Ok, I'm updating sooner than I thought. I wanted a special 13th chapter for Friday the 13th, but I felt guilty leaving you guys waiting. So guilty, I wrote an extra super long chapter for you ;P And don't worry, there will be a special Friday the 13th chapter. O.o

Shaded-Strike: yay Earthroot indeed. You just gave me an awesome idea! See the author's note after the replies.

Oceanwind: that's not how I would have phrased it (laughs)... well put. Eww, scrambled brains...

mysterys: O.o are you like, the head of the Mafiya or something? ...COOL! So you can hire people to pummel people... hehehe fuuuuun. XP

Faunamon: woah... I'm flattered. Really, I am. Thank you. Hmmm... I wonder what this story would look like printed, but you'll have to ignore all the author's notes... I have all the chapters saved in Wordpad. Do you want me to put them all into one document for you minus the author notes and replies?

Pinefur of DragonClan: I definately agree. I love Earthroot :D see the note at the end of the replies.

Shadow of the Nights: isn't Wood awesome. He steals the scene from everyone, even Smokepaw, who I've decided is really cute and cuddly (despite his objections).

C.T Eleczko: tehe, sorry about that. Though I swear this is my original idea, and I didn't steal it from anyone.

glowingnarya: never assume. ;o)

Peachfoot: ok, now I'm going to answer the question you asked... NO! Hehehe, I'm sorry, can't answer anything, you'll just have to read the story. Or get an audio recording of it. Good luck with that. XD

Flowerpaw: I'm too nice with cliffies. Some people (glares at Shaded-Strike) have not only a cliffhanger at the end of the chapter, but manage to get three different cliffies into one chapter! At least I don't end every chapter with a cliffie (throws spitball at Shaded-Strike) And at least I don't end chapters like Spiritwind, with wolves... well... creating life. XP

Kura Sumi: oops, sorry about that. I should have had a definition or something. I will at the end of the replies. Hehehe, I'm glad you laughed though. And I will refrain from putting a "XD" at the end of this reply because I did it for all the others... (resisting)

Mossbelly: congrats, 150th reviewer!! Thanks for the review.

BlindSeer220: I tried to tell her, because I'm impatient too. I attacked her at lunch (I love maccaroni and sporks... -- everyone runs away --) and she always gives me the same answer. Stupid Spiritwind is always getting her mom mad, so she gets computer bans, and can't even get online to apologize or answer the email I've piled into her inbox. Oh well. Talk to her mom.

.skia.: still too lazy to write out your name... next chapter, I promise XD. Anyway, thanks for the compliment on the writing. I was proud of that line, since I normally don't write like that... but I thought it portrayed Wood's emotions at the moment. And I didn't want anyone to forget how cold it was, and I was afraid that people might be forgetting that they're in a cold, snowy environment. Anyway, I'll bet you can write like that... I'll have to go stalk your stories to find out. (Adds stalking Skia's stories to mental "to-do list")

schizophrenic - when someone has two different personalities.

Plushies! All reviewers for Chapter 12 get a limited edition virtual Earthroot plushie!! (pictues Earthroot plushie)...weird...

Chapter 13

Wood woke in a small den. He opened his eyes wearily, stiffly standing up to survey his surroundings. He stretched his aching muscles and waiting until his vision was no longer blurry to look around. He was surrounded by hard gray rock walls, which immediately told him where he was. Ice Tribe camp. The prison den, more specifically.

The Water Tribe camp was made from trees; all the dens were in trees, and the camp was surrounded and protected by trees. So just as Water Tribe used trees, Ice Tribe used rocks. Wood had been to their camp once before, when his patrol was taken hostage. He barely remembered the appearance of the camp, but he knew that it was surrounded by rocks the way his own camp was surrounded by trees, and all the dens were small caves within the snowtipped rocks.

He groaned, feeling pain shoot into his limbs. He collapsed to the ground, searching his body for wounds. Sure enough, there were cuts and scratches all over him from his fight with the Ice Tribe cats who'd knocked him out, and other various cuts from being dragged - presumably without great care - to the Ice Tribe camp.

He suddenly wondered how he'd gotten knocked out; a few cuts and scratches wouldn't do it. As if on cue, a jolt of pain shot through his head. He gently placed a paw on his forehead, right between his ears. He felt something hot and sticky - his blood. His paw came away with scarlet liquid decorating the soft strands of dusty brown fur. Grossed out by the sight of his blood drenching his paw, he licked it furiously until his light brown paw was only slightly tinted red, and then tried to wash the coppery taste of blood from his mouth.

Well, now he knew how he was knocked out.

Wood's vision started to blur again, and he lay still on the hard, icy ground. At least the Water Tribe prison den was somewhat comfortable, with a layer of dead crusty moss covering the ground. Here the ground was only layered with ice, tinted crimson by his blood. He felt dizzy and lightheaded, wondering if he would survive to see what Ice Tribe wanted with him.

It took him a while to notice the cobwebs hanging in the back of the den. Sighing with relief, his dragged himself over to them, and grabbed a clump by the muzzle. He spread the cobwebs out on the ground, and carefully placed his head on them. He pressed lightly so they would stick, and lifted his head slowly to make sure they didn't fall off. His makeshift treatment made him feel somewhat better, and soon after he fell into a troubled sleep.

A short while later, Duskroot came in to make sure that the hostage was alive. He wouldn't be very useful dead. He was satisfied to see that he was smart enough to use the cobwebs he'd left him, but hadn't done it very well. He straightened the cobwebs and added a few extra so he couldn't see the blood leaking through, silently berating Sand for scratching him so hard. Not that the cats dragging his limp body to the camp had been careful; that couldn't have helped. Not that the herb cat cared. All he wanted was to destroy Water Tribe, and if the stupid, small sized trainee could help, then he would have to stay alive until he was no longer of use.

He returned quickly to his own den to make sure that the Shaded Talons was alright. Smokepaw was curled up on a pile of soft dirt where Duskroot normally slept. The cats who'd dragged him down had made sure not to hurt him too much, and Oak had hit him in the head with a sheathed claw to knock him senseless. This might have resulted in a throbbing headache, but was easily cured by a pawful of poppy seeds and a few cobwebs to the slightly deeper scratches carved into his smoky gray pelt. Stoneice made it clear that he wanted the Shaded Talons to be as comfortable as possible, and not to know the details of his capture. He needed to think that Ice Tribe were his friends.

Duskroot gently unfolded the paw Smokepaw had delicately tucked into his chest. He bent it carefully. It was clear that it had been broken, but it seemed strong enough for the Shaded Talons to walk on it now. Good - he'd be more powerful that way. He'd just have to be careful as he got used to walking on four legs again.

Everything was going as planned. When Smokepaw woke up, he'd be taken to Stoneice to confirm that he was the Shaded Talons. Stoneice would befriend him, and then they would being planning the downfall of Water Tribe. If for some reason Smokepaw refused to cooperate... well, that's where the Water Tribe trainee would be of use.

In Ice Tribe, the icy land occupied by the two Tribes was known as the Snowlands. He had no idea what Water Tribe called it, and he didn't really care. The herb cat's tail swished in anticipation. Soon there would only be one tribe in the Snowlands.

OOOOO

Willow glared at Frost as he tried to extract the thorns from his fur. The two of them were alone in Yellowroot's herb den, though Willow would have prefered the company of anyone other than Frost.

Willow had been on a hunting patrol when the fox returned. Pine and Willow's trainer, Birch, had immediately leapt on it. While it was distracted, Birch yowled for Willow to run back to camp and get help. Lucky for Willow, Birch and Pine were able to kill the fox on their own, because the somewhat clumsy and panicked trainee had run right into a thorn bush. Not lucky for Willow, he'd been stuck there until the two blood soaked fighters returned and found him in his little predicament, and managed to rescue him while lecturing him on paying more attention and how they could have been killed because of him.

"Ow!" growled Willow as Frost pulled another thorn out of his back. "Do you have to do it so hard?"

"Shut up, or it'll never be done," snapped Frost, who seemed to be in his usual bad mood. "I don't suppose you want thorns in your fur for the rest of your life."

"I don't suppose you want thorns in your fur for the rest of your life," mimicked Willow irritably. "You're acting like you have a thorn under your tail... ow!"

Frost snickered as he made sure to pull out a thorn behind Willow's ear out extra hard. The complaining trainee was beginning to bother him. "Ever since Wood left, you're sounding more and more like him every day, you know that?" he meowed in annoyance. "You mimick me, you insult me when I'm trying to heal you, and you even manage to knock me over when you run into camp."

Willow sighed. He never acted the way he was at the moment unless he was around Frost, who he loved to bother. Frost did act like he had a thorn under his tail, and got irritated so easily. Wood had felt the same way about the herb cat's apprentice, and Frost had taken an extreme disliking to him, and now to Willow as it appeared.

"You talk about Wood as if he's a traitor," snarled Willow. He didn't like it when the other cats talked about Wood like that, when he knew in his heart that his fellow trainee was innocent.

"He is," replied Frost. "Didn't you see him run from camp like the coward he is?" Though the herb trainee's words were hallow, and Willow could see the wavering in his ice blue eyes.

"You don't believe it," stated Willow.

Frost sighed, his wall of irritability and snappiness fading. Willow had never seen him like this before - he looked like he actually cared about a cat other than himself. "You're right, but don't repeat that," he whispered. Willow nodded; the secret was safe with him. "You don't believe it either," Frost accused, though his tone wasn't really accusing. Willow nodded again, beginning to feel like a boneless pigeon.

"We have to do someting," mewed Willow quietly. "Wood's innocent... though I don't know about his yellow-eyed friend."

"I do," meowed Frost suddenly. He'd completely abandoned pulling out the thorns. "He's innocent too; in fact, I think he's the falling smoke." Willow's eyes widened, in awe and curiousity.

"H-how do you know?" Willow stammered.

Frost paused, and for a moment he and Willow were frozen in time. Then Frost glanced out the entrance to make sure no one was coming, and turned back to he patient. Without warning, he lunged at Willow and forced him against the wall, holding a claw to his throat.

"Let go of me!" choked Willow in confusion. "Why..."

Frost tightened his grip on the pale brown trainee. "You must never repeat what I'm about to say to you," hissed Frost. Out of breath, Willow nodded numbly, and Frost dropped him. The pale green-eyed tom collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.

"What was that for?" he panted.

Frost glared fiercely at him. "I needed your word," he stated simply. "I can't have anyone else knowing about this, or they'll think I'm a traitor and chase me out as well."

Willow glared back, though it was hard to glare with his soft green eyes. Frost ignored the glare, and splayed out next to him. "I had a dream from Sky Tribe last night," he began. All traces of anger disappeared from Willow's eyes, and was renewed by curiousity. He sat down next to Frost, silently begging him to continue.

"It was Earthroot, the herb cat before Yellowroot," meowed Frost. "And let me tell you, he was crazy. Not just fishbrained - I mean totally insane. But it didn't matter how crazy he was, because Sky Tribe sent him. Our ancestors have a strange sense of humor, I guess." He paused as Willow let out a slight giggle, but quickly quieted himself. He wanted to hear about Frost's dream, and aggrivating him might prevent that.

"Despite that, they always know what they're doing," Frost continued. "That fishbrain Earthroot kept reading my mind and trying to get on my nerves - " Willow snickered. Frost glared at him. "Anyway, he kept trying to get on my nerves and he seemed like a schizophrenic nutcase; one minute he was all nice, the next he was getting on my nerves again." He glowered at Willow to keep him from snickering again. "But finally, he got his message across." He paused for the dramatic effect.

"Well, are you going to tell me or not?" demanded Willow impatiently. Ruining the effect. Frost sighed; did he have to ruin everything?

"If you insist," he meowed flatly. "The message was, what appears as a talon may on the inside be smoke."

Willow might as well have exploded. "I know what it means!" he yowled, springing up into the air, nearly bumping his head on the ceiling, then proceeding to hop up and down on his nimble paws.

"Shhhh!" hissed Frost. "Are you trying to give us away?" He peered out the entrance, but fortunately no one had heard and no one was coming. "You know what could happen if anyone knew about this conversation."

"Sorry," Willow meowed quietly, slumping back down to the ground. "I was just excited. I know what it means."

"Me too," retorted Frost. "It wasn't that hard to figure out." He neglected to add that it'd taken him a whole frustrating, sleepless night to understand the meaning.

"So Wood's innocent," Willow meowed, excitement returning to his voice. "And not only is the spy innocent, but he's the cat destined to save Water Tribe!"

Frost nodded. "So the question is, how do we prove it? How do we get him back?"

Willow deflated; he was stumped. "I-I dunno..." he paused. "Maybe we can start by finding some cats who'll believe and help us?"

Frost laughed. "Are you kidding? The rest of the Tribe wants to drag them back to camp and watch Whitewater sink her teeth into their throats. No other cat in Water Tribe give a piece of foxdung for their lives."

OOOOO

Leaf rested her head on her paws and sighed heavily, enjoying the solitude of the ground below Halfcedar. She had run away from camp to calm her mind; she needed time to clear her thoughts. Literally. There were thoughts swarming her head that she would have liked to just run away and never bother her again.

Why couldn't she stop thinking about that smoky gray tom? He was nothing but a filthy spy, right? Yet something inside her begged to differ. Sure he'd been rude and annoying, but when she was with him on the tour, he didn't seem at all threatening. No matter how much he tried.

Also, spies want to be inconspicuous, right? Well, he had certainly drawn a large amount of attention during his stay. If he was a smart spy, he would have been quiet and polite, and made friends with Whitewater. But then, maybe he was a dumb spy.

There was one fact, though, that in Leaf's mind confirmed his innocence. If that cat was really the Shaded Talons, he wouldn't have told Whitewater. He couldn't possibly be that dumb. And besides, if he was the Shaded Talons, what would he be doing in Water Tribe? Wouldn't he want to go to Ice Tribe and get an army together so he could fulfill his destiny and whatnot? That's not to say she thought that he was the Smoke, as the rest of the Tribe had originally thought; she didn't know what he was. All she knew was that he was innocent, and that the glimmer he got in his yellow eyes when he was angry was kind of cute...

No it isn't, she told herself sharply. There's nothing cute about that spy... she sighed. I hope he's alright.

She had a feeling that both he and her least favorite trainee, Wood, no matter how annoying he was, were innocent. If only any other cat would believe her.

Well, I hope you liked the long chapter! Sorry for the lack of action, but it was needed. Willow and Frost are getting a plot going; I'm beginning to like them more and more XD even Frost. He's so prickly, yet so cute (pinches Frost's cheek) (Frost bites my finger) Ow... anyway, see you next chapter.

--Moonstar