Hi, sorry again...I think I oughta stop apologizing for lack of updates, because I think you get the idea...it's not like I'm trying to keep you in suspense...I just have no time!
Sasharu: I know what you mean...thanks for the review. :)
Strangefur: I'll look through again, but I don't think so. He has gray eyes, though, so he was probably refered to as the "gray-eyed tabby" or something...but there's a big chance I screwed up, so I'll look again. For reference, though, he's brown. And Dark does do a very good evil job, doesn't he? ;)
TawnyLeaf: I love him too (huggles) I really need to find more time for him...for everyone, actually. Working on it.
Faunamon: happy birthday! (sings loudly) (everyone puts paws over their ears)
Shaded-Strike: heh...(snickers) (Willow attacks)
Cloudfire: well I can't really tell you anything... so just keep reading. ;)
BlindSeer220: sorry if things are a bit confusing. You're thinking of Grass, whom Mud killed in chapter 6. Dark is still a bit of a mystery - he acts as Stoneice's right-paw cat; sort of like a deputy, but not really since they don't have deputies. Hopefully you'll figure him out as you keep reading :)
Pinefur of DragonClan: hmm, it always seemed to me like most Warriors readers also read Guardians of Ga'hoole...ask anyone, I'll bet most have. They also seem to read the other animal books I like, such as Redwall, Silverwing, and Mistmantle. If you haven't read those...go do it! They're all awesome animal fantasy books. :3
Peachfoot: (sigh)
Shadow of the Nights: I was waiting for you to say that... (grins) already got something. Just wait for it...
Flametail: hey, I did that on purpose!! I actually did! Seriously. I'm not THAT stupid...or am I? No, I'm telling the truth...this time, anyways... (evil grin)
Leafstar: I saw that on YouTube! It's really annoyingly catchy. Now it's gonna be stuck in my head for the rest of the day.
Moletail: everyone seems to love Willow all of a sudden. Must be pity for his codename. (snickers)
.skia.ex.to.astron.: 1. Don't bonk yourself, you're acting like Dobby... 2. thanks for the character thing...I'll tell everyone at the end, but for now I want to use your descriptions to make the characters clearer and help you understand them better without just telling you. 3. You're supposed to be lost. Don't worry :P And now, I've responded to all three of your reviews. Woot woot...
dragonqueenc: thanks XD
Stardawn: it's ok...it was optional, afterall. Cool name, by the way.
IMPORTANT NOTE!!! Do I have your attention? Good. This is actually important - maybe not to you, but to me. I've been completely wrong in my description of Earthroot in calling him schizophrenic. It's just not right, as I have found out. To give you guys a quick mini-lesson, which you can skip if you want: Schizophrenia is a mental condition where the main symptoms are hearing voices and seeing visions that don't exist. There are others too, and if you really want to know more, just type schizophrenia into the google search. However, schizophrenia does not mean split personality, though in my defense, it is a common misconception. Bipolar generally catagorizes split personality, though not Earthroot's. In fact, I don't know what describes Earthroot now...I think he's just crazy ;) Sorry to anyone I confused or offended in my misuse of schizophrenia. From now on, Earthroot will be refered to simply as crazy or maybe "split personality". And with that, on with the story.
Chapter 25
"I'm fine, thanks," Leaf meowed as she picked herself up off the ground.
Wood shrugged casually from the other corner of the den, where he was grooming himself. "Did you really want us to ask? I mean really, all they did was push you inside and you fell..."
Leaf rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I have something important to tell you guys."
No one looked up. Wood continued grooming himself, Willow stayed lying on the ground as Adder had instructed, and Frost continued pretending to be asleep.
"I'm serious!" snapped Leaf. "Stoneice is going to interrogate you too, and if you don't give him the same story as me then he'll think we're lying and have us all killed!"
The last word got everyone's attention. Willow looked up at her, Wood stopped grooming himself, and Frost opened his eyes.
"I told you he was awake," Wood whispered to Willow, who replied with a grin. Frost glared at them.
"Won't you guys just listen?" meowed Leaf, exhasperated. "I gave Stoneice a nice little story about us that I think he actually believed, though it would help if you'd all stick to it." She began to repeat word for word what she'd said to Stoneice, from the three of them and their mutual dislike for Water Tribe and Whitewater to their fantasy of running away to her previous traineeship under Cypress.
"But Cypress is still alive," Frost pointed out, defensive of his skills as an herb cat. "I found enough cobwebs to stop the bleeding and we gave him extra merigold. When we left, he was unconcious, but very much alive."
"Well Stoneice doesn't have to know that," Leaf meowed. "And don't you dare say anything about it."
Frost rolled his eyes. "You know, the most elaborate lies are always the ones that get discovered."
"Not if you all just stick to the plan," Leaf retorted irritably.
"You're such a hypocrite, Leaf," Willow teased. "You told us not to jump down each other's throats while you were gone, and now who's arguing?"
"It's hard not into an argument with Frost," Wood remarked, beating Leaf to it.
Frost glared icily at him. "If it wasn't for me, none of you would be alive right now, so I wouldn't be talking."
"Actually, I think I'm the only one who'd be dead," mewed Willow. "I'll give you that...but you didn't save anyone else here."
"Do you think that little prophecy kit just randomly decided to help us out of the goodness of his heart?" snapped Frost. "I convinced him to tell Stoneice to keep us alive -"
"But we're all going to die anyway if you don't stick to my story," Leaf backtracked.
"You really are proud of your story, aren't you," Willow mused.
"Yes, actually," Leaf meowed proudly. She paused. "Wait, there's something I forgot to tell you."
"How are we supposed to stick to your brilliant story if you don't tell us everything?" muttered Frost.
Leaf glared at him, though her glare didn't even come close to rivaling his. "All I forgot to tell you is that I switched our names around. I mean, he might somehow remember the names Leaf and Willow and know that we aren't really who we say we are...so I changed our names. Not you though, Frost."
"C'mon, how come me and Frost don't get cool codenames?" Wood whined in mock disappointment.
"Because we're not lying about your identidies," Leaf replied matter-of-factly.
"Fine...so what are our names?" asked Willow.
"Well, umm... I had to stick to the Water Tribe tradition, obviously," Leaf meowed, suddenly becoming hesitant. "I'm Lily - remember that. And Willow is, uh...Mold."
"Mold?!" Willow nearly shot up off the ground, and would have had the net of cobwebs wrapped around his neck not held him down.
Leaf felt her ears warming in embarrasment. "Uh, yeah...couldn't think of anything else at the moment..."
"Why in Sky Tribe's name did you think of Mold?" demanded Willow. "When you think of me, is mold the first thing that comes to mind?"
"No...but it's the only thing I could think of that's pale green like your eyes."
Willow rolled said pale green eyes. "I can think of tons of things that are pale green! Like moss, leaves, shrubs, berries, weeds, stems, flowers..."
"I get the idea," Leaf grumbled.
Wood was grinning mischiviously. "Well, if he really wants be called Flower..." everyone glared at him. "What? You think Shrub is better?" His grin widened. "What kind of mother would name her poor kit Shrub..."
At that, Frost rolled over and went back to "sleep". Wood could have sworn he heard him mumble something about some cats being way too easily amused for their own good. Willow flashed a glare at Leaf, but it wasn't an angry, icy glare like those Frost was famous for. Behind the glare, his pale green eyes sparkled with amusement.
"You know, if I ever have to think of a name on the spot for you, Leaf, I'll be prepared in advance." His tail swished as he pretended to be in deep thought.
"Frog?" Wood suggested.
Willow grinned. "Close. I was thinking Toad."
Wood was about to say something else, but was interrupted by a sudden sneeze. He sniffled loudly, using a paw to wipe away the green dribble coming from his nose. Frost not-so-subtly scooted away from him, muttering something about keeping his mucus to himself.
"Hey, great idea, Frost!" Wood mewed. "Mucus!"
"Eww," Leaf groaned. "I'm cringing at the thought."
"Or just Snot," Willow put in. "It's a lot less...sophisticated herb-cat-talk-ish."
Leaf scratched her ear with her hind paw. "What? That made absolutely no sense."
"Speaking of sophisticated herb cat talk," Frost interrupted, "You might want to refrain from sneezing all over the place. The last thing we want is you getting us all sick."
Wood proceeded to sneeze loudly, spraying the area around him. Leaf jumped backwards. Frost muttered something sarcastic under his breath. Willow laughed.
None of them noticed Smokepaw coming until he stepped purposefully into the den.
OOOOO
"Who's that?" asked Reed, glaring at the the dusty brown tabby at Dark's side.
Reed, along with Tawny, Flake, Creek, and Raccoon had been asked to meet Dark at Stubstone, a small rounded stone jutting out ouf the ground a short ways outside camp. The gray stone, covered with a web of darker marks and cracks, was coated with a layer of ice. They couldn't see the camp from Stubstone, which meant they were out of earshot as well, though it was only a short walk away.
"He's leading your patrol," Dark meowed, his expression betraying nothing.
"What patrol?" asked Raccoon. "None of us are on patrol today -"
"Exactly," meowed Leopard, coming up behind Dark. "You're going on a...special patrol."
The eyes of the five assembled cats widened. They were all young fighters and trainees, and their youthful spirits naturally yearned for adventure.
"What is it?" Raccoon asked eagerly. Creek, his trainee, was shuffling her paws by his side.
"The six of you need to kill Whitewater," Dark meowed bluntly. The world seemed to come to a standstill, as if screeching to a halt. Their hearts stopped. The animals froze. The sounds of the wild silenced.
There was a long pause in this silence. The gray-eyed tabby eyed them all suspiciously, though they were all too engulfed in their thoughts and the sudden revelation of their mission to notice.
"You mean... m-murder the leader of Water T-tribe?" Tawny stammered, her innocent green eyes round as saucers.
"That's exactly what I mean," Dark meowed.
"Dark, I think you need to explain things to them," Leopard interjected. "Look at the poor things - they're terrified!"
"Welcome to the Snowlands," Dark murmured.
Leopard ignored his remark. "Listen, there is reasoning for this," she assured them. "It really is in the name of peace. You know that Dark would never want you to kill anyone just for the sake of killing. He has a plan, which he has neglected to tell you as of right now, though I'm sure he would have given you some details in a second." He nodded slightly. "But I think I should explain, so you don't terrify them to death before they even begin." The last part was addressed to Dark, who simply shrugged.
"Yellowroot, who as you know is the herb cat of Water Tribe, is dead," she meowed, as calmly as possible.
"What?" Reed exclaimed.
"How do you know?" Flake asked quietly.
"We know," Dark meowed in a low growl.
"Anyways," Leopard continued, before an argument could break out, "This obviously leaves Water Tribe in a state of disarray, especially since Yellowroot's trainee is here in Ice Tribe. Dark's thinking is that this would be the perfect time to talk to Water Tribe and convince them to join us, but Whitewater would never agree to talks of peace. That's why we need Whitewater out of the picture. It's for the greater good."
"The greater good isn't always good," Flake pointed out. "I mean, Stoneice uses that as an excuse a lot..."
"Do you want peace or not?" Dark asked sharply. They all hesitated before nodding. "I thought so. If you want peace, you have to kill Whitewater, and do it properly. By properly, I mean don't let her escape or live under any circumstances, and make sure no Water Tribe cats see you do it. Then you can say that you were only messengers, but she attacked first. Are we clear?"
"But..." Tawny started.
"Dark, maybe you should reconsider this," Leopard meowed softly. "These young cats are too young to be charged with the task of assasination -"
"No." A cold voice interrupted her. It was the gray-eyed tabby, who'd sat silently the whole time until now.
"Who are you to interfere in our plans anyways?" Reed meowed defensively, his hackles rising.
"He's a friend," Dark meowed firmly. "And he's the leader of your patrol. You will listen to him, or he has the right to send you back. And you do not want to be sent back to me." The threat sparkled in his dark blue eyes. Reed swallowed and stepped backwards, his sign of giving up the argument. The muscular tom's features showed a dark satisfaction at that. "Good."
"You'd best get going soon," Leopard meowed brightly, trying to get rid of the dark atmosphere created by Stoneice's right paw cat. "See those leaves on the ground over there?" Six pairs of eyes followed hers to the pile of herbs lying in the snow. "Adder brought them; they're supposed to keep you from getting hungry. It'll be helpful." She and Dark watched as the six of them slowly and nervously ate their herbs, with the exception of the brown tabby, who eagerly wolfed them down.
She flashed the dark-pelted tom a look that clearly read are you sure about this? Dark pointedly ignored her, and she didn't bother asking further. She knew Dark well enough to know that that was his answer.
Sorry the chapter's a bit shorter than normal; I could have put the next part on here, but I wanted to get this to you guys without even more delay. ;) To make up for it, I'll give you a slight preview to next chapter:
The six of them set off to kill Whitewater...
Frost is called for interrogation
Smokepaw misses Wood...
That's all you get for now. So till next chapter,
Moonstar