CHAPTER 32

Dappledshade did not dream of the Dark Forest, or in fact, anything much she could recall when she awoke around midday. The long, deep sleep had left her feeling well-rested, if starving, by the time she emerged from the warriors den and stretched out her limbs with a yawn.

Given the time of day most of the clan was also back in camp, and the hunters had topped up the fresh-kill pile. She took a large mouse and settled down with it. She would have joined Sedgetuft, Blackbird and Rimuleaf, but they seemed engaged in conversation and she didn't want to interrupt.

As she was eating though, she noticed Icestar emerge from his den, and head over to where Sorrelwind was eating with Weedfur and Cuckoofeather. Whatever he said, they all got up, with Weedfur and Cuckoofeather following the leader back into his den. Sorrelwind instead headed for Waspsting and Sheercrag. Obviously Icestar had called for his elite guard for a meeting. Only Spiderstrike was absent. It must be his turn to stay at Tussockclan's camp.

She continued eating, not expecting to be called on. As far as she knew, she was still effectively demoted; elite in name only.

Imagine her surprise then, when Sorrelwind approached. The deputy must have seen the confusion on her face, because she let out a little purr of amusement. "Yes, you're back in. Icestar said now is not the time to waste your talents by having you in the naughty corner."

She led Dappledshade to the den, where Icestar and the rest of the guard were waiting. "Dappledshade, good. Welcome back." He inclined his head slightly as she entered behind Sorrelwind. "Have we learned some humility?"

"Yes Icestar." She said with a deep bow of her own head. The very picture of humility. There was no way she was voicing any doubts she was harbouring. Better to be on the inside, as Stoatberry would say.

"Excellent. Now let's get started. We have a raid to plan."

"Already?" Weedfur asked in his usual gruff voice. She noticed he didn't get shot down for asking questions.

"I have been guided by Starclan once more. We must attack right away; Flaxclan and Fernclan are about to unite to destroy us. We must deal with one of them before they have a numbers advantage."

"Flaxclan would be the best choice." Cuckoofeather suggested.

"Yes, they just lost Swallowstar. He was their leader for many, many seasons." Sorrelwind agreed. "Regardless of Tinystar's ability, that would shake up any clan's stability considerably…"

"Yes." Icestar mused. "I agree… Well then, we should start with a strategy to get into the camp, that tree of theirs-" He broke off mid-sentence, as voices outside the den were shouting.

"-can't go in there!" Thrushwing's voice was yelling out. "Wait!"

Creek suddenly waltzed into the entrance to the cavern. He held his head and tail up high, with no regards to respect for a clan leader, or the fact he had just interrupted a private and important meeting. "I want to talk to Icestar." He said boldly, using his tail to usher Sheercrag aside; the massive tom curling his lip in disgust.

"I'm sorry sir." Thrushwing poked his head in behind. "He wouldn't listen to me when I told him he'd have to wait."

"I don't listen to underlings." Creek scoffed. Thrushwing started to growl; Dappledshade knew her father wouldn't have taken being called an underling well. It was probably only Icestar's presence that had stopped him smacking the rogue across the face right there and then.

"Enough." Icestar was baring his own teeth in annoyance, but he took a deep breath, trying to find some patience. He stared at Creek for a moment. "Fine. I can speak to you, for a moment." He looked around at his elites and flicked his tail impatiently. "Everyone out!"

Sorrelwind ushered the group out of the den, and down the stone outcrop. Dappledshade noticed some unfamiliar pelts mingling in camp. Looks like Creek brought some of his cats with him on his unannounced visit. One of the cats looked distinctly like their new clan member; right down to the stumpy tail. She noticed Venompaw poking his head out of the herbalist's den, with a very sour look on his face indeed. He was quick to withdraw from sight so his apparent kin did not see him.

One other pelt she noticed was not a rogue at all, but one she recognised from prior Gatherings. A dark tabby pointed tom with rough looking fur and a weasley face. She thought his name was maybe Ferretpaw? He was a few moons younger than her. She did, however, recall him being an absolute twat. It seemed he had found himself out of Flaxclan, and part of the rogue group.

For now, that interesting fact was inconsequential. She sat near the base of the stone outcrop with the other elites. They all sat at attention, watching the rogues with cautious expressions. Dappledshade did however take note of their ears. Largely, they were sitting in silence because, like her, she assumed they were trying to listen in on Creek and Icestar's conversation. They might have been told to leave the den, but he didn't say anything about not listening. Nice to know she wasn't the only one who couldn't keep her nose out.

"-not keeping your promises, Icestar." Creek was saying, his tone angry.

"How so?" Icestar rebuked, still sounding annoyed. "I have given you Tussockclan's territory to rule over, as we agreed."

Creek's loud snort of contempt was easily heard. "We have no interest in living on that crummy coastal land. Rocks and sea and sand? Hardly an improvement on what we were dealing with before!"

"That's not my problem."

"Actually, it is, if you continue to want my help, that is?" Creek returned, his voice turning back to his usual arrogance that made Dappledshade's skin crawl. "We want half."

"Half?"

"Half! Once we've taken over the rest of these clan territories. I want half of the lot."

There was a long pause of silence after Creek's declaration.

"Help me defeat our enemies first, then we can talk terms of settlement." Icestar finally responded, his tone authoritative. "Later." It seemed Creek had been about to argue with him. "Now I would like to resume my meeting about that raid we have discussed. I will be sending a messenger later with the details."

Creek had been summarily dismissed; the long-haired grey tom gathered up his cats and left. As she watched him go, something about him still seemed familiar, but there was no way she could place what it was… Dappledshade noticed that the rogues didn't look very happy as they muttered among themselves.

Icestar appeared in his den entrance to call after Creek. "Meet for the attack at sunset!"He reminded the tom, but Creek only shrugged in response before he disappeared into the exit tunnel. Icestar glared after him, but called for his elites to resume their meeting regardless.

The meeting with Icestar was awkward after that; the leaders' answers were tense and short as the elites all planned the attack in detail. Who, what, when and where. Which direction to approach from, where to send scouts. The layout of the enemy camp and which den was where. What Flaxclan cats were potential trouble, and which to target. As much as she didn't agree with the principal of this raid, she found herself getting very into the discussion. This kind of battle planning was right up her alley.

When it came time to decide who was coming with, Icestar made a choice that he would not be swayed on, and when his elites began to protest and bicker among themselves…

"Alright, enough!" The tom roared, silencing the arguing. "I have made my decision! Now it is time to tell the clan, so get out." He ushered them from the den with an impatient jerk of his head, and no cat was keen to linger.

On the heels of his elite guard, Icestar made his way to the end of the jutting out section of the High Stone, calling a full clan meeting and explaining the plan of attack on Flaxclan. The night raid caused a few grumbles of dishonour, but they were quickly shut down when Icestar returned that night was when Flaxclan was the most active, so it was hardly more dishonourable than attacking them during the day when they would be sleeping.

They had arranged a strong battle patrol for the attack; comprising of a majority of the clan's warriors with only a few remaining behind to guard camp. That, Dappledshade didn't have an issue with. What she has an issue with…

"The apprentices will all be attending as well." Icestar said as he continued on with his explanation.

"Not the young ones too?!" Blackbird exclaimed.

"All the apprentices." Icestar confirmed, his eyes narrowing.

"We shouldn't be bringing any of the apprentices on this attack, it's going to be too dangerous for them…" Sedgetuft muttered at Dappledshade's side.

"Please don't take my kits with you, Icestar." Shadefeather begged; one of the cats who was remaining behind. "They were only just made apprentices and they…" She had clearly been going to point out the fact they were underage, but she fell silent. Not like that argument had stopped Icestar apprenticing them in the first place.

"We aren't weak!" Falconpaw insisted loudly. "We're ready to go fight some stinking Flaxclan cats!"

"Yeah!" Cavepaw agreed, acting more bold for once. All of them looked so excited. Dappledshade could see herself feeling the same in their paws, eager to prove themselves.

"Kits, please…" Thrushwing attempted to calm his children, but they weren't listening.

"There's no reason Pebblepaw and I shouldn't go! We aren't brand new apprentices anymore!" Honeypaw added, pushing Cavepaw out of the way probably more roughly than she intended.

"New enough." Horsefoot grumbled, causing Pebblepaw to dip his head apologetically from beside his somewhat-estranged mentor. He didn't look as keen as his sister.

Icestar, of course, was unmoved. Just as he had been when his elites had also protested the apprentices' involvement earlier. "We need every able-bodied and willing cat we can spare; the apprentices will not be fighting directly, they will be used as scouts and messengers." The leader explained, his small ears angling back in clear irritation at his clan's reaction.

The clan talked in low voices to each other all around. Dappledshade heard some mutters that were grudgingly appeased by the idea the apprentices would not be fighting, but others still were not happy. Dappledshade herself among them. She managed to hold her tongue (after all, better to go along and keep an eye on the apprentices than get herself punished again), but levelled her leader with a displeased eye that she wasn't sure he noticed.

Her father, on the other hand, clearly could not keep his thoughts to himself. "You cannot guarantee their safety in the heat of an all-out battle like this!" Thrushwing insisted, growing angry. "Young apprentices are targets… and they can be impulsive." He glanced towards his kits, Falconpaw and Rushingpaw in particular, who looked indigent at the suggestion.

Icestar slowly turned his head towards the warrior, and was silent for a moment, looking him up and down. His orange eyes were narrow slits of anger at this point. "Thrushwing, if you are so afraid of fighting Flaxclan, then you can remain behind and guard the pris- the guests… Shadefeather, you will be coming on the raid instead." The white tom's voice was both sharp and cold all at once, leaving absolutely no room for argument as he punished Thrushwing for speaking out, and enforced that no cat could change his mind on the apprentice's attendance.

Dappledshade looked sympathetically towards her father, who had bowed his head with acceptance, though she could see a stewing fury in his expression as he glared towards the ground. Shadefeather looked stricken as she touched her head to her mates. He was a proud cat, being publicly shamed, punished, and worse, called a coward, would have bruised his ego. Not to mention, there had been nothing he could say to keep his kits safe… Dappledshade would have to make sure to tell him she and Sedgetuft would keep an eye on them before the war patrol left.

Icestar, meanwhile, continued as if there had never been an interruption."We leave before sunset. Prepare yourselves as you wish."