The Frost Will Settle

by cityskyliinee

A permanent shadow lies over Breezclan, Fireclan, Shadeclan, Streamclan and their past webbed with lies. She-cats are nothing but kit makers... Until Ravenpaw grows tired of it all. Her goal is to uncover the truth and change the code for good. But equality has never come easy, and a powerful enemy looms above her and her friends. With Starclan divided, is their truly any hope?

21. Chapter 20

Chapter 20:

Ravenpaw yawned, dragging her paws back towards the camp. Beside her, Wolfpaw snorted from his fur covered muzzle. His jaws held a large pheasant, one which he was very proud of. Ravenpaw looked up, the sun shone heatedly down on the moors signalling the near end of new-leaf and coming of green-leaf. Smiling softly to herself, Ravenpaw let out another long yawn causing another snort from Wolfpaw. Behind her, Shadowpelt was in deep discussion with Fallenheart, the two just far away enough that the two apprentices couldn't hear what they were saying.

Since Flowerheart's death, Sunstar and Shadowpelt seemed to have to an unofficial swap of apprentices. The deputy hadn't wanted to continue the training of the apprentice who had killed his mate and so had almost blanked him in a way. Instead, the black pelted warrior had started taking Ravenpaw out hunting and training leaving Flamepaw to deal with Sunstar which the ginger furred tom was obviously been pleased about.

In fact, the only reason Flamepaw seemed to regret killing Flowerheart was the sudden hatred he was receiving from his brother, Duskpaw. The brown pelted apprentice still spoke to him but it was never words of kindness. Duskpaw had been a lot more argumentative to everyone nowadays but mainly towards Flamepaw and, to no one's surprise, Rainclaw.

Luckily for Ravenpaw, the grey tom had mainly stayed out of her way but was patiently waiting for the day the young she-cat was old enough to become a full mated she-cat. Ravenpaw thought back to Doeeyes being a mate and becoming pregnant at the same age as her and shivered, however much she loved the ex-Breezeclan queen's kits that was not what route she wanted her life to take.

"What's up with you?" Wolfpaw asked, shaking the black she-cat from her thoughts.

Sighing, she shrugged. "Nothing really, just thinking."

"What about?"

"Just about everything that's happened recently. Y'know with Doeeyes and Flowerheart."

Wolfpaw's pace slowed. "I get you. It's all just so… Messed up."

Ravenpaw hummed in agreement.

"And Rainclaw too," Added Wolfpaw, "Starclan is that tom a piece of fox dung!"

"Tell me about it," Ravenpaw grunted, "but at least it's not Owlfeather."

"I guess," huffed her brother, "but I still don't like it."

"Not many cats do," Ravenpaw flicked her ears.

The group of four drew to a halt outside of the camp. Shadowpelt signalled his tail to indicate that the group could enter. As they did so, Rainclaw decided to pop up.

'Great,' mused Ravenpaw, 'just as we were talking about him too.'

"Ravenpaw!" He put his tail on her back, "just the apprentice I was looking for. Do you mind if I borrow you for a second."

"Not like I get much of a choice." She muttered, giving Wolfpaw an annoyed look.

The grey apprentice was about to intervene before she shook her head, asking him to back off. Begrudgingly, Wolfpaw did so and sent a glare Rainclaw's way. The older seemed oblivious to it though as he padded to a corner of camp with Ravenpaw in tow.

"What do you need?" She asked, flattening her ears.

"Tell your tom friend to back off," Rainclaw hissed, "he's an absolute mouse-brain and can't seem to realise that if he wanted you to have his kits then he should've been quicker."

Ravenpaw tilted her head, "what tom friend? I don't know any other cat in this clan who would want to be my mate."

"How oblivious are you?" Spat the light grey warrior, "I don't remember his name… Dustpaw? He's Dustyfur's apprentice I think."

"You mean Duskpaw?" Ravenpaw was dumbfounded, "he doesn't like me like that."

"Wouldn't be so sure, have you seen the looks he gives me?" Rainclaw sighed.

"Can't say I have."

The older tom glared at her, something burning within his eyes. "You are way too cocky for a she-cat and If you weren't the deputy's daughter I'd shred you."

Ravenpaw drooped her tail in defeat, she was too fed up to be dealing with this. "Sorry."

It wasn't the most heartfelt of apologies but she wasn't prepared to give Rainclaw anything beyond that.

"Whatever," the tom stood up, "you can go but you can't eat yet,."

'Of course I can't.' she thought but she dared not say it aloud.

"Bring some prey to greenflight too!"

With a twist on her paw, the black apprentice swivelled around and grabbed a mouse from the pile. She picked it up in her jaws and dropped it outside the medicine cat den. Greenflight was inside, the grey tom was busy sorting herbs and didn't notice the prey. Grimacing, Ravenpaw picked it back up and walked inside with loud enough pawsteps to catch his attention.

"Ah!" The medicine cat shot up in realisation, "Ravenpaw! Just the cat Swirlpaw was looking for."

"I got you prey." She pushed the mouse towards him, wondering why Swirlpaw wanted her.

"Thank you. She went to the apprentices den to find you by the way."

"Okay," she dipped her head in thanks before butting her way out of the den and in the direction of the apprentices den.

Outside the said den was Scratchpaw and Stonepaw who were happily chatting away, looking as though they had just ate. Robinpaw was also there, showing off a fighting technique to Blackpaw who was encouraging her. Swirlpaw and Wolfpaw were in conversation but when Ravenpaw drew close they stopped.

"Sorry Wolfpaw," the cream she-cat apologised, "but I have to talk to Ravenpaw."

"It's fine," the shaggy tom shrugged in dismissal before padding over to Blackpaw and settling beside him.

"What's up?"

Swirlpaw breathed in, looking around, before exhaling deeply. "I know this might seem mouse-brained but I was wondering something."

"Wondering what?"

"Remember when you were a kit and said that we'd always be best friends?"

"Of course, how could I forget?"

"I was just wondering whether you still believed that. It's just lately you're either brooding in a corner or talking to my brother. Don't get me wrong, I love Duskpaw it's just that I feel like you're forgetting me."

Ravenpaw looked into the medicine cat apprentice's blue eyes and registered an emotion that wasn't exactly jealousy or anger but more just sadness.

'This prophecy thing has been so messed up…' the black apprentice thought somberly, 'I've had no time to spend with Swirlpaw or hardly any of my other littermates either.'

"You're right Swirlpaw." Ravenpaw admitted, "we've hardly talked since I became an apprentice. Everything lately has been so confusing and just kinda weird. There was that situation with Owlfeather and then Flowerheart. But I can't excuse it so I am really sorry."

Swirlpaw smiled slightly, "thank you for the apology and I know I can't just put it on you, we've both just been so busy…"

Ravenpaw brushed against her friend's muzzle and the cream she-cat looked as if she was about to say something else.

Instead, Greenflight called her over and she muttered a quick apology before being ushered away into the medicine cat den.

"What were you two talking about?" Asked Duskpaw, appearing beside her.

"Doesn't matter," Ravenpaw turned to the tom, "Anyway, Rainclaw told me something odd."

"Which was?"

"He said that you wanted me to have your kits."

Duskpaw opened his mouth and then close it again, faltering. The apprentice looked at his brown paws in an expression Ravenpaw couldn't name but it seemed familiar.

"That's a weird thing to say." Duskpaw finally said, his tone of voice had changed slightly.

"It is," agreed Ravenpaw, "but is it true?"

"Just clan gossip!" The tom laughed nervously, "I mean it's a ridiculous thing to say. N-not that having you as a mate would be bad as I'm sure it would be nice and you're really pretty and stuff but you know I'm an apprentice still and I don't have to worry about that yet. Well, you're a she-cat and you have to worry about it because Rainclaw's your mate and you probably don't want him but-"

Ravenpaw but her tail over his mouth to silence his rambling, "I think I get what you're trying to say."

"Really?" He blinked his amber eyes, "are you sure? Am I coming of as like a Fox-heart or anything because-"

"What I meant was…" Ravenpaw rolled her eyes, "you're basically saying you don't like Rainclaw and you would be my mate so I don't have to be his, right?"

Somehow, Duskpaw looked both relieved and disappointed at her explanation. "Yep," he said, popping the p. "That's what I meant. Anyway," he continued hurriedly, "I gotta go hunting!"

"You've just been hunting," she gave him a cynical look."

"Well…" Duskpaw looked for his words but found nothing, "I gotta go."

With that, the light brown striped apprentice zipped out of the camp leaving a very confused, yet amused, Ravenpaw. Blackpaw caught her eye and gave her a perplexed glance. The she-cat shrugged in response.

'Am I missing something?' She wondered, 'why did Duskpaw act like that? Did I do something wrong?'

Still puzzled, Ravenpaw sighed and trotted over to the inside of the den. The rest of her day was spent watching the sun set slowly as the she-cat attempted to get some sleep but was kept awake by that pesky brown apprentice who was stuck in her brain.

'Does Duskpaw really like me?'

…

A/N: And I am back with a truckload of shipping fuel. The next chapter is also quite short and plot void so I'll do a double upload to make up for that and my two week break. Anywho, I'll be back to posting once every other day and hopefully won't need to take another break unless the place I'm staying for Easter holidays has no internet.

(Updated allegiances for my sake)

Breezeclan

LEADER

Sunstar- Tan tabby tom with darker brown markings and dark amber eyes

Apprentice, Ravenpaw

DEPUTY

Shadowpelt- Black tom with and leaf green eyes with a white circle around his right one

Apprentice, Flamepaw

MEDICINE CAT

Greenflight- Solid grey tom with pale green eyes

Apprentice, Swirlpaw

WARRIORS

Icefrost- White tom with black markings

Apprentice, Blackpaw

Fallenheart- light brown tom with white markings and yellow eyes

Apprentice, Wolfpaw

Yellowclaw- Old shaggy grey tom with silver eyes, partially blind

Dustyfur- Amber pelted tom with amber eyes

Apprentice, Duskpaw

Leafclaw- large light brown tabby tom with amber eyes and white paws

Apprentice, Scratchpaw

Greyheart- Dark grey tom with black flecks and hard brown eyes

Apprentice, Stonepaw

Windtail- Golden brown tabby tom with blue eyes

Brambleheart- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Rainclaw- Young lighter gray tom with blue eyes

MATED SHE-CATS

Hazelpounce- brown and white she-cat.

Mate, Dustyfur

Lillyblossom- Brown tabby she cat with large amber eyes

Mate, Fallenheart

Shinepelt- Glossy, white, young she cat with brilliant blue eyes

Mate, Icefrost

Sparrowfoot- Smoky grey she cat with brown eyes, very old

Mate, deceased

APPRENTICED SHE-CATS

Swirlpaw- Pale cream she cat with tan, circular markings and blue eyes

Ravenpaw- Small black she-cat with tall ears and green eyes with a ring around her right one. Uncanny look-a-like to Shadowpelt.

To-be mate, Rainclaw

Robinpaw- Browned she-cat with white belly and muzzle

APPRENTICED TOMS

Wolfpaw- Shaggy grey tom with pale green eyes

Blackpaw- White tom with black ears, tail and paws. Dark blue eyes

Scratchpaw- White tom with several dark patches and bright blue eyes

Stonepaw- Handsome tabby grey tom with blue eyes

Duskpaw- Dark brown tom with lighter browned markings and amber eyes

Flamepaw- Ginger tom with surprising dark orange eyes

Hawkpaw- Very dark brown tom

KITS (NO CURRENT QUEENS)

Barkkit- Long furred, dark brown she cat with amber eyes

Lionkit- Golden tom with intelligent green eyes

Tuftkit- Fluffy white she-cat with tufts of fur on her ears with amber eyes

Dustkit- Light brown tom with white markings

ELDERS

Foxpaw- Old, ginger she-cat

Mate, none

Riverswipe- Old brown tom with silver markings and blue eyes

Fireclan (only cats mentioned in the story thus far listed)

LEADER

Ashstar- Solid grey tom with dark brown eyes

DEPUTY

Owlheart- Tabby brown tom with dark amber eyes.

MEDICINE CAT

Hawkswoop- Grey tabby tom with large blue eyes

WARRIORS

Eaglewing- Light tabby tom

Oakfur- Chestnut tom

APPRENTICES

Sightpaw- Small grey-black tom with blue eyes

Swiftpaw- Blue eyed she-cat with white fur and black and grey patches

To-be mate, Oakfur

Shadeclan (only cats mentioned in the story thus far listed)

LEADER

Foxstar- Ginger tom with deep blue eyes

DEPUTY

Windclaw: Pale brown tom

MEDICINE CAT

Whitetail- Pure white cat with yellow eyes

Apprentice, Silencepaw

WARRIORS

Blackfur- Solid black tom

Redpool- Russet furred she-cat

Mate, Foxstar

APPRENTICES

Silencepaw- grey-black tom with black dots lining his fur and pale green eyes

Finchpaw- Golden furred she-cat and green eyes

Snakepaw- Dark brown, tabby tom

Streamclan (only cats mentioned in the story thus far listed)

LEADER
Sandstar- pale ginger tom with dark orange stripes and amber eyes

DEPUTY

Runningscar- Golden tom with light amber eyes and a scarred muzzle

MEDICINE CAT

Bluepaw: Old solid grey-blue she cat

Apprentice, Darkpaw

APPRENTICES

Pebblepaw- light grey tom with blue eyes

Softpaw- Cream she-cat with fluffy fur and blue eyes