I am SO sorry it took so long to update, but now I have time to write more.
I-really-hope-not: I answered in a PM. Thank you for reviewing and guessing. I will answer that guess in about... I don't really know how many chapters.
Icepaw glared at the two cats, knowing very well that she didn't look quite menacing while trying to free her lungs of the lack of oxygen. Surprisingly, her fur seemed to be shedding off half of the water, and her eyes did not feel any of the harsh sting other cats had described when filled with water.
The black she-cat stayed where she was, golden eyes shielded from the sun and taking on a more amber tint. Meanwhile, the tortoiseshell glared back at her.
"Why are you here?" She snapped, and Icepaw guessed the tortoiseshell was referencing the fact that she may have looked like she was attempting to cross into Riverclan territory.
It was while searching through possibilities that a particular detail hit her. These cats were not Riverclan, or so it seemed from the scent. She decided to go with that hyposthesis, as if she echoed the she-cat's question her own question might be answered by the enemy itself.
"I could ask the same of you." She gazed back at them coldly, and the she-cat behind the one that had spoken looked taken aback. Meanwhile, the other one's mask quickly melted into place as she feigned indignance. The a second later she sighed, and instead seemed to settle for looking threatening.
Icepaw could see that she was shuffling through different techniques, but it was clear that all three cats had come to the same conclusion: Icepaw was outnumbered. All the same, even with the fear of an attack or being discovered by even more cats, Icepaw was curious. What were Shadowclan cats doing in Riverclan territory of all places. Many times in history had the two clans been allies, but lately it seemed that an even harsher, unspoken, boundary had been formed between the two groups.
It wasn't really a mystery. Riverclan was the clan that stick closest to the warrior code, whereas Shadowclan; Well, no cat had any idea about Shadowclan because although it acted normal at gatherings, it was never heard of any other time and no one cared much anyway. The result of this was simply a lack of information concerning Shadowclan, and, in this situation, doubts about what the cats standing before the Skyclan apprentice were doing and going to do.
For a moment Icepaw stood frozen in indecision, until a mew rang out North of the river. In the direction of the gorge.
Mintfang? Darksun?"
The voice didn't sound familiar, but it was clear that it was directed towards the two Shadowclan cats. Icepaw immediately tossed aside the possibility of it having been a Riverclan cat who knew them, and swallowed back her curiosity as she jumped to her paws.
The Shadowclan cats weren't where they belonged. Unless they really were there for a visit to Riverclan for whatever reason, they probably didn't intend on being spotted. She was outnumbered and had no idea of their intentions. The new cat, who she now identified as a grey tom as he crested the nearby hill, only had time to cast a questioning yet unsurprised glance to the scene before Icepaw sprang to her paws and leaped across the fallen tree, running faster than she ever had before, ignoring the screeching of her lungs that burned up to her ears.
The tree's trunk shifted beneath her paws, and bits of bark flew into the river. Reaching Skyclan territory's river bank, she glanced back for one moment, only to nearly halt when she saw that the Shadowclan cats were simply sitting in Riverclan territory. The tortoiseshell's eyes were narrowed, as were the grey tom's, but the third cat's gaze was still hidden beneath the shadows.
She nearly growled. Just great. Now Shadowclan was truly acting out of norm too. Of course, this wasn't news to anyone. By the reputation, yes they were distant from the other clans, but they were also the clan most eager to fight and defend borders. It wasn't just Icepaw listening to too many tales, she literally knew how these cats were for a fact. Just when she was a kit a fight had broken between Skyclan and Shadowclan, who weren't even rivals nor close neighbours. Apparently Riverclan had sister whith Shadowclan. She was never told anything else, apart from the fact that it had only lasted moments before falling apart. Neither clan had lost, neither clan had won. Strange, yet typical in those times of peace.
Soon after that Shadowclan had literally become the most despised clan in the forest as they began to pick an increasing big amount of fights until the precarious peace between clans was about to fall. Sure, it wasn't really peace, but these days cats were too busy worrying about war from within to worry about war from outside.
That wasn't what had surprised the cats. On the other hand the fact that Shadowclan had almost completely vanished off the face of the world was still a mystery. They were still in their territory and were seen at gatherings, but that was it.
Icepaw found herself, turning around in circles. Repeating each reason why the clans weren't normal over and over, adding new details, yet knowing the frustrating truth that was that all these obvious statements were not reasons nor explanations, or at least not the ones she sought.
She glanced back, stopping only for a split-second, as saw that the cats were still watching her. She could only catch fragments of their conversation before the wind tore them away, but "Riverclan cat" and "Skyclan?" Seemed to be reoccurring words. She quickly climbed a neighbouring tree, knowing that she had the advantage if anything happened, and silently watched what they were doing, ignoring the instincts that told her to run.
Just as Icepaw was considering trying to eavesdrop on what they were saying, (which would require her to approach them, which could go wrong in so many ways), in case they were a threat, two of the cats left. Only the black cat, who still sat within the shadows, remained. Icepaw watched, hidden within the trees, as the she-cat flicked her tail towards an oak tree, about five badger-lengths away from Icepaw, dropped into a hunting crouch, got up and left.
Icepaw blinked, hearing a rustling noise inside the same tree that the Shadowclan cat had pointed out, before scenting a squirrel.
/
She returned to camp with the squirrel in her jaw, which she had caught more by luck than by skill, being distracted and wary of invading cats. She had stayed within the tree branches on her way back to camp, labelling them as safe haven even though she knew that even that was a lie.
She entered the camps moments before Twigleap, who immediately went to Duskfrost. The encounter with Shadowclan cats was still on her mind, and she knew she should probably report them to someone. Yet she still found herself hesitant and reluctant when it came to telling any cat.
She was hovering near tall-branch, right beside the leader den, stuck in indecision, when she was surprised by the deputy, who took no notice of her as she rushed to the centre of the clearing in a blur of grey and white and called out, "Lightheart, Mallowfrost, Mousepelt,Twigleap, and Stonejump, you will come with me to the Thunderclan border, where Shadowclan cats have been spotted. They are said to have been aggressive but not having made any move to attack nor cross the border. Keep in mind that this is not a battle patrol and you are not to cause any fights with any clan,"
Icepaw shivered at the mention of her father's name. Although the patrol was not very big and could easily beat the amount of cats that were down by the river, Icepaw had certain doubts when it came to Shadowclan cats and she knew that Mousepelt was in danger. She had also noticed the omitted apprentices in the dark grey tabby's speech and knew that the deputy was having similar doubts.
Before the warriors could depart, Icepaw wove her way through the crowd to Flamepaw, who already stood two mouse-lengths taller than her.
"There were also Shadowclan cats by the river," She hissed silently to Flamepaw, who looked startled for a moment before calling out to the crowd, "They've been to Riverclan too!"
The deputy whipped around, "Did they seem threatening," She asked calmly.
"No!" Icepaw yowled over the renewed chatter of her clanmates, recalling the strange black she-cat and once again wondering about whether the find of her squirrel was coincidental or not, especially after the black cat had gestured exactly where she had found it...
"Well then go to Pebblestar, I don't have time for this, she growled, both of you, Flamepaw and Icepaw, she added as she saw the looks the two siblings had given her." Then she stalked off, leaving the few remaining warriors, ones that weren't on the one hunting patrol that was still out, to mutter amongst themselves in confusion and try to find plausible explanations. Of course, the number of cats having been narrowed down to three warriors, two elders, one queen, and three apprentices, most of the cats were clustered together in one group. She could see the kits bounding out of the nursery, where they'd been watching with curious eyes, with renewed energy as their screeches about Shadowclan and attacks filled the air, that is, until Oakpelt and Sunpaw padded over to them. While Oakpelt taught Sparrowkit the hunting crouch, despite the disapproving glares of one or two cats when they saw the no-tailed kit, Sunpaw played moss-ball with Larkkit and Blackkit.
Meanwhile, Icepaw glared at her calico littermate as they padded to the entrance of the amber-eyed leader, whose previously mentioned eyes were glaring right back at them.
"Shadowclan?" Icepaw would interpreted her words as more of a statement than a question, and before either apprentice had time to reply she snapped, " Fine, come in and report," the Icepaw heard her mutter under her breath, "Shoudve been No.." She was pretty sure that there was a part of those words that she had misinterpreted, and ignored the curiosity growing within her to instead face the leader.
"How many cats," The dark grey she-cat mewed.
Icepaw stared at her sister, knowing she shouldn't have been out of camp alone, and that it may look suspect if only one one the sibling knew what she was talking about. So instead of responding, Icepaw sheathed and unsheathed her claws three times, hoping Flamepaw would notice.
"Three.?" Flamepaw mewed, although there was a hint of doubt in her voice, and Icepaw's heart nearly skipped a beat as the leader narrowed her eyes, tails slowly starting to lash, "And you know this for sure," Pebblestar questioned, and she saw Flamepaw's fur bristle as she quickly added, "Yes, but there may have been more hidden in higher ground."
The leader glanced at both siblings in turn, the added, although Icepaw could see that this was clearly not her main concern at the moment in the distant look in her pale amber gaze and her restlessly flicking tail, which seemed to be a similar mood to Icepaw's, who was digging her claws into the earth below paw, "Did they look like a threat?"
This time Icepaw gave a small shake of her head while Flamepaw answered, "Not really,". It was clear that the leader had caught Icepaw's nod, but of the tabby knew for certain that Icepaw had been out alone she showed no sign of it. Then there was also the possibility that Icepaw was worrying for nothing and the distract authority had either not noticed her silent communication to her littermate or had taken it for silent agreement. In any case Icepaw's ears burned in... Shame? Maybe. Probably more annoyance. She nonetheless decided to settle for not believing herself in trouble and not trusting that she had gotten away with anything. Then again the rule about not leaving camp itself was not well-established as certain exceptions were allowed...
Icepaw blinked, realizing she had been staring at a random bramble, although not for more than a moment, she noted, and added more information Flamepaw's brief false-experience, "One of them looked hostile, the other stayed back, more in the shadows, and the third barely had time to join the two others before I-We left," Icepaw stuttered.
"What did they look like?" Icepaw glanced at Flamepaw, refraining a purr when she saw how bored her littermate looked, even as she knew the calico she-cat was pleased to have been summoned by the leader herself, no matter how crazy or not-crazy.
/
There hadn't been any trace of Shadowclan at the borders, leaving to cats to speculate as to why they'd stray that far away from their territory, and also all the other facts and theories and unanswered questions that roamed around the world. The ones that frusterayed Icepaw, although even from what she'd seen she wasn't sure what every cat felt, nor what every cat knew.
She and Flamepaw had simply been told to stay closer to their mentors in the future, and Icepaw was glad that no cat had asked Flamepaw's mentor about why Flamepaw had gotten a free day, especially considering she'd been hunting the whole time.
Of course afterwards Flamepaw had demanded an explanation, and Icepaw had explained the important details, omitting the whole explanation to her fall into the river as well as the black she-cat.
Of course Stormpaw, having been on the patrol that saw the other Shadowclan cats, insisted on bragging about her story the rest of the evening, often contradicting other cats when they tried to interject, that being mainly Icepaw as the others were too busy chatting and interrupting. This wasn't unusual, and as usual, Icepaw retreated a tail-length back, eating the remains of her mouse, and listened to them. Nonetheless they were clanmates.
That night her dreams her filled with the rushing current of murky waters and the looming shape of a crashing object, yet the object never did crash, instead she woke up to the rising light of dawn and blinked the blurry ember- coloured haze away from her gaze, noting that she still has a few moments before training began.
Please review,
QOTD: What do you think the ember-coloured light Icepaw keeps seeing is?
Have a nice day,
-Key