A Dangerous Path/Chapter 2

==Chapter description==
:As Fireheart returns to the camp from the Gathering, the sky is starting to pale with the first light of day. The deputy again notices the destruction the fire had caused and how it had burned away or blackened all the undergrowth. Sandstorm wonders aloud if the camp will ever be the same again, and Fireheart assures her that they will be able to rebuild it and presses comfortingly against the pale ginger she-cat's side. At the same time, he mentally notes how much work it will take to restore the camp to its former state.
:Brackenfur, who had been guarding the camp with Dustpelt and Longtail, is thankful to see that the cats entering the ravine are Fireheart's patrol, saying that he has been expecting to see Tigerclaw all night. Fireheart tells him that he can stop worrying, because Tigerclaw is now too busy to try to attack them, and informs Brackenfur that Tigerstar is now ShadowClan's new leader. Brackenfur and Longtail are astonished by the news, and Longtail asks if ShadowClan is mad to let him take over. Whitestorm replies that they aren't, and that they needed a strong new leader after the sickness that had ravaged their Clan. He adds that Tigerstar must have seemed like a gift from StarClan. Brackenfur argues that Tigerstar is a traitor, but Fireheart points out that ShadowClan isn't aware of that.
:The other ThunderClan cats that stayed back from the Gathering appear from their dens now, looking curiously towards the patrol that has just returned. Fireheart promises that he will let Whitestorm tell them of the Gathering's events, but that they will need a dawn patrol to head out afterwards. Immediately, Dustpelt, Mousefur, Ashpaw, and Cloudpaw volunteer to go out on it. Fireheart agrees that they will be the dawn patrol, and tells all the others to go out on hunting patrols later. He then heads to speak with Bluestar and to relate the news of Tigerstar becoming ShadowClan's leader to her.
:As he goes to see the blue-gray she-cat, he meets up with Cinderpelt. Fireheart queries about how Bluestar is, and the medicine cat answers that she isn't doing well. Fireheart explains that he has to tell the ThunderClan leader about what happened at the Gathering, and that she isn't going to like what she hears, filling Cinderpelt in on what occurred there. Cinderpelt is shocked, asking Fireheart what he is going to do about Tigerstar. Fireheart responds that it is ShadowClan's business who they choose for leader, and that his rise to power there might be a good thing for ThunderClan if it makes the dark tabby leave his former Clan alone. The deputy continues that he is more concerned about how Bluestar will take the news other than a ShadowClan threat. Worried, Cinderpelt says that this will only make the ThunderClan leader worse. She says that she hopes she can find the right herbs to treat her. The dark gray she-cat also states that she wishes that Yellowfang was still alive and that she misses her former mentor. Fireheart tries to comfort Cinderpelt about Yellowfang's death as he recalls with grief the former ThunderClan medicine cat.
:Leaving Cinderpelt, Fireheart pads into Bluestar's den. The blue-gray she-cat is staring, her gaze cloudy, into the distance, and her pelt looks ruffled and unwashed. Fireheart sorrowfully remembers what a great leader she had once been. The ginger deputy addresses her, and Bluestar's gaze clears as she asks him what he wants. Fireheart explains that they received some bad news at the Gathering, and that Tigerstar is now ShadowClan's leader. Leaping up in shock, Bluestar exclaims that it is impossible. Fireheart swears that is true, and that he saw Tigerstar speaking from the Great Rock with the other leaders. Bluestar is silent for a moment, pacing the den furiously, and Fireheart worries she might attack him for bringing the news to her.
:Finally, Bluestar turns towards her deputy and hisses, enraged, that ShadowClan is making the cat who tried to murder her their leader, demanding how they dare to do that. Trying to reason with her, Fireheart points out that no cat knows what Tigerstar has done, but that Tallstar had been displeased at first that he has let Brokentail's exiled followers back into ShadowClan. Bluestar growls that Tallstar is a traitor that cannot be trusted, and that this had been shown by how quickly he had forgotten that Fireheart and Graystripe had helped return his Clan to the moor. 
:Fireheart begins to protest at this statement, but Bluestar cuts him off, crying that StarClan has abandoned her. She asks how she can trust them when the fire they told her would save the Clan nearly destroyed it and when they allowed a traitor to become Clan leader. She hisses that StarClan cares nothing for her and her Clan. Once again, Fireheart tries to argue, but Bluestar interrupts him. She growls that ThunderClan is doomed, as Tigerstar will lead ShadowClan to destroy them and that StarClan will do nothing to stop it. When Fireheart tries to comfort her that Tigerstar isn't being hostile, she proclaims that he is just acting, and that he will be attacking them before leaf-fall. She declares that if they are going to die anyway, they might as well take a few ShadowClan warriors with them, and orders Fireheart to double patrols and to set cats to guard both the camp and the ShadowClan border to be ready for Tigerstar's imminent attack.
 
:Fireheart objects that they don't have enough cats for this since they are still working on rebuilding the camp, but Bluestar insists that he send out the patrols. Reluctantly, seeing no point in further debate, Fireheart agrees to her demands, and she says that she knows he is loyal, unlike the other Clan cats. Bluestar again settles down into her nest, staring at something unseen, and Fireheart wonders if she is looking at the future destruction of her Clan.
==Characters==
===Major===
===Minor===
===Mentioned===
==Notes and references==
de:Gefährliche Spuren/Kapitel 2es:Huellas peligrosas/Capítulo 2fr:Sur le sentier de la guerre/Chapitre 2nl:Gevaar!/Hoofdstuk 2
Category:Chapter subpages
Category:A Dangerous Path
Category:The Prophecies Begin arc