Sorry i haven't updated in a while, but my computer crashed and that made things go totally wrong! Anyway, last chapter of part 2!
Chapter 6: Rippedstar and Sandstar
Iceclaw made her way from the pond to the camp. ShadowClan re-earned Twisted Glade after Fernstar was killed. Wildwind, her deputy, had passed through the day before, saying that he was going to get his nine lives and that Twisted Glade was no longer in his power.
"Hmm…I wonder what Moonpaw is doing right now? Well, I had better go and see her since I didn't talk to her at all yesterday," mumbled Iceclaw.
She paused when she heard a faint rustling sound. Her ears pricked, she advanced, crouching low onto the ground. Thinking it was prey, she pounced, only to find that it was Singefur.
"Hey!" he yowled.
"Sorry," she apologized.
"It's okay. Um, what did StarClan talk to you about?"
"Can't say. I really didn't understand."
Singefur merely nodded. He kept his green eyes staring into her golden ones. Her eyes bored back into him, a purr escaping her on accident.
Singefur smiled. "I knew it."
"That doesn't mean I like you!" she protested.
"Yes it does."
He licked her between the ears. She purred again. She sheathed her claws and jumped off him. He twisted so he was standing on his paws.
"Rippedstar?" he whispered.
"What?" she sniffed.
"Today you're fighting Rippedstar!"
Moonpaw swiped a pink tongue around her muzzle, getting the last traces of mouse off her. Iceclaw and Singefur padded over to her.
"What's up?" she meowed.
"Would you like to help us fight Rippedstar?" Iceclaw asked.
"Would I!"
Singefur flicked his ears toward her. "Then get ready, we're going right now."
Moonpaw sprang up, eyes shining. She nodded and waited for them to race out of camp. Iceclaw shrugged; Singefur smiled.
"Ready?"
Iceclaw nodded and beckoned her with a flick of her tail. Moonpaw followed the gesture. Together, the three wolves raced out of camp, leaving a trail of dust from their paws.
The RiverClan camp was flooded with warriors from both ThunderClan and RiverClan. Their new leader, Wildstar (A/N: Sorry Mooncloud!), was speaking to Rippedstar. Moonpaw looked at Iceclaw, uncertain on whether to attack or to wait.
"You go and tell them ShadowClan wolves are in ThunderClan," Iceclaw ordered.
Moonpaw nodded quickly. She crept forward, reaching the other warriors slowly. She raised her head and yowled, "ShadowClan warriors are taking over your camp, ThunderClan!"
Iceclaw heard ThunderClan and RiverClan pounding out of camp, but only Rippedstar and his deputy, Blackfire, stayed behind. "RUN MOONPAW!" she snarled. The apprentice shot away and Singefur and Iceclaw attacked. The only thing that she could remember was that she had killed Rippedstar, but her friend was dead.
Silverwind and Moonpaw were hovering over her when she woke. "What in the name of StarClan happened?"
Moonpaw looked away; Silverwind sighed deeply. "Oh, Iceclaw…I ran back to camp, but when we got here, he was already—" The apprentice choked and began to cry.
"Iceclaw, Singefur is dead," Silverwind murmured gravely.
"NO! THIS CAN'T HAPPEN!" Iceclaw yowled. "HE WAS MY FRIEND!"
"Calm down, young warrior. There was nothing we could do."
"NOTHING YOU COULD DO!" Iceclaw cried.
"Just calm down!"
Iceclaw stared at her, tears flowing from her golden eyes. "No, this cannot happen…" She rose to her paws, not meeting the others' eyes.
"Let's go home, Iceclaw," Silverwind whispered. "We can ask a patrol to come and get him."
"I'm not leaving him…I love him," Iceclaw meowed softly. She picked up his scruff and looked at them. "Now we can go." Iceclaw thought their paws seemed to take them so far from his death place, but that they were still moons away from the camp. They were wrong, she thought.
"Iceclaw, are you okay?" Moonpaw meowed. They were back at camp.
"No."
Her apprentice licked between her ears. "I'm sorry I couldn't get there fast enough, but I did kill Blackfire!"
"You should be made a warrior then, you and your siblings," muttered Iceclaw. She still was sad and angry that Singefur died, the prophecy was wrong, and that Tigertooth might be dead as well.
"Iceclaw, Tigertooth is dead!" yowled Oakfur. Tigertooth was his son, he should be like this.
Iceclaw nearly died. Tears began to form, and she stopped walking. She put down Singefur. "StarClan was wrong." She picked her friend back up and turned away, walking slowly out of camp.
They were buried the next morning. Iceclaw wasn't there. She seemed so distant now, without her mate or her friend. She hadn't had a chance to tell Singefur that she was going to have his kits, she hadn't had a chance to tell Tigertooth what was going to start in the camp. But now, she kept it to herself. Only one word could tear the whole Clan apart. And she knew what it was.
Death.
No cat could stop it. No one could escape it. It would happen someday to them, just as it did to Singefur and Tigertooth.
Death.
But she could stop it, if she killed Sandstar, after she became leader, after Singefur and she were reunited. She knew he would always be there, but that feeling that he left for good was there too. She felt as if she was alone in the world, banished to another, one that would never accept her.
A yowl sounded from Highrock. A warrior ceremony was about to begin. Cats were gathered around to hear when Iceclaw got there. Silverwind was already speaking.
"Moonpaw, Dawnpaw, Gingerpaw, Brindlepaw, and Blackpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend the Clan, even at the cost of your lives?"
There were 'I dos' from the apprentices.
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Moonpaw, from this moment you will be known as Moonriver. StarClan admires your skill and intelligence, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan."
The two stepped forwards and touched noses. Moonriver gave Silverwind a respectful lick on her shoulder, and padded off to join the other warriors. The other names for the warriors were, Dawncloud, Gingerpelt, Blacktail, and Brindlefur.
"More kits are ready to be apprentices. You two, step forward."
A dark blue-gray kit and a tortoiseshell kit stepped forward together. Iceclaw recognized them as Softcloud's kits Gentlekit and, her favorite, Riverkit.
"Spottedpelt, it has been a while since you had an apprentice. You will mentor Gentlepaw," announced Silverwind.
Spottedpelt touched noses with the tortoiseshell she-kit.
"Iceclaw, you mentored Moonriver well, I think you are much ready to mentor Riverpaw."
Iceclaw's spirits brightened. She touched noses with Riverpaw, the dark blue-gray tom-kit, and stepped back with him. The newest warriors walked to their places, sitting down near each other. Riverpaw purred with amusement as they began to fall asleep.
"Whaddya want to do tomorrow, Iceclaw?" Riverpaw mewled.
"I have to fight Sandstar, want to come?" Iceclaw replied.
"Sure!"
"I'll wake you tomorrow. Go get some rest."
Her lungs screamed for air as she struggled to get to the surface. Her paws thrashed wildly in the churning water. Another wave crashed down upon her. More and more of the black water filled her mouth and lungs. She realized one thing: She would be with him if she died. She gave up, sinking down to the bottom of the huge gorge. She was dead.
Iceclaw jolted awake. The same nightmare haunted her since Singefur and Tigertooth's deaths. She realized she was gasping, the dream still with her. She scrambled to her paws. Light was shining through the leaders' den.
"Iceclaw, you ready?" Riverpaw called into the den.
"Yeah, be right out!" she answered.
Iceclaw padded out of the den. Riverpaw had groomed himself, as she could see. She nodded to him, crouched, and set off with him at her side. The two made their way through the forest, all the way to the gorge. Sandstar, and her deputy Runningpelt, were there.
"Well, it seems only two pitiful warriors could show up!" hissed Sandstar.
Runningpelt snorted. "Why didn't anyone else come? They too scared?"
"No! They're loyal warriors, and I didn't want to sacrifice them!" Iceclaw spat.
A cruel smile spread across Sandstar's ginger face. Her teeth bared, she launched herself forward, bowling Iceclaw over and toward the edge of the gorge.
Iceclaw could see Runningpelt and Riverpaw fighting. The toms' claws raked each other's flanks. She kicked Sandstar hard in the stomach, which made her mad. The leader slashed her claws across the young warrior's face. Iceclaw yowled in agony.
"Your brother would be ashamed of you!" Sandstar yowled.
"I have no brother!" Iceclaw growled.
The white she-cat got in one last scratch before falling over the edge. Her dream came flooding back to her as wave after wave began to crash down.
Her lungs screamed for air as she struggled to get to the surface. Her paws thrashed wildly in the churning water. Another wave crashed down upon her. More and more of the black water filled her mouth and lungs. She realized one thing: She would be with him if she died. She gave up, until strong jaws grabbed her scruff, pulling her out of the water.
A brown and black tom was all she saw before she blacked out.
Can anyone guess who that is? Part 3 allegiances coming up!
