A/N-Sorry for not updating! I was on a vacation and we had no internet! GRR! Anyway, thanks to all the reviewers and a special thanks to Sunfrost, Dewfrost, and Dewflower. 49 reviews is great! And amazing!
If there has been any confusion, have no fear! This story takes place WITH Larchkit and Birchkit alive. (they're mentioned in the first chapter with their warrior names) And in chapter six, chapter seven begins at the paragraph before the word Love.
Iceheart: I uh... well...
Me: What?
Iceheart: This chapter has sad flashbacks in it.
Me: ... It does... Wow...
ON TO THE STORY!
Chapter 9: Memories
FLASHBACK!
Birchpaw, Hollypaw, and Larchpaw (and me!) were out with our mentors. We were to hunt for anything. We were desperate at this time since Ferncloud was extremely sick with greencough. If she got blackcough, it would be over.
Larchpaw tackled me into the ground. "Ha! I knew you were weak!"
"I am not!" I squeaked, pushing him off.
"Larchpaw! Icepaw! Stop playing around and get up here!"Ashfur, Hollypaw's mentor, snapped.
I groaned. Sometimes mentors could be so pushy.
Whitefrost stopped. Spiderleg had to skid to a stop to keep from ramming into her. "What is it?" he whispered.
Whitefrost parted her jaws to scent the air. She closed them. "I can't place it. Ashfur, Mistyfoot? What is that smell?"
Mistyfoot, my mentor, stepped forward to do whatever Whitefrost did. She leaped back and hissed. "DOGS!"
We all arched our backs. Ashfur crept to Mistyfoot's side. Their pelts breifly touched before they both spun around to us.
"Run! Run quick!" they yowled.
I was very scared. I didn't move. Neither did the other apprentices. Spiderleg and Whitefrost grabbed Larchpaw and Birchpaw roughly. They sped off with them in their jaws. Ashfur snarled something at us before spinning back around. He flung himself at a huge... thing. It was black and brown and it was bigger than any of us put together.
"Icepaw! GO!"
"Hollypaw run for your life!"
One of the things turned to look at us. I whimpered slightly. Hollypaw stayed completely still. Her eyes were wide with fear. The thing leaped at us, snatching Hollypaw off the ground and flinging her from side to side. Blood spattered the ground. When it reached me, I ran.
I ran at the speed of light. I ran with StarClan. I ran for my Clan. Sharp rocks peirced all my pad, but I kept on. I gasped for air when I reached some boulders. I could still hear the things fighting with my friends. No, not my friends. My Clanmates' friends. Only Hollypaw was my friend.
A loud, piercing screech cut through the air. I slammed into one of the boulders. My head throbbed as I looked up. Blood was blurring my vision and black surrounded it. I couldn't breathe.
"Icepaw..."a voice rasped. "Icepaw. Icepaw!" Coughs and sputters interrupted the voice.
"Mistyfoot? Is that you?" I whimpered.
"No. They're dead. It's Hollypaw."
I spun around. Hollypaw was alive! Tears of joy quickly turned to tears of pain, misery; Hollypaw was standing in her own blood, shaking from the pain that engulfed her.
"Please, Icepaw. Run. Run before the dogs come back for you. For me." She coughed again. "Redstorm? I know,Redstorm. I'm coming Redstorm." She stumbled to the side. The light was beginning to leave her eyes. She closed them while murmuring, "I love you too, Redstorm."
"NO! NO, PLEASE! DON'T LEAVE!" I sobbed. She was my only friend! I crumpled to the ground. Darkness took over, leaving me to lay in my own blood.
END FLASHBACK!
O.O.O.O.O.O
I jolted awake. The nightmare still haunted me. The tiny kit nuzzled closer to me. I sighed. Tears pricked my eyes as I remembered something else.
O.O.O.O.O.O
ANOTHER FLASHBACK!
When I opened my eyes, a shadow was hovering over me. I wanted to just die it hurt so much to move. I then realized it was Leafpool, the new medicine cat of ThunderClan. She pressed something against the cut on my head. It stung so badly I screeched and wrihed.
"It's okay, Icepaw. Calm down," Leafpool soothed. "You were having a nightmare earlier. And when you woke up you were hallucinating."
Halluci-whating? I tried to speak but all that came out was a squeak.
"That dog severed your jugular pretty badly. It's a shame that Ashfur, Mistyfoot and Hollypaw didn't make it. They were wonderful fighters."
I blinked hard. A dog attacked me?I woke up? Ashfur, Mistyfoot and Hollypaw were dead? What about the other four? How come I remembered nothing?
As if reading my thoughts, Leafpool meowed, "But ti's great that Spiderleg, Whitefrost, Larchpaw and Birchpaw made it."
The young medicine cat rambled on and on about how great a pair Spiderleg and Whitefrost were. She even said that Birchpaw and I would be great together. As if we would get together. I tried my best to say "I hate Birchpaw" but it sounded more like "I like Larchpaw". That was worse than his brother and me.
I heard sniffling from outside. I sullen Cometpaw limped in. He was covered in mud and he was crying. He mumbled something to Leafpool before choking and breaking down.
"Here, take these." Leafpool pushed a pile of herbs, berries, and roots toward him.
"Thanks, Leafpool," Cometpaw whispered.
As he walked out, a thunderclap broke the silence. We all jumped.
Leafpool purred, "Isn't that nice?"
Cometpaw and I nodded. What could we say? I was most likely speech-impaired, and he was extremely saddened that his friend had died. Even after this accident, I still despised him. Want to know why? Well...
When we were kits my "mother" explained to me that his father was Tigerstar's son. And that his grandfather was a kittypet. By the way, my "mother" was named Dewfrost. (A/N: Sorry Dewfrost! I had to do it!) She was the most moody she-cat you have ever seen. She was a silver-and-gray queen whose mother was Leopardstar. I knew why she was so moody.
I tried to get up, but only fell back down.
"You need to rest, Icepaw. Your warrior ceremony is in a few hours."
That was all I heard before I fell asleep.
END ANOTHER FLASHBACK!
O.O.O.O.O.O
We had been traveling a long time. The kit was huddled close to me. Rain was pouring down on us, making us sneeze or cough occasionally. Falcon was being helped along by Moon. Comet was helping me and the kit.
"Hey, there's a cave up here. Maybe we can use it for shelter," Comet suggested.
"Yeah," agreed Moon. "We are all cold and tired."
I nodded. Falcon mewed her agreement. The kit just shivered.
"C'mon." Comet led the way into the cave. It was pitch black, so we couldn't see each other. I kept the kit close to me. Suddenly, Comet stopped, making me accidentally fall into him. "This is far enough," he announced.
We curled up beside each other in this order: Comet against me, me against the kit, the kit against Falcon, Falcon against Moon. I felt something cold against my nose, yet it wasn't Comet's or the kit's fur. Moonlight spilled into the cave from a hole in the ceiling. The thing in front of me lit up at the silver light. It was a rock.
I leaped backwards, slamming into the wall behind me. Comet jerked back, his forepaw extended as if trying to touch it. Moon and Falcon hissed at it. The kit stared at it.
"What the...!" I started.
"Holy heck!" Comet spat.
The rock shone brightly in the small cave. When I looked down at myself, I realized my pelt had turned to a bluish-silver color. The color of my great-great grandmother.
Aspenfire.
Then, as if out of nowhere, a scene formed in the rock. It had Hawkfrost in it. And Leopardstar. And Heavystep, the deputy of my Clan. Hawkfrost stood up on his hind legs and brought down his paws on Heavystep's head. Heavystep fell to the ground, dead.
"No! NO!" I shouted.
Leopardstar darted forward, trying to attack Hawkfrost, but Hawkfrost was too fast. He grabbed Leopardstar's throat and tore into it with his long claws.
"Leopardstar..." I choked.
The scene changed. Hawkfrost was surrounded by my Clanmates. He was holdinghis head up high, as if in triumph. His best friend (and mate) Swallowtail padded forward. It was like I was there because I heard every word she said.
"Congratulations, Hawkstar. Would you like to come see our kits?"
The world seemed to crumble. Hawkfrost became leader of RiverClan? But he was unfit to be leader!
O.O.O.O.O.O
YET ANOTHER FLASHBACK!
Hawkpaw and I trotted along the riverbank. His paws kept catching mine, making me stumble. It was a few moons after my accident. He blamed me for Mistyfoot's death.
"Stupid mongrel!" I snarled at him.
"Uglyface!" he spat. "You are worthless! You are weak! When I become leader, I'll make sure I get rid of you!"
"Shut up, Traitorheart!"
He glowered at me. He pushed me into the frigid river. Water immediately filled my mouth and went down my throat. It burned badly. Hawkpaw merely watched me drown. He reached down, picking me out of the water.
"I saved her, Blackclaw!" he yowled. His mentor, Blackclaw, loped over to us.
"Good job, Hawkpaw," he praised.
As we walked back to camp, only I knew what really happened at the river.
END OF YET ANOTHER FLASHBACK!
O.O.O.O.O.O
We all raced along the Thunderpath. I was carrying the kit in my jaws. We had to get back to the Clans as soon as possible to save them. Our mission to find territory was accomplished. Our mission to tell the Clans was still going on. My mission to save the Clans was not going to be over for a long while.
O.O.O.O.O.O
A/N-How is it? Good? Bad? Flammable? Reviewable?
Ice: Flammable!
Me: I didn't ask you!
Ice: You didn't say.
Me: Gbbah!
Ice: Don't forget to review! The Clans are counting on reviews!
