A/N:

Swirlspot: Did I say Thornpaw was a girl? I thought I typed boy... I'll have to go back and fix that. Not sure what i was thinking XD I'll compile a complete Clanner list with everycat on it, who's their relations, who is mentoring who, and all that jazz... :D
I was also tossing the idea around of just making Icestrike's journey the sequel, but I thought maybe it could be about... should I say? It'll be a secret for now, I don't want to say it here in case some people don't want spoilers :D And, no, I didn't originally plan for the Dwellers to 'connect' with Icestrike, I was just kinda like, AHHA! What a great idea! So I put it in.

Guest: Glad ya love it! There's a pretty good chance there will be a sequel, I just gotta decide if it's going to be about THEM or somecat else. :) Not much more light will be shed on Dawn's past, but her parents may (or may not) appear again. And, they aren't in StarClan, but they aren't a Dweller either. They're kinda like Barley and Ravenpaw. Loners of the stars.


Dawnfeather finished the travelling herbs Cinderpelt had given her, watching as Birdpaw handed two more packets of travelling herbs to an apprentice and warrior. The two cats began eating the herbs, not acknowledging Birdpaw in any way.

The small black and white cat simply moved on, blue eyes sparkling with sadness.

Dawnfeather felt a pang of sorrow in her heart. Why did it have to be this way? She wondered, joining Mudpelt near Icestrike. The three watched the Clan for a bit, before Firestar leaped to the top of High Rock. "Cats of ThunderClan, today, we battle for our homes and families once more!"

There were cheers, as well as a few hisses, aimed at BloodClan.

"ThunderClan, let's go fight BloodClan!" Firestar leaped off the rock, leading the Clan into battle. The ones that stayed behind to guard the camp immediately began herding the queens and kits into the nursery, while Birdpaw, who had remained behind, took the remaining travelling herbs to the queens.

Dawnfeather ran alongside her mate and Icestrike, who was keeping up quiet well. They weren't going very fast, however, not wanting to arrive to battle only to be tired. They scented the rest of the Clans before hearing or seeing them. Bursting into the clearing, they were startled at the abnormal silence.

Scourge stood atop the rock, staring down at the gathered Clans, a smirk upon his face. "I assume it's battle time?" He said, teeth glinting. "Of course!" Firestar shouted grimly, from where he stood beside the three other Clan leaders.

"Why is BloodClan smaller than they were before?" Icestrike asked quietly, and with a jolt, Dawnfeather realised he was right. "Some are missing..." She murmured, fur rising anxiously.

"We need to tell Firestar!" Mudpelt whispered, dark blue eyes wide. "They could be behind us, ready to attack at all sides!" Icestrike's fur raised, making him look twice his size. "There are a ring of cats surrounding us, but that's it. The Dwe- Uh, I'm scenting the wind to see if there's anymore anywhere else."

Dawnfeather glanced from Icestrike to Mudpelt. "Okay, Mudpelt, you try to get to Firestar before the fighting starts." As the chocolate warrior hurried off, Dawnfeather turned to Icestrike. "I know this isn't the time, but there's no way you could have scented those cats. The wind is blowing towards them."

Icestrike looked guilty. "I may or may not have-" Yowls interrupted his sentence, for the waiting Clans had exploded into battle, claws and fur flying. Dawnfeather leaped into the fray, slashing anycat who didn't have a familiar Clan scent. She ignored the wounds she aquired, instead focusing on getting to Scourge. I need to kill him. Without him, BloodClan will fall, just like... She swallowed, remembering her fear and horror that day. Just like before. When i saved his life.

A large, grey tom with green eyes and a large scar suddenly appeared in front of her. "You!" She hissed, surprised at his appearance. "You're in BLOODCLAN?!"

"No. I'm with another Clan entirely!" He leaped over her head in a amazing jump, disappearing into the battle. Confused, Dawnfeather merely shook her head and continued. Ducking, slashing, biting, clawing.

Icestrike suddenly appeared beside her. Annoyed at all the sudden appearances and disappearances, Dawnfeather snarled. "What?!" "I-It's really, really bad! BloodClan! The reason they're so small! It's not because of them surrounding us! It's because they split in half to attack our camps"

Fear ran through her like a lightning bolt. "Birdpaw!" She breathed, zipping off into the crowd.

"I must get to Birdpaw!"


Icestrike felt as if he was swimming underwater. His mother's terrified face when he had told her the news had made it even more real. I should tell Mudpelt and Firestar... He thought slowly, shaking the blood that was dripping into his eye away.

Another scout has returned. Protos' voice echoed hollowy in his head. It is not good. The ShadowClanners are being overwhelmed, and WindClan's camps have already been breached, but the cats there were only the three warriors left to guard it. They are dead. Currently, two groups of BloodClanners are heading away, one for RiverClan and one for ThunderClan.

I... I should help the camps. Icestrike thought, knocking a cat over with his shoulder. He ripped at it's stomach,ignoring the stench of blood and the cat's screams.

Behind you.

Protos' voice distracted him, and he was leaped on from behind, claws digging deep into his shoulders. He yowled, staggering under the weight. Roll forwards.

He obeyed, crushing the cat beneath him.

We must connect. You cannot go on like this. I will be able to take some of your pain. "I-I can't." Icestrike said, leaping into the underbrush to avoid three BloodClanners.

Protesting, Icestrike turned to join the battle once more, but a resounding CRACK! In his mind made him go limp.

Now, do as I taught you. Protos instructed, materilizing in front of Icestrike's filmed over eyes. Closing his eyes, Icestrike envisioned reaching a paw out. He couldn't find Protos, however, and he growled in frustration.

Calm down. Focus. Sighing, Icestrike tried again. This time his paw hit Protos' leg, and from there he found the orb. He grasped it, and there was a light Crack! and the world flooded with clarity.

The trees, grass, and bushes were outlined in thick, gold and green threads, each leaf lined with clarity. The dirt, sky and clouds were outlined in a soft yellow, mixed with a deep amber. Through the bushed he could see the fighting cats, each Clanner being outlined in their own threads. BloodClan was outlined in a deep-red and black, while ThunderClan was outlined in dark blue and gold, RiverClan being light blue and white, and WindClan being in light green, blue, and white.

There's no ShadowClan! Angered at the revelation, Icestrike bounded back into the battle, searching for Firestar. He could single out a single cat in the battle simply by noise, and he found Firestar in that way, fighting two large BloodClanners. Icestrike leaped to help, but he was too late. Firestar's throat was slashed, and he convulsed on the ground for a moment before going limp.

Firestar was dead.


A/N: Not that big of a cliffy, I know, because we all know the Clan leaders have nine lives each, so yeah... :P but I want to draw this battle out a bit more.

Yeah...

May StarClan light your path!