CHAPTER 6

ALERT! I've changed Chapter 1, and added the Allegiances of StormClan and BrookClan. Unless you've already got the cats down-packed, I'd go look at them. I'll add BreezeClan and DarkClan when the time fits. This chapter is pretty interesting, but I'm adding more tonight. Happy Memorial Day!

Spottedpaw parted her jaws. Her heart sank. She couldn't taste anything. The first snow had fallen right after the Gathering, and she and Icepaw had had fun playing in it, until it overflowed, covering the prey-holes and even some dens in the camp.

Soon, she tasted the sweet scent of BrookClan as she neared the river. She stepped up to it, then realized it had iced over. But it wasn't too thick, and she smashed a paw into it easily. She let the smooth, relaxing water underneath rush over her paw until the cold hurt. Then she had an idea. There were fish under the water, and they had no idea the ice was broken. She crouched, waiting, then flashed a brown paw at an unsuspecting fish below, hooking it out.

"How'd you learn to do that?" a familiar voice made Spottedpaw jump.

"Rainpaw!" she called, forcing herself not to eat her yummy-looking fish, but to only kill it. She blinked in surprise as Rainpaw started padding lightly across the thicker ice a little ways down.

"No worries." he purred, touching noses with her. "I've no one else hiding."

"But you're from another Clan!" Spottedpaw said, bewildered.

"I just wanted to say hi!" Rainpaw mewed, blue eyes wide.

He seemed innocent enough.

"Hi." Spottedpaw said.

Rainpaw sat down and licked a paw. "You think one little minnow will feed your Clan?" he taunted, then stood up. "Let me help."

Spottedpaw hesitated, but watched as the tom scooped out a fish. "You try." he said, stepping away.

Spottedpaw stepped closer, crouching. It was different with a cat watching her, especially a BrookClan cat. She reached out a paw, but missed. "Fox dung!" she spat.

"It's okay." her friend mewed. "Try again."

Spottedpaw narrowed her eyes, then focused on the hole, not daring to breathe. She had an itch on her ear, and was about to give up when a silver fish came up for air, and she killed it swiftly.

"Great job!" Rainpaw purred. He caught a few more, then picked some up. "I've got to bring back something." he mumbled through the fish.

"Yeah." Spottedpaw said, feeling a prickle of guilt. She had just allowed another Clan cat on her Clan's territory. But she felt she could trust him. "Bye." she said, picking up her own fresh-kill.

"Wait!" Rainpaw called, and Spottedpaw stopped. "Meet me here tomorrow night."

Spottedpaw nodded.

"Promise?" he asked hopefully.

"Promise."