his head, words failing him. He realized how much it meant to him that someone like Mossy Patch would put aside her beliefs on kittypets because of him and his kin, and actually get to hear her say it. Perhaps it wasn't so unlikely that warriors could look past a cat's origin and see them for who they were.

Chapter Text

"What's this one?"

Fire Heart quickly recognized the drying leaves Violet Fang’s tail pointed to as something he'd used recently. "That's broom, used on poultices for wounds." 

"Correct." Violet Fang rasped. "What else is it used for?"

That question made him falter. He raked his brain, trying to find something else he'd heard about the herb, but couldn't remember anything. "I don't know." He admitted, crestfallen.

"That's right, you don't." Her words made him stare in confusion, but she wasn't done. "Important lesson: don't assume what an herb is for if you don't know. Frog-brained apprentices too often just grab a random herb without a second thought and I have to clean up the mess!" She shook her flat head, as if whatever scenario she remembered was enough to frustrate her. "It's quite the reliable herb for wounds, as it can be found while it's snowing,  although it’s not very strong. You can use it for broken bones, however, which makes it different from goldenrod."

Fire Heart did his best to sort that information in his brain, and found it was difficult to cram in all she’d taught him. Other medicines were scattered around them as both cats organized the stores. Marigold was good for infection and muscle pains, poppy seeds were good for pain and sleep; burdock root was excellent for rat bites and other infections; burnet gave strength, much like chamomile, though the latter was also soothing… 

Unlike hunting or battle techniques, there was no movement correlated to what he was being taught, no inborn instinct to guide him. It was all raw knowledge. His admiration for healers only grew.

“We’d better put all this away and see if there’s any scrap left for our bellies.” Violet Fang meowed, a joint popping as she bent down to pick up the broom leaves from the ground. “Long trek to Fourtrees and we’ve had enough traveling on an empty stomach.”

Fire Heart blinked in surprise, realizing now how quickly it got darker since his talk with Mossy Patch. He quickly scrambled to pick up the head of poppy to put back in its place - within easy reach of Violet Fang when she wanted one, but away from nosy kits. “Will I be coming to the Gathering too, then?” He asked, rubbing his mouth with a paw to make sure no seeds got stuck to his fur. 

“You're expected to. Perk and curse of being a healer apprentice, you rarely sit Gatherings out.” Violet Fang rasped. Fire Heart’s ears twitched with excitement. It was still an honor to accompany the Clan leader to a Gathering, even if she'd been unhappy with his choice to change his position. And this Gathering hopefully meant that his investigation would finally be able to progress.

Violet Fang noticed his reaction. “Young cats are all the same. At my age it's all a big headache, really, leaving the camp in leaf-bare to watch the leaders yap about how well the prey is running and how sharp their claws are until they run out of moonlight. But now that I'm in ThunderClan it's at least a way to see my kin.”

Placing another herb inside the cracks in the rock, Fire Heart turned to look at her. “You think Blue Fur will announce that we have Broken Tail?”

With a flash of regret, the old molly paused. “Doubtful. ShadowClan wants him dead even more than ThunderClan does, and with reason. Night Pelt even more so, as their new leader. It'd be nothing but trouble.” 

The bitterness was clear in her tone. No one else knew, but the horrible rogue was Violet Fang’s own kit, born out of a codebreaking relationship with a previous ShadowClan leader. She'd managed to plead to Blue Fur for his life out of a sense of responsibility after blinding him herself. It was clear to Fire Heart it all weighed heavy on her weary shoulders. 

He cringed as Violet Fang caught the pitiful look he was casting her. “I'm fine, Fire Heart.” She snapped. “Don’t worry about me. “Why don't you go eat and talk to someone your own age? I'm more used to working in the dark than you are.” 

Her tone made it clear it was more than just a suggestion. Fire Heart dipped his head. “See you later, then. I'll make sure there's something in the fresh-kill pile for you.” 

“You do that.” Violet Fang rasped as he pushed his way out of the den.

The cold sweeping over the camp chilled Fire Heart's fur. The queens and kits had all holed up inside the nursery now that the apprentices were done. Only a few groups of warriors and apprentices huddled for warmth, eating together beneath the few sheltered spots by the dens. He saw Gray Stripe approaching his parents to share prey with them, and decided he might as well join them.

As Fire Heart approached the fresh-kill pile, he accidentally bumped into Swift Bird, who had been dropping off some prey. Before he could apologize, the black-and-white apprentice turned around to hiss. “Watch where you're going, kittypet!”

Fire Heart stared at him in shock, mouth agape. He knew the apprentice didn't think too highly of kittypets, like his mentor, Pale Tail; however, he would never have imagined the once shy younger cat he'd briefly trained with would insult Fire Heart to his face like that.

His shock quickly gave away to anger. “I'm not a kittypet, and you are an apprentice. Didn't Pale Tail teach you basic respect?” Fire Heart growled.

“Aren't you an apprentice too?” Swift Bird sniffed. 

“ Healer apprentice. I was a warrior before that and you know it.”

“Like anyone believes StarClan actually chose you!” Swift Bird spat back, ears flat and eyes flashing with hostility. “You and that old ShadowClanner are lying, and keeping a kit-killer alive in our camp!”

Fire Heart had half a mind to swipe at the younger cat’s ears, but Swift Bird spun around and marched away. After watching him duck inside the apprentices’ den, Fire Heart turned his head to lick down the bristling fur on his shoulders.

It was unfair. Fire Heart had proven himself twice over to the Clan while Swift Bird still had kit fluff behind his ears. And to insult Violet Fang, as well! The old molly earned a spot in the Clan regardless of the need of a healer. Doubting her loyalty was like doubting Blue Fur’s loyalty. But he could see the Tiger's Claw’s influence clearly in the rhetoric the apprenticed spat at him. It was the deputy that made Dark Pine, Pale Tail, Dusty Earth and Swift Bird be this way. No doubt even Raven Shadow would have been the same were it not for Red Tail’s murder changing how he saw his mentor. 

Frustrated, Fire Heart picked up a random piece of fresh-kill and forced himself not to stomp as he made his way to Gray Stripe. The gray tom had been pressed against White Flower, watching Fire Heart with ears pricked.

“Swift Bird seemed to have his tail in a twist.” The gray tom commented.

Fire Heart dropped his prey onto the cold ground, noticing now it was a skinny vole. “Sure did. Started insulting me and Violet Fang.”

“No way!” Gray Stripe meowed. “And to think we were nice to him when he became an apprentice.”

White Flower frowned. “That's unlike him, from what I've seen.”

Fire Heart shuffled uncomfortably as he pressed himself against his friend’s thick gray fur. It felt odd to complain about an apprentice with senior warriors present. “It's not unlike Pale Tail, though. If calls me kittypet still, then so would his apprentice.”

“What was that he was yapping about a kit-killer?” Gray Stripe asked.

“He was blaming Violet Fang and I for the fact Broken Tail’s still alive.” Fire Heart sighed. It was technically true, but also particularly mean spirited. He took a mouthful of vole. The meat was tough and stringy, but it reminded him of his hunger and he savored the taste as he chewed. 

“It was the honorable thing to do.” Willow Branch observed, licking her paws as she finished her share of her meal. She cast a look at her mate. “White Flower was right to speak out.”

The large white tom let out a long, thoughtful breath. “I don't regret it, but the Clan won't be happy until he's gone. Even if he is still old and injured, the crimes he committed make his death seem justifiable.” he gave his wide head a shake. “In-fighting won't help, though. Swift Bird needs a stern talking to.”

Willow Branch hummed. “Perhaps Swift Bird is defensive of his mother.” She observed. 

Gray Stripe turned to look at his mother. “How so?”

“She’s due for newleaf, and Broken Tail is unsafe around kits.” she replied, running a paw around her muzzle.

Fire Heart stared at his paws. That’s not something he'd considered. Just earlier that day, Broken Tail had snapped at some kits. Even if Cloud Tail and his siblings had incited it, it was still a much older cat attacking kits.

White Flower’s voice broke him out of his thoughts. “It might explain it, but doesn't justify the lack of respect. Pale Tail gets away with too much already in my opinion. I'll let Tiger's Claw know about this.” he meowed as he turned to groom his mate between her ears.

Like that'll do any good , Fire Heart thought sourly, biting into his fresh-kill once more.

He felt Gray Stripe shift closer to him, grooming the flame-colored fur on his back. The steady rasping and the camaraderie relaxed Fire Heart, who was able to focus on his meal rather than his anxieties. The fresh-kill was gone far too quickly, but it was better than nothing, and it would give him the strength he needed to travel to the Gathering.

The clouds had cleared away by the time the ThunderClan cats, Fire Heart and Gray Stripe among them, left the camp and headed through the forest toward Fourtrees. The thin layer of snow on the ground seemed to glow in the white light of the full moon, and frost glittered on every twig and stone.

A breeze blew toward them, ruffling the frozen undergrowth and bearing the scent of many cats. Fire Heart shivered with excitement. Last time he was here it had been through the eternal newleaf of StarClan, and the sight of the Starpath above him made the memory return in full. It would be his first Gathering as a healer apprentice, making him wonder how different the full-moon truce would feel now that battling wasn't his duty.

Fire Heart fell in behind Blue Fur, who had already dropped into a crouch to creep the last few tail-lengths to the top of the slope and peer down into the glade. A rock reared up in the center of the clearing between the oaks, its jagged outline black against the snow. As Fire Heart waited for Blue Fur's signal to move, he watched the other Clan cats greeting one another below. He could not help noticing the way WindClan was isolated from the RiverClan and ShadowClan, glares and raised hackles being exchanged in the few occasions cats brushed past each other. Clearly the tensions between the three Clans had gotten worse — if it weren’t for the truce, they might be clawing one another’s fur.

Fire Heart recognized Tall Tail, the leader of WindClan, sitting near the Great Rock, with his deputy, Hop Step, beside him. Not far away, Wet Nose and Muddy Brook sat side by side, gazing at the other cats with eyes that reflected the moon.

Beside Fire Heart, Gray Stripe’s muscles were tense, and his yellow eyes glowed with excitement as he stared down into the glade. Following his gaze, Fire Heart saw Silver Stream emerge from the shadow, her beautiful silver tabby coat rippling in the moonlight.

“Be careful who sees you.” Fire Heart warned his friend.

“Don’t worry.” Gray Stripe meowed. His front paws kneaded the hard ground as he waited for the moment when he could be with the RiverClan cat again. 

For once, his friend's excitement to see Silver Stream didn't fill him with worry. His own anticipation at what she had to say made his pads tingle. Fire Heart glanced at Blue Fur, expecting her to give the signal to descend into the clearing, but instead he saw Willow Branch pad up and crouch beside her in the snow. “Blue Fur.” Fire Heart heard the lean gray warrior murmur. “What are you going to say about Broken Tail? Will you tell the other Clans that we’re sheltering him?”

Fire Heart waited tensely for Blue Fur’s answer. The blue molly kept her gaze fixed on the cats in the clearing below. “I will say nothing.” she replied to Willow Branch. “It doesn’t concern the other Clans. Broken Tail is ThunderClan’s responsibility now.”

“Brave words.” growled Tiger's Claw from where he sat on the other side of Blue Fur. “Or are we ashamed to admit what we’ve done?”

“ThunderClan has no need to be ashamed for showing mercy to a defeated enemy.” Blue Fur retorted coolly, her lip curling at her own words. “But I see no reason to go looking for trouble.” Before Tiger's Claw could protest, she sprang to her paws and faced the rest of the ThunderClan cats. “Listen.” she meowed. “No cat is to talk about the attack by the rogue cats, or mention Broken Tail. These are matters for our Clan alone.”

She waited until meows of agreement came from the assembled cats. Then she flicked her tail to signal that the ThunderClan cats could join the other Clans below. She raced down through the bushes, with Tiger's Claw just behind her, his huge paws scattering snow.

Fire Heart bounded after them. As he slid out of the bushes into the clearing he saw that the deputy had stopped close by, and was giving him a suspicious stare. “Gray Stripe.” Fire Heart hissed quietly over his shoulder, “Maybe you should wait before you see her. Tiger's Claw’s already—”

Fire Heart suddenly realized that Gray Stripe was no longer beside him. Looking around, he saw his friend disappearing behind the Great Rock. A heartbeat or two later, Silver Stream skirted around a group of ShadowClan cats and followed him.

Fire Heart sighed. He glanced at Tiger's Claw, wondering if the deputy had seen them go. But the dark tabby had padded away to join Muddy Claws from WindClan, and Fire Heart let the fur lie flat on his shoulders again.

Feeling restless, he decided he might as well get something done. Fire Heart wove his way through the crowd, doing his best to avoid Tiger's Claw, until he finally got to where Hop Step was. Tall Tail was not too far, speaking to his healer.

Fire Heart dipped his head deeply to the black tom. "Hello, Hop Step."

"Hello, Fire Heart." he replied.

The ginger warrior took in a breath. It was a bit nerve-wracking to seek out a senior warrior from another Clan when he was still barely a season-cycle old. "I'm sorry to bother, Hop Step. But if you have some time, I'd like to ask you a couple questions about training a cat on three legs." 

Hop Step blinked. "You're a friend to WindClan, Fire Heart. Ask away."

"Thank you. There's an apprentice who has broken her hind leg. I understand it's not the same injury, but anything you could tell me to help me get her back on training would be helpful." Fire Heart meowed.

The black tom paused thoughtfully. "Well… I was born with my forepaw twisted, so it might be different. I had some balancing issues, but I could manage to compensate fine with angling my tail correctly. Also my leap strength wasn't affected, since my hind legs are fully working. It's good that she gets plenty of exercise for balancing, as those will be important muscles to stabilize her gait. The weight of her leg might give her some pain, so she needs to take it easy and stretch plenty. Some days she might not be able to perform her duties well, and she can't beat herself up for that. But as the healer who took care of me once said 'if you can walk, you can run, and if you can run, you can hunt’ ." Hop Step quoted with a brisker meow. "Oh, and since there's snow, she can rest her leg on it when it hurts, it helps numb the pain. Just not for long. Learned that the hard way."

Fire Heart blinked slowly, making sure to commit his words to memory. Then he dipped his head. "Thank you, Hop Step. She will be glad to get back to training."

"I'm sure she will. Never underestimate the strength of a young cat. Bark Face was around for my treatment, so you can ask him if you have more questions. May StarClan light your path."

The toms said their goodbyes, and Fire Heart went back through the crowd, waiting for the beginning of the meeting. He found himself near a group of elders crouching beneath a glossy-leaved holly bush, where the snow did not lie so thickly. Patchy Shade was the only one he knew. Keeping one eye out for Gray Stripe, Fire Heart settled down to listen to their conversation.

“I remember a leaf-bare even worse than this.” a small black ShadowClan molly meowed. Fire Heart finally recognized her as one of the elders that had helped chase away Broken Tail. “The river was frozen for more than three moons.”

“You’re right, Crow Tail.” a skinny tabby-and-white elder agreed. “And prey was scarcer, too, even for RiverClan.”

For a heartbeat Fire Heart felt surprised that elders from hostile Clans could talk calmly without spitting hatred at each other when the warriors and apprentices clearly didn't seem capable of doing the same. But, then again, they are elders , he reflected. They must have seen tensions change among the Clans many times in their long lives.

“Young warriors today.” Crow Tail added with a glance at Fire Heart. “They don’t know what hardship is.”

Fire Heart scuffled among the dead leaves under the bush and tried to look respectful. “That must have been the season when Thunder Blue Fur had her kits. Around the time Thistle Claw died.” recalled the Patchy Shade. Fire Heart pricked up his ears. He remembered that Blue Fur's kits — Misty Step, Stone Pelt and Mossy Patch — were born just before she became Clan deputy, and Thistle Claw's death on Sunningrocks had been a time of heavy conflict between RiverClan and ThunderClan.

“Oh, don't bring him up. Don't you remember how only the thaw that leaf-bare halted ThunderClan and RiverClan’s fighting?” Crow Tail interrupted Fire Heart’s thoughts, her eyes unfocused as she lost herself to her memories. “The stream at the marshes had the size of the river.”

Patchy Shade shivered. “I remember it well. Sunningrocks and the Twoleg bridge got swallowed up, and ThunderClan couldn’t cross the stream to come here for the Gathering.”

"The thaw came too early. Cats were drowned by the flood.” the old RiverClan molly remembered sadly.

“Prey, too.” Crow Tail added. “The cats who survived nearly starved.”

“May StarClan grant it’s not so bad this season!” Patchy Shade mewed fervently.

Crow Tail hissed, side eyeing Fire Heart. “These young cats would never cope. We were tougher in those days.”

Fire Heart could not help protesting. “We have strong warriors now—”

“Who asked your opinion?” she growled back. “You’re hardly more than a kit!”

“But we—” Fire Heart broke off as the air was filled with a shrill yowl and all the cats fell silent. He turned his head to see four cats on top of the Great Rock, silhouettes in the silver moonlight.

“Shh!” hissed Patchy Shade. “The meeting’s about to start.” He twitched his ears at Fire Heart and purred softly. “Take no notice of Crow Tail. She'd find fault with StarClan.”

Fire Heart gave Patchy Shade a grateful look, tucked his paws under him, and settled down to listen.

Tall Tail, the WindClan leader, began by announcing how his cats had been recovering from exile despite the cold season. “One of our elders has died.” he meowed. “But all our warriors will live — our borders will remain strong.” he added with a meaningful look.

Fire Heart wondered which elder it could have been — Rye Stalk, the storytelling elder? Or Wren Flight, who had recently lost her mate? The tension at the Great Rock interrupted his mournful thoughts. Night Pelt flattened his ears and narrowed his eyes, while Crooked Jaw let out a threatening growl from deep in his throat. He noticed now there were quite a few WindClan warriors with new scratches, and they threw dirty looks at specific warriors from ShadowClan and RiverClan among the crowd. They must have been fighting over the borders in the past moon.

Fire Heart’s fur prickled. If the leaders started to fight, their cats would fight too. Had it ever happened at a Gathering? he wondered. Surely not even Night Pelt, no matter how eager he was to prove himself capable to protect his Clan as ShadowClan’s new leader, would risk the anger of StarClan by breaking the sacred truce!

As Fire Heart apprehensively watched the bristling cats, Blue Fur stepped forward. “This is good news, Tall Tail.” she meowed smoothly. “All of us should rejoice to hear that WindClan grows strong again.”

Her blue eyes glowed in the moonlight as she glanced at the leaders of ShadowClan and RiverClan. Night Pelt turned away from her gaze, still bristling, and Crooked Jaw dipped his head, his expression unreadable.

It had been ShadowClan, under Broken Tail’s cruel command, that had first driven WindClan away, so that they could extend their own territory. RiverClan and ShadowClan had both taken advantage of their exile to hunt in the deserted moorland. But after Broken Tail's exile, Blue Fur had convinced the other leaders that the life of the forest depended on all four Clans, and that WindClan should return. Fire Heart shivered as he remembered the long and difficult journey he had made with Gray Stripe to find WindClan and bring them home to their bleak upland territory.

The Gathering proceeded more peacefully after Blue Fur's announcements. Yet again, she refrained from mentioning the healer apprentice situation, but it was likely the healers had already informed their Clans about it. Crooked Jaw announced the birth of Dappled Moss' kits, while Night Pelt informed that the training of their apprentices was going very smoothly. Fire Heart remembered the previous Gathering, when the leaders had accused one another of hunting outside their own territory, but no cat mentioned this now. A group of rogue cats, led by Broken Tail, had been responsible, but the news that these rogues had been soundly defeated by ThunderClan did not seem to have spread. Blue Fur’s secret about ethe prisoner Broken Tail was safe, even if tension still laced the air.

When the meeting was over, Fire Heart looked around for Gray Stripe. He caught the eye of Swift Bird sitting in the middle of a group of young cats from ShadowClan. The young tom averted his gaze, ears flat. At any other time Fire Heart might have called him over and told him to find his mentor for the journey home, but right now all he cared about was finding Gray Stripe immediately. He wouldn't risk bickering with the apprentice once more. 

He forgot Swift Bird as soon as he saw his friend weaving his way toward him. There was no sign of Silver Stream. 

“There you are!” Gray Stripe called, his yellow eyes shining. Fire Heart could see that he had enjoyed the Gathering, though he doubted that his friend had listened to much of the talk. Misty Step, who had been heading towards the rest of the ThunderClan cats, noticed the two toms and padded closer. 

They put their heads close together as Gray Stripe spoke. 

“It’s all arranged.” Gray Stripe mewed softly. "Silver Stream knows someone who was in the battle, and she will bring him to Fourtrees in two sunrises, at sunhigh."

"Can we trust this warrior?" Misty Step asked immediately.

"We can trust Silver Stream." Gray Stripe retorted. The molly didn't seem to like that answer, but said nothing else.

It was too late to figure out whether it was wise by now. This is the only way , Fire Heart repeated to himself. He had to find out the truth. Not just for Red Tail and Raven Shadow. Tiger's Claw had to be stopped... before he had the chance to kill again.

"In two sunrises, then."

Chapter Text

Pale sunlight lit up the snowy hollow of Fourtrees. It had been snowing all up until sunhigh, and Fire Heart had snow as high as his chest. Gray Stripe and Misty Step trudged on beside him, having an easier time, especially with the molly's long slender limbs. The four bare oaks stood below them, glittering with frost. Fire Heart realized he was more worried about cats from his own Clan seeing them than meeting any enemy patrols. Misty Step seemed to have similar concerns. She stayed close to them, taking the rear, ears pricked and often looking back over her shoulder. 

"Let's go, then." Fire Heart murmured, leading the way down. Gray Stripe followed him with light steps. 

"I hope we're not caught down here by a whole RiverClan patrol." Misty Step murmured.

Gray Stripe bristled. "I told you, she wouldn't betray us."

"I know. I'm not saying that. But she won't be able to hide from her father forever." Misty Step retorted darkly.

Fire Heart tried to step lightly, as if he were stalking prey, his belly skimming the shallower snow. He was uncomfortably aware of how his flame-colored coat stood out against the white surface, compared to the gray coats of his two Clanmates. They crouched down near the Great Rock, shielded from view of the ThunderClan border, and waited. 

Silent moments passed, and Fire Heart peeked around the large rock to check on the RiverClan side of the hollow, Gray Stripe's pelt brushing his as the tom did the same.

At last a familiar silver-gray shape appeared, pushing her way through the undergrowth at the edge of the hollow.

“Silver Stream!” purred Gray Stripe.

Fire Heart watched the RiverClan molly stepping delicately through the snow. She was certainly beautiful, he realized, with a finely shaped head and long, sleek fur. However, his interactions with her thus far certainly hadn't captivated Fire Heart in the same way Gray Stripe seemed to be. His friend rose to his paws to call out to her, and her gaze brightened up with delight as she saw him. Silver Stream ran, spraying snow behind her, and pressed herself against Gray Stripe, purring loudly. The two cats rubbed their faces together with obvious delight. Finally, they broke apart, seeming to have momentarily forgotten that the other cats were there.

Silver Stream nodded head in a friendly manner toward him and Misty Step, with no trace of the defensive hostility she had shown when he had tried to discourage her from seeing Gray Stripe at the start of their relationship. “If it isn't Fire Heart and his mentor!” she meowed with mischief in her eyes. "Not exactly surprised you're sneaking about, but I thought you preferred to keep to your side of the border, Misty Step."

Misty Step twitched her ear, not seeming fazed by the RiverClan molly's comments. “Hello to you too, Silver Stream. I thought that you were going to bring someone to meet us.” she launched straight in. 

“Yes, he'll be here in a moment, once he's done with his patrol.” Silver Stream replied. She eyed them with undisguised curiosity. “Why are you two bringing up my uncle's death out of nowhere, though?”

Her words hit Fire Heart in the gut. Oak Heart had been Crooked Jaw's littermate, of course she was close to him. "I'm sorry. It is very important, but we can't tell you."

She tipped her head to the side, tail tip twitching irritably. "I don't like being curious." 

Gray Stripe purred in laughter as if her small tantrum was the most charming thing in the world. Misty Step cleared her throat. "How do you know this cat we're meeting won't tell on us?"

“Don't fret.” meowed Silver Stream, as if she guessed what was worrying her. “He's someone who would be willing to talk to Fire Heart, and keep quiet about it. He doesn't know about me and Gray Stripe, but he does know I'm your friend, Misty Step.” she suddenly stopped and turned around. "Actually, I think he's coming. Wait a moment." She had hardly finished speaking before running up the hollow again. Fire Heart watched her bounding through the snow and vanishing into the undergrowth at the top. 

“Isn’t she great ?” Gray Stripe murmured dreamily.

"She's great at trouble." Fire Heart caught Misty Step murmuring under her breath.

The distant crunching of snow sounded and the breeze now carried a stronger scent of RiverClan than just Silver Stream's. Then, with another cat behind her, the silver molly trudged back down.  The cat she brought with her was a muscular dark brown tom with snowy-white paws, thin like all RiverClan cats were these days. Fire Heart blinked, recognizing Snow Paws, the warrior who had almost fallen off the gorge. The tom didn't seem too concerned about Fire Heart, but once he saw Gray Stripe and Misty Step, he stopped dead in his tracks. His fur began to rise suspiciously and he flattened his ears against his head.

“Silver Stream, this is a whole patrol!” hissed Snow Paws. “What are they doing here?”

“Snow Paws, listen...” Silver Stream went over to him and tried to nudge him toward the ThunderClan cats.

Snow Paws stood his ground. Fire Heart couldn’t help feeling daunted by the look of blank hostility in his eyes. Had he been stupid to think that RiverClan would help him?

“I agreed to talk to Fire Heart." Snow Paws meowed. “Not three battle-ready ThunderClan warriors. The other two gotta go.”

“Please, I wouldn't bring you here to get attacked, Snow Paws!" Silver Stream urged, eyes narrowed.

“I do insist that I stay here. It wouldn't sit well in my conscience to leave a healer apprentice alone with a warrior.” Misty Step interjected, with calculated words. “But do not worry, Snow Paws. We're not here to spy, or attack, or cross into your territory. We need to speak to a cat who fought in the battle at Sunningrocks, where Oak Heart died.”

“Why?” Snow Paws narrowed his eyes.

“It’s... hard to explain.” Fire Heart mewed. “But it’s nothing that could harm RiverClan. I swear that on StarClan.” he added.

The young warrior seemed to relax somewhat, and this time he let Silver Stream urge him forward until she was sitting right in front of Fire Heart. Up close, he could see that the brown tom couldn't be that much older than himself. Snow Paws still had his amber eyes fixed on the three cats unhappily.

Silver Stream suddenly narrowed her eyes, lifting her chin. "Well, Misty Step and Fire Heart should be enough, correct? I'll take that one—" she jerked her chin towards Gray Stripe. "—to the border, and get back to my duties. Less warriors for you to worry about, Snow Paws."

Fire Heart opened his mouth to protest, while Misty Step merely narrowed her eyes. Gray Stripe was already standing up. "Alright, alright. Better if I cooperate, right?" he sneaked a wink at Fire Heart. "See you two at camp." And with that, the two warriors slipped out around the Great Rock and away.

Suppressing a sigh, Fire Heart turned his attention back to Snow Paws. The brown warrior had his eyes fixed on Misty Step.

"You're Thunder Blue Fur's daughter, Misty Step, right?" he meowed. "I've seen you at Gatherings." His voice was cool, with thinly veiled suspicion.

The gray molly merely blinked, regarding the RiverClan warrior with an even gaze. "Yes. And you're Snow Paws, Silver Stream's brother, who Fire Heart saved at the gorge." she stated, not bothering with framing it as a question.

Fire Heart blinked. 

Snow Paws sighed, closing his eyes briefly. "Right." he turned to Fire Heart. "I couldn't help but feel… indebted to you, even if Leopard Fur didn't. She doesn't want to owe anyone anything, especially not a warrior from another Clan. Don’t get me wrong, I don't want to either, but I can't just ignore what you did. I’ll repay my debt to you, as long as it won't harm RiverClan." he added, shooting Fire Heart a wary look.

"Don't worry, it won't." he meowed. "Though… this isn't what I was going to ask, but are you River Crooked Jaw's son?"

The RiverClan warrior shook his head quickly. "My mother nursed Silver Stream after her mother died. My parents raised her like kin, and thus she sees my family as hers. The 'little brother' thing is on her."

Fire Heart nodded, while Misty Step merely licked a paw and drew it slowly over one ear, keeping her eyes fixed on Snow Paws' face. This information didn't seem new to her, and she didn't seem to trust the other warrior. Snow Paws, in turn, sat straighter and covered the snowy whiteness of his paws with his soft-furred brown tail.

“Alright. Enough of this.” he meowed at last. “I fought in the battle. What do you want to know?”

Fire Heart paused for a moment, putting his thoughts in order. He would have only one chance to find out the truth; he mustn’t make any mistakes.

“Get on with it.” growled Snow Paws. “My Clan needs me, I can't take all day talking to ThunderClan cats.”

“It won’t take long.” Fire Heart promised. “What can you tell me about the way Oak Heart died?”

“Oak Heart?” the tom frowned. "He died during that battle. It… it was the day I became a warrior." the tom's voice had a note of grief and bitterness to it. Fire Heart couldn't help but feel some kinship with the rival warrior — he knew what it was like to have an important milestone overshadowed by a tragedy, as he himself had joined the Clan on the same day Red Tail died.

"Can you tell us what killed him?" Misty Step asked, bringing both toms away from their thoughts.

"It was an accident. It shouldn't have happened." Snow Paws meowed firmly, and Fire Heart felt his heart begin to race. This was exactly what he needed to know! 

“Are you sure?” he asked. “No cat killed him?”

“He was wounded in the battle, like any of us, but not enough to kill him.” meowed Snow Paws. “The patrol returned to find him when he didn't come back once the battle was over, and we found his body under some fallen rocks. Muddy Brook said that was what killed him.” he grimaced, ears flat, as if the memory of the state of the former deputy's body was quite unpleasant.

“So no cat was responsible...” Fire Heart muttered, meeting Misty Step's narrowed blue gaze. “Raven Shadow was right.”

“What?” The brown tom frowned.

“Nothing.” Fire Heart meowed hastily, looking back at the brown tom. “Nothing important. Thank you, Snow Paws. That’s just what I wanted to know.”

“Then if that’s all—”

“No, wait! There’s one more thing. In the battle, one of our cats heard Oak Heart say that no RiverClan cat should harm Mossy Patch. Do you know what he meant by that?”

He felt Misty Step tense up beside him, and heard her tail tip begin to flick side to side. Snow Paws frowned, puzzled.

"Mossy Patch?" he echoed. "That's a ThunderClan warrior. Your littermate, right?" Snow Paws asked Misty Step, who gave him a stiff nod in affirmation.

The RiverClan tom was silent for a while, his amber eyes gazing thoughtfully into the distance. Then he shook his head firmly, as if he were flicking water off it. "During the battle… Mossy Patch and Red Tail were chasing some warriors away, and I tried attacking her to give them time. She wasn't expecting it, and that's probably the only reason I managed to pin her down. Then suddenly Oak Heart grabbed me by the scruff and launched me away. He told me to just run off to safety. I noticed that Red Tail was going to confront him, and before I could say anything I had to run, since Mossy Patch was on her feet and chasing us again." he looked down at his paws, eyes narrow. "I couldn't hear what was going on after that. All I could do was run, and… next time I saw Oak Heart after that, it was his body." he took a deep breath, then began licking the fur at his chest as if soothing himself.

Fire Heart tried not to feel disappointed. At least he knew for certain now how Oak Heart had died, and it matched Mossy Patch's version well enough. But he couldn’t shake off the feeling that what Oak Heart had said about Mossy Patch was important, if only he could understand it.

"Is there any cat who might know Oak Heart better?" Misty Step asked, leaning forward so her eyes meet Snow Paws' lowered eyes.

The RiverClan warrior lifted his head. "I suppose that, besides River Crooked Jaw himself, Gray Pool would. She’s the sister to Silver Stream’s mother. Gray Pool and Oak Heart were pretty good friends, and a lot of cats confide in her. She’s retired and hardly ever leaves camp, though." he finished in a sharper tone, suspicion taking over his expression once again. "Anyhow. Is this enough?"

The two ThunderClan warriors exchanged a glance. He could see that Misty Step seemed to share his impatience at wanting to hear what this Gray Pool could know, but clearly they both had already overstayed their welcome.

“Yes, it's enough. Thank you, Snow Paws.” he meowed. “I won’t forget this."

"Don't mention it. Really, don’t." Snow Paws meowed, twitching his ear. He got to his paws. "I hope it's enough to repay what you did for me, because I don't want to do you any more favors." 

The three warriors swiftly left the hollow towards the safety of their borders. Fire Heart waved his tail in good-bye, and Snow Paws returned it with a nod, disappearing into the RiverClan woodlands. Once the two ThunderClan cats were a good distance under the cover of ThunderClan trees, Misty Step started to groom herself slowly, tail tip twitching.

It reminded Fire Heart of the fact they'd be carrying some RiverClan scent, and thus he began licking his shoulders, although more swiftly. His mind was racing with everything he'd just heard. Oak Heart had been killed by a rockfall. Tiger's Claw had lied and he could now prove it. Mossy Patch's version of the events lined up well enough with both Snow Paws and Raven Shadow's account. There was enough evidence to prove that, even if Tiger's Claw wasn't a murderer, he was certainly a liar. This had to make Blue Fur doubt the deputy in some way, hopefully enough to believe that he shouldn't be deputy anymore. 

The memory of the fact Oak Heart had, for an unknown reason, wanted to protect Mossy Patch, came back to the forefront of his mind. He looked over at Misty Step.

"We need to figure out how to talk to Gray Pool." he meowed.

The gray molly kept licking at her fur for a few heartbeats, and Fire Heart was beginning to think she didn't hear him, when she finally paused to speak. "Yes." she straightened up to meet Fire Heart's eye. "I believe we can contact Silver Stream again for that."

He murmured in agreement, and then realized that Misty Step had never actually confirmed if she believed Raven Shadow's story. "So… what do you believe is the truth now?" he asked.

The other warrior looked around, ears strainer, before turning to Fire Heart again. "RiverClan has no reason to lie about Oak Heart's death. They could have used it to excuse a war, especially when someone as hot-headed as Leopard Fur rose to deputyship." she narrowed her eyes. "It still doesn't necessarily prove Tiger's Claw killed Red Tail, but if the other things you've said about him are true, you have all the reasons to suspect him." the molly's gaze darkened, and the fur on her spine lifted up threateningly. "Blazing Cinder's accident was strange. There was no trace of ShadowClan that day, not even the rogues. If Tiger's Claw indeed tried to set up a trap for my mother…" her mew trailed off, but the way her sharp white claws sunk into the ground told him what she hadn't said out loud.

Although he had never seen the blue-gray warrior like this, Fire Heart's heart soared. If Misty Step seemed willing to believe him, then convincing Blue Fur was more within reach than ever before. Misty Step took deep breaths, and licked her shoulder fur flat. "I do not know what Oak Heart's intentions with Mossy Patch may have to do with any of this." she went on. "But perhaps it will help uncover the truth. For my family's safety, I must know." She locked eyes with him, and Fire Heart could see her determination blazing vividly within her like a blue flame. He saw reflected in her eyes the same desire he had to protect his Clanmates from whatever else Tiger's Claw did, but even more so, her burning will to protect her family.

He dipped his head to her, feeling a new wave of respect for the molly that had mentored him.

Chapter Text

Fire Heart hauled a freshly-killed rabbit across the clearing. He pushed through the tunnel of ferns, brown and brittle now, that led to the secluded corner of the camp where he now resided. Sand Storm's hunting patrol had just brought back fresh-kill, one of the best hauls of this moon.

Ducking under the ferns, Fire Heart saw Violet Fang lying in the mouth of her den with her paws tucked under her chest. Blazing Cinder was in front of her, smoky gray fur fluffed up and her blue eyes focused as she did her exercises. He watched for a moment as the young molly would sit up from a lying position, then get to her paws, placing her weight on three legs, then carefully sit down again to restart the cycle. It was one of the exercises he and Violet Fang came up with based on Hop Step's tips, and was used to help Blazing Cinder build strength and balance on her hind leg and belly, so that they could sustain the weight of her body properly. Afterwards she would stretch her healthy hind leg and heel to alleviate the strain.

Blazing Cinder stood up and then finally caught sight of Fire Heart standing by the tunnel. Meowing in delight, she hurried over to him. Despite the way her injured leg would twitch and weigh her down, Blazing Cinder was much more confident now. Her eyes were dancing as she reached him. “Fresh-kill!” she exclaimed. “Is all that for us? Great!”

“About time too!” grumbled Violet Fang, still sitting inside her den. 

Placing the prey down between the three of them, Fire Heart thought back to his morning. Most cats had some aches this late in leaf-bare, and their paws were full with organizing the herb storage and listening to complaints. It made Fire Heart acutely aware of Stone Pelt's absence in the healers' den. The tom seemed to have less of his constant grief clouding his eyes as he served his Clan now, but Fire Heart couldn't help but feel like the tom would be a much more efficient helper to Violet Fang.

The old molly poked the rabbit with one paw. “It might have a bit of flesh on its bones for once.” she remarked grudgingly.

"Sure does! Enough for the three of us." Blazing Cinder meowed.

"If you're lucky, maybe."

The young molly purred in response. 

A pale ginger head appeared among the ferns. Sand Storm walked into the healer's clearing, pelt freshly groomed. "That's the fattest rabbit we've caught in a while." She commented, as she dipped her head to Fire Heart and Violet Fang in greeting.

"Sand Storm!" Blazing Cinder bounded up to her. "I have done all my exercises already! Violet Fang doesn't even have to complain about me complaining anymore!"

"Just half the time." Violet Fang grumbled through a mouthful of prey.

Blazing Cinder ignored her. "Are we going out in the forest today?" 

Sand Storm's smile weakened. "I'm afraid not. The snow is almost too deep for me . I just got feeling back into my pads, if we go out now my limbs will freeze right off."

"Oh." Blazing Cinder looked crestfallen.

"Sucks to be on the shorter side, doesn't it?" Fire Heart joked, hoping to alleviate the mood. While Blazing Cinder was an undeniably small cat, he and Sand Storm were both smaller than the average ThunderClan warrior.

The molly's ginger ears swiveled uncomfortably a bit, but she recomposed herself too quickly for Fire Heart to comment on it. She turned to her apprentice. "I don't want you just exercising your leg while I rest, though. There's a very important apprentice duty you have yet to do." Sand Storm announced. Blazing Cinder's ears shot up. "I heard some elders complaining of itchiness. After you eat, I want you to check them for ticks and fleas."

Fire Heart had to stifle a chuckle as the small apprentice's jaw dropped in dismay.  

"But— But! That's what apprentices have to do if they're in trouble!" Blazing Cinder cried.

"Who gave you that idea?" Sand Storm retorted. "The elders deserve to be cared for. They've served the Clan for seasons and earned that right." She went on in a dutiful tone. Fire Heart could almost picture White Flower telling her those same words by the way she spoke them. 

It reminded him of something that Lion's Heart, Blazing Cinder's father, had once told him. "And while you care for them, you might get to hear some good stories. The elders have many tales that are important for us. We have to pay attention to what they say." He pointed out.

Blazing Cinder sniffed. "I don't know about all that. All Small Ears does is tell us the same things about Lion's Heart and how much we’re like him…" the molly meowed with an unusual hint of bitterness.

Fire Heart looked at the small apprentice with sympathy. Even now, despite the grayness of Blazing Cinder's fur, he could see the deceased deputy in the way her fluffy fur was longer around her neck like a lion’s mane. Bracken Leaf and Thorn Claw had dark-gold pelts reminiscing of the old deputy, and Bright Flame showed that she had his build. It seemed impossible to separate a cat from their bloodline, especially in the Clans. But it could bring more harm than good , Fire Heart thought, thinking back to Cloud Tail and himself. His eyes met Sand Storm's, who seemed to understand as well. The ginger warrior felt a lot of pressure from being Red Tail's only daughter.

"You said you needed to rest?" Fire Heart asked Sand Storm. "I can go with Blazing Cinder to teach her what to do." He offered, then remembered that he was an apprentice himself. He looked over at Violet Fang, who had been absorbed in devouring her meal. "If that's alright?"

The old healer grunted. "If you make it quick. You know we'll be busy all afternoon."

He dipped his head and turned to Sand Storm. "Thank you, Fire Heart." She meowed gratefully, then flicked his ear with her tailtip. "Aren't you a sweet little apprentice?" She cooed teasingly. Fire Heart scoffed, offended, and swatted at her playfully. The warrior purred, then lowered her head to lick her apprentice's forehead. "Listen to him, alright? I'll come to fetch you later. We'll do something more fun if the snow lets up."

"Okay." Blazing Cinder meowed. "I'll hold you to that!"

The three cats shared the rabbit once Sand Storm left. Outside the den, snowflakes fell softly onto the white ground. The air was much colder and refused to give way to the sun, which proved to be bad weather for the elders. Small Ears and Dapple Pelt had come to the healers' den, having finally been persuaded to come after sneezing all night long. Blazing Cinder quickly went to dispose of the rabbit remains once her kin came in. Violet Fang medicated them for their cold with lavender, juniper and an herb called chickweed. As they settled on the nests and ate a poppy seed to sleep peacefully, Fire Heart grabbed a stick to bring the mouse bile outside.

Thanks to the snow, the meeting with Gray Pool had to wait. The weather was too poor for the elders. Gray Stripe had left on patrol, promising he would stay near RiverClan and talk to Silver Stream about it if he saw her. Not that big of a sacrifice for him , Fire Heart thought grumpily. His tailtip began to flicker in annoyance at having to waste time once again. Clearly he'd used up all his favors with StarClan.

Soon, Blazing Cinder's uneven stride sounded as she half hopped half walked through the snow. She reached for the mouse bile.

"Don't let it touch your mouth." Fire Heart warned. "You’d be tasting crowfood for a moon."

Her muzzle was scrunched up as she took the stick between her jaws, the foul-smelling wad of moss hung from the other end. "This sucks." she complained through the wood. "Why do I have to do elder duty instead of training?" 

"This is part of your training." Fire Heart reminded her. "Be grateful you only have to look them over for ticks. It could be much worse."

She glanced at him. "How?"

"You could have to clean their dirt."

"Ew!" Her lips curled. 

'Ew' is right , Fire Heart thought, thinking back to when Violet Fang was a prisoner. As punishment for feeding her, he had to take care of all her needs. While it ended up bringing them closer, those weren't exactly treasured memories.

When they arrived at the elder's den, Fire Heart could see the shapes of Sparrow Nest and White Eye huddled together, fast asleep in the warmest spot of the den. Dapple Tail and Rose Fall were closer to the entrance, chatting quietly. They looked up as the warrior and the apprentice approached.

"Shh." hissed Rose Fall. "Don't wake up White Eye and Sparrow Nest. They're heavy sleepers, but barely slept last night."

"Don't worry, we won't be noisy. Right, Blazing Cinder?" he meowed, earning an outraged huff from the apprentice. 

Blazing Cinder dropped the mouse bile stick on the ground loudly enough to earn a hiss from Rose Fall. Fire Heart went on. "I'm teaching Blazing Cinder how to handle ticks and fleas. Any of you got any?" 

Dapple Tail perked up. "Oh, about time, too. I have an itch driving me crazy. Could you take a look?"

Under Fire Heart's instructions, Blazing Cinder combed through the elder's tortoiseshell fur. Once he was sure she understood, the ginger tom turned to the elders.

"I told her you would have some nice stories." Fire Heart meowed.

"Hmm, not me." Dapple Tail murmured, chin on her paws, enjoying being looked after. "I'm not inspired at the moment."

Rose Fall purred. "I haven't had the opportunity to tell too many stories since I became an elder. Let's see…" she paused, thoughtful. "What would you like, Blazing Cinder?"

"Just nothing about Broken Tail, we have enough of him." The molly replied, hooking the mouse bile moss with a claw.

"True." Rose Fall agreed grimly. She turned to Fire Heart. "Any requests?"

Fire Heart knew he should get back to Violet Fang, but her question gave him pause. He didn't want the elder to accidentally tell stories of Lion's Heart, and he did have some curiosity about things that happened in the Clan that he wouldn't know about. A name Patchy Shade mentioned recently popped into his mind.

"Something about Thistle Claw?" Fire Heart asked.

Rose Fall’s brows shot up. "Thistle Claw?" She echoed quietly. "How do you even know about him?"

"I heard he was White Flower's father, and no one knows how he died." 

"We know how alright…" Dapple Tail growled.

Blazing Cinder looked up, angling her ears towards Rose Fall, her intrigue matching Fire Heart's.

Adjusting her paws in front of her, Rose Fall took a deep breath. "I suppose I should start from the beginning." She raised her chin. "A couple moons after Thunder Blue Fur and her sister were born, my mother gave birth to three kits — myself, Sweet Plum, and Thistle Claw. While my sister and I were tortoiseshell, Thistle Claw was a large dark gray tom. As soon as he became an apprentice he was inseparable with Blue Fur's littermate, Snow Tail, who was a tall and very pretty white molly. But he also constantly butted heads with Blue Fur, they couldn't stand each other. He was so jealous when she became a warrior first!" She let out a purr, folding a paw under her chest. It was odd for Fire Heart to imagine a young Blue Fur, who had disagreements with her Clanmates just like him.

Rose Fall went on, a note of sadness to her gaze. "Sweet Plum got sick the night Holly Pelt gave birth to Tiger's Claw and Black Leopard. It was a rough quarter moon. Soon after, a dog was loose on Snakerocks." Blazing Cinder and Fire Heart stared with alarm. Neither of them had ever heard of dogs getting into the forest. "It ended up tracking a patrol back to camp, but before it could invade, Thistle Claw attacked it on his own. Mind you, we were apprentices still. But my brother had the fierceness of a TigerClan warrior. The dog was three times his size, but he didn't want to let it steal our prey or attack the camp, so he gave it a clawing that sent it howling through the forest and out of our territory. He came back, head and tail high, fur spiked like a thistle and claws covered in dog blood. It felt like a sign sent by StarClan of his strength, of ThunderClan's strength. He was made a warrior on the spot, and the whole Clan feasted until the moon was high in the night sky."

There was a grunt. "Kit? Are you going to leave that moss on my back all day?" Dapple Tail rasped.

"Oh, sorry!" Blazing Cinder exclaimed, tossing the mouse bile aside. The sleeping elders shifted at the sound, and the apprentice shot Rose Fall an apologetic look. The story had been so intense she and Fire Heart had both been enthralled. "Uhm, I couldn't find anything else. Do you still feel itchy?" 

The old molly drowsily opened her eyes, then curled up, not letting her muzzle near the bile-covered patch of fur. "Don't think so. Just smelly." She rasped. Blazing Cinder murmured an apology, and turned to Rose Fall.

"Do you have any ticks?"

The old molly looked over at her back, then shrugged. "I can still check myself just fine, but wouldn't hurt for you to double check."

Blazing Cinder shifted closer to her, letting her broken leg stretch out on her side. Fire Heart crouched down, covering his cold paws with his tail. Both of them looked expectantly at Rose Fall for her to continue. Her whiskers twitched with amusement, but it faded before she went on.

"Sweet Plum died soon after. Her sickness weakened her too much. It was the saddest day of my life." She sighed. "On that same day, RiverClan tried invading our territory. They got arrogant because they owned Sunningrocks at the time, and figured they'd take some woodland too. But RiverClan is no good at undergrowth combat. Snow Tail, Blue Fur and I fought together. We became good friends after that. Thistle Claw fought ferociously as usual. Our territory had been protected, but our leader, Thunder Pine Heart…" the elder trailed off. She let it hang in the air. Her silence implied he'd died, but Fire Heart knew the truth — that must have been the day Pine Heart abandoned his Clan to become a kittypet. He grimaced — an apprentice died and his Clan was attacked, but he still abandoned them? It was worse than he'd heard from Blue Fur. Rose Fall caught his eye and gave him a small nod. "Thunder Sun Fall came back as our leader after the vigil, and made me a warrior. A couple moons later, Snow Tail gave birth to Thistle Claw's kit." She purred. "White Flower was a big, adorable kit. My brother fussed over his mate every day. It was around that time Thrush Wing started padding after Blue Fur, too." Fire Heart noticed that Blazing Cinder was working intently on Rose Fall's pelt. He assumed she'd lost interest once the story shifted away from battle. The elder was fully invested in telling it though. "Unfortunately, Snow Tail passed away soon after that. She went on a walk with Blue Fur and found ShadowClan hunting on our territory." The apprentice's interest was recovered. "Snow Tail was a great fighter, and being Thistle Claw's mate, she would never back down from a fight. She went for the chase, and the ShadowClan patrol had the wits to run away from an angry queen. And she was so angry, she chased them over the Thunderpath, not paying attention to any monsters. The way it got her, she didn't stand a chance of survival." 

Blazing Cinder winced. Rose Fall turned to her. "Oh, I'm sorry dear. I shouldn't have talked about this…"

"It's okay. I know I was very lucky to survive, it's just… hard to be reminded of it." She meowed back with a nervous chuckle, tucking her injured limb closer to her body once more, fluffy tail covering it protectively. Fire Heart shifted closer to the small cat and draped his tail over her back. She molly shot him a grateful look, and took a deep breath. "Keep going, Rose Fall. I want to know the rest."

The tortoiseshell nodded, eyes soft. "Where was I? Oh, yes. Poor Snow Tail… White Flower was inconsolable, and Thistle Claw… he struggled a lot. They had been in love right out of the nursery, and she was killed because of trespassers no less. He and Blue Fur had a pretty bad shouting match that day... But White Flower needed a mother figure, and Blue Fur needed him too. Thistle Claw might have not liked it, but even he could see that.

"After Snow Tail's death, he focused on making sure both his Clan and kit were strong. ThunderClan got Sunningrocks back, and he wouldn't let it be taken again. He was very ferocious in challenging trespassers. Thistle Claw aimed to become deputy, the youngest in all the Clans. Our deputy at the time was getting sicker every moon, and with Thistle Claw's popularity, it was possible." That made a shiver run down Fire Heart's spine. Such description matched too well with Tiger's Claw for his liking. Rose Fall went on. "Especially when he got an apprentice, Tiger's Claw." Fire Heart thought he would somehow fall over. "A while after, though, Blue Fur also got an apprentice. As White Flower grew and didn't need her, she began aiming for deputyship, and it was clearly between the two of them. Thistle Claw got to help our deputy for a bit while Blue Fur was in the nursery, and some thought it was a matter of time until it was made official. 

"Then, one cold leaf-bare day… Blue Fur went for a walk. She always felt very crowded in the nursery. When she came back, she crashed through the ferns, eyes wide and fur standing on its end. She had just found Thistle Claw's body, bloody and with marks only a cat could have made, left alone in Sunningrocks."

"Did RiverClan attack them?" Blazing Cinder asked, leaning forward.

Rose Fall shook her head. "We don't know. Thistle Claw often would do extra patrols on his own. There was no scent beside ThunderClan's around, except for RiverClan's scent marks. Thistle Claw suspected they'd been wanting to invade again. Thunder Sun Fall demanded they answer for his death. Such murder seemed like retaliation for the way he had claimed Sunningrocks without a battle — which is a story for another day.  But it was also incredibly dishonorable. To kill a cat that way, and not even try to move the border markers? It was just petty revenge, and a mockery of the Warrior Code. RiverClan refused to admit to having anything to do with it, though. Blamed it on a fox or badger, or even a rogue. The discussion took days, and it was when they accused ThunderClan of murdering one of our own Clanmates, in a Gathering, that we declared war. Blue Fur was soon made deputy, and helped Thunder Sun Fall through the battles that followed. Neither of them wanted more bloodshed than necessary, but it was unavoidable. Thistle Claw had to be avenged. 

“In the end, though, it just became the same war over Sunningrocks. StarClan sent a flood that season, making crossing the river impossible. We were forced to put Thistle Claw behind us. And to this day, ThunderClan doesn't know if his murderer is dead or alive. All we know is that they took our fiercest warrior, and would take that secret to their grave."

"Whoa." Blazing Cinder breathed. She looked at Fire Heart, blue eyes wide with amazement. He met her gaze for a moment then looked away, tucking his tail over his paws. His mind was buzzing . 

The small apprentice shifted. "I never knew White Flower went through all that. And I'd never imagine RiverClan would do something so vile! Though I guess Oak Heart did kill Red Tail." She meowed to Rose Fall. 

Fire Heart's tailtip flicked at her words, but neither molly noticed.

"It was very difficult for him. To have lost both parents at such a young age… Blue Fur couldn't even be there for him properly this time, she had young kits and then deputyship taking up all her energy. It was truly unfortunate." Rose Fall murmured wistfully. "I wasn't even that close to Thistle Claw anymore by the time he died, but his absence was felt, especially with all that came after."

Fire Heart measured his words carefully. He didn't want to offend Rose Fall, but there was a  chance here he could get to know something about Oak Heart. "Do you suspect anyone?"

The elder eyed him, frowning. "As I said, no one has wanted to bring this up in moons for a reason. However, many suspected the most powerful RiverClan warriors at the time. River Hail Step, his young deputy Crooked Jaw, or Oak Heart. Crooked Jaw doesn't seem likely, though, with how uneven his bite marks would be. Thistle Claw gave Oak Heart a pretty good clawing once, but realistically that's the same for any RiverClan warrior, not really grounds for revenge. If any of them had been upset enough and found him alone, they could have thought killing him would increase their chance to get Sunningrocks back." She shook her head.

Dapple Tail, who seemed to have dozed off during the story, opened an eye. "StarClan knows we did everything we could to find out. It's not worth it to dwell on such a thing. RiverClan will be a problem until the sun no longer touches those rocks. Thistle Claw's murder belongs in the past, and may his spirit find swift hunting in StarClan."

Dipping her head, Rose Fall murmured a similar prayer. Silence followed, and Fire Heart stared at the cold earth beneath him, feeling as if the snow reached up to his chest. He imagined a future where he failed to reveal Tiger's Claw as a murderer, and the murderous tom made it to leadership with this secret safely hidden and unquestioned, just like Thistle Claw's killer.

He started as a paw prodded his side. Blazing Cinder looked at him, surprised at his reaction, then tilted her head. "Isn't Violet Fang waiting for you, Fire Heart?"

Mouse dung . He'd forgotten completely that his mentor was waiting for his return! Blazing Cinder purred in amusement as he quickly dismissed himself from the elder's den and raced across the clearing. 

In his mind, he noted to himself to make sure Gray Stripe managed to talk to Silver Stream. He needed to find out what Gray Pool knew as soon as possible.

Chapter Text

Fire Heart paced along the undergrowth near Sunningrocks. Bracken arched over his head. A bright, pearly light poured down on him, as if the moon was full in a cloudless sky. Every fern frond, every blade of grass glowed, and the pale shapes of primroses, clustering thickly beside the path, seemed to shine with a light of their own. All around him Fire Heart could feel the damp warmth of newleaf. The icy, snow-covered camp seemed nine lives away.

As he parted his jaws to scent out the herb he was looking for, a familiar scent touched his nose. He paused, then quickly closed his mouth as he tasted the acrid smell of smoke. A fire? In the forest? Alarmed, he followed the scent through a bracken tunnel and out into the open that sloped down into the river.

Fire Heart widened his eyes. He completely lost awareness of his surroundings as a body laid mangled in front of him, blood pooling around it. The body was of a large dark tabby with unruly fur and yellow eyes. There were marks of a warrior's claws and teeth on the cat's pelt, the neck seeming to rest at a strange angle.

The scent of smoke began to give away to the one of blood as it pooled and spread. Horrified, Fire Heart stepped back as the flow of blood reached his paws, flowing swiftly down to the river. Forcing himself to look away, the sight that greeted him was a shining expanse of water stretched as far as he could see, completely covering Sunningrocks and the territory beyond. His limbs felt like they were freezing. The reflected light dazzled him, forcing him to shut his eyes. Where did all this water come from? The river had never been this full before.

A chill breeze fluttered the surface of the water, penetrating his fur. The scent of moisture washed over him. Fire Heart opened his eyes, narrowed to block out as much of the light as possible. Around him, he was vaguely aware that it was now leaf-bare. The body remained where it was, soaking blood. Alarmingly, he thought he could see the shape of a familiar cat plunging into the woods. As Fire Heart swung his head, it was gone. As he pricked his ears and parted his jaws to try and get a scent, the light began to fade. 

In less than a heartbeat he was plunged into cold and darkness and the sensation of burning in his lungs.

Gasping for breath, Fire Heart woke up to the darkness of the healers' den. Looking around, he saw a dark shape with glinting eyes beside him.

"Had a dream?" Violet Fang rasped.

Fire Heart nodded, gasping as deeply as he could, hoping the feeling of air in his lungs would replace the feeling of being drowned. 

His mentor blinked. “You will make yourself lightheaded like this. Look around you. Where are you? What time is it?”

Confused, but too dazed to argue, he obliged. His nest was scattered around his paws, he realized he must have been thrashing in his sleep. While it seemed to have woken up Violet Fang, Blazing Cinder hadn't stirred, snoring peacefully in her nest. The den was covered in darkness, no ray of sunshine streamed through the ferns.

“It's… nighttime. I'm in my nest… in the healers’ den.” He replied in-between breaths. It was becoming easier to breathe.

“Good. As you can see, you're not inside your vision anymore.” Violet Fang rasped, her voice more calming than it had ever been. “Slow down your breathing, keep the air in your lungs a bit.”

The tom nodded, following her advice. It felt better, to feel the expanding inside his chest, and soon his heartbeat seemed to slow down. His lungs were not screaming for air, filled with icy liquid. He was not drowning.

"A vision of the future?" His mentor asked after some moments.

Fire Heart hesitated. "No. Maybe? It was… very disorienting." Nothing had made enough sense for him to assume it had any chance of happening, it all happened too fast. 

"Sleep on it, then." Violet Fang told him, adjusting herself into a sleeping position. "You'll learn how to interpret signs as your training goes. All visions have a meaning, some more clear than others. They're usually too overwhelming in the beginning, so it's no good to try to piece it together when it's too fresh. If it's not urgent, you should let it sit until you have an idea what it means. You can tell me then. Trust me, visions don’t get forgotten easily."

He murmured in agreement, thankful for the wise molly's knowledge to calm him down. Before, he'd dwell on these puzzling dreams all night long. As his mentor settled to sleep, Fire Heart got up to gather his nest back in place, letting himself be soothed by Blazing Cinder’s soft snoring.

 ***

Fire Heart and Blazing Cinder followed Violet Fang as she led the way along the ravine to the hollow where the apprentices had their training sessions. The morning sun shone brightly above, climbing steadily through a brilliantly blue sky, and much of the snow was gone. Fire Heart felt some actual warmth in his pelt as the light touched him, and a few tiny green buds covered the bushes. The first signs of newleaf would speed up the process of gathering the herbs depleted by leaf-bare ailments, and Violet Fang brought the small gray apprentice along to help them restock the herb storage quickly, the terrain now being more suited for her exercise. 

Maybe Gray Pool will be able to meet us if the weather stays like this , he thought excitedly.

“Will we even find anything good in this weather?” Blazing Cinder asked, breaking Fire Heart away from his thoughts. She shook slush from her paw. “There's still snow. Won’t everything be frozen?”

“The berries will be there.” Violet Fang answered, slowing down to a halt. “We’re looking mainly for juniper berries, broom leaves and alder bark. Bright-eye might grow around here, so call me if you see flower buds with pink petals. Anything else you might find could be useful too."

"Okay." Blazing Cinder looked around, then scampered away in the direction of a clump of bushes growing up the side of the hollow.

Violet Fang walked up to an alder tree, studying the trunk and the ground around it. Fire Heart chose to see what's among another patch of shrubs and bushes not far from Blazing Cinder.

Sniffing, he crouched down and poked his head beneath a small, dark-leaved bush that pushed its way up between two rocks. Bright scarlet berries grew close to the stems. To his hungry belly, the red berries seemed very juicy and rather tasty, especially for how the cold usually treated plants, but he merely bit down on a thin branch that held a bunch of the berries. 

The leaves of the branch rustled as he pushed himself back. He turned and padded up to Violet Fang. "Hey, I found some of these." His whiskers brushed the berries as he meowed to her through the branch. "Are they useful at all?"

The old molly turned to him, but the moment her orange eyes locked on to the berries, they rounded in horror. He didn't even see her swipe until the fur of her paw brushed against his muzzle, whacking the herb bunch out of his mouth. Fire Heart gasped in surprise, backing away in a daze. 

“Did you touch one?” the old molly demanded in a panicked growl, her breath washing over his nose with how close her muzzle was. Blazing Cinder turned around with a start, hackles raised.

"I— I only bit the stem of the bunch, I didn't—" Fire Heart stammered, puzzled by her fierceness.

“Look.” His mentor shoved the back of his head until his nose was a mouse-length from the berries. “Look but don’t touch. You too, Blazing Cinder. These are so poisonous, every healer refers to them as deathberries. Even one will kill an adult cat in heartbeats.”

Fire Heart stared at the scarlet orbs, horrified. One misstep, and he could have tasted the juice of these deathly berries. What could they have done to him? As the Violet Fang let go of him he fell back onto his haunches, shuddering. He heard Blazing Cinder's steps as the young molly approached. Her eyes were round as full moons, staring at the berries, fur raised on its end. Her usual talkativeness was seeped away by the danger presented. Fire Heart kicked snow on top of the deathberries swiftly, wishing them away. Violet Fang pressed herself comfortingly against his side. 

"You're fine. I'll have to run you through dangerous poisons when I can." She murmured to him, then cast a glance at the yew bush. "I hadn't been in this part of the territory in a while. I'll have to let Blue Fur know about a deathberry bush being this close to the youngsters."

"And I’ll make sure to tell the other apprentices about it!" Blazing Cinder interjected. She was still bristling, but her eyes were determined. “I'll even tell the kits!”

"Good idea, young one." The old molly rasped. "Now, keep looking for herbs. Just stay away from red berries!"

The gray apprentice nodded briskly, then limped away to the opposite side of the hollow. Violet Fang watched her, then lowered her head so it was level with Fire Heart's.

"In ShadowClan, we… the healers keep deathberries in the herb storage, so every cat is taught to stay away from them as a kit." She told him quietly.

Fire Heart stared at her, shocked. "Why would you keep something like that with your medicine?" He asked incredulously.

Her gaze darkened. "Living so close to the Carrionplace brought many sicknesses to ShadowClan. Many that we couldn't cure. We believe that, if there's no way to save a cat, it's more merciful to let them go quickly than waste away painfully as their Clanmates watch." 

Throat dry, Fire Heart couldn't bring himself to utter any words in response. It seemed against what he became a healer to do. Would he ever be able to choose to kill a cat, rather than do everything he could until StarClan took them away? He couldn’t even think of killing someone as awful as Broken Tail.

Violet Fang's tongue rasped on top of his head for a moment, and Fire Heart became aware of his breathing. He took deep breaths to calm his thudding heart. 

"Don't worry. It's not a ThunderClan practice." She reassured him. "I wouldn't ask you to do this.”

Fire Heart met her eyes, their fierceness replaced by a softness she rarely showed, and felt himself relaxing. It was the second time that day she soothed him, and she didn't seem to resent either. He realized that, no matter the fact she had to give up her kit, Violet Fang was still a mother.

As they resumed their work, Violet Fang flicked Fire Heart’s ear with her tail, earning a purr from him. Blazing Cinder soon bounded forth to announce she’d found some juniper berries that she had absolutely not touched, just in case.

Leaf Spots had been right. With cats like Violet Fang in his life, he felt brave enough to face anything.

Chapter Text

The herb-gathering went smoothly after the deathberry incident. The bright morning was coming to an end. Clouds were massing to cover the face of the sun, and the gentle breeze had strengthened. They carried back to camp everything they found.

Blazing Cinder insisted on carrying most of the load, marching across the clearing like she’d caught a hare. Fire Heart made his way to the healer’s den with them, but was intercepted by Cloud Tail. The white kit grabbed his hind leg, eyes sparkling.

"Fire Heart! Come play with us!" He mewled excitedly, holding him in place with his short front legs. Fire Heart noticed that the small tom didn't seem bothered anymore by the revelation of his kittypet roots, his eyes shining and his tail high.

"Cloud Tail!" Mossy Patch called from near the nursery, where her other kits played. "Let him go, Fire Heart is busy!"

"He's always busy!" Cloud Tail squealed in complaint, fluffy tail dropping on the snowy ground that was somehow less white than his fur was.

Fire Heart lifted his leg up, but the kit clung stubbornly to it, and was big enough now that he wouldn't be lifted up this easily. Giving up, Fire Heart turned to his nephew. "I really have to go now, Cloud Tail. The Clan needs medicine. Why don't you play with your siblings?" 

"They're so big they keep winning all the games. It gets boring!"

"Just 'cause you're too sore of a loser to listen to my advice!" Ash Fur called, earning a warning look from his mother. “What? I’m the big brother, he should listen to me!”

"Ash Fur has become so bossy since he started hanging around Thorn Claw." Fern Cloud huffed quietly.

Before any of them could say anything more, a thudding on the slushy earth outside was soon followed by a ThunderClan patrol crashing through the tunnel. Fleet Foot led Sand Storm, Gray Stripe and Stone Pelt straight to the leader’s den. Fire Heart noticed Gray Stripe’s bristling fur and wide eyes. As soon as Blue Fur heard their news, she leaped to the top of the Highrock and gave the familiar call: “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting.”

At once cats began to pour out of their dens and into the clearing. Mossy Patch grabbed Cloud Tail by the scruff and, despite his protests, set him inside the nursery, then placed herself at the den’s entrance to watch. Fire Heart followed Violet Fang take a seat, Blazing Cinder hurrying to join them from the healer’s den. Even Broken Tail came out to listen, Tiger’s Claw pushing him the right way with prodding from his massive paw and low growls.

“Cats of ThunderClan.” meowed Blue Fur. “Our camp may be in danger. The snow has gone, but the river has burst its banks. Part of our territory is already flooded.”

A chorus of dismay rose from the Clan. Fire Heart’s jaw gaped in shock. He’d just recently heard the elders mention that this had once happened. Catching Gray Stripe’s eye, he now noticed the anxiety in his friend’s face.

Blue Fur raised her voice above the yowls. “Fleet Foot, tell the Clan what you have seen.”

The tom stood up. “It’s as Blue Fur said. You can barely see the reeds, and it’s flowing faster than I’ve ever seen in my life. Most of Sunningrocks has submerged, and a lot of RiverClan’s land is now fully underwater.” He described, then added with a note of satisfaction to his voice. “Should keep them out of our territory.”

“Right, it doesn’t sound that dangerous to us.” meowed Dusty Earth. “We have plenty of territory left for prey. Let RiverClan worry about the floods.”

A murmur of approval broke out, especially from Dark Pine and Pale Tail, although Fire Heart noticed that Tiger's Claw stayed silent. He’d left Broken Tail to sit at the base of the Highrock, motionless except for the twitching tip of his tail.

“Silence!” spat Blue Fur. “The water could spread here before we know it. Something like this is bigger than Clan rivalry. WindClan’s exile endangered the balance of the four Clans, this is the same.”

Patchy Shade spoke up from among the elders. “I remember the last time the river overflowed, many moons ago. Cats from all Clans drowned. Prey drowned, too, and we went hungry even though our paws stayed dry. This is not just RiverClan’s problem.”

“Well said, Patchy Shade.” meowed Blue Fur. “I remember those days, too, and I hoped I would never have to see such times again. But since it has happened, these are my orders: No cat is to go out alone. Apprentices must not leave the camp without at least one warrior. Patrols will go out to discover how far the floods reach — Tiger's Claw, see to it.”

“Yes, Blue Fur.” meowed the deputy. “I’ll send out hunting patrols, too. We must build up a stock of prey before the water rises any farther.”

“Good idea.” agreed Blue Fur. She raised her voice again to address the whole Clan. “The meeting is over. Go to your duties.” She leaped down lightly from the Highrock and padded across to talk with the elders.

Fire Heart was waiting to see if Violet Fang had any new tasks for him in light of the news, when he noticed Gray Stripe edging away from the circle of cats. Fire Heart headed after him, catching up just as he broke for the gorse tunnel. “Where do you think you’re going?” he hissed in the gray warrior’s ear. “Blue Fur just said that no cat should go out alone.”

Gray Stripe turned a panicky look on him. “Fire Heart, I have to see Silver Stream.” he protested. “I have to be sure she’s okay.”

Fire Heart let out a long sigh of exasperation. He understood how his friend was feeling, but he could hardly have chosen a worse time to go visiting the RiverClan molly. “How will you get across the river?” he asked.

“I’ll manage.” Gray Stripe promised through gritted teeth. “It’s only water.”

“Don’t be such a mouse-brain!” Fire Heart spat, remembering the time Gray Stripe had fallen through the ice, when Silver Stream and Misty Step had rescued him. “You nearly drowned once before. Wasn’t that enough for you?”

Gray Stripe didn’t answer, he just swung around and made for the tunnel again.

Fire Heart glanced over his shoulder. The other cats in the clearing were breaking up into small groups under Tiger's Claw’s direction, ready to go out on patrol. “Stop, Gray Stripe!” he hissed, halting his friend at the entrance to the tunnel. “Wait there.”

Once he was sure Gray Stripe had done as he asked, he bounded across the clearing toward his mentor. “Violet Fang.” he meowed, loud enough for Tiger’s Claw to hear. “Gray Stripe offered to go with me to go check the state of the damage to herbs and moss by downstream Sunningrocks. Is that alright?”

He felt Tiger's Claw displeased gaze locked on him as Violet Fang thought about it. “Hm, I suppose that’s fine.” She rasped, a glint in her eyes. “Gather anything salvageable. You’re not getting away from organizing the herbs though, I’ll leave the piles waiting for you. Oh, and don’t let Gray Stripe fall in the river again to waste our herbs.” She paused. ”But if it comes to that, remember to lick fur the wrong way. It’s the best way to warm a cat.”

Fire Heart dipped his head before turning to race back to Gray Stripe. “Okay.” he panted. “We’re on herb gathering duty, so at least no cat will wonder where we’ve gone.”

“But you—” Gray Stripe began to protest.

“I know you have to go.” Fire Heart meowed. “But I’m coming with you.”

He felt a prickle of guilt as he spoke. Even on patrol, he and Gray Stripe wouldn’t be expected to cross Clan boundaries. Blue Fur would be furious if she knew that two of her cats were risking their lives to go into enemy territory when their own Clan needed them so badly. But Fire Heart couldn’t just stand there and let Gray Stripe go alone. His friend could be swept away in the floods and never return.

“Thanks, Fire Heart.” murmured Gray Stripe as they left the tunnel. “I won’t forget this.”

Side by side, the two toms scrambled up the steep, rocky slope. As they headed into the forest, Fire Heart noticed how muddy the ground was underpaw. The melted snow had soaked the earth like the heaviest rainfall, even without the deadly spread of floodwater from the river.When they reached the edge of the trees, what Fire Heart saw there brought to a halt, and the memory of his dream crashed into his mind like lightning. 

The land sloped gently down to the river — or what had been the river. Swelled by the melting snow, the fast-flowing water had burst the banks and risen until it lapped the grass barely a rabbit-length from Fire Heart’s paws. He looked down, almost expecting to see a corpse, but thankfully the large body of shimmering water was the only similarity between his dream and reality. However, he realized the current swirled around the Sunningrocks in tight circles, mercilessly thrashing around debris picked up from the land.

“We’ll never make it across there.” he meowed.

“Let’s head downstream.” Gray Stripe suggested. “We might be able to use the stepping stones.”

“Stepping stones?” Fire Heart echoed uncertainly. He was about to follow his friend when he thought he heard something — a thin, wailing sound, above the wind and the rushing of the torrent. “Wait.” he called. “Did you hear that?”

Gray Stripe looked back, and both cats stood, ears pricked, straining to catch the sound. Then Fire Heart heard it again — the panic-stricken mewling of kits in distress.

“Where are they?” he meowed, looking all around and up into the trees. “I can’t see them!”

“There.” Gray Stripe flicked his tail in the direction of the Sunningrocks. The current had driven a mat of woven reeds up against the Sunningrocks. Two kits balanced precariously on it, their tiny mouths stretched wide as they wailed for help. Even as Fire Heart watched, the current tugged at the mat, threatening to sweep it away. “Fire Heart, they’ll drown!”

“Come on!” Fire Heart yowled to Gray Stripe. “We’ve got to reach them somehow!”

Taking a deep breath, he waded into the flood. The water soaked into his fur at once, and a paralyzing, icy chill crept up his legs. The tug of the current made it harder to stay on his paws with every step he took.

Gray Stripe splashed in behind him, but when the water reached his belly fur he stopped. “Fire Heart...” he choked out.

Fire Heart twisted around to give him a comforting nod. He could understand how the river might terrify Gray Stripe, after his near-drowning a few moons ago. “Stay there.” he meowed. “I’ll try to push the mat over to you.”

Gray Stripe nodded, trembling too violently to speak. Fire Heart waded forward a few more paces, then launched himself into the current and began to swim, thrashing his legs instinctively to push himself through the black water. They were upstream of the Sunningrocks. If StarClan was kind, he should be carried down toward the kits.

For a moment he lost sight of them in the wind-ruffled waves, though he could still hear their terrified cries. Then the smooth gray bulk of one of the  boulders loomed up beside him. He kicked out strongly, fearing for one panic-stricken heartbeat that he would be swept right past.

The current swirled. Fire Heart’s paws worked furiously, and the river tossed him against the rock, driving the breath out of his body. He scrabbled at the rough surface, bracing himself against the rushing water, and found himself face-to-face with the two kits.

They were both very small — still suckling from their mother, Fire Heart guessed. One was brown and one gray, their fur plastered against their tiny bodies, and their blue eyes wide with terror. When they saw Fire Heart they started to scramble toward him, but the mat lurched and their wails grew louder as river water sloshed over them.

“Keep still!” Fire Heart gasped, paddling madly against the current. Briefly he wondered if he could climb onto the rock and haul the kits up with him, but he was not sure how long it would be before the Sunningrocks were completely submerged. His best plan was still to push the mat over to Gray Stripe. Looking back, he saw that his friend had already moved downstream, into a good position to catch the mat as it was swept toward him.

“Here we go…” Fire Heart muttered. “StarClan help us!” He pushed himself off from the rock, thrusting at the mat with his muzzle to guide it into the current. The two kits whimpered and flattened themselves against the twigs.

Fire Heart put every last scrap of energy into pushing the mat ahead of him with his nose and paws. He could feel exhaustion draining the strength from his limbs. His fur was soaked, and he was so cold he could hardly breathe. Raising his head and blinking water out of his eyes, he realized with horror that he had lost sight of Gray Stripe and the bank. 

It seemed as if there was nothing in the world but the churning water, the mat of reeds, and the two terrified kits.

Then he heard Gray Stripe’s voice, sounding close by. “Fire Heart! Fire Heart, here!”

Fire Heart thrust again at the mat, trying to propel it toward the voice. It spun away from him, and his head went under. Coughing and choking, he clawed his way back to the surface, to see Gray Stripe pacing on dry land just a few tail-lengths away.

For a heartbeat Fire Heart felt relief that he was nearly there. Then he focused his blurred eyes on the kits again, and fear pulsed through him. A wave of water came over the mat, submerging both kits temporarily. The gray kit’s grip loosened as he was hit by a clump of twigs, and the tiny creature was plunged into the torrent.

“No!” Gray Stripe yowled, launching himself after the drowning kit.

Fire Heart lost sight of them. The kit left on the mat squealed desperately, trying to cling to the reeds as the mat tipped over with debris. With the last of his strength Fire Heart drove himself forward, sank his teeth into the little creature’s scruff, and kicked out for dry ground.

Within moments he felt stones under his paws and managed to stand. Stone-limbed with weariness, he staggered out and dropped the brown kit on the grass at the edge of the flood. Its eyes were closed, he was not sure if it was still alive.

Glancing downstream, he saw Gray Stripe splashing out of the shallows, with the gray kit gripped firmly in his teeth. He padded up to Fire Heart and set it gently on the ground.

Fire Heart nosed both kits. They were lying very still, but when Fire Heart looked closer he could see the faint rise and fall of their flanks as they breathed. “Thank StarClan.” he muttered. He began to lick the brown kit as Violet Fang instructed him, feeling warmth seep under the kit's pelt. Gray Stripe crouched beside him and did the same for the gray kit.

Soon the brown kit twitched and coughed up a mouthful of river water. It took longer for the gray kit to respond, but at last it too coughed up water and opened its eyes.

“They’re alive!” exclaimed Gray Stripe, his voice filled with relief.

“Yes, but they won’t live long without their mother.” Fire Heart pointed out. He sniffed the brown kit carefully. The river water had washed off much of the Clan scent, but he could still detect a faint trace. “RiverClan.” he mewed, unsurprised. He looked down at the rushing waters, and the half-submerged RiverClan land beyond “We’ll have to take them home.”