Chapter 6

Iceshadow found it hard to breathe as she blinked her eyes open. She had been sleeping moments before when something woke her. A sound she had heard before in her distant memory. A screech, and the terrible sound of crunching bones. A shiver ran through her as she crept out of her nest, only to find the entire StreamClan camp ablaze.

She jumped at the sight as panic rippled through her. The terrified wails of her Clanmates surrounded her. In the back of her mind, something told Iceshadow that this was not real. Yet she couldn't shake off the eerie feeling of how much heat rose from the flames. Her fur felt as if it was on fire.

That was when Iceshadow noticed something odd about the flames. While she could feel their intense heat, she noticed someone was in them. Their pelt wasn't burnt like she expected. Instead, amber eyes stared into her piercing green eyes. Iceshadow's eyes widened as she recognized the silvery gray she-cat.

"Creekfeather?" she whispered, her voice barely audible in the roaring fire. Creekfeather looked up at the mention of her name. Hope surged within Iceshadow as she realized her friend was alive. Creekfeather had stepped out of the flames as if she was some kind of spirit. Her eyes were dark with sorrow as Creekfeather locked eyes with Iceshadow again. "Creekfeather... I wish there was more I could have done to save you," she went on, trying to sever their friendship. Creekfeather just shook her head as if the apology meant nothing.

"Iceshadow, you don't have to apologize," she reassured her. "What happened was fate... I'm more then willing to accept it. Especially if it means I can send you this dream." Iceshadow flinched at the amusement in Creekfeather's tone. She didn't find this whole scene funny, especially when she caught sight of an apprentice burned alive by the flames.

"Why send this dream to me?" Iceshadow demanded, her pelt bristling with unease. She'd had enough nightmares over the last few moons. She would have to live with this one for the rest of her life now.

"I would think the Savior of the Clans would know a thing or two about dreams," Creekfeather purred. Iceshadow stared at her in shock as Creekfeather began to fade. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll figure out the meaning before it's too late." With that, Creekfeather disappeared completely.

For a moment, Iceshadow didn't know what to say. The flames had disappeared as well, leaving behind a parched land. She could barely recognize StreamClan's territory. To make matters worse, the rivers had all but dried up. There was no prey left. The Clan would starve if they couldn't find anything.

She shook herself once she had woken up from that horrible dream. A few cats were still asleep in the den. Iceshadow held back a sigh as she crept out of the den, not wanting to wake anyone up. She needed time to think of what Creekfeather had said. Something told her that this was more than just an omen sent by StarClan. The fire had felt too real for it not to be. To make matters worse, cats were dying because of it.

As Iceshadow padded along the river's edge, she could see that it was bone dry. Her worry only got worse as she realized the others were right. It wouldn't be long before they were starving. Fish was StreamClan's main source of prey. If they disappeared, they would have to rely on squirrels or shrews who visited the river for water. Iceshadow found herself shivering at the thought. She had gotten used to the taste of fish, and preferred it even.

"Couldn't sleep?" Iceshadow nearly leaped out of her fur at the sound of Weaselfang's voice. She turned to look at him, not missing the wary look he was giving her.

"Honestly, no," she sighed, realizing that he wasn't there to make any nasty retorts. She still wasn't sure what to make of him. Weaselfang could be a jerk sometimes, but other times, he actually really did care for her. Maybe that was why she felt so uneasy around him. "Do you ever get the feeling that something really bad is going to happen? Like, something worse than what we've already experienced could happen?"

"Not usually," Weaselfang replied, looking a bit surprised by her response. His eyes narrowed thoughtfully as they both gazed at what was left of the streams. They were reduced to little more than just a trickle, which left Iceshadow feeling more worried than ever. "But than again, I don't usually wake up in the middle of the night from some dream."

And there it was. Iceshadow narrowed her eyes, annoyed by the fact that Weaselfang had pretty much called her crazy. This wasn't the first time he would make such a suggestion, and it certainly wasn't the last. But she was tired of dealing with his constant mood-swings, and he didn't even seem to notice.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're an annoying furball?" she muttered under her breath, already leaving the area. She knew he would follow her anyways. Camp was just a few pawsteps away. The sun was starting to rise, and soon, everyone would be out and about.

"On more than one occasion, yes," he replied with a purr. "But that's what makes me interesting."

Iceshadow only rolled her eyes at that. Weaselfang certainly had a way of irritating her. She padded past what little prey was left on the fresh-kill pile, knowing full well that it would have to be restocked. Once she had found a spot where the sun would hit after rising, she rested in the clearing until some cat asked for her to join a patrol.

...

"Iceshadow, I want you, Crowflight and Blazeleaf to go on a border patrol. You can lead them," Dewspeck meowed as he spotted Iceshadow lounging out in the sun. Her ears pricked forward with surprise when he'd told her to lead the patrol. Most of the Clan didn't trust her enough to lead patrols, given her history.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to let me lead?" she asked quizzically. Dewspeck looked at her warily. She half-expected him to change his mind right than and there. But to her surprise, he only shook his head in amusement.

"This will be a good way to test whether you really know our territory or not," he told her. "It is also a good way to earn the trust of your Clanmates, whether they want to trust you or not," he added under his breath.

Iceshadow still felt uneasy with the idea of leading a patrol. She didn't get along very well with Crowflight, but Blazeleaf was at least tolerable. Glancing over her shoulder, she noticed that the two were already waiting for her at the camp's entrance.

She let out a sigh before following Dewspeck's advice. She knew that he was only looking out for her, hard to believe as it was. Dewspeck was a reasonable deputy, and one she could easily look up to. Blazeleaf looked at Iceshadow expectantly, while Crowflight rolled his eyes.

"I can't believe he's trusting you to lead the patrol," he grumbled under his breath.

"Don't be such a grump, Crowflight," Blazeleaf meowed, nudging him playfully. "Iceshadow's a good warrior, and one we can trust... right?"

"Yeah... something like that," she murmured thoughtfully.

Does she really trust me that much? she wondered as they headed towards the dry frowned at the thought, and wondered if these cats would ever truly accept her as a warrior of their Clan. After all, she had been part of MoonClan when she was a kit. But that was in the past, and something she would rather forget.

The border between StreamClan and FireClan had always provided lots of prey and shelter. But now, even after newleaf had passed, it seemed emptier than ever. Iceshadow could still remember hearing the constant stories of battles fought over the territory. When Silverstar was in power, she had taken over the riverbed and used it for hunting. But that all changed when she was overthrown by Raincloud and the rest of FireClan.

"It doesn't even seem like there's prey around here," Crowflight sighed as he checked the area and marked it. FireClan had recently passed by. Iceshadow could pick up their strong scent in the distance as a breeze picked up, carrying dust along with it. "I wish it would rain already; this dryness is going to ruin us."

"I wouldn't say that out loud," Iceshadow growled. Her eyes scanned a nearby bush that seemed to shudder with the wind. Than she realized with a start that they weren't alone.

"I thought I caught some strange cats." She recognized the voice of Crispleaf. Iceshadow had met the silver tabby once or twice before during Gatherings. She wasn't the friendliest of cats, and had a bite sharper than her words. But she rarely started fights unless there was a compelling reason. "What are you doing so close to the border?" she demanded as she emerged from the bush, along with three other FireClan warriors.

Iceshadow couldn't help but flinch as she recognized the bony outlines of Darkfang, Russetfoot and Flamerose. It was painfully obvious to see that they were starving. She exchanged a wary look with Blazeleaf. This could easily end up in a fight if Crispleaf chose to take what little prey was left in the dry riverbed.

"Look, we're not here to fight over borders," Iceshadow meowed as politely as she could. "We're just marking them, and then we'll be off."

"This riverbed belongs to us, doesn't it?" Flamerose asked as if she expected an outright answer.

Iceshadow resisted the urge to narrow her eyes in annoyance. "What use would a dry riverbed be for you?" she snapped, earning a look of surprise from Blazeleaf and Crowflight. "This place has no prey; it isn't worth fighting over."

"She's right," Darkfang muttered crossly. "We have enough problems to worry about anyways. We should go, before this gets ugly."

She didn't miss the cold look Crispleaf gave her. Iceshadow knew that this was far from over, and that these cats would be back. Luckily, Darkfang was wise enough to heed her warning. He gently led the patrol away from the border. The tension was still there, but once the FireClan cats were gone, Iceshadow felt a sense of relief.

The last thing she wanted was a fight in the middle of greenleaf. Prey was already scarce as it was. Defending useless territory seemed like a foolish idea.

"You did well," Blazeleaf whispered as they headed back to camp. "I thought for sure that Crispleaf would shred you."

"Well, she didn't," Iceshadow replied with a shake of her head. "We should still report to Bramblestar that they were there in the first place."

"That's your job," Crowflight retorted.

The StreamClan tom pushed his way past the two, ignoring the cold look Iceshadow gave him. She was fully aware of how he was itching for a fight to break out. She was just thankful that he held his tongue while Flamerose tried claiming the territory as FireClan.

Once they were back in camp, Iceshadow felt a sense of relief. She hated being put under the spotlight. After this patrol, she had a feeling that Dewspeck would never let her lead one again. At least, that was what she hoped for. She spotted said deputy speaking quietly to Bramblestar, whose head was hung low as they talked.

"Go on, tell them," Blazeleaf encouraged her with a nudge. Iceshadow glanced at Blazeleaf in disbelief. Was she really trying to be friendly, or was this just a ruse? With a sigh of frustration, Iceshadow cautiously approached the deputy and leader.

"... not sure what we are going to do with what little prey we have," she heard Bramblestar sigh. "Shellfur's kits are our first priority. Than we have to consider the elders and apprentices."

"Pikepaw is strong enough that he can take care of himself," Dewspeck reassured her. "I'm not sure about Kitepaw, though."

"True, but they are still the future of our Clan," Bramblestar murmured thoughtfully. She stopped after noticing they were no longer alone. Iceshadow flinched under her intense stare, and kept her eyes focused on Dewspeck.

"We spotted FireClan cats at the edge of the dry riverbed," she explained warily.

"Did they start a fight?" Bramblestar asked anxiously.

"No, but it came close to one," Iceshadow replied with a shake of her head. "Flamerose claimed that it was part of FireClan territory, but I managed to convince them that it isn't worth fighting over."

"That does not make their intrusion any better," Dewspeck muttered. "What were they doing so close to the border anyways?"

Iceshadow frowned as she thought back to how thin they were. It was most likely an act of desperation. She felt pity for the fact that they were nothing more than skin and bones. Darkfang especially looked thin, with his bony frame sticking out at all places.

"Whatever their reasons, at least it didn't end in a fight," Bramblestar sighed in relief. "Thank you, Iceshadow, for standing up for our territory."

A small sense of pride suddenly surged through Iceshadow. She couldn't help but purr at the realization that Bramblestar finally trusted her. And once again, she was reminded of the time when Silverstar had almost taken over StreamClan. It was only thanks to Raincloud and Flowerstar that Sandstar's kits were rescued in the first place.

Shaking her head at the thought, Iceshadow decided to get some rest after dealing with the heat all day. She wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone after that encounter. What she saw made her wonder if all the Clans were suffering. And all at once, she realized that the next Gathering couldn't come soon enough.

AN: Alright, I've got some major explaining to do. First off, I apologize for jumping off the face of Earth for over a year. It shouldn't have happened, but it did. Honestly, I've had a severe case of writer's block for all of my stories. They are on hiatus as I try to figure out where to go with all of them. Updates will more than likely occur when I feel like updating. Again, I apologize for my lack of updates.