Burst of Fire

Chapter 6

Cloud stared in amazement at Fire. It was the first time Cloud had seen him on a rampage like that. Apparently Fire had fallen in love with the blue-furred cat; no one else was named 'Petal' in the tribe.

"Fire," Cloud began, "I have a confession to make. I told Dove to say that. I wanted to see how you reacted. And one other thing, I am not going to report you to Wind about your rampage."

"Who died and made you leader?" Fire sneered. Cloud purred softly, and with a slight hint of menace in his meow, answered,

"Storm, actually. The drawing of the line was held yesterday, after he perished. I had visited him at sun-high and found blood trailing from the foot of the big-rock to the mound of twigs and leaves that the leaders rest on."

Fire seemed awestruck that a cat once his underling had stolen his mate, had kittens with her, and claimed the title of tribe leader. I'm really enjoying this. Cloud realized. Could this be my destiny? Making things right that have forever been wrong? If I had not been here, these beautiful kittens would not have been born. Oh, my son and dearest daughters. Daisy, Rose, and Thorn...

"So," A voice broke the silence. Cloud snapped out of his stargazing to see Petal speaking to him, "Where do Fire and I get to sleep?" Cloud scanned the clearing, scouring places that could be uncomfortable enough to get back at Fire but not too uncomfortable, as to stop the she-cat from complaining. What a she-cat wants is what a she-cat gets. Cloud told himself. He was about to answer when Petal spoke again,

"Oh, and I also have a confession to make. For you to hear and no one else." Signaling to Cloud and Fire with her tail. "It might want to make you reconsider where I sleep." Cloud hesitated for a moment, but then yowled so loud that the field dogs must have heard him, and their sense of hearing wasn't very sensitive, either,

"Well, you heard Petal, you mangy excuse for a tribe! Scatter! Back to training your young-ones, eating, resting, whatever you were doing before these two showed up!"

Once Petal, Fire, and Cloud had settled in the shelter of the big-rock, there was a long moment of silence. Come on, Cloud thought impatiently, you made me yell at my tribe so loud that it made my throat sore, so say what you want to say already!

"Okay..." Petal muttered, "How do I tell you this?" Petal ripped her gaze through both tomcats' pelts defiantly, then mewed with confidence, quite boldly, "Fire I never even told YOU this, but you better believe I'm gonna hold nut'n back now! Fire, Cloud, I am expecting kittens! So that's why you might want to reconsider where I sleep."

"The birth clearing is down the path to the left of my big-rock." Cloud said, head spinning. He wondered how Fire was taking this in. Oh, great forest. Cloud thought, staring at Fire's expression. It was angry, excited, pained, choked with emotion, speechless, worried, and surprised, all at once.

"You didn't tell me!" Fire exclaimed after a while. "How long have you been expecting?"

"Six sunrises." Petal muttered sheepishly. "I wanted to make sure you loved me before I told you. If you still had loved Dove then... I thought you would be angry with me. I mean, we slept together for 3 seasons straight, so it didn't matter that we weren't mates yet." To Cloud's dismay, he could see that the young she-cat had reached her limits, having been expecting kittens and then making the long run to the pine forest tribe clearing. Fire obviously saw it, too.

"Come on, Petal. Let's get you to Wind. Heart, our other healer cat, isn't available at the moment." Fire glared at Cloud before whispering assuringly to Petal again.

How did he guess? Cloud wondered. He doesn't have any proof, yet it's correct! Why does everyone think I'm a killer?!

"Because that's what you are!" Came the hiss from behind him. Cloud spun around to face Heart in fury.

"Oh yeah? Well, I don't have the time to fufil your stupid prophecy right now!" He hissed back. "I am a tribe leader with kittens to think about here! Mine and theirs!" Beckoning to Fire and Petal with his tail. Heart sighed deeply.

"Fine," She mewed tiredly. "but just remember, you have another prophecy to think about. There will be a dark era for your tribe, and only a flaming flower can save it." And with that, Heart dissapeared.

Staring at Fire and Petal, a thought popped into Cloud's mind. A flaming flower... He realized. That's it! A petal is part of a flower, and a fire sets it aflame! Suddenly, watching the two lovestruck cats made Cloud sick with worry. If I will bring a dark era to my tribe, and they are the flaming flower that saves it, what will happen to me? I must keep those two as far away from me as I possibly can!

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As Fire collapsed on the ground in the healer cat cave, he could hardly contain his worries and excitement. As Wind padded into the cave, Fire exclaimed,

"How is Petal?!"

"Oh, she'll be fine." Wind replied tartly.

"Do you think I've been making her work too hard?"

"You didn't know."

"Oh, but she's so faint, so weak... not anything like the fierce she-cat I know."

"I said she'll be fine."

But Fire couldn't just sit there. He had to see Petal for himself. Suddenly, he heard her wail. It had sounded so pained. Fire rushed into the other cave, where patients were treated, to find Petal sprawled on the ground, writhing in pain.

"Petal!" He cried with worry. "What's happening?"

"Ugh..." Petal groaned. "They're trying to get out, but it's so early..." Wind padded slowly into the cave, sniffed Petal throughly, and jumped back, startled. He seemed utterly bewildered.

"So," Wind said softly to Petal, "you claim that you were expecting six sunrises ago and no more than that. Are you lying to me? Because those kittens inside of you are full grown."

"No!" Petal exclaimed. "All that happened before then was a bellyache that lasted for one and a half full moons! And an annoying thing, that was!" Wind took a deep breath before telling her,

"Petal, that 'bellyache' wasn't a bellyache at all. It was the feeling of kittens squirming about. They are coming right now." Wind looked frightened, as if he had never seen a thing so feirce and disasterous.

"Wind," Fire asked fearfully, "What is wrong?"

"The clouds are speaking to her, guiding her through kitting, but..." Wind didn't have time to finish before a tiny brown bundle plopped onto the ground beside Petal, followed closely by a golden ball of fluff.

Fire glanced at Petal, but she was merely staring at the kittens in horror.

"Petal?" Fire asked, "Are you ok?" Petal gasped and wriggled away from the kittens that were franticly mewling for milk.

"No!" Petal yowled. "Can this really... no! I thought that you looked out for tribe cats, not send them off to their deaths!" As Petal's gaze cleared, she turned to Fire and panted, "I have been given a prophecy! Thou must die to give new life! At dawn tomorrow, the beautiful bird will fly into the clouds and never fly out!" Petal sighed and brought her kittens towards her with her tail and drifted into sleep.

Oh no! Fire thought with realization. She means that someone will die at dawn tomorrow! That's the only way to join the clouds. And all birds are beautiful, but only one cat in the tribe is named after a bird... Fire gulped. Dove was going to die! He had to warn Cloud, before it was too late!