Warriors: The Rise Of FireClan

Chapter 9

  Tigerstar and Redstrike sat beside Blackstar as she woke up, gasping for air.
  "Is Branchpaw okay?" Blackstar asked hoarsely.
  "Try not to talk." Snowleaf mewed calmly. "You lost a life, but not everything healed. You got the wind knocked out of you, it should last quite a while."
  "Great." Blackstar groaned, lying her head on the moss.
  Drizzlestar shot into the den, her eyes wide with worry.
  "Is Blackstar okay?!" Drizzlestar demanded.
  Snowleaf's tail twitched a little. "Yes! Now can you all please leave the den so I have room to do my job?"
  Drizzlestar purred with amusement. "Yes, of course Snowleaf."
  Drizzlestar led Tigerstar and Redstrike out of the den, and that's when they saw Shadowpelt walk into camp, a few cats behind her.
  Drizzlestar slipped away so Tigerstar padded up to his sister.
  "Snowleaf needs you." Tigerstar told her. "It's Blackstar."
  Shadowpelt's eyes shone with worry as she raced away. Tigerpaw looked at the other cats and recognized Brokenheart, Orangepelt, Whiskerflight, and Dawnwind. There was one more cat but he didn't know his name.
  "Do you mind if Maplebranch rests in camp?" Orangepelt asked. "He's had a rough morning."
  "So have I." Tigerstar grunted. But he nodded. "There's a patch of soft grass over there in the sun."
  "Thank you." Orangepelt dipped his head then led Maplebranch away. Brokenheart was watching them leave.
  Tigerstar shook his head then pricked his ears, hearing faint whispers nearby. He turned to see Darkwillow and Wolfbone deep in conversation.
  That can't be good news. Tigerstar thought. What are they planning-
  His thoughts were cut off by Hazelstar's voice, and he turned around to look at her.
  He realized that she said something and shifted his paws. "What?"
  Hazelstar sighed. "I said, is your mother alright?"
  "Yeah." Tigerstar answered. "I'm going to check on her later."
  "Branchpaw feels really bad, you know." Hazelstar said. "Redstrike says he needs to be punished but... it wasn't really Branchpaw's fault."
  "I know. We're all just upset." Tigerstar meowed.
  "Why does Redstrike care?" Hazelstar asked.
  Tigerstar opened his mouth, then closed it. But there was no point in lying. Since they were one clan, Blackstar wasn't breaking the warrior code anymore by loving Redstrike.
  "Redstrike is my father."
  "Redstrike?" Hazelstar seemed shocked, which didn't surprise him. "It... makes sense now, but I thought Bloodfire was your father."
  "I thought so too. But I wished it wasn't true. I mourned him when I was a kit, but once I was old enough to understand what happened, I wished I wasn't related to him at all." Tigerstar sighed.
  "What... happened?" Hazelstar asked carefully.
  "Bloodfire found out about Redstrike and Blackstar... he attacked Blackstar in the forest while she was hunting." Tigerstar said. "He was going to kill her so Blackstar had no choice but to kill him first..."
  "I'm so sorry." Hazelstar whispered.
  "There's nothing to be sorry about." Tigerstar mewed. "I have a real father now. And I have you, my mother, and my littermates."
  Hazelstar smiled. "Thank you."

  Tigerstar walked into the medicine cat's den, Brokenheart following. He smiled as he saw his mother, and sat down beside her.
  "Is she better?" Brokenheart asked Shadowpelt.
  Shadowpelt smiled. "Yes. Even better. She's expecting kits!"
  "That's great!" Tigerstar and Brokenheart purred.
  Shadowpelt nodded. "Looks like she's going to be joining the nursery with Drizzlestar."
  "Did you tell Redstrike?" Tigerstar asked.
  "I'm going to let Blackstar do that herself." Shadowpelt answered.
  Tigerstar lyed down beside his mother and rested his head on his paws, slowly letting sleep drag him away.

  Leapfrost led his border patrol into the forest, heading towards the border with the city.
  Eaglefeather, Redclaw, and Bearfur were behind him as he led them towards the city.
  "Start marking the borders." Leapfrost said to the patrol as they stopped at the border.
  "I wonder if the city cat's are still there." Bearfur mewed, looking at the city.
  Redclaw snorted. "What do you think? They wouldn't leave unless the twolegs came back, and I'm sure that won't happen."
  Suddenly, Leapfrost could hear paw steps not to far from them. The whole patrol was alert, their fur bristling and claws unsheathed.
  Leapfrost was prepared for an attack, but was surprised to see a cream colored she-cat burst through the undergrowth.
  She shot her gaze to Leapfrost, her eyes wide. "Leapfrost!"
  Leapfrost met her gaze, shocked and surprised at the same time. "Rosepaw, you're alive!"