Muahahaha…I only kind of just realized exactly how evil I made Icefang in that last chappie. Cheating on her warrior assessment? How much more trouble can she get into, you ask? And I answer – you have no idea… :)
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The moon hung low over the trees like a watchful eye, burning Icefang's pale coat. With an uncomfortable shudder, she scooted further into the shade by the brambles at the edge of camp. The feeling that the white orb was watching her, no matter how ridiculous it seemed, had become unbearable in the last few moments. Curling her lip, Icefang glanced furtively into the sky. A swath of bright stars was painted over the treetops – Silverpelt. The warm breeze that meandered through the camp seemed to carry the voices of the StarClan cats on the wind, but the words were unintelligible.
"Robinpaw, come on, just eat something," Icefang hissed quietly, turning back to her friend.
The ginger tabby was sprawled by the thorn wall, an untouched mouse between her front paws.
"It just so unfair," the she-cat growled, nosing the tiny creature disdainfully. Her tail lashed back and forth.
With a sigh, Icefang said, for what seemed like the twentieth time that evening, "You know I wish you could go with me. It won't be any fun without you, but it's Cinderstar and Oakshadow's decision, not mine. I tried to talk to Stonepelt…"
"I know, I know. It's not your fault," grumbled Robinpaw, putting her nose between her paws. Her flanks lifted slowly and then fell again as a gust of air blew dust in front of her face.
Icefang glanced back at the camp entrance, a flash of movement having caught her eye. As she had guessed, Cinderstar and Tanglethorn had made their way to the bramble tunnel, and the rest of their patrol was beginning to appear.
"I have to go now, Robinpaw. I'll tell you all about it when we get back." Without meeting the she-cat's gaze, Icefang got to her paws and padded swiftly the tunnel. Stonepelt and Leafspots were there, and Ashfoot follow quickly behind her.
"Is this everyone?" Tanglethorn drawled, loping in a circle around the troupe.
"What about Oak-" began Leafspots quietly, her eyes wide and searching.
"Oakshadow isn't coming," Cinderstar snapped, then turned tail and streaked out of camp. Icefang and Stonepelt exchanged a meaningful glance. It seemed that Oakshadow's treatment of Robinpaw had become a sore spot between the leader and his most senior warrior. That posed a multitude of problems for the Clan – if Tanglethorn died and Cinderstar was still angry with the pale brown warrior, it was uncertain who would become deputy, and undoubtedly the decision would cause strife among the Clan.
By the time the ThunderClan patrol reached the lip of the hollow above Fourtrees, the moon had climbed almost to its highest point in the sky. The bright light illuminated the forest so clearly that it almost could have been daytime.
Icefang had seen Fourtrees many times as an apprentice, patrolling the border and exploring the territory, but never on a full moon. The four great trees that sprouted from the center of the hollow seemed to claw the very sky, the moon nestled snugly between their branches.
Cinderstar paused at the crest of hill, while the bottom of the hollow was still shielded from view. Though Icefang couldn't see the other cats, she could smell them. The thick, fishy smell of RiverClan - the most familiar, the putrid, musty stench of ShadowClan that sent shivers down her spine, and of course the tang of heather and fresh air that belonged to WindClan.
They stood there for a few seconds, waiting, and then Cinderstar waved his tail and the five ThunderClan warriors descended into the hollow, announcing their arrival with loud yowls. Since the three other Clans were already seated, the Gathering began almost immediately.
Cinderstar clambered up into his seat at the Highrock, while Tanglethorn joined the other deputies at the base of the giant stone. Icefang caught a glimpse of the massive gray tom, Stoneheart, the deputy of RiverClan.
"Isn't it exciting?" mewed Ashfoot cheerfully, padding alongside Icefang as they found a place sit amid the throng of cats.
"I've never seen so many cats in one place before!" Icefang remarked. Cats of all shapes, sizes and colors milled about in the clearing while the leaders prepared themselves.
"ShadowClan will start," came a loud, whiny voice. Icefang looked up and saw Toadstar, the leader of ShadowClan step forward to the tip of the Halfrock. (A/N: It is Halfrock, isn't it? Or am I totally off?)
The pale gray tabby tom sat down and curled his thin tail around his paws. "The prey is running well in our corner of the forest. We've seen some Twolegs crawling around Highstones, but nothing to worry about. I am happy to announce a new litter of kits, born to Frostwing two moons ago. Their names are Briarkit, Honeykit and Crowkit, and they are already shaping up to be fearsome warriors of ShadowClan," purred the leader. From the way he spoke, as though the kits were the most perfect things ever to grace the earth with their presence, made Icefang guess that he was the father.
It was then that Icefang realized how closely Stonepelt's shoulder was pressed to hers, and the way his tail curled gently around her flanks. The white she-cat flinched, but it would be far too obvious if she tried to move away now. Instead, she huddled closer to the ground and paid careful attention to Stonepelt's every shuffle, making sure he didn't try anything more.
RiverClan was next. Icefang was eager to see Floodstar for the first time. Rumor had it that he wasn't a very skilled a warrior, but that he had won his position through brains instead of brawn.
The leader of RiverClan padded forward, nodding to Toadstar as they exchanged places. To Icefang's surprise, Floodstar was very handsome. He was tall and slender, but not skinny, with long, luxurious black fur and a sweeping tail that arched gracefully over his flanks. His eyes, pale green and having the appearance of deep wisdom, surveyed the cats sitting below him.
"RiverClan prospers," meowed the long-furred tom. Even his smooth, almost musical voice implied that he understood something the others cats didn't. This thought sent a sudden stab of resentment through Icefang. Even if it wasn't real, some illogical part of her brain wanted to know exactly what it was that Floodstar seemed to be hiding. "The Twolegs in the Greenpelt place are starting to leave, though their kits sometimes venture into our territory."
Suddenly, Floodstar gaze shifted, and his eyes met Icefang's rapt gaze. There was no emotion present in the pale orbs, and yet Icefang felt that he could tell exactly what thoughts were growing through her head. She let out a furious hiss and turned her head away.
"Icefang? Are you okay?" Stonepelt mewed anxiously, glancing down at her.
"Fine," Icefang growled through clenched teeth. When she found the courage to raise her eyes once more, Floodstar had padded back into the shadows.
"He didn't say anything about ThunderClan," meowed Ashfoot with a sigh of relief. Tansyleaf was convinced he'd try to start a fight or something."
"But the moon is still shining as bright as ever," Icefang pointed out, flicking her tail up at the bright disk hanging over the treetops. She had recovered from her moment of insanity.
Ashfoot shrugged. "You never know. We beat them pretty soundly in that last battle!" He grinned, his eyes narrowing.
Next up was Guststar of WindClan. Cinderstar would have to speak last since ThunderClan had arrived late.
"We've sighted dogs near the farm," yowled the leader. She was a brown-furred she-cat with extraordinarily long legs, and as Icefang looked around she noticed some similarities in a few other groups of cats that carried the same scent: small and skinny, with pale brown or gray fur and long, slender legs, the better for running swiftly through the open grasslands of the moor.
A few yowls of surprise came from the RiverClan and ShadowClan cats, because their territories were closest to WindClan's.
"It's nothing to worry about of course," said Guststar dismissively, waving her tail for silence. "WindClan can handle themselves against a few stupid dogs." Some cries of agreement rose from the WindClan cats. "Other than that," continued Guststar, "we have nothing to report. The prey is running well."
Finally, even as the first faint tinges of dawn were creeping up from beyond the horizon, Cinderstar stepped forward. His tail twitched back and forth as Guststar stalked past him, back to her place with the other leaders.
Icefang smiled as Cinderstar's clear voice rang out across the clearing. There was something comforting about that sound, and Icefang called up the feeling of loyalty to her Clan, to her leader…but there was a blackness that accompanied the feeling. She loved ThunderClan with all her heart, and nothing else was its equal. She would give her life for her Clan, and yet just underneath that love was a sense of hatred. She could never truly belong in ThunderClan until the last kittypet taunt had been uttered, and the only way to ensure that would be to control the Clan herself.
"Greenleaf has also been good to ThunderClan," Cinderstar meowed. "Prey is plentiful, and ThunderClan is flourishing. We are proud to welcome a new warrior, as of three suns ago. Icefang!" He nodded to Icefang, who lifted her head above the crowd and nodded in reply. A few cheers rose up from the ThunderClan cats – Ashfoot gave a little yelp of acknowledgement, and then Icefang dropped back down on her haunches.
"ThunderClan has nothing else to report," Cinderstar finished quickly. It was true – the forest had been remarkably quiet for a long time, since the last battle with RiverClan.
The leaders now climbed down from the Halfrock and rejoined their Clans.
"You have said something about RiverClan! I swear they've been creeping over the border and stealing from us right from under our noses!" snarled Ashfoot.
"Don't be ridiculous, Ashfoot," Leafspots scolded good-naturedly. "They've been doing nothing of the sort and we all know it, so stop yapping!"
"I'd just like to see Stoneheart pummel you into the dust!" Ashfoot needled under his breath. Leafspots growled and cuffed him gently over the ear.
"Come on, let's head back to camp," Cinderstar meowed, flicking Ashfoot's ear with his tail. The warrior made one more playful snap at Leafspots' foreleg before trotting after his leader.
As the patrol made its way through the forest back to camp, Icefang gradually fell behind, wanting to be alone with her thoughts. She was working the issue of Robinpaw and Oakshadow's attitude towards the ginger tabby, when the snap of a twig and a rustle of leaves alerted her to another cat's approach. She stopped in her tracks and tasted the breeze, suddenly wary of a RiverClan ambush.
"Stonepelt." She recognized the scent and greeted him with a feeling of reluctance. She wasn't really in the mood for conversation right now.
"Icefang," he meowed, his voice low and warm.
Withholding a growl, Icefang pulled on her mask of stone and began walking again, passing the tall tabby where he stood beneath an overhanging fern.
"How was your first Gathering?" questioned the warrior politely, following right at her side. His pelt once again began to brush against hers, and Icefang tried to step away, the intimacy sending a jolt of panic through her. Usually Stonepelt didn't seem to notice when she shied away from contact, but this time he stepped sideways and pressed against her again. Icefang stopped in her tracks, aware of the deliberateness of the action. Stonepelt stopped too. The look on his face made it apparent that this was what he had wanted to happen.
"Icefang, I think we need to talk. You're a warrior now, and-"
"And what?" the white she-cat snapped. Her blue eyes blazed. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Stonepelt's eyes grew wide, his expression confused. "Well, I thought…I mean I suspect you've noticed…over the past few moons…" he seemed at a loss for words, surprised by the bitterness of her response.
"I'm a warrior, so what. What's changed?" Icefang demanded. Despite her brave face, she too was somewhat confused. She didn't really know what he was trying say, but some instinct told her that the conversation was going in a direction she didn't want.
Drawing in a deep breath, the tabby warrior meowed slowly, "I thought that I had myself fairly clear over the past few moons. That is, made my…desires clear-"
"Desires?" Icefang spat, her voice kicking up an octave. This was territory that she wasn't familiar with, and anything that she wasn't entirely in control of gave her a feeling of nausea. Her mind spun as she considered the implications of Stonepelt's words.
The tabby frowned, concern now hardening his voice. "Unless…" but he shook his head and his expression smoothed. His words form the interrupted training session so many moons ago spilled once again from Stonepelt's mouth. "I've watched you grow from an eager kit into a beautiful, skilled young warrior," mewed the gray tom calmly, his eyes liquid and evocative.
Icefang's breathing sped up in time with her thundering heart. No, no, no, no, she chanted rhythmically in her head. She didn't want this. She didn't want this now. But no words came out of her mouth, and Stonepelt continued unopposed.
"There is no other she-cat in ThunderClan who I would rather share my den with," Stonepelt mewed. The way he said it made it sound like he was granting her some special honor, when in reality his words shattered Icefang's carefully constructed mind frame.
"And since you're of a kit-bearing age, I thought…" his words trailed off.
A loud roar in Icefang's ears made it impossible to hear anything. The thudding of her heart contributed to this. But the she-cat did catch one thing as she turned and dove headlong into the undergrowth. "Icefang?" came Stonepelt's anxious yowl. Thud, thud, thud. "But Icefang, I love you!"
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No! Poor Stonepelt! :'( Muahaha…I love this part. In my chapter outline I was supposed to just have one chapter for this part, but there's a little bit left to it that I will have to put into another chapter, because this one is already really long and that ending was too dramatic to waste. :D
-ASTER