Fire and Ice/Chapter 8

==Chapter description==
:Leopardfur calls out to Whiteclaw, the RiverClan warrior who fell down the gorge after his battle with Graystripe, who tells Leopardfur that he had tried to grab the warrior, but Whiteclaw had lost his footing.
:The RiverClan cats turn to face Graystripe, while Willowpelt and Whitestorm take defensive positions beside the young ThunderClan warrior. Leopardfur gives her patrol a warning to stay back, and tells Tigerclaw that the battle had gone beyond a border fight, and that it would be settled in a different way.
:Tigerclaw returns the stare, and the RiverClan cats disappear into the bushes. Deadfoot tells Tigerclaw that they should leave, and that Fireheart and Graystripe had served WindClan well. As the two WindClan warriors leave, Fireheart says good-bye to Onewhisker. Fireheart notices Sandpaw staring down the gorge. Fireheart notes that she nearly shared Whiteclaw's fate. Fireheart pads toward her, but Tigerclaw tells the young warrior to follow him. Tigerclaw leads his patrol through the forest. Graystripe lags behind, and Fireheart urges him to continue.
:Tigerclaw leads the patrol through RiverClan territory, at which Fireheart notes that it was pointless to go through Fourtrees after the battle, as they weren't going to meet any RiverClan cats. Tigerclaw sees Fireheart and Graystripe behind the patrol, and he points out that he told the two warriors to follow him. Fireheart begins to defend Graystripe, but Tigerclaw interrupts him, telling the warrior that the sooner Graystripe was back in camp, the better.
:Fireheart retorts that Whiteclaw's death was not Graystripe's fault. Tigerclaw tells him that he knows that, and tells them to keep up. When they entered the camp, the ThunderClan cats come out to greet them. Mousefur asks Fireheart if they found WindClan and if they were safe. Fireheart only nods at Mousefur, while the rest of ThunderClan hang back.
:Tigerclaw orders Graystripe and Fireheart to come with him, and leads them to Bluestar's den. She welcomes them, and asks Fireheart if they found WindClan and brought them back. Fireheart tells her that they did and WindClan was safe in their camp, and that Tallstar thanks ThunderClan. She shows her delight, and notices Tigerclaw, and asks him what happened. Tigerclaw explains to her that Fireheart decided to go through RiverClan territory. Graystripe points out that it wasn't only Fireheart who decided, but Tigerclaw interrupts, and tells Bluestar that a RiverClan patrol found them, and if his patrol didn't hear them, the two warriors wouldn't have made it back to the camp at all.
:Bluestar thanks Tigerclaw for rescuing the two warriors, but he points out that they were fighting beside the gorge, and that the RiverClan warrior Whiteclaw had fallen over the edge. Fireheart notices his friend Graystripe flinch at Tigerclaw's words. Bluestar asks if the cat was dead, but Fireheart cuts in, telling her that it was an accident.
:Tigerclaw doubts that Leopardfur saw it that way, and he turns on Fireheart, and asks him what he was thinking to travel with WindClan cats over RiverClan territory, and points out that he sent a message to ShadowClan and RiverClan. Bluestar is alarmed at this, and Fireheart explains that Tallstar gave them an escort home.
:Tigerclaw points out that they shouldn't have been on RiverClan territory with WindClan cats. Fireheart protests, and tells him that it wasn't an alliance, Tigerclaw snaps back that RiverClan didn't know that, and Fireheart argues that RiverClan knew that ThunderClan was going to bring WindClan back, and that they shouldn't have attacked.
:Tigerclaw points out that they didn't agree to let them pass through their territory, and that Fireheart still didn't understand Clan ways. Bluestar speaks up, and scolds them, telling them that they should not have intruded on RiverClan grounds, and that it was dangerous.
:Bluestar tells them that they did well finding WindClan, but that they need to prepare for an attack from RiverClan. She tells Fireheart and Graystripe that Frostfur's kits are almost apprentices, and that they were to mentor them.
:Fireheart is stunned, and notices Tigerclaw, who makes no noise. Graystripe points out that Frostfur's kits aren't six moons, and Bluestar explains that it wouldn't be long before her kits reached six moons. Tigerclaw asks Bluestar if it wouldn't be better to ask experienced warriors, like Longtail and Darkstripe. Bluestar explains to Tigerclaw that she did consider that, but tells him that Longtail and Darkstripe were already bust with their own apprentices.
:Tigerclaw asks Bluestar if she considered Runningwind. Bluestar explains that Runningwind was a loyal warrior, but did not have the patience for mentoring, and that the Clan had better use for his skills. Tigerclaw asks Bluestar if she thought Fireheart and Graystripe had what it takes to train apprentices. Fireheart notes that Tigerclaw didn't think a kittypet would be able to train clanborn cats.
:Bluestar points out that they would find out, and that they brought WindClan back to the territories, and tells him that she is relying on him to oversee the training. She turns to the younger warriors, and tells them to go eat, and that they will have the ceremony soon.
:Fireheart leads Graystripe out of Bluestar's den. Fireheart points out that he is starving, he asks Graystripe if he is going to eat. Graystripe replies that he just wants to sleep. Once Fireheart is full, he walks back to the warriors' den to see his friend, and settles down in his nest.
:Willowpelt wakes up Fireheart, and tells him that it is time for the ceremony; Fireheart thanks her, and she leaves the den. He nudges Graystripe awake, excited for the coming day. Fireheart and Graystripe walk into the clearing for the ceremony.
:Halftail greets Fireheart, and tells him that he did a good job to bring WindClan home, and that he should share the story with the elders. Fireheart nods to the old cat, and notices Frostfur sitting with her kits. Fireheart asks Graystripe if he is excited.
:Graystripe just shrugs, and Fireheart tells him that Whiteclaw's death wasn't his fault, and that the gorge was the worst place to have the battle, and that the RiverClan cats knew that, as Sandpaw nearly fell off the edge also.
:Fireheart glances at Sandpaw, who is sitting with Dustpaw, who is jealous of Fireheart because he was about to become a mentor, and the apprentice hasn't gotten his warrior name. Dustpaw leans over to Sandpaw, and remarks that he feels sorry for the apprentice being mentored under Fireheart, as he was a kittypet.
:Sandpaw doesn't react. Fireheart turns back to his friend and reassures him that Bluestar didn't blame him, and that she was giving Graystripe his own apprentice. Graystripe replies that she was only doing it because they needed more warriors because he gave RiverClan an excuse to hate ThunderClan.
:Fireheart is shocked by his friend, hears Bluestar's call, and he and Graystripe walk towards Bluestar. Bluestar begins the ceremony, and tells the two kits to come forward. Fireheart notes the two kits, and believes that the ginger kit would be easy to train.
:Bluestar names Cinderpaw, the gray kit, and gives her to Fireheart; she notes that Fireheart had more then one mentor, and that she expected him to teach all the skills that he learnt from her, Lionheart, and Tigerclaw. She names the next kit Brackenpaw, the ginger kit, and Graystripe as his mentor, and she notes that Lionheart was his mentor, and that she expected him to teach all his skills to the new apprentice.
:Graystripe touches noses with Brackenpaw, and Fireheart realizes that he should of done the same. He collides his nose with Cinderpaw's, who is amused. He notes Tigerclaw's gaze, and that he was waiting for him to fail.
==Characters==
===Major===
===Minor===
===Mentioned===
==Important events==
===Deaths===
*Whiteclaw: Fell off the gorge
===Ceremonies===
*Brackenpaw and Cinderpaw become apprentices.
==Errors==
*Brackenfur as a kit is mistakenly described as ginger.
==Trivia==
*This chapter aligns with part three of The Prophecies Begin, volume 1.
==Notes and references==
de:Feuer und Eis/Kapitel 8nl:Water en vuur/Hoofdstuk 8es:Fuego y hielo/Capítulo 8fr:À feu et à sang/Chapitre 8
Category:Chapter subpages
Category:Fire and Ice
Category:The Prophecies Begin arc