Warriors: Bloodshed

Chapter 6

"Yellowfang has finally joined our ancestors. We hope that she will rest in peace with them and guide us from then on." Bluestar's voice rang across the half burnt and half destroyed camp. The fire had consumed everything in its path but didn't reach the medicine cat's den as if is the farthest away from where the fire camp in, the rain must've made the fire die down before it could reach the den full of valuable supplies. "We will sit vigil for her tonight and bury her at dawn." Bluestar nodded to One-eye, Dappletail and Smallear who were the last remaining elders of ThunderClan. "We will also honor Patchpelt and Halftail who also suffered in the flames that engulfed our forest. May all their paths be lightened with StarClan's power." The blue-gray she-cat ended as she leaped down and joined the cats who had already gathered. Fireheart was among them. He dipped his head to Yellowfang. "I'm so sorry Yellowfang. I hope you can forgive me for my foolish actions." He whispered softly, as he shared tongues with Patchpelt and Halftail for the last time, after he had finished with them, a soft whisper came to his ear. "You did not cause this, it was my time to join them and you could not have stopped it in any way. I will always be with you Fireheart..." The voice whispered ever so quietly as he distinguished Yellowfang's raspy, pale voice and her scent faintly came to his nose. As he lifted his head, he saw three faint outlines of three cats, one was a black-and-white tom which was much smaller than the other two, then a dark brown tabby tom with half of his tail missing which was three times bigger than the smaller black-and-white cat and larger than the last. The last cat was a dark gray she-cat with a broad, flattened face. He knew that they were Patchpelt, being the small black-and-white tom, Halftail, being the big dark brown tabby tom with half of his tail missing, and Yellowfang, being the the old dark gray she-cat with a broad, flattened face. As soon as he blinked, they disappeared along with their presence. Fireheart thought about the times with Yellowfang, his ears dropped as his eyes darkened with sorrow and pain, his tail dropped. Dawn had finally come and One-eye, Smallear and Dappletail were just about to bury their dead Clanmates. Fireheart stared after them as they each left the clearing with one cat, he then felt a tail brush against his shoulder, he looked over and saw Whitestorm. "I know Yellowfang was close to you but it was her time to join StarClan." The white tom said to Fireheart as he glanced up at him then dropped his gaze once more to his paws. "Yellowfang will always watch over you but you must be strong, that's what she would want for you." Whitestorm meowed softly as he pulled away from him and flicked his ears as he padded towards Bluestar's den. Fireheart let out a sigh. Whitestorm's right, I should be strong and serve my Clan. She would want that for me and ThunderClan. Fireheart told himself as he lifted his ears and his head as he still stared at the camp entrance as the elders came back in. Another feeling came upon his shoulder as he turned and saw Darkclaw. The dark gray tom with black stripes felt sympathy for the ginger warrior. "Come on, Fireheart. Bluestar wants us to go on a border patrol to ShadowClan." The warrior meowed as the flame-colored tom nodded and led Darkclaw, Stonefire and Longtail towards the camp entrance where he led the patrol out of camp. Fireheart, being deputy felt bitter and utterly useless, Bluestar was becoming crazier every day, and he's supposed to be filling in for her and guiding his Clan. And yet, he feels like he can't do anything anymore. Longtail rested his tail on his shoulder as the deputy glanced over to him. "Look, I know that you can't trust me since I was close to Tigerclaw, but you and I know that you have to be strong. Without you, the Clan would fall apart since Bluestar refuses to come out of her den." Longtail meowed wisely. A few days ago, after Tigerclaw's exile and Fireheart's deputyship, Longtail had approached him and spoke to him about the Clan but Fireheart lashed out at him and accused him of not being trustworthy because he was a subordinate of Tigerclaw's along with Darkstripe. After that day, they hadn't crossed paths and Longtail didn't dare give Fireheart any attitude or hostility. But today was a day of grief, Yellowfang, Halftail and Patchpelt were dead, Bluestar was suffering from Tigerclaw's treachery and inhalation from the smoke on the day the three cats died and when the fire broke out, and Fireheart was in deep depression for the second mother he had lost. "Thanks, Longtail." He spoke gently towards the tabby warrior as a smile of relief grew on his face. "Sorry for being a mouse-brain to you the other day." Fireheart apologized as Longtail's torn ear twitched, that ear was still there when Fireheart had joined but when the two had fought, Fireheart tore off his ear tip and won the battle, earning him the ability to join ThunderClan as his collar was torn off in that fight as well. "It's alright, I shouldn't have listened to Tigerclaw anyway." The tom said as he lowered his gaze and flattened his ears as if he was about to snarl, his claws dug into the ground. "I never thought Tigerclaw would betray ThunderClan. For so many moons I've looked up to him, and now he's in exile for killing Redtail and trying to kill Bluestar. I'm ashamed of myself." Longtail admitted as his blue eyes darkened with guilt. "It's all in the past now, we can't change what's already happen." Fireheart meowed as his ears twitched and his tail swished across the grass. Longtail cast a thankful look at the deputy as he smiled back and turned back to lead them towards the ShadowClan border. Only to be interrupted when Stonefire shoved him and Darkclaw nudged Longtail. "You guys are really warm-hearted and not so fierce after all!" Stonefire joked as her tail stuck up, a signal that she was in a friendly, good mood. Fireheart smiled as he shook his pelt and led them towards the border where the roar of the Thunderpath grew louder.