Fire and Ice (Hunter novel)

Fire and Ice takes place in a fictional forest which is home to four Clans of wild cats, ThunderClan, RiverClan, ShadowClan and WindClan, each of which lives in a territory best suited to their skills/abilities. The authors based the forest on New Forest in southern England.[1]

• Fireheart is the main protagonist of the book. Originally a house cat named Rusty, he left his human owners to become an apprentice in ThunderClan. He is sent with Graystripe to find WindClan, who were chased out of their home by ShadowClan. Later, he realizes that Graystripe is in love with Silverstream, a warrior in RiverClan. Although he advises Graystripe against meeting her secretly, Fireheart agrees to keep it a secret.
• Graystripe is Fireheart's best friend. After receiving his warrior name, Graystripe is sent with Fireheart to find WindClan, who were chased out of their home by ShadowClan. During a patrol, Graystripe is saved by Silverstream, a RiverClan warrior, when he falls into the river, and almost drowns. As a result, Graystripe and Silverstream fall in love and begin to meet each other in secret, against Fireheart's warnings.
• Silverstream is a RiverClan warrior and the daughter of RiverClan's leader, Crookedstar. After saving Graystripe from drowning in the river, the two fall in love. Since the warrior code forbids cats from different Clans to be in love, they begin to meet in secret, sneaking out of camp in order to see each other.
• Tigerclaw is the main antagonist. Tigerclaw had previously killed his own Clanmate, Redtail, in hope of taking Redtail's place as deputy. Instead, Lionheart becomes deputy, but he too, later dies. Tigerclaw then finally becomes deputy. Only Fireheart, Graystripe and Ravenpaw (Tigerclaw's apprentice) know of Tigerclaw's plans, but they do not tell anyone out of fear of him.

Fire and Ice begins with Fireheart and Graystripe performing a traditional silent vigil after their promotion to warrior status in Into the Wild. In the first couple chapters, the book explains in third person how Fireheart and Graystripe start to get comfortable with being warriors. ThunderClan thinks Ravenpaw is dead, but Fireheart reveals the truth to Bluestar not long before a Gathering, a meeting of the Clans held on the night of a full moon, is held.

As their first task as warriors, Fireheart and Graystripe are assigned to find WindClan (cats that live primarily on the open moors), which had been driven out by ShadowClan, and bring them home. They go to the WindClan camp and search for clues there. On the way, they see some RiverClan warriors hunting on WindClan territory. Graystripe finds the correct scent trail, and they follow it to a makeshift WindClan camp. Fireheart spots Barley's farm a little ways off the trail and the pair hurriedly leaves in fear of the dogs that live on the farm chasing them after they get let out.

Eventually, Fireheart and Graystripe succeed, finding WindClan under a tangle of Thunderpaths (a highway interchange). When Fireheart and Graystripe first find the Thunderpaths, they are confused by the mixed-up scents. After figuring out WindClan is under it, they decide to spend the night right outside the makeshift home and wait until morning to greet the Clan. Then they bring them home.

Soon after, Bluestar apprentices Cinderpaw the smoky-dark gray she-cat to Fireheart, and Brackenpaw the golden-brown tabby tom to Graystripe. During a hunting patrol, Graystripe almost drowns after chasing a vole onto thin ice, falling in the river separating RiverClan and ThunderClan, but is rescued by Silverstream, a slender, light silver-gray-and-black tabby she-cat who is a RiverClan warrior. Graystripe and Silverstream fall in love; however, this is against the warrior code, a code of honor that all warriors must follow. And according to the code, warriors cannot fall in love with those not from their own Clan. Fireheart discovers their relationship, and unsuccessfully attempts to discourage them from seeing each other. Graystripe finally agrees to meet Silverstream only at the full moon at the Gathering, when the four Clans meet to share news. Fireheart later realizes that Graystripe has not been keeping his promise. Because Graystripe is often gone to see Silverstream, Fireheart takes over training Brackenpaw along with Cinderpaw.

Tigerclaw, in his ambition to become leader, sets a trap for Bluestar by another Thunderpath, intending to kill her, thus bringing him closer to becoming leader. Instead, Cinderpaw is crippled by the trap. Her leg is broken, and when it heals, she has a permanent limp, preventing her from becoming a warrior. She then trains under Yellowfang to become a medicine cat.

At one point, Fireheart is reunited with his sister, Princess, a fluffy light brown tabby she-cat kittypet living in a Twolegplace (human town). Princess gives Fireheart her oldest kit, Cloudkit the snowy-white young tom, to take into the Clan as a new apprentice. Although Fireheart agrees to accept his nephew as his new apprentice, his Clanmates, with the exception of Frostfur and Graystripe, are reluctant to accept him because of his kittypet blood, even though Fireheart himself also has kittypet blood. Bluestar allows him to stay, and Brindleface the pale gray tabby she-cat becomes his foster mother.

Brokenstar, the former ShadowClan leader, eventually attacks ThunderClan, along with several other exiled ShadowClan warriors. After the battle, the rogues are driven off, with the exception of Brokenstar himself, who is blinded by Yellowfang and is kept as a prisoner. When Fireheart suggests they kill the evil cat, Yellowfang refuses, sadly revealing that she is Brokenstar's mother.

Later, ThunderClan becomes involved in a fight against RiverClan and ShadowClan, when RiverClan and ShadowClan unite and try to drive WindClan out again, and WindClan ally themselves with ThunderClan. When Fireheart is attacked by Leopardfur, a dappled golden tabby she-cat who is the RiverClan deputy, Tigerclaw watches as Leopardfur and Fireheart fight, and does not attempt to join in. Silverstream attacks Fireheart but releases him; he then attacks her but, seeing Graystripe's look of dismay, he releases her. Darkstripe the large, lean, sleek, thin-furred, dark gray tabby tom witnesses the event and reports it to Tigerclaw. Consequently, Fireheart becomes certain that Tigerclaw is not to be trusted.