Chapter 1: Grim News

Icepool paused and sniffed the air, hoping she wouldn't smell WindClan. Her light gray fur was shimmering from the light reflected from the river, her blue eyes darting back and forth quickly. Icepool had only been a warrior for a few days but she already had a large amount of work to do for RiverClan. At the moment she was patrolling the river and re-marking their boundaries. RiverClan had survived one WindClan attack and Silverstar wasn't taking any chances. The beautiful gray tabby had ordered that constant patrols take effect.

Icepool, satisfied that no WindClan cats had been near their Clan, turned her back on the river. She had been on border patrol since sunrise and she was tired. She was supposed to be with Crabclaw but the black and white tomcat had abandoned Icepool to meet up with Tinystripe. The two warriors seemed to be closer than ever. Icepool realized when Crabclaw furtively asked her to cover for him on the patrol that the two were in love.

Icepool smiled at that thought. Tinystripe and Crabclaw were perfect for each other.

She twitched her ear suddenly as she heard a branch snap. Icepool knelt to the ground and peered ahead. She spotted a small water vole scurrying across the forest floor. Icepool smiled. She would catch that vole and prove that she wasn't inept at hunting.

The vole stopped and sat up, smelling the air.

Icepool, belly low to the ground, inched forward, praying that the vole didn't hear her. She placed one paw in front of another until she was tail-lengths away from the suspicious vole. With a silent leap, Icepool pounced on top of the water vole, pressing its body into the ground with her paws. I caught it! thought Icepool happily, biting the vole's neck and killing it. It wasn't a big vole, but that was to be expected. Leafbare was almost on them and prey was getting scarcer.

Icepool plucked the vole up and began to trot back to camp, ready to shove the fresh-kill into Rockpaw's face. The surly black apprentice had recently taken to belittling everything Icepool did. Naturally this made the warrior angry. She had known Rockpaw since he was a kit, what did he think he was doing? What was worse, Rockpaw also had begun to criticize Seapaw. The new apprentice was still learning and Rockpaw wasn't helping her confidence in the least.

Icepool shook her head, still thinking of Rockpaw. The smell of the vole right under her nose masked the approaching scent of the other cat until he was right on top of her.

"Help! Help," cried the white tom as he crashed on to the ground at Icepool's feet.

Icepool jumped, dropped the vole and then instantly crouched by the cat. She noticed his side was sliced open cruelly, blood was pouring on to the earth, staining the leaves he had collapsed on. Icepool recognized Winterwind, a ShadowClan warrior, as he lay panting on the ground. His eyes were fluttering.

"Hold on Winterwind. I'm going to get Owlear," Icepool said hurriedly, glancing around the forest. The river was still in sight but no other cats were nearby. Icepool was afraid to leave the wounded cat lying on the ground; some fox or badger might come and finish him off.

Icepool pressed some dead leaves on to Winterwind's cut, hoping to stop the blood flow.

"What happened to you?" asked Icepool as she stared around, praying that StarClan would send help.

"W-w-windClan," coughed Winterwind.

Icepool's eyes hardened. "They did this to you? Did they try and attack your camp too?" Winterwind could only nod.

Icepool felt a growl rising in her throat. An image flashed in her mind: Miststorm, lying dead in the fangs of Strongstar.

"They cannot do this," she muttered.

"Icepool? What happened?"

Icepool turned around. Her heart could have melted in relief at the sight of Tinystripe and Crabclaw, both looking a little embarrassed, staring at Winterwind's convulsing body.

"Go get Owlear. Or Willowpaw. Or both of them. Hurry up, ShadowClan's been attacked by WindClan."

Tinystripe's eyes widened and Crabclaw looked terrified. They immediately turned and ran, charging through the bracken towards the direction of the camp.

"Hang on, help is coming," Icepool mewed desperately.

Winterwind moaned as blood began to trickle out of his mouth. Icepool felt the swift coldness of panic taking hold in her gut. She'd never forgive herself if this cat died at her feet.

"Brushfur, Purepelt, dead. You've got to help us," the injured cat wailed. "Strongstar and his warriors are still at my camp. They said they're taking our territory. They said we're too weak."

Icepool stared, horrified at Winterwind. "How many more are dead?"

"All our elders. Three kits. An apprentice. Strongstar said he'd kill more unless Tearstar surrendered," whimpered the white tom.

"StarClan help us," breathed Icepool, thinking of all the dead cats. RiverClan had been lucky. Very lucky.

"So Tearstar agreed," whispered Winterwind, his voice growing softer. "Strongstar claimed ShadowClan as his own. He has Tearstar under a guard. He's already taken two of her lives."

Winterwind was breathing slower now, his eyes watering with anger and fear.

Icepool couldn't speak. Strongstar's evilness seemed unbearable. She hadn't known how far he was willing to go.

"Will he keep killing ShadowClan cats?" asked Icepool. She knew Winterwind was losing strength. She needed to know what was happening, for the sake of all the Clans.

"He said he'd kill us all unless we help him take over ThunderClan and then RiverClan. He's keeping us all trapped in our own camp. Junetail had kits and he took them away. He said they'd be trained as WindClan warriors. H-he s-said they'd be trained to destroy other cats…" Winterwind's voice trailed away as his throat become slick with blood.

"Oh StarClan help this cat," cried Icepool.

But Winterwind's eyes were losing their light. Icepool noticed she was standing in a puddle of his blood.

"How did you escape?" she asked quickly.

"I-I used the move you taught us," Winterwind said hoarsely. "I jumped at Volefur and managed to get over him using that Twoleg technique. They followed me, gave me this wound. But I shook them off when I left ShadowClan territory."

Icepool's eyes began to mist over as she watched this brave cat flail helplessly at her paws. She closed her blue eyes, unable to watch Winterwind die.