The Beginning Prophecy: Firestarter

Chapter Eleven

"You two should go see Yellowfang." Spottedleaf suggested to Sandpaw and Dustpaw after watching Longtail pad away from Firepaw. She had noticed the old she-cat, who still lay beside Highrock, glaring at the two apprentices. "She does not look happy as of right now."

"We're going. We're going. Why don't you mind your business and shove a tail in it?" Muttered Dustpaw as he stalked off with Sandpaw at his flank.

Spottedleaf sighed. She didn't know who was going to need StarClan on their side more, the apprentices or Yellowfang. StarClan, please don't let them kill each other.

Her prayer seemed to fall on deaf ears as Spottedleaf heard hissing from the prisoner. "Halt, kits!"

"We are apprentices!" Dustpaw snarled. "And we're just following Bluestar's orders, so hold your tongue."

"Apprentices? You two are no bigger than half-drown kits." Wheezed Yellowfang.

Spottedleaf could tell Yellowfang was tired. Her eyes burned with a duller light, although her tongue was as sharp as ever.

"At least we don't look like a starving rat! Nor do we smell worse than crowfood, you disgusting pile of dirt and fleas!" Yowled Sandpaw, fur on end.

"ThunderClan is not training their young correctly these days if a pair of kits cannot show any hint of respect. You ThunderClanners have less manners than rouges."

Yellowfang's comment clearly struck a nerve with the young cats, and Spottedleaf prepared to intervene. Both parties were throwing insults at one another like squabbling kits.

Dustpaw arched his back while puffing out his tail. "You do not know dirt about ThunderClan! ThunderClan is nothing like rouges. We are so much braver than those ruffians. We could have left you to die on your own, you ill-bred-"

"Ill-bred?" Yellowfang cut the dark tabby off, struggling to heave herself to her paws. "Yellowfang'll show you ill-bred!"

Spottedleaf bounded forward and pushed between the arguing cats. "That is enough you three. Sandpaw and Dustpaw, learn to hold your tongue and show some respect. And Yellowfang, pick on a cat your own size."

"Like you, pretty little ThunderClanner? Suppose these mannerless brats are better than that kittypet apprentice of yours." Sneered Yellowfang.

Spottedleaf was determined to defend Firepaw. "You should be grateful that any cat is willing to take care of you."

"Kittypet blood is different from warrior blood. It'd be humiliating to be fussed over a lowborn cat like that."

Spottedleaf's patience ran out and she snarled, "You would feel humiliated if Firepaw was warrior-born. You would feel ashamed if he was a precious she-cat from ShadowClan." Her tail lashed from side to side. "You find the fact that you need to rely on any cat so humiliating!"

Yellowfang stared at her with very wide orange eyes. Spottedleaf could feel the apprentices' shocked gazes burning into the fur on her back as she fiercely carried on. "You are going to have to get used to being looked after until you can take care of yourself, you spiteful old ball of fur!"

She halted when Yellowfang began to make a low and harsh wheezing noise. The grizzly cat was trembling all over, her eyes narrowed to tiny slits.

Sandpaw and Dustpaw stepped forward, looking alarmed. "Is she having some kind of a fit?" Asked the pale ginger she-cat.

"I'm sure Spottedleaf didn't mean..." Dustpaw began.

Spottedleaf realized that Yellowfang was laughing, a purr rumbling from deep in her chest.

The three ThunderClan cats didn't know what to do.

"You have spirit, ThunderClanners." Croaked Yellowfang, finally stopping. "Now, apprentices, Yellowfang is tired and her leg hurts. Yellowfang needs something to put on this injury. Go find that medicine cat of yours and ask her for a goldenrod poultice. That'll help. This pain is killing Yellowfang, so she wouldn't mind a few poppy seeds to chew on."

The apprentices seemed stunned, but quickly sprinted toward Mossfall's den.

Spottedleaf spotted Tigerclaw sitting outside the warriors' den, keeping a close eye on her. Thinking he wanted to speak with her, she padded over and settled down beside him. "What did Bluestar say?"

"That's for senior warrior ears only." Replied the tom coldly. Unsure of what to say, the two fell into an uneasy silence until Tigerclaw spoke again. "I doubt Bluestar will be happy to hear you almost shredded our prisoner."

"Me?" Spottedleaf gaped. "Sandpaw and Dustpaw were the ones with their claws out!"

Tigerclaw twitched his broad shoulders. "As a warrior, you should have done a better job of controlling yourself. Instead you put herself in the heart of the argument." He meowed.

"Blood was going to be shed if I didn't step in!"

"You don't know that."

Spottedleaf flattened her ears against her head, still on edge from her encounter with Yellowfang. Her kin was intolerable sometimes. "Why do you care so much?"

"Why do you care about the kittypet so much? You defended him as though he was truly your clanmate." Tigerclaw fixed his aunt with a hard amber-eyed stare.

"He is my clanmate, and my apprentice!" Pointed out the tortoiseshell. "He reminds me of my family."

He reminded Spottedleaf of her mate and kits, to be specific. She had been there to witness the tom beside her, as an apprentice, and upon the order of his mentor, attack Tinyice who had been no more than a kit at the time. A small and defenseless kit against a large warrior apprentice; an apprentice who was known for his unusually long front claws, at that. It was far from a fair fight.

Spottedleaf shuddered at the memories. The sound of Tinyice's high-pitched cries as Tigerclaw tore through his collar and throat with mighty talons, and the overwhelming smell of fear and blood swamped her senses.

It had been Bluestar, a mere warrior as Bluefur back then, who had raced the injured kit back to camp where he was healed by Featherwhisker, the medicine cat before Mossfall. The cats of ThunderClan had relentlessly bullied him upon his acceptance into the Clan, calling him lowborn and weak. Just as they had her kits when they were born.

The sudden and strong scent of herbs returned Spottedleaf to the present. Dustpaw was trotting over to Yellowfang with a bundle of leaves in his jaws. Sandpaw, who trailed behind him, turned her head to look curiously at the warriors. Tigerclaw glanced away with narrowed eyes.

Dustpaw set the herbs beside Yellowfang.

"Nicely done." Meowed the old cat. "Before you two leave Yellowfang in peace, find her some prey to eat. Yellowfang's starving!"

Sandpaw dashed over to the fresh-kill pile without argument.