AN: I am so sorry for the long delay. My main focus was Legacy of Rain, and now that that is finished I'm working on this again. Thanks to everyone for your patience, and hopefully I still have the viewers that were following this story ^^"

Chapter 12

Icepaw kept her legs balanced as she followed Seawhisker across the treebridge. Her tail was sticking straight in the air when she looked down at the ground below. How Seawhisker managed to cross without looking down was beyond Icepaw. But as far as Icepaw could tell Seawhisker had already reached the other side of the forest.

"You're not supposed to look down Icepaw!" Seawhisker called when the apprentice looked at her.

Water now flowed where the forest had been below them. It had been raining for some time now, and the gorge had turned into a river. Icepaw's fur bristled at the thought of getting swept away by the river. She had never gotten over her fear of water, and she doubted she ever would.

But now Seawhisker was encouraging her to cross as they had left for battle training. Bramblepaw and his mentor were already waiting along the other side with Seawhisker pacing around them. Icepaw looked back down before giving a shake of her head.

I need to do this, she thought determinedly. She wasn't going to look like a coward in front of Bramblepaw.

She leaped forward until her paws reached the other side. Relief washed over her when Seawhisker nodded approvingly.

"Well done, though your crossing method was dangerous," she meowed. "If you had missed by a whisker you might have fallen into the river."

Horror coursed through Icepaw when she realized that Seawhisker was right. She glanced over her shoulder before giving her chest fur a few licks.

"You're not afraid of the water, are you?" Bramblepaw looked at her in surprise when their mentors began leading the way.

"Fear is for the weak," Icepaw snapped.

A shudder raked down her spine as she imagined the churning current when they were kits. Her claws began to sheathe and unsheathe as she remembered the horror on her mother's face as they were swept away by the river.

Bramblepaw gave her a look of concern before bounding ahead. She was thankful that he didn't press on. If he knew that she was afraid of the water, he would never let her live it down.

It felt like moons had passed before they reached the training hollow. Seawhisker and Reedshine sat on one side while Bramblepaw started grooming his fur. Icepaw sat alone, tail wrapped neatly around her paws while she waited for instructions.

"We're going to start partner fighting," Reedshine explained when Bramblepaw looked at her expectantly.

"You've been fighting together for some time now, and learning each others fighting style will prove useful in battle," Seawhisker added.

Icepaw's nose wrinkled at the thought of fighting alongside Bramblepaw. He could flick a claw or two, but he certainly couldn't put up a fight. She felt as though she would be better off fighting alongside Brightpaw or Stormpaw.

But it seemed like she didn't have a say in the matter as Reedshine gave Bramblepaw instructions. Icepaw dropped to a crouch when Reedshine sat back. Bramblepaw looked back at her, whiskers twitching as he studied her movements.

Icepaw looked back at Reedshine. She was sitting beside one of the boulders that jutted out from the ground. Seawhisker sat nearby, casually licking her paw as if nothing would happen.

She has no idea, Icepaw told herself. Without warning she leaped forward and flew onto an unsuspecting Reedshine. The tortoiseshell let out a startled cry while Bramblepaw pummeled her front legs with his paws.

Reedshine managed to roll back onto the ground, nearly crushing Icepaw in the process. Icepaw jumped off just in time when Reedshine rolled on her back. Bramblepaw leaped onto her belly and let out a triumphant purr as Reedshine tried to push him off.

"Okay, get off of me you furball," Reedshine hissed when Icepaw stood back.

Bramblepaw clambered off and gave his chest fur a few embarrassed licks while Reedshine got to her paws.

"That was great you two!" Seawhisker purred. "But if it had been two on two I could have easily pried you off." She glanced at Icepaw, who simply rolled her eyes in response.

"Maybe we should try that next time," Reedshine added. "If the rogues try to invade again they might try the same moves."

"The rogues are nothing but a bunch of cowards," Icepaw muttered.

Seawhisker shot her a stern look before shaking her head. Icepaw simply shrugged and looked away. She didn't care what her mentor thought of her response. The rogues were nothing but cowards as far as she was concerned.

"We should get back," Seawhisker suddenly meowed. Her expression had become serious when she exchanged a look with Reedshine.

Icepaw glanced over her shoulder nervously and wondered what was going on. Clouds had begun to gather around them as dusk fell. More rain was on its way. She could smell moisture in the air, and her nose wrinkled in disgust. At this point the gorge was going to turn into a lake.

I sure hope not, she thought angrily. The last thing I want is to swim across the gorge.

. . .

Yowls erupted within the clearing as clouds began to gather. Panic gripped at Rosefall's heart when she saw how torn cats were between their loyalty and how right she was. Creekfeather stood beside Mistcloud while Hazelstar glared at them. Mossfire and Mallowfall were getting ready to fight one another.

"Everyone please stop!" Rosefall barely heard herself above the clap of thunder that followed.

"StarClan is angry!" Rosefall recognized the wail of Swiftbreeze, a WoodClan elder. The black and white she-cat was crouched beside her Clanmate while the rest of the Clans stopped what they were doing. Rosefall let out a sigh of relief before she joined Graystar on the tree where the leaders held their meetings.

"They are angry because we have done horrible things to our kits," Rosefall explained when an eerie silence filled the hollow. She swallowed when all eyes turned towards her. Even the leaders were paying attention as they waited for her to speak. "I, this isn't right. StarClan wants us to treat our kits with respect and love. Why should we have to sacrifice them for something that never happens? The Clans will always have fights, it's part of our training."

Rosefall felt her stomach lurch when cats looked at one another in surprise. Creekfeather suddenly approached the tree and dipped her head respectfully.

"I agree that it was a mousebrained law," she meowed. "I have never seen the Chosen kits in StarClan... perhaps that means they are alive."

"Or they were cast out," Mossfire sneered.

Her words earned a swat across the face by Sparrowstar, who glared at his sister coldly. Mossfire recoiled in shock and glared back, ears flattened as she prepared to spring. Rockstorm shot her a warning look before looking back at Rosefall and Creekfeather.

"If what you say is true, than perhaps we should search for the kits that were Chosen so many moons ago," Graystar rasped.

Excitement coursed through Rosefall when other cats began to agree. Mossfire and Hazelstar still looked like they were ready to rip them in shreds. Blackstripe had begun pacing and so did Foampelt and Pantherfoot.

"A search party to rescue the Chosen," Sparrowstar mused. "I would never have thought I'd see this day coming."

"I agree with Graystar, it is a good idea," Sagestar suddenly spoke up.

"How would we even begin?" Cherryfoot, the VineClan deputy, demanded.

"We follow the river's course," Rosefall replied. "If they did survive, than perhaps they tried looking for a safe place to live."

Even if we did find them, would they come back with us? she wondered. The thought had never occurred to her until now. Her claws unsheathed with unease at the thought. Even if they didn't want to return, she needed to see her kit again. Icekit meant everything to her. And she was determined to find her daughter.

"Very well, starting tomorrow a search party will be sent out to look for the missing Chosen kits," Graystar announced. "Rosefall will lead the group." He nodded to her, and her tail flicked with unease.

Why had he chosen an inexperienced warrior? No one seemed to argue though as Sagestar chose the warrior that would be going with her. "Birdsong will be going with you," he meowed.

The black she-cat looked like she was ready to argue when he shot her a stern look. Rosefall held back a purr when she didn't miss the, 'you wanted this' exchange.

"Mallowfall and Pebblepaw will be going with you. Pebblepaw needs this kind of experience if he is to become a warrior." Sparrowstar nodded to the light brown tabby she-cat. Mallowfall's eyes glowed with happiness when she realized that she would be going.

"I am not letting any of my cats go!" Hazelstar spat. "This is a mousebrained idea and you know it." She glared coldly at the other three leaders before jumping off of the tree. "My Clan is leaving."

With a wave of her tail she led her Clanmates out of the Stream Hollow. Rosefall watched them leave and suddenly realized that this was far from over. When they did return she half expected to see Hazelstar calling out a war between the three other Clans. And Rosefall knew that no good would come out of that.