Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12 Fireheart padded swiftly out of the camp, hoping no other cats would see him and ask him where he was going. The warrior code said that a Clan leader's orders should be obeyed without question. Until now, Fireheart had always accepted that. He had never imagined that he would ever disobey Bluestar, and yet the time had come when he must challenge her orders or watch the destruction of his Clan. The only way he could see of avoiding the battle was for Tallstar and Bluestar to meet together and talk about the evidence of prey-theft in both their territories. Once Bluestar understood that WindClan was suffering in just the same way as ThunderClan, Fireheart was sure she would call off the attack. He did not know what Bluestar would do to him afterward, if she realized that he had gone to see Tallstar without her permission. He just hoped she would eventually understand it was for the good of her Clan. At the entrance to the gorse tunnel Fireheart took a last look around at the camp. For a moment he watched Brightpaw, practicing the

hunting crouch all by herself outside the apprentice's den. She crept lightly up on a dead leaf and pounced on it, trapping it with outstretched paws. "Well done!" Fireheart called. Brightpaw looked up, her eyes glowing. "Thank you, Fireheart!" Fireheart nodded to her, then turned and headed through the gorse tunnel. The short meeting had strengthened his resolve, for the eager young apprentice represented all that was important within the Clan. Fireheart knew that he could not let that be destroyed. By sunhigh, Fireheart was approaching the stream that lay on the route to Fourtrees. He stopped for a moment to rest. In his confusion and anxiety he had not taken time to eat before he left the camp, and a rustle in the undergrowth reminded him of how hungry he was. He dropped into the hunter's crouch, only to realize a couple of heartbeats later that the sounds were not made by prey. He caught a glimpse of a familiar dark pelt, and breathed in the scent of ThunderClan cats.

Puzzled, Fireheart pressed himself to the ground behind a clump of fern. He hadn't ordered a patrol in this direction, so why were his Clan cats here now? Then the undergrowth parted and Darkstripe emerged, mewing sharply over his shoulder, "Follow me. Try to keep up, can't you?" Two small shapes appeared out of the bracken. Fireheart's eyes widened in surprise as he recognized Goldenflower's two kits. Bramblekit bounced into the open, batting at a fallen leaf, while Tawnykit followed more slowly. "I'm tired. My paws ache," the little tabby kit complained. "What, a strong kit like you?" Darkstripe meowed. "Don't be silly. It's not far now." What isn't far? Fireheart wondered in alarm. What are you doing out here, and where are you taking these kits? He expected to see Goldenflower with them—surely her kits had never been this far from the nursery before?—but she did not appear. Bramblekit scampered over to his sister and gave her a nudge. "Come on—it'll be worth it!" he urged.

Both kits hurried after Darkstripe to a shallow place where they crossed the stream, squealing in fear and excitement as the water swirled around their paws. On the far side of the stream, Darkstripe veered away from the route that led to Fourtrees, and headed instead along a much narrower path that twisted away under the trees. A burst of outrage shook Fireheart. He knew exactly where that path led. Darkstripe was taking the kits toward the border with ShadowClan. Fireheart had to wait for them to climb the slope beyond the stream before he dared to emerge from the ferns and follow. By the time he caught up they were approaching the border. The strong reek of ShadowClan reached Fireheart, and he saw the kits stop and start sniffing the air. "Yuck, what's that?" Tawnykit squealed. "Is it a fox?" asked Bramblekit. "No, it's ShadowClan scent," Darkstripe replied. "Come on, we're nearly there." He led the kits across the border, Tawnykit complaining that she was getting the horrid scent all over her paws. Growing angrier still, Fireheart slid into the shelter of a hawthorn bush just on the

ThunderClan side, where he could watch without being seen. Close by, Darkstripe had come to a halt. The kits flopped down on the grass, exhausted, only to spring to their paws again a moment later when a clump of bracken rustled and another cat stepped into the open. The newcomer was Tigerstar. Fireheart froze, though he was hardly surprised. He had guessed that Darkstripe had been hoping to curry favor with Tigerstar by bringing his kits to see him, but the ShadowClan leader's prompt appearance suggested that this meeting had been arranged all along. Fireheart wondered if Goldenflower knew about this. She was not here with her kits, so perhaps she didn't even know that Darkstripe had taken them away. She might just think they had gone missing. She must be frantic, Fireheart thought. He tensed his muscles, ready to leap out and confront Darkstripe, but he stayed in his hiding place and made himself concentrate on what was happening in front of him. Tigerstar padded forward, the muscles rippling

under his dark tabby pelt, until he stood in front of his two kits. For a moment he inspected them, and then bent his head to touch noses, first with Bramblekit and then with Tawnykit. Even though they could never have seen such a massive cat before, both kits stood bravely before him and met his gaze without flinching. "Do you know who I am?" meowed Tigerstar. "Darkstripe said he would take us to meet our father," replied Bramblekit. "Are you our father?" Tawnykit added. "You smell a bit like us." Tigerstar nodded. "I am." The kits exchanged a wondering glance as Darkstripe mewed, "This is Tigerstar, the leader of ShadowClan." Their eyes grew huge, and Bramblekit breathed, "Wow! You're really a Clan leader?" When Tigerstar dipped his head in agreement, Tawnykit mewed excitedly, "Why can't we come and live with you in your Clan? You must have a really nice den." Tigerstar shook his head. "Your place is with your mother for now," he told them. "But that