Chapter 55

Smoke's POV

The flowers are so beautiful here, Smoke thought. He felt so calm and peaceful as he walked around the grassy meadow full of plant life. Everywhere he looked, birds were chirping and the prey ran freely across meadows of flowers. There were other cats here enjoying themselves, and Smoke spotted Frost across the meadow, feasting on her favorite piece of prey: a thrush.

Smoke was enjoying himself as well when the sky suddenly darkened and blood rained from the sky. A lightning bolt crossed his vision and cats all around him started screeching and wailing, and the sound of tearing flesh filled his eardrums. Smoke's heart started pounding in his chest wildly as cats around him fell to the ground, unmoving. A familiar wail soared over the others.

"Frost!" he screamed, but when he tried to rush toward her side, he found that he couldn't move to help his friend, his only true friend. "Someone help me, some cat help Frost!" he roared as he heard his friend's desperate call for help. It felt like mouse bile melting through his blood as the bloody rain fell in numerous amounts out of the sky. Dark red blood blurred his vision.

A soothing voice spoke amid the screaming, "You must help," it whispered. "This war is your future. You must survive it. Do it for your kits. Do it for yourself," it whispered and faded out. Smoke remembered that voice. "Mother! Where are you? What are you talking about?" he questioned, desperate.

The air felt heavier and lightning flashed again. A black and red she-cat appeared in his line of vision. She had a collar full of dog teeth, and she was accompanied with two cats by her side: a dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes and huge claws and a familiar looking cream and white she cat with the same delicate amber eyes as the tom. "Frost? That can't be her. She has blue eyes! Jenny, what have you done?!" Smoke screeched, his heart still pounding. They did not answer, but instead all three snuck up to him and pounced, claws unsheathed for a killing blow. "No!" he screamed as he felt his flesh being torn apart. The claws whipped his head to the side, and he felt a painful sting. "Wake up!" he heard.

Smoke opened his eyes to see the beautiful orange morning sky. Crouching over him was a cream and white she-cat with blue eyes: Frost. She cocked her head, whiskers twitching questioningly.

"Are you okay?" Frost asked with concern in her eyes, but with a playful voice.

"Yes, I am fine. Just a nightmare," he said. A headache started to form in Smoke's head.

"You were talking in your sleep. You were saying something about Jenny, and then me, that's when you started screaming. I woke you up as quickly as I could," Frost laid down by his side. She snuggled beside him. Then she sprang back from him, startled.

"What happened?" Frost squealed.

"What do you mean?" Smoke asked, confused.

"This," Frost said. She placed a paw on the side of his head, the pain worsened. Frost lifted her paw, and blood was smeared on it.

"I'm bleeding?! But how is that possible? I stayed here the whole night! Unless Tigerheart and that other cat Heathertail clawed me, that's impossible!" Smoke mewed in disbelief. "But in my dream, Jenny was attacking me and she slashed me in the head…"

"I'm going to go and get Rain. You stay there," Frost mewed as she got up, concern in her ice blue eyes and panic rising in her voice.

"Do you think I'm going anywhere?" Smoke asked as he lay down and watched as Rain came in.

"Oh my goodness!" Rain cried as she burst into the den. "How did that happen?"

"It happened in his dream!" Frost mewed.

"Well, I'm going to get Stoneteller. That looks really bad!" Rain mewed, concerned for her new friend as she dashed off.

In a few moments, the other forest cats woke up and began looking for herbs. Meanwhile, Tigerheart walked up to Frost and Smoke.

"Did you try to go back to BloodClan?" Tigerheart mewed threateningly.

"No! You would have smelled our scent leading a trail! What about you? Did you slash Smoke in the head? And besides, weren't you supposed to know, since you were 'supposed' to be guarding us?" Frost mewed, defending her companion.

"No! If I hated you both that much I would be fighting you right now!" Tigerheart mewed, frustrated.

Frost is a great cat. She always is looking at the positive side and helping me with every step. I always feel my heart flutter around her. Is it possible? To be more than friends? To have someone to love? I don't even know if she likes me more than a friend! I get it now, Rain. To have stupid problems, it seem dumb but important at the same time.

"I got you this," said a voice behind his head. He turned around and saw Frost holding a sparrow in her jaw for him, his favorite piece of prey. "You need your energy. That wound doesn't look like it was caused by a thorn in your nest."

"Thanks. I'm really hungry," Smoke replied, sharing the meal with Frost.

A few moments later, the cat Rain called Stoneteller smeared herbs over Smoke's wound and told him to rest and take it easy.

"What in the world happened to you, Smoke? I thought you were smart enough to stay away from the brambles," Cream mewed as she and Mouse came back from hunting.

"I don't know, no one knows! It happened in his sleep!" Frost defended. "I thought you were nicer before Jenny asked you to join BloodClan!"

"Just because I have kin in BloodClan, doesn't mean I have to join!" Cream shot back. "And I'm not the one who was on Jenny's side when Mouse's sister, Pebble, was killed!"

"Well, just because you chose the right side at the start doesn't mean you can torture us with loyalty problems! Your loyalty problem is bigger than ours!" Smoke mewed.

"What do you mean?" Tigerheart mewed suspiciously.

"What's this about?" Heathertail asked as Rain came up behind her.

"You don't know about her kin?! She didn't tell you? Every cat in the Twolegplace knows!" Frost mewed, surprised.

"Don't. You. Dare. Say. It," Cream threatened. "I have been known all my life by her name, and if you say a thing to the cats who don't know I wi-"

"But they deserve to know!" Frost mewed. "They helped us! And you and Mouse! They have to know what they might face because of your kinship!"

"Tell us," the cat named Mistystar mewed. "I think we should know something if it's that important."

"Jenny… is Cr-" Frost started.

"NO! Let me say it. It's my problem," Cream mewed. "Jenny, the leader of BloodClan... is my mother."

"What?!" Rain exclaimed, followed by many other cries of surprise.

"That's why she explores the forest. And attacked you when you came. She wants her daughter in BloodClan," Mouse mewed.

"And you tell us now? A BloodClan cat could have snuck up behind us and killed Emberfoot and the rest of us because of you! We have to keep him a guard too!" a golden tom with rippling muscled yelled.

"Hey! It's not my fault I was born!" Cream defended.

"Now that you've mentioned it, who in the name of StarClan is your father?! And do you happen to have any siblings?!" Tigerheart demanded.

What is StarClan? Oh well, now doesn't look like the time to ask.

"My dad died on the Thunderpath. And I'm Jenny's only kit, so she goes crazy after me." Cream mewed sadly, remembering her dad. "My dad was very kind. He saved me from a monster when he died."

"Bramblestar? Onestar? Mistystar? I think we should have a cat watch Cream. I know she means no harm, but we can prevent attacks," Rowanstar mewed.

"I don't need a watch! I did not join BloodClan at first, so what makes you think I will now?" Cream demanded.

"Kin is kin, you never know," Rowanstar said narrowing her eyes.

"I was there when Cream rejected her offer. I was in the shadow of the leaves," Mouse squeaked. "Cream said that she will never join Jenny because of her ruthlessness. Cream blames the death of her father on her."

"How do you know about that? There was no one else there!" Cream said, turning her eyes toward Mouse. "That was supposed to be a personal thing with only my mother and I!"

"I told you, I heard you when you rejected Jenny. I was hiding," Mouse said and stepped back slightly, afraid.

"Why didn't I see you then!?" Cream shouted. "Why didn't you tell me!?"

"It seemed to rude to tell you. What was I supposed to say? That I had stalked you in one of the most important decisions in your life?" Mouse asked.

"Just leave me alone, Mouse. Give me a few heartbeats of space, okay?" Cream mewed, tears forming in her eyes.

"Leave Cream alone," Mistystar ordered. "I'll be with her. I want to talk to her in private."

"Why?" Tigerheart demanded.

"She needs some sympathy right now. I know how it feels to lose both a parent and a brother," Mistystar mewed gravely.

The other cats couldn't argue with Mistystar's point and watched the leader of RiverClan lead Cream, sobbing, to a quiet part of the woods.

"I'm going to follow them to make sure that BloodClan doesn't attack them," said the golden tom as he followed quietly behind them. The whole camp didn't know what to say, and there was a hushed silence for quite some, everyone thinking about loss. Heartbeats of time passed before Rain broke it and said:

"Is that slash on your head any better Smoke?" Rain asked, concern in her eyes.

"I… don't think so," he replied, cringing slightly at the pain.

"You should get some rest. It will do wonders for your head," Stoneteller mewed.

"You're right, I should get some rest," Smoke echoed as he padded back to the den, catching a snippet of Tigerheart's conversation.

"I think these cats are more trouble than they are worth," Tigerheart muttered to a gray she-cat with green eyes. She nodded back at Tigerheart while watching him pace over to the den.

Oh great. I get Tigerheart to watch me. Yay, fun for everyone.

"Come on. In the den you go," Tigerheart said, pushing Smoke inside the den with his front paws. "Get in!"

"Okay! I'm going! I'm going!" Smoke insisted as he slipped into the den followed by Frost.

"Hey, I think I see Mistystar and Cream!" Frost mewed after a long moment of throbbing pain in Smoke's head. Cream's expression was blank; it didn't reveal any emotion. But by the look on Mistystar's face, they both had cried with grief at least once. Cream had silently padded over to the fresh-kill pile, with Mouse looking at her. Mouse's face held an expression of guilt, and he was begging Cream to forgive him. Cream ignored him, and for the very first time Smoke ever saw, she refused to share her vole with him.

That's not right. Cream always shares her meal with Mouse. She must be engulfed in rage and sadness. I wish I could help her, but I will only stir back memories. And my head is aching! I feel so weak, I can't help anyone at all! I'm so lucky to have Frost...

"I-I am s-so s-sorry Cream," Mouse mewed again, desperate to start a chat.

"Give me a moment!" Cream said, still upset.

Mistystar padded up to Rowanstar and mewed, "She's half gotten over it. That's progress, right?"

"Progress?! We aren't their mentors, Mistystar! I wish would just get moving to the barn already, find Barley, find this SkyClan, and solve the prophecy," Rowanstar replied.

"But Emberfoot is in no condition to travel right now. And I'm sure we would all love to fill our bellies with food and water before we head off in the morning, if Emberfoot feels better," she replied, flicking her towards Rain and Emberfoot.

"Can I go see Emberfoot? Stoneteller might have me do something useful, like find herbs for him or fetch fresh moss," Frost asked. She turned towards Smoke, "By the way, do you want some fresh bedding? Yours is a little blood-soaked," Frost suggested.

"Yeah, that would be nice," Smoke answered as he watched Frost walk her way to the makeshift den. He heard a few forest cats call it the Medicine Den, and he knew why. The whole place reeked of foul-smelling herbs. Strange and exotic bundles of herbs lay in the den, the unfamiliar scents reaching his muzzle. Just thinking about the scent made him want to cough, so he sat in the back of the den.

"I found some spare bedding in the Medicine Den," Frost mewed gently as she came in, carefully placing the fresh moss around him and throwing out the old ones.

Now's my chance! We're alone, I just need the right words to come out of my mouth!

"H-hey Frost? Did you ever try to tell someone something that was har-"

"Oh no! Are you having trouble breathing? Stomach pain? Oh, sorry. I interrupted you, continue what you were saying," Frost interrupted.

"I-I um… You are a great hunter! And that mouse was great! And, uh… um… you're a good friend!"

"Um.. Thank you. Anything else?" Frost said patiently with her sparkling eyes looking through his.

"No. I mean Yes! I um… you look great in the moonlight-" Smoke tried, failing to express any feeling he had for her.

"Hey Frost! Stoneteller needs someone to look for moss!" Rain cried.

"Coming! Sorry Smoke! I got to go help," Frost mewed before darting out of the den.

What was I thinking? I can't even tell her my feelings without making a fool of myself! I'll never be able to tell her… wait! Emberfoot already has a mate! And Rain! And Frost is helping them. I think I'm actually jealous of Emberfoot...

Smoke got up to see Frost going outside camp with Heathertail instead. Smoke breathed a sigh of relief and laid back down. He still felt his head throb but slowly and less painful.

"Smoke? Are you okay?" Tigerheart grumbled as he walked inside the tree stump.

"I-I… it's a little better, but my head feels light like I might faint," Smoke mewed.

In a couple of moments the world was turning black and he could only hear voices.

"Is he okay?!"

"Yeah, he just fainted."

"Well? Don't just stand there! Go and get Stoneteller!"

"I told you these cats were more trouble than they were worth."

"I got the herbs! What is it?"

"He fainted! And I don't know if he's de-"

"I still can see him breathing. You should have told us he felt bad earlier. We could have helped him."

"Could have?! What do you mean you could have?! Just go help him!"

"Wow, Frost don't get worked up about it."

"Cream! Go away! Why did you come in here?!"

"Well, I can help you. A fainted cat is just like a sleeping one. Give him some time. His body probably needed rest. If he doesn't wake up, then try waving some herbs under his nose…"

Then the voices muted out and Smoke woke up to a wonderful smell, lying next to Cream, Frost, Tigerheart, and Rain inside the den. Cream held a sweet smelling herb in her jaws above his nose, Tigerheart looked exhausted, Rain looked worried, but Frost looked the most anxious out of the three combined.

"I told you catmint would work!" Cream mewed with success as she dropped the catmint on the ground. "Maybe I should watch Rain and Stoneteller for healing remedies. Then you wouldn't mind me barging in!"

"Are you okay Smoke?" Frost asked worriedly.

"Um… what happened?" Smoke asked, still unsure of his strange memories.

"You fainted, and Cream told of a great treatment for fainting cats," Rain replied. Cream looked proud, and for the first time that day, she smiled.

"Good thing we had some in the Den," Tigerheart grumbled. "Or I would have to watch you the entire time they were searching for some."

"Don't talk to my friends like that! If it were you, I would help him out," Cream retorted.

She called me and Frost her friends! I can't believe it!