"Where's Bluestar?" Fireheart turned to Whitestorm, puzzled.
"I heard she has greencough. I wanted to see her earlier, but Yellowfang doesn't allow anyone near her." Whitestorm replied, his eyes filled with worry.
Cinderpaw, who was standing next to Fireheart, butted into the conversation. "Fireheart, why hasn't Graystripe been taking Brackenpaw out for training these past few days?"
Alarmed, Fireheart glanced at Whitestorm. He looked puzzled, but didn't prod into it. He dipped his head and left politely, allowing Fireheart to talk to his apprentice. "Well..." Fireheart fumbled for the right words while deep inside irritation started growing in him. Why was Graystripe so irresponsible? "That's because he's been feeling a bit sick lately. I... I'll be training Brackenpaw in his absence."
Cinderpaw hesitated, then nodded. Fireheart felt a deep sense of relief, then caught sight of Yellowfang padding out of the medicine den to the fresh-kill pile. "Cinderpaw, training will have to be delayed for today. I want you to go hunting with Brackenpaw and bring back as much prey as you can."
Cinderpaw cocked her head. "Why?"
Fireheart sighed. "Because I need to see how Bluestar is doing." When Cinderpaw left, Fireheart headed over to Yellowfang. "How's Bluestar?"
Yellowfang looked up, her gaze wary. "She's still holding up."
"Is there any way I can help?"
Yellowfang hesitated, then nodded slowly. "I'm running low on catmint. Can you help me get some?"
"Sure." Fireheart headed to the camp entrance, but just then the gorse bushes rustled and Dustpelt rushed in, breathing heavily. He looked frightened, as though he'd just seen a badger. Fireheart paused, wondering what had made him so ruffled up.
"Fireheart! Where's Bluestar? Tigerclaw wants her to come and see proof of ShadowClan prey-stealing." Dustpelt's eyes landed on Fireheart, and hostility rose in them as soon as he saw that it was Fireheart.
"Bluestar's sick with greencough. She can't come."
Dustpelt snapped, "She has to. Tigerclaw said this was urgent."
Fireheart looked at Dustpelt, doubt starting to rise as he saw the warrior's body shaking. Whether it was out of fear or tension, Fireheart didn't know. "I'll go if it's so urgent." He couldn't trust what Tigerclaw was saying, and it was obvious he had done something to Dustpelt.
"I can go! I'll tell Tigerclaw that she can't come." Cinderpaw dropped the prey she was carrying as she and Brackenpaw slipped past the camp entrance. Her eyes glanced at Dustpelt, wonderingly searching his gaze.
Fireheart shook his head. "No, Cinderpaw. I don't want you getting hurt."
Cinderpaw gazed at Fireheart a little sadly. "You can't protect me, Fireheart." Not when Tigerclaw has me and Dustpelt intertwined in his plan. "Fireheart..." I'm trying to protect you. I know Tigerclaw is going to hurt you if you go there. "Please, let me go."
"No." Fireheart shook his head.
Mouse dung! Why does he have to be so stubborn? Cinderpaw looked at Brackenpaw desperately, but he gazed back innocently. Well, of course. He doesn't know about the mess I'm in.
Yellowfang called from the fresh-kill pile, "Fireheart, collect the catnip for me. Dustpelt can return back to Tigerclaw by himself."
Fireheart hesitated, then nodded at Dustpelt. He left, leaving Cinderpaw behind once again. "I'm going to hunt more." Cinderpaw left the camp as well, except that she was heading in the direction of the ShadowClan border, where she thought Tigerclaw would be.
Fireheart's head jerked up, ears twitching as he tried to pinpoint the location of where he had heard that blood-curdling yowl. It sounded familiar. "Cinderpaw?"
Panic and dread sat at the bottom of his stomach like a stone as he realised that it was, indeed, her. "No." Dropping the catmint he had gathered, Fireheart sprinted over to the ShadowClan border, worry pushing him faster and faster. The wretched, disgusting, stench of the Thunderpath hit his scent glands, followed by a more sickening smell of fresh blood as he neared.
"Cinderpaw!" He yelled.
"Fireheart?" Cinderpaw's small voice called out weakly as Fireheart burst through the underbrush.
Fireheart rushed onto the Thunderpath, where Cinderpaw lay in a small heap. "Cinderpaw, what happened?"
Cinderpaw looked up, her eyes glazed with pain and shock. "I... I accidentally strayed into the path of a monster, and..." Cinderpaw looked down, sadness filling her eyes. "Fireheart, I failed you."
Fireheart tried to calm the panic he felt deep within. It wouldn't do Cinderpaw any good to see him like that. It might even cause her even more harm. Trying to keep his voice steady, he replied, "No, you didn't. I never asked you to come here. I told you not to come here. Where's Tigerclaw?"
"He... He left me here." Cinderpaw whispered, ashamed.
Anger filled Fireheart at the older warrior's act of unkindness. Where was his morality? But he tried brushing it off as he addressed what was most important at the moment. "Cinderpaw, where do you hurt the most?"
"My leg. I... I think I broke it."
Fireheart sniffed her leg. It didn't take a medicine cat to know that there was something really wrong with it. It was twisted at an odd angle.
The scent of blood drew him to look at her cheek. It was dripping with blood, the claw marks of a cat etched deep into her face. "Cinderpaw, who did this to you?" The anger in Fireheart built up once again.
Cinderpaw turned her face away immediately. "It's... it's nothing. I just scratched myself while rushing here."
Fireheart narrowed his eyes, wanting to force her to tell the truth, until he saw her trembling body. She must have gone through a lot of stress and shock. Sadness to see his fiery apprentice look so defeated made his heart ache. Bending down, he gently licked her head. "Can you stand?"
"I... I think so. I might need help to walk." Cinderpaw tried getting to her paws, wincing.
"I'll go get Yellowfang. You shouldn't force yourself to walk. I'll get a patrol of cats so that we can carry you back to camp too." Fireheart fussed softly, helping her get off the Thunderpath and onto the grass.
Cinderpaw sat on the grass in a miserable heap. "I'm sorry for causing so much trouble, Fireheart. I didn't mean to-"
Fireheart gently placed his tail over her shoulder, trying to comfort her. "You're not causing me any trouble, Cinderpaw. I never want to see you come to any harm." He placed his muzzle over hers, wanting to soothe her. "Try not scare me like this next time, alright?" He purred, trying to lighten the mood. "Does your leg still hurt?"
"If I don't move it, it doesn't hurt that much." Cinderpaw confessed. But Fireheart knew she was hiding more than she said.
"I'll go get Yellowfang. Don't move, and call if anything happens." Fireheart stood up, looking down at his apprentice.
"I will," Cinderpaw rested her head on her front paws, closing her eyes and sighing.
Author's Note:
*hides in the bushes* hehe, I know I haven't updated in like.. 2 months? Whoops XD
Sorryy, it's just that recently I've been really busy and haven't been able to find the time to write. I half-completed this chapter like... a month ago? But kinda abandoned it for a while because I had no inspiration.
I know this chapter didn't really have that much drama, but wHaT iS DuSTpELt'S sUsPIcOUs AcT and what's Cinderpaw involved in? Also a little scene of Fireheart and Cinderpelt :3 (it's sweet how she always puts Fireheart ahead of her, but maddening how Fireheart doesn't really think about her much ヽ(ಠ_ಠ)ノ) I also still feel sad whenever I think back to how Cinderpaw broke her leg and how she missed a warrior's life so writing this was like... yeah.
I followed the way the story flowed as in the original Warriors book, just portrayed it differently :)
Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and thanks for putting up with me >.<
~Jayhow😜