Icegaze slid through the undergrowth, her teeth around Lionear's tail. She flattened her ears as she, her brother, and Goldenfeather crept through the forest. Fear coursed through her. Icegaze jumped at every small noise. She tried to calm down, knowing that Embers had an incredible sense of smell, and that if she were too 'loud', they would scent her.

Icegaze sighed, trying to calm herself down. She hated the fact that she was the equivalent to a piece of prey. She and Lionear were being hunted down. She dug her claws into the ground, anger radiating off of her.

'Calm down,' Lionear tapped her gently. 'The Embers will smell your anger.' He chided.

'I know.' Icegaze's tail waved.

"Come on, you two!" She heard Goldenfeather hiss. "As soon as we leave DawnClan territory, we'll be safe. The other Clans will also be a threat, so we will need to leave Clan territory completely."

Icegaze let go of Lionear's tail. "Are we using The Tunnels?" She whispered.

"Yes."

Icegaze shuddered as she flicked her tail, explaining their plan to Lionear. He too seemed daunted by the thought of The Tunnels. After their encounter with...with...wait, with what?

"Goldenfeather? What did Lionear and I see in The Tunnels? What are we afraid of?" She asked.

Surprised radiated off of her mentor. "Wha-what do you mean? You were just in them!" Goldenfeather stopped.

'Icegaze, don't you remember? Badgers?' Lionear tapped her.

"I...can't seem to remember." Icegaze murmured. She repeated what she said to Lionear.

"Just as I thought."

"What?" Icegaze asked. "What is it?"

"We need to keep it down and get moving." Goldenfeather replied briskly.

"What were you going to say?" Icegaze hissed.

"Quiet!" Goldenfeather replied.

They continued, the air tense. Icegaze knew that her mentor was hiding something. She was hiding something very important...

'Icegaze, we're here. Are you ready to go into the tunnels?' Lionear tapped her shoulders. 'Are you okay? Can we go in?

'No, Lionear. I can't seem to remember why you and I are afraid of these tunnels.' Icegaze flicked her tail.

"Then I'll explain." Icegaze stopped.

"Please do, Goldenfeather." She growled.

Icegaze's mentor sighed. "All Gemini have a Flaw." Goldenfeather began. "Something that makes them weak. Lionear spaces out a lot. His mind easily drifts. Icegaze, you also have a Flaw: you easily forget small things."

She felt her brother let out a low growl. 'Icegaze, what does Goldenfeather mean? What about your silly tail? I'm usually paying attention. Are you making things up?'

'I try to pay attention too. But I know Goldenfeather is telling the truth. I think I understand what she's saying, though.' Icegaze waved her tail.

"Do you get it now?" Goldenfeather asked quietly. "Do you understand how dangerous it is to be a Gemini?"

Icegaze nodded slowly. "Yes. I think I understand why we have to leave. Now, let's go into The Tunnels!" She tried to sound brave. 'Lionear? You ready?' She flicked her tail quickly.

'Yes.' He tapped her. Then he stuck his tail out, allowing her to to grab it with her teeth. She heard Goldenfeather's voice as they ventured into The Tunnels. "Follow me!"

As they charged after Icegaze's mentor, she realized something: Ashstep was dead. He had been killed by her own father, just because she was a Gemini. Icegaze would remember that. Even with her Flaw, she would remember that Fireclaw had killed Ashstep.

She would avenge Ashstep's death. One day she would. Icegaze would make Fireclaw so, so sorry.

Icegaze ran after Lionear, her teeth still connected to his tail. She felt the air begin to dampen, and she knew that they were coming up and out of one of the tunnels.

Relief flooded through her, and Icegaze realized how tense she had been. Yet again, Lionear halted and she crashed into his haunches. Icegaze was about to grumble something when she heard a familiar voice.

"Going somewhere, traitor?" She flattened her ears when she heard Fireclaw's voice. She felt Lionear's tail stiffen.

"You're a traitor yourself, killing one of your own clanmates!" Goldenfeather let out a very low and frightening growl.

Icegaze and Lionear unsheathed their claws, ready to fight at any moment. She froze when she scented four other cats. 'Fox-dung! More Embers!' She flicked her tail.

'We're outnumbered.' Lionear tapped her quickly.

'So what? We can easily take them on.' Icegaze signed back. She pressed against her brother, and determination radiated off of both of them.

"You coward!" Goldenfeather hissed. "It seems you brought your little Ember gang."

Icegaze fluffed up her fur, hissing.

"Stop," Goldenfeather whispered to Icegaze. "Run. Just run. I'll take care of the Embers for you. Tell Lionear."

"Attack!" Fireclaw yowled.

Goldenfeather then raised her voice. "Save yourselves! Survive! As Gemini you must survive!" She then stopped, her voice faltering as she began to fight the other Embers. Icegaze felt Lionear shove her forward.

'Don't let Goldenfeather die in vain,' His tail tapped her as they stumbled away. 'We need to run!'

"What? No!" Icegaze screeched. She could hear Goldenfeather fighting the other Embers as Lionear dragged her away.

'We need to go!' Lionear then hissed in her ear, causing Icegaze to jump. She gritted her teeth before taking off. She knew Lionear was next to her as they raced away. Icegaze wished she could be deaf like Lionear as they ran.

She could hear Goldenfeather yowling in agony. Then her yowls were cut off. Icegaze swallowed back a wail; her mentor was now dead. Her mentor had sacrificed herself for Icegaze and her brother.

Like Lionear said: She couldn't let Goldenfeather die in vain. She dug her claws into the ground, trying to move faster. She needed to survive.

Icegaze and Lionear needed to survive and fight these Embers.

Then she stumbled and fell. Icegaze groaned and stood. Her heart seemed to skip a beat when she realized that Lionear wasn't next to her. Her heart raced. Where was he? They were both running next to each other.

It was impossible for them to get separated!

Icegaze tried to regain her senses, and she did her best to figure out where she was. She slowly began to realize how blind she really was. Without Lionear she couldn't do anything.

"H-help!" She whimpered.

Goldenfeather really had died in vain. The Embers would catch up to her and finish her off. Icegaze knew it. She collapsed, her heart heavy. "I'm sorry..." She whispered in defeat.

Icegaze waited for her demise. She waited. And waited. She realized that she couldn't hear any pawsteps or scent any cats nearby. She scented the air several times.

There was nothing familiar. Just a strange scent, but nothing else.

Just

A

Strange

Scent.

"Fox-dung!" Icegaze screeched as two warm paws wrapped around her. She hissed and spat, trying to wriggle free. She used her hind legs, but the strange paws wouldn't let go. She was then stuffed into a strange, cold object. She tried to claw it, but the mesh hurt her claws. "Lionear! Someone! Help!" She yowled.

End of The Gemini Series: Book One- Twins

THE GEMINI SERIES: BOOK TWO- SPLIT
COMING JULY 26