Fire and Ice/Chapter 18

==Chapter description==
:Fireheart and Graystripe had an argument the night before about Graystripe's secret meetings with Silverstream. When they wake up the next morning, they discuss the horrible things that have happened recently: Bluestar losing a life to greencough, Graystripe breaking the warrior code, and Cinderpaw getting injured on the Thunderpath. Graystripe then leaves to go meet Silverstream once more. When he leaves, Fireheart wonders how to tell Frostfur, Cinderpaw's mother, that it was because of him that her daughter was injured. Speckletail asks Fireheart if Tigerclaw is in the warriors' den. She also tells him that greencough had spread to the nursery and two of Brindleface's kits have it. 
:Fireheart is outraged, but Speckletail comforts him by saying greencough comes every leaf-bare. She then turns and goes back into the nursery. Fireheart becomes furious that the Clan has to endure such tragedies. He leaves the camp and instinctively goes to the training hollow, where he notices Whitestorm training Brackenpaw in Graystripe's absence. He then becomes infuriated that no one is mourning the loss of one of Bluestar's lives. He goes further into the forest, eventually reaching Tallpines. There he realizes that he cannot help anyone, but Yellowfang and thinks he could help her by gathering catmint. Fireheart knows it can help cure greencough, and he is in Tallpines, where it grows.
:As Fireheart gathers catnip, he goes by Twolegplace and wonders if his old housefolk still live where they did. He once again considers the life of a kittypet, as his camp does not seem at all appealing. He then remembers that his sister, Princess lives nearby. He goes to her garden and sees that her belly is no longer swollen, which means that she kitted. Princess tells her brother that she has five healthy kits. Fireheart spills out all his worries to Princess. She is the one who suggests that Cinderpaw's accident might have been a trap set by Tigerclaw, pointing out that Bluestar was the one who was supposed to get the message to be there. She also offers to let Fireheart live in her nest if he's unhappy in his Clan, but Fireheart declines. She tells him he's a good mentor, despite what has happened. She admits that she too has stared out into the forest and wondered what it is like to live there. Fireheart leaves while the catnip is still fresh.
:He returns to camp with the catnip, and Whitestorm commends him on a job well done. Tigerclaw approaches Fireheart and orders Brackenpaw to give the catnip to Yellowfang. Before he can visit Cinderpaw, Tigerclaw also asks Fireheart about Graystripe's whereabouts. When Fireheart responds that he doesn't know, Tigerclaw tells him to inform Graystripe that he is confined to the fallen oak so his cold cannot turn into whitecough and infect the rest of the Clan. Fireheart remembers how Yellowfang was also confined to the fallen oak once, but that was when she was a prisoner. Tigerclaw also warns Fireheart to stay away from Bluestar, as her den still reeks of sickness. He doesn't want any of his warriors falling ill, especially now that RiverClan has been scented closer to their camp. Finally, Tigerclaw asks Fireheart to take over Brackenpaw's training for the next day. He is then allowed to see Cinderpaw after convincing Tigerclaw that she wasn't put anywhere near the infected cats. Fireheart lets Brackenpaw know that he will soon learn how to catch birds, before he pads over to the medicine cat's den.
:Yellowfang confirms to Fireheart that Patchpelt has also caught greencough. She also tells him that Cinderpaw has an infection in her leg, and that she must fight this one herself. Yellowfang unexpectedly asks Fireheart if he thinks Spottedleaf would have been able to stop the greencough. As Fireheart recalls how efficiently she helped Ravenpaw after the battle that led to both Oakheart's and Redtail's deaths, and how she first taught him how to care for Yellowfang, he says that Spottedleaf would have done nothing differently. As Yellowfang goes back to her work, Frostfur enters the den looking for Cinderpaw, and Fireheart goes up to her and apologizes. Frostfur tells him she does not blame him, before going to see her daughter. Graystripe comes back to camp later on and Fireheart tells him what Tigerclaw said. Graystripe says that Yellowfang told him he didn't have whitecough so he was fine. When Fireheart sees Graystripe with a runny nose, he almost tells him jokingly that he looked like Runningnose, but his anger at Graystripe for being with Silverstream makes him snap another thing to say at him. Graystripe tells Fireheart to mind his own business, and Fireheart wonders if he'll ever get through to Graystripe. He then realizes he wants to see Princess again.
==Characters==
===Major===
*Fireheart
===Minor===
===Mentioned ===
==Notes and references==
de:Feuer und Eis/Kapitel 18es:Fuego y hielo/Capítulo 18fr:À feu et à sang/Chapitre 18nl:Water en vuur/Hoofdstuk 18
Category:Chapter subpages
Category:Fire and Ice
Category:The Prophecies Begin arc