Lost Hope: The Story of Icehope

Based on an RPG site

With thanks to Gingerstar14 and her brother Bramblestripe ;)

Prologue

In a moor with few trees scattered here and there, cats yowled, fleeing from a hidden terror. They ran up a hill on the far side into the forest beside it, seeking refuge in the them, a black cat came out of the forest against the crowd, which gathered on the edge of the forest, the cats peering out at the moor.

The black cat traveled down the hill into the hollow beyond. He picked his way down to meet two cats standing at the entrance to the bush-surrounded hollow. "Intruder!" The bigger, a huge black tom stepped forward, his ears flattened."Please, Ravenslash. I must speak with Icehope,"

"Icehope?" Ravenslash turned to look at the dark brown tom beside him, his ears flattened unobtrustively. "Screechclaw, fetch Silverstar."

Screechclaw dipped his head and vanished, his tail streaming after him. "Why are your cats in our territory?" the black tom asked. "If this is an attack-"

He stopped as a thin silver she-cat shouldered Ravenslash out of the way. "Freeheart," she spat. "Why have you come to my camp? Come crawling back now that we have true power?"

Freeheart curled his lip. "Why would I want to join RebelClan again? I'm perfectly happy with StormClan!"

"Well, you didn't come to swap training methods. What do you want?" Silverstar took a commanding pace forward. Even when he was still in RebelClan, Silverstar had posessed an aura of menace than most cats didn't have, even the leader.

Freeheart sat down. "First of all, why are you leader? Deathstar couldn't have lost that many lives He was still young!"

Silverstar bared her teeth in a snarl, her fur bristling. "I killed him, fool! He was so weak, and the after the sickness, the fools of my Clan had no idea what I'd done,"

Freeheart spat angrily. "But you were upset when Bloodstar died!" This wasn't making any sense. Had Silverstar lost her mind? She had a wild look in her eyes.

"Think so? What would the Clan have done if I hadn't pretended to be upset when my own father died?" Silverstar growled. "But, you didn't know I was leader yet. Why have you come?"

Freeheart took a deep breath. "Have you seen a cat called Icehope?"

Silverstar twitched her ears. "What's she look like?"

"Ginger and white."

Silverstar bristled. "Only my deputy, Thrashclaw is ginger and white. Screechclaw, get Deathclaw."

"Who is Deathclaw?" Freeheart demanded, his fur rising. "And I've lived with RebelClan for a good while...who is Thrashclaw?"

Suddenly a roar sounded from behind them, and Freeheart whirled around and pelted across the moor, his tail streaming behind him. He heard Silverstar exclaim, "At last! Now I can destroy StormClan!"

And all the forest darkened.