A/N: Thanks to reviewers! Sorry for the delay; the last segment of this chap was hard to write. No updates next week; I'm going on vacation.
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"Define 'left'," snarled Hawkclaw.
If looks could kill, Sunfire would've turned Hawkclaw into smoldering ash. "The opposite direction of 'right,'" she growled. Before he could spit, she added hotly, "It's self-explanatory."
Hawkclaw started to snarl, but Lightningstar silenced him with a soft growl.
"Why would you let her leave?" demanded Quickriver, her narrowed eyes fixed on Sunfire. "She could be reporting things to Shadowfur right now–"
"What does she have to report?" asked Darkcloud mildly. "Pinefur was not with us for long. She left her designated spot only to drink, feed, and make dirt."
Quickriver had no response. Sunfire was seething, glaring at the brown she-cat and Hawkclaw; Quickriver never failed to have a criticism about the way things were run in ThunderClan, and Hawkclaw was, well, himself.
"She left," Sunfire said, her words slightly muffled from clenching her teeth, "because she thought she was endangering us by staying here."
"She's more dangerous to us on the loose," growled Hawkclaw. "You shouldn't have–"
"I believe what Sunfire did was right," commented Mudspeckle lightly, speaking for the first time. "I trust the decisions she makes for ThunderClan." He dipped his head to her.
Honored, Sunfire bowed her head in return, thanking the deputy with her eyes.
"Pinefur will not return to the Tribe," said Lightningstar. "Remember how she came to us: frightened, begging to stay."
"Meaningless," said Hawkclaw, curling his lip. "It could've been an act. You trust too much."
" Lightningstar and Mudspeckle trust her," Sunfire cut in. "That should be enough for you."
Hawkclaw's sneer became more pronounced, but he dared not say anything in front of Lightningstar.
"When the Tribe come again," said Darkcloud after a stretching silence, "it will not be due to Pinefur."
With that, Lightningstar dismissed them, but called Sunfire back. Expecting a rebuke from snarling at Hawkclaw, Sunfire braced herself for a lecture and met his gaze. "Yes?"
Lightningstar settled into his nest; Sunfire noticed his movements were slower, his joints stiffer, and she was reminded unpleasantly of his old age and one remaining life. "How is Softpaw's training going?" he asked.
She hadn't expected that. Taking a moment to register what he'd said and gather her thoughts, she answered, "Fine. She's a fast learner. Very determined and eager."
Lightningstar regarded her for what seemed like eons, his blazing yellow stare burning into her deep green one. "I have already told Darkcloud," he meowed at length, "That Softpaw and Rustypaw are to begin battle training."
"Because of the threat from the Tribe?" ventured Sunfire.
He nodded gravely. "Tomorrow, begin training Softpaw for battle. For now, the battles are limited to border fights, with no more than four cats on each side. But as is with all border fights, things will one day escalate, and eventually a final battle will occur. The apprentices must be prepared for this day."
Sunfire nodded, an ominous prickle running up her spine; it sounded like Lightningstar knew when the final battle would take place. Maybe he does. No, he'd tell the Clan. "What about hunting?" she asked. "We can't have warriors who can fight but are inexperienced hunters."
A proud gleam glinted in his eyes. "Very good," he said, sounding like he had when he was still her mentor and she caught a glitch in a plan. "I suggest spending from dawn until sunhigh hunting, then battle training from after sunhigh meal until sundown." He sighed. "It will be relentless work, for both mentors and apprentices; but it will pay off."
"Assessments will have to come later than usual," Sunfire commented, feeling up to the challenge of almost non-stop mentoring; she was almost eager for it, because it would take her mind off more troubling matters. "With less time to devote to hunting, the apprentices'll need more time to train for it."
He nodded, regarded her for a long moment. "Do you want to be deputy?" he asked.
Momentarily confused by the abrupt change of topic, Sunfire stared for a second before his question registered. "I...never really thought about it," she answered. "But Raintail once compared me to Mudspeckle, said I'm a natural leader," she added, feeling affection for her friend and pride for the comparison.
He nodded again. "You would make a fine deputy one day," he said. "Mudspeckle respects you. When he becomes leader, which he will one day, you stand a fine chance of becoming his deputy."
Despite the compliment, Sunfire snorted. "I'm too young. And the Clan wouldn't like a half-blood holding that position. Darkcloud deserves it."
Lightningstar tilted his head, amusement glinting in his eyes. "You are proud and careful of your dignity, Sunfire, yet you underestimate yourself." With that, he dismissed her.
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Two days later, after Softpaw's training was done for the day, Sunfire slowly made her way to the sun-drown-cliffs. Inhaling the evening air, which was cold due to the season and the wind off the nearby ocean, Sunfire sighed. Reality had disappeared while she trained Softpaw–there wasn't time to focus on anything but the task at hand while she was doing that, the way the apprentice dashed about–but now that she was alone, separate from the camp and Clan, reality came rushing back with an unfriendly bite.
A dawn patrol had run into Alexander and informed him his offer had been accepted–not whole-heartedly by all, but accepted nonetheless–and he'd apparently gone off towards the mountains. So many things could go wrong in his snooping; he could get caught reporting information or could be killed, since he wasn't used to the mountains environment. It would be a problem if he got chosen to accompany an invading party; he would have to fight the cats he was helping.
Then there was Hawkclaw. He'd been quiet for too long, in Sunfire's opinion, and it was like the calm before the storm; the resting period before the next killing. He'd already done Orangestripe and Roseleaf, two strong, quick warriors, and with the unusually early cold clinging to the forest, cats would soon get leaf-bare thin and weak, making themselves easier targets. She also believed it was her own responsibility to see that justice was served, to avenge the deaths of her mother and Orangestripe. Problem was, Sunfire wasn't a killer like he was; a fighter, yes, but there was a difference between the two, and she was hesitant to cross it.
It was good she'd slipped away from the Clan tonight; the loner half had surfaced, making her feel unsettled around the rest of the Clan, and with her worries swarming around, she'd needed to--
Shadowfur!
His scent drifted along on the breeze, and Sunfire instinctively bristled; he was nearby and alone, and she could fight him off. Growling with pleasure at the idea of watching him flee, flaming energy coursing through every muscle and bone at the prospect of a fight, Sunfire flattened herself to the ground, pulling herself through the dying undergrowth and fallen leaves.
His scent was fresh; he was still in the area, close by but not moving towards her. Breathing quicker, eyes dilating, tail twitching with anticipation and anger, Sunfire weaved around tightly clumped bushes. Shadowfur thought he could just waltz into ThunderClan territory when the urge struck him? He may have been born and raised in ThunderClan, but he was now a self-proclaimed outsider, leading the darkness that threatened to invade the forest.
His scent led Sunfire away from the sun-drown-place, and the salt scent faded as she moved deeper into the forest. She could smell water and WindClan, and realized she was moving towards the stream that separated ThunderClan and WindClan territories.
And then she smelled something that stopped her dead.
Icestorm.
She didn't know why she hadn't registered his scent; perhaps because she was so used to having him alongside or close by her, perhaps because his scent was softer and more appealing than Shadowfur's.
The prophecy flooded her mind: Shadow, ice, and fang will come together...No, it doesn't necessarily mean that. Maybe he's fighting Shadowfur, chasing him away. But she knew she was making excuses. She was close enough that she would be able to hear sounds of a fight. Only the muted rush of the stream and the warble of a nightingale reached her ears. Oh, StarClan, no...
Dread twisting in her belly, Sunfire emerged from behind a heavily-branched fir sapling--
–and saw them.
Shadowfur stood on the WindClan side of the stream, Icestorm on the ThunderClan side. Sunfire could just see Shadowfur's mouth moving, saw his narrowed eyes glow in the gathering twilight. She caught the vague, indistinct murmur of voices, and, smooth as a liquid, Shadowfur turned andwalked away, the tall WindClan grasses swallowing him up. Icestorm remained sitting for a heartbeat, then turned as well, heading for Sunfire.
Fully stepping out from her cover, Sunfire marched up to Icestorm, feeling her lips curl into a furious snarl, raging flame rising in her, yet simultaneously feeling ice-cold and defeated. Icestorm saw her and froze, one paw above the ground, eyes wide.
Can't believe he'd do this, can't believe he'd turn traitor–he wasn't fighting Shadowfur, wasn't chasing him away, was just talking to him like it was arranged--
"Sunfire, what–?"
She stared at him, not able, not wanting to believe she'd seen him talking to Shadowfur, the arch enemy, like they were allies. Hot and cold, furious and withered, wanting to hiss and snarl and wanting to cry, Sunfire braced her paws against the ground, sinking her claws into the soil.
"I saw you talking to him," she said; it was half a snarl. "Like you're allies, like–"
"Stop, let me explain–"
"The prophecy was right! I didn't want to believe it was you, but now you've gone and shown me it is–"
"What prophecy? I–"
"I'm not going to bother explaining," Sunfire said, all fire gone from her. She hung her head. "I won't tell any cat you're meeting Shadowfur. You can sort it out on your own when the Clan finds out."
He looked utterly perplexed. "Sunfire, what–?"
She raised her head, looked him in the eye. "Go. I can't be near you now."
He stared at her, bewilderment, fear, anger, and loss all making his eyes shine. In a slow, cold, and defeated voice, he said, "If you honestly think that I would turn traitor like that, I don't know you and I don't want to be near you either. When the Sunfire I know comes back, let me know." With that, he turned away from her and walked into the forest, the twilight shadows swallowing him.
Sunfire stared after him. His words echoed in her head; she felt sick and completely defeated.Shecalled herselfa damned fool for thinking that Icestorm would even consider turning traitor. She should've let him explain what he was saying to Shadowfur; for all she knew, he could've been quietly threatening the black tom to leave.
With a jolt that made her feel worse still, Sunfire considered, literally for the first time, other interpretations of 'ice.' Maybe the ultimate darkness would come in leaf-bare, when ice formed a glistening sheen over the lake and streams.
Her belly twisting into cold knots, Sunfire squeezed her eyes shut as she felt her throat constrict with suppressed emotion. StarClan, I've just driven away the cat I should trust the most in this world.
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Often, what we say in the heat of the moment drives close ones away, and we realize too late what we have done. –BM