Rising Storm/Chapter 23

==Chapter description==
:Fireheart yowls at every cat to wake up, because the forest is on fire. He orders his Clanmates to leave camp, and tells Frostfur to alert Bluestar. The ThunderClan deputy next tells the apprentices and elders about their predicament, repeating to head for the river. Frostfur helps Bluestar across the clearing, and the leader's face is masked with fear. Fireheart beckons at the entrance, and yowls to head that way. Cats stream by the ginger tom as the forest seems to roar around them. Smoke thickly billows into the clearing, and the light of the fire glows brighter. Bluestar begins running when she gets outside camp, caught in the surge of cats going up the ravine. Fireheart again orders them to head for the river and keep an eye on each other. 
:The ThunderClan deputy darts back to help Willowpelt gather her kits, and he has Mousefur and Longtail help the queen carry them. He demands to know where Goldenflower is, and the gray she-cat signals that she went up the ravine. Fireheart feels relieved, and watches cats scrambling upward from his position down below. Clouds of smoke swirl across the sky, and the ginger tom wonders briefly if StarClan is watching this happen. He then scrambles up the ravine, and the fleeing cats stop as the deputy demands to know if anyone is missing. Cloudpaw mews that Halftail and Patchpelt aren't here, and Goldenflower wails Bramblekit isn't with her. Fireheart's mind reels, and the ginger tom promises to find the missing cats. Sandstorm protests that he can't go back down, but the deputy insists on it. The she-cat tells him she'll come with him, but Whitestorm says the Clan needs all the warriors helping to get ThunderClan to the river. Cinderpelt offers to go with Fireheart, but he spits a no at her. Yellowfang then steps forward, and the deputy takes her with him back to camp on a rescue mission.
:The two cats struggle through the smoke, and immediately rush to the elders' den. Fireheart grabs Patchpelt by the scruff while Yellowfang grips Halftail in her jaws. The ginger tom tries not to cough as he drags Patchpelt up the ravine. Once at the top, Fireheart looks back to see where Yellowfang is. The medicine cat struggles out of the gorse tunnel with Halftail, and looks up at the deputy with huge orange eyes. Fireheart bunches his muscles, preparing for a jump down to her, but sees Goldenflower's kit clinging onto a tree for dear life. Without stopping to think, he springs toward the tiny cat, lunging for it's scruff. Bramblekit lets go as soon as the deputy grabs him, and has his mouth open in a silent scream. Fireheart panics on his next move, as the trunk is now enveloped in flames. He chooses to jump down on the ground, and leaps just as the tree falls back into the entrance of camp. Fireheart looks back, and knows there's no way to reach Yellowfang now. 
==Characters==
===Major===
===Minor===
===Mentioned===
==Trivia==
*This chapter aligns with chapter nine of Tigerclaw's Fury.
==Notes and references==
de:Vor dem Sturm/Kapitel 23es:Antes de la tormenta/Capítulo 23fr:Avant la tempête/Chapitre 23nl:Voor de storm/Hoofdstuk 23
Category:Chapter subpages
Category:The Prophecies Begin arc
Category:Rising Storm