Shellfall watched the snow fall on his nose, delighting in the beauty of the winter wonderland around him. Although leaf-bare brought bitter cold, starvation, and illness, no cat could deny it was the most beautiful time of year. Nothing was ever as it seemed, though. He followed his patrol, consisting of Shimmerwing, Minnowflight, Darkshadow, and Moonshade. They were ordered to check the ShadowClan border, although Shellfall doubted there would be any activity on there. The newest addition on the patrol was Icepaw, Dapplestar's apprentice, ordered by Shimmerwing herself. The white apprentice looked around, her ears twitching nervously. Shellfall watched her, intrigued.
The scent with the RiverClan border had been weak ever since RiverClan had taken the territory. It was as if they didn't check the border at all – and, knowing of their hatred towards RiverClan, Shellfall was inclined to think that was the case. Would Icepaw recognize the scent of her former home? She had never patrolled the ShadowClan border prior to today.
"What do you smell, Icepaw?" Shimmerwing prompted the white furred apprentice, who blended in with the snow around her.
"Pines," Icepaw replied. She opened her mouth to taste the air, and the fur on the back of her spine pricked. "It's fresh."
Moonshade narrowed his icy blue eyes. "Icepaw is right," he growled. "The ShadowClan scent is fresh."
"That's different," Minnowflight remarked, her eye whiskers furrowed. "It's like they've barely been here at all the last few days, and now they're suddenly coming again?"
Moonshade's shoulders flexed, and his sharp claws dug into the snow beneath him. Shellfall frowned. What was making Moonshade so furious?
"Is someone coming?" Darkshadow asked the black tom.
Shimmerwing tasted the air, and her blue eyes narrowed. Shellfall followed her lead, and the scent that he could make out held a tinge of ShadowClan, but not much else. Who is that? It surely can't be a ShadowClan cat. Perhaps a rogue that lives in ShadowClan territory?
"Be quiet, and follow me," Shimmerwing ordered the patrol. She began to slink across the border, her belly low to the ground, picking up mounds of snow. Shellfall crouched down, following his deputy. The snow that brushed against his pelt made him shudder, and he lifted his belly to avoid more contact.
"Is it ShadowClan?" Moonshade hissed under his breath.
"I have no idea," Shimmerwing confessed.
"It looks like they're coming in our direction," Minnowflight remarked, her green eyes gazing into the distance of the vast expanse of snow. Shaking her head, she stayed close to Shimmerwing. Shellfall narrowed her eyes as two voices echoed through the clearing.
"I guess this is the end, brother," moaned a cat, sighing heavily.
Shellfall nearly hit his face with his paw. He recognized that voice. Thistlestorm from ShadowClan. I hear he was exiled with Stoneheart.
"What is it?" Darkshadow asked.
"It's Thistlestorm and Stoneheart," Shellfall told her.
Darkshadow sighed. "Great StarClan…"
Moonshade flinched. "They kidnapped me and Sunshine!" he snarled. "We should teach them a lesson!"
"Don't attack them," Shimmerwing warned Moonshade, her voice hard. "They're on ShadowClan territory. We'll have to wait for a ShadowClan patrol to come take care of them."
Moonshade lowered his head but nodded in acknowledgement of his deputy's orders. Shimmerwing let out a heavy sigh as she turned her blue gaze back to where the voices had come from. Icepaw's blue eyes were just as cold as the snow around her. Shellfall shifted his paws, remembering their days in RiverClan's camp. They had been about to be killed. What were they doing now, in ShadowClan territory? Surely Talonstar hadn't let them back in?
"They look pretty pathetic," Darkshadow commented, her voice tinged with pity.
"Let's move on." Shimmerwing disregarded Thistlestorm and Stoneheart with a flick of her tail and began to pad away. Moonshade's lip curled in fury, as if he wanted to teach the two exiles a lesson. But he followed Shimmerwing, making no move to head towards the two loners. Shellfall stayed on her heels.
The patrol padded through the clearing, marking pine needles occasionally, and keeping careful watch for any ShadowClan warriors. The scent that Icepaw had made out had been Stoneheart and Thistlestorm, and not ShadowClan themselves. It was still a fact that ShadowClan's own scent was weak. Had they not been here in a while?
As the patrol padded closer, the scent of ShadowClan began to thicken in the air. It was fresh, and this time, it was pure ShadowClan, with no trace of any foreign scents like Stoneheart and Thistlestorm's scent had. Shellfall narrowed his eyes as Shimmerwing pressed forward, her blue eyes blazing. The snow shifted as Shellfall studied the pine trees in front of them. A patrol of cats appeared, and Nightfire was at the head of it. Behind him was Dustcloud, Lizardfang, and Snakenose.
Shimmerwing's icy blue gaze met Nightfire's burning amber eyes. She and the rest of the patrol stopped, and for a moment, nobody spoke as the two deputies stared each other down. Nightfire was the one that spoke first.
"Shimmerwing." That one name was full of hatred and vitriol.
"Nightfire." Shimmerwing's voice was cool. Moonshade's calculating gaze watched every movement Nightfire made. Shellfall stared at the black tom's pelt, recalling their last interaction. He wanted to kill me. And I was going to kill him. What is he going to do now?
"Here to take more territory?" Dustcloud sneered as he stepped forward. The pale brown tom examined the patrol, and when his eyes focused on Icepaw, he took a sharp inhale of breath. He recognizes his daughter, Shellfall thought. But Icepaw doesn't know who he is. This can't end well.
The rest of the RiverClan patrol had noticed Dustcloud's movements. Minnowflight winced, looking at her paws. Shimmerwing stepped protectively in front of Icepaw, her claws unsheathed as she glared at Dustcloud furiously. Darkshadow's tail twitched nervously, and Shellfall braced his muscles, ready for a fight if Dustcloud wanted to bring one.
"Is RiverClan still brave and powerful?" Dustcloud taunted Shimmerwing. "Is Dapplestar still the most powerful cat in the Clans, when all she does is destroy what stand in her way like the tyrant she is?"
"Dapplestar is more powerful and honorable than you could ever be," Shimmerwing snarled at Dustcloud.
"Dapplestar has led us to glory and victory," Moonshade interfered. "Talonstar has led you to humiliating defeat."
Snakenose's yellow eyes flashed in disbelief as he glared furiously at Moonshade. "We experienced defeat at the paws of your cruel dictator, only because she started a pointless war with ShadowClan!"
"The Clans have been at war for years," Shellfall growled. "It's Dapplestar who will unify the lands."
Nightfire levelled a smoldering glare of loathing at Shellfall. Shellfall returned his angry stare but said nothing to him. Dustcloud was the one who spoke next.
"Who are you calling a cruel dictator?" Moonshade took a menacing step towards Snakenose.
"Dapplestar." Snakenose looked unfazed. "Did I not make that clear?"
"My leader is an honorable cat who is willing to make sacrifices necessary to protect his Clan," Dustcloud snarled at Shimmerwing. "Can you say the same for yourself?"
"Enough!" Shimmerwing snapped, glaring at the ShadowClan cats. "We're leaving now. I don't want to suffer through any more of this."
Lizardfang lashed her tail. "Good riddance," she snarled. "You're the insufferable ones."
Darkshadow gazed at Shimmerwing, clearly desperate to leave. Shellfall snorted but did not want to further the fight between the two Clans. Shimmerwing was right – it was best to leave before an attack broke out.
Moonshade looked over his shoulder and snarled at Snakenose, "This isn't over, old man!"
Snakenose grinned. "I've been called worse."
"Heh." Dustcloud's chuckling voice echoed from behind Shellfall as he turned to leave. Shellfall frowned as he recalled the cat who had fought valiantly to protect Nightfire and Cactusclaw. Was this really the same cat? "You should think about coming back, ShadowClan kit. I'm sure Talonstar would love to have you back."
He's talking to Icepaw! Shellfall spun around, snarling at Dustcloud. But Dustcloud was unfazed, simply focusing his gaze on Icepaw. The sleek pale tom spoke again. "Think about it. I–"
The ShadowClan tom's voice was cut off by a deep growl, one that made his ears flatten. Shellfall recognized the growl immediately and turned to see Dapplestar emerge from a patch of ferns. Her white-tipped ears flattened as she squared her shoulders to meet Dustcloud. Dustcloud's eyes flashed in panic for a second, but he regained his posture and met Dapplestar's challenge.
"Dustcloud," Dapplestar addressed him, her voice turning the atmosphere even chillier. "Why, pray tell, are you trying to convince a RiverClan apprentice to move to ShadowClan?"
"Ah," Shimmerwing meowed, her blue eyes washed with relief. "Dapplestar is here."
Shellfall sighed with relief. Dapplestar would fix this.
Dustcloud lashed his tail. "You think you're so great," he snarled at the RiverClan leader. "You're nothing but a ruthless savage."
"Oh?" Dapplestar tilted her head. "Is that so? Consider what you have done, foolish tom."
Dustcloud lifted his head. "I have no regrets."
"Do you." Dapplestar swung her broad head to stare at Icepaw, who met her gaze with worried blue eyes. "Are you going to let a ShadowClan warrior, a sworn enemy of ours, insult the honor of the Clan that is the one who is going to bring peace to the realm?"
"Uh… no…?" Icepaw was trembling as the fur pricked on her shoulders.
Dapplestar's eyes blazed. "Then show him what happens when a cat insults the glory of RiverClan. The cat who has insulted your Clanmates, the cats you have sworn to protect with your life."
Icepaw paused for a moment. Then, after a heartbeat, she turned and lashed her claws down Dustcloud's eyes. Blood trickled down his wounds and turned the snow beneath him crimson. Dustcloud yelped with horror as Icepaw's claws raked down his face, and he staggered back, crying out, "I can't see!"
"Dapplestar, what…?" Shimmerwing's eyes were wide with horror. Darkshadow gasped with shock, and Minnowflight recoiled as if she had been the one hit. Nightfire snarled, his claws unsheathed. Shellfall stared at the apprentice, horrified by the force behind her blow. He looked up at Dapplestar, bewildered. Why had Dapplestar allowed – no, encouraged – her apprentice to blind Dustcloud?
Dapplestar turned to face Shimmerwing. "No cat insults RiverClan and gets away with it," the mighty she-cat growled. The shock still written on her face, Shimmerwing bowed her head to her leader. Dapplestar turned back to Dustcloud. "The next time you insult my Clan, I will show you no mercy." With a flourish of her tail, Dapplestar disappeared back into the ferns.
Blood trickled down Dustcloud's face as he flailed, trying to rub the blood off his face. "I can't see!" he yelped again. "Help me!"
"We need to get him to the medicine den, immediately," Lizardfang declared.
"Let's get out of here," Shimmerwing whispered to her patrol.
"You merciless brutes!" Nightfire snarled at Shimmerwing. "Your leader says she unites the Clan, but then she has a young apprentice blind one of our own warriors? You should be ashamed of yourselves! I should—" Before the black tom lunged forward, ready to attack Shimmerwing, Snakenose held him back.
"Calm down, young one," Snakenose hissed at Nightfire. "Ripping her apart won't do Dustcloud any good. We need to help him before we attack."
Nightfire hissed in frustration but nodded to the older warrior. Flashing a glare of repugnance at Shimmerwing, Nightfire began to guide Dustcloud back into the snow-covered pine forest. Shimmerwing watched them go, the shock written all over her face. Shellfall winced at the blood trails the wounds on Dustcloud's eyes were creating in the snow.
"Come on," Shimmerwing repeated, turning on her heel and plunging into the snow-capped land of RiverClan. Shellfall glanced over at Icepaw, who was staring at where the ShadowClan cats had disappeared, looking utterly baffled. Does she not realize what she did was wrong? Finally, Icepaw turned around and followed Shimmerwing. Shellfall watched her go, wondering what kind of warrior Icepaw would turn into if she was able to blind a ShadowClan cat in one blow.
When the patrol was safely back at camp, Shimmerwing padded over to Shellfall. "Can you come with me?" she asked. "Meet me outside of camp. I'll bring Runningflame and Rippleheart."
Shellfall nodded. "Of course." He had an inkling suspicion of what Shimmerwing was about to say to him, and knew that he had to defend his leader, no matter what. Swimming through the stream and bounding to the spot Shimmerwing had said, he sat down, wrapping his gray tail around his paws as he recalled the events of earlier.
When Shimmerwing returned with Runningflame and Rippleheart, the worry on her face was as clear as day. Rippleheart and Runningflame sat down, frowns on their face. Shellfall assumed they were completely uninformed about Icepaw's attack on Dustcloud. Shimmerwing sat down, looking over her shoulders before beginning to speak.
"Shellfall and I were on a patrol," Shimmerwing meowed. "We went to ShadowClan's border, and I had Icepaw in my contingent. We came across Nightfire and his patrol. Dustcloud, Icepaw's father, was in there. Dustcloud insulted us and encouraged Icepaw to join ShadowClan. Dapplestar appeared out of thin air, and she told Icepaw to 'show Dustcloud what happened when a ShadowClan warrior insulted RiverClan.' So Icepaw clawed his face." Shimmerwing let the words sink into the senior warriors.
Rippleheart lashed his tail. "So what's the problem?" he asked gruffly. "Dustcloud was the one who gave Icepaw to RiverClan. Talonstar could've chosen any other cat, but they chose Icekit. He insulted the lord of our Clan and spat on the honor of the most powerful cat by the lake. If you ask me, clawing him in the eyes was merciful."
Shellfall felt his tail twitch. "Dapplestar did the right thing," he urged Shimmerwing. "Dustcloud insulted RiverClan and tried to manipulate Icepaw into joining ShadowClan. He doesn't care about Icepaw, Shimmerwing. I know Dustcloud, and if there's any cat who's a snake, it's him. Dustcloud was begging for a fight, and it was because of Dapplestar, and Icepaw, that there wasn't one."
Shimmerwing bit her lip.
Runningflame frowned. "But you weren't fighting," he remarked. "Isn't there peace between us now?"
"Not if some cats don't honor it," Rippleheart said coldly. "Like Dustcloud."
"Icepaw has been an apprentice for less than a moon," Shimmerwing meowed, her voice tight and her eyes dark with concern. "How can such a young cat be capable of such cruelty? Dapplestar never ordered her to blind him. She just… did it. I don't care whether a loudmouthed ShadowClan cat gets clawed over his ears. Especially if he's goading us on. But this was different. It was ruthless. It felt void of any kind of emotion."
"What are you insinuating, Shimmerwing?" Rippleheart inquired. "We know these moves, too, and it isn't wrong if Dapplestar is teaching them to Icepaw. She'll have to learn to defend herself one day. What happens if Icepaw is stuck in remote territory, alone and ambushed? How is she supposed to defend herself? By playing dead? It's not a crime if Dapplestar teaches her some moves that will surely save her life."
"Why is Dapplestar teaching Icepaw those moves right now?" Shimmerwing countered. "She should be learning the hunter's crouch and basic fighting moves... not clawing out other cats' eyes!"
"Shimmerwing." Shellfall's voice was tight as Shimmerwing's words began to grow higher. "Dapplestar is doing what she thinks is best for her apprentice. It is her training methods, not ours. She has taught me the same methods, and it is because of her that I am the warrior I am today."
Shimmerwing's shoulders sagged, and she shot Shellfall a helpless glance. Shellfall tightened his shoulders. Shimmerwing was his dearest friend in RiverClan, but he had to defend Dapplestar. Dapplestar was not wrong in her actions, Shellfall was convinced of that. If Shimmerwing began to doubt Dapplestar, what would happen to RiverClan? He had to guide Shimmerwing on the right path.
"Believe in our leader, Shimmerwing," Shellfall meowed. "She knows what she is doing. Her priority is Icepaw's safety. She does not want her to fend for herself."
Runningflame brushed his tail against Shimmerwing's shoulder, and the tawny she-cat relaxed her muscles and nodded. "I suppose," she finally agreed.
Shellfall gazed at the two cats. My loyalty will always be to Dapplestar. I have faith in her. Her goal is unifying the Clans and bringing peace to the realm. I will never betray her, even if I may disagree with her methods.
"Are we about done here?" Rippleheart asked, irritation flickering in his blue eyes.
Shimmerwing nodded. "I'm sorry to upset you all. I just had to talk to you about it. Go on as usual. I'll talk to Dapplestar."
Shellfall lowered his head. He wanted to talk to Icepaw. Touching noses with Shimmerwing, Shellfall turned on his heel and went back to camp. He searched for the white she-cat in camp, and when he saw her sitting outside of the apprentices' den, looking utterly lost, he padded over to her.
"How are you finding being Dapplestar's apprentice?" Shellfall asked her. He could feel Shimmerwing near him, and he wanted to curb her fears. "I trained under her as well, and that's why she trusts me so much. Perhaps, one day, you can be one of her closest warriors like I am. I value her training. It's always stuck with me. Under her, I learned strategy, battle moves, hunting moves, and most of all... how to be an honorable, strong RiverClan warrior."
Icepaw looked up at Shellfall and lowered her head. "I guess it's okay…" she meowed, her eyes on the ground. "I am learning a lot."
"Having Dapplestar as your mentor will make you one of the best warriors in the Clan." Shellfall flicked his tail on Icepaw's head affectionately. "She defended you when you were just a kit, and there was prejudice against you in the Clan."
"Really?" Icepaw lifted her head, her blue eyes wide with surprise.
Shellfall nodded. "Dapplestar doesn't care for where cats are born, you see. Other cats do. But to Dapplestar, your class or birth doesn't matter to her. She only wants the best, the cats willing to better themselves, the cats who dedicate their life to their Clans. It's thanks to her that you're here, and you're going to be a great warrior, I can tell. Perhaps maybe one of her Divine Warriors."
Icepaw said nothing, and Shellfall found himself catching Shimmerwing's gaze. Have I helped her? The tawny she-cat's ears twitched, indicating her interest, but her icy blue gaze was unreadable. Her face gave nothing away. Shellfall sighed, wondering what Shimmerwing was really thinking. He knew her loyalty to Dapplestar was as strong as his, but he didn't want to imagine what would happen if she began to doubt Dapplestar.