Chapter 11:
"I never liked your mother and father," the she-cat hissed. They were weak and careless."
"That is not true," Rockfrost snarled back. " My mother cared for me and loved me. She did the same for Flamewing." The golden cat rolled her eyes.
The she-cat, who he found on the patrol, was trespassing into NightClan's territory. She was a golden orange color and smelled like CloudClan.
"What about your mouse-brained father?" She spat. " He dived into the raging river to save your littermate, who was going to drown anyway!" This reminded Rockfrost of his littermate, Applekit, painfully. They would have been made warriors together, but he drowned with Bristlefur at his heels.
The she-cat paused then continued. "I think that was unwise... going into a river without knowing how to swim!"
"I think you would done the same to save your own kin," Rockfrost harshly retorted. "My father died trying to save another from death. Now," He meowed looking up, "he joins StarClan." The she-cat seemed unimpressed.
"What about Flamewing?" The cat asked curtly. " She's your sister. Same blood from a foolish stick of a mother. And she's gone?" The she-cat scoffed. "She is so weak, I hear the crows coming now to feast on her flesh and bones! And you," She hissed and lowered her ears. "You have some of their blood coursing through your veins. You're one of them!" Rockfrost angrily unsheathed his claws and sunk them into the soft earth. "What is your name?" Rockfrost spat. The stranger scoffed. " Goldenblaze. I'd like to hear yours. Like it could be worse," He didn't answer.
"Goldenblaze, Flamewing and I are not weak. We are strong and brave warriors and we care for other cats- unlike some," Rockfrost shot a look at her, locking eyes. He flexed his claws and hissed at Goldenblaze. She showed her fangs and snarled,
"Prove it! Prove that you and your family are strong. Take my life and prove it!"
"No!" He growled back. " I will leave you broken and scattered here until you starve. If somebody finds you, you will be thin and under-fed." Goldenblaze glanced at Rockfrost as every muscle in his body rippled. Goldenblaze flinched at this statement but then flew at Rockfrost, claws raised, ready to attack.
Rockfrost dodged her claws then spun around and slashed Goldenblaze's left flank.
She kicked him in the gut, knocking the breath out of his lungs, but soon recovered and dug his sharp claws into her hind leg. Greasy scarlet blood dripped from the vein I clawed.
Goldenblaze flinched. Rockfrost jumped on her back as she hesitated and dug his claws into her back. He felt his claws rake her ribs as she howled in pain. She threw Rockfrost off and he fell on the ground. She quickly bit his left ear, the same ear that had gotten injured from the ambush from CloudClan.
Rockfrost rolled over then jumped up again and bit into her hind leg, deep enough so she couldn't walk. She fell to the ground, tripped over a rock and landed on her side.
Rockfrost softly panted. " I kept my promise, didn't I Goldenblaze?"
With that, he stalked away to find Ashpelt and tell him what had happened, with his chin up and tail held high.
When Rockfrost found Ashpelt he was scenting over Snakerocks. Rockfrost called out to him, "Ashpelt! We need to go back to camp now," He had not looked up. "Why?" He asked calmly.
"Can we just go?"
"Well we need to find the others first," Ashpelt meowed. "Then we can go... Wait," Ashpelt looked at Rockfrost's ear and bloody claws. "What happened?" Ashpelt asked shrilly.
"Did you get attacked? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine,"
"You sure?"
"Yeah," Rockfrost meowed calmly. His claws hurt because they were unsheathed and they itched to be sheathed but they had to be cleaned. He looked over his shoulder and saw a river nearby.
Rockfrost slowly padded over and washed his paws. Rockfrost sighed as he watched the blood flow down the river. I didn't need to do this, Rockfrost thought. But she had threatened me.
Rockfrost looked back at Ashpelt and he had a rabbit in his mouth. He must have saw the rabbit and caught it to bring back to Icestar, he thought. Ashpelt motioned to Rockfrost to follow him to find the others at SunningRocks.
When Ashpelt and Rockfrost got to SunningRocks, they found Leafstorm with a rabbit, Sandclaw with a mouse and Saturn with a large finch. Ashpelt looked at them, nodded at Rockfrost and headed back to camp.