Free Warriors 04 - Rising Storm by Erin Hunter

escort you back to Fourtrees.”
    Fireheart tensed, afraid of how Bluestar would react to the suggestion that the WindClan warrior did not trust the ThunderClan cats to leave his territory. But she simply padded forward, brushing past the WindClan cats as she headed back the way they had come.
    Fireheart walked after her, followed at a distance by the WindClan cats. He was aware of them rustling through the heather behind him, and when he looked over his shoulder he caught glimpses of their lithe, brown shapes among the purple flowers. Frustration pricked at his paws with every step. He would not let WindClan block their way again.
    They reached Fourtrees and began to climb back down the rocky slope, leaving the WindClan warriors at the top watching them with hostile, narrowed eyes. Bluestar was starting to look very tired. With each leap she landed heavily and grunted. Fireheart was frightened the she-cat would slip, but she kept her footing until they reached the grass at the bottom. Fireheart looked back up the hill to see the three WindClan cats silhouetted against the wide, glaring sky before they turned and vanished back into their own territory.
    As the ThunderClan cats passed the Great Rock, Bluestarlet out a long moan. “Are you all right?” Fireheart asked, stopping.
    Bluestar shook her head impatiently. “StarClan does not want to share dreams with me,” she muttered. “Why are they so angry with my Clan?”
    â€œWindClan stood in our way, not StarClan,” Fireheart reminded her. But he couldn’t help feeling that StarClan could have brought them better luck. Smallear’s words echoed through his mind: Fireheart’s naming broke with Clan ritual for the first time since before I was born.
    Fireheart felt his head spin with alarm. Were the warrior ancestors really angry with Thunderclan?
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    From the surprised murmurs that greeted their news when Fireheart and Bluestar padded back into camp, Fireheart guessed that the Clan shared his fears. Never before had a leader been turned back on a journey to the Moonstone.
    Bluestar padded unsteadily to her den, her eyes fixed on the dusty ground as she crossed the clearing. Fireheart watched her with a heavy heart. Suddenly the sun felt too hot to bear beneath his thick coat. He headed for the shade at the edge of the clearing, and noticed Dustpelt padding toward him from the gorse tunnel, Ashpaw at his heels.
    â€œYou’re back early,” meowed the tabby warrior. He circled Fireheart as Ashpaw stood wide-eyed and looked up at the two warriors.
    â€œWindClan wouldn’t let us pass,” Fireheart explained.
    â€œDidn’t you tell them you were going to Highstones?”asked Dustpelt, sitting down beside his apprentice.
    â€œOf course,” snapped Fireheart.
    He saw Dustpelt’s eyes flick toward the gorse tunnel and turned to see Darkstripe and Fernpaw enter the camp. Fernpaw looked exhausted as she ran to keep up with her mentor, her fur clumped and dusty.
    â€œWhat are you doing back?” Darkstripe asked, narrowing his eyes at Fireheart.
    â€œWindClan wouldn’t let them pass,” Dustpelt announced. Fernpaw looked up at Dustpelt, her pretty green eyes round with surprise.
    â€œWhat? How dare they?” Darkstripe meowed, his tail bristling angrily.
    â€œI don’t know why Fireheart let them boss him around,” commented Dustpelt.
    â€œI didn’t have much choice,” Fireheart growled. “Would you have risked your leader’s safety?”
    Runningwind’s meow sounded across the clearing. “Fireheart!” The lean warrior was trotting toward him, looking agitated. Darkstripe and Dustpelt glanced at each other and led their apprentices away. Runningwind reached Fireheart and asked, “Have you seen Cloudpaw anywhere?”
    â€œNo.” Fireheart felt his heart lurch. “I thought he was going out with you this afternoon.”
    â€œI told him to