Chapter Thirteen
“I name you Brambleberry.” When Mistystar rested her muzzle on Firestorm’s former apprentice, Firestorm felt nothing but joy swell inside her. Meanwhile Brambleberry’s two brothers, Pebblefur and Stonebounce, were standing proudly beside her.
“Brambleberry! Pebblefur! Stonebounce!” The clan chanted. Tornheart purred. “Now that we have no apprentices to mentor, we can mentor another one!” he joked, looking at his former apprentice Pebblefur, with pride. The three newly-named warriors jumped down from the high-rock and purred loudly, looking around as their clanmates greeted them by their new names.
Reedwhisker, the deputy and Stonebounce’s former mentor, grunted and padded away, not even bothering to share tongues with Stonebounce. “He’s getting old,” Riverdapple’s silvery pelt shone under the sun. “He will resign, sooner or later,” Firestorm turned around to see the medicine cat talking to Mistystar.
The leader sighed and meowed back a reply. “I know that,” the blue-gray she-cat mew. “But a spark is growing..” Riverdapple whispered. Mistystar’s ears perked. “What? A spark is growing..?” “There is going to be a great storm,” The medicine cat ignored the leader. “A storm so fierce, that MistyClan will grieve for the loss of their two queens and four kits.”
Firestorm gasp. By now, all the warriors had gone to do their patrols. “What do you mean MistyClan will grieve for the loss of their two queens and four kits?!” Mistystar questioned. Riverdapple flick her tail. “The storm..” The medicine cat trailed off. Mistystar suddenly roared. She had caught sight of Firestorm’s ginger pelt and called her.
“Firestorm! Come here at once.” Firestorm ran towards her leader and the medicine cat, whose blue eyes were icy with sadness. “Double the brambles that covers the Nursery. After adding the brambles to the Nursery, add them to the other dens. And double the guard for the storm!” Firestorm perked her ears. “But the clan is weak,” she protested, unaware of her leader’s anger growing by the second.
“Leaf-bare brings less prey–” “Are you disobeying me?” The blue-gray leader snarled. “That is an order! Do as I say right now. Send out a few hunting patrols for the stock up of the fresh-kill pile incase the storm comes earlier!” Firestorm dip her head and ran to the warriors’ den.
“I need three hunting patrols right away, and two patrols to build more brambles on the Nursery for more cover!” she yelled. The cats blink open their eyes, staring at Firestorm with curiosity. “Why?” Smokemist grumbled. “Riverdapple had a vision,” Firestorm called out. Her voice echoed around the walls of the den.
“She said that there is going to be a storm and..” “And what?” Thrushwing grunted as he stood up. “A storm that will wipe out the whole clan?” Firestorm ignored the light brown tom. “A storm, a blizzard that MistyClan will grieve the lives of their two of our queens and four kits’ lives!” After Firestorm was finished, the whole den erupted with tension from her clanmates.
“Let’s hunt!” Sedgefoot yelled. “Brambleberry, Mudstep, and Dawnsky will come with me.” “Thrushwing– you will go with Pebblefur and Nightbreeze,” Firestorm meowed, glaring at him.“I will go with Stormyheart and Cloudmist.” Nettlesplash offered, and Firestorm wondered if he was thinking about his mate Rockshade and their daughter Nettlekit.
“And I shall add more brambles with Oakleaf, Stonebounce, Smokemist, Thornheart, and Lilacpool. The queens will help, too, and the medicine cats will gather as much herbs as they can before the storm hits.” Firestorm meowed. “Go!” Every cat sprang up from their nest and ran to do what they were told to. Reedwhisker stood on his nest, narrowing his eyes at Firestorm. “I am the deputy,” the dark brown tom hissed. “I get to do what I wan-”
Firestorm snarled. “Do as I say,” she bared her fangs. “Do you want Sagewhisker and your three kits to die?” At the name of his mate, Reedwhisker growled. He finally padded out of the den after giving Firestorm the cold shoulder. As Firestorm ran outside the den to get brambles to cover the Nursery, a frail voice cracked behind her.
“What are we supposed to do, then?” Firestorm turned around. Behind her were the three elders of Mistyclan; Pineclaw, his mate Minnowstream, and Lilacstorm, Pineclaw’s sister. “Get as much moss as you can,” Firestorm thought hard. It wasn’t easy to tell an elder what to do. They were always cranky.
“That is an apprentice’s job!” Lilacstorm croaked, her brown fur ruffled. “We are not–” “Enough,” Pineclaw’s yellow eyes flared. “We need to do whatever it takes to help the clan,” “Yes, he is right,” Minnowstream agreed. “Let’s just do what Firestorm says.” The old gray she-cat blinked at her granddaughter. Firestorm dip her head, mumbling thanks. “Come on,” Pineclaw led the two she-cat elders to a sheltered rock wall nearby the camp. “We can get lots of moss over there..”
“Firestorm!” Firestorm turned around, surprised to see Sedgefoot and Dawnsky, their eyes filled with worry. “What’s the matter, now?” Firestorm sighed. “Aren’t you suppose to be hunting with Brambleberry and Mudstep?” The cream-colored she-cat took a step closer to the Lead Warrior, her green eyes quivering with fear and excitement.
“I’m expecting Sedgefoot’s kits.”