So I thought I'd change up the point of view a bit to get this story back on the dramatic track. I really like Hailsplash (the same Hailpaw from the Iceheart's POV chapter) because she's one of the good cats and she's really fun to write. So, here are the comments:
Butterfly that flies at dawn: I just thought the name Echowing sounded pretty and it was the only thing that matched her free-spirited personality. (:
Rainy1212: Well I'm glad I could get such...emotion out of you. :D
Mistyflower68: Aw, thanks. You're a great author too. Don't forget that Roses in the Dark inspired me to write this! Lol Yeah, I don't think I'll do a sequel. Better to start fresh and all ^-^. But, then again, I'll have to make up even MORE names and there are just so many one can do lol.
Wolf Larka and Savvy: Lol yeah, Pinepaw would have made a great warrior I think.
Spotterfire7: Yeah, Echowing (Echopaw, whatever) isn't really good at having serious discussions involving "feelings"…heehee…
Alright, onto the chapter!
Hailsplash's POV
"Hey Hailsplash," Ashtalon called from a little bit across the clearing. "You're going on the sunset patrol."
The white she-cat looked up from the trout she was nibbling on and nodded quickly at the molted gray warrior before turning her attention back to her fresh-kill. Even though the fish was plump and juicy, Hailsplash had very little appetite. Ever since the attack on WindClan in which all the RiverClan warriors were forced to fight, she felt sick whenever she saw something dead-even if it was just a fish.
Knowing better than to waste precious prey, she stood and carried it over to the reeds where the nursery slumped. The slender she-cat slipped into the dimly lit den and waited for her eyes to adjust before continuing on. Cherrybloom, the only queen, lay with her eyes closed in her nest as her three kits suckled hungrily for milk. She had given birth to Cinderfang's kits just days ago and the birthing had not gone very well, seeing as RiverClan had no Medicine Cat.
When Hailsplash entered, the queen opened her eyes and watched the trout hungrily. "Is that for me?"
No, for the wall, Hailsplash thought sarcastically. She had never liked Cherrybloom but she knew when to keep her mouth shut. She knew the mother would tell Cinderfang and then he would probably giver her yet another scar to bear. So instead of answering, she just placed the trout in front of the queen and glanced at the three kits.
"So what did you name them?" Hailsplash asked quietly. Part of her was just being polite but the other half of her went out to the kits. Why did they have to be born right then? Why couldn't they have come into the Clan when there was actually a leader and Clanmates to be proud of?
Cherrybloom took a huge bite of fish and touched the biggest kit lightly with her tail. "The dark grey tom is Stormkit," she meowed and touched the next one. "This little white one is Skykit, and this pale grey one is Minnowkit."
Stormkit, Skykit, and Minnowkit. Welcome to RiverClan little ones.
Dipping her head to the queen, Hailsplash hurried out of the den and shivered slightly in the cool breeze. It was mid leaf-fall and soon when it was leaf-bare the river would be frozen over, leaving her and her Clanmates skinnier and easily aggravated. Padding across the soft ground, she headed towards the tiny pond that was just as the drinking hole and lapped up the icy drops thirstily.
Suddenly, she felt a presence next to her and took in a sharp breath. She relaxed slightly when she recognized the scent and turned to glance at the cat that stood behind her
"Why are you watching me drink Raindusk?" she snapped, trying to ignore the little flutter in her stomach.
The black and grey tom rolled his eyes. "Don't flatter yourself, Hailsplash. I was just waiting to get a drink."
Hailsplash narrowed her green eyes at him and then stepped back, waving her tail towards the pond. "Then go ahead. I need to go anyway because I'm on the sunset patrol."
"So am I," Raindusk responded dryly before bending down to get a drink.
"Great," she muttered. StarClan, why must you put this frog-brain on the same patrol as me? "Then hurry up, Ashtalon, Deadtail, and Birchfur are waiting." She pointed with her tail to where the three cats were standing by the fern entrance. Raindusk swiped his tongue around his jaws and then they headed to the rest of the patrol.
"Don't mind us," Deadtail growled, glaring at the two warriors. "It's not as if we've just been sitting here for moons waiting to go on the patrol."
Hailsplash rolled her eyes at the she-cat's absurd comments. Deadtail's not even a real warrior! she thought in disgust. She just thinks she's better than me because Crowstar asked her to join RiverClan when she was a loner. Well, good for her. I wouldn't want that evil cat to even look at me.
Ashtalon led the patrol out of the clearing and towards the river they shared with ThunderClan. Hailsplash fell easily into step with her brother Birchfur and they walked side by side as the RiverClan cats made their way through the territory.
"How are you doing?" Birchfur murmured to her, turning his identical green eyes on her. She knew he wasn't just talking about right then; he was asking her if she'd stopped having the nightmares.
Hailsplash shrugged. "I'm fine," she lied smoothly. She didn't want her brother to worry about her when they had bigger concerns to think about. Such as what evil thing Crowstar was planning next.
Birchfur gave her a look that clearly said he didn't believe her. She sighed and answered truthfully, "I've certainly been better."
The pale tabby nodded and glanced sorrowfully up at the sky. "I know what you mean."
They padded in silence for a while, each consumed by their own thoughts, when they arrived at the river. The water was rough today, churning loudly and waves greedily lapping at the shore. Hailsplash wanted nothing more than to jump in it and feel the cold push away the dark reality that was her life. But she knew that to do so would be like accepting death because with no Medicine Cat there was no one to treat the sickness that was sure to come from being so cold.
Ashtalon flicked his tail and they continued along the side of the river, spraying a tree here or a bush there. However, Hailsplash's thoughts were not with the patrol, but somewhere else. Distractedly, she marked bed of reeds as her mind drifted to Iceheart.
All that Crowstar had said that night Iceheart had disappeared was "She betrayed all of RiverClan. Do not go looking for her." and had left it at that. But Hailsplash knew the defiant Medicine Cat, knew that her friend wouldn't just up and leave without a good enough reason. What she didn't have an idea about, was what had happened to the white she-cat. Since RiverClan stopped attending the Gatherings moons ago, Hailsplash had no idea if Iceheart was with another Clan or if she was long gone. She didn't want to think about the other option, the one that left a feeling of dread in her stomach and bile in her mouth.
Not paying attention to where she was walking, Hailsplash ran into Raindusk as the patrol suddenly halted. The tom glanced back at her with a mischievous look in his amber eyes and she dropped her gaze, embarrassed. He turned back around but slyly flicked his tail lightly over her muzzle, sending her blinking at the contact.
Ashtalon face the four cats and announced, "We're going to do some quick hunting before we head back. Deadtail, you go with Birchfur, Raindusk you come with me, and Hailsplash you'll be on your own."
Hailsplash felt a wave of irritation towards the dusty warrior. Did he think that she wasn't capable of doing a little hunting by herself? She was a warrior for StarClan's sake! I'll show him, she vowed and then caught Deadtail looking smugly at her. They underestimate me too much.
The groups broke up and walked off in different directions of the river. Deadtail and Birchfur padded off a long ways down the territory, the orange she-cat's half tail twitching. Ashtalon led Raindusk in the opposite direction and settled down a long way away. She felt Raindusk's intent gaze on her and her pelt itched uncomfortably. She pushed aside all thoughts of the tomcat and willed herself to concentrate on the hunting. She had to impress both Ashtalon and Deadtail if she was going to be even remotely respected by her terrible Clanmates.
Seeing nowhere else to really go, Hailsplash sat down heavily right where she was and settled her eyes on the rushing water. Her breathing grew deep and slow and her muscles bunched and stilled a she sat like a rock, waiting for any sign of movement. Suddenly, after a while, a flash of silver blurred beneath her and she lashed out a paw. She hooked the fish a claw and flung it onto the ground beside her. Killing it with a swift bite, she settled down once more.
Soon she had a pile of three carp and a small minnow next to her and she couldn't help but feel triumphant. Let them chew on that! she crowed silently, getting up to stretch her cramped limbs. The other four cats were also finished and soon they were all gathered where Hailsplash stood. Raindusk had caught two trout, Ashtalon had three minnows, and Birchfur carried one big slippery carp. Hailsplash felt victorious when she noticed that Deadtail had only managed to catch one skinny trout.
"Okay, let's head back," Ashtalon growled, heading back towards the camp.
Just as Hailsplash was about to follow, Deadtail veered in front of her and cut her off. "You better watch yourself, Hailsplash," she sneered, yellow eyes dangerous.
"Actually, I'd advise you to be more concerned about yourself," the white warrior retorted, pointedly eyeing the orange she-cat's small prey. "You better hope Crowstar doesn't see that pathetic thing or else he'll make you wish you never came here, loner."
Deadtail's eyes flared with rage and Hailsplash braced herself but instead of reacting, the she-cat spun around and stalked off.
Hailsplash let out a small sigh of relief; she was thankful that she hadn't had to fight Deadtail but she knew that the danger had not yet completely passed. Deadtail would get her later somehow, she was sure of it.
She looked down at her fresh-kill and knew she wouldn't be able to carry it all back at once. Just as she was wondering about what she was going to do, a deep voice asked, "Need some help?"
Hailsplash jumped, startled and turned to look at Raindusk who was standing beside her. "I-I thought you had left with the others." Great StarClan, Hailsplash, stop acting like you have reeds for brains!
"Obviously not," he meowed, looking amused.
She turned away abruptly and answered curtly, "I can handle it on my own."
"Yeah, and rocks can talk," Raindusk snapped impatiently, bending down and grabbing one of the carps and adding it to his own two trout. Hailsplash felt a flash of annoyance but just scooped up her fresh-kill and started to pad quickly away from the river. Unfortunately, Raindusk's long legs made it easy for him to catch up with her. She was grateful though that he had too much prey in his mouth to start a conversation.
The silence grew heavy with awkwardness and Hailsplash kept her eyes firmly ahead, even though she felt Raindusk glancing at her every so often. Why was he even helping her anyway? She wasn't exactly the prettiest cat in the Clan and she tried to keep to herself as much as possible. And why was he all of a sudden being friendly towards her when they hardly even talked? Hailsplash shook her head, more than a little confused.
Suddenly, the soft breeze shifted and she smelled the faint musty scent of ShadowClan. She glanced at Raindusk to see if he smelled it but the tom didn't show any signs of smelling anything different. Something was urging her to follow it and investigate but she knew she had to get rid of Raindusk first.
She cleared her throat and stopped. Raindusk slowed and looked back at her questioningly. She shifted, as if embarrassed, and set her prey down. This is going to be so humiliating.
"You, uh, go on without me," she mewed, adding an uncomfortable note into her voice.
He narrowed his eyes skeptically.
Great StarClan. "I have to, um, make…dirt." She glanced away, not even faking the mortification that spread through her.
Raindusk grunted and hastily whipped around and padded quickly forward until he disappeared. Hailsplash sighed sorrowfully and shook her head. "There goes my chance with him. No cat announces that they have to make dirt!" she grumbled to herself.
Remembering the reason for the whole thing, she stuffed her prey under a bush and sniffed the air. The ShadowClan scent was definitely still there so she treaded softly on the ground and stealthily followed the trail. It led to a small clearing and the scent grew incredibly stronger. She crouched down and crawled into a big shrub, hoping they wouldn't catch her scent. She poked her head out and had to swallow a gasp when she saw who was in the clearing.
Crowstar was sitting with Willowfeather, the RiverClan deputy, and across from them was a gray cat that Hailsplash thought looked vaguely familiar. She knew he was ShadowClan, the horrid scent that surrounded him confirmed it. She searched her memory but couldn't put a name to the cat.
"…Shadestar have to say?" Crowstar was asking.
"ShadowClan is still recovering from the attack on WindClan," the gray cat replied. His eyes narrowed. "We were told they would surrender quickly and easily."
Even though there was an accusation in his voice, Crowstar showed no anger. "I did not think Swallowstar would send for help from ThunderClan, Graystorm," he meowed calmly and his eyes flashed. "Then again, if ShadowClan hadn't retreated when they arrived, we could have defeated both Clans right then."
Hailsplash then recognized the mysterious cat. It was Graystorm the deputy of ShadowClan. She felt anxiety rush over her. Was Crowstar planning another attack already? She strained her ears to listen more.
Graystorm pulled his lips back in a snarl. "You dare accuse us of being cowards? We were obviously losing and Shadestar did the only thing he could to save what was left of us!"
Crowstar leaped to his paws and all traces of the cool, collected cat were gone. He unsheathed his claws and they glittered in the remaining rays of sunlight. "Stop making excuses just because you were too scared to finish off the other two Clans!" He leaned in until his face was right up to Graystorm's. "Tell me, deputy, is Shadestar second guessing the agreement we made? Is he starting to have doubts that we will prevail and rule all the territory together?"
The gray tom flinched but his gaze was unwavering as he narrowed his eyes. "How can we know that you will keep your word, Crowstar? How can we be sure that when we do crush the other Clans, you will allow ShadowClan half of the territory as you promised?"
Willowfeather sprang to her paws, immediately jumping to Crowstar's defense. "You're walking on thin ice, cat," she hissed.
Crowstar waved her down with his tail. "Hush Willowfeather!" he growled. "I can very well speak for myself!"
The tortoiseshell she-cat dipped her head, abashed, and sat down again. However, Hailsplash could see her still glaring at Graystorm.
The stocky brown and white tom faced the gray deputy. "Tell Shadestar that I swear to StarClan I will keep my promise to let ShadowClan have half of the territory."
Graystorm hesitated, obviously reluctant to believe him. "You swear?"
"On StarClan," Crowstar repeated firmly.
Finally, after a long moment, Graystorm nodded once. "Alright. ShadowClan will be prepared for the next attack when the time comes."
Crowstar bared his teeth in a malicious smile. "Excellent."
Graystorm nodded again and then turned and began to make his way out of the clearing. Crowstar glanced briefly at his deputy. "Willowfeather make sure he gets out of our territory." The she-cat leapt eagerly to her paws and rushed after the gray tom.
Silence descended into the clearing and Hailsplash's mind was whirling. She was so deep in her thoughts she almost missed Crowstar when he meowed, "I know you're in there."
Hailsplash jumped and the whole shrub shook. Silently cursing, she stepped out into the clearing and stared in disgust at the cat she called her leader. Crowstar's amber eyes narrowed curiously. "You're Hailsplash, right?"
The white she-cat said nothing in a last defense of defiance.
Crowstar nodded, taking her non-answer as a yes. "Why were you spying on me?"
Because you're evil and crazy and need to be stopped. Hailsplash didn't say anything.
A deep growl rose in his throat and the RiverClan leader advanced towards her, claws unsheathed. She forced herself to stand her ground even though every instinct was screaming at her to flee. Her eyes never moved from him even when he stopped a tail-length away and just scowled at her.
"You are going to tell no one of this, do you understand me?"
She raised her chin slightly that silently stated make me.
Crowstar trust his face right up to hers and his voice was a deadly whisper when he spoke again. "If you ever breathe a word of this to anyone, I can assure you that I will kill you-slowly and painfully."
Even though the brutal words terrified her, she knew her life was not worth the falling of ThunderClan, WindClan and-ultimately-ShadowClan. "Nothing you do or say will stop me," she finally spat.
Crowstar cocked his head to the side and studied her with vile intensity. "I wonder what your brother would say to that. What's his name, Birchfur?"
No. She would let him do whatever he wanted with her but she would never let him touch her brother. He was the only family she had left after the very cat in front of her had killed both her mother and father for not being loyal. Hailsplash took a step forward until she was nose to nose with him. "If you ever lay a claw on him, StarClan help you I will kill you myself."
Crowstar's eyes gleamed at finally getting a reaction out of her. "Oh," he drawled. "But the choice is up to you, pathetic warrior. Keep your mouth shut and no harm will come to either of you. However, if you try and speak to anyone about this I will make you both wish you and had never been born."
Crowstar walked slowly around her, taking his time leaving the clearing so that his words could have their full effect. Then, he disappeared through the foliage and Hailsplash was left alone.
She let out a shaky breath and tried to steady her paws. She knew that she had to warn Hawkstar and Swallowstar; she could not just stand by with the knowledge she had and watch Crowstar and Shadestar rip them to pieces.
But yet she knew that if she did tell anyone, Crowstar would kill her and Birchfur. There was no doubt in her mind that the RiverClan leader would keep his word if he found out she'd warned the other leaders.
Hailsplash felt utterly torn as she dragged her paws back to the camp. Exhaustion weighed down heavily on her shoulders as if she was supporting a large boulder that would never grow lighter. However, deep down, she knew she could never put her innocent brother in Crowstar's claws. But there has to be another way I can tell one of the other leaders without Crowstar finding out. Oh, if only she could attend the Gathering coming up, then she could surely warn someone without Crowstar's knowledge!
Hailsplash slipped inside of the camp and headed towards the warrior den. Her mind was far away from where she was and so she didn't notice Raindusk until she had practically stepped on him.
"Whoa, watch it," the black and gray tom protested, and she started guiltily as if Crowstar had caught her thinking about his plan with Shadestar.
"Sorry," she muttered, veering around him and continuing to the den.
Unfortunately, he just couldn't accept her apology without questioning her. He raced to catch up with her and stepped in front of her to block her path. "Hey, what's wrong Hailsplash?" he asked softly, looking worried.
"Nothing, I'm fine," she answered thinly, not looking at him. Surely if she even glanced into those amber eyes everything would come tumbling out of her.
Raindusk stepped closer, peering at her. "Hey, you're trembling," he whispered. "Are you cold?"
Why now, of all times, did he have to pay attention to her? "Just tired is all." This, when she thought about it, was actually true.
Even though she knew that he suspected she was keeping something from him, Raindusk just pressed against her and let her lean on his sturdy shoulder. "Then let's get you to your nest."
Stumbling only slightly, Hailsplash made it to the warriors' den and flopped down into her nest of moss and soft ferns. She curled up into a ball and felt Raindusk settle down beside her. When he started to groom her fur, she stiffened and he froze. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "I'll stop."
Hailsplash suddenly ached to be comforted, even if for just a few moments so she meowed quickly, "No, it…it's fine. It's just no one really ever wants to share tongues with me."
Raindusk met her gaze and her heart melted at his amber eyes. When he made no move to continue, she blinked, embarrassed. She lowered her eyes and muttered, "Nevermind. It was stupid of me to say that. I mean, why would you want to comfort me anyway? I'm nothing special."
"You're wrong."
Hailsplash glanced quickly up at him in surprise. "I'm what?"
Raindusk touched her ear with his muzzle. "You are special, Hailsplash," he whispered. "You're special to me."
And in that moment, in the mist of the joy and love she felt, a sudden thought struck her. If she were to never say a word to anybody about what she'd witnessed, then her brother, Raindusk, and even Iceheart wherever she was-they would all hate her for not trying to warn them. She blinked, feeling stupid from not having thought of it before. No matter what she did, someone was going to get hurt. But the worst choice would be to stay silent because everything she knew and loved would fall and crumble before her eyes.
So Hailsplash knew with utter certainty what she had to do.
But how?
"Hailsplash?" Raindusk asked with a wounded expression. She realized he had mistaken her silence for disapproval of his feelings. She took a deep breath and looked his straight in the eye. StarClan give me strength.
"Raindusk…I have something to tell you."
Ta-da! I liked writing this chapter a lot and I had fun creating a romance between these two. I think they make a cute couple, don't you? Lol Please review and tell me what you think.