A New Beginning

Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Bide my time

         He entered the camp looking up at the large, yellow sun. It was sunhigh, the time in which the sun is the highest in the sky, hence the name. Fireheart felt the cool breeze ruffle his fur as he gazed around the clearing. His eyes found their target, his sandy coloured mate. Sandstorm was eating a rabbit alone by the great rock. 

         Fireheart purred as he gazed at her beautiful fur. He bounded over to her and licked her behind her ears, a small gesture of his affection. He knew he should bring up the situation with Rainsky, about what he had told her. She wasn't sure how Sandstorm would react, the she0cat was rational but also sometimes a tad explosive. 

       "That looks like a big rabbit," Fireheart observed, "Need help finishing it?" Sandstorm purred, surprised by his affection earlier. She pushed the rabbit towards him and he sat down beside her, nuzzling her. 

        While eating Firestar talked to Sandstorm about the situation, which she apparently already knew about. But int he ends the two decided that now that they were warriors and Rainsky knew about Fireheart's feelings for Sandstorm, there was no reason they needed to keep their love secret. 

         "Want to go for a walk?" Fireheart asked his mate, who agreed readily. 

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         Sandstorm and Fireheart left camp and walked through the trees tails intertwined. A purr rumbled in Sandstorm. She felt content as they walked side by side. 

        "I love you Fireheart," she purred. A much deeper purr rumbled from the ginger toms throat. 

        "I love you too," he proclaimed. Sandstorm pressed her side against his as they walked on in content silence. Love and Happiness filled her heart to the brim, she always felt happiest with Fireheart. Her love for Fireheart was all she felt right now, no duties, no worries, no fears. Just this warm feeling in her chest that made her limbs feel weak. 

         They walked down to the lake sat next to one another until the sun began to set. They press against one other with tails hooked as they watch the orange rays beam down onto the lake. 

        "It's beautiful," Sandstorm noted. Fireheart agreed, 

      "But not at beautiful as you," he replied. Sandstorm snorted, appalled at her mate's overused line.

         "Seriously?" she snickered. Despite how corny the line was, Sandstorm still felt that fuzzy feeling in her at being called beautiful. It really did wonders for a cat's self-esteem.

        Fireheart wasn't lying either. Sandstorm really did look stunning in the melting sunlight. She looked stunning all the time, even with fur matted and splattered with blood she was oddly beautiful. 

         Fireheart's musings were interrupted by voices screaming in his head. Cat's screeching out, calling his name. Not Fireheart, Firestar. His vision blanked, darkness surrounding him. The sounds and smells of the forest were gone and he could no longer feel Sandstorm's presence. 

          He was rooted to the spot, unable to move. Two large amber eyes appeared in the darkness, Firestar hissed. He was in his body again, the body of a seasoned leader. But he couldn't use it, his limbs wouldn't respond to him. 

          A new voice spoke, clear as day, "When old becomes new blood will spill across the land. An eternal fire will bring peace back once again." 

         "What?" Firestar called, "What does that mean?" He got no reply. 

          "But fire cannot succeed without help from within." Fireheart was swirled into the darkness once more, unable to scream or move. Then he awoke in the medicine den. 

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     Tigerpaw looked up at Cedarstar. Finally, the moment had arrived. As a warrior, he could do much more to put his plans into action. His plan wasn't complicated. Firestar was destined to be a leader, he'd given up on trying to end this. To defeat Firestar, he'd need to be a leader too. But, to bide his time until he could grasp the power he needed Tigerpaw planned to slowly destroy Firstar from the inside. Then, perhaps he could control him, or at least finally defeat him. Once a kittypet always a kittypet. And kittypets, are weak. 

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       "Is Tigerpaw ready to be a warrior?" Cedarstar asked. His mentor, Loudgorse, responded, 

         "More than." Cedarstar smiled at Pounceflame, 

        "Is Brokenpaw ready to be a warrior?"

         "Absolutely," Pounceflame said with conviction. 

         "What about Stonepaw and Birchpaw?" Both Finchbriar and Crowfern nodded their approval. 

          "Lastly, Mapleclaw?" Leopardbranch smiled at her apprentice and back up at the leader. 

         "Without a doubt," she meowed.

         "I, Cedarstar, leader of Shadowclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices, they have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Do you promise to uphold and protect the warrior code so long as you shall live?" Each apprentice replied with a simple 'I do' even if three out of the five where lying. The warrior code did not matter to them.

         "Tigerpaw," Cedarstar calls, "From this day forward you shall be known as Tigerclaw. Starclan honours your strength and skill and we welcome you as a full warrior of Shadowclan." He places his muzzle on Tigerclaw's head. Tigerclaw licked his shoulder, per tradition, and stepped back as the process was repeated. 

         "Brokenpaw from this day forward you shall be known as Brokentail. Starclan honours your commitment and strength and we welcome you as a full warrior of Shadowclan." Cedarstar places his nuzzle on Brokentail's head as he had Tigerclaw's and the process continues with Stonefire and Birchbelly. Then only Maplepaw is left. Tigerclaw is growing impatient, he just wants the she-cat to be a warrior already. They should have been made warriors already but Birchbelly was slow, and Cedarstar didn't want to make everyone else warriors before him. 

         "Maplepaw from this day forward you shall be known as Mapleshade. Starclan honours your kindness and loyalty and we welcome you as a full member of Shadowclan." Loyalty, that was almost laughable. Tigerclaw looked at Mapleshade, whispering a small 'loyalty?' under his breath. Mapleshade was the only cat who heard him over their clanmates roaring their new names. She shrugged. 

         "Our new warriors will stand vigil tonight," Cedarstar announces, not that he really needed too. Every cat knew the tradition.

           Tigerclaw, Mapleshade, Brokentail, Birchbelly, and Stonefire made their way to the tunnel as cats yelled their names and congratulated them. Tigerclaw looked through the forest in the direction of Thunderclan. He wondered what his mortal enemy was doing at that moment. He sheathed and unsheathed his claws, imagining digging them into the soft, kittypet flesh. As soon as he could, he was coming for Firestar. As soon as he had the power to get away with it, he would not repeat his past mistakes by being hasty.