I'm sorry that BloomClan hasn't been featured yet. It will probably be another 3-4 chapters before they are even introduced. BloomClan just happens to play a bigger role in the second half of the story. Here is the thanks to my wonderful reviews. (Marshmellowtime, Moonblaze 13, Scrouglelover, Mossshine, Redwolf, TalonfootandRipplestream4Ever, Snowtail, KTDlover, SilverWolf1499, Mintfrost29, SupahSplash34, Randomcat, ADHD kid in jail, Brightcloud of the Clans, Phantomflower, and a random person you didn't have the guts to put a name.)

Time: Day 1

Character: Blossomfrost of OakClan

Ch. 5 Tumble

I stepped inside the dark den and blinked rapidly. My eyes had already grown used to the thin light in the clearing, and they hated to be plunged back into the darkness. It wasn't long before the faint glow from behind me enabled be to capture my surroundings.

It had the same look as the queen's den, but moss layered the rocky ground. The ground molded under my paws. It cushioned my paws, and I let out a small sigh at the comfort.

A monotone voice echoed blew the seemingly endless tunnel. "Continue walking forward." The rest of the message was lost as echoed voice covered the remainder.

I did as the voice commanded and walked down the tunnel. My shadow danced along the wall beside me, and I curled my tail to my side. The chill of the tunnels didn't seem to sink into my fur as much as before.

The farther I walked, the less light shown from behind me. Now, the only lightning seemed to come from the slightly glowing moss that decorated the ceiling and walls.

I was watching small brown beetles crawling around the dripping salacities when I stumbled over a couple loose stones. The ground beneath me dropped suddenly, and I felt myself stumbling down a steep incline.

Rocks scraped against my fur and I felt my tail begin to bled after a boulder smashed against it. My paws failed at grappling onto any protruding rock The slippery moss made them slid quickly out of my grip.

I felt like I was going to break all the bones in my body when I hit the ground. Spottedfire wouldn't heal me, and Waterberry didn't have any training. I would die down in the dismal tunnel.

Suddenly, my legs jarred, and I slammed into the ground. I felt my joints crack, but my bones felt intact. I rolled to the side and felt a soft, comforting presence on my side.

A patch of eerie glowing moss had cushioned my fall. I buried my face in it and thanked the Dark Forest for my good fortune. Redfrost and Shadowfrost must have been looking down on me.

When the sudden agony had worn off, I shakily rose to my paws. I was about to start again when my legs buckled under me. I fell face first on the ground.

I scrambled around trying to find my bearings. None of my muscles seemed to want to obey me. They felt like feathers floating in the breeze; they didn't have any direction or strength.

It seemed like I lay limp on the ground forever. The last time I had something to eat felt like moons ago. I felt just like laying there and giving up. Adderstar and Nightclaw were probably laughing at me. I could picture the comments about weak she-cats.

"No," I said aloud to assure myself that I was still alive. "I will get out of this situation I got myself into. She-cats are just as strong as toms." I whispered the last part to myself encase Adderstar was watching from somewhere.

I struggled again off the ground. My vision swam and I almost fell over again, but I locked my knees. I wavered for a second, but I didn't fall. The tunnel disappeared into a black fog. Nothing seemed to make any sense.

Than I heard a sound of dripping water. I reminded me of Skyfrost sitting in the water because she didn't want to face the toms. It reminded me of Ivyfrost begging for a drink when we were just kits. It brought back memories of torture.

This was bigger than me. I finally grasped what Moonfrost had been depicting so vividly. My pain didn't matter because no one would remember. What matter was whether or not I freed she-cats.

I took one step for the puddle and soon I couldn't stop my paws. I was tumbling over myself in a frantic rush to reach the water. My paw nearly caught on a stone I had dislodged.

It took the rest of my strength to stop from skidding across the rough stones and scraping myself up even more. I didn't have enough power to save myself from a drenching.

The ice cold water chilled my skin and froze the blood in my veins. The sudden change in temperature shocked me, and I found I couldn't move my paws from the bottom of the pool.

A spatter of water on my ears brought me back to the world. I bent down a took a huge swallow of the chilled liquid. It blazed through my body and filled me with energy I didn't know I possessed. It felt like flying when I strode out of the puddle.

I walked to the base of the monstrous hill I had taken a tumble down. My paws stood on the same moss that had saved my life. Tunnels streamed off in various directions.

Having no clue what direction to take, I opened my mouth and scented the air. I had never tried this before, but Breezepaw or any of the apprentices did this as they entered the she-cats den.

Delicious and vile scents blew into my mouth. I could taste a mouse and a thrush that must have be carried by Adderstar. I followed the scent as it flowed through the tunnels.

Before long, I felt myself walking uphill. The incline wasn't too steep, but it burned the muscles in my already weakened legs.

When a small beam of sunlight shown through the tunnel, I gave up all thoughts of stopping. A bright everlasting hope seemed to blossom inside my chest. Maybe I had escaped Adderstar and Nightclaw and had somehow ended up outside the camp.

My hopes were dashed to pieces when I saw a shadow of a small cat silhouetted on the wall. There was no denying that it belonged to OakClan's cunning leader, Adderstar.

The shadow turned and a voice traveled down to me. "So you didn't die on your trip here. That is rather inconvenient. At least I will have something to show the weaklings tomorrow."

I shivered involuntarily. The voice burrowed into the very marrow of my bones. It was the casual cruelty that I feared the most.

"Come on she-cat," spat Nightclaw. "We have something important that we need to discuss with you. You have kept us waiting quite a long time."

I followed the voice, and I gasped when I felt my paws on soft grass. The morning dew had evaporated and the ground was warm on my paws.

The tunnels had led to a beautiful clearing. Yellow and fuchsia flowers blossomed along the tall bushes that encircled the clearing. A strange tree with purple leaves sent small pink petals flying though the air. I almost laughed as one landed on Nightclaw's head.

The cerulean blue sky was cloudless. Nothing towered above to obscure the sunlight. It warmed my heart, but the heat and beauty didn't last forever.

Adderstar eyed me disdainfully despite the fact that he was about my size. Serpentleaf and Snakeleaf were probably larger than him. Moonfrost would tower over him.

"Have a seat over in the corner," demanded Adderstar. His voice was calm and showed no sigh that he hated me. It flowed out of his mouth as smooth as a light breeze.

I looked to where he was pointing and heaved a sigh. It wasn't covered in sweet grass like the rest of the clearing; my seat was a collection of flat rocks and overbearing weeds.

Before I even got comfortable in my new position, Adderstar started to speak. He slowly paced back and forth in a circle in front of me. "You must already know that I sent Nightclaw and Breezepaw on a fox hunting mission, right?"

I didn't trust my voice in front of the fearsome leader, so I just nodded.

"Well, I know you she-cats have weaker hearts than us toms, but I'm going to say this straight. Breezepaw is dead." His voice was completely serious, and he looked me dead in the eyes.

I looked into his one blue eye with no emotion in mine. Surely he knew that having no mate was the best thing that ever happened to me. I would be free with no tom to oppress me.

My heart plummeted when Nightclaw spoke. "We considered giving you Hawkpaw or Blackpaw as a mate, but we both decided against it. You she-cats are getting too rebellious. You need something to quell your fire."

"And, Breezepaw's death gave us the perfect opportunity." Adderstar's vicious smile was starting to make me nervous. Had he discovered the resistance?

"You are to be killed tomorrow at sun-high," they announced at the same time. There was an almost gleeful tone in Adderstar's voice.

I was still smiling until what they really said hit me; I was to be killed... tomorrow …... at sun-high. My face dropped and my hope faded like the light at nighttime.

"Now," concluded Adderstar. "Go back and tell you she-cats about you fate. If that doesn't crush their rebellious spirit, I'll just have to kill Tawnyleaf's only kit."

"Poor Rainkit," whispered Nightclaw into my ear. His cold breath tickled my hairs and sent a vision of a little cream-colored kit splattered in her own blood.

"Be a good she-cat and walk back to the queens' den. There you go." Adderstar pushed be back into the shady tunnels system. He dug his claws into my back leg and pierced my skin. "Remember you promise."

I walked through the tunnels with a trail of blood winding behind me. Nothing seemed to make sense. As much as I despised Breezepaw, I had to admit, he was a decent warrior. He wouldn't die if Nightclaw was with him. The facts weren't adding up.

I gave up on thinking, and tried to work on getting out of the cave system. The winding tunnels seemed larger and darker than ever before.

Not even as I climbed the incline did I stop. The lack of blood had slowed me to a crawling pace, but I hadn't stopped. My neck was weak, and I walked the whole distance with my eyes staring at my paws.

Only the light from the OakClan clearing made me look up. I felt lightheaded, but I couldn't stop now that I was so close. Moonfrost and the other queens needed to know.

Mintswip was at the entrance waiting for me. I breathed a sigh of relief. Mintswip was the nicest warrior in all of OakClan. I don't think I could have dealt with any tom besides him.

"Blossomfrost," he shouted to me. "I'm supposed to escort you back to the queen's den. I hope Adderstar and Nightclaw weren't too rough on you. Maybe you should see Waterberry for that cut on you leg." He silently whispered the last part, afraid for other toms to hear.

"Maybe later," I said while smiling weakly. "I really just want to get back to my nest. I'm rather tired."

"I understand," said Mintswip. "You must feel like I do after dawn patrols. All you need is a night of sleep. You'll be up and roaring in the morning."

I didn't say anything but pushed aside the moss to the queen's den. I was about to disappear inside when I saw Mintswip turn slowly away.

I rushed outside, avoiding the weird looks that came from the tom-kits playing near the fresh-kill pile. "Mintswip, Mintswip," I hollered to him. "I just wanted to thank you for that small amount of kindness. It is just that I'm going to be killed tomorrow."

Mintswip turned around and looked at me with a curious expression on his face. "Adderstar said he was going to kill you? Are you positive?" He voice was filled with grief and honest remorse.

I nodded, looking straight at my paws. Tears were slowly leaking from my eyes. "He said at sun-high tomorrow." My voice chocked up in the middle as I tried to hold back that tears that threatened to flood the whole forest.

Mintswip looked around at the clearing, stopping his glance to look at the kits. He must have decided they were too far away because he bent down and whispered into my ear. "Follow me. I'm going to take you out of camp. Adderstar just went over the power StarClan gave him."

I nodded mutely, unable to believe this was really happening. Mintswip was going to take me into the forest. I was going to be the first free she-cat since Redfrost and Shadowfrost.

I trailed after his tail when a horrid thought entered my head. "What about the other she-cats? We can't just leave them hear to suffer. Adderstar said he would kill Rainkit."

Mintswip turned to me, and I could see the cruelty that was in every tom rise to the surface. "Blossomfrost," he said harshly. "You are the only one that matters. The rest will come later."

When I backed away, he softened up. "I'm sorry Blossomfrost. I just have never done anything like this. I just keep thinking Nightclaw or Adderstar will jump from the shadows and catch me."

I put my tail on his shoulder like I was comforting Ivyfrost when she found out she was with kits. His fur felt the same as mine. "We aren't different at all," I said quietly to myself.

"What did you say?" asked Mintswip. "Was it something about what we are doing. I can take you back if you want. No one needs to know."

I shook me head, too weak and too tired to explain all the thoughts flying through my head. "Nothing, Mintswip. Nothing important."

Mintswip nodded but didn't answer as we continued our march through the wild grasses. A silence descended upon on. I could hear the chirps of crickets and the howling of an owl. The sounds I had only dreamed about when I saw stuck in the cave.

My legs were screaming in from a dull never ending aching. It felt like they were slowly burning up until all that would remain would be a pile of ashes. My stomach growled loud enough for Mintswip to hear.

"We are almost at the Twoleg path. I'll catch you something for diner when we get there. If we stop, who know what might catch us," he said to me, breaking the peaceful silence.

I gave no sign I had heard; I was just to tired. The word started to spin, and I had to work to keep my eyelids open. I stumbled over a thick patch of grass, and Mintswip had to lunge for me to prevent me from collapsing.

"We'll stop here for the night," he said, laying me on a patch of soft grass. "Don't fall asleep until I get back. Promise me that much. Promise you won't fall asleep, Blossomfrost."

"Promise," I muttered. Even as I spoke, I could feel myself drifting into a welcoming sleep. It wrapped around me like a dry slab of moss. Exhaustion tugged at the corner of my brain, trying to force me into the abyss.

"No," I said to myself. "I can't fall asleep now. I promised Mintswip that much. I have to keep that promise because he helped me escape. I could be sleeping in the queen's den for the last time tonight. I could be getting ready to die. I can stay awake for a little while longer." I rambled to myself in a desperate attempt to keep my eyelids from collapsing and turning the black.

It must have worked because I was knocked out of my trance by the smell of a squirrel. Mintswip walked right up to me and placed it at my paws. "I'm sorry that was all I could find. Don't eat to much right away."

"Thank you," I mumbled, tucking the squirrel away. The juicy and tender meat was honestly the best thing I had ever eaten. "This is delicious." My thanks sounded kind of mumbled, but I think Mintswip understood what I was saying.

Mintswip turned around, gave me a pitiful look, and left me. "Remember, I didn't help you," he called out. That was the last I heard from him as his brown fur disappeared into the trees.

The next chapter will be a short one featuring Blossomforst. That we should have Breezepaw for a few, and than Brightkit - finally. I would like to thank everyone who reviewed and ask them if they could do it again. I'm really loving this story, so reviews will make me write the chapters faster than I have ever wrote before.

I would like to take this time to advertise two fics. I'm betareading Darkling by R.L. Sisters. It is a truly amazing story, but not that many people are reading it. The second story is A New Fire by Koraki. I think this story is even better than S H A T T E R E D.