Warriors: The Rise Of FireClan

Chapter 8

  Tigerstar followed Blackstar as she led him, Hazelstar, and Mossstar back towards FireClan's camp. All of the clans had split apart, some going to other camps. Redstrike had gone to FireClan's camp, which didn't surprise Tigerstar.
  As the leaders entered the camp, Drizzlestar raced over to them.
  "Well?" Drizzlestar asked. "How was it?"
  Blackstar shifted her paws. "Good. Everything went fine."
  Drizzlestar smiled. "That's great! I'm going to go hunting with Leapfrost. Meet some of the cats from the other clans while I'm gone. I'll be back soon."
  Blackstar nodded. "Have fun."
  Tigerstar watched as Drizzlestar walked over to Leapfrost, and they left the camp together.
  Hazelstar had already left to talk to some warriors, same with Mossstar.
  Blackstar turned to Tigerstar and sighed. Her eyes were full of sorrow. "Tigerstar, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have lied to you, just please forgive me."
  Tigerstar searched his mother's gaze. He blinked, then answered. "I will forgive you. I've always wanted a father, and now I have one."
  Blackstar smiled. "Then it's time for you to spend some time with him."

  Shadowpelt walked through the forest, towards the herb patch. She had only received her full medicine cat's name yesterday.
  She smiled and crouched down at the patch, starting to collect the needed herbs.
  She pricked her ears, hearing the paw steps of three cats. She turned around to see Whiskerflight, Dawnwind, and Brokenheart.
  Whiskerflight smiled. "Hi Shadowpelt, mind if we collect some herbs with you?"
  Shadowpelt nodded. "Yes, of course."
  Brokenheart looked at Shadowpelt as the rest of the medicine cat's started to collect herbs.
  "How is everything going?" Brokenheart asked.
  "All is well." Shadowpelt answered. "You?"
  Before Brokenheart could reply, a orange tom came bursting through the trees, twigs and leaves caught in his fur.
  The tom panted and looked at Brokenheart. "Oh, hi Brokenheart."
  Brokenheart sighed and started to pull the twigs out of his pelt. "What caused you to run through the forest like that, Orangepelt?"
  "I need help. And I'm hoping from you. We don't have much time." Orangepelt said. "Maplebranch has been taken by twolegs."

  Tigerstar was sharing prey with Redstrike and Blackstar, a smile on his face.
  "And there was this one time, when Tigerstar was a kit, he tried to eat a rock." Blackstar said with a smile.
  Redstrike laughed and Tigerstar licked his chest fur with embarrassment.
  This is nice. Tigerstar thought. I feel like I'm living a normal life.
  Tigerstar looked at Drizzlestar as she and Leapfrost entered camp, side by side and with prey in their jaws. They dropped off their prey and Drizzlestar walked over to Blackstar.
  "Mind if I join you?" Drizzlestar asked.
  Blackstar nodded and Drizzlestar lyed down beside her friend.
  Drizzlestar seemed to be happy, happier than she had been in a long time.
  Maybe since the clans are finally together, she is happy. Tigerstar thought.
  "Blackstar, there's something I have to tell you." Drizzlestar said, seeming to not notice that Tigerstar and Redstrike were there. "I'm expecting kits, I'll be going to the nursery soon."
  "That's great!" Blackstar purred. "Let me guess, Leapfrost is the father?"
  Drizzlestar nodded, still smiling. "Yes."
  Tigerstar didn't know what to say. Feeling awkward, he stood up and walked over to Hazelstar, who was talking with a brown tabby tom.
  "Who's this?" Tigerstar asked.
  "Oh, this is my friend Branchpaw!" Hazelstar said. "He's from ThunderClan."
  "Hi, you must be Tigerstar." Branchpaw mewed.
  Tigerstar nodded. "That's me."
  "Want to join our hunting patrol?" Hazelstar asked him.
  "Sure, I'll ask Blackstar too." Tigerstar answered and turned back towards his mother.

  "I don't understand how we're much help." Shadowpelt said as she followed Orangepelt and the other medicine cat's. "We didn't have much warrior training."
  "As long as you have four paws, you're useful." Orangepelt replied.
  "So what's the plan?" Dawnwind asked.
  "Brokenheart, Shadowpelt, and I will go inside the twoleg house while you and Whiskerflight stand guard." Orangepelt explained.
  "So we just watch out for the twolegs?" Whiskerflight mewed.
  Orangepelt nodded. "They shouldn't be at the house, but we still have to find a way to get in."
  They traveled for a few more minutes before they approached a fence. Orangepelt jumped over the fence, the others doing the same. Shadowpelt was the last one over.
  A twoleg house was on the other side. Whiskerflight and Dawnwind stayed behind as Orangepelt, Shadowpelt, and Brokenheart walked towards the building.
  "How do we plan on getting inside?" Brokenheart asked.
  "I don't know. Try to figure something out while I get Maplebranch's attention." Orangepelt said, racing towards a door made of glass.
  Shadowpelt scanned the building. She looked up to the top of the house to see that one of the windows were open. Lucky for them, a tree was beside it.
  "We can get him out through that tree." Shadowpelt blurted out.
  Orangepelt nodded as a cat emerged from the shadows on the other side of the glass.
  "Maplebranch! We're here to rescue you!" Orangepelt said to the WindClan tom. "You need to get to the window that's open upstairs."
  "I'll try." Maplebranch turned around and disappeared again.
  Shadowpelt looked up to the tom as he poked his head through the window.
  "That's a far jump." Brokenheart pointed out, and she was right. It was a far distance from the window to the tree.
  "He can do it." Orangepelt mewed. "He has to."
  Suddenly, Maplebranch leaped. His claws dug into the branch as he landed on top of it.
  "I did it!" Maplebranch shouted.
  But then the branch cracked and broke, falling, bringing Maplebranch with it.

  Tigerstar flattened his ears against his head as Branchpaw started talking about how good he was at hunting. He glanced at Blackstar, her expression was annoyed too.
  Tigerstar flicked his tail with annoyance. Not only did he have to listen to this annoying apprentice, but his pelt was drenched. It had started raining as soon as they left camp.
  I can't let this cat annoy me. Tigerstar thought. For Hazelstar.
  A strong wind ruffled the cat's fur, making Tigerstar even more wary.
  "Be careful," Blackstar warned. "The trees are swaying, the branches could fall."
  "Did I mention I'm also very good at climbing trees?" Branchpaw said and Hazelstar fell into pace with Tigerstar.
  "Is he always like this?" Tigerstar growled.
  Hazelstar sighed. "He's like a brother to me. His mother took me in when I was found as a kit."
  Tigerstar's gaze became soft. "Oh. I'm sorry."
  Hazelstar opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted by a yowl of terror.
  Tigerstar shot his head to Branchpaw, his eyes widening. A huge branch was falling towards him.
  "Branchpaw watch out-" Tigerstar shouted. But before anyone could react, Blackstar shoved the ThunderClan apprentice out of the way.
  And the branch fell on top of her.

  Orangepelt lunged forward, catching Maplebranch on his back. Setting the warrior down, the medicine cat's ran over to them.
  "Is he alright?" Dawnwind asked worriedly.
  "He should be fine, maybe a little shocked." Orangepelt replied.
  "I'll go find him some chamomile." Brokenheart meowed, running off.
  Maplebranch was shaking, still crouched low to the ground.
  "Thanks for saving me." Maplebranch quickly said.
  "Of course." Orangepelt replied with a smile.
  Not too long after, Brokenheart came back with the chamomile. She set it down it front of Maplebranch, and he ate the leaves.
  Shadowpelt yawned. "Let's head back to camp, and we should probably get those herbs on our way there."

  "Blackstar!" Tigerstar yowled, running towards her. He began to push the branch, finally lifting it off of his mother.
  Her mother's eyes were glazed over, blood coming from her mouth.
  Tigerstar made a choking sound and crouched down beside the black tabby, burying his head in her fur.
  Hazelstar rested her tail on his shoulder. "She will be okay, she will just loose a life."
  Tigerstar suddenly growled, and looked at Branchpaw. "This would have never happened if you weren't such a mousebrain! Don't you know how to move out of the way?!"
  "I-" Branchpaw started, but was cut off by the sound of thundering paws.
  "Blackstar!" Tigerstar recognized Redstrike's voice and his father ran by his side.
  "What... what happened." Redstrike whispered.
  "Blackstar rescued Branchpaw from a falling branch. She's losing a life." Tigerstar murmured.
  Redstrike growled and looked at the ThunderClan apprentice. "Get to camp and tell the medicine cat what happened, we will carry Blackstar back."
  Branchpaw nodded. But before he left he said, "I'm sorry."
  Tigerstar watched the brown tabby race away into the forest, and Tigerstar turned back to his mother.