Wildfire

Chapter 1

         Aspenlake warmed his pelt in the golden sun, stretched out on the sun-rocks. He yawned, and unsheathed his claws, flexing them out. Rainclan camp was quiet, except for the tweeting of birds, and the rush of the waterfall in the distance. "Aspenlake, Stumppaw wants to go on the morning patrol, but yesterday you tasked him with cleaning the clearing with Brokenpaw," Brindlestar complained, poking him in the side.

Aspenlake grumbled, getting to his feet. "Stumppaw can go, but Brokenpaw still has to clean, and tell Quartzpaw that she should too."

Brindlestar scoffed. "Quartzpaw is out hunting with Seedfern."

"Well, she can clean when she gets back!" He snapped.

"Woah, whoa, okay, easy fox-mouth."

Aspenlake glared at his sister, getting off the rocks, and padding into the shade. "Anyways, Brindlestar, have you decided who to bring to the gathering this evening?"

"You, me, Rainpelt, Windyfoot, Brokenpaw, Quartzpaw, Bramblepelt, aaand, Lilyheart?" Brindlestar replied.

Aspenlake nodded. "That seems good. Shall I make an announcement?"

Brindlestar shoved him playfully. "I can make my own announcements!" She grinned mischievously, and bounded to the small sandy island in the stream that ran through the camp, where the leader made their announcements and meetings. Aspenlake followed her, settling himself in the stream, it was shallow enough that a small apprentice could stand in it without getting their torso wet. "All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather before the sandrock!" Brindlestar called to the clearing.

All around them, cats stopped what they were doing, and turned to face her. Heatkit bounded out of the nursery, and promptly fell face-first into the water. Birdpool, his mother, chased after him. "Clan meetings aren't for kits," she scolded Heatkit.

Heatkit pouted. "But I can catch my own prey. I eateded a mouse yesterday!"

Birdpool chuckled. "Dear, hunting and eating are different things." She picked up Heatkit by the scruff, and carried him back to the nursery. Heatkit squealed indignantly as he was plopped into a mossy nest.

Brindlestar flicked her tail, calling the purring clan to silence. "I have an announcement to make. The gathering is this evening, and Aspenlake, Windyfoot, Brokenpaw, Rainpelt, Lilyheart, Quartzpaw and Bramblepelt will accompany me to the gathering. Any objections?"

Yowls of agreement rang around the Rainclan clearing. Brindlestar nodded happily, purring slightly. Aspenlake twitched his nose, smelling something strange. "You good?" Brindlestar asked.

"No, I'm all good," he replied. He sniffed the air again, this time recognizing the faint dusky smell of smoke. He knew twolegs sometimes put fire in the fire-holes in clearings, but twolegs hardly ever came during newleaf. What is going on?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Aspenlake shivered as the cool evening wind stung his nose and ears. Brindlestar led him and the rest of the cats on the gathering patrol by the edge of the river. There was still snow on the ground, and Bramblepelt nearly slipped into the river a couple of times. Lilyheart, who had a very short pelt, was shivering intensely. "Let's get to the waterfall, then we can take a break," Brindlestar mewed.

Aspenlake nodded, greatful, the waterfall was only ten fox-lengths away, he could make it, hopeful the others could too.

He bounded ahead slightly, stopping to sit on a log that sat precariously on the edge of the rocky cliff. Rainpelt slumped with exhaustion against the log, panting. They had only sat for a second when Brindlestar hissed at them to move. "Do any of you want to be late, you furbrains?"

The small group continued down the steep slope, eventually coming to level ground, where they could see the gathering clearing in the distance.

One by one they filed in after Brindlestar, setting themselves in the crowd.

Brindlestar sat on top of the pile of stones, and Aspenlake sat underneath her on a flat rock, next to Breezeclan's deputy, Gustclaw. Gustclaw nodded at him as he sat down. "Welcome, Aspenlake. Is the prey in Rainclan running well?"

"Prey is running well, thank you for asking," Aspenlake mewed as he tipped his head to Gustclaw. "I see all we need is Mudclan."

Gustclaw nodded. "They are running a bit late. It is almost moonhigh."

A rustling came from the bushes, and Aspenlake saw Pumpkinstar leading his cats into the clearing, and he leapt up on the rock, and their deputy, Badgerstripe settled on the other side of Gustclaw. "We apologize for keeping you waiting, but Mudclan has now arrived," Pumpkinstar mewed. "Shall we begin the gathering?"

Almondstar nodded curtly. "And I shall start," he meowed. "Breezeclan is doing well, prey is abundant in this newleaf weather, and our warrior Sparrowsong has retired to the elders den." He sat, and signaled for the next cat to stand.

"Thank you, Almondstar. Rainclan is also fine, prey is running well, and my warrior Hawkwing spotted a badger near the Blazeclan border, so I thought Blazeclan ought to be aware," Brindlestar announced.

Flickerstar stood up next to address the crowd before them. "Thank you for alerting us, Brindlestar. We have little prey, however, we have a new apprentice, Spikepaw, who has been apprenticed to Yellowwing, and Flowerdawn has returned to her duties as a warrior."

"Spikepaw! Spikepaw!" Through the cheers, Aspenlake could see the small gray cat smiling nervously, overwhelmed by the cheering. "Prey in Mudclan is doing well, and we have nothing else to report," Pumpkinstar spoke up.

"Swampclan is very much the same," Turtlestar commented. Her deputy, Reedwhisker nodded. "Then, if nobody has any objections, I will call this gathering to a close," Almondstar announced.

Nobody objected, and soon the cats started to disperse, heading home with their own clan. Brindlestar led her clanmates back up the steep path, and up the river, until it started slimming and getting shallower, until it was small enough to run through the camp. When they arrived, there was a flurry of activity. Beefur skidded to a halt before them, shouting panickedly. "Bramblepelt! Brindlestar, why did you bring both medicine cats? Windyfoot, Brokenpaw! Hurry! Bramblepelt, come too! Frondstep is kitting!"