FireClan Assignment | The Fox's Den

The sun raising higher and higher with each passing minute, it would be less than an hour before the heat stroke sun settled upon the gorge, making it inhospitable until the sun lowered once more and took its unbearable, scorching heat with it.  Close to the entrance, Kindlestar looked at her Clan as they settled and chatted outside, knowing it was too risky to attempt a quick patrol or hunt this close to midday.  In a corner, she could see Brightpaw and Flashpaw whispering to each other, something they had curiously taken to lately whenever Russetpaw was still out training with Twopelt.  As though if summoning them by thought alone, voices could be heard approaching the camp entrance, and turning to look at who had just arrived, Kindlestar was pleased to see her mate and youngest son reaching the safety of the camp in time.  Walking towards her deputy, she pressed her head against his in greeting after licking Russetpaw's head before the latter bounded off to pounce his sister.

"Hello sunshine," Twopelt purred as he nuzzled his mate back.  "Is everyone back yet?"

"Not yet," Kindlestar responded, a concerned frown creasing her brow.  "The patrol led by Tawnylight isn't back yet.  I don't know what to do...  I'm worried.  It isn't like her to take so long bringing back the-"

As Kindlestar spoke, the patrol in question could be seen approaching from the horizon, and the battered, bloody look quickly caused a look of horror to plague the leader's face.  At the sight of his mate's horrified look, Twopelt turned around, and a gasp escaped him as well, his feelings mirroring Kindlestar's.  With a heavy limp, Gingerblaze and Lilacpaw led the patrol, looking as though if they were on the brink of death as the other two cats helped them up, looking much less roughed up than their clanmates besides them, but being slowed down by a horrible burden.  Fangstrike's usual look of anger was now mingled with a look of defeat, on his back a mangled Tawnylight being brought back to FireClan.  A devastated Bumblepaw helped Lilacpaw along, carrying with her the remains of Whisperfeather.

"Call Emberstripe.  Quickly," Kindlestar ordered, her face still on the patrol as Twopelt rushed to the medicine cat den.  "What happened?" Kindlestar asked, rushing to the patrol's side, helping with the weight of the bodies as best she could, relieved when she saw Dawncloud and Sunstorm rush out to help as well.

"It was a damn fox!" Fangstrike growled with anger, his ears flattening at the memory.  "It came out of nowhere.  It seems to have inhabited the old, abandoned den by the Flame Pool."

At these words, Kindlestar froze.  A fox taking up residence by the Flame Pool was catastrophic news.  The Flame Pool was the only source of water for the entire Clan.  A fox being there would mean that an action as simple as heading for a drink of water would suddenly become a task for only the most exclusive of warriors.  To top it off, the camp was right next to the Flame Pool for convenience, allowing queens and kits to go there if they desire, or if water ran short on the camp's reserves, meaning the fox was right next to FireClan's camp, and if it was bold enough to attack a patrol of cats, kits were surely on its list of prey.

"Dawncloud, take over here," the leader ordered, receiving a quick nod from the massive tom as he grabbed one of the bodies in an attempt to help the patrol.  "Shortblaze!" she called out afterwards, spotting the bobtailed warrior nearby.  "I need you to gather my senior warriors and tell them to meet me at my den during the heat stroke sun.  There is no time for a full Clan meeting now, but we must take action on this as quickly as possible.  No fox gets away with killing two of my clanmates... not on my watch..."