I stared, flabbergasted.

"How would you know?" I spluttered.

Ice stared at me with hidden emotion. There was pain, longing… for what? He turned his head away from me and muttered something inaudible.

Sensing the pain from him I reached out to him, forgetting what type of cat he was just a few minutes ago, "Are you… okay?"

He whipped his head around, eyes burning into mine. His expression, his eyes were that of one who needs, not necessarily wants, to be comforted.

Obviously he was one who didn't want comfort.

He hissed, "Its none of your concern, you piece of foxdung!"

I didn't flinch. I stared into his eyes and he spat disgustedly, not wanted to be revealed. I reached my paw towards him comfortingly and said, "Its okay."

He slapped my paw away and he bristled, "I will not be comforted by my prisoners! I don't need comfort! I don't need it!"

His growls turned to high pitched shrieks, and he slammed his paw across my cheek with harsh force, and I flew across the floor, landing with a thump. I staggered up, and I squeaked as I saw Ice staring at me, eyes wild.

He shoved me back, and pinned me to the floor. By now a small crowd had gathered. A dark grey cat stepped forward and growled, licking his lips in anticipation, "Will you hold a torture session for her… disobedience?"

I whimpered, expecting him to say "of course!" but surprisingly Ice growled, "No."

At the gasps and whispers of surprise he hissed, "I couldn't be bothered. I have more important things to do."

Hurricane bowed his head in submission, but I saw the glint of anger in his eyes.

I shivered.

He glared at me and put his claw at my chin, "Just because I let you go this time doesn't mean you get to escape punishment next time."

He pushed me away and stalked outside.

Hurricane took me by my broken leash and snorted, "We'll have to get a new collar."

He forcefully yanked the leash off my throat, grazing my ears. I winced, and Hurricane shoved his muzzle into my face, and I fell back surprised.

The grey tabby dug his claws into my shoulders, and dragged them down my chest. I gasped as pain rocked through my body. He then looped his tail around my neck and contracted, making me gasp for air. He tilted my head upwards and I felt a new rope wind around my neck.

When he was done collaring me, he tugged me roughly onto my feet, and led me towards the cage. Inside I saw a limp, battered shape, covered with brown ooze.

Stripes!

I leapt into the open cage, and if I had time to look back at it, I would laugh at the way I leapt into imprisonment. I quickly ran over to Stripes, and wiped some of the dirt off his pelt. What had happened to poor Stripes while I was gone?

"Stripes, Stripes!" I shook him, and he moaned.

"Stripes, don't die on me!" I begged him, shaking him harder and harder.

He suddenly turned over and retched, throwing up pieces of dirt. I paled and I continued shaking him as he collapsed again.

"Stripes… Stripes!" I wailed, shaking him as hard as I can.

"OKAY, OKAY YOU STUPID CAT! I'M STILL ALIVE SO NO NEED TO SHAKE ME LIKE THERE'S NO TOMORROW!!" he burst out, a scowl on his face.

I almost cried with relief.

"I-I thought you were dead…" I sobbed.

Stripes scoffed, "I will never die in a dump like here as long as my name is Stripes!"

"But your real name isn't Stripes," I pointed out.

He twitched his ears, thinking, then said, turning away, "Whatever."

I smiled.

Good ol' Stripes.

Ice POV

I thundered through the undergrowth, scaring away any prey I can, hoping to attract the attention of any patrols. I was in the mood for a fight. A real fight.

Drake followed behind me, with Smoke, Deathwhisper, Leone, Drake, Bloody Mary and Pixi. They were my best fighters: tough and mean.

"Hey! You! Who are you?!"

Trust Riverclan to think first, then attack.

In Shadowclan, it was the other way around.

"Nothing much… just wanderin' around," I drawled, purposely putting an accent in my voice.

"Then wander somewhere else," the smoky black tom snapped. A light grey tom shouldered his way through the vegetation, a ginger and white tom following not close behind. A painfully familiar ginger and white tom. There was such variety of pelt colors I had not seen in moons, I blinked. Finally, a white with ginger splotches she-cat bounced her way through the brush asking, "What's happening?"

"There are intruders. We don't know what they want. So be quiet."

My gaze zeroed on the red cat. Her blue eyes were startling clear, and her white tipped tail and paws were full of energy. But her eyes…

They were blue.

They had Redwing in them.

When she turned her eyes on me, my breathing hitched. She had her eyes. Her eyes…

She asked, "So… what do you want, guys?"

The light grey tom hissed, "Shut up, Amberheart! This isn't the time to act friendly!"

Yep. That had to be Amberkit.

The ginger and white tom finally noticed me and meowed, "Its you."

I growled, "Yes, it's me, your long fought rival."

He hissed, "I do not and have never regarded you as a rival."

I snorted, "You know that's a lie, Sandleaf."

The light grey tom inquired curiously, "Do you know him, Sandleaf?"

"Do I know him? Do I know him?" he asked, sounding much like me when talking to Frostfire, "Of course I know him! He-he…"

He finally gathered himself up and turned to me, "Well, looks who's won. Look who has her now."

He knew he struck a nerve.

The cold-hearted piece of foxdung.

I snorted, "Feh, you can have that lying piece of crowfood for all I care—"

"Don't call her that! You don't know her."

"You don't know her," I retorted, "What she's done to me, what she's reduced me to, will soon happen to you."

He started, and glared at me, "You don't know that."

"Oh yes I do," I hissed back, smirking, enjoying how I was riling him up.

Sandleaf growled, and asked, "What is your business here?"

"Passing by. Looking for a good fight."

"You want a fight? Huh!?" he hissed, "You'll get one!"

Sowwy I haven't uploaded alot lately. Been busy wit school. Failing quizzes. Epic failing tests. Forgetting hw...