Chapter 8: Reasoning

Icepool stalked out of Redstar's den, her heart pounding in anger. How could he do that to his Clan? Cats would die anyway if he didn't fight! He was throwing away the lives of his Clanmates. Icepool let out a hiss, rage pumping through her. She barely noticed Rainwhisker until she crashed into him.

"Watch it!" yowled Rainwhisker, grimacing in pain as Icepool stepping on his paw.

"Sorry," grumbled Icepool, gesturing for Crabclaw and Seapaw to join her underneath the leader's den.

"Here comes Pinetail," stated Crabclaw, approaching Rainwhisker and Icepool, staring as the dark brown tom clambered down from the rocky ledge.

Applefall was scrambling down behind him, a hollow look of pain in her eyes. Icepool was about to open her mouth to speak to the two deputies when another cat caught her eye.

"Quickstep!"

Icepool darted over to where a calico tom was sitting, starlight shining on the white patches of his pelt. His head was bowed; he was eating a shrew. At the sound of Icepool's voice, his head jerked up.

"Icepaw!" he said joyously, "Larkfeather said a RiverClan patrol came here but she didn't say you were in it!"

"I'm Icepool now," she replied, nuzzling her father's face.

"Oh! Icepool! Congratulations!"

"Quickstep, I wish I could spend some more time with you but I need to tell you something important," Icepool said hastily.

Quickstep's face fell as Icepool explained to him what his leader had done and said.

"He'd been acting so strange lately," Quickstep murmured, "we all just thought he was feverish. But we were wrong."

"I've got to go back to my patrol now," Icepool said, watching as Pinetail and Applefall conversed with the other RiverClan cats, clearly upset, "but you have to promise me you'll be careful." Icepool lowered her voice. "And don't give up without a fight."

Quickstep looked troubled. What Icepool was asking him to do was against the warrior code, he'd be defying his leader's decision. But Icepool knew that it was the right thing to do.

"More cats will die from submission than from resistance," Icepool whispered in her father's ear. Then she licked his cheek reassuringly and, giving him one last look, ran back to where Rainwhisker and the others were standing, looking very distressed.

"Icepool, is it true?" asked Seapaw, all laughter gone from her eyes, "does Redstar really want to just...give up?"

"It seems that way," Icepool replied, shooting a dirty look towards the entrance of Redstar's cave.

"So what are we going to do?" asked Rainwhisker.

Pinetail shrugged. "There's nothing we can do. It's Redstar's decision."

"Well it's the wrong decision," spat Icepool.

"I know you must feel that way," Pinetail said, "but Redstar is just looking out for his Clan."

"No he's not!" Icepool returned, glancing at Applefall, "he's looking for an easy way out!"

"Icepool, please calm down," Pinetail hushed, brushing the tip of his tail against her mouth.

"No, it's okay," Applefall interrupted, "she's right. But there's nothing I can do. We must honor Redstar's choice."

Icepool sighed and stilled her thrashing tail. She knew Applefall was right: if Redstar wanted to send his Clan to their doom, there wasn't anything the deputy could do about it.

"We have to return to RiverClan," Crabclaw spoke up, "Silverstar will want to know about this."

Pinetail nodded quickly, agreeing with the black and white warrior. He swiped his tongue over his coat, smoothing down his ruffled fur and glanced around at his patrol.

"It's time we leave ThunderClan territory," he said quietly.

"But we just got here," mewed Seapaw, "can't we explore a bit?"

"No, we can't," snapped Pinetail harshly, "we MUST return to RiverClan now."

Seapaw took a step back, her ears flat against her head. Icepool found herself taking a sidestep so that she was positioned between Pinetail and Seapaw.

"If we go now we'll probably meet the dawn patrol in WindClan's territory," Rainwhisker interceded, tilting his head up to the sky.

Icepool followed his gaze and noticed that the dark blue of the night was beginning to fade and grow lighter. Stars were starting to melt into the feathery sky, leaving behind traces of light. She knew Rainwhisker was right about the dawn patrol. But she didn't care.

"So what? We'll be fine if we travel fast. We should get going now, before it gets any lighter," Icepool said.

Feeling eyes burning into the back of her head, Icepool spun around to see Rainwhisker staring at her, doubt splashed all over his face. She remembered that they still hadn't made up about the fight over the prophecy.

"Alright then," Pinetail said, "Applefall, thank you for your understanding. And good luck to you and your Clan."

Applefall bowed her head to Pinetail. "Thank you. May StarClan light your path."

With that, Pinetail twitched his whiskers at his patrol and loped towards the entrance of the camp. Icepool followed him, the other cats trailing behind her like light left by fading stars.

xxx

WindClan's land was swathed with pinks and purples and blues, all coming from the delicate sunrise that was creeping over the horizon. Icepool sighed heavily, her tail twitching as she thought of Redstar's refusal to help his own Clan.

"Icepool?"

She turned her head, staring into the bright eyes of Rainwhisker. His gray and brown pelt was barely noticeable in the eerie light and blended in well with the shades of the moors.

"Hello Rainwhisker," Icepool said, "are you speaking to me yet?"

Rainwhisker dipped his head in embarrassment. "I wanted to talk to you about that," he said softly, "I'm sorry for pushing you to tell me. I realize that it's your own business."

Icepool blinked, surprised by Rainwhisker's unpredictable apology.

"That's alright," she replied, "I understand why you were mad. It's just...I can't tell anyone right now. But believe me, when I've figured everything out, you'll be the first to know."

Rainwhisker's tail twitched uncomfortably as he inched closer to Icepool. The rest of the patrol was ahead of the two, anxious to get back to RiverClan.

"Why did you get so upset anyway?" asked Icepool, fixing her eyes upon Crabclaw's tail.

"Because...well I guess because I care about you," Rainwhisker blurted out, "I care about you a lot."

Icepool had to remind her paws to keep going. Her heart was banging up against her chest, rocking her body. Had she heard Rainwhisker right? He liked her? He cared about her?

"Rainwhisker, I had no idea!" she exclaimed, glancing at his face.

"Well now you know," grumbled Rainwhisker, apparently angry with himself for revealing his secret.

"I care about you too," Icepool said truthfully, "you were always there for me. But I don't know if I'm ready to have any kind of relationship right now. Things are a little...unsteady for me."

Rainwhisker's ear flicked forward. "Oh," he said, crestfallen, "I understand."

Suddenly, a high-pitched yowl echoed across the rolling hills. Icepool and Rainwhisker looked up, their fur standing on end. Icepool hissed at the sight that befell her: a patrol of WindClan cats, headed straight towards them.

And this time, they had been seen.