Warriors: Fire and Ice - Book Two (Completed)

Chapter Thirteen

"Fireheart?" Bluestar's voice was raspy from shock. She shifted uncomfortably, and sat further back on her haunches to reposition her back feet. She flopped one of her back legs under the other one and shifted one of her front legs to between her back legs. Waterlily could tell she was hurting. Bluestar wasn't really old, but she seemed like it from how she was sitting. "How can one cat save the clan?" She added.

"Same as any." Waterlily almost spat out the words in anger. 

Bluestar flinched at Waterlily's tone, "I..." She paused, looking down at the ground. "I thought that I was meant to save ThunderClan. Before I became leader, I did something that I regret." She trailed off and continued to look down at her paws, shuffling them and kneading the ground, nervously.

"I'm sorry." Mewed Waterlily, not knowing what else to say. She wanted to continue speaking, but she knew that Bluestar was caught in some sort of memory that she once had and regretted. Waterlily let her leader stare into space until Bluestar finally looked up at her.

"I am not ready to lose another deputy." Rasped Bluestar. "I am on my last life. I can't lose my life and not have a deputy." She continued. "Besides, who would even be good enough to learn fast to be a great leader?"

Waterlily thought for a moment before speaking. "I do not know, Bluestar, but I do know that..." She stopped talking and widened her eyes in dismay as a sudden vision came to her. A flash of fire rose in her eyes. Cats were scattered, bristling their pelts and fleeing near a river. A pair of yellow eyes stood, staring at her from inside the fire. Then a flame-colored tom raced toward the pair of eyes and the vision was gone.

Bluestar stood in silence watching. Waterlily shook her head to clear it then looked at Bluestar with wide eyes. "What happened?" Asked Bluestar.

"Fire is to be feared by everyone soon, but Fireheart will save us." She paused for a quick moment. "Fireheart is the one to be deputy."

Bluestar looked up at Waterlily with surprise. She didn't say anything, but Waterlily knew she what she was thinking. Fireheart is barely a warrior. He had just begun his mentoring, and had basically failed at doing so when Cinderpaw twisted her leg. Waterlily had just as many doubts as Bluestar, but she knew StarClan was right with their decisions. They've never been wrong before.

"Thank you, Waterlily..." Bluestar mewed, almost crossly. "for telling me this. I will take it all into account."

Waterlily dipped her head, silently and padded out of Bluestar's den. Her paws trembled with every step in agony. Her paws didn't hurt from an injury, but from constant impatience and anger rising inside her. Bluestar had to listen to her. If Tigerclaw becomes leader, that would be the end to all Clans! She ducked into the elders' den to see how they were doing. 

There was thankfully no more sickness, and she could feel a cool breeze of spring come from out of the elders' den. She sighed softly. "Seems like new-leaf is upon is soon." She mewed as she neared the elders.

"Oh yes. Great for new kits too!" Rasped One-eye. Her blind eyes gazed up at Waterlily and she managed to let out a muffled purr. "Perhaps one day you will have kits of your own." She added.

Waterlily's eyes widened. "Oh, I'm..."

She was interrupted by a loud gasp. "One-eye!" Growled the old she-cat. "Waterlily is a medicine cat. She can't have kits!" She exclaimed.

Waterlily let out a soft sigh in relief. She didn't want to be the one to tell her. She was glad that Dappletail spoke out for her.

"Thank you, Dappletail." She mewed, dipped her head then padded off out of the den. She ducked underneath the brambles and bounded towards the medicine den. Cinderpaw was sleeping soundly and her body laid still. Her leg was still straight, and wrapped up tightly with the leaf Waterlily had bound together. Waterlily felt a sudden pain and sorrow for Cinderpaw. What if she never got better? But she shook her head to clear it and looked away.

Yellowfang emerged into the den and looked at Waterlily with a confused look on her face. "Where did you go? I was looking everywhere for you!"

Waterlily tensed up. Should she tell Yellowfang all what she told Bluestar? Did she know even know anything about the prophecy? If she did, she showed no signs of knowing. Spottedleaf was the one who had told her about it.

Yellowfang sat down, and tapped her foot, impatiently. "Well?" She almost growled.

"Oh sorry..." Mewed Waterlily. "I was talking with Bluestar."

Yellowfang shot her a stern glance. "What for?"

"Nothing too important." She lied. "I just wanted to make sure she was still okay after losing her eighth life."

Yellowfang squinted her eyes and opened her mouth as if she was going to say something, but quickly shut it. She looked down and didn't prod any more questions from Waterlily. Waterlily was glad. She was exhausted, but at the same time, she knew that Yellowfang had the right to know. She was a medicine cat too. She was a medicine cat way before Waterlily was, and she was sure that Yellowfang would understand her troubles.

"Yellowfang." She meowed softly.

Yellowfang looked up at her with curious eyes.

"I spoke with Bluestar because there's a prophecy." Waterlily sat down and wrapped her tail around her front paws. She expected to get a long lecture about how she is too young to read prophecies well and know what they mean.

"Fire alone will save your Clan." Yellowfang murmured.

Waterlily gasped in surprise. "You know of it?"

Yellowfang nodded her head. "I was told about it just last half-moon. I don't understand it; fire is to be feared by all clans."

"That's what I thought at first." Waterlily mewed leaning forward a little, "The fire that is to save us is Fireheart."

"I was afraid of that."