Chapter 12
The bright moon was concealed behind dark clouds and the air was cold and stiff. Snow had begun to fall earlier during the day and has been ever since.
Snowpelt was sleeping on a branch in a pine tree where Shadowclan territory used to be. A pile of snow began to form on the branch above him while the light tom remained untouched by it. He left Forestclan camp by once the sun set to simply get away. Ever since Shadowthorn joined, the camp seemed especially tense. When the dark tom walked by, everyone in range would quiet their voiced and avoid eye contact. There was a certain atmosphere around Shadowthorn that was like a warning to get away. Why did Icestar allow him to join?
The warrior unintentionally fell into a light and easily broken sleep which didn't last long before the pine branch above him could no longer handle the amount of ice that it carried and gave out, dropping the pile of snow onto Snowpelt.
He woke in shock and hastily jumped out of the tree and back onto the ground. He shivered and shook the snow off his back then sighed deeply. "Wasn't expecting that," he muttered, looking up at the sky. Snowpelt noticed how late it's gotten and figured he should head back to camp and sleep in an actual nest.
Snowpelt padded through the forest with heavy eyes, trying not to lose the tired feeling inside of him so he wouldn't have trouble going back to sleep once he reached the camp. He still felt ice and frosty water sink through his fur, making him feel more alert then he would like to be. The light tom sighed again as he got closer to the camp, wishing he never left the camp in the first place.
When Snowpelt reached the camp, he went straight for the warrior den but something caught his attention a heartbeat before he walked in. Snowpelt hid halfway inside the den and glanced out. A few cats have gathered by the camp entrance. He recognized them but he didn't know any of them very well. They were whispering to each other but it was impossible to make out what they were saying even when Snowpelt closed his eyes and focused.
Their voices suddenly became somewhat louder and he was able to understand. The group was just interrupted by Bluefire and Streamheart, two of the four guards.
"Where do you think you're going?" Bluefire asked the group with narrowed eyes.
The cats hesitated before one cat, Darkflower, answered. "We were just about to go hunting."
"The moonhigh hunting patrol just came back not long ago. You should save it for the morning," Bluefire told them, not convinced.
"Well we-" Darkflower was cut off but Streamheart.
"Save it," Streamheart said in a begging tone as she help back a yawn. "We know exactly what you're doing." The cats began to look panicked.
Bluefire added, "You plan on leaving the clan. Some of you plan on finding the rebels." She spoke with full confidence and the worry in the cats' eyes told Snowpelt that Bluefire was right.
They struggled to find the right words but Streamheart continued before they could. "Don't worry; we won't tell Icestar about this… Or to be more precise, we won't give her any names."
They knew there wasn't any point in denying it anymore. "Why?" Another cat, Minnowshine asked.
"She asked us not to," Streamheart meowed. "She somehow knew some warriors would try to leave and said that since we can stop you, you now know you can't leave Forestclan. 'If someone wants to leave so badly, then forcing them to stay is punishment enough;' that's what she told us, anyway."
The worried group of cats exchanged glances but didn't say anything more.
"You should go back to your dens," Bluefire told them and they awkwardly left to the warrior den.
Snowpelt impulsively ran behind the warrior den as they walked in then looked over to the guards once no one was watching. He wanted to know what happened next. He also wondered why none of them did anything. If Darkflower, Minnowshine and the others wanted to leave, why didn't they fight back? They outnumbered Bluefire and Streamheart by a good few. Maybe those two just held too much fear…
Snowpelt noticed the same time as Streamheart and Bluefire did; the deputy, Featherstripe, was watching the whole event and she just stepped forward to the two. "What happened here?" She asked with a strange tone. She sounded disappointed and upset underneath her attempt to hide it.
"Some warriors just tried to leave Forestclan and we stopped them," Streamheart said with a tired smile.
"Oh," Featherstripe said quietly. "I see." Bluefire simply looked at the deputy normally but Streamheart looked at her as if she was expecting something. "Uh- good work," the stripped she-cat finally said. The young Streamheart smiled proudly. The three of them spoke back and forth for a little while longer before the guards left.
Snowpelt decided it was probably time to leave. He took a step back but froze for half a heartbeat when Featherstripe turned and looked at him straight in the eyes. He backed away, out of her view while holding his breath. Featherstripe and the others probably wouldn't want the failed escape attempt to be known by everyone. He felt it was too dangerous to stay in camp at the moment. He planned on leaving just for the night and coming back in the morning, afraid Featherstripe would try to talk to him or something.
Snowpelt turned, about to flee the camp. When he turned, he went cold and almost yelled in alarm. Shadowthorn was standing right in front of him.
"S-shadowthorn," Snowpelt stuttered in alarm. "G-good morning- er, good night. I mean… hello," he meowed lamely.
The dark tom didn't yell at him or anything, much to his surprise. "It seems many cats are awake at this time of the night," he began, he said casually.
Maybe he doesn't know I was watching, Snowpelt hoped but was disappointed when Shadowthorn continued on.
"I'm sure you know by now; an odd amount of cats have suddenly decided to leave Forestclan. But that's not an option," he said coldly. "But we won't allow it. It's just as Icestar said: anyone who would dare try to escape will be trapped inside as punishment." A faint smirk appeared on Shadowthorns' face for a moment.
Dear Starclan, Snowpelt prayed silently as he fought back the fear that Shadowthorn sent him.
"What's the meaning of this?" Snowpelt glanced at Featherstripe who just joined the conversation. "I never heard anything about this idea of forcing cats to stay here."
"Of course you didn't," the dark tom replied. "This was decided between Icestar, the guards and me."
The deputy seemed taken back by the answer. "But I'm a deputy," she insisted.
"Irrelevant. Now if you don't mind, it's very late," he said and walked away before she could add something.
Featherstripe sighed warily and glanced at Snowpelt before padding into the shadows of the warrior den.
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"Hey, wake up already." Snowpelt forced his eyes open, taking in the faint light that spilled into the den the next morning. He glanced up at Breezetail who was looking down at him, looking slightly impatient. "Did you not get enough sleep? You looked like a dead rabbit." Breezetail honestly didn't get too much rest either which explained his wariness. He was nervous about leaving.
"Sorry," Snowpelt muttered and stretched out his legs before standing up. "No, I didn't get a whole lot of sleep last night but it's not a big deal." The light warrior glanced around the den. Most of the cats were still sleeping. It was early in the morning and the sun was just beginning to rise.
"We need to get going if we're going to find you-know-who," Breezetail warned. Snowpelt agreed and they cautiously padded outside. A number of warriors have already woken up but were spread out around the camp and will likely not notice the toms. A patrol was about to leave camp but they would be easy to avoid.
Breezetail and Snowpelt first made sure that no one was watching them before they casually escaped into the forest. Breezetail noticed the nagging feeling that someone was watching them, however.
They headed in the direction of the past Thunderclan camp. Most of the trees have lost their leaves and snow covered the ground. The sky was gloomy but not enough to snow.
"Why are we going this way?" Snowpelt asked.
"Just in case someone is onto us; we'll have to circle around."
"You really think someone found out about us searching for the rebels?" He asked with concern.
"No but you can never be too careful," Breezetail answered and they quickened their pace. However, not long passed before a cat spotted them and they were forced to stop.
"What are you doing here?"
The toms froze in their tracks and slowly turned towards the voice. Featherstripe stepped out from behind the bushes.
"F-featherstripe," Snowpelt muttered in shock. "What are you doing here?"
The she-cats' expression was impossible to read. She looked at them with a serious attitude but there was something else too. "I'm very sorry," she said for a moment and avoided eye contact for a heartbeat before looking straight at them. "I was listening in on your conversation. I know what you're doing. I know where you're going."
Breezetail sensed Snowpelt suddenly get tense. If one of the deputies knew about their attempt to escape, they would be in deep trouble. Both toms wanted to say something but were unsure of what.
Featherstripe understood their hesitation and continued. "You're looking for the rebels. If Shadowthorn or one of the guards found you, they would say the exact same thing as last night," she meowed, looking directly at Snowpelt. Breezetail was confused. "However, I'm not going to say it."
Breezetail waited for a moment, wondering if she was going to add anything more. "What do you mean?"
"I can't stand by idly. Last night, several warriors tried to leave but they were stopped before they could get out of the camp. I tried to help them get out."
"What?" Snowpelt gasped. "But you're a deputy! Why would you…-"
"I don't like what Icestar and Shadowthorn are doing. Many cats are worried about Shadowthorn joining. He built a terrible reputation and there are some bad rumors about him. If someone wants to leave the clan, he doesn't have the right to stop them. So I began searching for cats who want to escape and help them before it's too late."
Snowpelt and Breezetail glanced at each other for a moment. Breezetail knew he shouldn't trust her, being so close to Icestar, but he wanted to. Her words seemed truthful and her eyes didn't tell lies. Snowpelt seemed to feel the same way.
"Alright," Breezetail finally said. "How can you help us?"
The light blue she-cat smiled. "I already have. I've told all the patrols to go in other areas, leaving the path to the rebels free from danger. I've also gathered a few others who have the same idea as you. I'd like you to travel together."
"There are more?" Snowpelt asked in astonishment. "Who?"
Featherstripe turned and stepped through the bushes, motioning with her tail to follow.
There was a surprising amount of cats waiting with Featherstripe. Sitting or standing together was Blackcloud, Ferncloud, Flowermist, Tigerstripe, Moonheart and Frostheart. Breezetail was relieved to see there was at least one cat from each clan. There were still many warriors who refused to follow Icestar after all that has happened.
"Wow," he meowed. "All of you want to join with Redshade?"
They nodded. Blackcloud spoke up. "After Eagleflight was killed, I realized how bad this situation really was," the former Shadowclan cat said. "Featherstripe told me that Frostheart had the same idea," he added, glancing at the white she-cat.
"I never agreed with any of this but I knew I didn't stand a chance against Icestar alone. But there are more who want to leave besides us. We might be able to fix things now if we band together," she said in a strange, icy tone.
"Redshade is one of my best friends back in Thunderclan," Tigerstripe said. "I didn't have the courage to follow him when he first started the rebellion. So now, I plan on apologizing and helping him out the best I can." Flowermist nodded after he spoke.
The last cat to speak was Moonheart. Snowpelt and Breezetail were glad to see her, being fellow Windclan warriors. Especially Breezetail since she was his mentor. "I can't believe you're here too," he said with a wide smile.
"I know," she agreed with a soft voice. "I would hate to fight you one day."
"Oh," Breezetail paused. "I'm not leaving Forestclan though." Suddenly, all eyes were on him. "I just came to talk to Redshade. Maybe I can help from the inside."
After some short conversation, Featherstripe urged them to start heading to the barn before someone else stumbled upon them. The eight cats agreed and began heading through the forest.
Leaving an unwanted trail through the snow, they eventually reached the river and easily crossed over it thanks to the low water level and the ice snowing down the current. The sun was rising higher. By the time they reached Windclan land, just about everyone back in Forestclan camp should be awake. Being in the open moor, it was very possible for someone to spot them.
The cats wanted to move fairly slowly so they wouldn't attract any kind of attention but being out in the open in such a situation was unbearable so they began running towards the barn.
As they closed in on it, Breezetail began to wonder what would happen if they were mistaken for enemies. He hoped it wouldn't happen. Surely Redshade would believe them if they explained.
Upon reached the barn, Snowpelt stepped inside first slowly. "Hello?" He called. "We're here to talk," he added. There was no reply so he stepped in farther with the others following. "The scent is still kind of recent. Where did they go?"
"Icestar has already sent a few raids here. They probably left before they could get attacked again," Frostheart explained as she began to head to the second floor.
"Then what should we do now?" Flowermist asked nervously.
"We could try to wait here until they return," Ferncloud said, knowing it was a bad idea as she spoke.
"That wouldn't work," Moonheart pointed out. "They'd have to be somewhere nearby…"
Several heartbeats of silence filled the barn as they searched the area for any clues, all knowing there was no point.
"I heard this rumor going around-," Tigerstripe suddenly started. "-that the rebels had some interest in the Thunderclan camp for some reason. We could try there since we don't have any other idea of where to go."
"I think that's our only choice," Breezetail said. It would be impossible to track their scent after the snowfall. Let's just try going there," he said and glanced at everyone to see their reactions. Most of them looked unsure but agreed eventually.
The eight cats quickly ran through the snow-covered moor and back into the forest with the cold breeze pushing against them. There were a few complaints about having to go all the way back to the forest.
The group was hit with a stroke of luck once they reached the forest. A moment after entering, Redshade was there with the other rebels.
"Redshade," Breezetail started. "We want to talk to you." He spoke quickly before the red tom jumped to conclusion.
"I know."
"… Huh?"
"We ran into Featherstripe. At first, I wasn't sure if it was a trap or not but it turns out she was telling the truth. So all of you want to join the rebellion?"
Everyone behind him said yes but Breezetail shook his head. "I just came to talk to you."
The red tom glanced at him and the others. "Alright," he said and led him away from the others. Rainshadow, Greyshadow and Echopaw began talking to the warriors.
"So what's this about, Breezetail?"
Breezetail took a deep breath. He planned the conversation with Redshade many times over but now it was actually happening. "I'm sure you noticed that Icestar is not herself. I don't know why but she's different now." Redshade nodded slowly. "It's like she lost her senses or something. I don't want to fight her, I want to save her."
Redshade looked at him normally but then broke into a smile. "So you still love her?"
Breezetail suddenly felt awkward and slightly embarrassed but nodded and smiled. "Yeah… I love Icestar but not the way she is now. That's why I need to fight her to help her. Do you feel the same way? I know you two were good friends."
Redshade sighed and shifted his weight. "I want her to go back to her normal self but I don't know if it's possible now," he said almost reluctantly.
"How could you say that?"
"Look at the situation, Breezetail," the red tom said seriously. "She has every clan under her control. So much power can affect anyone. Maybe she's too gone to save-"
"Don't say that!" Breezetail hissed. "Don't you dare say that. I know I can save her." A spark of anger rose in his eyes but quickly calmed down as he looked down at his paws. "I have too…"
Redshade looked at the pale tom for a few heartbeats, unable to think of the right words to say.
"She saved me countless times," Breezetail continued, still avoiding eye contact. "Like when I was captured by rogues or in the many battles we've fought in. I couldn't just abandon her after all of that."
Redshade sighed again. "She saved me a few times too," he said quietly. "She once pretended to kill me so her mentor wouldn't do it himself." A faint smile appeared on his face for a brief moment. "But really… I need to think about what's best for everyone here."
"I understand," Breezetail said, looking up at him again. "So do I. And I'll do everything in my power to save her; to save everyone."
"If it's possible, then I'll be glad to help you."
"Thank you," he said with a nod. That was as far as the discussion could get and Breezetail knew it. He needed to head back to Forestclan camp before anyone got suspicious. "I should get going." Breezetail turned to the others. They were all talking happily with the rebels. He hoped they would be okay.
A cold breeze blew through the forest and a few twigs fell off a tree followed by several dead leaves.
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"It seems many cats were able to escape," an orange cat pointed out. "I was badly out numbed. We'll have to find them again with a larger group.
"I agree," another cat said. "We have to teach everyone that no one can leave Forestclan alive. We can deal with the rebellion in one deadly swipe. Blood will spill and then no one will defy me." The dark cat smiled wickedly at the thought. "I'll let Icestar know immediately."
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A/N: I personally think this chapter turned out really well. There is around 10 more chapters. According to my plan, anyway. And fair warning; the next chapter will have some crazy stuff go down...
Anyway, sorry for the wait. A big thanks to the few people who checked my profile for updates. Now I know I'm not wasting my time. Well thanks for reading and please review.
Have a nice day~
