Fire and Ice/Chapter 6

"The clouds are stained with blood!" rasped Barkface, his eyes wide and glazed. "It is a sign from our ancestors. This day shall bring an unnecessary death."

— Barkface receiving an omen in Fire and Ice, page 76

Fire and Ice
Chapter number:	6 (of 30)
Page numbers:	58-76
Point of View:	Fireheart
Chronology

Below contains in-depth information for chapter six of Fire and Ice. If you are looking for a shorter summary of the entire book, please check the main article.

Chapter Number: 6 (of 30)

Page Numbers: 58-76

Chapter description

Fireheart and Graystripe face the WindClan warriors, who don't move. Fireheart realizes that they are waiting for a signal from their leader, Tallstar, and that they still follow the warrior code. Tallstar emerges from the line of warriors, sniffs Fireheart and Graystripe, and tells his warriors that they are ThunderClan. The WindClan warriors relax, but stay in their line. Tallstar tells Fireheart that he expected ShadowClan, and asks them what they are doing here.

Fireheart tells him that they came to find them, and that Bluestar and the other Clan leaders wanted to bring them back home. Tallstar tells him that the territories were no longer safe for his Clan. Fireheart tells him that ShadowClan had driven out Brokenstar. The WindClan warriors whisper among each other, and Fireheart urges them to return as soon as they can, and tells them that ShadowClan and RiverClan were hunting on WindClan territory.

Graystripe assures Tallstar and WindClan that they were poor rabbit hunters, and the WindClan cats express their satisfaction. Fireheart asks if they could travel with them. Tallstar tells him that they can, and thanks the two warriors. Fireheart introduces Graystripe and himself, telling Tallstar that they are warriors of ThunderClan. Tallstar tells Fireheart that his name suits him. After a monster roars overhead them, Tallstar signals to his warriors, and tells Fireheart that they would leave at once.

Tallstar asks his Clan if they are all fit for the journey. A mottled brown tom replies that all except Morningflower's kit are ready, as he is too young. Tallstar tells him that they must take turns carrying him. A tortoiseshell she-cat comes forward, carrying a kit. Tallstar calls to his Clan, asking them if they were ready. A black tom with a misshapen paw answers that they are. Fireheart and Graystripe lead them out of the tunnel, and wait for the WindClan cats. Tallstar comes out of the tunnel last, and takes up the front.

Fireheart asks Tallstar if they should take them back the way they came, as he believes it's a shortcut. Tallstar asks Fireheart if it is safe. Graystripe tells him that they met no trouble. Tallstar asks Graystripe to come with him and show him the way, and tells Fireheart to ask his deputy if he sees trouble. Fireheart asks which cat is the deputy. Tallstar tells him that his deputy was Deadfoot, who acknowledges his name.

The Clan makes their way under the Thunderpath arch. Fireheart scents the fire, but cannot see the Twoleg. Graystripe heads into the tunnel where he and Fireheart had rested, Tallstar and the Clan following him. Deadfoot asks Fireheart if it led to daylight. Fireheart tells him that it just led under the Thunderpath, and asks if his Clan ever used this tunnel before. Deadfoot tells him that his Clan preferred to see where they were going, and tells him to go first. Fireheart pads down the tunnel, and comes out to meet the other WindClan cats. He sees Tallstar consult with Graystripe. Fireheart and Deadfoot take the sides of the Clan.

Deadfoot calls to Tallstar, telling him that they need to travel more slowly, as some of the WindClan cats are having trouble keeping up. Fireheart looks over to see Morningflower among them. Fireheart bounds up to her, and tells her to let him carry the kit until she catches her breath. Morningflower assents, and gives her kit to Fireheart. Fireheart stays by her side so she can still see her kit. Tallstar slows down, but continues on, in spite of exhaustion.

Fireheart understands Tallstar's urgency. As most of his Clan are sick and hungry, they would need to cross the Thunderpath quickly. Tallstar tells his Clan that they would cross the Thunderpath. Tallstar squeezes under the hedge, followed by Deadfoot and Graystripe, along with a younger warrior. Morningflower takes her kit back from Fireheart, showing her gratitude. Fireheart follows Graystripe under the hedge, since he does not have to carry the extra weight to slow him. Tallstar and Deadfoot stare at the Thunderpath. Graystripe introduces Fireheart to Onewhisker,  and Fireheart greets the young warrior as a monster speeds past. Onewhisker tells Fireheart that they sould get the Clan across in groups, helping any cat that needs help, and hastily adds if Tallstar agreed.

Tallstar agrees, and told the Clan that the strongest group would go first. The Clan gathers around the Thunderpath and Onewhisker leads the first group to the Thunderpath. Fireheart asks Onewhisker if he would like Fireheart to cross with him. Onewhisker declines the offer, and during the silence, the group crosses. Two warriors and a couple of elders are in the next group. After a monster passes, he tells the group to go, The elders struggle with crossing as a monster speeds towards them. Graystripe tells the group to look out, and they rush over onto the other side with nobody hurt.

Two more groups cross, leaving only one group, which consists of Morningflower, her kit, and a couple of elders. Fireheart tells the group that he would cross with them, and tells Graystripe to tell them when it was safe to cross. Graystripe signals for them to cross; the elders struggled, and Fireheart heard a distant monster. He tells Morningflower to go ahead, and him and Graystripe nudge the elders forward. As the monster heads toward them, he gets an elder to the edge, but braces himself as the monster veers toward them.

He sees Graystripe on the middle shielding an elder as the other two were on the edge. Fireheart encourages to the last elder to keep going, and Tallstar and Deadfoot cross. Onewhisker tells Fireheart that WindClan will never forget the fact that he would have died for the Clan. Tallstar agrees, and tells the young ThunderClan warrior that his Clan will honor him in stories, then tells them that they must keep going.

Fireheart checks on Morningflower, and asks if her kit is all right. She tells him that he is, and Fireheart asks if she is all right. She doesn't answer his question, and a gray queen speaks up, telling Fireheart that she'll take the kit next. The Clan reaches the woods, and Fireheart notes that the journey was causing them to travel slow. Fireheart is hopeful that he will run into Ravenpaw, but doesn't scent him.

As a storm arrives, Fireheart looks over the WindClan cats, noting that they would not be able to travel in the rain. He also noted that Yellowfang's herbs had worn off. Fireheart suggests to Tallstar that they should rest. Tallstar points out that there is a ditch they could rest in. Fireheart tells Tallstar that they would be better in the hedge, as there are rats in the ditches.

Tallstar agrees, and turns to his Clan to announce they would be resting. Fireheart tells Graystripe that he didn't know how good the hunting was, since there are a lot of Twolegs. The WindClan cats are alarmed as a new cat arrives, but Fireheart is relieved that it is Ravenpaw, and greets him, and tells him that he was glad he was safe. Ravenpaw greets him as Firepaw, but Graystripe corrects him, and tells his friend that they were warriors.

Deadfoot asks the two warriors if they knew the cat. Fireheart noted that if WindClan brought it up at a Gathering, Ravenpaw would be in danger, as he was supposed to be dead. Onewhisker asks Fireheart if he was a loner, Ravenpaw answers, telling the young WindClan warrior that he knew places where they could hunt. Fireheart notes that his friend has changed. Deadfoot questions on why a loner would help them. Graystripe tells him that loners have helped them, as they were saved by a rat attack near where they were resting.

Ravenpaw addressed the WindClan warriors, asking them to let him help the Clan, he tells WindClan that he owes Fireheart and Graystripe his life, and notes that if they were traveling with WindClan, they must be friends. The WindClan cats relax, and Ravenpaw tells them that he would go find Barley, and he disappears to find him. When Tallstar questions if they could trust Ravenpaw, Fireheart tells him that they could completely. Tallstar signals to his Clan to relax, and they wait for Ravenpaw to return.

Ravenpaw returns with Barley. Barley looks over the Clan, and tells them that they needed shelter, and to follow him. Fireheart and Graystripe obey, but the WindClan cats hesitate, and Tallstar tells his Clan that they had to trust them. Ravenpaw and Barley lead them to an abandoned Twoleg nest. The WindClan cats hesitate, and one of the elders point out that he wouldn't go in there. Barley reassures him that the nest was abandoned, and Fireheart assures them that it would get them out of the rain. One of the apprentices whisper that he wasn't surprised, as Fireheart used to be a kittypet.

Fireheart angrily asks if living in the tunnels made the apprentice a rat. The apprentice puffs up, but Graystripe steps in, and tells them that they were just getting wetter the longer they stood out in the rain. Tallstar tells them that they faced worse than an abandoned shelter, and that one night there would not harm them. The WindClan cats finally walk into the nest, with Morningflower and the gray queen entering first, until the rest of the cats follow. Fireheart follows them and looks around the nest, where there were spots where the wind and rain were entering. He notes that it was drier than outside.

Deadfoot questions about food, and Barley tells him that they should all be resting, Fireheart interrupts him, asking Barley to show him and Graystripe where the hunting spots are. Tallstar speaks up, and tells them that Deadfoot and Onewhisker would also go with them. They follow Ravenpaw, and Fireheart tells him to just show the group where the prey is. When the hunting party returns, the Clan ate with their new friends, and shared tongues. Barley speaks up, telling them that he has rats to catch. Fireheart thanks him, as it is the second time he helped them.

Barley thanks him for sending Ravenpaw to him, as he is turning into a fine ratter, and that it is good to share meals. Fireheart asks Barley if Ravenpaw was happy here; Barley tells him to ask Ravenpaw himself, and leaves. Fireheart heads towards Tallstar, and tells him that they will take turns keeping watch. Tallstar thanks him, and Fireheart goes to tell Ravenpaw and Graystripe. He leads his two friends to a corner near the entrance. Fireheart asks Ravenpaw what happened when they left him.

Ravenpaw tells them that he ran across WindClan territory as they suggested. Graystripe questions Ravenpaw about the dogs. Ravenpaw tells Graystripe that they were loose, but it was easy to avoid the dogs. Fireheart echoes what Ravenpaw said, and Ravenpaw explains that he could smell them, and he had just waited until dawn and tracked Barley down, and notes that Barley liked having him around; he bitterly notes that it was more then Tigerclaw ever did, and asks his friends what they told him.

Fireheart explains to Ravenpaw that they told the Clan that he was killed by a ShadowClan patrol. Two WindClan apprentices pad towards them. Fireheart signals to his friends that they had an audience. Ravenpaw raises his voice, and says that loners ate Clan apprentices whenever they could catch one. The apprentices point out that he didn't scare them. Ravenpaw jokes that their meat would be tough anyways. One of the apprentices asks Fireheart why he was friends with a loner. Fireheart replies that a good warrior makes friends whenever he could; Fireheart points out that if it wasn't for Ravenpaw, the two apprentices would still be wet and cold.

The two apprentices slink away, and Ravenpaw mews that ThunderClan believed he was dead, and he notes that it was probably for the best. He tells his two friends that he is glad to see them. Graystripe prods his friend, and Ravenpaw points out that they look tired, and that he would keep watch first. Fireheart asks Graystripe if he is tired, and he tells him that he is. Fireheart remembers what Bluestar had told him: that Ravenpaw is happier without the Clan.

Fireheart wakes up, realizing that Ravenpaw is gone. The storm had passed, and the WindClan cats stir, and help themselves to the leftover prey. A short-tailed warrior joins Fireheart, and he lets out a yowl. The WindClan cats crowd around them, anxious. Morningflower asks Barkface what is wrong, and if StarClan had spoken to him. Fireheart notes that Barkface must be the medicine cat. Barkface gives an omen: that the day would bring an unnecessary death.

Characters

Major

• Fireheart
• Graystripe

Minor

• Tallstar
• Deadfoot
• Morningflower
• Onewhisker
• Ravenpaw
• Barley
• Unnamed WindClan apprentice
• Barkface

Mentioned

• Bluestar
• Brokenstar
• Morningflower's Unnamed kit
• Tigerclaw