My Immortal (Fireheart X Spottedleaf)

Bad moon rising

A few days passed and it was evident that leaf fall had well and truly arrived. Tossing aside their cloaks of emerald green, the tree's donned a dazzling coat of orange. Falling daintily into the camp, the leaves were eagerly caught by kits and those few apprentices who seemed lose all dignity when a new opportunity to play arose.
Yet depite this Fireheart was from relaxed . Leaf bare was always the hardest tine for the Clan and he needed to ensure everyone's safety.
After hearing of Spottedleaf's pregnancy, most of the clan seemed to avoid speaking to either the dappled medicine cat or Fireheart. Sandstorm for instance went silent whenever she was near Fireheart, looking at him with a mixture if longing and sadness. Darkstripe however merely regarded him and Spottedleaf as little more than thorns in his pad to be discarded when he got the chance. Not that he would...at least while Bluestar was looking.
Having moved into the nursery, Spottedleaf had temporarily passed on most of her medicine duties to Cinderpelt, who had been eager to oblige. For the most part, the queens had been welcoming to Spottedleaf with the exception of Frostfur, who still treated Spottedleaf with some suspicion. However it wasn't long after that Brindleface announced that she wished to leave the nursery.
It was a cool morning when Fireheart was awoken by a loud yowl of warning. Brackenfur was rushing into camp alone. Just from this alone Fireheart knew that all was not right. Brackenfur had left with Brindleface on a hunting patrol but she had not yet returned.
" Brackenfur what's wrong? Where's Brindleface?" He mewed worriedly.
" Is she not back?" exclaimed Brackenfur, eyes whirling around trying to find her. Roused by the tom's obvious dismay, other cats slowly padded over to investigate.
" No we assumed she was with you." replied Fireheart, "What happened?"
Still panting from his physical exertions, Brackenfur weakly looked up to face his clan. " We were hunting near Snakerocks when we smelt...Tigerstar. We knew we had to get out of there and warn the clan but then we smelt dogs. Lots of dogs. Barking, snarling, baying for blood! In a blind panic, we panic and got separated..."
"And you've not seen her since?" pressed Cloudtail, Brindleface's adopted son. Solemnly Brackenfur shook his tabby head. Glancing around, Fireheart knew he had to do something now.
" Cloudtail, Sandstorm, Fernpaw, Dustpelt come with me," he ordered, "Brackenfur, can you tell us where you got separated from her. "
"I can do better than that," meowed Brackenfur regaining his composure , "I can show you!"
"The lead the way," nodded Fireheart. Immediately they followed Brackenfur as he scrambled up the ravine and up into the woods.
Seeming to conduct their search with a form of calm haste, the patrol scoured the undergrowth for any sign of the lost warrior. Such was their scrutiny that it was not long before the cats came across something.
" I found a rabbit," squeaked Fernpaw excitedly before withdrawing from the fresh kill with a snort of disuse. " It reeks of ShadowClan."
Unsettled,Fireheart and the others immediately began to scan the trees as though at any moment Tigerstar himself would leap out and tear them to shreds. Glancing beside him, he saw Sandstorm padding alongside him silently.
"Sandstorm, are you okay?" asked Fireheart.
" I'll be fine," she replied quietly. Before Fireheart could reply, they heard Cloudtail's mornful howling come from ahead. Piercing his heart like a steel blade fresh from the heat of the forge, Fireheart ran over to where Cloudtail sat huddled over a cold, prone body.
Brindleface.
Completely savaged, the she cat's body was hardly recognisable. Blood poured down her face from a deep cut just above her brow. Deep, jagged gashes streaked her flanks. Distressed Fernpaw buried her face into Dustpelt's fur, the older tom whispering sopting things into her ear. Traumatised, Cloudtail nudged Brindleface's cold body but alas it was no use. The stench of death and dogs hung overthe clearing like some ominous cloud.
Then something caught Fireheart's eyes. Had he not glanced to down to avoid looking at Cloudtail's grief, he would have missed the single tuft of rabbit fur. Stooping down to sniff it, he recoiled as he recognised an all to familiar stench.
" Tigerstar did this."
" What?" gasped Sandstorm, "How do you know.'
"Fernpaw, you found a rabbit or two on the way here correct?" enquired Fireheart.
" That's right." She stammered, "Brackenfur too."
" They went from camp to here,"
"Then we don't haveu have time," meowed Fireheart.
" What do you mean?"
"Tigerstar must have been using the rabbits to lure the dogs from Snakerocks here... to Brindleface."
" But why!" demanded Cloudtail.
" To give them a taste for cat blood, " Fireheart meowed grimly casting another look at the savaged body.
"But that would mean..." Sandstorm's voice trailed off.
"They will attack the camp, " finished Fireheart, "We need to get there now!"
" But what of the rabbits? " mewed Fernpaw, "They may lead the dogs there before we can give the warning."
"She's right," agreed Dustpelt, "Cloudtail and I could take them to Sunningrocks to buy you time."
"Very well but if you find any dogs, hide. Do toy here me." He glared at Cliudtail knowing the tom would want to avenge Brindleface.
"Got it" meowed the toms gathering the rabbits and racing off." For a moment, Fireheart wished he could join them. He then shook his head and returned to the remains patrol.
" Come on, we need to warn the others." Sprinting off, they raced towards ThunderClan. " Just pray to StarClan we aren't too late!"