Chapter 20

Escaping the Impossible

The Clan had already settled around the High Branch, waiting for the meeting to start. Warm newleaf sunlight streamed into the camp, warming everyone's pelts from their chilly early morning patrols. Ferretpaw, Starlingpaw, and Pinepaw had returned not long ago from their warrior assessment and judging from their faces and the looks of pride from each of their mentors, Fallenfrost had a feeling that it went well.

She had sat herself next to Pinepaw, sensing that she was already fidgeting with excitement. Her eyes glinted like dewdrops on leaves, as well as her pelt perfectly sleek and well-groomed. Fallenfrost purred seeing her friend in such a joyous state.

It wasn't hard to catch her occasional glances at Redwillow, who was also among the crowd and watching the proceedings excitedly.

Blackstar's powerful voice rang through the hollow of ShadowClan's camp. "I, Blackstar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them all to you as warriors in turn." He first turned to Starlingpaw. "Starlingpaw, Ferretpaw, and Pinepaw, do you each promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your lives?

Starlingpaw's amber eyes gleamed eagerly as a response. "I do."

Pinepaw glanced in Redwillow's direction again before her tail noticeably fluffed out. "I do."

Ferretpaw's eyes narrowed as his nod was almost solemn. "I do."

Blackstar seemed pleased with their agreeable responses. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give each of you your warrior names. Starlingwing, from this moment on you will be known as Starlingwing. StarClan honors your vitality and determination."

"Starlingwing!"

"Starlingwing!"

"Starlingwing!"

The Clan cheered for the tom, and even Fallenfrost lost herself in the chants for her denmate.

Blackstar flicked his tail and turned to look to Ferretpaw. "Ferretpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Ferretclaw. StarClan honors your independence and courage."

The cheering went on once again for Ferretclaw, and the cream and gray warrior fluffed out in embarrassment. Fallenfrost smiled at him, proud of Ferretclaw, even if he usually was a stick in the mud or an antagonist. He was a grumpy tom, but he was still her Clanmate.

"Pinepaw, from this moment you shall be known as Pinenose," Blackstar continued, "StarClan honors your warmth and hunting prowess."

"Pinenose!" Fallenfrost cheered for her friend right next to her as the cheers rang out through the camp. Pinsenose chuckled and folded back her ears before raising her eyes to look at Fallenfrost. Fallenfrost's voice lowered and she chuckled softly, "you're lucky, your silent vigil is going to be a lot warmer than mine was."

"Shut up, who said that Starlingwing is going to be actually silent during it?" Pinenose purred in amusement as she flicked a tail playfully over her friend's spine.

Blackstar dipped his head and meowed clearly, "we welcome all of you as full warriors of ShadowClan! Tonight, you all will hold a silent vigil. Congratulations to each of you. Clan meeting is dismissed."

As Blackstar began to scramble down the spruce tree, Fallenfrost had observed that Redwillow had already approached the group with confident pawsteps. He only cast a quick glance of apathy to Fallenfrost before he quickly turned his attention to Pinenose and the frost thawed from his gaze into affection. "Congratulations, Pinenose. I knew that you would pass the assessment with flying colors."

Pinenose nervously laughed and flicked her tail as she rolled her shoulders. Fallenfrost nodded and responded for her, "Of course Pinenose would pass, she's an incredible tracker and hunter. I couldn't be more proud to call her my friend."

Pinenose's nose flushed a gentle shade of pink before she snapped her head to Fallenfrost with a look of warning.

"Do you think you still feel up to going hunting together after your assessment?" Redwillow asked.

The slim black she-cat's ears flicked as she tried to confirm what she just heard, Fallenfrost as well trying to make sure she heard correctly. Redwillow wanted alone-time with Pinenose?

"I feel fine," Pinenose blurted out as her tail lifted eagerly in the air. "I'd love to go hunting for a while with you." She cast a glance to Fallenfrost's direction and offered a shy smile. "We can talk more later, okay?"

Fallenfrost sighed and shuffled her paws. Knowing that the warriors were going to be standing vigil tonight, it was going to be difficult to slip out and see Hollowpaw, but she knew that she would find a way, or convince Pinenose to let her pass anyway.

"You owe me, then!" Fallenfrost purred playfully.

Pinenose rolled her eyes and batted a paw over Fallenfrost's ears. "Sure, sure, I'll be back before sunset." She promised before she and Redwillow bounded off together to the camp entrance.

The brown tabby flicked her ear and thought intensely. She needed to come up with a plan to leave tonight.

Fallenfrost stalked quietly through the underbrush of reeds and tall stalks of grass nearly obscuring her vision. It took several minutes of rolling around in mushrooms she found near the dirtplace before she was able to slip out of the camp that way. She smelled unpleasant, but it masked her scent leaving the camp.

Through the grass, she could see Hollowpaw perching on the edge of the half-bridge staring out into the lakewater. The moon was a glistening claw-scratch in the sky, reflected clearly in the still waters of the lake. He appeared distracted, not even so much as a fidget.

Fallenfrost crept out from the darkness, smiling to herself as she slowly walked up behind the apprentice. As soon as she was within a tail-length, she tapped his paw on his back, barely stifling a giggle.

Hollowpaw immediately released a yowl and swerved around, claws outstretched and eyes wild until he realized it was Fallenfrost. The brown tabby she-cat was giggling and flicking her tail and sitting on the wooden planks of the half-bridge. "You should seen your face," she meowed in between trills.

"You scared me!" Hollowpaw hissed, before it turned into following light laughter. "I didn't realize ShadowClan cats were that good at stalking!"

"Trained since they're kits," Fallenfrost remarked as she swiped a tongue over her paw. Her eyes snapped back to him, growing sharper. "Some of the apprentices became warriors today and they were holding vigil. I had to go through a lot to come meet you, you know."

Hollowpaw turned away guiltily. "I know, I know, I'm sorry. I just really wanted to see you again."

"We see each other in the Place of No Stars, what's different about this?" Her tail flicked.

"Well, for starters," Hollowpaw began with a yawn, "It smells better here than in the Dark Forest. It's full of dead cats, you know?"

Fallenfrost turned away when he mentioned the scent of the Dark Forest. The fact that it smelled of death all the time was already a concern of hers, and she had woken up with many scratches and wounds that she's had to part her fur carefully to cover. She quietly curled her tail over her paws defensively as she took a deep breath. "I'm thinking of leaving the Dark Forest."

Hollowpaw's eyes suddenly widened in terror. He stood up and stood at her eye level. It took her a moment to realize just how tall he was, even compared to her. He's too old to be an apprentice, he really should be a warrior by now! She thought to herself.

"You can't!" Hollowpaw hissed quietly, "They might hurt or even kill you, doesn't ShadowClan need you alive?!"

You don't get it, my Clan doesn't need me. It's Flametail that they need.

"I'm just another warrior," she remarked softly, lowering her head as her heart began to beat wildly in her chest.

"You're not "just another warrior"," Hollowpaw hissed in response as he nudged his nose underneath Fallenfrost's chin. "You're my friend, I don't want to see you get killed!"

Her stomach sank just seeing how intense Hollowpaw was getting at the possibility of her being killed by the Dark Forest cats. While it was certainly a possibility to leave, it was a slim chance to escape unscathed.

But it was a risk she had to take.

"I have to try," she breathed, "I have to leave the Dark Forest somehow."