The next day, Tigerstar sent Firepaw our hunting again.

"And if you don't bring back twice the amount you brought last time," the tom had growled, "you'll be dead before you can say 'mouse.'"

Now he trotted along the side of the Thunderpath, sniffing around for any scents of prey. No cat had asked where Graystripe, Cinderpelt, Yellowfang, Cloudpaw, and Princess were yet, and Firepaw hoped they wouldn't. I'm not sure how I could lie myself out of that one.

Suddenly, he heard pawsteps nearby and dropped into a crouch. A cat was crunching through the leaf-mulch on the other side of bush Firepaw was behind. A low growl rumbled in his throat.

"Oh, stupid brambles!" He instantly shot up to his paws.

"Violetbreeze?" He called. He heard the she-cat stop dead, then coming rushing towards him.

"Oh, hi Firepaw," she purred, padding over to him. Her silky fur was neatly groomed, making it glow in the sunlight. "Didn't think I'd run into you over here. That Thunderpath smells vile."

The ginger tom shrugged. "I was hunting."

"Any luck yet?"

He glanced over at the black stone path. "Not yet. I haven't been out here long," he shook out his fur and turned back to her. "Why are you out here?"

"Oh." Firepaw could tell that that question had caught her off guard. "I-I, uh, I mean..." she sighed heavily. "I was following you, alright?"

His whiskers twitched in surprise and amusement. "May I ask why?"

"N-no reason!"

He smirked. "Uh-huh, of course. 'No reason'."

Violetbreeze opened her mouth to retort, but shut it with a huff. She turned away, flustered and embarrassed. "Whatever," she muttered.

   The two walked along the edge of the undergrowth for a while in a peaceful silence, just enjoying each other's company. We've both finally found a cat we can trust, he thought, purring quietly to himself. I'll save her, no matter what it takes. She doesn't deserve to be trapped in our battle-hungry world.

   "Do you ever get scared, Firepaw?"

   The ginger tom swung his head to face her abruptly, startled by her sudden meow. "Huh?"

   She blushed. "It's just... well, you always seem so confident and brave and... I don't know how. We're living in a real-life nightmare. How can you stay so brave?"

   "I'm not confident in anything," he meowed honestly. "The only thing I can be confident in is that our ancestors are watching over us, and will help us all recover."

   Violetbreeze looked thoughtful for a moment. "These ancestors you all talk about... StarClan? Why do you trust them so much? They haven't come to your aid yet, and cats are still dying every day."

   Firepaw felt a pang. He felt like this such a short time ago, before the tortoiseshell came to him. "StarClan has guided the Clans for endless moons. They would never desert us. I don't really know how, or why, but we have to have faith in them. If we have faith, they will save us."

   "You have so much faith. Faith in your Clanmates, faith in StarClan, faith in your destiny, faith in your kin..." the black and white she-cat sighed. "None of us have any of that. It's all about loyalty. Not to each other, just to Tigerstar," she stopped walking abruptly, jerking her head towards Firepaw. He felt the breath catch in his throat she stared deep into his eyes. "All I have is faith in you, Firepaw. Please, don't take that away."

          ~~❤︎❤︎❤︎~~

"Wake up, crow-food."

Firepaw's eyes flashed open and he was instantly on his paws. "What do you want, Jaggedtooth?" He growled menacingly, hackles raised.

"Where are they!?" The brown tom snarled, grabbing Firepaw's scruff and flung him into the clearing. The apprentice was winded as he collided with the bramble barrier that surrounded camp.

"Who?"

"Jayscar and my kits!" He yowled, slashing at Firepaw's face. He bit his tongue to stop himself from yelping when he felt blood well on his nose. "I know you've trapped her somewhere. You've hated her, ever since she killed that little queen."

   "I've hated her since she stepped paw in this camp," Firepaw spat back, surprising the lager tom that had him pinned. "I hate all of you, but I'd never kill another cat."

   Some part of Firepaw's heart felt an ache at that last sentence, but he shoved it away. She deserved it. But his soft side fought back. She was a queen. She couldn't fight back properly.

   Hey! The StarClan she-cat hollered in his mind. What did I say about doubting your ancestors? I know it's hard sometimes, but you have to stand firm in your decisions and actions. Just trust us, kid, we know what we're doing up here.

   He nodded and shook out his fur. Jaggedtooth looked confused. "Who are your nodding to?"

  "Oh," He felt his pelt burn with embarrassment. "N-no one."

   The former rogue glanced over his shoulder, then stepped off of Firepaw. The ginger tom leaped to his paws, glaring into Jaggedtooth's flaming yellow eyes.

   "This isn't over," the dark brown tom growled, then turned and dashed over to the Highrock to be chosen for a patrol.

   Firepaw sighed, shaking out his fur. He gingerly touched the scratch on his nose and winced. I'm glad I watched Yellowfang and Cinderpelt treat battle wounds, he thought as he padded over to the elders' fallen tree. He hooked a wad of cobwebs out from behind it with a skillful paw, shaking out a few tiny spiders. Firepaw placed the dressing on his nose carefully, feeling the blood soak into the cobwebs.

   "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!" Tigerstar's yowl rang out across the clearing.

   What's he want now? Firepaw yawned, yearning for his soft nest. It's barely dawn.

   Cats groggily stepped out from their dens, blinking in the early sunlight. Firepaw watched warriors, apprentices, and rogues pad into the clearing, gazing up expectantly at their leader. Nightstar sat hunched on a tree branch that overhung the Highrock, looking frailer than ever.

   He needs urgent treatment, the apprentice remarked to himself as he scanned the ragged black tom. The ginger tom finally tore his gaze away when Tigerstar cleared his throat.

   "Cats of TigerClan," the powerful tom began. His usually blood-stained pelt was neatly groomed, so glossy it shone in the early light. "Today I will perform one of a leader's favorite ceremonies. Bramblekit, Tawnykit, step forward."

   Firepaw watched the two large kits take eager pawsteps toward their father. Tawnykit looked more hesitant than her brother did, but her eyes were sparkling just the same.

   "Bramblekit, do you promise to defend your Clan and remain loyal to me, even at the cost of your life?"

   The mini-Tigerstar clone puffed out his chest. "Of course I do!"

   Tigerstar smiled down at his son. "Then by my power as the leader of this Clan, I give you the name Bramblepaw. Your mentor would have been Jayscar, but since she's gone missing—" the tom briefly paused to glare at Firepaw. "—your mentor will be Jaggedtooth. I hope he passes on his tremendous loyalty and battle strength on to you."

   "Tawnykit," the dark brown tabby switched his amber gaze to his daughter, who was trembling slightly. "Your mentor will be Runningnose."

   "Runningnose?" Goldenflower gasped. "She's going to be a medicine cat?"

   "What?" The she-kit squeaked. "But I wanna be a warrior!"

   "Little one," Tigerstar tried to meow calmly, but a soft growl edged his voice. "TigerClan is having trouble with only one medicine cat. You will be a great asset to our Clan, and you'll be among the most respected cats in all of the Clans. Don't you wish to walk amongst the stars, solving the mysteries of the skies that warriors could never even comprehend?"

   "Ooo, that sounds fun! Sure, I accept!"

   Firepaw himself was impressed. You have to admit, that tom has a way with words. He scowled as the Clan cheered the apprentices' new names. He shouldn't have tricked Tawnypaw like that. That's not fair.

   Life isn't fair, Firepaw, the tortoiseshell hissed softly in his ear. Firepaw thought he could detect a strong emotion in her voice, but he couldn't place it without seeing her face. Don't ever let yourself believe that it is.