A Dangerous Path/Chapter 6

==Chapter description==
:The forest is dark with no moon shining that night, and when Fireheart looks up, he is unable to see anything but the patterns of the branches against the sky with the trees looking taller than he remembered so. The warrior cries, calling for Spottedleaf, however he gets no answer and is afraid that if he steps forward he could find nothing but a black emptiness under his paws. Somewhere in his mind he knows he is dreaming, as he'd laid down in the warriors' den hoping to communicate with Spottedleaf, who visits him in his dreams, to give an answer for the questions that trouble him. He searches desperately in the black forest, but can't find her. This is not the first time in his recent dreams where she is invisible to him, as the last time he only heard her voice. Fireheart fights with the fear that she might be drawing away from him and begs her to not leave him.
:He writhes on the floor, trying to free himself. The deputy scents another cat so he opens his eyes only to find Dustpelt cuffing him around the shoulders. The warrior asks what was wrong with him, but before Fireheart can answer, Sandstorm defends him, using the excuse for it being only a dream. Fireheart stands up and begin taking off scraps of moss of of his coat. Through the branches of the den, he sees that the sun is already up. The darkness of his dream is fading, but couldn't forget how black and terrifying the forest seemed, or how Spottedleaf had not come to him. Sandstorm, anxious, asks him if he is all right, but Fireheart shakes himself, meowing he's fine and suggests they go hunting.
:The day is bright, with the chill of leaf-fall in the air. The forest is now recovering, grass and ferns are growing back. Fireheart leads them towards Tallpines, where the devastation of the fire is bad. He wonders if there is a chance of prey being there, but when they approach the edge of Tallpines, he knows he is going to be disappointed. Fireheart and Sandstorm are about to leave when another cat appears through the trees. The deputy recognizes this cat, as his sister, Princess. Sandstorm is confused and asks who the cat is but before she gets an answer, the tabby-and-white she-cat speaks. Princess is glad to see that he is okay, because she was frightened when she saw the fire, believing her brother and son, Cloudpaw, were dead. Then, the ginger tom introduces the kittypet and Sandstorm. Fireheart asks Princess what was she doing so far from her Twoleg nest. She responds saying that she is looking for him, and Cloudpaw, worried that something bad might have happened to them. Fireheart tells her that he hadn't had time, since he is the Clan's deputy.
:Fireheart and Princess aspire to keep talking, however Sandstorm reminds him that there is prey to caught. He agrees, but at the time he is ready to part a Twoleg monster's roar comes closer and closer until it bursts out of the trees. Instinctively, Fireheart and Sandstorm press themselves to ground, and Princess follows them. The monster, instead of passing just stops, and three Twolegs come out of its belly. All of the tom's instincts tell him to run, but the curiosity keeps him pressed to the ground. The cats, confused, have a conversation about what the Twolegs are doing. Soon after, they climb back into the monster and vanish into the trees. As Fireheart says good-bye to Princess, he can't stop thinking about what the Twolegs were doing, wondering if it could mean danger for his Clan.
:Cutting across the corner of Tallpines, Fireheart and Sandstorm make their way to the river and Sunningrocks. There is no sign of prey near the trees; they had been scared by the monster's noise. The ThunderClan warriors decide to follow the border with RiverClan up to Fourtrees, hoping they can find something worth catching. As they come within sight of Sunningrocks, the ginger tom hears a familiar voice calling for his name, and realizes it's Graystripe. The gray warrior tells Fireheart he was hoping to catch him. Sandstorm, angry, told him he is very comfortable in their territory for a RiverClan warrior. They discuss until Fireheart asks him what was the problem. Graystripe says that Crookedstar was visited by Tigerstar the day before, he don't know what they talked about, however he admits that Tigerstar spent most of his time speaking with Leopardfur. They share their thoughts on what could be the possible reason for this meeting taking place until Mistyfoot arrives.
:The gray she-cat questions if Fireheart has seen Graypool. He asks what the RiverClan elder might be doing around, and Mistyfoot meows that she is afraid Graypool wandered off, not knowing what she's doing. Fireheart offers to help finding her by bordering up to Fourtrees, he then tells Sandstorm to go back to the camp and inform the others on what is going on. As the ThunderClan deputy follows the border up to Fourtrees he sees a skinny gray shape over the Twoleg bridge that cross the river on the route RiverClan took to the place where the four Clans meet. Graypool crosses the bridge and then turns away from the river, and then tries to climb the steep slope toward Fourtrees. Fireheart opens his mouth to call her, but he bites back her name and slips rapidly into the shelter of the nearest rock as another cat, whose appearance Fireheart knows, appears, directing to Fourtrees. He knows without mistake that this cat is Tigerstar.
==Characters==
===Major===
===Minor===
===Mentioned===
==Notes and references==
de:Gefährliche Spuren/Kapitel 6es:Huellas peligrosas/Capítulo 6fr:Sur le sentier de la guerre/Chapitre 6nl:Gevaar!/Hoofdstuk 6
Category:A Dangerous Path
Category:Chapter subpages
Category:The Prophecies Begin arc