"Stop!"
The screeching yowl was enough to make the two fit warriors break apart: Swiftclaw, his once sleek black coat now ragged and torn, trading blow after vicious blow with Goldenarrow, Frost Pack's medicine wolf.
Redstorm bared his teeth and sounded a low growl at the base of his throat. "What did I say about a low profile?" he hissed.
Goldenarrow stiffened, and then her pretty face was masked into a blotchy shade of anger. She laced in front of Redstorm, snarling a challenge. "What would you know about it, forest fool? While the rest of us in Blood Realm run dangers, you comfortably live in Brackenclaw's pocket!"
The smirk was out before Redstorm could stop himself. "Dangers? I didn't know you were craving some more life threatening subjects, Goldenarrow. I can arrange for it…"
"I shall speak to Iceshadow myself if I must," Goldenarrow snapped.
"I know you can," Redstorm yowled. "But in the meantime, get a move on in training. I need you at your best for…"
"For the battle," came an icy caterwaul behind the shadows, and Redstorm had to growl in assent to suppress a shudder. Even now, Iceshadow's calm growls were chilling…and more so, they were poisoned with honey-toned drops of hatred.
She wrapped herself around the clearing like a basilisk, her turquoise eyes glowering at the lack of progress. Pain laced through Redstorm as she whipped him with a single claw. He stumbled backwards, blood blinding his eyes.
"What did I say about smarting off to your apprentices?" she snapped.
Redstorm hissed. "I was trying to get some sense knocked into them!"
"They are fully prepared," Iceshadow spat back. "There's no need to manipulate them. We need to be properly ready for this battle and we won't win unless you all do as I say!"
"Prepared?" Swiftclaw repeated bluntly. "Why? Who are we fighting?"
"For your enemies," Rushpelt said smoothly. He had just slinked into the treeless clearing, his grey chest puffed out with pride as he sat next to Birchfang.
"Enemies?" A growl sounded at the back of an all-too-familiar throat. Redstorm could see the matted grey-and-black fur a mile away. The strong jaw, the heavily lidded eyes…
"You!" Redstorm yelped.
"Me," Shredpelt said calmly, but Redstorm could see the thick muscles bunching and rippling underneath a smooth glossy pelt. "Intriguing, isn't it, forest fool? The way I survived certain death, only to awaken at my leader's den?"
"She has tasted your blood!" Redstorm snapped.
Shredpelt managed a grim smirk. "Very good, Redstorm, yes. Iceshadow placed the clan emblem on my shoulder. Those marks cannot be removed. It defines a true warrior…from the weaklings." He lifted his shoulder to reveal a thick diamond surrounding a band of snakes. Redstorm (and any full member of Iceshadow's clan) had the same. Only Goldenarrow and Swiftclaw did not. They'd only been training for three full moons. Even so, Iceshadow was proud of their progress.
"Enough talk," Rushpelt hissed. "As to your foolish question, Swiftclaw, your enemies are the ones who you have closer to you than we."
"My…my pack?" the handsome black wolf spat back. "No!"
"Yes," Iceshadow purred. "When has your leader never doubted you, Swiftclaw?"
"Oakfrost has…she's very…" Swiftclaw stammered.
"We know!" Rushpelt sighed in false sympathy. "She would rather wade through the blood of the strong to protect the feeble ones. Pups, half-breeds and dogs! Is that what you'd call a clan? Would you live in a world with Brackenclaw ruling the Forest? Siding with pathetic cats to get power?" He spat the word "cats" like a taunt.
"Your father," Shredpelt continued in his soft, manipulative voice, "never loved you. Your pain was his power. Would you let his allies corrupt such a brilliant mind as yours?" His speech gave way for cheers and caterwauls across the forest.
"N-no…" the young warrior whispered.
Birchfang flicked his ears in apprehension. "Excuse me?" he spat.
"No!" Swiftclaw snarled. "No. Train me as hard as you can. Let me take on any of your best warriors! We'll kill any warrior we meet."
"And you, Goldenarrow," Iceshadow sneered. "Will you be as loyal to me as Swiftclaw?"
"Y-yes…" Goldenarrow shook with a voice she was fighting to keep steady, but luckily Iceshadow didn't catch the gesture. Narrowing her heavily lidded eyes, she turned away from the panic-stricken medicine wolf. With a growl, Redstorm saw his chance. If Birchfang were leader, of course he would not have dared tried this bold move: "If you're so desperate for warriors, Iceshadow, then don't train our healers!"
Iceshadow's head snapped up at once. Growling, she crept toward Redstorm with her yellow teeth bared.
Redstorm groaned and buckled under the Silver Wolf's heavy weight. With a growl, the dark she-warrior twisted his head back and smacked it hard against the floor. Pain laced through him as the bold move backfired, and his head lolled to one side as Iceshadow shrieked with triumph.
Redstorm ducked away, slicing his claws across Iceshadow's cheek. Her rich, crimson blood splattered against the ground, and it was all Birchfang could do not to leap into the fray and rip Redstorm up himself.
At once, Iceshadow rose unsteadily with her paws. She shook, not out of fear or cowardice, but outrage. Redstorm could taste the anger spreading in between her furs.
Birchfang leapt to his feet in an instant, raising a broad paw to help his leader and mate steady. "Iceshadow…Iceshadow…" he murmured, speaking as if to a lover. Iceshadow batted his paw away.
"I do not require assistance," she hissed, and Birchfang was so stunned he forgot to growl at Redstorm. The ginger deputy was struggling to regain his balance as he wobbled from paw to paw; Birchfang glowered at him, livid with anger.
"Let him go!" Iceshadow snarled a challenge at Redstorm. "Redstorm…you have been a good and faithful servant. You have never failed me, and those who do not fail will be rewarded. I will give you a chance to do a certain something for me most of my warriors would give their right paws to perform…"
"What is it?" Redstorm squeaked.
Iceshadow smiled dangerously. "Ah, now you wouldn't want me to spoil the surprise, would you? But I promise it will be something great."
Redstorm nodded importantly, squaring his shoulders. "Very well. And of Goldenarrow?" he snarled, motioning to his mate. The honey-coloured she-wolf was tending to her wounds, in a deep discussion with Swiftclaw by the split oak tree.
Iceshadow stiffened. "Of the medicine wolf? Yes…she has also been a credit to me instead of a waste of space…unlike some people," she growled, whipping her head to glower at Rippleflame. Redstorm blinked, unfazed, and although he had quite forgotten, Rippleflame was one of the clan now. Her pelt burning in shame, Rippleflame pawed the dirt and went back to growling at any lower warrior.
"So…what will Goldenarrow do? Or am I not allowed to ask?"
"She'll have the greatest task of all. Killingyour pathetic leader."
Redstorm nodded, trying desperately not to let his fear scent show through. "I see."
"As it is, we need more warriors to join us," Iceshadow sulked. "But of course, we cannot recruit them from every clan…"
"Iceshadow, if I may. T-this task…it could be done without Brackenclaw."
"Without him. I see."
"Iceshadow, I don't speak this out of concern for him! He's nothing to me, nothing at all! I'm just saying that with a much stronger warrior..."
"Liar," came the cold rasp. "Remember what I told you about lying to me, Redstorm. But I am merciful…" She broke off in a thunder-like snarl, whipping her tail from side to side. "Go and recruit our warriors, from every corner of the valley. Pick whichever location you want first."
Spitting out a mouthful of blood, Redstorm growled, "Fine. Send me to Red Glacier."
Red Glacier was a large place, as a lone wolf might expect. Dark, overhanging cobwebs addressed it at the base of the cavern, and thick, swirling mist licked at a trespasser's paws if they ever got that far into the trench.
Redstorm could see the cavern now. The river he had just crossed was a mile long, probably, and Redstorm could feel a thrill of foreboding lingering in his pelt as he stalked inside.
Hatred was the first emotion Redstorm was battling with as he entered. Pain was the second, because Smokeflame was correct: half the wolves within that Court were dead. Their purple aura shone in the sunlight (which wasn't much, by the look of it) making them look like clan spirits. Scar Pack would do well without one, of course, but the other three clans did have some sort of ghost that guarded the camp from enemies.
Redstorm stiffened as the biggest wolf ghost stalked up to him, growling a challenge. Chains were draped around his back and ankles, clinking noisily as the warrior stalked towards him. The dark ginger Scar Pack deputy stood his ground, ready if this warrior was about to fight. Redstorm almost couldn't believe his luck when a light ginger-and-blonde warrior shooed him away, snarling after him.
"Sorry about that," the much smaller warrior murmured. "My father is a schemer. He's been trying to shred anyone who comes in lately."
"Your father…Ash?" Redstorm replied.
Puzzlement broke out on Storm's face. "How did you know that?" he answered, guiding him away from his warriors.
"Smokeflame told me," Redstorm whispered, flicking his ear.
"My sister? Why?" Storm snapped.
"Because…" Redstorm squirmed, unsure of what to say. "Because she's seen a great threat coming to all four of the clans. She fears for all our safety, and she thought…she thought you could help us."
Storm's expression hardened. "Smokeflame…that foolish little…"
"Whatever has happened between you and your sister, I think it best to keep it aside for now," Redstorm hissed.
Storm blinked at him. "It is not a problem from my sister, Redstorm. My father is the one you should know about."
"Oh," was all Redstorm could manage.
Storm suppressed a grim smile. "There was a big war long before I was even a warrior in Scar Pack. Back then, your clan was the greatest in the whole forest. Everyone thought they were the only ones who could stop that massive battle from slaughtering millions of innocent warriors, pups, and healers. Well, when the leader, Blossomtail, heard that, she went to the medicine wolf. He told her the answer was in the darkness, also known as the land beyond the Black Forest."
"But she went?" Redstorm guessed. "And so you were driven out?"
"Well, as far as being exiled goes, my father rallied up a pack of wolves to build his own big empire. He'd turned traitorous after a few months, never leaving enough food for anyone else, lying and stabbing his warriors in the back…he was greedy, selfish and lazy. Not that he isn't, now…"
Redstorm suppressed a snarl. "Why is he covered in blood?"
"I've never asked," Storm said bluntly. "But of course, the Realm of Light punished him, and before he died, they wrapped chains around him, ones that bear him tightly towards this Pack. He will never leave, not in this lifetime, nor any other. Now he wears those chains as a symbol for his turning traitor…as he should," Storm added bitterly.
Redstorm nodded, and then broke the grim silence that had settled between them. "But why does he control your wolves?"
"Ash is not a coward. He isn't afraid to die. But he is afraid of change. Therefore he will always lead this clan…until another warrior will kill him again."
"Kill him?" Redstorm hissed.
"Yes, Redstorm. Kill him…again. Many of my warriors have died attempting to save my clan. Perhaps they will fight…down to the last." He sighed, and Redstorm could see why Smokeflame had asked him to save her brother. He needed help, and this stretch showed how much Iceshadow was willing to take in order to get what she wanted.
"I am due for my third fight tonight," Storm continued solemnly. "And I must ask you, not to interfere. As leader, I must fight my own battles."
"That's a shame," Redstorm sighed. "I was looking forward to tearing your father to ribbons." He looked up, pleased to see Storm managing a weak smile. "But you will prevail, with or without my help."
"As the stars foretell," Storm hissed unenthusiastically. "Good luck, Redstorm. I'm glad Smokeflame sent you."
Disclaimer: I don't own warriors, sadly. All I own are my O/C's. Remember, reviews are welcome. I like reviews...