Chapter Text
With a heavy (But also thankful) heart, I give you, hold your handkerchief, last chapter for "Fire and Ice" next will be "Forest of secrets" I hope you will enjoy this chapter, just as I have had a wonderful experience in...making it...Oh, just cry already! (Turns around and cries) well review and favorite and follow and all that! enjoy!
As the den grew lighter, Willowpelt woke up. Fireheart watched as she rose and stretched, then pushed her way out of the den. Fireheart looked at Tigerclaw from the corner of her eye, and seeing him still asleep pushed herself up on her paws. Instantly she felt drained, as if it took everything to stay on her paws, and her bones ached like they have been bent for over a moon. Stretching a little her stomach convulsed sharply, with a flinch she glanced once more at Tigerclaw before pushing her way out of the den.
Her eyes adjusted to the snowbound camp, her eyes sweeping across the clearing. With pickled paws she headed to the medicine cats den, but stopped in her tracks stopping short of the medicine cats den thinking. Spottedleaf and Yellowfang must still be asleep, they worked really hard, I'll come back later. She turned her paws away, and decided to head to the fresh-kill pile, upon arriving she found Brindleface awake and active choosing her own meal.
"Brindleface!" Fireheart purred tiredly, the pretty tabby blinked back warmly.
"Fireheart, how are you this morning?" Brindleface asked warmly, choosing a magpie from the pile. Fireheart couldn't find within herself to say she was fine, not when Brindleface was there with an open ear.
"Truth be told I been restless lately, I've been achy and my stomach feels like there are a bunch of bees flying around…" Fireheart sighed as she trailed off. Brindleface blinked back, a contemplative look on her face. Brindleface seemed to examine her with such intense green eyes, that Fireheart had to turn away.
A rustling noise accompanied the scent of Tigerclaw and Runningwind as they emerged from the den. They settled themselves beside Willowpelt to wash. Ready for the dawn patrol, Fireheart thought. Tigerclaw eventually looked up from his washing, his amber eyes lit with question, as if to say if she would join them on a patrol this morning, as she was about to get up to join them, Tigerclaw suddenly lifted his head as though he had smelled something. Fireheart tensed. Her ears twitching-she could hear paws crunching through the snow in the distance, moving fast. The breeze carried the scent of WindClan. The pawsteps grew louder. As one, the warriors stiffened-a cat was rushing toward them through the gorse tunnel. Tigerclaw arched his back and hissed as Onewhisker burst the clearing.
The WindClan warrior skidded to a halt in front of them, his eyes filled with dread. "ShadowClan and RiverClan!" he gasped. "They're attacking our camp! We're outnumbered and fighting for our lives. Tallstar refuses to be driven off this time. You must help or my Clan will be wiped out!"
Bluestar bounded out of her den. All eyes turned from Onewhisker to her. "I heard," she meowed. Without mounting the Highrock, the ThunderClan leader gave the yowl she used to call the Clan together. Onewhisker's fear-scent filled the clearing as he watched the cats emerge into the morning light.
As soon as the Clan had gathered, Bluestar began. "There's no time to waste. It's as we feared-ShadowClan and RiverClan have joined together, and now they're attacking the WindClan camp. We must help them." She paused and looked around at the faces staring back at her in dismay. Onewhisker stood beside her, listening silently with wide, hopeful eyes.
Fireheart was appalled. After the rogue cats had been discovered, she'd thought Nightstar could be trusted. Now it seemed the ShadowClan leader had broken the warrior code after all by uniting with RiverClan to drive WindClan from their home yet again.
"But we are leaf-bare-weak!" protested Patchpelt. "We've taken a risk for WindClan once before. Let them take care of themselves this time." A few murmurs of agreement rose from the elders and queens. To Fireheart's displeasure Brindleface also quietly murmurs her agreement, but Fireheart kept quite on her own opinion for the moment.
It was Tigerclaw who answered him, stepping forward to stand beside Bluestar. "You're right to be cautious, Patchpelt. But if ShadowClan and RiverClan have united, it is only a matter of time before they turn on us. It's better we fight now, with WindClan, than later, alone!" Bluestar looked at Patchpelt, who closed his eyes and lifted his tail, accepting Tigerclaw's words.
Yellowfang pushed her way forward, Spottedleaf hanging back. Allowing the older medicine cat to speak quietly to the leader. "I think you should remain behind in camp, Bluestar. The fever from the greencough may have gone, but you'll still be weak." The two cats exchanged a look that Fireheart understood in a jolt. Bluestar was on her ninth and final life. For the sake of the Clan, she could not afford to risk it in battle.
Bluestar nodded briskly. "Tigerclaw, I want you to organize two parties, one to head the attack, one to back it up. We need to get there as fast as we can!"
"Yes, Bluestar." Tigerclaw turned to the warriors. "Whitestorm, you'll head the second party; I'll head the first. I'll take Darkstripe, Mousefur, Longtail, Dustpelt, and Fireheart." Fireheart lifted her head as Tigerclaw called her name, feeling a thrill run through her. She was to join the lead party! And with a quick sideways look from Tigerclaw, she realized with a jolt, that he looked at her like there was no cat he would trust more than her.
"Fireheart," Fireheart barely heard Brindleface's trying to get her attention, all her focus was on the coming battle.
"You!" Tigerclaw called to Onewhisker. "What's your name?" The WindClan warrior looked startled by Tigerclaw's tone.
Fireheart answered for him. "Onewhisker," she meowed. Coming to stand with them. Tigerclaw nodded, barely pausing to look at Fireheart again, he too, was in a serious mode right now. "
"Onewhisker, you'll be in my party. The rest of the ThunderClan warriors will join Whitestorm. You too, Cinderpaw." Said gray she-cat leaped to her paws, and came bounding up beside Fireheart.
"Are we all ready?" Called Tigerclaw. The warriors raised their heads and let out a battle cry. Tigerclaw charged for the gorse tunnel and they raced after him. In her excitement rush Fireheart didn't hear Brindleface's desperate cry for her attention. Up the ravine they climbed, into the forest. They were heading for Fourtrees and the uplands beyond. Fireheart glanced over her shoulder as she ran through the trees. Graystripe was near the back, his face grim, his eyes staring blankly ahead. Fireheart wondered if Silverstream would be at the battle. Fireheart felt a pang of sorrow for her friend, but this time she had no doubts about her own readiness to fight. After bringing WindClan home, she couldn't help feeling responsible for them. She would not let any Clan drive them back to those Thunderpath tunnels.
Even though the snow had stopped falling, it was hard work getting through the drifts. An icy crust had formed over the top of the snow, but the warriors were heavy enough to break through and sink into the softer snow underneath.
"Tigerclaw!" Willowpelt's yowl sounded from the rear. The deputy halted and turned. "We're being followed!" Willowpelt called. Her words sent a quiver of alarm through Fireheart. Had they run into a trap? Quietly the patrol retraced their pawsteps, alert and suspicious. A snow-laden branch creaked above, making Cinderpaw jump.
"Wait," hissed Tigerclaw. The cats crouched in the deep snow. Fireheart could hear the noise of pawsteps heading toward them. They sounded light, like small paws stepping delicately over the top of the ice crust. With a sinking heart, Fireheart guessed who it was a heartbeat before Cloudkit and Brindleface's two kits Ashkit and Fernkit appeared from behind a log.
Tigerclaw reared up at them and the kits squealed in fright. The warrior recognized them instantly and dropped down onto all four paws. "What are you doing here?" he demanded.
"We want to join the battle," mewed Cloudkit. Fireheart wanted to hide in a fox burrow in embarrassment.
"You're too young," Tigerclaw retorted, his tail lashing as he stared down at the defiant white kit. "You need to go home at once," Tigerclaw hissed, his eyes blazing.
"But I want to fight, and protect my Clan!" Cloudkit protested, his tail puffed up behind him as he stood as tall as he could.
"Not today," Tigerclaw snapped, without turning his eyes away from the kits he called out for Cinderpaw. "Cinderpaw, you take these kits straight back to the Clan and to their mother." Cinderpaw's fluffy gray tail drooped and Fireheart felt a pang of guilt for the young she-cat.
"Don't worry, there will always be more battles for you to fight." Fireheart promised, giving the young apprentice an affectionate lick on the head.
The white kits shoulders sagged as Tigerclaw didn't waver at his protects, and with relief on Fireheart's part, reluctantly joined the other kits following Cinderpaw back to the camp. Tigerclaw watched them for a moment, then threw back his head, and yowled to the sky before charging on toward the WindClan camp. Fireheart and the others raced after him, past Fourtrees to the steep slope that led to the uplands. They bounded up, their paws made noiseless by the snow. When they reached the top, Fireheart came to a halt at the top she was panting. Am I that out of shape? Fireheart wondered, Fireheart was battered by a howling wind that turned her ears inside out. The WindClan hunting grounds looked more barren than ever, the gorse hidden by a layer of snow.
Tigerclaw was just behind Onewhisker as they patrol pelted onto WindClan territory, Fireheart felt nervous, and also another sharp pain in her stomach made her flinch but she tried the best she could to ignore it. She looked back at Graystripe, hoping for help. But the gray warrior had his head bowed low and his shoulders hunched miserably as the wind buffeted his thick fur. There would be little help there. Fireheart turned her jade green eyes to StarClan and sent up a prayer for guidance.
She was surprised to find that she recognized the shape of the land even beneath the snow as they pounded along. There was the badger set and the rock Graystripe had climbed to get a better view. She followed after the other warriors as she remembered from her journey with Graystripe until they reached the dip in the land marked the WindClan camp. Fireheart paused at the rim of the hollow with the others. Fore a heartbeat the wind dropped, and from below they heard the sounds of battle-screams and howls as cat furious fought with cat.
Tigerclaw addressed the warriors in a fierce hiss that carried through the blizzard. "Whitestorm, wait until you hear my battle cry! Onewhisker, you lead us through the camp entrance; we'll take care of the rest."
Onewhisker began to race down the slope toward the snow-covered bushes. Tigerclaw thundered after him, Darkstripe at his heels. Fireheart charged behind the sleek gray tabby, through the narrow tunnel that led into the WindClan camp. The gorse was a dense and sharp as she remembered. Graystripe and the other warriors stayed at the tip of the sloop, a fresh wave of attack ready to strike after the initial barrage.
Fireheart skidded to a halt, reeling at the sight that greeted her in the camp clearing. Last time she'd been here, in search of the scent trail that would lead them to the missing Clan, the place had been deserted and silent. Now the clearing swarmed with writhing, screeching, fighting cats. Onewhisker had been right-the WindClan cats were hopelessly outnumbered. A fresh party of ShadowClan and RiverClan warriors waited at the edge of the clearing, but WindClan could spare no backup group. The whole Clan was fighting, apprentices and elders, warriors and queens.
Fireheart spotted Morningflower wrestling with a ShadowClan warrior. The WindClan queen looked exhausted and frightened, her fur standing in ragged clumps. Still, she nimbly turned and scratched her attacker, but he was much bigger and knocked her easily to the ground with a heavy blow.
With a hiss of fury, Fireheart leaped and landed squarely on the shoulders of the ShadowClan tom. She clung on while the surprised warrior spun and tried to shake her loose. Morningflower raked the tom with her claws as Fireheart dragged him to the ground. The ShadowClan warrior screeched and ripped himself free. He ran into the prickly camp wall and pushed his way through. Morningflower shot a grateful glance at Fireheart and turned back to the battle.
Fireheart looked around, shaking drops of blood from her nose. The fresh patrols of ShadowClan and RiverClan cats had joined the fight now. ThunderClan's arrival had evened the numbers for a while, but now the second party was needed. Fireheart heard Tigerclaw's battle ring out, and a moment later Whitestorm exploded into the clearing, followed by Graystripe, Runningwind, and the rest of the ThunderClan warriors.
Fireheart grabbed a RiverClan warrior, tripping him with one paw and holding him down with another. She rolled the tom over with force and thrashed at his belly with her hind claws. The RiverClan cat leaped away and crashed into a WindClan warrior. The warrior turned in surprise. Fireheart recognized Onewhisker straightaway and watched as he reared and attacked the RiverClan tom without a moment's pause. Fireheart could see the fire in Onewhisker's eyes. She could leave him to finish this fight.
A familiar hiss caught Fireheart's attention. Graystripe was battling with a gray ShadowClan cat. It was Wetfoot, a warrior who had helped them fight to rid ShadowClan of Brokenstar. The two warriors were well matched. Graystripe thrust Wetfoot away with his back legs and spun around, looking for another cat to attack. Fireheart could see a RiverClan cat right behind Graystripe. Above the din of battle, she heard the blood roar in her ears. Would Graystripe attack one of Silverstream's fellow warriors?
Graystripe leaped, and Fireheart held her breath. But instead of jumping onto the RiverClan cat, Graystripe sailed over him and landed on the back of another ShadowClan warrior.
Fireheart heard Tigerclaw call her name. She twisted her head and saw the warrior at the other end of the clearing. The fighting was thick up there, with cats from all Clans battling together. As she charged through to the ThunderClan deputy, Fireheart felt Leopardfur grasp her hind leg, pulling her down.
"You!" hissed the RiverClan deputy. They had last met at the gorge, where Whiteclaw had died. Leopardfur knew that Fireheart was one of two warriors to retrieve WindClan and blamed both her and Graystripe for bringing WindClan into their territory.
Fireheart twisted around, slashing her claws across Leopardfur's muzzle. Leopardfur reared back, hissing venomously at Fireheart who sprang on her golden pelt and slashing at her wide shoulders. Leopardfur hissed, trying to throw Fireheart off. Fireheart gave a painful gasp of surprise as she felt claws drag her off of Leopardfur. Whipping around she turned to see Stonefur. Turning around was a mistake seeing as Leopardfur took the opportunity to slash at her hindquarters. To Fireheart's growing fear she found herself against two expert warriors, one in front and the other behind her. Fireheart yowled in fear as Leopardfur pounced on her, and Stonefur cuffing her ears. Fireheart thought for a moment that this was it, but the hazy vision of the ginger she-cat with amber eyes came back to her.
With a squeal of pain Leopardfur was harshly pulled off, and Fireheart took this opportunity to shove Stonefur straight into Whitestorm. The ThunderClan cat whipped around and grasped Stonefur by the scruff of his neck. Fireheart turned around, seeing who had rescued her, and to her relief watched as Tigerclaw battled with Leopardfur, deputy against deputy. Fireheart tried to dart forward and help her mate, but claws held her back, digging into her haunches. She twisted to see who it was and glimpsed gray fur. It was Silverstream.
The she-cat's face was twisted with battle rage as she reared up at her. Blood was dripping into the silver tabby's eyes, and Fireheart could tell she hadn't recognized her. She drew back a paw and she saw her long claws flash as she prepared to swipe at Fireheart. As Fireheart screwed up her eyes, bracing herself for the blow, she heard and achingly familiar yowl. "Silverstream! No!"
Graystripe, Fireheart thought.
Silverstream hesitated, shook her head, and recognized Fireheart with a muted gasp. She dropped back down to all four paws, her eyes wide with shock.
Fireheart reacted instinctively, her blood aflame with battle. Without thinking, she leaped onto the back of the RiverClan she-cat and pinned her to the ground. She didn't struggle as she drew back her head and prepared to give her a vicious bite on her shoulder. But as Fireheart raised her head she felt Graystripe's eyes boring into her. The gray warrior was watching in horror from the edge of the battle.
The look of pain and disbelief in her friend's eyes brought Fireheart to her senses. She stopped, sheathed her claws, and loosened her grip on Silverstream. The silver she-cat slipped away from her and disappeared into the surrounding gorse. Fireheart stared, still in shock, as Graystripe raced after her.
Fireheart sighed as she watched her go, knowing that Graystripe's affair had forced her into disloyalty to ThunderClan, she had let an enemy warrior go! But she didn't dwell on it, just then Fireheart heard Runningwind yowl for help. The tabby warrior was grappling desperately with Nightstar, ShadowClan's treacherous leader. Fireheart darted through the throng to Runningwind's side.
Without pausing to think, Fireheart leaped, grabbing Nightstar from behind. The black warrior howled in rage as Fireheart pulled him backward and sank her claws deep into Nightstar's fur. She had fought side by side with this warrior only a few moons ago to help him drive out Brokenstar. Now she sank her teeth into Nightstar's shoulder with the same ferocity she had used against the former ShadowClan leader.
Nightstar squealed and twisted in Fireheart's grip. This tom had not been made leader for nothing, thought Fireheart, struggling to hang on. Nightstar scrabbled free, but Runningwind was ready. He pounced, and together the two warriors rolled across the frozen clearing. Fireheart watched them struggle and twist, timing her moment perfectly so that when she finally leaped, she landed squarely on Nightstar's back. She grasped him more firmly this time, ready for the warrior to wriggle free. But Runningwind also had a grip. Together they scratched and bit the ShadowClan leader till he screeched out loud. Then they released him, springing backward with their claws still unsheathed.
Nightstar leaped to his paws and spun around, hissing. Fireheart saw the fury in his eyes, but the ShadowClan leader knew he was beaten. He backed away, his eyes darting around the clearing where his warriors were suffering similar treatment from the other ThunderClan warriors. He gave the yowl of retreat. Instantly his warriors stopped fighting and, like their leader, backed into the gorse that surrounded the camp. The RiverClan warriors were left alone to fend off ThunderClan and WindClan.
Fireheart paused to catch her breath, blinking blood from her eyes. Whitestorm was grappling with Leopardfur now, with Mousefur at his side. Sandstorm was battling with a RiverClan warrior almost twice her size. But her opponent was only half her speed. Fireheart watched Sandstorm nip and twist around him until the RiverClan warrior looked overwhelmed.
Dustpelt was fighting a smoky-black tom nearby. Fireheart recognized Blackclaw, the RiverClan warrior she had seen chasing rabbits in the uplands. Dustpelt was stubbornly refusing to be cowed by the blows and bites aimed at him. Each time he was struck, the young warrior turned and gave as good as he got. It looked as if he didn't need any help. And Fireheart guessed Dustpelt would not thank her for interfering in this fight.
Where was Crookedstar? Fireheart searched the clearing for the RiverClan leader. It wasn't hard to find him. Now that ShadowClan had run away, the clearing was less crowded. Fireheart soon spotted the light-colored tabby with the twisted jaw. He was crouching low, face-to-face with Tigerclaw. The two warriors stared at each other, their tails thrashing menacingly. Fireheart's blood pounded through her veins as she waited for one of them to make a move. It was Crookedstar who leaped first, but Tigerclaw jumped nimbly aside and Crookedstar missed. Tigerclaw was more accurate; he turned and lunged at Crookedstar's back. The ThunderClan warrior grasped the RiverClan leader with his long claws, and Crookedstar went limp beneath him. Fireheart watched breathlessly as Tigerclaw bared his teeth, lunged forward, and sank them deep into Crookedstar's neck.
Fireheart gasped. Had Tigerclaw really killed the RiverClan leader? Crookedstar's pained screech told Fireheart that Tigerclaw missed the spine. But it was a blow to win the battle. Tigerclaw released his opponent and let him race, yowling, toward the camp entrance. As soon as Crookedstar's tail shot out of sight, his warriors struggled free and pelted after him.
In a heartbeat, the WindClan camp fell silent apart from the howling of the wind above the gorse. Fireheart stared around her. The ThunderClan warriors were tired and battered, but the WindClan cats looked far worse. Every one of them was bleeding, while some lay unmoving on the frozen ground. Barkface, their medicine cat, wasted no time in rushing from one cat to another, attending to their injuries.
Tallstar limped toward Tigerclaw, blood dripping from his cheek. As she watched the WindClan leader, Fireheart couldn't help but feel uneasy. Why did that she-cat come to her again? What was her purpose here? What was she doing her to begin with? But one thing was for sure, that the flame colored she-cat with amber eyes was important, although she was uncertain of what her importance was.
Tallstar spoke quietly to Tigerclaw. Fireheart couldn't hear the words they shared, but she could guess by Tallstar's bowed head that the WindClan leader was acknowledging the debt he owed to ThunderClan. Tigerclaw sat up straight and accepted the thanks with his chin held high. Fireheart felt a wave of tiredness overcame her, her stomach in knots over everything that has happened.
"Here." Fireheart was shaken from her thoughts by the soft voice of Willowpelt offering her a mouthful of the medicine cats herbs. Fireheart purred her thanks as Willowpelt began squeezing juice from the herb into the bite marks on Fireheart's shoulders. The juice stung, but the smell took her straight back to another time, with Spottedleaf. She had given her the same herbs to treat Yellowfang so many moons ago. As the odor of the herbs wafted up. Fireheart turned her tired eyes over to spot Morningflower, nudging her kit back inside the nursery as he tried to come back out. She remembered her dream from the night before. Those that have been lost will always come back back to you Fireheart, remember, they might come back to you in different way. StarClan had not forgotten your love ones, you shall see them again, plus more. Fireheart pondered over this, but was interrupted by Runningwind.
"You fought well, Fireheart!" Runningwind interrupted her thoughts. The brown tabby blinked warmly at Fireheart.
"Yes," agreed Willowpelt. "You're a fine warrior. StarClan will honor you for this." Fireheart looked at them both, her ears twitching with pleasure. It was a relief to feel part of the Clan again.
Suddenly Fireheart's fur prickled, Darkstripe was stalking across the clearing towards her. What's does he want? Fireheart thought.
"Are you okay?" asked Willowpelt.
Fireheart realized she was brisling. "Er, yes. Just thinking." Fireheart replied, watching as Darkstripe approached.
"Well, if you're sure, I'll go and see to some others," meowed Willowpelt.
"Yes-fine," meowed Fireheart. "Thanks." Willowpelt picked up her herbs and padded away. Runningwind followed her.
Darkstripe flattened his ears and drew back his lip and snarled quietly as he glared at Fireheart. "I saw you let go of that RiverClan cat!" He hissed, his dark pelt bristling.
But Fireheart wasn't going to be bullied as she snapped back. "She escaped, yes, what was I supposed to do? Kill her?"
Darkstripe's tail lashed, his pelt spiking. "You didn't even scratch her!"
Fireheart shrugged. "Perhaps you should chase after the she-cat and ask her if it's true!"
Darkstripe looked ready to claw her, but her restrained as he retorted meanicingly. "I don't need too, I saw your useless friend chase after her. Perhaps he'll be able to prove how badly she was scratched."
For the first time since they'd entered the battle Fireheart felt the chill of the wind. The gleam in Darkstripe's eyes hinted at a veiled threat. Had the dark warrior guessed about Graystripe's love for Silverstream, but Fireheart felt that Darkstripe wasn't that smart in the first place. Fireheart was still searching for words when Graystripe appeared, squeezing through the camp entrance.
"Look who's back," sneered Darkstripe. "Do you want to ask him how the she-cat is? No, wait, I can guess his answer. He'll just tell us he didn't manage to catch up with her." Not bothering to disguise the scorn in his eyes. Darkstripe glared right at her. "Normally I would report you to Tigerclaw, but you messed with his head, he doesn't act like he normally would. But I can tell you, I have my eyes on you. Both of you!" Darkstripe abruptly turned and stalked away.
Fireheart looked over at Graystripe. Her friend's face was lined with exhaustion and worry. Fireheart padded across the clearing to meet him. Would Graystripe still be resentful of Fireheart's interference? Would he be angry that Fireheart had tried to attack Silverstream, or grateful that she'd let her go?
Graystripe stood silently, his broad head hanging down. Fireheart reached forward with her nose and gently touched her friend's cold, gray flank. She felt Graystripe's rumbling purr and looked up. Graystripe gazed back at her. His eyes were sad, but there was no trace of anger that Fireheart had seen in them lately.
"Is she okay?" Fireheart asked under her breath.
"Yes," whispered Graystripe. "And thanks for letting her go."
Fireheart blinked at him. "I'm glad she wasn't hurt," she meowed censerly.
Graystripe held her gaze for a moment, then meowed, "Fireheart, you were right. The battle wasn't easy. It felt like I was fighting Silverstream's Clan mates, not enemy warriors." He lowered his eyes, ashamed. "But I can't give her up."
The gray warrior's words filled Fireheart with foreboding, but she couldn't help sympathizing with her friend. "This is something you have to work out yourself," she meowed. "It's not my place to judge you." Graystripe looked up as Fireheart went on. "Graystripe, whatever you decide to do, I will always be your friend."
Graystripe stared at her, his eyes clouded with relief and gratitude. Then, without speaking, the two warriors lay down, side to side, in the unfamiliar clearing. For the first time in moons, their fur was pressed together in friendship. Above them, the snow-heavy gorse offered them a brief shelter from the storm that raged over their heads. Fireheart's eyes closed briefly, and in her light sleep, she dreamed.
Once again Fireheart dreamed, her eyes staring over the side of a sheer cliff, her eyes widening in fear. Off to the side she saw the same she-cat as her last dream, although she seemed to have her eyes set on four bright stars. Uncertain of what to do she padded over to the hazy she-cat, but as she approached Rock was in her place. "You will see this she-cat sooner than you think," Rock rasped, his voice filled with a far off echo.
" What do you mean?" Fireheart asked, watching Rock look from the four bright stars to turn his blind eyes on her.
" You are not ill, Fireheart," Rock replied. "Far from it, by you, your loved one's will be reborn, your kits, family, and more." Rock chuckled a little bit as Fireheart's eyes widened.
" Not everything will happen the same way it had before, be well Fireheart, for times of trouble are ahead."
Fireheart's eyes snapped open and she gasped. The call of Tigerclaw's yowl had woken her, he must have seen to the other cats, and found them fit to travel again. Fireheart scrambled to her paws, Graystripe steering beside her, Fireheart glanced around and found Morningflower sitting outside the nursery, both she-cats stared at each other, before nodding their heads in silent farewell.
Padding towards her Clan mates, Fireheart fell behind to the rear. Her mind pondering over all that has happened. She hardly even noticed as Tigerclaw slowed down to allow Whitestorm to take the lead. And had fallen into step beside her. Fireheart came stuttering out of her thoughts when Tigerclaw finally addressed his presence. "You seem distracted, are you feeling sick again?" The dark tabby warrior asked, his voice came out in a huff, but it was filled with care.
Fireheart felt her paws tingle, as she turned to look at him., her gaze warm with welcome. Fireheart reveled in the sensation of being close to him. "Will you walk with me a while?" she asked him. "I have something to tell you." Tigerclaw's eyes were filled with curiosity as they fell behind the group of warriors. Putting space between them and the returning patrol.
"What is it?" Tigerclaw asked, his meow filled with interest.
"Tigerclaw," Fireheart felt hesitant, but the care and warmth in Tigerclaw's eyes as he gazed at her made her feel amazing. "We're going to have kits." Fireheart purred, wrapping her tail with his.
Tigerclaw staggered for a moment, seemingly like he forgotten how to walk for a moment. His amber eyes widened in shock as his mouth opened in a silent surprise gasp. He composed himself quickly however, his eyes narrowing in delight. A robust purr sounded deep in his throat. His tail curling more tightly around her's, the cold wind and snow didn't faze either cat, their happiness warming the both of them.
A thought entered Fireheart's mind, Was she destined to meet this strange cat? Was she meant to bore this cat? Was that her unborn daughter she was having dreams of? Fireheart pushed these thought away from her mind for the time being, for now, she wished to return home where her Clan mates and family are.
So, like my last a finally chapter of 'Fire and Ice' how did you like it? 'Forest of Secret's' will be up soon! Also review! And also thanks to…