Yes, I know, I know, I'm a horrible person for killing Pinepaw. But I felt as if the story was going a bit too slow so I had to spice it up a bit. (: this chapter is from Iceheart's POV. And if you are having trouble writing, check out Wilder123's story: HOW TO WRITE A BETTER FANFICTION. Trust me, it helps a lot. Ok, here are the comments (although there were hardly any reviews….-.- ) please, please review, and please vote on my poll!
Iceflower of ThunderClan: I KNOW! I'M SORRY I KILLED HIM! like I said in the PM, it was originally going to be Tanglepaw but I thought this would be more dramatic. Lol, and the poll Is up on my profile now. (:
Iceheart's POV
"Hold still!" Iceheart snapped when Hailpaw wriggled yet again out of her grasp. "You're going to get an infection if you don't allow me to heal your wounds."
The scrawny white apprentice shook her head. "But it hurts," she whimpered, glancing at the deep gash on her hind leg that was made from a ThunderClan warrior. The fur around it was matted and stained with drying blood.
Iceheart softened a bit. "I know it does, but if you let me treat it then the pain will go away."
Hailpaw looked at her, green eyes wide and frightened. "Do you promise?"
The Medicine Cat nodded and beckoned with her tail. Hailpaw hesitated but then limped forward again. Iceheart examined the wound with a critical eye and then grabbed a wad of cobwebs in her paw. She spread them over the damaged leg as gently as possible but still Hailpaw hissed as pain flared like a fire.
Iceheart examined her dwindling piles of herbs and chose her last burdock root. She sniffed it to make sure it was still good and then began to chew it up. The familiar bitter taste calmed her and after a moment she spat it out and lathered it onto Hailpaw's wound. "This will draw out the puss and prevent infection. I'll give you two poppy seeds so that you can rest tonight and I want you to let me check on that wound tomorrow. And," she added when Hailpaw opened her mouth. "No battle training or border patrol for the next four sunrises. I don't want you reopening it on a border skirmish."
The white apprentice nodded meekly. "Okay, thanks Iceheart." She limped out of the den, holding her wounded leg off the ground.
Iceheart let out an exhausted sigh as she was left alone. She had treated all the cats with wounds as soon as RiverClan had returned from the battle and had used up almost all of her supplies. She padded to her low stocks and did a metal check list. One borage leaf left, no burdock, plenty of juniper berries as long as no cat eats crowfood or something…need more poppy seeds and I should ask one of the other Medicine Cats if they have any catmint to spare. She remembered Bluepool saying how WindClan had an abundance of the precious herb growth recently. She would travel to WindClan tomorrow and ask for some.
The entrance to the den rustled and Iceheart stiffened as the scent of Crowstar washed over her. Keeping her back to her leader, she meowed, "What can I do for you Crowstar?"
"I need to travel to the Moonpool," he answered.
Iceheart ears pricked at that and she turned to face the large tom. "And why must you go right now? You need to let your wounds heal-"
"There is no other time!" Crowstar snarled, lashing his tail. "We are leaving right now and that is final!" he stalked out of the Medicine Cat den, leaving a bewildered Iceheart behind.
Why is he visiting the Moonpool? I thought he had stopped believing in StarClan long ago…she thought. Whatever his motive was for speaking with their warrior ancestors right then, she didn't know. Hastily she chewed up some chamomile to give her strength for the journey and stepped out into the RiverClan clearing where Crowstar was waiting.
Iceheart quickly made her way to him and with an abrupt, "Come" he exited the camp with the white she-cat treading a little ways behind. She warily watched him for any signs of a threat but he showed none. After what he had done to her in front of that ThunderClan kit, all loyalty and trust towards her leader was disappeared. She had seen his true colors that day, known just how evil he could be, and she kept her distance.
Crowstar had only gotten worse since that incident. He had taken in loners and rouges and gave them warrior names and only let his most loyal cats go to the Gatherings. He no longer consulted Iceheart for her opinion and he trained the apprentices harder and more viciously than ever. He had muddled every cat's sense of right and wrong and Iceheart could only watch in horror as her once beloved Clan grew into a group of savage beasts.
The journey to the Moonpool was a silent and tense one. Crowstar only stopped once for them to catch whatever prey they could before continuing on again. Even with the traveling herbs, Iceheart's legs grew weary and her stomach rumbled with hunger. She couldn't understand how Crowstar could make the journey after his attack on ThunderClan and not look even remotely tired.
They traveled quickly through WindClan territory and even though they had every right to be there, Iceheart still kept a watchful eye on the empty moors. The sun disappeared under the horizon, turning into twilight and changing the gray clouds into deep blues and reds from the dying rays of sunlight. A few stars appeared in the sky as the two RiverClan cats made their way past the empty land and onto the familiar path that Iceheart had walked a thousand times. The simple winding route eased some of the anxiety in her rapidly beating heart as her paws slipped into place on the worn ground that had been treaded on for more moons than she could imagine.
After hours of walking, Iceheart knew they were getting close. Her paws ached and she was glad when the huge cave came into view. Crowstar halted a little ways in front of the gaping mouth of the cavern and settled back on his haunches. Iceheart all but collapsed onto the ground, keeping her composure and trying not to wince as the blisters on her pads scraped a stone. She lied down and tucked her paws neatly underneath her chest in preparation to wait until moonhigh.
"So do you want to tell me what this is all about?" she murmured, training her blue eyes on Crowstar who sat a little ways away.
The huge tom growled low in his throat. "That is of none of your business."
"Of course it is! I'm your medicine cat!" she stated defiantly. "I have the right to know what you consult StarClan about."
He swung his broad head in her direction. His amber eyes were narrowed in anger. "I want to know why they have abandoned me and why they are silent when I try to speak with them!" he spat. "I want to know why they are so cruel as to keep making me fail during battle! I want to know if they'd speak with me now after our defeat! I want to know how they can be so arrogant and act as if they see and know everything. Because they don't!" his eyes took on a crazed, wild look and Iceheart stared at him in fear.
"Do you think I wanted to be leader?" he continued, pacing back and forth in front of her, slashing at the ground with his claws. "Huh? I didn't! I despised the idea of it but then they took Silverfrost from me and I knew I had to get my revenge. I knew I had to show them the same pain that they showed me!" He froze in front of her and Iceheart stayed silent, wide eyes showing her confusion and apprehension. "Do you think our ancestors are kind?" he asked her softly. "You are a fool if you think so. So what better way to hurt them than to tear apart all the Clans, starting with that rotten ThunderClan who they seem to favor?"
Iceheart had no answer to that. She could see how vulnerable and yet just how bloodthirsty her leader was. She knew without a doubt that he would do whatever it took to destroy all the Clans. But something didn't seem right. "Then why are you here now?" she asked, her voice trembling.
The craziness in his eyes faded but the viciousness was still there. "Well, to see if they have any last words of course," he whispered gleefully. "To see if they have anything to say before their precious code and Clans come crashing down before them." He glanced up at the sky. "The moon is up. Stay here until I get back or you will wish you had never lived." And with that he turned and stalked into the darkness of the cave.
Iceheart's thoughts were reeling from everything she had just found out. She remembered Silverfrost, the pretty silver she-cat that had been Crowstar's mate when he was a warrior. Silverfrost had died from drowning, an almost ironic death for a RiverClan cat. She had gotten snatched up by a rare rip current and had been dragged down underwater. Warriors had tried to save her but none could risk going into the river with the threat of death awaiting them. Iceheart recalled that day perfectly, all bright and sunny but full of grief and pain as the whole Clan grieved for the loss of their Clanmate. Crowstar, Crowflight back then, had taken his mate's death hard.
Harder than even I realized. Iceheart realized in horror and guilt. Maybe if more cats had tried to comfort him besides his brother than maybe this could've all been prevented...
Iceheart knew she had to do something. She was not going to just stand by and watch as her whole world crumbled down. With a quick glance at the entrance to the Moonpool, she spun around and fled back towards the Clan territory. She had to warn someone, but whom? Who was going to believe her, a simple Medicine Cat? She could lie and say that StarClan had warned her about it but she somehow knew that that wouldn't work.
Suddenly, the image of a cat popped into her mind and she felt certainty flood through her. She had only met the cat once but she knew that they would believe her, because the cat too had witnessed Crowstar's wrath.
With this new knowledge, Iceheart bounded across the ground and headed towards her destination. The journey back was much quicker than the one traveling to the Moonpool because Iceheart knew she didn't have time to waste.
Racing across the moors of WindClan and leaping over the stream that served as the boundary, the white she-cat entered the tall shadowy trees that marked the beginning of ThunderClan territory.
DUN DUN DUN! So, what did ya think? It gets more dramatic from here. (: A Pinepaw plushie for anyone who can guess which cat she's visiting! And please vote on my poll. If you don't review than a least do that. Thanks!
~Starr