Ooooh…. Look how quickly I'm getting out this next chapter! Aren't you happy with me? I'm happy with me. :D BEST CHAPTER EVER. Be excited.
Icefang had never considered drowning as a way to die. In all of her plots and plans, water was not a factor, not a danger. Water was a nonentity, a void, a space to be filled with other things that needed to be erased. A depository for lies. Icefang had never dreamed it might kill her.
As soon as the surface of the river closed over her head, and her ears filled with the pounding of the torrent, a gentle serenity overcame her. It seemed that, in the face of certain death, Icefang's inherent emotional stability took control, and not even a tingle of fear managed to prick her skin. Analyzing the situation with icy precision, she stopped struggling against the ferocious current, letting her limbs go slack. Flailing about was useless, and would only tire her.
The river was swollen and chilled by snowmelt, bringing it's writhing surface closer to the steep banks, but nowhere nearby was it low enough for Icefang to grasp the edge with her paws. Even if she managed to stand up or hold onto something, there was no way she could climb out of the gorge, at least not for a good mile or so. By the time she reached a place where the stream calmed and widened, her heart would be frozen solid.
Realizing this, Icefang blinked open her eyes, wincing as the water sapped the warmth from her face. She couldn't see more than a whisker's length in front of her when her head was beneath water, but each time the waves tossed her above the surface, she gazed around swiftly, searching for anything in the river that she could wrap her paws around.
The third time her head came above water, Icefang's teeth were chattering, and she caught a glimpse of something a few tail-lengths downstream. Not even bothering to look harder, Icefang made a mighty effort to drag herself sideways, until after a moment her body slammed into what felt like a boulder.
The collision knocked the breath from her lungs and pinned her painfully against the jagged stone, but Icefang ignored the pain and unsheathed her claws, gripping the rough stone with every ounce of strength she possessed, which by this time was precious little. After running from the dogs and being thrashed about by the river, her muscles felt like wet reeds that might give out at any moment.
Shaking, Icefang dragged herself on top of the stone, closing her eyes and enjoying the sweet feeling of pure air traveling through her lungs. The water was still swirling around her hind legs, but as her pelt began to dry slightly, she felt the cold slowly leaving her chest. It was a pity that their plan had taken place during the night, because she would have given anything to feel the sun's rays on her fur right now.
Finally, once her mind had cleared and she felt strong to move her head, the she-cat opened her eyes and glanced around. The river looked strangely placid as she gazed at it from the safety of her perch, nothing like the raging gush of ice she had imagined it to be. From the outside it was just a stream, and Icefang shivered as she thought of being dragged under again.
Just as she was about to get her feet under her and take a better look at her safe haven, a wail broke the silence. Icefang stiffened and narrowed her eyes, watching the river churning before her. After a moment, the sound came again, and Icefang picked out a mysterious shape bobbing on the water's surface, coming downstream towards her. Curious, Icefang oriented herself on the stone and leaned out over the water, waiting for the shape to get close enough to recognize.
Poised to reach out and grab it, Icefang was shocked to realize that the object floating towards her was Cinderstar. His head was submerged, but by the feeble twitch of his paws Icefang could see that he was still alive. As the warrior passed her stone, she reached out and snagged a claw in his pelt, bracing herself against the stone as the mighty force of the river dragged at Cinderstar's body, threatening to pull her in with him.
Snarling defiance, Icefang stepped back slowly, until Cinderstar's shoulder hitched up against the stone and the drag ceased, sending Icefang toppling backwards. She caught herself before tumbling off the opposite edge of the stone, and jumped forward again to make sure Cinderstar hadn't moved.
He was still pressed against the stone, but hadn't lifted his head, and Icefang frantically dragged at his fur until his nose crested the water's surface. Working furiously, she tried to pull him farther up the stone, but it was no use – he was too heavy. Frustrated, she settled by his open mouth and waited. If he didn't breath soon, there was nothing she could do.
Finally, after what seemed like minutes, Cinderstar's ribcage gave a weak spasm, and a dribble of water left his mouth, followed by a rush as a cough wracked his frame. Spitting and hacking, he came to life, his eyes bleary and unfocused.
"Did you lose a life?" Icefang asked anxiously, feeling her paws tingle. He was supposed to be on his last, but one never knew.
"No," he wheezed, and then sneezed. "But it was close." Cinderstar blinked a few times and shook his head, water drops flying off his whiskers. "Icefang?" he meowed, gazing at her curiously. Then he smiled briefly and sighed, "Thank StarClan you're alive."
Icefang tugged at his pelt once again, managing to lift his shoulders out of the river, though his haunches were still surrounded by water.
"The dogs," Icefang pressed, her tail lashing. "Did it work? Are the dogs dead?"
With a shudder, Cinderstar lifted his head again and nodded. "They…" he coughed loudly, spitting out more water. "They fell on top of me. All three should have drowned by now." He blinked at her. "Just like I would have, if you hadn't rescued me."
Icefang stared back at him, expressionless.
"What do we do now?" he meowed, kicking his back legs in an attempt to lift himself out of the water. "We can't climb these slopes." He nodded at the cliffs surrounding them.
Still Icefang said nothing, turning her head to the river's edge but watching him out of the corner of her eye.
"I won't go back in there, not in a million years," Cinderstar hissed.
"It was cold, wasn't it?" she murmured, eyeing the water with a blank face.
Cinderstar seemed to realize now that something was not right. He struggled to climb the stone again, but no matter how hard he kicked, his paws could not get a purchase on the boulder, and Icefang could see tremors running down his spine as the cold continued to seep into his hind limbs.
"Don't you have a plan?" he hissed, splaying his paws and gripping the stone nervously.
"Of course I do," Icefang replied, her lips curling into a condescending smile. "Just give me a minute to think."
"I'll freeze!" Cinderstar cried, thrashing. With a gasp he went still, his legs dangling uselessly. "I don't have a minute. Can't you pull me out?"
Icefang bared her fangs and snapped, "And risk falling back in myself? Like you said, not in a million years." She inched away from him and crouched on the edge of the rock. "What are you saying?" he whimpered, raking the stone with his claws. A violent shudder claimed his entire body, setting his teeth chattering.
Silent, Icefang turned her head to the riverbank. So far no one had come looking for them. She didn't even know if any other cats had seen them fall. Swiftfoot hadn't been waiting for her where he'd been stationed, so that meant he'd abandoned the scheme, left his hiding place too early, or been called away elsewhere. Either way, he hadn't appeared at the stream's edge looking for them or the dogs, which by now any conscientious onlooker would have done.
The night sky was beginning to pale, which meant dawn was approaching. Cinderstar's breath was becoming ragged behind her, and with a sigh Icefang turned to face him. His eyes were closed, his sides rising and falling slowly.
"How did you not know?" she whispered, creeping closer. His eyes fluttered open.
"Know what?" mewed the tom faintly. His breathing was shallow, his nose pale and bloodless.
"How did I fool you?" She gazed at him eagerly, eyes wide and bright in the moonlight.
Cinderstar's lip curled in a snarl. "I don't know what you're talking about. You're my deputy, Icefang, and I am leader of ThunderClan. I chose you for who you are: a brilliant warrior and a talented leader. I put the fate of my Clan in your paws, and I know that you will do right by them. I don't know what goes on in your mind, but I know that your ThunderClan will be powerful and prosperous, and I will die happy, knowing that." He smiled slightly.
Icefang let out a furious hiss, recoiling as if struck. "I dropped Oakshadow. I let Tanglethorn die. I killed Brightpool and buried her body in the snow!"
Cinderstar's breath caught in his throat, and his eyes darkened as he gazed at her. For a moment, neither one of them even took a breath, challenging each other.
"StarClan hasn't abandoned you yet, Icefang," Cinderstar intoned ominously after a long, tense moment.
Icefang gaped at him, disbelieving. "I'm responsible for the deaths of three of your deputies. Don't you care?"
"I don't know what you want from me," Cinderstar growled slowly, his eyes smoldering. The back half of his body wasn't moving anymore, except to be rocked side to side every once in a while by the eddies of the swift current. Icefang could see his forelegs quivering as he tried to grip the stone, but soon the cold would close his eyes forever.
"Everything I've ever said and done has been a lie," Icefang meowed, feeling a wave of heat as she confessed. She had been waiting for this moment since the day Stonepelt followed her through the forest and confronted her about her future. In that moment of panic she had shed whatever semblance of a normal warrior within her and become the Icefang who had killed Brightpool in cold blood.
"If you want to kill me, go head," said Cinderstar, though his voice shook. "I'll be dead soon anyway, whether or not you pull from the river. I'm on my last life, and frankly, I would welcome StarClan's embrace now." He gave a slight shake of his head. "But I know that StarClan has not lost faith in you. You may have committed some crimes, but you can still be great, Icefang. You can still be good."
Her claws made an eerie scraping noise against the stone as she dragged her paws over its surface, letting out her frustration on the unforgiving rock.
"Your faith is blind, Cinderstar. I don't need StarClan's approval to be great. StarClan is for kits and dying elders. When I look up at the stars at night, I think of the Twoleg nest where I was born." Icefang paused and cast a glance at the purpling sky, as if in thought. "I remember my humble beginnings," she snarled, "and I remind myself that life takes careful planning and cunning. Everything I've ever wanted has come down to this, you, here. I won't let you ruin it for me."
"By refusing to hate you?" Cinderstar hissed. His legs twitched as a shiver shook his shoulders. "You're not my enemy, Icefang. I trusted you, and with good reason. You never failed me."
"I'm about to let you die!" Icefang shrieked, finally letting her emotions show. "What don't you understand about the gravity of this situation? You're leaving your precious little ThunderClan in the paws of a murderer."
"And you're the only one who knows!" Cinderstar snapped back. "I'll take your secret to my grave, and then what will it matter? You may be twisted Icefang, but I have no choice. StarClan themselves have shown me this."
Icefang froze, her pelt standing on end. "How?"
Cinderstar gazed at her with piercing eyes. "The night you accompanied me to the Moonstone. I conversed with my warrior ancestors, and they warned me about this future."
"They warned you about me?" Icefang breathed, her heart pounding. If this was true, then her worst nightmare would be realized. If StarClan was real, and they knew about her crimes, she would never receive her nine lives to be leader. It would all be for nothing.
"No," Cinderstar meowed solemnly, and Icefang released a sigh of utter relief. "They warned me that my doom was fast approaching and that I had yet to choose the right leader for my Clan. That was after Brightpool was appointed deputy, so what choice did I have? I let nature take its course, and you fixed my problem for me."
Shocked, Icefang leaned closer to him, focusing on his barely audible breaths. "You let me kill Brightpool? You knew what I would do?"
"I didn't think it would be you, at first," he admitted, shrugging slightly. The motion sent another spasm down his spine, and Cinderstar gritted his teeth, fighting as his eyelids threatened to droop shut. "I thought Whitefoot maybe, or even Ashfoot. It never occurred to me that you would deliberately cause the Clan so much strife. But as soon as she disappeared I did what I had to and named you in her place. What else could I do? No other warrior was fit to take command – you know as well as I do."
"But you knew that I was a fraud," Icefang whispered, intent on reaching an answer.
Again, the gray tom shook his head. "I would have trusted you with my life-" he stopped, blinked, and then chuckled at the irony. "Well, I knew you would be a competent leader. I never would have guessed at your crimes. But now, what can I do? You're my only choice, blind faith or not." And then Cinderstar's eyes closed, his head dropped to the stone, and his body began to slip backwards into the stream.