Missing: Black-and-White She-Cat

Chapter 1

One & a Half Moons since Shiverpaw's Disappearance

Icepaw woke feeling uneasy. Beside her an empty nest lay. The nest, which Icepaw refused to get rid of, was untouched since her sister had been missing. Her sister's scent had grown stale, and to Icepaw's dismay, began to stink up the apprentice den. Today she would have to remove it.

"I've got a Shiverpaw patrol today!" the younger apprentice Poolpaw meowed happily, springing to her paws. "Willowfrost said I was getting really good at my tracking skills!" She puffed out her chest in pride.

"Oh yeah, well I get to go on the WindClan border patrol!" Nightpaw boasted, waving his tail in defiance. "Those mange-pelts have her captive!"

Icepaw slightly curled her lip. They didn't understand what it was like to lose a littermate to the unknown. She twitched her whiskers uncomfortably at the young apprentice's assumption. They both seemed to have forgotten that Shiverpaw was Icepaw's sister. She suppressed a hiss of annoyance.

"You two, get on with your duties!" Swiftpaw hissed, rising from her nest. Both the apprentices looked at her awkwardly. "You heard me! Scat!"

Poolpaw and Nightpaw both scurried out the den, much to Icepaw's delight. She let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. The white apprentice flicked her tail. "Thanks," she mumbled.

"Icepaw, don't get too worked up about them," Swiftpaw mewed, padding to her side. She licked Icepaw's ear affectionately. "They just don't understand the seriousness of your . . . um . . . situation. It's just been so long since she's been missing." She looked at Icepaw. "I miss Shiverpaw too."

Now this, Icepaw couldn't help but doubt. Though she knew Swiftpaw was her best friend through and through, she knew that Swiftpaw didn't stay attached to things too long. Icepaw couldn't imagine Swiftpaw still missed Shiverpaw. Most of RiverClan had seemed have forgotten that one of their Clanmates were missing. Only Nightstar seemed to make sure that there was a daily patrol to look for Shiverpaw. If not, everyone would go on with their days normally.

That fact alone irritated Icepaw so much, she could hardly bare to train every day as if nothing was wrong. Every night she wished that Shiverpaw would return, only to get disappointed when she didn't. Icepaw ached for her sister's comfort, but then, she wouldn't need comfort if Shiverpaw were here.

"I've gotta go," Swiftpaw meowed suddenly, heading for the exit. "I've got to go on the border patrol with Nightpaw." She paused. "Don't worry, Icepaw. We'll find her soon."

But that was a promise she could never keep.

By the time sunhigh came, Icepaw was worn out. Dapplefur had worked her hard with battle training and let her off early. She sighed before heading in the apprentice den, but quickly decided she should ask about the patrols. Trying not to look very eager, she padded toward Whitecloud. "Did you find anything?" she asked the white warrior.

Whitecloud shook her head. "Sorry, darling. We did the best we could."

Sometimes good, isn't good enough; Icepaw thought angrily. They certainly could've searched longer and farther.

Mentally calming herself down, she forced herself to ask Toadberry about the WindClan border patrol. "Any luck?" Icepaw asked, already expecting the dreaded answer.

"Nope," Swiftpaw answered for him. "Just that those mange-pelts claimed they don't have her."

Toadberry flicked his tail and headed toward Nightstar without saying a word. Icepaw watched their exchange. Nightstar looked angrier than ever while Toadberry just stood unmoving, his voice too low to be heard. The black leader finally lashed her tail and dashed toward her den.

"So how was training?" Swiftpaw asked. "Learn anything worthwhile?"

Icepaw could tell she was teasing and let out soft purr. "Nope, just how to attack bothersome denmates!" she meowed while hurling herself at Swiftpaw. The two she-cats of equal size sparred with one another. Icepaw launched herself into the air to land square on Swiftpaw's shoulders. Her friend let out a breath and thrashed her body upward, trying to throw Icepaw off. The white apprentice abruptly leaped off of Swiftpaw.

Swiftpaw got up, confused. "What's wrong?" She scanned the clearing for something out of place.

Icepaw perked her ears and listened intently. "Help me!" a voice cried. She stiffened. It sounded like . . . Shiverpaw. "Help me!" the voice cried again.

"Did you hear that?" Icepaw asked her friend. "Did you hear her?"

Swiftpaw twitched her ears. "Hear what?" She cocked her head.

Icepaw shook her head. "Never mind," she mumbled, and padded toward the apprentice den.

Terribly, she wished that Shiverpaw had been near enough for Icepaw to hear her sister's cry. It was too hard without her sister to be there. Even their parents had nearly given up on the idea of Shiverpaw's return.

Only one thing was certain:

RiverClan didn't believe that Shiverpaw was ever coming back.