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“We just thought…” Graystripe began feebly.
Tigerclaw ignored him. He thrust his huge head so close to Fireheart that he could smell the deputy’s hot, rancid breath. “If you ask me, kittypet, you’re far too friendly with RiverClan. You might have been over there to spy—or you might be spying for them. Which side are you on?”
“You’ve no right to accuse me!” Anger made Fireheart’s fur bristle. “I’m loyal to ThunderClan.”
A deep growl came from Tigerclaw’s throat. “Then you won’t mind if we tell Bluestar about this expedition of yours. And we’ll see if she thinks you’re so loyal. As for you…” He glared down at Cloudkit, who tried to meet his amber gaze boldly, but couldn’t help retreating a pace or two. “Bluestar ordered that no kits were to leave camp alone. Or do you think Clan orders don’t apply to you, like your kittypet kin?”
For once, Cloudkit didn’t reply; his blue eyes looked scared.
Tigerclaw swung around and stalked back toward the trees. “Come on; we’re wasting time. Follow me, all of you,” he snarled.
When they reached the camp, Fireheart saw Bluestar standing at the foot of the Highrock. A patrol made up of Whitestorm, Longtail, and Mousefur was reporting to her.
“The stream is flooded as far as the Thunderpath,” Fireheart heard Whitestorm say. “If the water doesn’t go down, we won’t be able to make it to the next Gathering.”
“There’s still time before—” Bluestar broke off when she saw Tigerclaw approach her. “Yes, what is it?”
“I’ve brought these cats to you,” the deputy growled. “One disobedient kit, and two traitors.”
“Traitors!” echoed Longtail. His eyes met Fireheart’s with an unpleasant gleam. “Just what I’d expect of a kittypet,” he sneered.
“That’s enough,” Bluestar ordered, with the faintest hint of a snarl in her voice. She dipped her head toward the cats in the patrol. “You may go, all of you.” She turned back to Tigerclaw as they moved away. “Tell me what happened.”
“I saw this kit leaving camp,” Tigerclaw began, flicking his tail toward Cloudkit, “after you ordered that no kits or apprentices should go out without a warrior. I went to fetch him back, but when I got into the ravine, I realized he was following a scent trail.” He paused, and glared challengingly at Fireheart and Graystripe. “The trail led to the stepping-stones downstream from the Sunningrocks. And what should I see there but these two brave warriors”—he spat the words out—“crossing back from RiverClan territory. When I asked them what they were doing, they gave me some fish-and-mouse story about checking to see how far the floods stretched.”
Fireheart braced himself for Bluestar’s anger, but the Clan leader remained calm. “Is this true?” she asked.
During the journey back from the stepping-stones, Fireheart had had time to think. He couldn’t imagine the trouble he would be in if he tried to lie to Bluestar again. Now, seeing the wisdom in her face and the penetrating look in her blue eyes, he knew he had to tell her the truth. “Yes,” he admitted. “We can explain, but…” He shot a glance at Tigerclaw.
Bluestar closed her eyes for a long moment. When she opened them again, her expression was as unreadable as ever. “Tigerclaw, I’ll deal with this. You may go.”
The deputy looked as if he was going to object, but under Bluestar’s clear gaze he kept silent. He gave her a curt nod and marched off toward the pile of fresh-kill.
“Now, Cloudkit,” meowed Bluestar, turning to the white kit. “Do you know why I ordered kits and apprentices not to go out alone?”
“Because the floods are dangerous,” replied Cloudkit sullenly. “But I—”
“You disobeyed me and you must be punished. That is the Clan law.”
For a moment Fireheart thought that Cloudkit was about to protest, but to his relief the kit just dipped his head and mewed, “Yes, Bluestar.”
“Tigerclaw got you to help the elders for a few days recently, didn’t he? Very well, you can continue with those duties. It is an honor to serve the other cats in the Clan, and you must learn that it is an honor to obey Clan orders, too. Go now, and see if they have any jobs for you.”
Cloudkit bowed his head again and scampered off across the clearing, his tail held high. Fireheart suspected he quite enjoyed looking after the elders, and that his punishment wasn’t as bad as it might have been. He couldn’t help worrying that Cloudkit still hadn’t learned his lesson about respecting the ways of the Clan.
Bluestar settled down on the ground with her paws tucked under her. “Tell me what happened,” she invited the warriors.
Taking a deep breath, Fireheart explained how he and Graystripe had rescued the RiverClan kits, and been taken to the camp by RiverClan warriors.
“Except we couldn’t go into their camp,” he meowed. “It’s underwater. They’re staying in the bushes on higher ground for now.”
“I see…” murmured Bluestar.
“They haven’t much shelter,” Fireheart went on. “And they’re finding it hard to catch prey. They told us that the Twolegs have poisoned the river. Cats get ill if they eat the fish.”
As he spoke he caught a worried look from Graystripe, as if his friend thought it was dangerous to reveal so many of RiverClan’s weaknesses. Some cats, Fireheart knew, would see this as a good chance to attack RiverClan. But he believed Bluestar was not like that. She would never try to take advantage of another cat’s troubles, especially not in leaf-bare.
“So we felt we had to do something,” he finished. “We…we offered to catch prey for RiverClan in our territory, and we’ve been taking fresh-kill across the river to them. Today Tigerclaw saw us coming back.”
“We’re not traitors,” Graystripe put in. “We only wanted to help.”
Bluestar turned to him, then back to Fireheart again. She looked stern, but there was a glimmer of understanding in her eyes. “I understand,” she murmured. “I even respect your good intentions. All cats have the right to survive, whatever their Clan. But you know perfectly well that you can’t take matters into your own paws like that. You acted deceitfully in slipping away on your own. You lied to Tigerclaw—or at least you didn’t tell him all the truth,” she added, before Fireheart could protest. “And you hunted for another Clan before your own. This is not how warriors behave.”
Fireheart swallowed uncomfortably and looked sideways at Graystripe. His friend’s head was bowed and he was staring at his paws in shame.
“We know all that,” Fireheart admitted. “We’re sorry.”
“Feeling sorry isn’t always enough,” Bluestar meowed, with an edge to her voice. “You will have to be punished. And since you haven’t acted like warriors, we’ll see if you can remember what it’s like to be apprentices. From now on, you can hunt for the elders and see to
their needs. And when you hunt, you’ll have another warrior to supervise you.”
“What?” Fireheart couldn’t help the word escaping in a mew of outrage.
“You have broken the warrior code,” Bluestar reminded him. “Since you can’t be trusted, you’ll go with someone who can. There must be no more visits to RiverClan.”
“But…we won’t be apprentices again, will we?” Graystripe meowed anxiously.
“No.” Bluestar allowed a gleam of amusement to soften her eyes. “You are still warriors. A leaf cannot return to the bud. But you will live as apprentices until I think you have learned your lesson.”
Fireheart forced himself to breathe evenly. He was so proud to be a warrior of ThunderClan, and shame overwhelmed him at the thought of losing his warrior’s privileges. But he knew there was no use arguing with Bluestar, and deep inside he admitted the punishment was fair. He bowed his head respectfully. “Very well, Bluestar.”
“And we really are sorry,” Graystripe added.
“I know.” Bluestar nodded to him. “You may go, Graystripe. Fireheart, stay a moment.”
Surprised, Fireheart waited a little nervously to find out what Bluestar wanted.
The Clan leader waited until Graystripe was out of earshot. Then she asked, “Tell me, Fireheart, have any RiverClan cats died in the floods?” She sounded distracted, and for once she didn’t meet Fireheart’s eyes. “Any warriors?”
“Not that I know of,” Fireheart admitted. “Crookedstar didn’t say that any cat had drowned.”
Bluestar frowned, but she didn’t ask any more. She gave a tiny nod, as if to herself. Then, after a brief hesitation, she dismissed Fireheart. “Find Graystripe and tell him you may both eat,” she ordered, her voice expressionless and firm again. “And send Tigerclaw to me.”
Fireheart bowed his head and stood up to leave. On his way across the clearing, he glanced back at Bluestar. The gray she-cat was still crouched at the foot of the rock, her eyes staring into the far distance. He couldn’t help feeling puzzled by his leader’s urgent questions.
