"What!?" Firepaw roared. "First off, what good would murdering an innocent kit do? Secondly, they're almost apprentices! They're nearly four moons old! And thirdly, WHY!?"

Tigerstar's sneer turned to a scowl as he slowly rose to his paws. "Are you questioning my orders?" The powerful tom hissed quietly as he towered over his apprentice, not breaking eye contact for a heartbeat.

Firepaw gulped. "I am. I will not harm a hair on any cat's pelt, especially a kit's."

"Very well. You can watch your family and friends die." Firepaw screeched as Tigerstar pounced on top of him. The rogues scattered, stalking towards the five cowering cats threateningly. Jayscar let out a fearsome yowl and sprang at Princess, her claws fully extended and her fangs bared.

"No! Stop!" Firepaw cried, terror making him freeze and his eyes squeeze shut. "I'll do as you say! Just don't harm them."

"Halt!" Tigerstar yowled commandingly. The rogues stopped dead in their tracks, Jayscar only a mouse-length away from Princess's throat. The TigerClan leader smirked, not stepping off of Firepaw's back. "You have until moonhigh, kittypet," he growled softly in his ear. "If you're a heartbeat late, all of these cats will die."

                       ~~❤︎❤︎❤︎~~

Firepaw kicked a pebble into the river, growling in frustration. This is hopeless! He sighed heavily and fell back onto his haunches, his heart aching. I don't know how I can trick Tigerstar. All I know is that I have to save my Clan.

The fiery tom stared up at the sky, which was the palest blue you could imagine. Only a few clouds drifted by lazily as a chilly breeze ruffled Firepaw's fur. I have to help my friends escape from the Fourtrees without getting caught. Once they're safe, I can free Willowpelt and her kits. He stood up, a prick of hope shining through the thick fog of doubt and fear that hung over his head. That's what I'll do. And if I'm successful, hopefully no cat will suffer.

                      ~~❤︎❤︎❤︎~~

"Willowpelt!" Firepaw growled, clawing at the dense brambles. "Willowpelt!"

He heard a dry growl and then movement from inside the cage. "Stay away from them— oh, Firepaw! It's you!" The she-cat's yellow gaze sparked with hope. "I knew you'd come for us!"

"I have bad news, Willowpelt." He saw some of the light die in the queen's eyes. "I've been tasked with killing one of your kits."

"W-what?" Willowpelt backed away from him, her fangs bared and eyes wide with fear. "You'd never! You get one paw-step closer and, and I'll shred you!"

"Willowpelt, relax," the dark ginger tom's whiskers twitched. "We're here to rescue you."

"We?"

Firepaw swished his tail, and Graystripe, Yellowfang, Cinderpelt, Cloudpaw, and Princess emerged from the bushes with trembling paws. "Tigerstar is threatening to kill them if I don't kill one of your kits. I'm going to get you all to safety."

"What 'bout us, young'un?" A scratchy mew sounded from one of the prison dens nearby. "Surely you'll save us too?"

"I will, One-eye. I'll come back for all of you," he dropped his mew and gritted his teeth. "But these cats are in more immediate danger at the moment."

A second cat spoke from across the land. "We understand, young'un. Don't worry, us sacks o' bones can last a few more sunrises."

One-eye snorted. "Speak for yourself."

Firepaw felt his heart jolt painfully. You don't know about your execution, he closed his eyes to take a deep breath. I'll come back for you. I promise.

"Where are we going?" Willowpelt mumbled around Rainkit's scruff. The seven cats had been trodding through unclaimed territory since sunhigh, and the blazing star was beginning to sink below the horizon.

"Just a little further," Firepaw replied, grunting as Sorrelkit shifted on his shoulders. "Up to Ravenpaw and Barley's barn."

"This is so cool!" Sorrelkit squealed, dogging her tiny claws into Firepaw's back do that she could stand safely. "We've gotten to see so much territory, and we aren't even apprentices yet!"

Rainkit purred. "I bet we've seen more than all of ThunderClan combined!"

"It's not ThunderClan anymore," Cinderpelt meowed gently to the small gray tom. "We've joined forces with ShadowClan, so now we're TigerClan."

Firepaw felt a cat pad up beside him. Turning his head, he saw that it was his sister, her blue eyes shining with worry. "Fireheart, can I speak with you?"

"It's Firepaw again," the dark ginger tom muttered as he handed Sorrelkit to Graystripe. "Look, I'm sorry that you got dragged into this—"

"It's not your fault," the white she-cat cut him off. "Who was that tabby tom? The one that trapped us in the hollow?"

"Oh, that was Tigerstar," Firepaw spat out the leader's name. "He's the one who destroyed ThunderClan."

Princess was staring at the horizon, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Tigerstar, huh? So he's evil?"

"He's the most vile cat in all of the Clans."

"Worse than that Brokenstar cat you told me about?"

"Infinitely worse."

"Are you sure—"

"I see the barn!" Rainkit's squeal broke off Princess's sentence. Firepaw tore his gaze away from his sister to follow the tom's gaze. He was right! Standing taller than the oaks at Fourtrees was the silhouette of the Twoleg den that Firepaw knew so well.

"Graystripe and Cloudpaw, run ahead and speak with Barley. Princess, Yellowfang, and Cinderpelt, wait until they come back to get you," Firepaw gazed solemnly at the white barn. "They might not welcome so many cats into their home at once."

"Hey, Firepaw?" Willowpelt meowed quietly from the middle of the cats. "May I have a word?"

The apprentice blinked in surprise. "Oh, of course. But I need to head back soon or else Tigerstar will track us down."

"It will only take a moment," the queen murmured. She waved her tail at the tree line that was a few tail-lengths behind them. "Let's talk over there."

Firepaw's whiskers twitched as he watched Rainkit and Sorrelkit bound ahead towards the trees. "You're it!"

"No, you didn't tag me!"

"Did to!"

"Did not!"

"They sure are a pawful, aren't they?" The apprentice chuckled, his heart light as a feather.

Willowpelt smiled. "They sure are, but I wouldn't give them up for anything."

Firepaw murmured in agreement as they neared a tree stump. They both sat beside it, tails wrapped around their paws.

"Thank you, Firepaw."

"What?" He was caught off guard by her sudden remark. "Oh, of course. I couldn't let anything happen to them." He gazed at the two playful littermates, who were wrestling in the dirt.

"I win!"

"No fair! You cheated!"

"Did not!"

"Did to!"

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

Firepaw and Willowpelt's heads snapped towards the bushes. A pair of gleaming blue eyes emerged into full view, followed by a chuckling black she-cat. "Thought you could run away, huh, kittypet? You should have known better."

No... Firepaw leaped to his paws, stepping between Willowpelt and the rogue. "I'll kill you is you lay a single claw on them, Jayscar."

The old she-cat began to laugh louder. "Oh really? I'd like to see you try."

With a ferocious yowl full of pure hatred, Firepaw sprang at the wiry she-cat. She tucked her paws under her and rolled out of the way at the last heartbeat. Firepaw managed to snag a full set of claws into her right shoulder as she rolled away, and felt flesh tear under his claws.

"Silly kittypet," Jayscar hissed. "You thought that our noble leader would send one cat to track you down?"

Firepaw's blood turned to ice as the she-cat yowled, "Warriors, kill them!"

The world seemed to slow as an enormous patrol of rogues sprang from the undergrowth. Willowpelt screeched in terror as five rogues fell on her. An even larger number of cats circled the kits, who were cowering with their backs pressed to a small stone. Blood roared in Firepaw's ears as Jayscar flung him off and pinned him down. "Watch them die, Firepaw," the despicable she-cat cackled with delight. "Watch them die!"

In a few heartbeats, Willowpelt and Rainkit were dead, giant gashes covering their stomachs. The rogues were still circling Sorrelkit, who was hunched over her brother's lifeless body.

"Rainkit! Rainkit, wake up!" She wailed pitifully. "Mother, I'm scared!"

"Your turn, kittypet." Firepaw huffed as Jayscar flung him towards the rogues. They parted to let him through, and he stumbled into the circle.

"Blood," one cat began, and the others followed along. "Blood, blood, blood, blood!"

Firepaw could hardly hear over the pounding of his heart. Either I kill her, and live, or I fight, and we both die, he took shaky pawsteps toward the grieving kit. Her back was hunched, and she looked so small. So helpless. So lonely.

"Firepaw?" The small she-cat turned, trembling, to face him, her green eyes brimming with tears. "I knew you'd save us! I want to go home!"

A lump welled in the apprentice's throat. "I'm sorry," he muttered darkly. "but I have to save the others."

"Firepaw what are you—" Sorrelkit broke off with a screech of terror as the fiery tom sprang at her. He swiftly scooped her up and snapped her neck between his jaws. His heart as heavy as a thousand boulders, he dropped her limp form on the ground.

The rogues cheered as his legs buckled beneath him. "StarClan, I'm sorry," he sobbed into the she-cat's fur. "I had to. I can't let everyone else die, too."

"Alright, mouse-heart," Jayscar growled, cuffing him over the ear. He didn't even wince. "Time to go back to camp."