Broken Ice - Chapter 13

Okay, I KNOW that this has not been updated in forever, and there is a reason for that.

I have gone back and edited the entire story. I've gotten rid of RiverClan and replace with with my original Clan, MarshClan. The story is still pretty much the same. The main difference is that the Clans have been changed, and I gave Batwing a little more back story in a previous chapter.

I HAVE NOT edited this version of the story mainly because I don't want to go through the process of deleting and reuploading chapters. I know there is a way that you can simply edit them, but I fear that it will take too long, and I just don't see it as necessary. Just keep these changes in mind. Almost everything is the same except for those two details.

I also plan on expanding this universe.

Some of you may know of the companion novella to this, Alone Together, which gives us the back story of Dove and Pire. Another story - a much longer one - is currently being written as well. It is all about the story of Sandfeather - how she met Maplewood, and how Maplewood isn't just some crazy, sexist a-hole. Sandfeather is just as guilty - if not more guilty - than her mate. That story, which will be titled "Beautiful Liar" will be posted soon as well.

I also plan to write a short story on Batwing and how he and Dove met.

So keep an eye out for these things in the future if you find that you really enjoy this story. :)

I do not own Warriors.

Cats or Mice?

Courage and bravery is totally overrated.

It seems like every big, epic story always has that sappy "inspirational" scene where the main character faces their friends, or their comrades and says something meaningful. They talk about how far they've all come, and how, no matter what the future holds, they can face it together; that same-old "love-will-conquer-all" mouse-dung. And as we were heading back to camp to discuss Fallen Shadow and Rose Thorn with the others, I honestly thought that was what was going to happen. Someone – maybe an experienced member like Sparrow, or maybe someone sharp and full of fire like Dove – would stand in front of everyone and encourage them. They'd give some grand speech full of empty words that would pump us up for make a few sun-shifts, and then we would fall back into the pit of despair. There was no way we would win in a fight against these cats.

Don't get me wrong: the group was amazing. I had never felt so happy, or so at home in my entire life than when I was with them. But they were not fighters, and certainly not warriors. I was practically an invalid when it came to combat, and I doubted that anyone else in the group knew any more about battle tactics, and battle moves than I did. I could see Dove or Pire knowing some things about battle – they had a habit of reminding me of Clan cats with the things they said, and the way they viewed certain things. As for the others – Falcon and Sparrow were absolutely out of the question. Sparrow was seemed to be the more pacifistic type, and I could just see Falcon shying away from the mere sight of blood. Nettle and Hunter would probably fight – they would need some training, but they seemed like they would be capable. Ange, while spunky, was a bit too old to be fighting younger, stronger cats. And I hardly knew anything about Damp or Lithe. They were very solitary, and also not very verbal.

When we reached the camp, Dove and Falcon bounded up to greet us. When they noticed we were empty-pawed, Falcon gave me a sympathetic look. "No luck?"

"Oh we had luck, alright!" Pire snarled, his eyes locking with his sister's. As if she could read his mind, Dove suddenly braced herself. She straightened up and flattened her ears against her head. She looked more like a seasoned soldier than ever, and her scar only added to the effect.

"Others?" she guessed, remaining rather calm. Falcon, however, seemed to be having a mini panic attack.

"What!? Other cats? Where did they come from? Did they hurt you guys!? Are you okay?!" Falcon demanded, looking at us all harder, searching for injuries.

"What's all the ruckus?" Hunter's deep, rumble asked as he approached the patrol. Nettle, Sparrow and Ange followed close behind. Damp hung back, her eyes wide. She looked to be more skittish than usual.

"We ran into a group of other cats," Lithe explained. I was surprised that she was the one who spoke up. More often than not, she was more of the quiet, clever one. Much like myself, she seemed to stand back and let other, more vocal cats take the lead and speak up. Apparently, not today.

"How many?" Dove asked grimly. Her face was almost rueful, and her claws were unsheathed. I knew what she was thinking – how to eliminate them. My pelt prickled with unease. I had no doubt that Dove would be able to fight but . . . it just didn't seem wise, especially with the almost nonexistent army behind her.

"We only met two, but they said they had more," Pire explained.

"They could be bluffing," Hunter offered. He also seemed eager to jump in and fight. His bright, yellowish-green eyes were glinting in excitement.

"Or they could be telling the truth," the always wise Sparrow pointed out. "We don't know who they are, and we don't have a reason to fight them." He shot Dove a warning glance at this. "Look, why don't we just leave them alone?"

"They don't know where our camp is yet, but what if they find out?" Pire asked sharply. "These cats weren't normal nomads like us – they were territorial. They didn't want us hunting anywhere near their camp. If they find out that we're setup nearby, they'll try to drive us out. Cats could die."

"Cats will die if we fight," Sparrow replied. "Look, why don't we just leave? We don't have to fight with these cats, and we can go somewhere else."

Dove lashed her tail in annoyance. "And let them drive us out? We can't just back down like a terrified nest of mice! We have to stand and show them that we are not going to be pushed around!"

I kept silent, not wanting to get in on this discussion. I was a fairly new member of the group, and it wasn't really my place to say anything. But I had heard Dove's argument a thousand times. Her logic – the idea that you needed to show your enemies how strong you were, and that you wouldn't be pushed around – was exactly how the Clans functioned. To me, Sparrow's idea was the most logical. It made sense to just leave and leave those cats behind. I never really understood why it was so important to prove your strength, or your power to someone you didn't even give two mouse tails about. Why did cats like to display their dominance so much?

Sparrow narrowed his eyes. "Dove, what you are suggesting – fighting these cats – it's foolish. What if one of our own dies? What if Pire dies? Or Ice? Or Damp? Or Ange? Or any of us? Would the death of someone we care about be worth it?"

Dove glowered at the ground. "Sparrow . . . we can't just . . . leave."

"Dove's right," Ange spoke up. "We cannot let these cats drive us out! Look . . . we've made a life here. We've created a life of our own – a family. We cannot just abandon it."

"Family doesn't depend on where you live, Ange," Sparrow pointed out. "It's about the cats around you. And by fighting, we might lose members of our family."

When Dove didn't speak up again, Pire took her place, arguing to show Fallen Shadow and his cats who was boss. However, I wasn't interested in the discussion anymore; my eyes were trained on Dove. All of a sudden, she looked so small . . . and almost scared. She was thinking about something in that wild brain of hers . . . but what was it? Was she thinking about her brother dying? Or some of her friends?

Then it hit me: Batwing.

If we moved away, she would have to leave Batwing behind.

That was why she had been fighting so hard to stay.

"Enough of this quarreling!" Ange suddenly yowled, bringing all arguments to a halt. She glowered around at the younger cats, her hackles raised. "Since it's clear that we are not going to make an agreement any time soon, why don't we make it fair? Let's vote. Those who want to leave, raise your tails."

I watched as Sparrow was the first to raise his tail. Shortly afterward, I saw Falcon's hesitantly rise. Damp's followed, and then Hunter's and Nettle's. I waited. Should I raise my tail? Should I advocate for peace? If I decided that we should fight, the vote would be tied . . . I took a deep breath, and raised mine as well.

Seeing that his side was outnumbered, Pire cursed under his breath. "Fine . . ." he grudgingly agreed. "When should we leave?"

Dove didn't take part in the conversation after that. Instead, she turned tail and ran. I watched her as she pelted away from camp, toward the forest. She's gone to see Batwing, I thought sadly. I realized that this situation would not only affect her, but me and Batwing too. Batwing would lose both of us, and I would never see him again. Was there ever a way to win?

When I looked back to the others, they were murmuring remorsefully to themselves about the whole affair – at least, all but Falcon. My friend was watching me with an almost knowing glance. It was as if he was trying to communicate with me telepathically. "Falcon and I are going to go after Dove – make sure she doesn't get into trouble," I meowed.

The others looked at me then, and I saw myriad emotions in their faces. Pire was grim, but seemed to give consent. Ange's eyes were narrowed with distrust, and the faces of Hunter, Damp, and Lithe were all indifferent to the idea. Sparrow's and Nettle's eyes were sparkling with amusement, as if they were a part of some inside joke that Falcon and I were not aware of.

"Ice," Pire's voice meowed before I could turn to leave.

I looked over at the creamy-brown tom. His dark brown eyes were shining with a mixture of worry and regret. "Yes?" I mewed with an odd sense of timidity. What was he going to ask me? Could I even do it?

"Bring my sister back to me."

I dipped my head. "I won't come back without her, Pire. I promise."

A/N: Review?