Chapter Seven

Spottedrose awoke during the night, feeling warm and secure in her nest. When she opened her eyes, her heart fluttered with panic. This is not my nest, she thought slowly. She could hear a cat stirring beside her, a dark gray tabby. "Spottedrose? Are you awake?" the tabby she-cat mumbled, still half asleep.

Oh, yes. I'm in IceClan, she remembered. "Yes, Quickwater. I was just going to use the dirtplace." she meowed quietly, hoping not to wake any of the other warriors. Quickwater had been incredibly kind to her since they returned to camp. She had told Spottedrose that it was nice to see a BreezeClan warrior that didn't want to jump straight to battle. She could tell that none of the warriors really seemed too hostile towards her.

If only BreezeClan were more like this, she thought wistfully. Her clanmates were all too eager for battle, something she never really understood. Quickwater shifted again in her nest, turning to look at Spottedrose with her dark blue eyes. "Will you be able to find it ok?" she asked sleepily.

"I think so." she murmured as she stood and carefully left the den. She hadn't realized it was raining but soft drops thrummed her pelt as she left the safety of the bush. The moon shone bright and round through the haze of storm clouds in the night sky. Truthfully, she didn't really have to go make dirt, she was just feeling a tad homesick. She slept every night in the warrior's den, curled next to Foxstreak. They had been best friends since they were still kits in the nursery. They were both the only kits of their litters, so they clung together almost instantly.

Spottedrose's heart clenched with sadness, she wished she could have convinced her father that the clans did not need to live this way. She hadn't realized she had been just standing there, she noticed that her pelt was becoming drenched. Darting her gaze around the clearing, she tried to find a secluded place to take shelter. She noticed a large tree, with a large hole near its base.

A hollow tree is perfect, she thought happily as she darted towards it. The rain had grown harder, stringing her skin underneath her pelt. As she reached the safety of the hollow bark, she felt her paw catch on something solid. She stumbled over and onto her side, cursing under her breath.

"What the--?" a startled voice growled from next to her. She squinted her eyes, noticing with horror that she had tripped over Blizzardstar. "Spottedrose? What are you doing here? Is something happening?" he asked hastily, fully awake in mere moments.

"I was just stuck out in the rain. I hadn't realized this was your den." she apologized, hoping he wouldn't be too angry with her. To her relief, he looked more concerned than angry. "I thought Quickwater had made a nest for you in the warrior's den?" he asked, clearly confused. She nodded quickly, "Yes, she did. I was just feeling uncomfortable. I got up to get some air, but I didn't realize it was raining."

"Well, there's no sense sending you back out in the cold. You could catch green cough with your pelt this wet," he meowed seriously, "you can share my nest with me for the night." Spottedrose felt her pelt prickle nervously, thinking about sharing the same nest with IceClan's leader.

"I suppose that's the smart thing to do." she agreed after several heartbeats. As she climbed into the nest beside him, she could feel his warm fur pressed against her pelt. She sighed in relief as she felt her limbs start to warm up. She felt herself starting to doze next to Blizzardstar, her eyelids growing heavy. She glanced up through the trunk of the tree to see the cloudy night sky peeking through dense, leafless branches.

"Do you really think we shouldn't fight?" she asked curiously, her voice blurred with sleepiness. She could feel him stiffen next to her, as if the question had startled him. "Yes," he meowed after a few moment's hesitation, "all fighting does is bring death to our loved ones. All I have left are my warriors. I don't want to see anyone else die an unnecessary death."

Spottedrose shook her head, trying to wake herself some more. She felt that she needed to have this talk with him. "Are all of your kin with StarClan?" she asked softly, hoping he would be willing to tell her more.

"Yes, my mother and father have both died in battle. Even my gentle sister was claimed this way. I've seen many families torn apart by this need for constant fighting." he sounded drained, despite his young age. Early leadership has clearly taken its toll on his spirit to fight.

"Oakstar always told me my mother was killed in a border fight over stolen prey. I was always so thankful to atleast still have him to watch over me," she mewed. Blizzardstar rested his head on his paws and sighed. She looked over to see that he had closed his eyes, clearly trying to go back to sleep.

Spottedrose rested her head on her paws and looked out through the hole in the trunk. She thought she could see Quickwater's gray face at the warrior den's entrance but she could not be sure. She would apologize to her in the morning.

With Blizzardstar to help her, maybe they could somehow show Oakstar that peace was what the clans needed to survive. She could feel herself relaxing against Blizzardstar's side, her pelt finally starting to dry. Eventually, the soft patter of rain on the trunk finally lulled her to sleep.