Her eyes.
That was what captivated him, they were like the peace before a hurricane, the calm before a storm—a silvery grey that challenged him.
"My mother has told me if I ever needed to have something to live and die for, the river warriors were there. She called them something—RiverClam I think—"
"RiverClan," Frozenheart said ungraciously.
"Why have you come though?" Lightstar challenged. "You're lucky we didn't tear you to shreds. Barging into a camp like that if it hadn't been us would have been a terrible idea."
She remained unfazed. "I knew it was this camp. The river calls to me. I have Clan blood—going generations back. My great grandfathers left the Clan and began a community of loners, but that life didn't fit me."
Lightstar stretched her head to sniff her, but a rasping voice croaked behind Lightstar.
"Wait." It was Pantherclaw, the elder, limping from the darkness. "Why…That young 'un looks an awful lot like Whitestripe."
"Who?" Lightstar looked bewildered.
"When I was a lil' kit—mind you, none o' you young 'uns will remember that—" He croaked with laughter—"Whitestripe, the Clan deputy, left RiverClan. Somethin' 'bout no loyalty left no more. Why, he was the mirror image of this pretty young she-cat here." Pantherclaw sat with a thump and began scratching his ear.
"Did he really?" Lightstar sounded intrigued.
This is why I must like this Clan, Frozenheart thought. They're open and listen without bristling and attacking. Redstar never would do this.
"Yep. Grey eyes, pelt white as the snow n' everythin'."
Snow straightened, and there was something he recognized in the prick of her ears, the proudness that held up her shoulders.
Blizzardpaw…
She looks… just like her.
"Let her join RiverClan." He found himself speaking out, desperately afraid Lightstar would send her away. "We're short on warriors."
Lightstar gave him a cold glance. Hush, her eyes seemed to say.
He hushed, but she gave him a thankful glance.
Lightstar sighed. "This is a big thing you're asking. The other Clans would possibly be upset over this. We don't know if you're trustworthy or even a spy."
"I swear by anything that you hold close," she replied, her tail flicking like snake; back, forth, back, forth. "I am a cat of dignity and honour."
"Lightstar?"
Falconheart had appeared, looking ruffled and exhausted, but he had an air of satisfaction and… what was that? Frozenheart couldn't identify it.
"Alright." Lightstar nodded curtly. "I shall see. I will apprentice you briefly to see if you're fit to be a warrior."
Snow blinked her star coloured eyes and smiled broadly. "Oh thank you!" she exclaimed.
Lightstar leaped on the Hightree, and the the first pale glowing rays of sunrise illuminating her fur with pink flame.
"Snow," she yowled, "You are entering RiverClan to become a warrior cat and a fighter. Do you promise to be loyal to this Clan alone and train to be your best?"
"Say, 'I do,'" Frozenheart muttered in her ear.
"I do," she meowed.
"Then Frozenheart—" she looked at him—"You will train Snowpaw. You had excellent training from Falconheart. I hope you pass on these skills to Snowpaw."
Lightstar leapt down from the Hightree, brushing past him.
"Prove yourself," she murmured in his ear. "If you're fit to give us all you've got, now's your chance. Neither of you have RiverClan blood, so I thought this would be fitting for you to show her what it is like to have to doubly prove loyalty."
"I'll do my best," he promised her. Surprisingly he felt no flash of anger at her blunt words. They were true. But something else—secretive, flowing through him and giving him energy to bounce all around with a secret, but he didn't know what it was—pounded through him. Thrumming. Humming with energy.
"Okay," he said, turning from Lightstar to his new apprentice. "We can go explore the territory. Stay close to me."
"Alright."
When they were nearing the river, he turned to her. "So, Snowpaw—why did you really come here?"
"I already told your leader." She twitched an ear, but he saw discomfort in her eyes and he knew she was not telling the truth.
"It's okay. You can trust me."
I was walking in this lush forest. Like the one over there," she said, pointing with her tail to ThunderClan land. "But this sound—rushing and powerful—kept me moving till I came to river—oh!" She looked at the river. "Exactly like this one."
"And?"
"When I came to the water's edge, a voice spoke to me. It said, 'The Snow will touch the water and melt within. The hardships will be terrible, but the reward great.'"
"That doesn't sound very good," he commented. "Great hardships? Why would you come if it mentioned that?"
"I didn't want to."" She looked up at him with fearful eyes. "But I asked the oldest cat—White, but he think he was your Whitestripe—he told me of such prophecies. Told me I had to go. So I did."
"That was brave," he murmured.
"I guess."
She had her eyes trained on the river, and when she looked up, her grey eyes were tinged with azure. "When I was little," she murmured, "I used to think I could swim to the end of the world, on the river."
Frozenheart twitched an ear. He'd never dreamed like that. In fact, he didn't think any Clan cat thought like that.
He just grunted in reply, and she looked upward. "I even thought I could fly one day, up to the sky. To see the whole world. What lies beyond this small bit of land."
"Clan ground isn't small," he meowed in confusion.
"Compared to the whole entity of the world?" She looked back at him. "It is."
"You have a funny way of thinking," he chuckled lightly, ruffling her head fur with his paw. "I haven't seen that in any cat before."
"I'm different," she muttered nonchalantly. "I suppose, anyway."
"Yes," he whispered under his breath, so she would not hear. "And I like it."
~~~~~*********~~~~~~
Falconheart was lying behind a shrub with Waterblaze, grooming her sleek silver fur. Suddenly, the bush rustled, and a gray and ginger face poked in.
"Batwing!" Falconheart jerked upright. "What are you doing here?"
"Oooh," Batwing said with glee, ignoring his question,"You two are mates! Aww, how cute!" He snickered at his sister, but there was no malice. "Wait till I go tell the Clan!"
"Batwing, I swear to StarClan I'll kill you if you do that!" she yowled furiously, but her brother was already scrambling away through the bushes, laughing wildly.
"Oh, God," she muttered. "We'd better get out there before he tangles it up somehow."
Falconheart pushed through the bushes, reeds winding his fur, but by the time he thumped into the main camp, a good deal of cats were exchanging meaningful glances with each other, or gawping at him.
Falconheart dove at Batwing and knocked him over. "What did you tell them?" he grunted between gritted teeth.
Batwing rolled away, chortling. "That you two lovebirds were… ah, how shall I put it? Making—"
Falconheart batted him away with his paw, hissing with anger. "I didn't do this with you and Blizzardpaw," he growled under his breath.
Batwing heard and bristled, his amusement vanishing like fog on a sun dappled day. "What did you just say?" he snarled.
"I said I—"
"That's completely different. Don't ever mention her again! She… she was.." Batwing dropped back, his eyes blank. "Just don't talk about her, alright?" he repeated.
Falconheart noticed Frozenheart, just returned to camp, staring at Batwing with barely concealed dislike.
"Fine. Just so long as you don't go embarrassing me!"Batwing bristled and stalked off.
"Every cat gather beneath the Hightree!"
Lightstar had not used the customary call to gather them. Falconheart slipped over to Silverclaw and muttered in her ear, "What's going on?"
Silverclaw stared at him. "Surely you haven't forgotten? It's the Gathering tonight."
Falconheart groaned. He was exhausted.
But she was right; the full moon glowed palely, like a huge white orb, just behind the screen of sunset.
"Cats to attend the Gathering: Waterblaze, Dapplecloud, Thrushfeather, Frozenheart, Snowpaw, Falconheart, Batwing."
"Are you sure that's wise?" Falconheart asked when she jumped to the ground. "Taking Frozenheart and Snowpaw? ThunderClan—"
"Will not take control of this Clan. My decisions are mine and mine alone." Her eyes softened. "I understand your concern, but we have to show we will not be cowed by ThunderClan's hostility."
"Cats of RiverClan!" she called out. "Let's go."
With a few swift bounds, they were running into the sunset, toward the silhouette of Fourtrees.
- Referring to FrozenxSnow, though you may not realize this will be a couple :D Ah, love at first sight, no? Snow will be a very important figure. I will say this, try not to get too attached.
I can write Frozen much better now. His personality is better—it's just plausible and gives me less writers block. And Also, Waterblaze's words- 'Oh, God,' she muttered. 'We'd better get out there before he tangles it up somehow.' I know cats do not realize who God is, or how to use that phrase (If I offend anyone, I apologize :I )But I felt it was fitting for her frustration at her pest of a brother :D He's still kinda kit-like. Like an immature 7
Also, I know Lynxkit is LONG past his apprenticing age, but I'm kinda waiting for the right charrie. Okay? It'll be soon, I swear.
Boy, THAT was a long A/N! Lots to address!
Bout time I got this up—
UPDATED ALLEGIANCES:
Leader: Lightstar—pale cream and swirled brown she-cat
Deputy: Falconheart—dark brown tom with white belly and black stripes
Medicine Cat: Cricketsong—dark brown tom with green eyes
Warriors: Dapplecloud—tortoiseshell she-cat with gold eyes Silverclaw—dark gray she cat with amber eyes
Mossfire—white and ginger she cat Mudfoot—pale and dark brown tom Maplewhisker—ginger she cat Thrushfeather—tri-colored grey tom with yellow eyes
Emberwhisker—dark grey tom with ginger flecks
Creamfrost—white she cat with sapphire eyes Waterblaze—silvery blue she cat with amber eyes
Batwing—blackish, brown and ginger tom
Frozenheart—black tom with white muzzle and blue eyes
Apprentices:
Snowpaw—pale creamy white she cat with silver eyes
Queens:
Treetail—dark brown she cat; Kits: Lynxkit- a mottled grey tom
Elders:
Scruffpelt—pale tan tom
Sunheart—yellowish ginger she cat
Pantherclaw—black tom with glowing yellow eyes