Cinders to Flames

Chapter 8

Cinderpaw found her father sharing a vole with Houndheart at the edge of the camp.

"Hi Iceleap, there is a hole the apprentices' den. I was wondering if you could patch it up?" she asked.

"That's great, another thing to deal with." Houndheart muttered, "We are already running low on prey and medicine supplies."

"I can do that" Iceleap meowed, then turning to Houndheart, "I'll see you later."

Cinderpaw was weaving bark and sticks together with Iceleap, quickly getting into a calm rhythm twisting the bark and sticks between her claws.

"How are you going along with Featherpaw?" Iceleap asked.

"Well, it seemed that Sootslash brainwashed her or something, because now she hates me." Cinderpaw muttered.

"Sootslash was so angry when Blizzardstar made you into a warrior. She wanted you to be a medicine cat."

"Because she thought I couldn't be a warrior!" Cinderpaw snarled, digging her claws into the ground, trying to contain her rage.

"Because she wanted to protect you." Iceleap corrected calmly.

"Then why is she turning Featherpaw against me then?" Cinderpaw retorted.

"She thinks that Featherpaw has been influencing you, and that maybe you would give up being a warrior."

Cinderpaw was silent, she just continued weaving the sticks back and forth.

"I told her that you would never give up being a warrior. You are too stubborn, too headstrong. You always were, Cinderpaw."

"Thank you, Iceleap," Cinderpaw meowed, touching muzzles with her father. "Thank you for believing in me."

"I can finish this, go and make me proud," he meowed and Cinderpaw made a silent promise in her head.

"Want to go on a patrol with me?" Blizzardstar asked Cinderpaw, stopping her in her tracks.

"Sure!" she meowed, trotting after her leader. They walked through the forest in silence for a while, until Blizzardstar spoke.

"I see you were talking to Iceleap."

"Yes, we were discussing family issues," she mumbled.

"Iceleap made a horrible mistake; he fell in love with a DarkClan warrior"

Cinderpaw stopped in her tracks. "Sootslash was a DarkClan cat?"

"She was. Ashstar's own daughter, too. I remember the day Iceleap told me like yesterday. He said: father, I have made a mistake. And I said: everyone makes mistakes, son. I believed that his judgement was fair, so I let Sootslash join FrostClan. Ashstar was furious, Sootslash was his only kit. Now he has it out for me."

"That makes sense," Cinderpaw meowed. That is why Ashstar is waging war on FrostClan all of a sudden! She thought.

"When I first became leader, a StarClan cat came to me in my dreams. She said, every cat makes mistakes. It doesn't matter how bad it was, they deserve a second try. You should always take that into consideration, Cinderpaw."

"Even Sootslash?" she asked.

"Yes, even Sootslash. Featherpaw too"

"Okay, I will try," Cinderpaw promised.

They reached the DarkClan border, and there wasn't any sign of DarkClan on the FrostClan side of the border.

"Seems like DarkClan is holding off." Cinderpaw meowed.