The Fire Within

Chapter 31

"Sometimes the right path is not the easiest one."

-Grandmother Willow

"Look what we have. A little kitty warrior." HailStream grinned. He circled around her, a trail of black mist following his every move. WolfClaw growled. She kept one eye on him as he moved, not letting him out of her site.

"Why is it that every dream I have, you haunt it!"

"Because of what you are, what you will be, and what you were, my dear."

"I don't understand... but I don't want any part of it!" She growled. HailStream paused his circling for a moment. He looked up into the darkness as if the very answer was in the shadows themselves. 

But he laughed his chilled laugh and started to circle again. 

"You have no choice, dear. You're fate is bonded to the stars themselves."

"How would you know? You're nothing but a dead shadow." HailStream stopped. WolfClaw braced for an attack, but none came.

"You don't know what I am." HailStream said quietly. His expressing looked strange. He look tired and sad, something she had never seen him like until now.

"Then what were you? Before you targeted innocent cats like Mintleaf or DeadBark?"

He chuckled, meeting her eyes,"How did you hear about that?"

"Heard from his mate herself."

"Of course. Well, before you wake, I think you deserve an explanation." Something red flashed in the corner of WolfClaw's eye, but when she looked, it had disappeared.

"You're not going to try something, are you?"

"Can't." He growled, "You've got protection by starclan themselves. Only thing I can do from now on is talk to you when you sleep. Now shut up and listen. All this clan unity and peace? I never believed it. I loved Mistclan to bits, but I didn't trust the other clans. I wasn't the only one. There was a cat named FoxFly. I was head over paws in love with her. She had some amazing ideas. We would leave and learn as much as we could about how we could improve our clan. That was the plan."

He sighed,"But it went wrong too soon. Three days after we left Mistclan, we were attacked by a group of loners. Foxfly was killed then by-" He paused,"... a black cat. He looked just like you."

A cat that looked like me? She thought, But that means... 

"No."

"Yes, YES!! I swore that day that I would make Foxfly's dream a reality. She dreamed of true unity with one, single clan. That means that Cloudclan, Darkclan, and Fireclan must all join Mistclan! But not until I got back to Mistclan did I learn about my gift." His eyes turned wild and he stepped close to her, "I saw and heard a prophesy being born, before Starclan could. I saw you, WolfClaw, and fire." 

He laughed like a maniac, "Fire! Fire! Let it burn! I learned the truth that day!! All of it was clear!!"

Another flash of red appeared, then another and another. WolfClaw smelled smoke and felt heat against her pelt.

HailStream let out a wail of laughter, and fire appeared and surrounded him, "The truth is," He yelled, "I don't need Fireclan. I can just let them BURN!! HAHAHA!!!"

He launched fast at her. She felt his claws sink into her fur, but when she tried to free herself, it felt like a thousand paws were holding her down. HailStream lowered his head to her ear and whispered, "Burn..."

~~~

WolfClaw woke inside an almost empty den. Her brothers were strangely still asleep. She rubbed her eyes with her paw and stood up. As she walked to the entrance of the warrior den, she felt her senses start to clear.

WolfClaw stepped out of the den and stared at the fire eating away at the forest surrounding the camp.

She couldn't breath, couldn't speak.

All around her, cats were standing around, not moving or reacting. And something about their eyes...

WolfClaw raced to the first and closest cat, Dovepool. She looked into her eyes and trembled. Dovepool's eyes were glossy and clouded. 

WolfClaw pushed her over, licked her forehead, even shook her, but nothing seemed to wake her. She looked at her friend and trembled. The fire was everywhere, eating at every branch, every blade. It was starting to close in on the camp, and WolfClaw couldn't do anything to stop it. She looked again at Dovepool. She rested a paw on her and lay down beside her. 

This is all HailStream's fault, she thought to herself. It must have been the thought of HailStream's name, or the memories that came with it, but WolfClaw's claws unsheathed and sunk into Dovepool's neck.

She coughed from the pressure of WolfClaw's paw and her eyes cleared. She jerked away from WolfClaw suddenly.

"Dovepool! I'm so sorry. I didn't realize I was hurting you..." WolfClaw realized that Dovepool's had stopped moving. "Dovepool?"

"W-What's happening." WolfClaw looked in the direction Dovepool was. The moss that grew over the apprentice den was starting to burn. WolfClaw and Dovepool meet eyes and shot off together towards the den.

"WOLFCLAW!! DOVEPOOL!!" Patchpaw yelled from inside. The two Warriors arrived just as the moss fell, now engulfed in flames.

"Patchpaw, are you ok?" WolfClaw yelled through the fire.

"Yeah, but Leafpaw and Flamepaw won't wake up! Are they dead?"

"No. Just in a trance or something. Listen, I'm going to get you out." WolfClaw promised.

"How!?"

WolfClaw had no idea how she could get them out without jumping through the fire. But it was her only option right now.

"Dovepool, go get everyone out of the dens and push them into the center of camp. I'll figure out a way to get the out of here."

"WolfClaw, but what are you-"

"Please. I know what I have to do." Dovepool stared at her with uncertainty, but did turn and leave. 

WolfClaw looked into the crackling fire, arched her back and jumped. 

~~~~

That's it.

I'm going to say maybe Two or three more chapters?

Hope you enjoyed this one!

Don't forget to vote!

~Peace Fireclan~