The Beginning Prophecy: Firestarter

Chapter Three

Spottedleaf leapt to her paws as screaming and snarling ripped her from the realm of slumber, her drowsiness evaporating. She whipped around with fur raised and teeth bared as she stood protectively before her brother's corpse which still lay in the clearing.

Dawn was just beginning to break. The sun peeked over the horizon, spilling its golden light over the forest and bathing the camp in its warmth.

A flash of ginger caught Spottedleaf's eye. Rusty! It took her a heartbeat to recognize the tabby kittypet who had been brought into ThunderClan the night before. He was locked with the pale and lean body of Longtail, spitting curses as the two toms tumbled and somersaulted around the camp. The commotion awoke the whole Clan, and the cats who emerged from their dens were quick to leap away from the wrestling ball of fur.

The fight eased as the warrior slammed Rusty to the hard earth, the kittypet's blue collar caught between his sharp teeth. Longtail swung his head back and pulled the material tighter around Rusty's neck as he squirmed in panic.

He's going to kill him!

A shadow surged forward and bowled Longtail off the helpless young cat. Tinyice! Rusty's collar snapped as the two warriors tumbled away while the kittypet scrambled to his paws, eyes wide.

"Longtail, what is the meaning of this?" Tinyice demanded as he opposed the taller tom.

Longtail spat out the tattered remains of the collar. Blood dribbled down the tabby's shoulder from a deep cut he received to the tip of his left ear. "I do not have to answer to you, kittypet! You are not my leader!"

"But I am."

Spottedleaf, and her Clanmates, turned to face Bluestar as she strode from her den, her broad head high and her sharp eyes glaring. "I demand an explanation, Longtail. Why have you attacked our guest? On the day of Redtail's burial, no less."

"Guest?" Longtail sneered. "He should not be here. We should not be housing a kittypet who cannot even fight!" He snarled, shooting a pointed look at the ginger tom.

"You attacked him as he slept. You are a warrior and he is only an-untrained-apprentice. Expecting him to adequately defend himself in that sort of situation is mouse-brained." Tinyice retorted.

Longtail's fur bristled along his spine. "Leave it to you to defend a kittypet! And he is no apprentice. Not of ThunderClan. Not of any clan. He is nothing but a weak, soft-pelted, Twoleg-loving—"

"That is enough, Longtail. If I hear any more of this nonsense from you, I will have you demoted to an apprentice for a moon." Threatened Bluestar.

"You cannot do that!"

Bluestar flicked an ear. "I am your leader and I will do as I see necessary."

Longtail stalked off with a lash of his tail, muttering.

"His mouth always outruns his brain." Tinyice grumbled. He wound his way around Spottedleaf, their pelts brushing.

The tortoiseshell inhaled his scent and pressed against him with a rumbling purr. "You ought to let Longtail get himself in trouble with Bluestar. You're digging yourself into a hole."

"I could not sit and watch as he choked a defenseless kit." Tinyice meowed, beginning to wash her ears with rhythmic strokes of his tongue.

"Cats of ThunderClan," Bluestar addressed her Clan from Highrock.

There was no need for the traditional summoning—every cat had been brought out by the fight.

The leader had placed the shredded collar on the tip of rock before her. She fixed her gaze on Rusty who stood in a shaft of early morning light. His ginger fur seemed to ignite as if it were made of hungry flames underneath the golden glow.

"This newcomer has lost his collar and therefore been stripped of his twoleg bind." Continued Bluestar. "StarClan has shown their acceptance of him. He is free to join ThunderClan as an apprentice."

"StarClan?!"

Spottedleaf felt Tinyice stiffen beside her at the sound of Longtail's voice. He can't hold his tongue for a heartbeat, can he?

It was hard to believe that such a pain in the tail was her kin.

"StarClan did nothing. It was me who ripped off his collar. That is far from a sign of acceptance if you ask me." Longtail meowed.

Tinyice flexed his claws against the earth. "No cat asked you!"

A dusky brown she-cat seated beside Longtail cuffed him over the ear before he could open his jaws. Pain flashed in her yellow eyes as the action irritated her injured shoulder, but her mew was stiff. "Do you have leaves in your brain? Challenging your leader and StarClan, in the middle of a ceremony no less!"

Longtail only growled in response.

Bluestar ignored the interruption. She snatched up the collar and leapt from Highrock to approach Rusty, placing it on the ground at his paws. She gently touched his ear with her nose and murmured something. "You fought well against Longtail's surprise attack." She then turned to the Clan. "From this day forth, until he has earned warrior name, he will be known as Firepaw for his flame-colored pelt."

Bluestar stepped back. Spottedleaf, with the other cats, silently awaited the new apprentice's next move. Firepaw turned to kick dust and grass over his collar as though it was his dirt.

Seemingly satisfied, Bluestar scanned the crowd. Her gaze lingered on Spottedleaf before returning to Firepaw. "As an apprentice, you will need a mentor to train you in becoming a worthy Clan warrior. Spottedleaf, you will train young Firepaw."

Spottedleaf felt a purr blossom in her throat. Her purr rumbled louder when Tinyice butted his head against her shoulder. "Another apprentice. Congratulations!"

Spottedleaf stepped forward to touch noses with Firepaw.

"Firepaw! Firepaw! Firepaw!" Cheered the crowd, welcoming him as they did every other apprentice.

With the ceremonies complete, the Clan broke off into groups while Lionheart organized patrols. Longtail slipped into Mossfall's shaded corner and the elders carefully carried Redtail's body into the woods.