Fire And Ice

“Is she okay?” Fireheart asked under his breath.

“Yes,” whispered Graystripe. “And thanks for letting her go.”

Fireheart blinked at him. “I’m glad she wasn’t hurt,” he meowed.

Graystripe held his gaze for a moment, then meowed, “Fireheart, you were right. The battle wasn’t easy. It felt like I was fighting Silverstream’s Clan mates, not enemy warriors.” He lowered his eyes, ashamed. “But I still can’t give her up.”

The gray warrior’s words filled Fireheart with foreboding, but he couldn’t help sympathizing with his friend. “This is something you have to work out by yourself,” he meowed. “It’s not my place to judge you.” Graystripe looked up as Fireheart went on. “Graystripe, whatever you decide to do, I will always be your friend.”

Graystripe stared at him, his eyes clouded with relief and gratitude. Then, without speaking, the two warriors lay down, side to side, in the unfamiliar clearing. For the first time in moons, their fur was pressed together in friendship. Above them, the snow-heavy gorse offered them a brief shelter from the storm that raged over their heads.

ALLEGIANCES

THUNDERCLAN

LEADER

BLUESTAR—blue-gray she-cat, tinged with silver around her muzzle.

DEPUTY

TIGERCLAW—big dark brown tabby tom with unusually long front claws.

MEDICINE CAT

YELLOWFANG—old dark gray she-cat with a broad, flattened face, formerly of ShadowClan.

WARRIORS

(toms and she-cats without kits)

WHITESTORM—big white tom.

APPRENTICE, SANDPAW

DARKSTRIPE—sleek black-and-gray tabby tom.

APPRENTICE, DUSTPAW

LONGTAIL—pale tabby tom with dark black stripes.

APPRENTICE, SWIFTPAW

runningwind—swift tabby tom.

WILLOWPELT—very pale gray she-cat with unusual blue eyes.

MOUSEFUR—small dusky brown she-cat.

FIREHEART—handsome ginger tom.

APPRENTICE, CINDERPAW

GRAYSTRIPE—long-haired solid gray tom.

APPRENTICE, BRACKENPAW

APPRENTICES

(more than six moons old, in training to become warriors)

SANDPAW—pale ginger she-cat.

DUSTPAW—dark brown tabby tom.

SWIFTPAW—black-and-white tom.

CINDERPAW—dark gray she-cat.

BRACKENPAW—golden brown tabby tom.

QUEENS

(she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

FROSTFUR—beautiful white coat and blue eyes.

BRINDLEFACE—pretty tabby.

GOLDENFLOWER—pale ginger coat.

SPECKLETAIL—pale tabby, and the oldest nursery queen.

ELDERS

(former warriors and queens, now retired)

HALFTAIL—big dark brown tabby tom with part of his tail missing.

SMALLEAR—gray tom with very small ears. The oldest tom in ThunderClan.

PATCHPELT—small black-and-white tom.

ONE-EYE—pale gray she-cat, the oldest cat in ThunderClan. Virtually blind and deaf.

DAPPLETAIL—once-pretty tortoiseshell she-cat with a lovely dappled coat.

SHADOWCLAN

LEADER

NIGHTPELT—old black tom.

DEPUTY

CINDERFUR—thin gray tom.

MEDICINE CAT

RUNNINGNOSE—small gray-and-white tom.

WARRIORS

STUMPYTAIL—brown tabby tom.

APPRENTICE, BROWNPAW

WETFOOT—gray tabby tom.

APPRENTICE, OAKPAW

LITTLECLOUD—very small tabby tom.

QUEENS

DAWNCLOUD—small tabby.

DARKFLOWER—black she-cat.

TALLPOPPY—long-legged light brown tabby she-cat.

ELDERS

ASHFUR—thin gray tom.

WINDCLAN

LEADER

TALLSTAR—a black-and-white tom with a very long tail.

DEPUTY