Ivypool snarled angrily, her fur bristling. The dark sky above her seemed pitch black, and the glowing moss seemed poisonous now. She wanted to claw Hawkfrost into shreds. How dare he use her! To destroy her Clan!
Soon she could hear voices, Hawkfrost's and Tigerheart's. "You won't get caught, I promise."
Ivypool froze. Wouldn't get caught doing what?
Tigerheart's voice sounded worried. "What if someone gets hurt?"
"Then the lesson will be better learned."
What were they talking about? Ivypool strained to hear.
Tigerheart sighed. "All right Hawkfrost, now how can I do this?"
No reply came, and for a moment Ivypool wondered if he had been woken up. Then the bushes rustled next to her and claws scratched her back. "Get up." Hawkfrost growled.
Ivypool sprang up and lashed back with her claws unsheathed, striking his ear. "How dare you tell me what to do after you've lied to me all this time? Telling me that you want to save the Clans when you want to destroy and rule them." She spat.
Hawkfrost bared his teeth. "I never thought you'd be foolish enough to believe what other cats told you!"
Ivypool snorted. "I'm no fool, like these other cats that will do your bidding." Tigerheart was about to protest when he faded, and Ivypool knew that he had woken up.
Hawkfrost's eyes were glittering, but to Ivypool's surprise anger wasn't there. Instead it was…sorrow. "Of course you would forgive all those cats so quickly and believe anything they say!" He spat, turning away. This shocked Ivypool even more. He was leaving himself exposed? Turning his back on her? "Just go along with the cats that abandoned you when I've been here."
The anger that had been burning strong in Ivypool had died. Confusion and, to her bafflement, worry replaced it. "What am I supposed to believe? Your past shows what you've done Hawkfrost. And StarClan knows that you're up to something-"
"That other cats have been plotting against them, you mouse brain! Why do you think I've been training cats? To protect them." He paced back and forth, tail twitching angrily.
"And why would you want to protect me?" Ivypool demanded.
Hawkfrost laughed bitterly. "You wouldn't believe me."
"I've had to believe some insane things today, like that my sister is part of a mysterious prophecy that I have no clue about!" She padded forward until she stood in front of him and he was forced to stop pacing. "So try me."
For a moment their eyes bore into each other, until Hawkfrost sighed and looked away. "Instead, I'm going to give you a decision. You can either do something that will help Tigerheart, and I'll tell you. Or you can not do it, and always wonder."
Ivypool stared at him for a moment, battling internally. Don't trust him! He's going against StarClan. One part of her yowled. But the other half remembered everything he had ever taught her. All the ways he'd helped her through everything she'd gone through. A rock in a hard place… He was always there for you, and what can you say of the others? That they're there when they need you, for one.
"What does he need?"
Ivypool expected Hawkfrost to be grimfully pleased at her choice, happy that she would do his bidding. But instead he looked almost, worried. What was the reason he wanted to protect her? "Get Lionblaze out of camp by sunhigh."
"What? Why-"
"Do you want to know the reason or not?" Hawkfrost snapped, and his fur was bristling with anxiety. Ivypool sat and clamped her jaw shut, waving her tail over her mouth. Hawkfrost rolled his eyes, but a smile snuck onto his muzzle. He took a deep breath and looked her dead in the eyes. "I love you, Ivypool."
Ivypool's head snapped up. "What?" Before he could react, her eyes opened in the warrior's den. "No!" She snarled, thankful that the den was empty.
Hawkfrost loved her? "No," She said again. "It's a trick." But she didn't quite believe it. Could it be true?
For a moment all doubts were pushed aside by a rush of sharp pain. At first she thought it was a thorn, but it was quickly obvious that the pain was internal. Love was only a bitter memory of pain and sorrow for her. She didn't know how to react.
"Sunhigh," She gasped, looking outside. It would be sunhigh soon, she needed to get Lionblaze out of camp like she promised. Near the entrance of camp he was sitting with Cinderheart, Hollykit and Birchfall. Ivypool jumped out of her nest and bounded over.
"I swear, I scented dog in the territory again." Birchfall was saying.
Cinderheart looked worried. "This will be the third time this moon."
Ivypool skidded to a halt next to Lionblaze. "We can check it out!" She exclaimed, looking at Lionblaze. She hoped he would tell from her desperate eyes that he shouldn't argue.
Lionblaze nodded. "Yeah, Ivypool and I will check it out. You keep an eye on Hollykit." He nuzzled Cinderheart and his kit before padding out of camp with Ivypool at his heels. Once they were out of earshot of camp, Lionblaze turned to Ivypool. "Are you all right?" He meowed.
Ivypool nodded. "It was just…a wild dream." She explained. "It freaked me out."
"All right then…" Together they went steadily through the territory, keeping their senses alert. Ivypool slowly calmed down. Maybe he hadn't meant it. Maybe he had, a voice whispered in her head. Shut up she thought back.
Suddenly the scent of dog hit her strongly. "That's strong!" She exclaimed, taking a step back. Before Lionblaze could respond loud shuffling and the crackling of bracken was heard. Ivypool jumped into a bush, crouched and waiting to see what was going to come out. When she looked she saw that Lionblaze had done the same.
For a moment they waited tensely, expecting a dog to come out. But a smaller, lither shape ran out of the bushes. A tabby, with golden eyes…
"Tigerheart!" Ivypool exclaimed. Lionblaze hissed and was about to jump on the ShadowClan cat until Tigerheart looked at them. Pure fear was in his eyes, and his mouth was open as he struggled to breath. It looked like he was silently yowling.
After a moment, nine dogs ran after him.
All large, and vicious. But the leader was massive, and Ivypool was practically the size of one of its paws. "Dear StarClan," She breathed.
After a moment the cat and dogs vanished in the undergrowth.
"He'll lead them right to camp if he keeps going that way!" Lionblaze exclaimed, running over to Ivypool's bush.
She slithered out quickly, eyes blazing with fear. "We need to get there before the dogs do, but how? We'll run into the dogs!"
Fear flickered in Lionblaze's eyes and he looked up. "The trees." He whispered.
POV: Cinderheart
Cinderheart licked the top of Hollykit's head. "Hear that? Father's going to chase away those mean brutes." She said, and Hollykit let out a squeak of excitement.
"Cause he's the greatest ever!" She ran over to Violetkit. "Guess what my father's doing?" She said, disappearing behind the branches of the nursery.
Cinderheart smiled, but shuddered. Since she had been his mate she had found out that he had the fighting skills of StarClan…literally. But she always feared that his confidence would kill him someday. How could she make it without him…?
The sound of howling was heard in the distance, and cats were starting to gather and murmur to each other. "Maybe we should evacuate camp again." Thornclaw suggested.
"What do you mean again?" Whitewing asked. "This hasn't ever happened before."
Ferncloud shuddered. "To you. And be grateful for that."
"What about Lionblaze and Ivypool? They were out there to look for the dogs." Bumblestripe pointed out.
"Should we send someone after them?" Ferncloud wondered.
Before anyone could reply, Lionblaze and Ivypool jumped down onto the beech tree that still hung over camp. "Everyone get out of camp now!" Ivypool shrieked.
Cinderheart felt a shiver run down her spine. "Lionblaze?" She called. "What's going on?"
His eyes were wide with fear. "Dogs, massive dogs are coming." He sounded worn out. "Get the kits, get the sick, get the elders and get out!"
Yowls immediately broke out in the clearing. Cinderheart's ears rang in the confusion and fear. While Lionblaze told everyone to go to the trees near the lake shore, Cinderheart ran into the nursery. "Icecloud, Rosepetal!" She gave the sleeping cats a sharp nudge. "There are dogs coming, get your kits and run to the trees by the shore, as quickly as you can."
Before the queens could respond Cinderheart grabbed Hollykit's scruff and ran out of the nursery. All the elders had been cleared, along with the medicine cat den. Foxleap and Bumblestripe ran to the nursery to help with the kits, and Lionblaze grabbed Hollykit from Cinderheart. "Run!" He exclaimed. "Firestar gave me the go-ahead, he's going to make sure the camp's clear."
Together they followed the rest of the Clan through the brush, skirting around where the dogs were. For a moment it seemed as if everything would be okay, as soon as the dogs left. Leafpool was running next to Cherrypaw and Cinderheart.
Then a chilling howl rose in the air behind them, and Cinderheart heard a set of paws thundering after them. "No!" She gasped, pumping her legs faster.
Behind her, she heard an 'oomph' and she glanced back. Cherrypaw had stumbled, and the dog was about to grab her. "Cherrypaw!" Cinderheart yowled. Just as the dog lunged for the apprentice, Leafpool leaped forward and pushed the apprentice out of the way. The dog's teeth closed around her spine and she was killed in an instant.
"NO!" Squirrelflight's agonized yowl could be heard from the trees ahead. As soon as Cinderheart knew Cherrypaw was running, she looked to see Squirrelflight struggling against Sandstorm. "Let me go!" She snarled. "I'll either tear that dog to shreds or join Brambleclaw trying!"
Sandstorm had her teeth deep in Squirrelflight's scruff. "Please! I can't lose both of you." Squirrelflight let out another agonized moan and went limp, shaking with misery.
Cinderheart shuddered and followed Lionblaze up a tree. Ivypool and Jayfeather were up already. "How'd you get up here?" Lionblaze panted, setting Hollykit down on a strong tangle of branches so she couldn't fall.
"Ivypool helped me." He replied.
Cinderheart could barely listen, she could only imagine Leafpool being broken by the dogs.
The pack of dogs were closing in now, and only a few cats were still on the ground. Foxleap, Rosepetal and their kits climbed a tree close to Cinderheart's tree. Icecloud was running as fast as she could after Bumblestripe, carrying her kit. Bumblestripe climbed into the tree with Rosepetal, and Icecloud followed. Firestar followed.
All cats safe.
After a minute the dogs arrived, howling and barking angrily. Blood was smeared on a few of their muzzles. They jumped at the trees, but could never reach a cat. The large dog turned and jumped at Rosepetal's tree, which was thinner than the others. It swayed slightly and the dog barked happily. A few other dogs went to help. Finally, there was a yowl of fear and Icecloud slipped from the tree into the jaws of the large dog, who tossed her into another tree.
Ivypool gasped and tensed her muscles. "Don't!" Cinderheart grabbed her scruff like she'd seen Sandstorm do. "You can't do anything!"
"How can you be so heartless?" Ivypool snarled.
"She was dead the moment she hit the tree." It was true, the impact had snapped her spine. Now the dogs were tossing her around.
Foxleap yowled something over the howling, and Cinderheart saw Bumblestripe jump from the tree. "No!" Ivypool clawed at Cinderheart's face and she recoiled in pain. Ivypool jumped down and jumped at one of the dogs.
"She'll die! They'll both die!" Cinderheart exclaimed.
Lionblaze tensed to jump down. "No!" She shrieked with fear. "You'll die!" For a moment it looked like he would protest, but then sat down. "Thank you," She whispered.
Then an idea dawned on her. She jumped from the tree and howled loudly, to alert the dogs she was there. All the dogs except the one Bumblestripe and Ivypool were fighting turned on her. Cinderheart turned and ran for her life, toward the lake.
One she reached the lake she went to a part where she remembered an underwater cliff. It was solid until it suddenly cut off…
She plunged into the water and ran along the shallow water. When she reached the edge of the rock she jumped as far as she could and swam as quickly as she could away from shore. Behind her there were yelps of fear as they ran off the cliff and plunged into the water. After a minute all was quiet behind her and she dared turn around.
The beach was empty.
Cinderheart let out a sigh and swam back to where her Clanmates were waiting.