Chapter 21: BushClan

The changing leaves brought a humid air around her. The full moon peeked through the clouds, it's light threatening to break through. Stark white in the shadows, Icepaw padded on, her heart as heavy as her paws felt. She dragged them in worry and concern. A lot of her clan had been trekking to the massive thunderpath since twilight.

She could recall how Nightstar stationed warriors at the camp, picking Minteye as the guardian of the elders despite her lack of sight. However, Twilightsky had been worried and concerned over the blind warrior. Poppyclaw suspected kits, but hasn't assessed her just yet. Icepaw could only hope no kits were being expected during these tough times.

Flicking her gaze, she looked over the cats that surrounded her. Powerful warriors were marching through the undergrowth, sliding through them like fish in water. Shadows of the night, they prowled through to the thunderpath. Jaggedcloud and Turtlepaw were close beside her and Blackdapple, their faces grim despite the excited light in her sisters eyes.

Foxgaze and Gingerstrike walked confidently side by side, their paw steps rigid with anxiety and purpose. Leaftail and Gorsethorn murmuring to one another to form plans. All the while Applemist led the way with Brindlepond close by to keep an eye on the chatting cats.

Icepaw turned her attention to the head of the patrol. Nightstar padded with her head and tail held high. Close beside her was Poppyclaw and Hawk, the two padding side by side with lowered heads. No doubt this was going to be an awful battle if they needed both of them.

Luckily, Morningpelt, Tangletooth, Pidgeonstream, Twilightsky, Tumblepaw, and Flamepaw were hiding back in camp to help Minteye protect the elders. After all, FearClan could send cats to their camp to bring more chaos. Worry whittled away at her concentration. Her paws slowly disappearing into the shadows as she checked on them. Her pelt practically glowed in the light, possibly alerting the awaiting group of cats.

Her pinkish-blue eyes glanced ahead. It looked like quite a lot of FearClan cats. She swallowed dryly, knowing she had no idea how many cats were in the rogue-clan. Glancing ahead, she could pick out at least three feline shapes. She shuddered slightly, concerned that there might be more hiding on the thunderpath in the shadows of monsters.

Nightstar stepped out of the undergrowth, her claws scraping the hard black stone as she merged into it's shadows. They waited in the shadows with bated breath. The night-black leader sauntered to the immobile shapes before her, Icepaw could imagine the gleam of yellow eyes in the moonlight. A reflection of the hostility and hopes for the return of her warrior and apprentice.

"Cedar, a pleasure to finally meet you after so long." Nightstar growled, her mew ringing proudly through the air. "I have come to bring back Spottedstorm and Drizzlepaw. The cats you have stolen from our clan."

Cedar's dark shape moved, her body looking like a well-fed fat serpent as she padded closer to the black she-cat. "Those wretched cats? Those spineless mouse-hearts? You took so long to bother looking for them that they are gone now."

"Gone?" Gingerstrike whispered somewhere close by, her mew in horror. "My kit... my son..."

Brindlepond's mew broke out in the hushed silence. "My daughter is gone?"

Nightstar lashed her tail, hissing. "What do you mean gone? What did you do with them Cedar?"

"Perhaps your thistle-down 'spirit-cats' know where they are." Heather mewed in a cackling sound.

Cold horror trickled into Icepaw, thunder rumbled in the distance as the realization struck her. Spottedstorm and Drizzlepaw were no more. They have been taken permanently. They were dead. Icepaw glanced up to her mentor, whose eyes were wide as the full moon itself. She was breathing hard, jaws parted with rasping breaths.

"You murderer!" Brindlepond yowled, bursting from the undergrowth and racing to stand beside Nightstar. "What has my darling daughter ever done to the likes of you!?"

"Bushstar has condemned you all to die at my claws the moment you called yourselves BushClan." Cedar snarled, sharp claws glinting. "The moment he called himself Bushstar he was waging war against me. You are all traitors by blood and I will cleanse what is left of this forest of the likes you spineless shrews!"

Icepaw began to tremble as Nightstar took a hunter's crouch before Cedar and Heather. Her snarl ringing true and sending tingles from the back of her skull and running down her back like rainwater.

"Then you have gotten what you so desperately wished upon yourself! BushClan, to war!"

The undergrowth exploded as cats poured onto the black-stone. Icepaw raced beside Blackdapple, their paws thrumming painfully on the rough surface. Just ahead, she could see other cats springing from where they had flattened themselves on the thunderpath. From behind the monsters paws was more cats.

Fat raindrops began to tumble from the sky, landing with a splash upon the bodies of writhing cats who fought tooth and nail. The fat drops drenching them as flashes of lightning lit the sky and battlefield. Icepaw slashed her claws on any nearby cats. Blood splattering onto the black-stone, merging with the rainwater on the dusty surface.

Clumps of fur was being whipped up by blustering winds as they drove the rain into their bodies. Soaked to the skin, every warrior was fighting in revenge of their fallen. Icepaw found herself alone as a big black-colored tom bowled her over. The unyielding thunderpath jarring on her bones and muscles.

Pain flashed through her as sharp fangs bit too close to her neck for comfort. She kicked the best she could, raking clumps of long fur. In the darkness it was hard to make out if this was friend or foe. The scent of wet thunderpath so strong it was blinding to her nose. However, just beneath the mixture of scents, she could pick up the scent of fish.

With that knowledge she let loose slashing with her claws on her opponents face. None of her clan-mates smelled like fish. That was all she needed to know she was fighting the enemy. With each swipe, she felt weaker and weaker. The tom hadn't let go and was gnawing on her like a rat. With a scream of pain, she hoped Blackdapple would find her.

Someone, anyone . . .

She thought bleakly as she began to feel colder and colder in the rainfall.

Help me, please. . .