DappledleafTheBootiful- Thank you for your wonderful review! It made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Your guess was a good one, but Icepaw did not and will not like Dustpaw.

Clearsight1010- Your wish has been granted ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°).

Azureflower- Here you go.

Mad Hat Dragon: Thank you! I'm working on it.

Thank you guys for reading this. I hope you're all having a wonderful day. Enjoy!

Q.O.T.D.: If you were Frostpaw, would you forgive Snowshine for turning her back on you?

Disclaimer: Warriors belongs to Erin Hunter. The original plot isn't mine, it comes from an unfinished fanfiction called "Redemption" by Moonbirds. Enjoy!

Chapter 4

"Again," Rosethorn commanded. Frostpaw panted and shook the dust from her fur. Rosethorn charged at her, but Frostpaw dodged at the last moment and raked her sheathed paws down her side. Rosethorn turned and lunged at her and Frostpaw rose up onto her back legs. She batted Rosethorn out of the air and she crashed awkwardly to the ground. Frostpaw immediately pounced and Rosethorn gave a sigh of surrender.

"Great job Frostpaw, you read my attacks and countered them perfectly. I don't know how you learned everything so quickly, but you have the skills of a warrior," Rosethorn said. Frostpaw beamed up at her mentor. "You deserve to have the rest of the day off," Rosethorn smiled down at her. Frostpaw was relieved to have a little rest. Her night training was catching up to her and she was often tired and sore. It also gave her a chance to observe Icepaw and Goldenpaw. 'Maybe that can wait,' Frostpaw thought when she let out an enormous yawn and she started off towards camp. When she trudged into camp, she settled into her nest for a quick nap.

Frostpaw raced through the forest toward the screeches. She skidded to a halt and saw a huge fox snapping and swiping at the cats that attacked it. She saw Nightsky clinging onto its back while Stormfang and Applefur were darting around it. Finchstar was attempting to claw at its muzzle. The fox was swinging its huge, ugly head around, trying to focus on one target. It wildly lunged at Stormfang and Applefur. Stormfang jumped out of the way, but Applefur couldn't dodge quick enough and the fox managed to grip her in its teeth. Finchstar let out a yowl of rage and leaped at the fox's head. The fox, startled, dropped Applefur and tried to shake Finchstar off. Nightsky was thrown backward and hit a tree. Frostpaw felt rooted to the ground as she watched the monster fling her father off and tear into him with razor sharp teeth. Stormfang yowled and threw himself at the fox's face. His claws sank into one of its eyes, blinding it and the fox raced away with Applefur and Nightsky at its heels. Frostpaw was shaken out of her trance when her father coughed and she rushed over to his side.

"Father," Frostpaw meowed weakly.

"Frostpaw… I'm afraid that… i'm joining Starclan soon…" Finchstar rasped and started coughing up blood. Frostpaw peaked at her father's wounds and gasped. Most of the fur on his belly was gone and blood was pouring out at an alarming rate.

"No! Father, we-we're going to get Haretail… you're going to be alright," Frostpaw choked out. 'He isn't going to die. He isn't going to die," she thought in a steady mantra.

"N-no Frostpaw, I… am not go-going to make it," Finchstar rasped. "J-j-just know th-that I love you very m-much… Tell Snowsh-shine that I… I…" the rest of his sentence ended in a gurgle of blood. Frostpaw wailed and shook her father with her paw.

"No! Father! You can't leave me!" she screeched. "Y-you can't leave… me," her voice trailed off and she pressed her face into his fur.

Frostpaw woke up with a start. 'How could I forget about that,' she growled to herself. 'I can't let him die, I have to protect him.' She stood up and shook her fur out. She headed out into the forest, but stopped when she heard voices. She crept towards the sound and blended into the shadows.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Goldenpaw asked. His eyes were wide and his voice trembled.

"Of course it is," Icepaw snapped.

"I… I d-don't want to be apart of this," Goldenpaw stepped backwards and flattened his ears. Icepaw's face contorted with rage.

"What?" she asked him. Goldenpaw sunk low to the ground.

"I ju-just d-don't want t-to be in-involved w-with th-this…" he stammered. Frostpaw snorted quietly to herself, 'Coward.' Icepaw narrowed her eyes and lowered her head to glare at Goldenpaw.

"I thought you were on my side," she snarled. "I thought that you loved me."

"I-I do, but-," Goldenpaw was cut of by Icepaw who whipped around and stormed away. Goldenpaw's shoulders sagged and he sat dejectedly on the ground. Frostpaw melted back into the shadows and contemplated what she had just seen. 'So Icepaw's up to something and Goldenpaw is having doubts. This is going to be fun.'

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the fallen tree for a clan meeting!" Cats poured out of their dens and gathered beneath the fallen tree. Frostpaw saw Birdkit and Snakekit sitting with their pelts groomed to perfection and their eyes bright with excitement.

"Today we are making two new apprentices." The clan cheered and Birdkit puffed out her chest. "Birdkit, from this moment on you will now be known as Birdpaw. Snowshine, you are ready for an apprentice. I hope you will pass on your wisdom and patience to her." 'Wisdom and patience? She didn't possess either of those qualities when she turned her back on me,' Frostpaw narrowed her eyes and lashed her tail as Birdpaw and Snowshine touched noses.

"Snakekit, I understand that you would like to take on the path of a medicine cat?" Snakekit nodded and Haretail stood up.

"I am getting old and it's time for me to take on an apprentice. I will teach Snakekit all I know and help him walk the paths with Starclan," Haretail said.

"Snakekit, from this moment on you will now be known as Snakepaw. I hope Haretail teaches you the ways of Starclan so you can serve your clan for moons to come." Snakepaw and Haretail touched noses and the clan erupted into cheers. Finchstar silenced them with his tail and said, "Larksong has something she wishes to say." Larsong stood up and twined her tail with Stormfang's.

"I'm moving into the nursery!" she announced and Frostpaw twitched her ears. 'Berrykit and Redkit are going to be born,' she thought. When the meeting was finished the two new apprentices bounded over to Frostpaw.

"Frostpaw! Frostpaw! We did it! We're apprentices!" Birdpaw cheered. Snakepaw was grinning and waving his tail.

"Congratulations you two," Frostpaw meowed. She looked around and noticed that Icepaw was nowhere to be found. "Hey guys, I have to go hunting. You two go greet your new mentors," the two apprentices scampered off and Frostpaw padded out of the camp. She clawed her way up the nearest tree, another skill she learned late at night, and started leaping from tree to tree. Soon she saw Icepaw with a rabbit in her jaws. 'Just as I thought,' Frostpaw grinned to herself. Icepaw put her rabbit down to scent if anyone was nearby, then she picked it up again and headed to the stream border. 'My scent masking skill really comes in handy,' she thought. Then she followed Icepaw past the border.

Icepaw continued walking until she came to a den. Frostpaw could easily tell it was a fox den by the stench. Icepaw cut open the rabbit's neck and started walking back to Forestclan territory, dragging the rabbit behind her. Frostpaw's eyes gleamed, 'So you caused the death of Finchstar in my previous life. I remember you and Goldenpaw telling him you found something in the forest near the stream border.' Frostpaw smirked, 'Goldenpaw doesn't seem onboard with it this time, I wonder why?' Frostpaw leaped back the way she came and found Icepaw crossing the stepping stones, still dragging the rabbit. Then she dropped the rabbit in a clearing. Frostpaw grinned to herself and raced back to the fox's den.

She poked her head inside to see the huge brute sleeping. She reached in and sank her claws into its side. The fox yelped and glared at Frostpaw with its beady yellow eyes before standing up. Frostpaw turned tail and ran with the fox right on her heels. She could easily outrun it if she wanted to, but she had to make sure that the fox didn't give up. She run through the forest with a manic grin and soon started laughing. This spurred the fox on and Frostpaw picked up her pace. They reached the stepping stones and crossed over into Forestclan territory. Soon after that, she caught the scent of Icepaw as she was heading back to camp to fetch Finchstar. Frostpaw's pawsteps were silent as she sprinted towards her enemy. When Icepaw was in sight, she leaped up the nearest tree to watch the spectacle.

Icepaw turned around to see the fox right as it pounced on her. She opened her jaws and her eyes bugged out in horror. Frostpaw on the other paw had a fiery light in her eyes as she watched the fox leap onto its prey. Icepaw tried to dodge, but the fox managed to claw one her ears. She screeched with pain and the fox swiped at her face. The fox's claws sank into one of Icepaw's eyes and gouged it out. Icepaw shrieked with horror and pain. 'You try to kill the leader of your clan, yet you are surprised when it comes and bites you back?' Frostpaw smiled. 'You are nothing but a coward. A pathetic, mouse-hearted coward.' The fox grabbed Icepaw in its jaws and shook her around. Frostpaw lazily made her way down the tree and onto the ground. 'I don't want the fox to kill her, no. That privilege goes to me.'

Frostpaw licked her jaws and let out a battle cry. She sprang at the fox just as a patrol consisting of Nightsky, Applefur, Stormfang, and Goldenpaw burst through the trees. Frostpaw had latched herself on the fox's head. It reared and bucked wildly to get her off, but she clung onto it. Stormfang and Nightsky were slashing at its legs while Applefur was crouched beside Icepaw. Goldenpaw was watching in amazement as Frostpaw dug her claws into the fox's eyes. It howled in agony, but Frostpaw continued to claw and bite its face. Frostpaw let go and sprang off the fox just as it crashed back through the trees. Stormfang and Nightsky chasing after it.

"Icepaw's badly wounded!" Applefur called out. Goldenpaw was still staring at Frostpaw, but Applefur's call shook him out of his trance. 'He must have gotten the patrol when Icepaw didn't show up at camp,' Frostpaw thought.

"I'll help carry her back," Frostpaw said, making her her mew as quiet and broken as possible. Applefur licked her ears in sympathy.

"Okay," she said. Then she turned to Goldenpaw, "Go make sure Haretail is ready at camp." Goldenpaw nodded and raced off to camp. Applefur gently picked up Icepaw's scruff while Frostpaw nosed her way under her body carried her on her back. Frostpaw inwardly chuckled and smiled when Applefur wasn't looking. Every cat in the clan was crowded near the entrance when they got back.

"Carry her into my den," Haretail commanded and the crowd let Applefur and Frostpaw pass. The smell of herbs hit Frostpaw's nose as she entered and laid Icepaw done in a nest. "Now go away, I need space,"' Haretail snapped at the two. Snakepaw was sorting herbs into piles while Haretail was muttering under his breath. Frostpaw walked outside and saw cats crowded around Goldenpaw as he retold what happened.

"We got there when the fox had Icepaw in its jaws. We thought Icepaw was dead, but Frostpaw flew in out of nowhere and the fox dropped Icepaw. Frostpaw was clawing and biting its face and the fox couldn't even touch her! She sank her claws into its eyes and it run off," Goldenpaw said, his eyes brimming with excitement. Frostpaw snorted, 'I thought the "love of your life" was laying helpless in the medicine cat's den.' Dustpaw was part of the crowd listening and when he saw her his eyes brightened.

"Frostpaw-," he was cut off when Goldenpaw run up to her.

"Frostpaw, that was amazing!" he said his eyes glowing. Frostpaw just stared at him as he continued. "I don't think i've ever seen a cat fight like that! And the way your pelt glowed in the sun was stunning," he finished and flattened his ears. Dustpaw stalked away with a scowl on his face.

"Um… thanks?" Frostpaw meowed.

"I was wondering if you would like to go hunting with me," Goldenpaw looked at her hopefully. 'Did you forget that one of your clanmates was just injured?'

"Sure," she shrugged and Goldenpaw let a goofy smile play across his features. Frostpaw nearly curled her lip up in disgust, but she kept it behind her mask. The two walked out into the forest and Frostpaw noticed the clouds covering the sky. 'It's going to rain soon,' she thought frowning as the wind started to pick up. Goldenpaw suddenly stopped and Frostpaw turned around.

"Frostpaw, I want to tell you something," Frostpaw knew what he was going to say, but sat down to listen anyway. "I love you, I have my whole life and… I want you to be my mate when we're warriors," he finished and looked at his paws.

"Goldenpaw!" Frostpaw squealed, running up to him. She didn't see him groan in annoyance or Icepaw giving him a sympathetic tail flick. "I want to talk to you," she said, shyly looking at her paws. He followed her to a different part of camp and she sat down facing him.

"Well," he prompted.

"We've been friends since we were kits and I think you understand me better than anyone, maybe except Icepaw. I love you and I want to know if you love me too," Frostpaw said hopefully.

"Of course I do Frostpaw," he said a little hesitantly. Frostpaw purred and pressed her face in his fur. Goldenpaw looked up and winked at Icepaw who smirked back.

Frostpaw looked at the ground and smiled. She started giggling and Goldenpaw looked at her in confusion. Then she lifted her head up to meet his eyes and she started laughing uncontrollably.

"That's funny," she said, trying to catch her breath.

"What is?" Goldenpaw asked hesitantly. Frostpaw stood up and started circling around him.

"You saying that you've loved me all my life. I know that you and Icepaw were always talking behind my back. I know that you two were plotting to kill me," she said and she saw Goldenpaw's eyes grow wide.

"B-but I-," Frostpaw flicked her tail over his mouth to shut him up.

"But what? I thought I was the annoying one, the clingy one. I thought that you only hung around me because your parents want us to be mates," Frostpaw growled. She stopped circling around him and stared right into his eyes. She saw him shrink back in fear. 'That's right,' she growled in her head. 'You should fear me.'

"Frostpaw…" Goldenpaw mewed meekly. "I had no idea… I mean… I-I didn't think…"

"Awww, can't think of an excuse?" Frostpaw drawled in a sweet voice. "You and Icepaw thought you could kill Finchstar and wrap the clan around your paws," she said, her voice growing hysterical. "You thought that I would follow you like a blind kitten after its mother? You thought that you would be able to frame me so you could kill me and be considered a hero for it!" Frostpaw was practically screeching. Her eyes were wild with a manic light and Goldenpaw was frozen in fear. Then she pounced and slashed at him with wild abandon. Goldenpaw was howling with shock and pain, but the wind howled louder. She knew that no one would be able to hear him.

"This is for Finchstar!" she growled as she slashed his muzzle. "This is for Redkit!" she tore into his belly. "This is for Berrykit!" she ripped out his whiskers and the cries of pain were music to her ears. "And this…" she panted, "is for me." She sank her claws deep into Goldenpaw's throat and he gave one last breath before laying still. Frostpaw stood up and glared at the corpse in front of her. It was almost unrecognizable. A lump of flesh and bone, covered in patches of red stained fur. Frostpaw felt the first raindrops fall onto and she tilted her head up to the sky. She felt the rain slowly wash off her blood soaked fur and she smiled. 'That was fun, I can't wait to play some more.'