Chapter 43


BushClan/Icepath

Greenleaf arrived, bringing it's usual heat into the false-forest of spindly trees. By day, Icepath felt her ears and nose burning whenever she left the den. Thus she requested Poppyclaw and Jasminepetal to find herbs for her as she hid in the shadows. As incompetent as she felt, she knew the sun would never last. Like always, a half-moon later the clouds came rolling in and rumbling in the sky. It always unsettled her to hear the rumble of thunder and even hear it's earth-shaking bellow. The rain lashing the spindly trees as the wind blew powerfully through their territory. Every cat mostly holed up in their dens until hunger won out. The pounding rain making it difficult for them to hunt and causing many complaints to head her way about twisted paws thanks to slippery mud. Once the storm had left them, all seemed to be well again. Twisted and sprained paws soon healed and every half-moon meeting was uneventful. A StarClan warrior would welcome her, they would have an idle chat, some concerns about the newest of BushClan's apprentices. and then she would wake up and head back home.

Everything had been moving swiftly, her dreams of the end of BushClan had long since faded. Greenleaf appeared to be moving along quickly as the last half-moon of the season slowly approached. Peace had been a welcomed one for Icepath's poor heart. Each session she had to learn how to control her anxious mind had done wonders. Sure, it didn't prevent or make it all go away, but it had brought her peace of mind to know what she can attempt to do even when it felt too late. She began to take longer and deeper breathes whenever she felt she had to. Even now, she was preparing for another meeting that would be just as calm and relaxing as the last. Everything in her storage was in order. She knew where each herb was like where every cat was in the camp and out in the territory. Poppyclaw had done well to help her gather the herbs since no StarClan-cat had send a sign for an apprentice. Which was good news, she supposed. All of the kits were out of the nursery and apprenticed by now and only Minteye was in the nursery sounding as miserable as she probably looked. The blue-gray she-cat had been proud to rear kits, but now that they had all grown up and left, she was all alone, not even an accompanying queen on her side to fret over.

Icepath already heard talk about sending the blind forever-queen to the elders den so she wouldn't be lonely. However, Morningstar never mentioned it to the Clan on what he would do about her saddened state. With Blackdapple taking her role as deputy seriously, there was no chance for more kits as the anxiety over FearClan grew by the passing quarter-moon. No cat felt safe enough to even think about adding kits to the nursery. With a flick of Icepath's tail, it was a wonder any cat had been kitted in the beginning of their divide many moons before her own birth. Yet, even she could tell the air was full of tension, she had half the mind to ask about it, but her own unease kept her jaws firmly shut. Even now, in the evening sun, Morningstar's powerful yowl was summoning every cat from their dens to the meeting hill. Steadying herself, she left her den into the cooling air, murmurs were rising around her as she approached the hill to be on the familiar spot for her leader. Paws scraped and padded into place, a scuff of fur against grass and every cat had settled.

"Cats of BushClan, I have called you to the Meeting Hill this dusk for one reason only. Tonight, I want to address some things." Morningstar began, "First of all Minteye can choose whether or not to stay in the nursery alone or to go and join the elders for company. She is always welcome back into the nursery, but I will not force her at all. She is still a formidable warrior, just as we remember her to be."

Icepath heard the cats murmurs of relief whisper through the Clan, clearly having been worried about their Clanmate for so long. At last, the forever-queen shifted her paws, her lips parting before she began to speak. "Thank you, I have done a lot of thinking about that. I will join the elder's den when there are no kits. But when a queen is in the nursery, I will provide my ears and nose for them again. Anything to ensure the safety of our kits."

"Well said." Morningstar praised her warmly, before speaking up again. "Another concern of mine has to do with our beloved medicine cat. She has been working hard to get past the greenleaf sun. As expected, we cannot expect her to handle having burned ears and nose forever. As such, I am allowing Poppyclaw and his mate, Jasminepetal to gather herbs during the sunniest part of the day. However, since FearClan has yet to strike, I am asking for cooperation in these plans. Blackdapple will assign a warrior and their apprentice, to go with Icepath to Mothermouth for safety purposes. She is the only medicine cat we have left and I would like her to stay safe with extra protection. Her skills from warrior training may still be there, but I do not want her to fight alone against who knows how many FearClan-cats."

Pigeonstream's voice reached her ears, her father sounding outraged. "Poppyclaw could have easily kept her safe!" She could easily imagine his blue eyes glaring at Applemist and her mate Foxgaze for how she lost her mentor so early. She didn't say a word, no cat had to. She knew how to fight, but picturing an enemy she couldn't see was difficult and having them in whisker range was dangerous. Unlike any other cat in BushClan, she would have to be even more fierce in a fight for her own safety. Yet, it warmed her on the inside that Morningstar didn't forget that and, even though he was spreading prey-blood over his words, it still made her feel as competent as ever.

"He would have." Morningstar acknowledged begrudgingly, "But what's been done had been done. Poppyclaw follows a new path now and we must make do with what Icepath would prefer most from now on. No need to silence our young medicine cat, she has her own voice." His shadow had turned to her, as though prompting her to speak with the slightest twitch of his head.

Looking to where she believed the Clan was, she spoke. Her soft voice carrying as loud as she dared to make it. "I appreciate the sentiment, Pigeonstream; but I will assure you, every time they have to see me, they will forever remember how short they cut my training. In fact, I'm sure even Maplepaw is embarrassed that his parents had forced such appalling things. So, think of poor Maplepaw, he's the one suffering from their decisions as well." As an awkward shuffle of paws sounded around her, she began to address Blackdapple directly with a slight turn of her head. "I want the oldest apprentices to both join me to the half-moon meeting. Not at once of course, but one at a time. So they can see where I must go and meet with StarClan."

"Morningstar has Crowpaw under his paws to teach." Blackdapple reminded her openly. "It would not be wise for a leader to go along."

"He doesn't necessarily have to. I'm sure Crowpaw is smart enough to walk with me. You can even come along should you need to know the way to Mothermouth." she reminded her gently, doing her best to keep her own personal emotions down.

"I'll see what I can do." The deputy promised her with the faint whitish-shadow dipping her head.

"Thank you very much." Icepath dipped her head back gratefully, flicking her tail for Morningstar to continue the meeting. She had to keep a calm demenor for the Clan, to appear mature and capable despite the racing heart in her chest. Her well controlled breathing being the only thing hiding the way her heart pounded in anxiety. She may not understand why it happens completely, but she knew how to fight it even if it took everything she had to put it into practice as she sat where she was.

The meeting continued on, Morningstar claiming that soon Crowpaw and Rubypaw will be made warriors and welcomed fully into the Clan for all their hard work. They still had plenty to learn, but her leader was positive that they would learn best when given freedom and to experience life among their Clanmates as equals. She agreed, but her mind was still racing, spiraling out of control as the realization of the meeting hit her like a pouncing kit on her tail. Morningstar was preparing for the worst and giving veiled answers to hide the growing concern that was FearClan's silence. The urge to ask Hawksight was growing stronger, but she knew she shouldn't meddle in these kind of affairs. It was not either medicine cat's fault that their Clans, as different as they were, that they were in an endless battle. A battle, she wished had never happened ever since she was that five moon old apprentice all those moons ago.

.

The last half-moon of greenleaf had arrived. She stepped carefully over crunchy and dry twigs and leaves. Tumbleheart and Rubypaw were close beside her as Hawksight lead the way confidently. They had been silent since the FearClan-cat had crossed the border, clearly unsure about her even though they were friendly to one another. Icepath started to speed up her stride to be beside Hawksight, trusting her completely as she padded along. If her friend and her apprentice were upset about anything at all, she would never know. All she knew was she needed to whisper it now while they were ahead of them, anything to find out something to settle her quivering paws during the day.

"I need to ask you something." Icepath whispered as she followed the curve of Hawksight's body.

The dark brown tabby kept in time with her, her long fur brushing against her ever so gently. "Ask away."

"I know medicine cats shouldn't go into the matters of battles and the like, but I must know." The stark white medicine cat began softly, "Do I need to prepare my herb storage for one with FearClan?"

The she-cat was silent, her fluffy tail twining around Icepath's with a gentle tug as the trail curved before she spoke at last. "I can't say when it will happen, but it is going to."

"Your loyalty to FearClan preventing you?" Icepath inquired, keeping her tone gentle as the anxiety coiled in her belly, seeming to squeeze her stomach until she felt queasy.

"No." Hawksight answered just as softly, her mew hardly a breath over the rustle of moorland grass. "The day is still undecided, but next half-moon you might know for certain."

Her words were cryptic, holding worry and a familiar tone she knew all too well. Even Hawksight was scared of having to face her and BushClan in battle. Sympathy washed over her, getting rid of the queasy feeling in her belly as she finally understood. To her fellow medicine cat they were still friends and it was tearing her apart to have to fight one another. Icepath could understand it herself, she supposed her connection to Hawksight had always been strictly about caring for cats and was now feeling the pressure of being a FearClan-cat first. With a gentle rub of her cheek, she made a promise.

"If you heal BushClan during the fight, I will heal FearClan as well." Hawksight's steps slowed to a stop, so she followed her lead. The rustle of her escort stopped as well.

"What are we stopping for?" Tumbleheart asked, curious about where they were stopping.

Hawksight hesitated, before answering, "Just wanted to double check that you both know how to cross a thunderpath."

"I've grown up around them, they don't scare me." Rubypaw answered bravely.

Icepath nodded. "Very well, but we have to make sure, the monsters are fast on this thunderpath."

"We'll be fine." Tumbleheart promised, before asking, "Who will you cross with?"

"If she will allow me, I want to cross with her." the dark brown tabby offered.

Rubypaw twitched his ears. "I don't think that would be wise."

"I'll be fine with Hawksight." Icepath told the apprentice, her mew a little rough to get her point across. "I've known her since I was a warrior apprentice. I trust her with my very life."

"Why, do you like her?" Rubypaw countered somewhat aggressively.

The white medicine cat lashed her tail. "So what if I did? She's kind and sweet to my ears. I know she is older than me, but she is a friend to me, like a mother in some way."

"No need to hide your feelings and bury them." Hawksight told her gently, "We're all adult cats here, it's neither here nor there. I have looked out for her on other half-moons, it's the least I can do to keep it up. Now, let's get back to moving so we can stop wasting moonlight."

With a few gruff affirmatives, they continued their journey to Moonstone. Despite what had been said, Icepath could feel her ears burning with embarrassment. What she said was true, but now she wasn't so sure that was really the emotions she had for Hawksight. After all, they had been spending a lot of time together because of Poppyclaw's retirement. Which only made her thoughts feel a little more warped now that Rubypaw made her think of it. Stupid tom, what if I was ignoring these feelings for a reason automatically? She thought bitterly, unaware of how far ahead they had gotten due to Tumbleheart trying to talk to Rubypaw.

"On the medicine cat code, I vow to heal your Clan-mates in return of you healing my Clan-mates." Hawksight whispered softly.

Icepath twitched her ears, taken aback, before remembering what it was they had been talking about before they had stopped walking. "O-oh, thank you." She managed to squeak out softly.

The trip had became silent after that, crossing the thunderpath was as difficult as Icepath would always remember it. Quietly, she followed the FearClan-medicine cat into the depths of Mothermouth, following the twisting and winding tunnel until they reached the glittering stone that was lit up with the cold light of the half-moon. They had made it in time to walk and share-tongues with their ancestors. A sense of soothing calmness washed over her as she crouched at the foot of the stone, stretching her neck out to touch it against the freezing stone. Within moments, she felt the pleasant breeze ruffle her fur and hear the swath of moorland grasses and heather hissing like always.

Opening her indigo eyes, she was welcomed by the familiar black she-cat with piercing yellow eyes. The former leader of BushClan, standing as tall as possible with her tail raised in pride. Swiftly, she rose to her paws, the StarClan cat narrowing her eyes, her claws sinking into the peaty ground as her tail began to lower and flick with irritation. "Nice for you to finally open your eyes." She snapped unforgivingly. "I have a message and it's important that you understand this."

Icepath held her tongue and instead prompted. "What would that be, Nightstar?"

Her former leader's yellow eyes never left her. "Remember your loyalties, Icepath, and remember them well. Friend or foe, you must fight to survive. Else those rogues will take over and wipe out BushClan forever!"

The stark white she-cat stayed where she was, searching Nightstar's face and body briefly before understanding. Like in life, Nightstar was thinking like a rogue, fighting and fighting endlessly to protect what is rightfully theirs. She blinked slowly, the star-specked she-cat lashing her tail uneasily. "Are you certain that would be best?"

"What do you mean?" Nightstar growled.

"I'm a medicine cat and I will fight for my Clan all the same, but healing comes first." She reminded her former leader. "Are you telling me to tell my leader to fight like rogues so cats die left and right?"

"If it has to be done then it must." She retorted, "Why have you gone so soft!? Then again, I suppose you always have been."

"In all fairness, fighting like a rogue is what got you in StarClan." Icepath pointed out, "Morningstar has been preparing the Clan, following what he thinks he must do and what he thinks is right. It would only be fair that you give actual advice then the same tactic that stole you from our Clan."

"You wouldn't understand." Nightstar looked away.

"No, I understand clearly. This isn't a skirmish for territory or prey, Nightstar. This is over lives. You want our cats to dispatch them like prey, do you not?"

"It's the only way to stop this madness." The former BushClan leader relented, sounding much more calm. "The leader has to be removed permanently or else this war will never end. I'm sorry if it's not the way you would prefer, but for FearClan to have the leader they desperately need, their current one needs to be taken cared of."

Icepath was silent, the darkness slowly taking up her vision as she began to wake up. The horror she felt filled her to the brim, but she knew there was nothing she could do. Nightstar was adamant, not following a silly rule or anything, just being plain honest. Perhaps her irratation was having to tell her those plans. Plans from ancient cats she did not know. Slowly, she rose to her paws in the familiar darkness. Hawksight beginning to lead her back out as she was lost in thought. They barely reached the tunnel to the outside world when Icepath spoke to Hawksight, her tone soft and frieghtened.

"Must cats die in battle?"

Hawksight answered her, her tone warm and gentle as always. "Not always, but sometimes it must be done."

For the first time in a long time, Icepath wasn't looking forward to what was to come next in her life. Feeling as though she had lost the war already, she was not looking forward to the bloodshed. Memories of her first battle to avenge the deaths of her litter-brother and his mentor had returned to the forefront of her mind. The blood, rain, and pain. All of it had lead to the darkness inside her mind. A dark place that she wasn't sure anyone could be saved from. No amount of bitter anger would make her wish the death of a mother or sibling on any cat. Her father had been lucky twice in her short life, but now she was afraid he might not be as lucky as before. Sadness filled her as she feigned attention for crossing the thunderpath. She wasn't even sure when or how she made it that far. All she knew was the message she would have to pass on. A message that could be Morningstar's biggest challenge yet.

The sun slowly rose, it's warmth not reaching her as she approached the leader's den. Dismissing Tumbleheart and Rubypaw from escorting her first, all the while knowing that leaf-fall was not going to be the least bit welcoming. Hawksight answered her question and now it felt like the world was about to crash down all around her. As soon as the sun had risen enough for Blackdapple to leave the den, she slipped inside. Knowing full well that Morningstar had to hear it from her now and not later. There was no mistake in the message, it was clear as day and not something that would puzzle her further. Even in the shadows of the den, she could hear Morningstar move in his nest.

"Icepath, is something the matter?" Morningstar asked, his mew gaining more anticipation within it. "Has StarClan spoke to you?"

She felt as though something had a hold of her throat, so she forced it out with a slight nod. "Nightstar spoke to me. She said that when the battle finally comes, we must fight with everything we have to drive them off. Anything to ensure BushClan survives."

"Even if we fight like warriors it will be fine." Morningstar pointed out.

Icepath began to feel sick. "She requests that the leader must die."

Silence was her only answer, making her feel even more forlorn then she ever had before. Tersely, Morningstar sent her to her den to rest, clearly upset by Nightstar's choice of words. Icepath could only obey, feeling as worn out as before. Her paws felt heavy as she slipped inside it before the sun could burn through her white pelt. Yet, as she curled up in her nest, she knew already when it may happen. After all, Hawksight would never lie to her. She had to believe that, no matter what happened from now on. She vowed on the medicine cat code, so Icepath believed and trusted her with all of her heart.


Author Note:

This was a long time coming, it all will begin next chapter. I hope nobody minded so many jump cuts through the seasons, I was doing my best to capture as much as I could. I know I could have done many chapters better than what they are, but I am also proud of how I hit my goal mark of 2k words and above. Next A Lost Star AU I write will be 3k words so I can keep doing my best to write better and more consistently as well as making sure I do it all correctly.

I am trying to update regularly again, but I am still in the process of writing as much as I can with the medical family issues happening in my life. It's a stressful time of my life, but stepping out of the real world to write give me a chance to relax and destress. It may work for me, but I don't expect it to work for everyone. So, please do not worry, I just hope you all are having an amazing year when you come across and read this.

Anyway, thank you so much for reading and have a fantastic day/night. - NightSky