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“I have no kits!” Yellowfang spat. She snatched her tail away from him and sat up. “Anyway”—her voice suddenly lowered, and she sounded almost wistful—“accidents seem to happen to kits when I’m around them.”
:(
“There are a couple of ticks I couldn’t pull out,” he told her when he had finished. “I should hope you didn’t even try, you idiot!” snapped Yellowfang. “I don’t want any tick heads embedded in my rear, thank you very much.
Honestly same
And it was certainly no hardship to go and see Spottedleaf again.
Somebody's got a crush
Firepaw could tell that the cats back at camp were impressed with the amount of prey the three apprentices had managed to catch during their afternoon hunt. They were welcomed back with high tails and friendly nuzzles.
“Ravenpaw managed to squeeze a compliment out of old Tigerclaw this morning!” “Really?” Firepaw gasped. “What on earth did you do to please Tigerclaw—fly?”
lol
“I don’t know why he thinks Snakerocks is an easy route!” mewed Graypaw. “The place is crawling with adders. Birds and mice stay away from there because there are so many snakes!”
Maybe he wants Ravenpaw to die
It’s a kittypet! he thought as he raced through the undergrowth, smelling its fear-scent. In my territory!
How we have changed.
“Rusty?” mewled Smudge in disbelief. “Is that you? Did you find the wildcats again? Or are you living with new housefolk? You must be, if you’re still alive!”
Ye of little faith.
“But we were kittens together. I should know your smell like I’d know the smell of my birth mother.” Then Firepaw remembered. Smudge had passed six moons. No wonder he looked so soft and fat, and smelled so strange. “You’ve been to the Cutter!” He gasped. “I mean, the vet!”
A swish of bushes announced Graypaw’s return. He was carrying a small squirrel in his mouth, which he dropped beside Firepaw’s chaffinch. “Yuck!” he spat. “Squirrels are too furry. I’ll be picking hairs out of my teeth all evening.”
He jumped to his paws as the black cat leaped into the clearing, looking unusually pleased with himself. Dangling from his mouth was the long, diamond-patterned body of an adder.
Wow damn
“Tigerclaw has told me that he saw you talking with a cat from the Twolegplace today,” she meowed quietly.
Tigerclaw is a tattletale >:(
“Firepaw, although you showed bad judgment today in talking to a house cat, Tigerclaw was impressed by your hunting skills. In fact, he reported that you all did well. I am pleased with your progress. You will come to the Gathering—all three of you.”
Why had Tigerclaw sent him so near his old haunts? Had he wanted to test him? Could it be the great dark warrior didn’t trust his loyalty to ThunderClan?
I mean, that was my assumption.........
“He looks pretty nasty,” Firepaw muttered. “Yeah,” agreed Graypaw. “He’s certainly got a reputation among all the Clans for not suffering fools gladly. And he’s not been leader that long—four moons, ever since his father, Raggedstar, died.”
“I can see why they call him Runningnose,” Firepaw remarked. The medicine cat’s nose was wet at the tip and encrusted around the edges. “Yep,” replied Graypaw with a scornful growl. “I can’t see why they appointed him when he can’t even cure his own cold!”
Meoooooooow
“You are a ShadowClan apprentice, aren’t you? How many moons are you?” The tabby stared awkwardly down at the ground. “S-six moons,” he stammered, not meeting Lionheart’s eye. “Rather small for six moons,” Lionheart murmured. His tone was gentle, but his gaze was searching and serious.
What was it Ravenpaw had said? That Redtail had killed Oakheart? But according to Tigerclaw, Oakheart had killed Redtail and he, Tigerclaw, had killed Oakheart in revenge.
“If Redtail killed Oakheart, who killed Redtail?” Firepaw hissed to Graypaw.
Tigerclaw?
ShadowClan did not lose kits. We are hardened to the cold north wind. Our kits are stronger than yours from the moment they are born. And so we find ourselves with many mouths to feed, and too little prey to feed them.” The crowd, still silent, listened anxiously. “The needs of ShadowClan are simple. In order to survive, we must increase our hunting territory. That is why I insist that you allow ShadowClan warriors to hunt in your territories.”
“Must,” repeated Brokenstar. “WindClan failed to understand this. In the end, we were forced to drive them out of their territory.”
In the anxious pause that followed, Crookedstar stepped forward. “I have already agreed to allow ShadowClan some hunting rights in the river that runs through our territory,” he meowed quietly, gazing down on his Clan. Horror and humiliation rippled through the RiverClan cats at their leader’s words.
“I also bring news that is important to the safety of your kits. A ShadowClan cat has turned rogue and spurned the warrior code. We chased her out of our camp, but we do not know where she is now. She looks like a mangy old creature, but she has a bite like TigerClan.”
“She is dangerous. I warn you—do not offer shelter to her. And”—Brokenstar paused dramatically—“until she is caught and killed, I urge you to keep a close eye on your kits.”
idk this sounds like propaganda to me
But among the other ShadowClan apprentices, the tabby no longer looked unusually small—they all looked tiny and undernourished, more like kits of three or four moons than full-fledged apprentices.
“ShadowClan’s noble leader promised to drive me from every Clan territory,” Yellowfang replied dryly. “What did he say about me?”
“Firepaw, you believe I’m innocent, and I’m grateful for that. If you believe me, then others might. And I know Bluestar will give me a fair hearing. I can’t run forever. I’m too old. I shall stay here and face whatever your Clan decides for me.”
Firepaw realized Yellowfang had made up her mind. He touched his nose to her patchy fur, then crept silently away into the shadows to watch.
What a little cupcake ;_;
“We got back in time,” she meowed with a gasp. “The kits are safe!” “Of course they are!” snapped Bluestar.
Thank StarClan for a leader with sense.
“It is time we discussed the real threat to our Clan: Brokenstar.
WindClan has gone. RiverClan has given hunting rights to ShadowClan warriors. ThunderClan stands alone against Brokenstar.”
“What’s the Moonstone?” Firepaw asked Graypaw. “It’s a rock deep underground that shines in the dark,” whispered Graypaw. His voice was hoarse with awe. “All Clan leaders have to spend one night at the Moonstone when they are first chosen. There, the spirits of StarClan share with them.”
“I know only that the new leaders have to sleep near the stone, and as they sleep, they have special dreams. After that, they have the gift of nine lives, and take the name ‘star.’”
Firepaw saw Ravenpaw’s ears flatten as the young cat flinched away from Tigerclaw’s fierce words. The dark warrior loomed over him, twice his size, his eyes and teeth flashing in the moonlight. What was he saying to Ravenpaw?
As he bent his head, Spottedleaf stretched over and gently rubbed his cheek with her nose. Firepaw breathed in her sweet, warm scent and purred his thanks.
Sweethearts ;_;
Is he just worried about ShadowClan, or is there something else troubling him?
Such as his asshole mentor?
Ravenpaw and Graypaw, you will remain on guard outside. Firepaw, you will accompany me and Tigerclaw to the Moonstone.”
He saw a flash of movement, felt fur rush past him, and heard the fleeing pawsteps of Tigerclaw racing back to the entrance.
lol bye bye Tigerclaw
Firepaw followed a few paces behind with Graypaw, but Ravenpaw was flagging.
“Are you okay?” Firepaw asked. “Yes,” Ravenpaw panted, not meeting Firepaw’s eyes. “Just a bit tired.”
on to
Onto
“Is there anything we can do?” Firepaw asked. “She is in the hands of StarClan now,” meowed Tigerclaw solemnly, stepping back.
NO
Then Bluestar stirred. The end of her tail twitched and she lifted her head. “Bluestar?” mewed Firepaw, his voice trembling. “It’s all right,” Bluestar rasped. “I am still here. I have lost a life, but it wasn’t my ninth.”
He looked at Tigerclaw, expecting to see relief on his face, but the dark warrior was expressionless.
TRAITOR
“It is a long time since I saw you lose a life, Bluestar.” Firepaw overheard Tigerclaw’s whispered words. “How many have you lost now?” Firepaw couldn’t help feeling surprised at Tigerclaw’s open curiosity. “That was my fifth,” replied Bluestar quietly.
Fascinating that he's keeping count.
“Don’t worry about ShadowClan warriors,” she meowed through gritted teeth as Tigerclaw paused to sniff the air. “You won’t find any here today.” How could she be so sure? Firepaw wondered.
In the distance he could hear battle-hungry yowls, and the shrill squeal of terrified kits. “Quick!” Bluestar howled. “It is as StarClan warned me. Our camp is being attacked!” She tried to leap forward, but stumbled. She pushed herself up and limped onward.
Inside the nest, crouching over the terrified kits, was Yellowfang. Her gray fur was spattered with blood, and one of her eyes was painfully swollen. She looked up at Firepaw with a ferocious hiss, then, realizing it was him, she yowled, “They’re okay. I’ll protect them.”
“Our kits are all safe, thanks to Yellowfang. A ShadowClan warrior killed brave Rosetail and was trying to steal them from their nest, but Yellowfang fought him off.”
GO YELLOWFANG
“It was no ordinary ShadowClan warrior either,” Firepaw put in. He was determined to let the Clan know how much they owed Yellowfang. “I saw him. It was Blackfoot.”
