Rising Storm

“These are yours,” she mewed, dropping the mixed leaves at Bluestar’s paws. She jerked her head toward the rock. “Yours are over there,” she told Fireheart.

He was still swallowing to wash the bitter taste of the herbs from his mouth when Bluestar headed out of the clearing, nodding to Fireheart to follow her. Around them, the camp was beginning to stir. Willowpelt had just squeezed out of the nursery and was blinking in the bright sunlight, while Patchpelt was stretching his old limbs in front of the fallen oak. Both cats glanced curiously at Bluestar and Fireheart, then carried on with their morning routine.

“Hey!”

Fireheart heard a familiar voice behind him and his heart sank. It was Cloudpaw, scampering out of his den with his fur standing on end, ungroomed after a night’s sleep. “Where are you going? Can I come?”

Fireheart paused at the tunnel entrance. “Don’t you have a pigeon to collect?”

“The pigeon can wait. I bet some owl’s flown off with it by now anyway,” answered Cloudpaw. “Let me come with you, please!”

“Owls eat live prey,” Fireheart corrected him. He caught sight of Runningwind padding sleepily out of the warriors’ den and called across the clearing to the brown tom. “Runningwind, will you take Cloudpaw hunting this morning?” He caught a flash of resentment in the warrior’s eyes as Runningwind nodded unenthusiastically. Fireheart remembered how willingly Runningwind had taken Thornpaw out to catch squirrels the day before; clearly the warrior wasn’t as fond of Cloudpaw, and frankly Fireheart didn’t blame him. His apprentice wasn’t trying hard enough to earn the respect of these Clan cats.

“That’s not fair,” whined Cloudpaw. “I went hunting yesterday. Can’t I come with you?”

“No. Today you will hunt with Runningwind!” Fireheart snapped. Before Cloudpaw could argue any more, he turned and raced after Bluestar.

Chapter 5

The ThunderClan leader had reached the top of the ravine by the time Fireheart caught up with her. She paused to sniff the air before padding into the forest. Fireheart noticed with relief how relaxed she seemed now that they were out of the camp, nosing her way through the undergrowth toward the RiverClan border.

Fireheart glanced in surprise at the she-cat. This wasn’t the quickest route to Fourtrees and the uplands beyond, but he didn’t question her. He couldn’t help feeling excited at the thought that he might catch a glimpse of Graystripe across the river.

The two cats met the RiverClan border above Sunningrocks and followed the scent markers upriver. A warm breeze carried the faint heather scent of the moor down to them. Fireheart could hear the river flowing past on the other side of the ferns. He craned his neck and saw the water glimmering in the dappled light under the trees. Above his head the leaves glowed green and flashed at the edges where the sunlight pierced the thick roof of the forest. Even in the shade, Fireheart felt hot. He wished he could plunge into the water like a RiverClan cat, to cool himself down.

Finally the river bent away, deeper into RiverClan territory, and Bluestar carried straight on, following the markers along the border between ThunderClan and RiverClan. Fireheart couldn’t stop glancing across the scentline, searching the woods beyond for any sign of RiverClan cats, wary of being spotted by a patrol but ever hopeful of seeing his old friend. Bluestar was leading them recklessly close to the border, even crossing it occasionally as they weaved through the undergrowth. Fireheart had no idea how RiverClan would react if they found them here. The two Clans had nearly come to conflict over Silverstream’s kits, and battle was averted only when Graystripe took his kits back to their mother’s Clan.

Suddenly Bluestar stopped and lifted her muzzle, opening her mouth to taste the air. She dropped into a crouch, and Fireheart, trusting Bluestar’s warrior instincts, flattened himself too, ducking behind a patch of nettles.

“RiverClan warriors,” Bluestar warned in a whisper.

Fireheart could smell them now. He felt his hackles rising as the scent grew stronger and he heard the swish of fur disturbing the undergrowth ahead of them. He raised his head very slowly and peered through the trees, his heart thumping as he searched for a familiar gray pelt. Beside him, Bluestar’s eyes were wide and her flanks barely moved as she took silent, shallow breaths. Was she hoping to see Graystripe too? Fireheart wondered. It hadn’t occurred to him before now that Bluestar might also want to run into some RiverClan cats. It would certainly explain why she had come this way.