Chapter 5
"What—what happened?" Iceshadow stammered.
She realized that all three cats bore injuries: Splashpaw's ear and shoulder were bloody, Spottedclaw was limping and had a huge bite along his leg, and Highleap's tabby pelt was soaked in blood. As Iceshadow watched, Highleap sunk to her knees, looking dazed.
Sunnyflower was already out, herbs in her jaws. She began to work on the three living cats as they spoke.
"We were attacked," Spottedclaw responded hollowly, "It was a fox. I've never seen a fox so vicious."
"Graytail was turning around to tell Splashpaw something, and it leaped out from behind him," Highleap added numbly.
"He had no chance," Spottedclaw whispered, staring in stunned disbelief at the still silver tabby tomcat.
Frostflower sank down in grief. Spottedclaw, her older brother, stumbled over to her, ignoring Sunnyflower's protests, and leaned against her. Silverclaw, Graytail's littermate, raced to his unmoving side and pressed her nose into his fur. "Graytail!"
Iceshadow stared down at the bloody cat. His eyes were closed and his face had a peaceful expression. His coat was matted and rumpled, sticking up in spikes, dried in place by blood. A pair of powerful teeth marks in his neck revealed the cause of his death.
Frostflower staggered forward; together, she and Silverclaw began to clean his fur with long strokes. Iceshadow could hardly bear to see the pain in Frostflower's eyes as she did so. She thought of Stormyheart dying, and her heart twisted with unimaginable pain
"Frostflower, Silverclaw, when you have finished cleaning him, please lay him in a shady place somewhere so that we can sit vigil for him tonight," Strongstar ordered them gently. Iceshadow jumped—she hadn't realized he'd left his den. The two she-cats nodded numbly, and Strongstar turned to Splashpaw. "You will need a new mentor."
"No." Splashpaw shook his head. "I don't want to be a warrior, not anymore. I want to be a medicine cat."
Murmurs of surprise rippled through the Clan, but Iceshadow nodded. "That's a wise decision, Splashpaw." She recalled him fetching the raspberry leaf last night.
"I would love to have him," Sunnyflower added, staring sadly at the small apprentice.
"That fox needs to be taught a lesson!" Flowertail spat; her eyes were wide with shock, grief, and anger. Beside her, Blackstorm nodded, lashing his tail.
"We should send a patrol right away," Lionfang agreed. He stepped closer to his father, Brownstripe.
"No," Strongstar growled, "We are too shocked right now. Today, I want everyone to avoid the area where the patrol was attacked. Tomorrow, when we have gotten our heads together, we will go after the fox. Now, we need to stay calm."
Frostflower looked up. "I agree with Strongstar," she mewed shakily, "I cannot bear the thought of losing more Clanmates."
Silverclaw pressed against her comfortingly.
Frostflower pressed on. "I have decided names for my kits. The silver-tabby-and-white she-cat will be Shrikekit."
Iceshadow nodded, picturing a shrike in her mind.
"And…and…" Frostflower hesitated, swallowing. "And the tom will be…Graykit."
Whispers of sad approval followed her words. Shrikekit and Graykit. Iceshadow turned away, hardly able to imagine what Frostflower must be feeling.
"Those are names that Graytail will be proud of in StarClan," Strongstar assured the she-cat. Frostflower nodded weakly.
Silverclaw nudged her. "Go back to your den. Your kits need you, and you need to be strong for the vigil tonight."
Iceshadow had never heard the feisty she-cat sound so gentle.
Frostflower nodded and padded back to the nursery. Iceshadow stared sadly after her before turning to look around.
"Alright. We need a hunting patrol. Anyone want to go?" Tabbypelt, Snowfoot, Lightningtail, and Aspenheart raised their tails. Iceshadow flicked her ear at them. "Go ahead and go. We need fresh-kill. Stay away from the RiverClan border—that's where the fox attacked you, right?" Iceshadow added, glancing questioningly at Splashpaw, Spottedclaw, and Highleap. They nodded dully.
Strongstar took a deep breath. "I think that Splashpaw's ceremony should be initiated right now, before you go, Tabbypelt, Snowfoot, Lightningtail, and Aspenheart."
Splashpaw and Sunnyflower both nodded. Strongstar walked over to the base of the thorn tree but didn't try to claw his way up.
"Splashpaw," Strongstar called, "do you accept the post of apprentice to Sunnyflower?"
"I do," Splashpaw replied steadily.
"Sunnyflower, you are a cat of great compassion and forethought," Strongstar mewed, addressing the dappled she-cat, "Pass on these qualities, along with all of the many herbs and secrets of StarClan that Splashpaw will need to know."
"Of course, Strongstar." Sunnyflower turned a soft green gaze on Splashpaw.
"Splashpaw! Splashpaw!" The cheers were halfhearted and quickly died away, but Splashpaw didn't seem to mind. He followed Sunnyflower to the medicine den. Sunnyflower was murmuring, "You already know most of the basic herbs, but now we'll have to get started on more advanced stuff…"
Iceshadow thought of Hareleap. She doubted that the elderly she-cat would survive, not after watching Strongstar succumb to the strange illness.
As though her thoughts had brought it up, at that moment, Cloudeye, who had been starting to eat a small mouse, suddenly raced for the dirtplace tunnel.
No.
Iceshadow stared in horror as he staggered out.
"Go to Sunnyflower, now," she ordered him. He opened his jaws to protest, but she shook her head. "There are kits in the camp. We cannot let this illness spread."
Cloudeye shook his head. "I'm as good as a dead cat," he whispered, his blue eyes full of shock and realization, "Let me be useful."
"No!" Suddenly it was too much. "Go to Sunnyflower, now! You can't afford to risk your life when there might be a cure!"
Cloudeye stepped back, stunned by her ferocity. "There is no cure, Iceshadow."
"Yes, there is. We just haven't found it yet!" Iceshadow glared at Cloudeye. "Go!"
Cloudeye shook his head miserably but walked across the clearing. She could smell his foul, sick scent and closed her eyes, fighting back a wail.
StarClan, our Clan is falling apart! Can't you do something?!
"Iceshadow? Iceshadow, are you okay?"
She opened her eyes; Stormyheart was standing in front of her, looking concerned.
"Why can't StarClan do something?" Iceshadow growled, "First our leader loses a life, then RiverClan threatens us, and Graytail…" Her voice failed. She shook her head, despairingly, and was relieved when Stormyheart pressed against her. The warmth of his flank against her swollen belly was more comforting than she could ever admit; she could almost close her eyes and imagine she was nestled safely back in the crook of Streamtail's belly, just an innocent kit, just Icekit, with Stormkit beside her…
"Go take a nap in the nursery," Stormyheart murmured, "You need it."
Iceshadow nodded, too tired and miserable to argue. She walked into the nursery, carefully stepping around Frostflower, who murmured a quiet greeting, and then lay down in the thick, fluffy moss nest, relieved to find feathers and bracken sliding softly over her swollen belly. She was asleep before she could even get comfortable.
"Iceshadow! Iceshadow!"
Iceshadow was sprinting. Her belly was no longer big and pregnant; she was thin and wiry again, her muscles rippling beneath a sleek black-and-white pelt. She was running, sprinting, for the cry of the cat—was it Leapfoot? Stormyheart? Strongstar? Sunnyflower? Stormwing? Streamtail?
She skidded to a halt with a yowl of terror as she almost flew off the edge of the gorge; beneath her, wind and water clashed together, diving at each other as if they were real animate things, fighting. She looked around, but the cry for her name was gone; she could see only the wind and the water, crashing against each other below.
"Iceshadow, remember! A storm is coming; only the clash of wind and water will stop the darkened tide!"
Iceshadow woke with a start. The ominous prophecy echoed in her ears like the snarl of a fox in the shadows: something she hated to hear but could not forget or leave alone.
She sat up. She could tell it was moonhigh and also that Graytail's vigil had begun. Spottedclaw, Silverclaw, Frostflower, and Silverclaw's four kits were gathered around Graytail's limp body. Most of the other cats, no doubt, had gone to sleep already. Sunnyflower sat on the edge of the group, staring at the sky, while Strongstar was at the entrance of his den, his head bowed. Iceshadow considered joining them, but she felt weary and could not stand the thought of facing her grieving Clanmates, nor could she stand facing Graytail's dead body.
Shrikekit and Graykit, Frostflower's kits, started mewling. Quickly, moved by instinct, Iceshadow darted over and swept the kits close to her body with her tail. "Shhh," she whispered, "Your mother will be back soon."
They quieted down a little, but Shrikekit continued to whimper. They kneaded Iceshadow's belly, as though searching for milk, but she had none, not yet.
"What do you want, StarClan?" Iceshadow whispered, "What does your prophecy mean? Are we all doomed?" She looked down at Shrikekit and Graykit with great sadness. They were so young and naïve, so carefree and unburdened. Iceshadow was deputy of the Clan, with the knowledge of a terrible prophecy.
Iceshadow sat there, her tail wrapped around the kits, as the sky lightened. They started crying again, and she could not satisfy them; they were hungry, and only Frostflower could feed them. The she-cat finally returned and seemed surprised to find Iceshadow sheltering her kits.
"I'm sorry, Frostflower. They just started mewling, and I—"
"No. Thank you, Iceshadow." Frostflower sounded soft and quiet. "You didn't do anything wrong." Iceshadow drew her tail away, relieved, and the two kits scrambled happily over to Frostflower to suckle.
Iceshadow crept out of the warm, milky darkness of the nursery and stared out over the camp. It was quite cold, although it hadn't yet frosted, fortunately. Sunnyflower and Splashpaw were heading out, most likely to collect herbs. Iceshadow saw movement at the entrance to the warriors' den and watched as Aspenheart emerged.
"Aspenheart, can you lead the dawn patrol?" she asked quietly.
He nodded. "Who should I take?"
"Blackstorm and Brookpaw, and Rosewhisker…and Leapfoot," she replied, thinking quickly, "Try to find out as much as you can about the fox, but don't attack it and don't get into a fight, and keep a close eye on RiverClan."
"Of course. You can count on me, Iceshadow." Aspenheart dipped his head to her and then headed to wake the cats she'd mentioned.
"Oh, and wake Lionfang, Brownstripe, and Flowertail and Lightpaw for a hunting patrol," she added. He waved his tail to show he had heard but did not look back.
Strongstar emerged from his den. He had improved more than she could have thought possible in so short a time. He still looked a little skinny, but his muscles were thick and strong beneath a short, glossy gray pelt. In the morning light, his fur looked like the blue-gray color of a rain-tinted storm cloud.
Leapfoot came out of the den, his black-and-white pelt rumpled from sleeping, his amber eyes bleary. Iceshadow gazed at her son in a new light. He was no longer the precious little furball that she'd had to protect for so long. He was a strong-muscled, sure-pawed warrior. She shook her head. Is the same thing going to happen with this new litter? she wondered, glancing down at her belly.
She wondered what she would name them. She wanted time to name them, to think and find the right name. She had done that with Leapfoot. She hadn't named him until he was two days old, and then it had been Stormyheart's idea, because of his powerful hind legs, even though almost all SkyClan cats had them. They both had been worried that he would have inherited Strongstar's ThunderClan traits.
Iceshadow glanced up as Splashpaw and Sunnyflower returned, each carrying huge bundles of herbs in their jaws. Splashpaw looked much more at peace than he had before, though she remembered with a pang his eagerness to train; he would have made a great warrior.
The hunting patrols came back with a pretty good haul, seeing as it was early in the morning and chilly. Iceshadow took a small mouse for herself, despite the fact that a squirrel on the top looked extremely appetizing. After eating her mouse, she took the squirrel for Frostflower, who insisted they share it. The two she-cats ate it together in a gentle silence. Frostflower, while still looking shocked and sad, seemed to be recovering to some degree from Graytail's death.
The dawn patrol returned; fortunately, RiverClan had not made any good on Splashstar's threat—yet—and Aspenheart informed Iceshadow that he had found the location of the fox's den and was willing to lead a patrol there. Iceshadow thanked him and promised to speak with Strongstar about it.
He needs an apprentice, she thought as he went to greet Rosewhisker, who was emerging from the den at that moment. He was patient and calm, two important qualities in any mentor. Maybe Shrikekit or Graykit?
"Strongstar!" she called to her father, who was just about to head out. He looked at her, his ears pricked. "Can Aspenheart lead a patrol to drive out the fox?"
Strongstar nodded. "Make sure it's good and strong, and tell him to try not to drive it into RiverClan territory. We have enough problems with them as it is."
Iceshadow nodded and informed Aspenheart of this; he headed out immediately, flanked by Rosewhisker, Brownstripe, Lionfang, and Hollytail.
The prophecy echoed in her mind, and she sagged. What was the use? SkyClan was doomed.
A storm is coming; only the clash of wind and water will stop the darkened tide.
Iceshadow stared out over her Clan. How long do we have left?
She glanced up at the sky, hoping for an answer from StarClan, but nothing was forthcoming. She felt a chill: perhaps StarClan themselves didn't even know what was in store for SkyClan.
