Chapter Twelve

Green eyes popped up in Rainpaw's vision for the second time on that horrible, horrible day, and Rainpaw had finally just had enough. He turned away with a growl, his eyes flitting to the tumbling clouds up above. At some point, the rain had blustered away and the sky had gradually lightened. Storms didn't seem to last long, here on these plains.

The owner of the eyes was persistent. She kept pace as Rainpaw trudged away. "What do you want, Swanblossom?" he asked gruffly.

"I want you to be smarter, idiot," she hissed. The apprentice's head snapped around, white fangs glinting in the half light.

"I don't need a lecture, Swanblossom, I'm doing fine without your help," he hissed back, condescension dripping like venom from his voice.

"Is that so? How do you explain that little scene with Froststar then?" Rainpaw's eyes dropped for just a moment, but that was all the weakness Swanblossom needed. "Rainpaw, she's not one of us, not yet, maybe not ever, and it's dangerous for you to get involved. Just keep your head down until we get out of this place—the sooner you forget all of this, the better."

Rainpaw scowled and shoved past the white warrior. "I don't need you to mother me anymore, Swanblossom. I know what I'm doing."

"You're still young, Rainpaw, and there's a lot of evil in this world that you shouldn't have to encounter. Please, just be smart," Swanblossom called after him. He didn't dignify her with a response. The gray, waving stalks swallowed the dark apprentice as he stormed off onto the plains.

~O~

Swanblossom hated her job. As a soldier, life was fine. Running and fighting had always been a part of the job description, and she was good at that. But now, as in SeaClan, the job fell to her to guard the conquered cats. If only the job had been boring.

Every few days, Froststar and Tigerfrost would descend into the gaping maw of the nursery where the more resilient cats were being held, the leader with a sort of sad resignation in his eyes, the thug with a cheerful gleam of anticipation. The sod walls of the den padded most of the sounds, but every now and again she could hear a distant sound…a whimper, or a scream. Swanblossom never saw the products of their work, but she could guess. She could guess.

When she heard them talk about it, Froststar always muttered the word 'reconditioning'. Swanblossom saw the pain the process caused him. But Tigerfrost… that sadistic, evil cat looked forward to those secret times down in the den. That's where he had been when Rainpaw had come barreling up the hill, shouting for Moonstream. It was her lapse that had allowed Heatherclaw to slip up from the den and out into the open. And it was her lapse that had made it painfully clear how out of his depth her little brother truly was.

"Oh Rainpaw," Swanblossom muttered. Out of all the members of this campaign, he was the only one who seemed sheltered from the effects of the long march and the even longer conquest. The white warrior stared at the lean rabbit she'd snatched from the fresh kill pile with a frown. Maybe Froststar was deliberately insulating him from the harsh realities of the campaign. He certainly hadn't been coddling his other kits that way. It made Swanblossom's heart ache to think about how quickly her gentle sister had needed to harden her heart. No cat had seen more death on this trip, between those fatally injured in the battle and the kits that had fallen ill later from the cold and malnutrition. Moonstream was a different cat now, harder, and Swanblossom wondered how long it would be before her own heart turned to stone.

"Let all cats gather below the High Hill for a Clan Meeting!"

Swanblossom shoved the uneaten rabbit aside and trudged through the slowly drying muck to the top of the camp's hill. Her eyes flitted over the crowd, searching for one pelt in particular. There! The dark gray pelt and burning blue eyes brought a sigh of relief to Swanblossom's lips. He could stay angry with her if he liked, but Swanblossom knew she'd do anything to protect the little furball.

Rainpaw's blue eyes were fixed on Froststar though, and Swanblossom quickly turned her own green ones on the leader. The wind ruffled through his thick fur, tossing it majestically, and his cold blue eyes swept the cats gathered below him. Swanblossom could sense his anger and suspicion, though to the others it would be perfectly masked—the intuition was a perk of being his daughter, she supposed.

Froststar lifted his chin. "As you all know, a patrol was attacked yesterday morning by a group of rogues," he began, fixing a stern look on the reformed GrassClan present. They seemed to shrink into themselves fearfully. "We have almost no information about this group, and we do not know who might be aiding them. I have decided to send a patrol to track these barbaric cats back to their hiding places and deliver a message to the cowards. We must show them the true strength of OneClan!"

A cheer went up from the OneClan warriors. A smile curved Froststar's lips. "I know we will show them just what it means to be beaten by the true army of the Clans!" This time a roar ripped from the throats of the cats present. Swanblossom couldn't help but join in, and neither, it seemed, could the new additions to the OneClan army.

"There is one more ceremony to perform," Froststar said, once the cheers had quieted. "We have several apprentices of the former GrassClan who are in need of new mentors to help them assimilate into OneClan life. I am proud to offer them new mentors to help and guide them through this change."

The actual ceremony was unimportant to Swanblossom, but her sharp eyes never strayed from the new recruits. Bemused wonderment coursed through her as she saw that the former GrassClan were not just resigned to the ceremony, but happy for it. It seemed that not everyone was as committed to the memory of GrassClan as the late Rustlestar had hoped.

Still, the memory of those last few resilient ones confined in the nursery made Swanblossom frown and turn away from the ceremony.

A wall of tabby fur made her stop abruptly. Leering yellow eyes peered down. "Going somewhere?" he asked, his voice a thrumming growl. Swanblossom's heart began to beat fast against her will.

"Back to my post, it's about time for me to relieve Fernshadow," she said. Her hatred warred with her fear of the massive tom. She couldn't match his stare, lest her eyes give her thoughts away.

Tigerfrost shrugged his shoulders. Poorly concealed amusement colored his deep voice as he meowed, "It would be better if you stayed."

Swanblossom's green eyes followed the tabby giant as he padded to Froststar's side. The meeting had ended without Swanblossom even noticing and she quickly scrambled to the small crowd assembling in front of the leader.

"This is important," Froststar was saying, his eyes transfixing them with an almost mad stare. "I will not allow this humiliation to stand. Go, find these rogues, and give them no mercy. Tigerfrost will lead the patrol." The massive tabby grinned and dipped his head. "Nightclaw, Crowthorn, Swanblossom, and Rainpaw will go with him."

Ice filled Swanblossom's heart. Her sweet, sheltered little brother? He was too young, too inexperienced, and a creeping fear slipped into Swanblossom's veins that there would be death on this mission.

"Froststar," Rainpaw growled, and Swanblossom just wanted the stupid apprentice to shut up for once. His blue eyes were burning where his father's were cold. The same eyes, and yet completely different. "Shouldn't a new recruit accompany the mission? One familiar with the territory?"

Rainpaw looked so small, face to face with Froststar. For the second time in as many days, tension crackled between them as Froststar dared his son to be defiant. Rainpaw never backed down, even as the leader's resonant voice cracked between them. "I take it you have a suggestion," Froststar growled.

"Heatherclaw."

Tigerfrost gave a low chuckle. The leader lifted a lip to show a single gleaming fang. "That traitor?"

Rainpaw's gaze remained fixed. "Give her a chance. She'll prove as loyal as anyone here, I promise."

Froststar suddenly grinned and straightened. The suffocating charisma left the air and he flicked his tail. "Very well, son, but it will be on your head when she turns on you." To the rest of the patrol, he nodded. "Leave at once, there's no time to waste."

The cats dipped their heads as one and the white leader made his exit. Swanblossom felt her heart slow its frantic pace.

"Still planning to lecture me?" Rainpaw's defiant voice rang in her ears.

Swanblossom fixed him with a sad gaze. "I just hope you're sure about all of this, for your sake."

~O~

It fell to Rainpaw to go retrieve Heatherclaw from the nursery for the mission. Relief made his muscles shaky—the thought of leaving her here when Froststar had obviously grown so hostile toward her had been unbearable. The darkness that closed around him as he plunged into the den felt suffocating, but he pushed forward until he emerged into the bulbous cave hollowed out of the hill. Light streamed down from a hole in the ceiling.

"Heatherclaw," Rainpaw called. Her lithe form detached from a huddle of other GrassClan cats.

"Yes?" she asked shortly. Rainpaw winced. He couldn't help but trace the four deep gashes on her face with his eyes. She looked like she was in pain.

"We're going on a mission to find those rogues, a small group of us."

A smirk lifted her face. "And you came to say goodbye?"

"You're coming with us. Froststar's orders." Rainpaw flicked his tail and quickly turned to scrabble his way back up the tunnel. He couldn't help the way his heart sped up each time his whiskers brushed against the close walls, though he cursed himself for a coward. His lungs sucked gratefully at the fresh air when he emerged. He'd be happier anywhere but in one of those tight little spaces.

Heatherclaw was at his side. Rainpaw nodded and took off to join the patrol. Everyone was ready for the journey, eager and excited to exact vengeance against the rogues that had humiliated them and nearly taken one of their best warriors from them. Swanblossom alone seemed immune to the spirit. She fixed Rainpaw with another sad look.

"Alright, let's move. The sooner we pick up their trail, the better," Tigerfrost commanded. Cheerful goodbyes, from OneClan army and new recruit alike, followed behind them as they took off into the tall grasses again.

They ran to the edge of the territory and retraced the steps of the patrol. Crowthorn took the lead, his nose to the ground and his amber eyes burning with the previous day's memory.

"This is the place," Crowthorn said finally. Rainpaw shivered, staring down once again at the little bowl. Rabbit bones still littered the place. The patrol descended, and Rainpaw could still smell the tang of blood lingering on the air. The rain hadn't been able to completely erase the stains that had soaked into the sod.

"Did the rogues run that way?" Heatherclaw asked. Her tail flicked north. Crowthorn nodded. Rainpaw watched the warrior's face settle into a deep scowl.

"What is it?" he asked. Her sharp eyes flicked to his.

"There's a Twolegplace not many days away in that direction," she explained to the whole group. "They usually don't bother us, but rogues from there have come to trouble us in the past."

Tigerfrost nodded. "Now this is why you're here," he said. He shot a drawling, condescending look at his apprentice. He flicked his tail at the cream warrior lazily. "Lead on, Heatherclaw." They pushed on past sunset. There was no time to waste.

~O~

Darkness gathered around Rainpaw like a shroud, soaking cold into his skin. No matter where he looked, there was no light to be found, and ice trickled through his veins. A pair of glowing eyes appeared out of the darkness.

"Who's there?" he called. The darkness put a tremor into his voice. Where were the others? Had they abandoned him? The only response he got was a dark chuckle.

"Show yourself!" he shouted.

A body slammed into him from the side, sending him tumbling through the darkness. Rainpaw gasped and scrabbled to his feet in time for another lean body to send him rolling with another blow. His claws were out and his lungs were working double time. The next whoosh of running paws gave him a warning and he lashed out, feeling his claws sink into thick fur. The cat careened off through darkness. A pair of mismatched eyes resolved out of the darkness and yellow fangs glinted with their own light.

"Had enough, kitten?" he asked. A lightning quick paw darted to smash him to the ground. Claws ripped excruciatingly down his side.

"Never," he gasped. The mismatched eyes crinkled in a smile and a line of fire ripped down Rainpaw's stomach. And again. And again.

A whimper rang from the darkness. "I still got a hit in," Rainpaw gasped, trying to fight the pain. The tom nudged Rainpaw's head and leaned close.

"Open your eyes, kitten," he breathed, and light shone down to illuminate a creamy she cat with four deep gashes weeping blood down her cheek.

Rainpaw howled.

"Open your eyes!"

Swanblossom's face, pale as the moon, swam in Rainpaw's vision. It was still dark, but the stars were burning bright up above, and he wasn't alone. He could hear the faint sounds of other cats sleeping. Rainpaw buried his face in Swanblossom's shoulder. His quiet shudders never even broke over the sound of the rustling grass.

"It was just a dream," Swanblossom crooned quietly. Rainpaw pulled away from his half-sibling and hunched in his own nest. Her green eyes were dark. Beyond her, Rainpaw could make out a pair of slitted yellow eyes peering at them through the gloom.

Swanblossom settled back into her own nest and soon drifted off. Rainpaw tried the same, but he couldn't stop the white she-cat's words from repeating in his mind. I hope you're sure about this…sure about this…sure about this…

I just wanted to make a quick shout out to Mister Vincent Murray and islanddog1571: your reviews and support have helped me so much. If not for you guys, I would have much less inspiration and much less improvement. Thank you times a billion for constantly pushing me to push myself!

As always, please review!