Rising Storm/Chapter 28

==Chapter description==
:With a tender lick, Fireheart closes Yellowfang's eyes for the last time. Spottedleaf comes and mews that she will be safe with StarClan, and he is comforted. Graystripe meows from outside the den that he has buried Halftail, and comes in to stand by the entrance. Fireheart replies that Yellowfang is dead, but was alive when he found her. The gray warrior asks if she said anything, and he answers the she-cat was grateful for being able to live with ThunderClan. Graystripe bends his head to touch Yellowfang's, and then questions if they should bury her. Fireheart meows a firm no, saying that the she-cat will have a vigil because she was both a warrior and a medicine cat. Graystripe reminds his friend that they need to return to RiverClan, so the deputy comments that he'll come back tonight to sit with her. 
:Both cats trek back to where ThunderClan is, and report that Yellowfang and Halftail are dead. Cinderpelt seems devastated by the news and sways unsteadily on her paws. Bluestar spits that Spottedleaf told her fire would save the Clan, but instead it has destroyed them. Sandstorm rushes over to Cinderpelt and supports the grieving medicine cat. Fireheart then tries to comfort his leader, but the tom's heart sinks at her stony expression. Bluestar decides ThunderClan will return to their territory tonight. Graystripe protests, but the blue-gray she cat spits that they are strangers here, and must go back. The gray warrior then offers himself as an escort, and says he could perhaps stay and help a bit. Bluestar snarls that he chose to be loyal to his kits, not ThunderClan. She refuses to let him come with them, and the gray warrior flinches. Bluestar calls to her Clanmates, saying they need to be ready to return soon. 
:Fireheart is disappointed, but then sees the leader looking at Mistyfoot and Stonefur. With a flash of insight, the deputy realizes that she may have turned Graystripe away to make sure he didn't make the same mistake as her. Bluestar then approaches Crookedstar and formally thanks him for their help. Fireheart goes over to Graystripe and apologizes that he couldn't come home. He says that Bluestar is suffering at the moment, but once she recovers, he may be able to return. The gray warrior is comforted by this, and Fireheart hurries after his Clan. ThunderClan crosses the river, and Bluestar confidently leads the way. 
:Fireheart pads up to Cloudpaw and asks how the elders are doing. The white apprentice replies that they are grieving for their lost denmates, but he made them eat some fresh-kill earlier today. Fireheart thanks him, and then follows Bluestar down into camp. Every cat stares at the blackened clearing that had once been their home. The ThunderClan leader orders Fireheart to take her to Yellowfang's body. He leads the she-cat there, but when she comes out, Bluestar declares that StarClan is at war with them. She vows never to visit the Moonstone again, and Fireheart is horrified. Cinderpelt gives the she-cat poppy seeds and quickly leads her away. 
:Fireheart goes and grabs Yellowfang's body, bringing it into the clearing. He sits vigil with her, and Cinderpelt joins him when she finishes treating Bluestar. The deputy gets up and asks Whitestorm how the Clan is, and he replies that most of them slept a little. Fireheart meows they should send out a dawn patrol and decides to hold a Clan meeting. Whitestorm questions if they should disturb Bluestar, but the ginger warrior says no. He bounds onto Highrock and summons ThunderClan, and some cats are surprised to see him instead of their leader. Fireheart begins, meowing that they need to rebuild the camp first. Darkstripe challenges why Bluestar isn't announcing this, but the deputy replies she is resting. Brindleface worries about how they'll find prey, but Fireheart reassures it will come back. He assigns Longtail, Mousefur, Thornpaw, and Dustpelt to the dawn patrol and then tells Whitestorm to supervise the camp's rebuilding. 
:Fireheart jumps down from Highrock and is met by Sandstorm and Cloudpaw. Both protest that he didn't mention the deaths of Halftail and Yellowfang to the Clan. The deputy tells them it is Bluestar's job to honor the pair with proper words, and that ThunderClan knows they're dead anyway. He notes the leader will do it when she's well, but Sandstorm questions if the she-cat will ever get better. Fireheart murmurs that he wouldn't know what to do, and the she-cat snaps that he's supposed to. The ginger warrior spits at Sandstorm to put her claws away, and orders her and Cloudpaw to go bury Yellowfang. Fireheart turns from the startled cats, and questions what he'd actually do if Bluestar never recovered.
==Characters==
===Major===
===Minor===
===Mentioned===
==Notes and references==
de:Vor dem Sturm/Kapitel 28fr:Avant la tempête/Chapitre 28es:‎Antes de la tormenta/Capítulo 28nl:Voor de storm/Hoofdstuk 28
Category:Chapter subpages
Category:Rising Storm
Category:The Prophecies Begin arc