Status: Working Working WORKING

The Spark That Started the Fire

Bloodsoaked Herbs

Darkpaw shrieked and Firepaw was jerked out of his fear and he pounced on the young warrior that had his sister pinned to the ground. They rolled around in the dirt. The she-cat pinned Firepaw but he kicked his hind paws and sent her to Darkpaw where she swiped and created a huge gash over her eyes. The ThunderClan warrior yowled as they advanced, their eyes blazing with fury. Unfortunately her yowl alerted a large ThunderClan warrior, his pelt was streaked with WindClan cats' blood and he looked at the two apprentices sternly. Firepaw recognized Stormtail, the respected senior warrior. He had been fighting Reedfeather and he swiped the deputy away with a huge swipe. He raced towards the two WindClan apprentices, shouldering Firepaw to the side and dazing him, but once again Darkpaw's shriek woke him. He shot up to see Stormtail sinking his teeth into Darkpaws already tattered and bloody pelt. Firepaw launched himself at Stormtail and forced him to take his blood soaked muzzle out of Darkpaw's flank but he just swiped the apprentice away. This gave Darkpaw a chance to crawl away and Firepaw raced to her side, nudging her up and towards the medicine cat den where Hawkheart was tending Shrewpaw whom was unconscious.

Firepaw opened his mouth to demand the medicine cat to tend his sister but Hawkheart turned away, not even seeing Firepaw and his exhausted sister. He stalked towards a young apprentice. She looked much to small to be fighting, she could have only been an apprentice for days. "ThunderClan brought kits!" laughed, baring his teeth and stalking towards the young apprentice like a piece of prey.

"I am not a kit!" the little grey she-cat growled.

Hawkheart's eyes gleamed, "Then show me your battle moves, young warrior!" he challenged, advancing for the young kit.

Firepaw knew Hawkheart had been a warrior first, a fierce one at that. If he got his way with the apprentice, she could die. He turned frantically. He spotted Heatherstar a rabbet hop away and he hissed, grabbing her attention. He flicked his tail to Hawkheart, hoping she'd do something.

"Hawkheart!" she yowled, her eyes sharp. "Get back to tending the injured like you're supposed to!" she then turned and pounced on a ThunderClan warrior, her claws shining. Firepaw bounded up to Hawkheart, he looked annoyed as if he had been outrun by a rabbet.

"Hawkheart, It's my sister. She's really hurt." he said quickly. Hawkheart nodded and dodged a pair of battling cats, heading for the bleeding apprentice. While Hawkheart began to clean up the blood he growled, "Why don't you make yourself useful and get some cobweb!" he snarled. Firepaw nodded and headed for the medicine cat den. He was almost there when he was trampled by a silver-grey she-cat with pale, yellow eyes that glowed. She barely noticed him but charged for her goal, the medicine supplies. Firepaw hissed, not thinking and grabbing her rear, clawing at her hind paws and trying to prevent the young she-cat from getting in there. If she ruined the supplies her clanmates could die without their healing! Most importantly, Darkpaw could die! He held on, even as she bit down into his shoulder and his paws began to slip in her sleek coat. Suddenly she flung him off, his claws creating great scores in her side but he was flung into the mass of cats. He charged towards her but only managed to see her tail tip disappear into the den followed by a dark grey tom. He did the only thing he could think of, "Hawkheart! There are ThunderClan cats in your den!" he yowled and collapsed, blood pouring from his shoulder. The world then turned into a dizzying, blurry blackness.

It wasn't long before he felt a nudging on his shoulder, Sandstreak was pressing moss on his wound and looking worried. He shot up and Sandstreak hissed but he didn't dare turn back, he spotted a dark grey warrior whom had followed the she-cat into the den came out. He was blood spattered and torn herbs caked his pelt, Firepaw attacked, clawing his shoulders and tearing at his ears. "Damage our medicine supply, will you?" he snarled, tearing viciously at his opponent. The tom yowled and flung him off, making Firepaw slam into the camp wall. He bared his teeth but the warrior fled into the fray.

Firepaw snarled and looked for that silver she-cat, she had to pay too! Firepaw spotted Hawkheart pouncing on her not too far away. Hawkheart ripped and tore at her unrelentingly. The she-cat struggled out of his grip and swiped at his muzzle, but the strong warrior lunged and grabbed her by the throat.

Firepaw watched in horror as the she-cat bled from the fresh wound, her eyes becoming glazed and foggy. Hawkheart was circling her, eyes narrowed. An ear-splitting scream echoed through the camp and Firepaw sunk to the ground, his paw unable to carry him any further. The rain began to pour faster and his fur was soaked and slippery with blood of other cats as well as his own.

"ThunderClan, Retreat!" Pinestar's yowl filled the clearing and the battle broke apart, Firepaw breathed a sigh of relief. He couldn't bear seeing his medicine cat kill the queen, even if she had attacked the clan's herb stores she was still a cat.

As the ThunderClan cats broke away Firepaw spotted the young apprentice racing for the injured warrior. "Moonflower! Moonflower!" she mewed, nudging the silvery she-cat. The queen flopped to one side and Firepaw's heart turned to stone. "No..." he whispered.

"It's me, Bluepaw!" she whimpered, fear rising in her voice. Firepaw felt sorrow for the little she-cat. His thoughts wandered to Nutmeg, was that how the little kit looked as she watched her father's life melt away in her paws?

"Why won't she get up?" Bluepaw wailed, her eyes looking at her leader whom crouched beside the apprentice. The Thunderclan leader shook his head, saying something he couldn't catch. "She can't be! She can't be dead! We were fighting warriors, not rouges or loners! Warriors don't kill without reason!"

Hawkheart growled, "She tried to destroy our medicine supply, that was reason enough!" he snarled. Firepaw felt fury rising in his chest, there was no reason to kill a kit's mother! No reason!"

"But StarClan told us to do it!" Bluepaw wailed and Firepaw's heart lurched, why would StarClan order a battle like this? Bluepaw turned to Pinestar "We had no choice. They told us to, didn't they? Goosefeather said so."

Hawkheart snorted, "You risked so much on the word of Goosefeather?" he flicked his tail and stalked away towards Firepaw. The apprentice didn't seem to know what he meant but Firepaw did. Hawkheart openly mocked Goosefeather all the time, he had become a clan joke. Things like 'Only Goosefeather would do that' and 'You sound as sane as Goosefeather' were common statements.

"Firepaw, let's have a look at that shoulder." he hissed, Firepaw looked at him coldly, "Please, will you look at Darkpaw now?" he said, his voice quiet and icy. Hawkheart narrowed his eyes and left him, bounding for the moaning shape of Darkpaw. His eyes felt heavy, it would be past dawn by now but the rain made the clearing as black as midnight. He closed his eyes and slept, ignoring the rain on his sodden pelt.
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My muse is in the mud right now, I promise-if I get one comment I will update within the next twenty-four hours of receiving it.