Goldenblaze struggled to breathe as though the smoke had already reached her. With the embers drifting through the air, it wouldn’t be long until it actually did. The sound of splintering branches and burning needles was already uncomfortably loud. She slowly backed away, pelt bristling.
RUN! Flickerstar screamed in her ear, voice reverberating painfully in her mind. THE RIVER! YOU MUST MAKE IT TO THE RIVER!
Goldenblaze reared up on her hind legs and yowled, “FIRE!”
Heads shot up in the warriors den, eyes still dim from sleep. Behind her, Deerbreeze climbed onto Clearpool’s back and allowed his limp hind legs to be slid onto Sporepelt’s. Goldenblaze caught the white of his eyes before he was carried off.
Cloudytalon and Fruitfeather watched them go before the former darted into the healers’ den. Fruitfeather remained frozen, eyes locked on the entrance ahead. Bile rose in Goldenblaze’s throat, and as much as it burned, she had no time to express her hatred for the molly.
Cats still weren’t fully awake, so again she yowled, “FIRE! FIRE!”
Finally, cats picked up the pace. Marten was the first to exit the den, tail held high as she scanned the camp. She trotted up to Goldenblaze.
Goldenblaze spoke first, “I’m going to MireClan.”
MireClan!? Flickerstar exclaimed. They’re not going to help!
“MireClan?” Marten shared the same skepticism. “They were just in a war, they won’t have the resources to aid us.”
“Where else can we go? CloudClan’s territory is mostly dry grass right now, and VineClan doesn’t seem interested in helping anyone but themselves.” Goldenblaze’s tail lashed behind her. “I’m going to the Swift Crossing. It’s best if the Clan—”
“You’re not deputy, Goldenblaze,” Marten hissed. “You’ve only been a warrior for a moon.”
Goldenblaze stifled a hiss. I’m trying to save us! Get over yourself!
She opened her mouth to retort but a deafening crackle silenced her. She gripped Marten’s shoulders and flung her out of the way just before a burning pine came crashing to the ground. Pine needles exploded from the flames and spread the fire to the grass and shrubs nearby. In an instant, half the camp was ablaze.
Marten shoved her. “GO!”
Goldenblaze spun around and took off, paws thundering against the dirt and stone as she ran. Everything cooled down for just a moment, allowing her to take in deep, heavy pants. The cool breeze of the night had become a curse as it spread embers from tree to tree. It wasn’t long until she was enveloped by the heat once more. The forest that was once tinted gray by the night now shone with vibrant oranges and yellows that muddied the land in front of her.
Watch out!
Goldenblaze slid to a halt just before a drop-off. Below her was a massive wall of fire, its flames tall enough to lick at her paws. Thick smoke billowed from the burning brush and pines, blinding her until she turned the other way. The trail she had come down had been swallowed by flames and scorched debris.
She backed away just enough to be clear of the smoke, wheezing and panting. The space felt suffocating as she whipped her head around, desperate for escape. Her eyes burned from the smoke and the blinding light of the flames around her. Was this is? Was she going to die here?
The wind shifted and one path was made clear; a narrow passage under a rotting pine. Thank the stars! She ran forward, ducking under smoke and free embers. Just before she reached the passage, something hit her hard in the face, sending her stumbling back. Pain drummed in her snout and blood started to drip steadily out from both nostrils.
She shook her head and looked back at the passage just as the pale gray pelt of a cat became visible. Blazing blue eyes met her gaze.
[ID: A digital two panel comic with a dark reddish-brown background.
First panel, a cat cloaked in shadow steps out of the small passage under an old pine and brambles.
Second panel, the cat is revealed to be Sheepflower (pale gray tabby with a round white mane, wearing bluebells). A closeup of his face shows that he's angry, and his hair and mane are slightly more disheveled than usual. End ID.]
Goldenblaze unsheathed her claws and slowly backed away. Everything she wanted to stay got lodged in her throat. How could a healer deal such a heavy blow?
Sheepflower remained silent until he had backed her against a boulder. “Don’t make this harder than it has to be,” his voice trembled. If it was fear or from anger, Goldenblaze couldn’t tell.
“Why are you doing this?” Goldenblaze choked out.
Sheepflower’s pupils grew wide. “You aren’t supposed to be alive,” he snarled. “You died from your injuries as a kit—I felt your pulse die under my paw.”
Goldenblaze shook her head, “That’s impossible—”
“Exactly!” Sheepflower shouted. “Somehow you woke up.” He stopped just a whisker away and looked up at her. “I have a strong, strong feeling that your friend Flickerstar is involved.”
Goldenblaze swung her claws at his head but he dodged out of the way. He avoided the next then whacked the inside of her leg, causing it to buckle. Goldenblaze rolled out of the way before he could pin her.
“I don’t have time for this,” she spat.
Sheepflower lunged forward and gripped her tail in his teeth. With a surprising amount of force he yanked her back, bringing her down onto her haunches. Snarling like a wolverine, she twisted around and struck his face. Despite the heavy blow, he held on.
“Our Clanmates are dying and you’re doing this!?” Goldenblaze hissed.
Sheepflower let go to hiss back, “It’s for the good of the Clans—”
Goldenblaze kicked him in the jaw and ran for the passage.
“StarClan went silent after you woke up, Goldenblaze!” Sheepflower yelled with a slight slur to his words. “Do you think that’s a coincidence?”
Goldenblaze stopped just before the rotten pine and turned around. “That’s not my fault. StarClan’s connection has been weakening for moons.”
“I’m well aware of that.” He curled his lip. “Aphidflight was told by her father that we had to find a new connection all the Clans could use.” He snorted, “StarClan claimed we were spreading them too thin. Deershit. Something else has been spreading them thin—no, their power too thin.”
He pointed a claw at her. “Flickerstar brought you back to life.”
He’s lying, Goldenblaze. You never died, you were just incredibly weak. Flickerstar spoke quickly, almost frantically. Her voice was sharp, like thorns in her ears. We have rules we must obey, and I would never break them for a single cat!
Goldenblaze flicked an ear. Sheepflower’s eyes lit up.
“She also gave you the ability to peak to the dead, didn’t she?” He took a step forward. “How else would you be able to hear her?”
“I-”
“Don’t lie to me! I was right there when you told Aphidflight you had a voice in your head. What did you say the voice mentioned…?” He looked up in thought. “Taking a life of CloudClan’s founder, correct?”
“I have the best memory out of any of the healers, and you think I misremembered something that important!?” Sheepflower laughed. “I know what I heard that night, and the night you ran out of camp too. You had tears in your eyes, wailing for Flickerstar to stop.”
“I’m surprised after that night you still listen to her,” he lowered his voice, staring at the ground. “She told you to attack my dad, didn’t she? She has a hatred for cats with bad blood—she killed one of her healers for it.”
“I—” Goldenblaze stopped. “She killed one of her healers?” She stepped forward. “What do you mean?”
Goldenblaze, you need to leave now. Flickerstar demanded. The nearby trees aren’t stable, you could get crushed.
“She killed Sparrowbranch,” he said. “Killed her in cold blood for daring to be littermates with murderers.”
I did not! Goldenblaze flinched at the leader’s voice.
“H-How do you know this?” she asked.
“StarClan cats aren’t the only ones who can speak to the living.”
Goldenblaze froze in place, heart thumping loudly in her ears. Flickerstar, did you kill Sparrowbranch? She asked. Flickerstar was silent except for her breathing.
A deafening roar sounded from above. Goldenblaze yelped and sprang forward as a flaming log rolled down the slope and crushed the rotten pine and passage in its wake. The foliage quickly caught flame. In an instant, her escape was gone.
Goldenblaze turned around and met Sheepflower’s wide eyes. “Are you happy!?” she hissed. “Now we’re both going to die here!”
“Y-You don’t understand I-I-I—” Sheepflower stuttered. His ears flicked in response to faint whispers. “You’re a danger to the Clans and StarClan!”
“I’m not the one who attempted to murder my own Clanmate!”
“You’re going to destroy StarClan!” Sheepflower screeched. He coughed from the strain put on his throat. “Mistletail had a vision,” he rasped, “of a day that never ended. The sun burned rosettes into her gaze it was so bright—”
He stumbled forward as though struck from behind. “That’s what...what you are going to bring,” he hissed.
Goldenblaze’s muscles bunched as rage rolled through her. Her paw felt weightless as she struck him. He staggered back at the blow, but was quick to retaliate, springing forward with speed she’d never seen before. He slammed into her chest and brought her to the ground. His claws hooked into her shoulders and kept her down as she snapped at her throat. His teeth tore chunks out of her her mane, desperate to reach the skin beneath.
Goldenblaze clawed at his sides trying to push him away, but he was relentless, scratching and biting like a desperate weasel. Each push was met with stinging pain as his claws fought to maintain their grip, raking through her skin and leaving deep scratches in their wake. She bit back a cry of pain as she pushed him off with a great shove.
Sheepflower stumbled back, tripping over his paws. His eyes were wide and wild, brimmed with red. She charged at him and tackled him to the ground. The cats rolled to the edge of the drop-off, Sheepflower’s head hanging dangerously close to the flames. Fear flashed in his eyes as dirt beneath him tumbled into the flames below.
Goldenblaze’s paws grew numb as she held him there. Trees fell into splinters below as the flames grew more ravenous. The stench of ash flooded her nose. If she let him go, nobody would know what happened. Her grip tightened. Nobody would know that she did it.
KILL HIM! Flickerstar roared in her ears.
In his eyes she saw her mentor staring back at her. Her grip loosened and she drew back. Sheepflower kicked her further away and flung his body forward to safety. He splayed out on the ground, claws clinging to the earth, then whipped around to face her. Goldenblaze stiffened, expecting a blow, but it never came.
“What...you...” His voice had lost its venom. “Why?”
Her legs shook like leaves as she stared at him. Neither of them moved. Something caught her eye: a pristine sparrow’s feather drifting from above. The breeze swept up the feather, and sent it down a trail between the wall of flames that now surrounded the collapsed passage.
Goldenblaze looked back at Sheepflower one last time then ran through the trail. Fire licked at her sides and scorched the tips of her fur, and the heat was so overwhelming it made her vision blur. Just before she collapsed, the path widened and Goldenblaze tumbled out into a clearing.
In the short while she was fighting Sheepflower, the entire forest had been swallowed by flames. Not a single tree had been spared from the fire. The ground was littered with burning leaves, pine needles, and the remains of prey that fell from trees to spare themselves a painful fate. The stench of death and charred wood almost made her vomit.
She looked behind her and didn’t see any sign of Sheepflower. Had he stayed back to die? Had he made it out? Both options made her queasy, so she switched focus to MireClan. Through the smoke and flames, she could just barely spot the deep blue of the river border. She lowered her head, took in deep breaths, then continued her sprint to safety.
The journey was a blur as she weaved through burning thickets and avoided falling branches. She was met with pain each time her paws hit the ground but didn’t acknowledge. Any stopping and she’d be dead, or her Clan would be doomed.
Everything blended together into a swirl of gray, black, and orange.
