Chapter 9: The Moon's River

Icestar put Swiftflower in charge of taking care of her kits while she hunted. The queen didn't seem very enthusiastic, but she took care of them anyway. Now, the young leader crouched behind a ground squirrel, ready to pounce on it. Moonriver's belly was getting bigger, and her actions became limited. Moon was always at her side now, helping her in the medicine cat's den.

After about five more minutes, Icestar went back home with the mouse in her jaws. When she got back to camp, Darkpelt raced all the way from the warriors' den to her.

"Icestar! ThunderClan warriors are heading this way!" he yowled.

"What? Why?"

"I don't know! But one of the warriors was…was Tigerbelly's mate!"

"Did she become a queen?"

"N-no. His death was too quick."

Icestar stared at him for a long time. Then her ears pricked and she turned to the nursery. They were coming for her kits.


"Firekit, Singekit, and Willowkit are fine, Icestar. How many times do you have to ask and I have to tell you?" Swiftflower groaned angrily. "I'll protect them with my life!"

"ThunderClan is here!" Darkpelt snarled.

Icestar whipped around, spitting at the intruders. "Go away!" she hissed. "There is nothing for you here!" Her tail lashed from side to side as she said that. The deputy, Dragontail, stepped forward. Brackenpelt, Tigerbelly's mate, was right behind him.

"Actually, we do have something here. Give us the kits and no one will get killed!"

"Never! They belong to ShadowClan!"

"They belong to their mother's Clan!"

"I know," Icestar growled while wrapping her tail protectively around her kits. "ShadowClan is my Clan."

"And we'll fight to the death to protect them!" Darkpelt stalked to her side, crouching beside her. "The whole Clan will."

At that, every warrior, apprentice, queen, and the elder Dapplefur flanked the leader and her deputy on both sides. The warriors began to growl while the kits squeaked in anger. Icestar lowed softly. The ThunderClan warriors crouched also, Dragontail in front and Brackenpelt beside him. His eyes glinted in the fading sunlight.

"We'll fight to the death too, Icestar." A cruel smile spread across his face.

Moon was close to her, and she could hear his heart pounding in his chest. He glanced at her; she nodded quickly. He picked his way silently to her kits, not taking his eyes off Thornface, a respectable ThunderClan warrior.

Hurry, Icestar thought. They can attack and kill us right now!

Dragontail let out a battle cry, and the cats threw themselves into battle. Singekit let out a wail as he was snatched up not by Moon, but by Thornface. The huge tom swung the kit around, making it squeal in pain. Icestar let out her rage on him first. But it was too late; Thornface had killed him.

"NO!" Icestar yowled/screeched.

"It's done, Dragontail!" Mudear hissed happily.

All of the ThunderClan cats vanished, except for Dragontail. "Let this be a warning, that if you don't give those kits to us by moonrise tomorrow, that there will be even more deaths."

Icestar crouched beside the dead kit, letting out wails of grief. Her claws dug into the ground as she licked him desperately, searching for a heartbeat. Willowkit's eyes were huge, while Firekit's eyes were closed. Both were whimpering. Swiftflower hung her head. For a moment, time seemed to stand still, as the sun hung in the sky, clinging to give light to the mourning cats, its' fiery rays giving no warmth to the saddened Clan. The words left seemed to hang with it.

"…there will be even more deaths…"

Icestar picked the kit up in her mouth, and carried it to a burial place. She came back to camp muddy, looking frail and old instead of the young, spunky cat ShadowClan once knew. She padded into her den. That night, Icestar dreamed.

She was standing in a strange grove, or so she thought. The trees were covered with snow, the first signs of leaf-bare showing right through their branches. Two cats were playing together, their pelts shining with the morning light's rays. The other cat, a light brown tabby she-cat with a distinctive white chest and paws, was being slightly crushed by the flame-colored tom. The she-cat looked up.

"Willowkit?" whispered Icestar.

"Mom?" the she-cat murmured.

"My kits!"

The tom looked up too. They scrambled over to her.

"Mom, we haven't seen you since…Singekit," Firekit meowed.

"Yeah, why did Loststar bring us here?" Willowkit mewled softly.

"Wait, Loststar brought you here?"

"Yes, and our Twolegs are taking really good care of us. They named me Princess! But how did you forget he brought us here?"

"Yeah, how?"

As Icestar started to reply, a Twoleg walked out of its nest, shouting, "Rusty! Princess! Smudge!" Princess shot toward the nest, and the Twoleg picked her up and began to stroke her.

"Mom, I have to go. If you come back, me and Smudge can show you to our Twoleg," Rusty purred, rubbing up against Icestar. The tom turned toward the nest as another cat loped over to the Twoleg. He didn't turn back.

Icestar jolted awake. Why had she had that dream? Were they really going to start the prophecy again? This soon? No, they could not do that; they were too young! But, maybe they would. Maybe Firestar would live again. Maybe…


The next day, Loststar padded into the ShadowClan camp. Icestar had arranged for him to come take the kits away, along with his kit, Littlekit. The prophecy had come true, again. Loststar picked up Willowkit, then he let Firekit follow him out of the camp.

"Goodbye, my kits. I love you," Icestar whispered, closing her eyes.

Firekit looked back at his mother, tears in his eyes. "Mommy, do I have to leave? I love you."

"Firekit, I love you too. You will grow into a great leader one day."

"So are you, but why do I have to go?"

"My son, there are so many reasons…"

"Firekit, come on!" yowled Loststar.

Icestar turned away. She could hear her son mewling like he was a newborn kit again. Moonriver padded over to her, the cat's belly bulged with unborn kits.

"I'm sorry, Icestar. But they're safe now, with the Twolegs."

"I know. I had a dream, that truly showed me what would happen, what their names would be. The prophecy is coming true, and they're the ones to fulfill it. I know they're safe."


Moonriver licked her kits again. Their names were Ravenkit and Graykit. Ravenkit was like his mother, while Graykit looked like his father, Moon. Graykit was a solid gray tom with long hair, while Ravenkit was a small, skinny tom with a tiny white dash on his chest, and a long white-tipped tail. Moonriver didn't think he would live through his first leaf-bare.

"They're beautiful," murmured Icestar.

"Yes, they are, my river," Moon purred.

"Ravenkit is so tiny. How long do you think he'll survive?" Moonriver asked, staring at the kits. "He doesn't look strong."

Silverwind padded over to join them. "You survived their birth, so I think he'll survive his first leaf-bare."

Riverwing and Gentlefrost walked silently into the den, in their mouths they held Sandkit and Dustkit, Wildstar's two kits. The cats' faces were grave. Icestar instinctively jumped to her paws.

"What's going on?" she demanded.

Riverwing set down Dustkit. "The Clans are shifting, we are now going to the ThunderClan camp to live. Loststar knows that the prophecy is beginning again, so he asked for Wildstar to give his kits to us."

"But…how…why?" Icestar stammered.

Riverwing shrugged. Gentlefrost broke in, saying, "He said that Firestar sent him a dream, and he said that Firekit would need a good mate, so he chose Sandkit."

"Sandkit…"

"Yes, Sandkit."

Icestar nodded thoughtfully, eyes wistful. "I will try to speak with Firestar tonight, in my dreams. Maybe he has something to tell me…" The young leader padded away, going toward her den. She collapsed on her mossy bed, curling up into a tight ball and closing her eyes. She was looking for Firestar. Then she saw him, sitting in a patch of catnip. His ears were pricked forward, most likely listening for her. Icestar padded over.

"Firestar? Do you have a message for me?"

"Yes, Icestar. My great grandson will be following in your pawsteps."

"There's something else, isn't there?"

"Yes. Ice will melt, fire will reign. Brambles will not scar, then ice will freeze over again."

"What does that mean? Is it about the leaders? Is it about me?"

"Ice, my granddaughter. Ice."

Icestar watched as he faded away. What did that mean? Would something happen to her? Was Firestar angry with her? Why did he say that? When would it happen? Those questions were not answered. She woke up too soon.


Hi. I was up last night talking to 4EverSleepingDragon. I didn't have time to finish the chapter. The story is going to be at least 15 chapters long, 'cause it's going to be not a four-part, but a full-fledged one! Whooo!

Inner child: Yeah. Icestar is gonna—

Me: NO! NO SPOILERS!

Inner child: Meep!

Next chapter preview:

why should I tell you right now?