Chapter 36

A few days have passed since the meeting in Fourtrees.

If clouds weren't covering the sky, the moon would have lit up the entire forest. With no one else in sight, a large, muscular tom swiftly snuck across the border onto Windclan territory. As he left the safety of the trees, the moor welcomed him with a cold burst of wind. But he didn't mind; minor irritations such as this meant almost nothing. Especially when he had a job to do.

The toms' rugged brown fur blended in well with the dirt and dead grass beneath his paws. The grass was only beginning to grow back but in the darkness of the night, it was impossible to tell.

He paused and looked out into the moor. The Windclan camp was already in sight. He had complete confidence it what he was doing and his fur was drenched in Thunderclan scent. But that was the point.

He continued running through the land, making sure to stay close to the ground. When the brown cat reached the camp, he pressed himself even closer to the ground and slowed his pace into a steady walk. He slowly made his way to the leaders den near the Tallrock. The tom moved expertly through the camp as if he had been there before.

After finding the area where the leader of Windclan always slept, he was surprised to see no one was in the nest. Becoming much more cautious now, he turned and glanced around the camp without moving from his spot.

There was no a single movement in the camp. The tom was thankful no one was awake the find him yet. But where was the leader?

And suddenly, he heard someone walking not far from where he was. Knowing it was dangerous to stay in the center of Windclan any longer, the tom fled back into the forest. Though he did nothing to the camp or anyone in it, the mission was a success.

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"Come on, hurry up!"

Since Icefur met with her father at Fourtrees last, she hasn't gone back since. With her reply to his request, she had a feeling there was little to talk about. But every night, she couldn't help but think about what he said to her. Only training and hunting got her mind off of it.

The next morning, Icefur decided her new job as deputy was getting in the way of training. She and Maplepaw haven't had a full day of training since before Hollytail died. So the white she-cat cleared her schedule and took Maplepaw out for training.

But because of Icepaws' vigorous training as an apprentice, she was much faster then Maplepaw and had to tell the she-cat to pick up the pace. Icefur needed to get her in shape.

When they reached the center of the open moor, Icefur sat down, facing her apprentice who was currently full of energy. Not for long, she thought to herself, finding it hard to hold in the devilish smile.

"What are we going to do today?" Maplepaw asked, unaware of what awaited her.

"You're going to do something that my mentor made me do every single day; you're going to run."

Maplepaw was confused. "Uh, I already did that," he said as if it was obvious.

Icefur smiled. "No, you're going to run to Fourtrees and back here as fast as you can."

"What?' The rich brown she-cat demanded, not liking where it was going. "That sounds totally pointless!"

"Why do you think I got here quicker then you?"

"Because you're older," Maplepaw replied flatly.

"That's not the only reason. By doing this, you could become the fasted cat in the clan. But complaining will get you no where."

"But I don't want to." Maplepaw complaining sounded like a kit who refused to eat a nasty herb. Icefur just started at her. She knew the eyes could be just as powerful as a claw.

Maplepaw began to feel awkward and stood up with a heavy sigh.

"Now run to the border of Fourtrees and back here as fast as possible or you'll be sorry," Icefur told her. She wasn't actually going to harm Maplepaw in any way if she didn't return quick enough; she was just saying the came thing Stormtooth said to her. She could still remember how affective it was.

Maplepaw groaned and started running. Because the wind was blowing in her direction and that she was going down hill, the way to Fourtrees was almost effortless for the young cat. When she reached the border, she smiled to herself, thinking of how easy it was to get there. But when Maplepaw turned around, her smile faded.

She began running back to Icefur against the wind and land. She felt like she was running slower then she could walk.

When the she-cat finally reached Icefur, she collapsed onto the ground.

"Are you alright?" Icefur asked with a concerned voice. "Are you thirsty?"

Maplepaw waited a moment before answering, trying to get her breath back. "Yeah," she eventually managed to say.

"Then you better run to the river to get a drink." After speaking, Icefur noticed Maplepaws' eyes snapped wide open.

"What?" The deputy had no doubt that if Maplepaw had more energy, she would have been much louder.

Icefur almost wanted to laugh. She knew exactly how Maplepaw felt. The deputy had gone through the same thing as an apprentice. She faintly remembered telling herself not to train an apprentice the way Stormtooth trained her but that was before she learned how much it paid off. Besides, at least she wasn't yelling at her the way he did.

"I had to do the same thing and when I did it, I was younger then you. I know you can make it there and back." The mentors' words seemed to have put a bit more energy into the small she-cat. Maplepaw stood back up and turned to the river. It was in sight but still a ways away.

She took a few deep breaths before hurrying to the river. Icefur waited patiently, thinking back to her days as an apprentice. In a way, it didn't seem that long ago. In times like these, it was so easy to forget the world around her: from the weight of being deputy, to the stress of the other clans. Without these worries, life would be so much easier.

Icefur shook herself out of her thoughts when she saw Maplepaw return at last. She looked refreshed but still exhausted from running.

Without saying anything, Icefur sat still and gave Maplepaw some time to rest.

The white cat waited until her apprenticed slowed her breathing down before talking again. "So do you want to do it again?" She asked cheerfully.

Maplepaw just gave her a sour glance. It was probably wise not to respond. Icefur chuckled. She knew Maplepaw meant no disrespect. They way they treated each other just told her they were close.

"Alright, let's go back to camp. After you get some rest, you can check on the elders." This seemed fine to Maplepaw for she nodded and stood up and followed Icefur back to camp.

When they got back to camp, Maplepaw went straight to her nest. The deputy made a mental note to check in on her later to remind her to see the elders if she hasn't by then already.

While Icefur was going to the fresh-kill pile, Bramblestripe ran up to her. "Icefur, when I was out patrolling, I noticed something weird." Icefur turned to her friend to see Ashstar walk up to her as well.

"Icefur, someone from Thunderclan has been here." That seemed to be what Bramblestripe was going to say because she didn't say anything else after that but just nodded. Icefur left with the leader to the Tallrock to talk without anyone overhearing.

If felt strange for her to have a one-on-one conversation with Ashstar. She had before of course, but she had to remind herself to get used to it; she was the deputy.

"Last night, I woke up and went for a walk but when I came back, Thunderclan scent was lingering around the camp. I could tell they came near here too; maybe looking for me," the leader calming explained. He was as serious as ever.

"What do you think this cat wanted?" Icefur asked, trying to sound professional.

"I'm not sure. Thunderclan has been difficult to predict lately. But no good; that's for sure." Icefur nodded in agreement.

"So what are we going to do about it?"

Ashstar looked past Icefur, looking at nothing in particular. He was just organizing his thoughts as he spoke. "However unlikely, I want some cats to follow the scent through the territory just in case he's still here." He waited a moment, letting his plans sink in. He stood up and looked away. "I've noticed something; for far too long, Windclan has been nothing but a victim to the other clans."

Icefur frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

He looked back at her with something in his eyes that almost looked like anger. "It's like all we do is wait for the other clans to attack us. I've tried to keep peace but it's not working. Thunderclan has crossed the line this time; it's time to attack."

Icefur was stricken. "Attack? But what will that accomplish?"

"If we don't take action, Thunderclan and Shadowclan will just keep attacking us. We need to show them that we wont stand for it. I have been way to merciful to them."

Icefur understood what Ashstar meant completely but she didn't want to send the warriors into battle. Since her sisters' death, she couldn't imagine how she would feel if another friend died in battle: a pointless battle.

She sighed, knowing Ashstar wouldn't change his mind. "When will we attack them?"

"Soon," Ashstar replied plainly. "But before we even tell the others this, I want patrols out after the scent. After they report back, I'll work on when the right time to attack will be… Most likely the next day or day after they." Ashstar said the last part quieter like he was just talking to himself.

"Alright," Icefur meowed. "I'll go set up the patrols now."

"Thank you," Ashstar said with a nod.

Icefur left the leader to start making out the patrols. She walked into where most of the warriors were to make the quick announcement. She didn't bother making a clan meeting on the Tallrock.

"Attention everyone," she yelled in the center of camp and all the nearby cats gave their attention to her. "You've probably all noticed there is Thunderclan scent in the camp. So we're going to send out a few patrols to follow it." Icefur paused; glad to see Bramblestripe walk up to her. "Bramblestripe, where did you find the scent exactly?"

"Not too far from the river but-" Icefur cut her off.

"Alright. Brightfire, Mudwhisker and Rowanpelt, you guys can go check that out." The three warriors agreed and quickly left the camp. "And Silverstone, Moonheart and Dustfoot, you can search for any other scents around the territory. I suggest you start by the border." Icefur realized she probably didn't need to make a suggestion but it was to late. The warriors left the camp right after she spoke.

Bramblestripe finally broke in again. "Hold on," she pleaded. "I first found the scent near the river but I found an even weaker one leading away from it and headed to Shadowclan territory."

"Really," Icefur muttered. It sounded interesting enough.

"Yeah, so I figured you and I could go follow it." Bramblestripe smiled, begging her friend to go with her.

"Okay, let's go."

They left camp and Icefur followed Bramblestripe to where she found the trail of Thunderclan scent. They were basically following the first patrol for part of the walk. While the stronger scent followed the river, Icefur noticed a weaker path going into the other direction. The two she-cats followed it.

Icefur knew it was odd how the cat left two trails. One was probably meant to lead the Windclan cats away from the path he really took but she couldn't be certain. And why did he go to Shadowclan of all places? Wouldn't it just be easier and safer to go back to Thunderclan?

Icefur didn't get much time to think about it before they reached the Shadowclan border. They stopped before entering the trees.

"The scent just goes into Shadowclan," Bramblestripe said, staring into the stretch of trees.

"That's so strange," Icefur muttered to herself.

As they stood by the border, a memory flashed into Bramblestripes' mind and she decided to say it. "Oh yeah, this is also where I ran into that Shadowclan cat, Rainshadow a few days ago."

Icefur opened her mouth the respond but was cut off by another voice.

"So you told your friend about me, huh?

Bramblestripe and Icefur snapped their heads into the forest, fully alert. A dark-furred tom stepped out of the trees. It was Rainshadow.

Bramblestripe was startled but Icefur was mad about him on their land.

"What do you think you're doing here?" she demanded.

Rainshadows' casual smile faded and was replaced with a look for pure innocence. "I'm sorry," he started. "I was just patrolling and thought there was a slight chance I could run into Bramblestripe again if I can. I promise I was going to leave but I just happened to hear you two come. Once I saw there where two of you, I was going to go back to camp anyway until she mentioned me."

After hearing him explain, Icefur couldn't bring herself to not trust him. Just the way he spoke made her want to believe he was telling the truth. It was… odd.

Bramblestripe turned to her friend. "He liked me, I know it," she insisted in a whisper so he wouldn't be able to hear.

Icefur ignored her. "Well we're here so you can be on your way now."

"Why?" He asked plainly. "I'm no harm. I just wanted to see Bramblestripe again. I hope you didn't forget abut me already," he said, looking over to the grey and black she-cat.

Icefur could tell her friend was feeling incredible awkward just by standing next to her.

When Bramblestripe didn't respond, Icefur got a good idea. "Hey Rainshadow," she started. "Do you know anything about a Thunderclan cat in your territory?"

Rainstripe tilted his head, genially confused. "Thunderclan? No, I have no idea what you're talking about. He have been noticing a cat by the borders that's' not from a clan but no Thunderclan." After he spoke, he shut his mouth tight, afraid he might have said something he shouldn't have. Icefur noticed this.

"Don't worry, we have the same problem." She knew the mysterious cat he was talking about was her father. "But we were following a Thunderclan cats' scent and it led into Shadowclan"

Rainshadow considered this for a moment. "Now that you mention it… I have noticed a little Thunderclan on my way here but nothing deep inside the territory or anything. Just near the borders."

The deputy was beginning to understand why the Thunderclan cat went into Shadowclan. He was probably trying to confuse Windclan and escape into his own territory after sneaking along the border of Shadowclans. "Thanks."

"By the way," the Shadowclan cat said smoothly. "You know my name, but what's' yours?"

"My name is Icefur. I'm the deputy of Windclan." The tom seemed impressed but drew his attention back on Bramblestripe.

"You have good taste in friend," he said with a faint smile.

"Eh, thanks," Brmablestripe said stiffly. "Uh, we should be going now. Come along, Icefur." She turned around and scurried away. Icefur sighed and began to follow. "Goodbye," she said quickly to the tom.

"It was nice meeting you," he called and vanished back into the forest.

When they returned back to camp, Icefur brought her friend over to the edge to talk to her about Rainshadow. She waited a moment to check if anyone was nearby before talking. "What is wrong with you?" She asked sternly.

"What do you mean?" Bramlestripe said, unsure if she should be offended.

"Even if he's from another clan, Rainshadow is really nice. And you will hardly talk to him. It's fine to have friends in other clans, you know. I have a friend in Thunderclan."

"I know that," she replied wearily. "It's just kind of awkward. I have no idea if he's going to 'make a move' or something."

Icefur was torn between laughter and annoyance. "You're freaking out over nothing. He's just being friendly. And all cats' know it's against the Warrior Code to fall in love with another cat from a different clan. He wouldn't go around the borders looking for someone to fall in love with!"

"Yeah I know," the she-cat muttered. "I guess you're right…"

Icefur smiled. She loved hearing those words. "So next time you see him, first have a nice little conversation then kick him off our territory. Okay?"

Brmablestripe looked back up at the deputy. "Why did you even let him stay on out land for as long as he did anyway? I know how stern you can be about that."

Icefur froze. "Uh, I don't know… I guess there's just something about him. I couldn't help but trust him." Icefur was worried for a moment her friend was going to accuse her for 'liking' Rainshadow but she seemed to understand.

"I know what you mean… At least he didn't attack us or anything," she said half joking.

"Yeah… Wait, attack?" Icefur jumped up, remembering she wanted to talk to Ashstar about the attack and patrols. "I got to go. See you later."

Icefur left her friend and wandered the camp in search for Ashstar. She soon saw him just leaving the medicine cat den.

"Hey Ashstar," she called.

"Icefur. Did any patrols get back yet?" The leader asked calmly.

"The first two didn't. But Bramblestripe and I went out. Apparently, there was another trail leading out of the first scent that was weaker. It went straight into Shadowclan." Icefur continued before Ashstar could reply. "We uh, overheard some Shadowclan cats' at the border saying the scent just went along the border and back into Thunderclan."

The last part was a lie but she wouldn't dare tell Ashstar about Rainshadow being on their territory.

"Interesting…" Ashstar muttered. "This is very useful information."

It is? The deputy couldn't help wondering.

"I will make the announcement of the raid later."

"Oh yeah about that," Icefur cut in. "Are you sure there is no better way to solve this?" She asked hopefully.

"No, this is the only way. If we don't put Thunderclan in their place, we will never get any respect."

"But we are going to start a war!" Icefur insisted.

"If a war will start after this battle, we can blame Hawkstar, His greed and foolishness is the reason for all of this."

Icefur couldn't believe that. She knew the clans' were fighting even before she joined Winclan. And that was before Hawkstar was even leader.

Ashstar looked the Icefur straight in the eye. "I didn't want it to come to this. But weather it starts because of us or another clan, war in unavoidable. But maybe acting first will give us the upper paw this time."

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A/N: Things are heating up! To be honest, this story will be coming to a close before you know it. We're probably at the 'falling action' right. But don't worry, for there will be a sequel!

Anyways, sorry for the wait. I know these chapters aren't that long and yet it takes me a full week to write them… I'm just lazy when it comes to this sometimes. I'll try to get them up faster…

If anyone is wondering, I did not forget about Breezetail. I'll have him appear soon enough. Probably the next chapter.

On another note, I'd love to know what you guys think! Please give me a review of your thoughts, comments, questions, etc. We all know it's true: when I get more reviews, I'll update faster.

Have a nice day~

P.S. Is the chapter name lame? Should I change it? I don't know...