"Let love explode and bring the dead to life, A love so bold, To see a revolution somehow, Let love explode and bring the dead to life, A love so bold, To see a revolution somehow, Now I'm lost in Your freedom, In this world I'll overcome, My God's not dead, He's surely alive, He's living on the inside, Roaring like a lion..." God's Not Dead (Like a Lion), Newsboys

Is anyone else as excited about this movie as I am? I seriously am looking forward to it coming out! :D

Willowdream of ForestClan - If you've read the first book you'll know why ;) And the rogues really do have better knowledge of Icepaw's powers than the Clans. More will be explained later on :)

Cookies and Cream - XD So very true. Icepaw would get herself caught in this mess. Only time will tell if she can get out of it.

Sleetstorm - Yeah, Nightfeather isn't one to give up so easily. She's definitely one of my favorite villains, next to Silverstar of course :D

Chapter 13

They were near a stream after the meeting was over. Nightfeather and Thalia had led the small group to it. Icepaw blinked in surprise as she wondered if this was the same stream that ran through StreamClan territory. She spotted a school of minnows swimming past them. They seemed oblivious to the hunters that watched from above. But the moment she let her shadow show, the minnows darted for the safety of any rocks or pebbles in the stream.

"Now what exactly can this cat do?" Nightfeather asked.

Bruce sat beside Icepaw, while Dawnpaw sat farther away. Her tail was wrapped neatly around her paws as she observed them. If she had stayed in her Clan she would be a warrior by now. Icepaw was beginning to wonder why she had followed Nightfeather in the first place.

"Show them what you can do!" Bruce mewed in excitement.

Icepaw tried not to roll her eyes. If she was going to pull through this than she would have to do as she was told. Holding back a sigh of frustration, she touched the water with her paw. In less than a heartbeat, the area she touched began to freeze over.

Her heart nearly skipped a beat when she realized that she had frozen the minnows. Nightfeather's eyes brightened with new interest. Icepaw looked back at her and felt a shiver run down her spine. She knew what that look meant. These cats were going to use her, if possible.

"So you can freeze things with your paws," Nightfeather meowed, sounding more than impressed. "I wonder, if it would work on a cat, or anyone else for that matter." She glanced at Dawnpaw, who stiffened at the look. "Bring me some fresh-kill... alive preferably," she ordered.

The pale brown she-cat did as she was told. An uncomfortable silence fell upon the small group in a matter of heartbeats. Icepaw looked down at the ground as she thought of what might happen next. This cat was bent on destroying the Clans. All because her sister had tried taking over the Clans.

This is the cat that elders used to tell us about, Icepaw realized. Nightfeather was... is Silverstar's deputy and sister. Now Icepaw understood why she had been so afraid before. Nightfeather had already gathered a group of followers who would listen to her every word. Though the group was small, it was only a matter of time before she gained more followers.

Moments later and Dawnpaw returned. A robin was thrashing in her jaws as she dropped it to the ground. It tried flapping it's wings to get away, but she held it down with a paw. Nightfeather's whiskers twitched in amusement as she watched the struggling creature.

"See if you can freeze this little creature," she crowed.

She stared at Nightfeather warily before doing as she was told. Every part of her was screaming that this was wrong. Prey was killed to be eaten, not treated so cruelly. She closed her eyes and touched the robin's wing with her paw. Her eyes widened when the tiny bird stopped moving.

"Impressive," Nightfeather purred. "I've never seen a cat willing enough to do that... or able to do that as well." She paused and looked at Icepaw. Another shiver ran down Icepaw's spine. "How long have you had this ability?"

"I-It only just showed up a few days ago," Icepaw explained.

"Fascinating... I've heard of cats born with powers, but I always thought it was just a myth," Thalia murmured. "I wonder if there are others with powers like this?" Before she could speak again, Nightfeather suddenly swiped her claws across her face.

Thalia staggered back in surprise, eyes wide with terror. A fresh wound opened up over her right eye. Icepaw resisted the urge to glare at Nightfeather. Why she suddenly attacked Thalia was beyond her. These cats clearly knew who the leader was.

"The real question is whether or not we use these powers against the Clan." Fear surged within Icepaw when she said that. Nightfeather's gaze fell upon her once more. "I want you to join a Clan. You are about the age of an apprentice, I'm sure someone will take you in. Perhaps StreamClan, or MoonClan."

The last thing I need is to join MoonClan, Icepaw told herself. But joining StreamClan was an option she would rather avoid. Knowing that she was about to do something against her own will made her almost regret leaving MoonClan.

"At the quarter moon, you will meet with one of us to gather intel on the Clan," Nightfeather went on. "After that, we will decide when to strike." Icepaw's eyes widened when she heard the malice in her voice.

I can't let you get away with this! Icepaw's thoughts were churning with anxiety.

"Go now, before the sun rises," Nightfeather ordered. "We'll meet with you at the meeting spot at the next quarter moon."

"And if I refuse?" Icepaw was surprised by how quiet her voice was. Nightfeather's eyes narrowed into tiny slits.

"That would be unwise," she replied in a low growl.

Icepaw held her gaze before finally looking away. That was it than. Join or die. Icepaw was pretty sure she would have rather died. But at this point she didn't have much of a choice. Instead she bowed her head and started moving towards StreamClan's territory.

She looked over her shoulders at the sound of pawsteps approaching from behind. Bruce was following her, eyes dark with concern when he finally reached her.

"Hey, I thought you could use some company," he explained. "That Nightfeather sure is something, isn't she? She promised us more hunting territory if we can help her out. She even saved Thalia from the Nofurs a few moons ago." Icepaw rolled her eyes at Bruce's naiive nature. He didn't know what Nightfeather had done in her past. And maybe it was better for his own sake that he didn't know. "I really hope that you can join us," he added in a softer tone.

Finally Icepaw whipped around to face the jabbering tom. She could easily freeze him right there on the spot. But something kept her from doing so. This cat didn't know any better. She couldn't blame him for being so happy. If what Nightfeather had promised him was true, than he had every right to be happy.

"Thank you, for introducing me to them." The words felt hollow on her tongue. "You should probably go now. If they catch you here, they'll kill you."

Hurt clouded Bruce's eyes for the smallest heartbeat. "But won't they try killing you?" he asked.

"I'd like to see them try," Icepaw muttered. "I'll be fine," she added more carefully.

With those final words, she turned back towards StreamClan's territory. She knew that they would want to know why she was in enemy territory. After all they had seen her when Oakstar and Raincloud payed StreamClan a visit. Silently she prayed that everything would work out in the end.

Reeds began to replace the tall grass that once towered above her. Icepaw noticed for the first time that this area was just as marshy as the one where she had first met Bruce. Cattails and other water plants grew here and there. Willow trees grew near the edge of the water, their low branches dangling close to the ground.

Icepaw was about to take another step forward when something barreled into her. She let out a hiss of surprise as the attacker pinned her to the ground. Without another word she pushed the attacker off with her back paws. The attacker hardly felt any pain as they were thrown across the clearing.

"What's a MoonClan cat doing in our territory?" Before the stranger could attack again, someone demanded the question. "Hold your ground, Weaselpaw!" The cat that had spoken up was standing beside Icepaw's attacker. Her eyes widened when she recognized the gray and black apprentice. Weaselpaw's lips were curled with anger and frustration.

"We shouldn't even bother questioning why she's here," Weaselpaw hissed. "She's just another intruder that needs to be-" He was stopped short by a cuff over the ears. He shot the silver tabby she-cat a cold look.

"I'm sorry for intruding," Icepaw murmured with a dip of her head. "I... I was kind of hoping I could speak with Sandstar."

"I bet he'd rather-" Weaselpaw was cut off again by the silver tabby. Amusement coursed through Icepaw as she watched them.

He's a big-mouthed apprentice, but she puts him in his place, she thought. That's what a mentor was supposed to do. Keep an eye on their apprentice and teach them some respect. It seemed as though Weaselpaw was determined to defy all of that.

"We will take you, but that is as far as we will help," the silver tabby meowed. "Try anything funny, and I'll personally flay you."

Icepaw felt her shoulders sag with relief. She really hoped that Sandstar would understand her situation. And that this Clan would somehow accept her. Otherwise she really had no other place to go.

AN: So yeah, not much time with the rogues, but that's to be expected for things to continue. And don't worry, Icepaw isn't going to be an apprentice for too long. I'm really excited about where this story is going :D