Chapter 15

Icepaw's POV

Icepaw awoke in a starry forest and looked around. Where am I? The white apprentice asked herself. Just then a bluish tom with white patches appeared. He was smaller than Icepaw.

'Hello Icepaw.' The tom meowed and bowed his head.

'W-Who are you?' The apprentice asked.

'You will know soon enough.' The tom meowed. 'I'm here to tell you that your mother is closer than you think.' Just then everything flickered.

'You are waking up, you shall see me again.' The kit meowed. Suddenly Icepaw awoke outside Echomist den, everything that had happened was clear in her mind. We have to be going home today. The apprentice thought.

Icepaw rose and stretched. Just then the apprentice heard voices coming towards her. She sat down and listened to them.

'Do you think Stonestar is taking his clan back to their territory yet?' One asked.

'They better, it's almost Leaf-Bare and we can't keep hunting for them.' Another meowed.

Icepaw knew that the first voice was a tom and the second was female.

'I know Lakestar wants to help all the clans but we can't keep this up.' The female meowed.

The tom sighed. 'Maybe she is still morning over her kits.' The tom suggested.

Icepaw's heart lurched.

'Maybe she has been really sad lately.' The she-cat meowed. 'Ever since Stonestar announced that three kits had become apprentices.'

Just then a third voice joined the other two. Icepaw recognized it as Lakestar.

'Dawnfire, Lionflight, Feathercloud needs you to go and hunt.' The Leader meowed calmly.

'Okay Lakestar.' The she-cat meowed.

Just then Icepaw felt fur next to hers.

'Icewhisker is looking for you Icepaw.' A voice meowed.

'Okay Lakestar.' The apprentice meowed and found her way into Echomist's den. When Icepaw entered the den she heard voices.

'Your okay now Silverpaw, but you should try and stay as warm as you can for a while.' A voice meowed. Icepaw recognise it as Echomist.

'Okay thanks Echomist.' Icepaw's sister Silverpaw meowed.

'Your fine too Brackenflight.' Another voice meowed.

'Thanks Icewhisker.' The tom meowed.

'Icepaw there you are!' Icepaw heard Icewhisker meow. 'Can you go and see to Flamepaw's wounds?'

'Leaffire go with her please.' Echomist meowed.

'Sure!' The warrior meowed.

Suddenly Icepaw felt fur against hers again.

'You should find Marigold, Cobwebs and Poppy seeds to help.' Icewhisker meowed and placed something in front of the cats.

'Can you take the cobwebs Leaffire?' Icepaw asked and took the Marigold and Poppy seeds in her jaw.

'Sure!' The cat meowed and picked them up.

The Tortoiseshell took Icepaw over to where Whitepaw laid next to Flamepaw who was stirring. Icepaw sniffed.

'Whitepaw why are you here?' Icepaw asked her brother.

'I was wondering if Flamepaw was okay.' The tom meowed. Icepaw placed the herbs in front of Flamepaw.

'You may stay but you need to stay back.' The medicine cat apprentice meowed. Leaffire placed the cobwebs next to Icepaw.

'Flamepaw?' Icepaw meowed and crouched down.

'Icepaw?' The she-cat apprentice asked. 'I-Is something wrong?'

'I don't know yet, but I need you to swallow these.' Icepaw meowed and slowly pushed the poppy seeds towards her.

'O-Okay.' Flamepaw meowed and ate the small seeds.

'Okay now stay calm, I need to see how hurt you are.' Icepaw meowed.

After a few moments Icepaw sighed. This is bad, but can I help? The apprentice asked herself. Icepaw! A voice meowed. This she-cat needs your help! Icepaw shook her head.

'Leaffire can you go and ask Icewhisker or Echomist for some Juniper Berries?' The medicine cat asked.

'Okay Icepaw.' The she-cat meowed.

'Is she okay Icepaw?' Whitepaw asked. Icepaw ignored her brother's question but flicked her ear meaning she heard him.

Soon enough Icepaw spat the last of the Marigold on Flamepaw's wounds.

'She should be fine now.' Icepaw meowed.

Whitepaw stepped forward and licked his sister's ear. 'I know you did your best.' He meowed and settled down next to Flamepaw.

Icepaw headed over to her mentor, who was sitting next to Echomist eating. Icepaw settled down next to her mentor and Icewhisker pushed over a vole.

'Eat. Stonestar is sending Spotfur and Mistystorm to check out our territory to see if it is safe to return home.' The medicine cat meowed.

Icepaw ate the vole in a few gulps before washing. Just then the apprentice heard Stonestar yowl.

'Come on.' Icewhisker meowed and helped his apprentice up.

'Good Icewhisker and Icepaw.' The she-cat meowed.

'Good Echomist, thank you for everything.' The Medicine cat meowed.

The two cats walked out of the den and Icewhisker looked around.

'Icewhisker what about Flamepaw?' Icepaw asked.

'Leaffire said she would help Whitepaw get Flamepaw back to camp.' Icewhisker meowed.

Icepaw passed the stream that led to the gathering place. The water had left the she-cats' paws wet. Icepaw knew that they would be home soon.

'We will be back in camp in a few moments.' Icepaw heard Icewhisker meow soon after. Icepaw nodded. Soon she felt Icewhisker's tail on her shoulder and she stopped.

'We are at the Rock tunnel.' Icewhisker whispered. Icepaw purred.

Silverpaw led Icepaw over to Whitepaw.

'Are we ready?' Whitepaw asked.

'Yeah.' Silverpaw meowed.

Silverpaw had already told her brother and sister everything. Lakestar had asked Silverpaw to meet her at the border between Lostclan and Streamclan. Icepaw had told her father, Stonestar that she was going to collect herbs and Silverpaw and Whitepaw were coming to help.

'Why are we going again?' Icepaw asked after coming out of the Rock tunnel.

'Because Lakestar asked.' Whitepaw reminded her. 'Remember she could keep us figure out who our mother is!'

'Oh right.' Icepaw meowed.

Silverpaw and Whitepaw helped Icepaw through their territory to the Lostclan border. Icepaw sniffed and scented it was almost Dusk. The White apprentice sat down and felt Whitepaw's fur next to her.

'I'm going to see if I can find any fresh-kill for us.' Icepaw heard Silverpaw meow.

'Bring some back for the clan.' Whitepaw suggested. Suddenly there was silence.

After a while Icepaw heard rustling not far away.

'Someone's coming.' Icepaw whispered.

'I know I can scent them.' Whitepaw meowed and a growl came from his throat.

Icepaw sniffed. 'It's only Lakestar.' Icepaw meowed.

Just then the she-cat queen emerged from the bushes on the other side.

'Hello.' Lakestar greeted.

'You have brought prey!' Whitepaw exclaimed. Lakestar dropped a piece of prey at Icepaw's paws.

'Here.' The Queen meowed gently. Icepaw sniffed and found that Lakestar had given her a vole.

'Thank you.' Icepaw meowed and took a bite of the vole.

Just then Silverpaw came back. Her sister sat down next to her.

'Thanks Lakestar.' Silverpaw meowed after a few moments.

'Your Welcome, I thought you all might be hungry.' The she-cat leader meowed.

After a few moments Icepaw licked her muzzle.

'Now why did you want to see us?' Icepaw asked.

'Yeah?' Whitepaw asked.

'Well I wanted to tell you something.' The she-cat meowed. 'I'm..'

'Sorry Lakestar, but um may you have had kits disappear in you clan when we were kits?' Icepaw heard Silverpaw interrupt. The leader nodded.

'Who was their mother?' Whitepaw asked hopefully.

'That is what I wanted to talk to you about.' The leader continued. 'When you were young you were raised in my clan, I was deputy, and I was younger though, Lightstar had Green cough, and died soon after and I become leader. '

'The Queen that lost her kits.' She meowed. 'Was frantic, saying someone must of took them, when she knew that her kits were safe.'

'How do you know this?' Icepaw asked looking confused.

Lakestar continued but flicked her ear in meaning she had heard.

'I had to look after my clan.' She meowed. 'I chose my clan over you.'

The three apprentices' eyes widened.

'You're our mother?!' Silverpaw chocked. Lakestar looked away.

'If I hadn't chosen to be leader, Hailstone would have and the clan would be no more now.' Lakestar meowed and looked back at her kits. 'I had to choose my clan, I wanted to keep you but I couldn't your father, Stonestar, agreed to take you.'

'Your brother, Rowenkit, died a few nights before we left, the clan was as devastated as I was.' Lakestar meowed.

'We have a brother?' Whitepaw asked.

'Wait was he a bluish tom with white patches?' Icepaw asked.

'Yes.' Lakestar said and stared at her paws.

'I have seen him, in my dreams, he misses you, he is watching over us right now, with Mistycloud and Jayheart.' Icepaw meowed, pointing with her muzzle up to the Silverpelt.

Lakestar whispered something and smiled.

Rowenkit, why didn't you tell me? Icepaw asked.

Suddenly Icepaw heard chuckling and felt fur next to hers. I knew Lakestar would tell you, so I didn't have to, I'm so proud of you. Rowenkit meowed.

Suddenly he disappeared and Icepaw heard Silverpaw meow something.

Icepaw made her way into the medicine cat den. She had collected plenty of herbs and berries. She put them down next to the entrance to the den, before curling up in her nest and going to sleep.