Chapter Six: In StoneClan
As morning broke, a tall sienna-furred warrior emerged from his stone den. StoneClan, named not just for the stone dens they lived in, but for their stony hearts, could not have asked for a better deputy. Or so it seemed.
One of the Marks was already out hunting, and Campionstripe nodded to the grey warrior who was overseeing them.
"I shouldn't get on Hollythorn's bad side," he thought, "If any cat here is smart enough to figure out where my true loyalties lie, it's him. Or Weaselheart, but no one will believe him anymore."
Campionstripe's gaze shifted to a black tom among the group of cats who were hunting. They were all slaves, but this cat was particularly dangerous. Weaselheart hadn't always been a slave. He had been one of the senior warriors until a few moons earlier, when the FlameClan cats had tricked the StoneClan leader, Bloodstar, into thinking that Weaselheart had gone mad.
Campionstripe's former apprentice, Mossfall, believed that Weaselheart deserved it, but Campionstripe wasn't so certain. Did any cat deserve such a miserable life?
The sienna-furred cat sighed. Weaselheart wouldn't be in this predicament if it wasn't for him. The StoneClan deputy was secretly working for FlameClan, and had been for some time. Weaselheart had caught on, and tried to convict him, but there wasn't enough proof, and Campionstripe wasn't about to confess. So, Hazelstar had come up with a plan to make Weaselheart look mad.
"Campionstripe? Are you all right?"
The brown cat turned to see a slim black tom staring at him.
"Yes. Sorry, Nightheart. I was…thinking."
Nightheart was the StoneClan medicine cat, and one of the only cats in StoneClan who knew where Campionstripe's real loyalties lay. Campionstripe wasn't sure how Nightheart had found out, but as long as the black tom held his silence, he didn't want to know. In return for Nightheart's silence in the matter, Campionstripe was trying to insure that the younger cat could keep his job as medicine cat. Nightheart had never had any powers, and that had been fine…until a new cat showed up who did, in fact, have visions. Icewrath.
"I thought so," Nightheart said knowingly. He glanced across the clearing.
"Icewrath's at it again, isn't he?" Campionstripe asked.
"Yes," Nightheart said, "He's following Bloodstar around, pestering him to make him medicine cat instead of me. Listen, it's not the job I'm worried about. It's Larkpaw. You know how I feel about her."
Campionstripe nodded. Larkpaw was Nightheart's apprentice, and, in the months between her apprenticeship and Icewrath's appearance, the medicine cat had been happier than Campionstripe had ever seen him. It was clear that he cared very deeply for Larkpaw, and would do anything to protect her.
"You'll be fine," Campionstripe assured him. "I'm off on patrol, but I should be back in a little while."
Campionstripe arrived at the place where he always met Hazelstar, to find that the red-fawn cat had gotten there before him. Campionstripe smiled. Hazelstar was one of the few cats he felt comfortable around…and who felt comfortable being around him. His stoic personality made most cats keep their distance, but not Hazelstar. He liked everyone.
"Hello, Campionstripe," Hazelstar said.
"Hello, Hazelstar," Campionstripe replied.
"How are things in StoneClan?" Hazelstar asked.
"Fine," Campionstripe said, "I haven't heard anything from Bloodstar about trying to find your camp in a while, so all's well on that front."
"Maybe his obsession with capturing us is really ending," Hazelstar said, "Wouldn't that be great?"
"It won't happen," Campionstripe said, "He'll never change."
"Then why do you stay with him?"
"He's my leader," Campionstripe said, "We've been through this, Hazelstar. Until they have proof that I'm a spy, I'm staying in StoneClan."
Hazelstar nodded sadly.
"You know that there's always a home for you in FlameClan."
Campionstripe nodded.
"I need to ask you something," Hazelstar said, "Have any of your patrols brought in a new cat in the last couple moons? A small white tom?"
"Icewrath! How does Hazelstar know him?"
"Yes," Campionstripe said.
"What was his name?" Hazelstar asked.
"Icewrath. He's looking for Fivefur. Something about getting revenge on Fivefur for getting to be medicine cat instead of him in your old Clan."
Hazelstar's eyes widened.
"Then I have to tell the others," he said, "His sister is staying with us. She's been looking for him."
"Well, she needs to stop looking," Campionstripe growled, "He's mad."
"Don't worry," Hazelstar said, "She'll talk to Fivefur. He can get her to understand. They're old friends, you see."
"He'd better make her understand," Campionstripe said, "Because Icewrath is one of the most dangerous cats I have ever met, second only to Bloodstar."
"I see," Hazelstar said, "Now, I have a surprise for you."
"What?" Campionstripe asked, just as an energetic ball of black and white fluff hurtled out of the bushes.
"Campionstripe!" the kit squeaked.
"Badgerpaw?" Campionstripe asked. The black and white kit had been his apprentice in StoneClan, before he had sent him to FlameClan, after the death of one of his friends, Brindlepaw, and the near death of his brother, Frostpaw. Campionstripe had never expected to see him again, but there he was.
"Yup!" Badgerpaw squeaked, "Can you believe it? I'm gonna be an apprentice soon! Hazelstar promised! And since I'm almost an apprentice, he said I could come see you! Are you happy to see me?"
"Yes," Campionstripe said, "I'm very happy to see you."
He paused, looking over the young cat. Badgerpaw had grown a great deal, and it was clear that he would be a good-sized cat when he was fully grown.
"How's Frostpaw?" Campionstripe asked. Badgerpaw's brother had been injured by Bloodstar, and had nearly died before his mentor, Sparrowstrike, had taken him to Hazelstar.
"He's doing great!" Badgerpaw said, "He was playing with Fledgepaw before I left. And I think maybe Icypaw was going to teach them a couple of moves. He just became an apprentice."
"Have you made friends?" Campionstripe asked.
"Oh, yeah!" Badgerpaw said. "Smallkit is one of my best friends! He's really little, but he's so fun! You should meet him sometime! Maybe when we're apprentices, me and him can both come to the Gathering, and you can meet him!"
"Maybe," Campionstripe said. "You should probably head back to camp, though. I have to go before Bloodstar gets suspicious."
"Oh…okay," Badgerpaw said, "See you later, Campionstripe."
"Goodbye."
