The Bright Sky (The Blazing Fires Book 2)

Chapter 3

"Paleheart, I have news." Breezefur purred. Paleheart and Breezefur meet up in secret every few days. "I'm expecting your kits!" She mewed softly to her mate.

"Really? That's amazing!" Paleheart felt a surge of pride in him. His heart was swimming in pools of joy. He was going to be the father of the most beautiful she-cat's kits.

"Everyone thinks they're Stemtail's, so no one will be suspicious of us." The brown queen added. The pale ValleyClan warrior suppressed a shudder of anger at the mention of Stemtail.
The two cats chatted for a while, then parted ways. On his way back, Paleheart slammed face-first into his littermate.

"I warned you not to get too close." The orange she-cat growled. "When those kits are born, you are to kill all of them, and your mate." Paleheart snarled. "And if you don't, I'll do it myself."

"Morningeyes, why? Why do you do this to me?" Paleheart whined.

"Because those kits will be raised to follow StarClan! And if StarClan lets them be murdered, maybe these flea-brains will start to doubt their precious ancestors," A sinister purr left Morningeyes's muzzle.

*****

"Ow!" Sharppaw mewed.

"Maybe you wouldn't have them all over your pelt if you hadn't raced into the burr shrub," Skypaw rubbed her friend's scarlet pelt as she removed yet another burr.

"But Feathercloud told me to catch a squirrel, and it ran into the burr shrub." Sharppaw chuckled nervously. "Well anyways, your final assessment is in two moons. You should train with your brother."

"Well, two moons isn't tomorrow. And besides, you still have burrs in your pelt. And Brightpaw
is on patrol right now." Skypaw purred.

"Yeah, but it's still- ow!" Sharppaw winced as Skypaw pulled out the last burr. "It's still coming up," The entrance to the apprentice's den shifted to reveal Riverpaw trotting in, a fresh minnow in his jaws. "Oh, hey Riverpaw! Did you catch that?" Sharppaw mewed. Riverpaw shyly nodded, dropping it at the paws of his denmates.

"You wanna share it?" Skypaw asked with a bright smile. Riverpaw nodded once more and sat near them. Skypaw took the first morsel, Sharppaw and Riverpaw soon followed. "So how many kits do you think Nightchaser will have?" The cream she-cat started.

"With how swollen her belly is, I wouldn't be surprised if it was a litter of ten!" Sharppaw enthused, his ears perking up.

"If she was carrying ten kits, I don't think she'd even fit in the nursery!" Skypaw chuckled. "And she's only pretty big because she's due soon, so it could be only two," The molly turned toward the blue-grey apprentice next to her. "How many kits do you think she'll have, Riverpaw?" The tom tapped his paw on the ground four times. "Four? Sounds the most reasonable, but what if Nightchaser's having one giant kit?"

"Picture her kit in our size!" Mewed Sharppaw. The trio imagined a huge kit going across camp. They all started laughing, mewing what they were picturing to each other.

*****

Brightpaw, Morningeyes, Paleheart, and Blueheart were all on sunhigh patrol. The leaf-fall breeze ruffled their pelts. The orange and red leaves crunched below their paws as they scouted the borders.

"Get down! I sense something." Blueheart announced. "It smells like-" He gasped. "Rouges! Brightpaw, get help!" Brightpaw dashed off, when a yowl echoed, and rouges poured in.
The young apprentice made it into camp just in time.  "Rouges!" Brightpaw yowl. "On the border! The patrol needs help!"

"Again? Ugh," Violetstar grunted. "Shallowpool, Feathercloud, Mistwing, Loudspark, Snakepetal, and I shall go." The seven cats, including Brightpaw, dashed out.

"Wait for me!" Skypaw ran toward the patrol. "I'm not letting you fight alone, Brightpaw." The patrol reached the rouges surrounding the other cats. It was a tangle of blood and fur.
Brightpaw and Skypaw leaped onto a large white tom. His grey speckles were covered with scars. He yowled in shock, and roll the two apprentices off him. He then clawed at Skypaw's ear, leaving a bleeding scratch. Brightpaw instantly jumped onto the rouge's head and started tugging and tearing into his ear. He managed to tear the tip off. The rouge yowled and ran off.

Meanwhile, Morningeyes leaped out onto Blueheart. She raked his back and dug her claws deep into his shoulder. Blueheart yowled, then went limp. He was dead. Violetstar will certainly choose me as deputy. The she-cat thought. Each warrior fought long and hard until all the rouges retreated. The patrol trudged back to camp, dragging Blueheart's body.

When the patrol reached camp, Violetstar leaped onto the Cliff Rock. "We sadly lost our loyal deputy, Blueheart." There was a whimper in her voice. Frosttuft yowled from below, sobbing over his body. Sharppaw and Riverpaw were also sobbing. "It breaks my heart to have to pick another deputy so soon, but I know I must." Violetstar scanned the crowd of warriors. She spotted her son. The ambition in his eyes looked just like Flamestorm's. "Paleheart, you have your father's ambition and loyalty, and I want you to be my deputy." Paleheart froze, then nodded.

"Paleheart! Paleheart!" The clan chanted and cheered.

"Skypaw, Brightpaw, you two fought like true warriors and saved me from losing another life. For that, you shall receive your warrior names. Skypaw, you shall be known as Skyfur. Brightpaw, you shall be known as Brightpelt."

"Brightpelt! Skyfur! Brightpelt! Skyfur!"