The Forgotten Fire

Chapter 2:

  The river was rushing just beyond the Sunningrocks. The blood was rushing in Firepaw's ears, pulsing through her body as she dashed and ducked and slashed her way through the rival patrol of cats. It was her first fight, she had been an apprentice for little more than two moons.
She noticed a she-cat barreling at her, and so the apprentice leapt, twisted in the air, and landed on top of the she-cat, her claws digging into the warrior's shoulders. The she-cat yowled and rolled over, winding Firepaw. For a moment, the red-tailed apprentice froze, uncertain of how to react or what to do, while the warrior above her drew a paw back. As the she-cat released her bunch foreleg to strike, she was thrown and managed to only bat at Firepaw's whiskers. The apprentice moved to her paws and glimpsed her father battering the RiverClan cat before she dashed into the fray once more.
This time she found herself with a lithe tabby tom. He swiftly side-stepped, the RiverClan warrior instinctually darting after him, but Firepaw took the chance to use her leg strength once more; she forced herself to skim above the smooth stone and use the inertia of her flying fluffy body to push the RiverClan warrior to the ground. Firepaw was careful about not being stunned this time; when the golden spotted cat hit the rock, Firepaw rolled off of her body and to her paws, ready to strike again. But this time it was not as necessary. The tabby took Firepaw's place over the RiverClan warrior and treated her shoulder to his fangs.
Firepaw admired the sight a moment too long. She was knocked from the boulder she was standing to the next one down. The cat who leapt after her was a solid grey like the stone on which they were standing. The tom took a good look at her and twitched his whiskers. This flared anger within her: he didn't think she was worth fighting! The apprentice took his laid back demeanor about her to her advantage. When he outstretched his forepaw to bat her ear as if she were little more than a troublesome kit, she used all of her might to swat his foreleg, to throw off his balance and use that weakness to lunge at him. Her teeth fell into his sleek, fish-oiled fur. His forelegs surrounded her body and she was forced to the ground as he dragged her down, into a ball of stone and forest fire furs. She felt claws scratching along her back and piercing hindpaws pummeling her soft stomach.
But it did not last long. One of the RiverClan cats yowled in defeat and they all let go of their tussles and ran for the river. Firepaw laid on her side while her clanmates began crying out in victory. She panted, the breath forced out of her from the attacks on her underbelly. She managed a weak meow in triumph when she managed to her paws, wobbling a bit.
"And as it should be," Redtail called out, "Sunningrocks is part of our territory!" The RiverClan cats were soon after out of sight. The calm of victory was falling over the patrol, and the tom picked his way across the boulders to where his daughter stood on shaky paws. He pressed against her and purred, "You fought very well."
Her excited golden gaze met his, "And it was my first one!"
He gave her a lick between the ears before proudly saying, "I know." He looked to the two warriors with them and declared, "We all did excellent today; Bluestar will be proud to hear about it. Now, let's get back to camp."
As they walked back toward camp, discussion ensued.
"I admit," Thistleclaw meowed to the deputy, "I was skeptical about bringing Firepaw along, but she proved herself."
Meanwhile, the tabby she had fought alongside slipped back to match her pace, "That was pretty good, considering."
"Thanks," Firepaw replied, filled with pride.
Coolly, he added, "Bluestar's teaching you well."
Firepaw flicked an ear and playfully said, "She taught you pretty well too."
He laughed, "Well, what sort of leader can't train apprentices to be the best warriors?" Before Firepaw had a chance to speak again, he thoughtfully added, "You know, it seems like so long ago that I was an apprentice."
Firepaw rolled her eyes, "Oh please, it wasn't that long ago. Even I was there when you were deemed Runningwind."
"Do you remember that or do you only recall it because your mother told you so?" he gently retorted.
Firepaw didn't answer. She offered a shrug that stung her due to the open scratches along her back. She wondered how long they would feel like so, and what the medicine cats would do to them to help. It was then that she noticed they were just arriving back in camp. Their clanmates looked at them expectantly, Lightningpaw ran over to Firepaw and Runningwind drifted toward his sister, Mousefur. Spottedleaf rushed past Redtail and Thistleclaw, who were headed for Bluestar, and came to Firepaw.
"I'm all right," the apprentice assured, "I did amazing today!" But Spottedleaf's response was something empty and muffled by leaves. She had been in the camp who had believed Firepaw too young and small to go fight. She was quick to chew her leaves into a poultice and lick it along the bleeding claw marks in Firepaw's long, dark fur. The initial feel was a nice cool feeling, but that was immediately overcome by a sting of its own.
"What was it like?" Lightningpaw asked, thrilled beyond the disappointment of not being allowed to go.
But he had been shushed by one of the nearby warriors. Redtail was reporting to Bluestar. They were victorious, no one was too hurt, everyone fought well, and Firepaw exceeded expectations.
"It seems Bluestar was not exaggerating when she told me you're learning swiftly," Goldenflower's sweet meow came as she padded up to her daughter after the report.
Firepaw, no longer being tended to by Spottedleaf, though she had been checked on momentarily by Featherwhisker as well, flexed her claws as she replied, "Yeah it was great!"
Goldenflower purred with great pride to her daughter and carefully rubbed her cheek against her before saying, "Grab something to eat and go rest. You deserve it."
Lightningpaw walked with Firepaw to the pile of freshkill, asking her to tell him all the details about the quarrel, but he was quickly pulled away by Darkstripe.
"Perhaps if you train hard enough today, you'll be ready to go fight next time," the dark grey tabby sternly said to his apprentice.
Lightningpaw looked back at Firepaw as he followed his mentor out of the camp, obviously wishing Darkstripe had not taken Firepaw being chosen to address RiverClan instead of Lightningpaw as a personal insult.
The apprentice chose a mouse and made her way to the apprentices' den, making herself comfortable right outside in a shaft of sunlight to eat in peace.
"Aren't you hungrier than that?" a black she-cat meowed as she strolled by, "You fought hard today."
Firepaw felt a special warmth from the she-cat's words, "No thank you, I'm a little cat with a little tummy."
She had a strong respect for Leopardfoot. The black cat had visited her in the nursery often and told her many tales and brought her the occasional treat. When she became apprenticed she had worried that Leopardfoot would move on to the next kits to be born, but, even though there were no queens anywhere near birthing, that did not seem to be the case. The relationship still felt close. Leopardfoot still cared; was almost a second mother to Firepaw.
"Well you better grab something else before night falls," Leopardfoot told her, "I'll be keeping an eye on you to be sure of it." She spoke with a slight strictness, but her green eyes were filled with warmth. The older she-cat then moved on to her grown son, giving him an affectionate lick.
Firepaw laughed at the sight; she had heard her clanmates tease Tigerclaw on occasion for still being doted on by his mother. The cats who were grown at the time of his kithood would remind the younger warriors that he caused many scares for poor Leopardfoot, and he deserved any embarrassment he felt now.
She did not quite understand though. What was wrong with being close to one's parent? She knew she and Goldenflower would always remain close, though it was not uncommon for queens and their daughters to remain bonded due to the fact the daughters would be aided by their mothers once they became queens themselves. But Firepaw still expected to keep a close relationship with Redtail. He was the best and she could not imagine life without a bond between her and her father.