Fire and Ice/Chapter 28

Chapter Summary
Fireheart's PoV


 * Fireheart promises to find Brindleface’s kits and Cloudkit, as they have gone missing. He looks for Graystripe to help look as the weather conditions are getting worse, but the warrior is nowhere to be seen. He finds Sandstorm instead, and asks what is wrong. Fireheart explains about the missing kits, and about Graystripe’s disappearance. He feels angry that Graystripe is missing again right after he accuses Fireheart of distrusting him. Sandstorm offers to look with Fireheart, and Fireheart says they should tell Bluestar first. Sandstorm decides to get Dustpelt to tell their leader, and asks if it’s still snowing. Fireheart explains it is and getting heavier to they need to hurry. He orders Sandstorm to wake Dustpelt and to meet him at the entrance of the camp. He bounds back to Brindleface who is searching for scents of her kits. She finds nothing, and tells Fireheart that Frostfur is telling Bluestar. Fireheart reports that he and Sandstorm are going to search for them and promises to find the queen’s kits. He and Sandstorm meet at the entrance and hurry into the forest.


 * The weather is stronger outside the camp with strong winds and blinding blizzards. Fireheart states that they cannot pick up scent trails and suggests seeing if they climbed up the slope, checking different sides then meeting back. Neither of them find any trace, and Fireheart notes that they won’t survive past sunset, which is soon. Fireheart points out they couldn’t have trekked far, and they try around the training hollow. Sandstorm asks if Bluestar will know about the bad weather, and Fireheart thinks she will. Sandstorm suggests going back and joining a search patrol, since she is starting to freeze. Fireheart agrees but as they turn to go back to camp, he hears something in the wind. He asks Sandstorm if she heard that squeal. She sniffs the air and catches a scent. They follow it to Brindleface’s two kits, huddled together in the snow. Fireheart feels relieved to find them, but then quickly realizes that Cloudkit isn’t with them and asks where he is. The she-kit says Cloudkit is hunting, and Fireheart starts calling for him. Sandstorm points out something to Fireheart, Cloudkit leaping through the snow to make a step and he seems to be carrying a small vole. Fireheart is relieved and leaves the other kits to Sandstorm to grab Cloudkit from the snow. The kit grunts in protest but refuses to drop the vole.


 * Sandstorm nudges the other kits while Fireheart drops Cloudkit as he struggles. He looks proud as he holds his catch, and Fireheart is impressed. He tells him to wait while he picks up the she-kit and they all head back to camp. Brindleface meets them at the tunnel with Bluestar standing beside her. They grab a kit each and carry them back to camp. Fireheart shakes out the snow in his fur as Cloudkit still grips his vole. Bluestar lectures the kits, asking what they were doing out there breaking the code. Brindleface’s kits shrink away but Cloudkit stubbornly refuses to cower. He puts down the vole and says the Clan needed prey so they caught some. Fireheart flinches at the boldness as Bluestar asks who the one that proposed the idea was. Cloudtail proudly announces he did, and the leader yowls they could have frozen to death. Cloudkit is startled by her anger and weakly meows they did it for their Clan. Fireheart is instantly worried Bluestar won’t let Cloudkit stay in ThunderClan because he broke the code. Bluestar admits his intentions were good but it was stupid, but Cloudkit protests he caught something. Bluestar lets Cloudkit add the vole to the fresh-kill pile and to leave it to Brindleface to decide their punishment. She tells them she expects them to not do this again.


 * Bluestar orders the kits to get back to the nursery and get warm, giving a motherly tone. Brindleface and her kits head to their den while Cloudkit adds his catch to the prey pile. Fireheart is worried about the pride Cloudkit is displaying but Bluestar only shows admiration. She congratulates Fireheart and Sandstorm on their work, and will send Longtail to bring back the other search patrols. She tells them to rest and warm up at their dens, but then calls Fireheart back. She says Cloudkit showed great hunting skills but it would be worthless if he cannot obey the warrior code. She says the warrior code is for his safety now but in the future it will depend on the whole Clan’s safety. Fireheart knows Bluestar is right but feels she is expecting too much of Cloudkit. He feels resentment as he remembers Graystripe, a clanborn is regularly breaking the warrior code himself. He promises to make sure Cloudkit learns and Bluestar walks away, sounding satisfied. Fireheart heads to the warriors’ den, even though Bluestar’s words made him feel warm. He settles in his nest and washes, staying all afternoon and thinking of Graystripe and Cloudkit. He admits Bluestar is correct about the kit’s defiance and boldness, and wonders if he can adjust. By evening, he picks a thrush to eat and watches the camp.


 * Graystripe appears through the camp and walks to the fresh-kill pile with a catch. He grabs a mouse for himself and settles down to eat. Fireheart thinks he spent his time hunting but spots the distracted look in his eyes, revealing he has been spending time with Silverstream. Fireheart goes back to his den and sleeps deeply, but starts dreaming. He sees the snowy forest and Cloudkit as a fully grown cat. Fireheart tells his kin to watch as a wood mouse scuttles nearby.  Cloudkit spots the prey and starts stalking it. Fireheart suddenly smells the familiar scent of Spottedleaf, and sharply turns around. She touches noses and tells Fireheart that she has a warning from StarClan. She says that a battle is coming, and to beware a warrior he cannot trust. Fireheart jumps at a squeal and turns to see grown-up Cloudkit has caught the mouse. Fireheart wakes up to see Graystripe curled up fast asleep. Spottedleaf’s prophecy echoes in Fireheart’s ears and he shivers from the cold. He flinches as Graystripe stirs and mutters in his sleep, knowing he will not go back to sleep. Fireheart watches Graystripe sleep until the sun shines through the den.

Important Events

 * Cloudkit and Brindleface’’s kits go missing, and Fireheart and Sandstorm find them.
 * Fireheart receives a prophecy from Spottedleaf: Beware a warrior you cannot trust.