Hooray! This story is about to get creepy again!
Eagleclaw and Redwhisker both followed her wordlessly. They made no indication as to whether or not they agreed with the plan, but in their silent pawsteps Icestar recognized the power of their devotion to her. When she had taken the two she-cats under her wing, training Eagleclaw in the absence of her mentor, nurturing Redwhisker's sharp intelligence and less-than-moral tendencies, she had not predicted that this would be the outcome. It was nice to share her inner thoughts with other cats, but she had not guessed that both warriors would worship her so blindly.
In some ways Icestar felt guilty – had she stolen a normal life from them, one in which they were loyal only to their Clan and were involved in none of these secret schemes? But then she laughed quietly to herself and dismissed the notion. No, it was not solely Icestar's influence that had turned the she-cats into the ruthless deceivers they were now. Something inside them had drawn them to her, and she had taken them in, allowed the darkness inside them to grow.
"How exactly do you propose we go about this, anyway?" Eagleclaw grumbled. She leapt to the top of a fallen log and paused to sharpen her claws, bright yellow sunlight dappling her golden coat.
"Yeah, what's the plan?" added Redwhisker. She sat down and scratched behind her ear with a hind paw. Though the ginger she-cat was no longer an apprentice, her frame was still slender and small, and Icestar thought with amusement that she could easily be mistaken for one still.
"Let's just say, if things work out, we'll be back in camp before sundown," replied the white she-cat, her eyes glittering. Icestar waved her tail impatiently. "Are you coming?" she growled.
Redwhisker splayed her legs and stretched, yawning widely. "We've been running around all morning, unlike you," the young warrior accused. "Give us a break."
Icestar shrugged and turned away. They were not pressed for time, as she had said. Though Eelshadow had told her exactly what he wished her to do, she wasn't about to actually follow his directions word for word. No, Icestar had her own way of doing things. If possible, she would like to keep her paws clean.
After a short break they continued on their way, padding in a single file line beneath the trees, as quiet as mice. Finally, the rumble and roar of the Thunderpath reached Icestar's ears, and she noticed Eagleclaw wrinkling her keen nose.
The sound recalled the uncomfortable memory of Icestar's last visit to ShadowClan territory. She took no pleasure in her escapade that day with Eagleclaw, but neither did she feel any regret. Now that she was so attached to young Rosepaw and Tawnypaw, she understood even more acutely the anguish that the ShadowClan queen must have felt when her kits were stolen from beneath her paws. But there was no use dwelling on it, Icestar told herself. What was done was done, and ThunderClan was better off for it, which was the most important thing.
"We don't have to disguise our scents again, do we?" Eagleclaw mewed. They had neared the edge of the Thunderpath, and she was eyeing the hot black surface with distaste.
"No," Icestar purred, her whisker quivering with laughter, "this time we won't even have to cross the border."
Instead of leading her warriors across the Thunderpath, Icestar followed the edge of the dark line until they reached the extent of ThunderClan territory.
"Now what?" Redwhisker meowed, peering through the undergrowth towards the woods on the other side of the Thunderpath. "We just sit here until sundown?"
"Of course not," Icestar snapped. "Now, we find a ShadowClan patrol, and pray to StarClan."
They did end up waiting for a long while before the scent of ShadowClan drifted across the Thunderpath in their direction. As soon as Eagleclaw alerted Icestar to the smell, the white she-cat's heart began to beat quickly.
"Alright, time to put the plan into action," she growled, her nerves tingling with anticipation. "Redwhisker, find some prey, and chase it across the border."
"What!" Redwhisker yowled, the fur on her spine lifting. "Are you crazy? That patrol will rip me to shreds! Besides, chasing prey across the Thunderpath is like asking to die!"
Icestar whipped her tail back and forth in annoyance. "Do you trust me?" she growled. "We'll tell you if a monster comes. And besides, you won't end up crossing the border. I'll stop you. Now just go, would you? The patrol is probably passing by already."
Rolling her eyes, Redwhisker got her feet and did as she was told, melting into the bushes at the edge of the Thunderpath.
"Really, Icestar," Eagleclaw meowed, sounding worried. She bent her head close to Icestar's ear and whispered, "Don't you think that's a little dangerous? Anything could happen!"
"Nothing will happen," Icestar said with a sigh. "Believe me. It will only take a minute, and it will make things infinitely easier."
They waited for a few seconds until a rustle in the ferns made Icestar look up. Sure enough, she caught sight of Redwhisker's ginger pelt flashing between the leaves, and a moment later the small warrior burst from the bushes, pursuing a squirrel straight across the black stone. Sure enough, no monsters could be seen in either direction.
Icestar waited until Redwhisker was nearly across before leaping onto the stones herself and calling out, "Redwhisker! Stop! You'll get hit!"
Immediately, the ginger warrior skidded to a halt and ran back, allowing the frightened squirrel to dart into the trees on the ShadowClan side of the Thunderpath. For a second Icestar mourned the loss of such a juicy piece of prey, but she quickly forgot as the yowls of the ShadowClan patrol reached her ears.
Perfect, she thought to herself. Now we just have to hope it's the right cats.
A group of four ShadowClan warriors came charging out of the trees on the opposite side of the Thunderpath, their hackles raised, spitting and hissing at Redwhisker, who was cowering at Icestar's side, looking like a scared kit. As Icestar scanned their ranks, she could hardly believe her luck. She recognized all four warriors, and couldn't have asked for a better patrol to meet.
The patrol consisted of an old black she-cat named Seedfur who was the ShadowClan deputy, an irritable tom named Addercoil and his apprentice Tawnypaw, and one last, very familiar face. Though she had first met the long-furred brown tabby as an apprentice, she knew that by now he had received his warrior name, and was called Raggedpelt. And he was exactly the cat that Icestar had hoped to see.
The ShadowClan warriors were furious. They seemed to have witnessed Redwhisker's chase, and Icestar's intervention, and were incensed by how close the ThunderClan warriors had come to their border. ShadowClan was accustomed to privacy, being secluded on the opposite side of the Thunderpath, which few cats liked to cross. They were even more protective of their border than other Clans, seeing every possible trespass as a purposeful invasion. Icestar had been counting on it.
Yowling defiance, Seedfur led her patrol across the Thunderpath, heading straight for them. Eagleclaw bristled and backed away as the ShadowClan warriors approached, but Icestar held her ground, gazing at them calmly.
"How dare you!" spat Seedfur, bounding up to them and pressing her nose in Icestar's face.
"It wasn't me!" Icestar protested. "A young warrior was focused on her catch and became confused. She didn't even cross the border, and nor was she stealing ShadowClan prey. You have no reason to come onto our side of the border."
"I have every reason!" Seedfur hissed. "How can you expect me to believe that this young warrior was unaware that she had stepped onto the Thunderpath? The stone is as hot as fresh embers! She would have to be mousebrained not to notice the change!" Seedfur's eyes glowed with hatred.
Exasperated, her face showing a look of frustration with a hint of fear, Icestar turned to Redwhisker.
"Redwhisker," she meowed, staring intently into the she-cat's face. "Did you notice that you had crossed the Thunderpath?"
The ginger she-cat swallowed, as if nervous, and shrugged. "I was really focused on the squirrel. I felt the ground change, but by then I was already halfway across, and I was so freaked out I couldn't decide which way to run, thinking a monster was about to flatten me. I'm really sorry Icestar," she added, staring at the ground.
"See?" Icestar meowed. She faced Seedfur again, but her eyes were focused on Raggedpelt's face. He stared coldly back at her, unmoving. "You must be getting old, Seedfur," she growled, making her tone light but layering it with significance. Raggedpelt's eyes flashed.
"What!" Seedfur yowled. She unsheathed her claws and crouched, her tail lashing. "Do you want to fight us, kittypet?" she spat.
Icestar suppressed the violent retort that rose in her throat. She kept any twitch of emotion from reaching her face, and only smiled condescendingly at Seedfur.
"I don't mean you any offense, but you should really be able to tell a mere accident from an invasion." Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Raggedpelt shift his paws and glance sideways at Seedfur, as if realizing for the first time the silver that ringed her muzzle, she thinness of her pelt.
"Let's go, Seedfur," meowed Addercoil, tapping Seedfur's shoulder with his tail. "She obviously didn't mean any harm. She didn't even cross the border." He glanced at Icestar with a look of distaste. "Let's just get back to the patrol and leave them be."
Seedfur straightened, but she appeared reluctant to leave the ThunderClan cats without ensuring that Redwhisker would be punished.
"Yes, we'll leave as well. I'll see you tonight at Fourtrees!" Icestar meowed jovially. She met Raggedpelt's gaze again. He nodded briefly.
"What are you talking about, Icestar?" Seedfur snapped. "The Gathering isn't for another moon at least."
Icestar glanced up at the sky, frowning. "Great StarClan, I must have dreamed the full moon. Perhaps I'm getting old too!" She laughed and dashed away before hearing Seedfur's reply. Eagleclaw and Redwhisker followed closely at her heels.
"Wow, great plan," Eagleclaw snapped as soon as they had put some distance between themselves and the Thunderpath. "You totally succeeded in gaining ShadowClan's trust. Just watch, Icestar, they'll be crawling through the forest by nightfall after you insulted old Seedfur."
Icestar was about to open her mouth to make a sharply reply, when Redwhisker beat her too it. "You idiot, she didn't just get their attention to annoy Seedfur!" Redwhisker said with a snort. "Weren't you paying attention? Icestar was communicating with Raggedpelt the whole time!"
Eagleclaw stumbled to a stop, digging her claws in the earth. She gazed at Icestar, her eyes wide with surprise. "Raggedpelt?" she meowed, surprised. "I thought the plan was to get rid of Toadstar!"
"Not if the deputy is still Seedfur!" said Icestar with an exasperated sigh. "Eelshadow may have overlooked that, but I certainly won't. The only cat I would trust with this mission is Raggedpelt. If he can find a way to become deputy, and then we get rid of Toadstar, we'll be much better off than having to get rid of two 'stars."
Eagleclaw rolled her eyes. "How come you couldn't have explained that to me before?" she grumbled.
"You should have figured it out yourself," Redwhisker mewed with a shrug. She cringed as Eagleclaw snarled at her, but then they both laughed.
The trio of she-cats made their way back through ThunderClan territory, enjoying the last rays of the afternoon sun on their pelts. Icestar delighted in the sounds of chirping birds and rustling creatures that surrounded them, content in the knowledge that the forest was full of prey to feed her Clan. She had suffered through a terrible leaf-bare, and knew the consequences of hunger and cold. For a moment Icestar wished she could stop the turn of the seasons so that the forest would remain this lush and full of life forever. Her Clan would never want for anything. Perhaps scheming and underhanded trickery would not be necessary to keep her Clan safe and prosperous. But she knew it was impossible. The temperature would drop and the ice would come. Leaf-bare was inevitable, and thus so were Icestar's plans.
When they reached the camp, Icestar's mood had measurably improved. She did not Rosepaw, and still felt guilty for being so apathetic during their morning training session, but she knew that the young she-cat would have forgotten the issue by the next morning and would be returned to her usual self. It seemed that Stonepelt had taken her advice and left the camp, which she was grateful for. He worried too much, and his anxiety made Icestar tense.
Icestar did not invite Eagleclaw to accompany her to Fourtrees later that night. She spoke only to Redwhisker, ordering the she-cat to meet her outside the camp at moonhigh. She had known Eagleclaw longer and trusted her with secrets that she shared with no other cat, but in this instance, Redwhisker was the warrior that Icestar needed. Eagleclaw, though she shared Icestar's malicious streak, was not as keen as her younger companion. As a confidant and aid she was invaluable, but Eagleclaw was no threat. Redwhisker, on the other paw, exuded the same sense of frosty superiority and acid contempt as Icestar. If Raggedpelt decided to place his trust in ShadowClan and brought a patrol with him, Icestar knew that she and Redwhisker could escape, no matter the circumstance. She didn't want to have to worry about Eagleclaw.
As the sun sank below the horizon and moonhigh crept nearer, Icestar's anticipation grew. At least in this one aspect of the plan, she had bested Eelshadow. He may have been the original mastermind, but Icestar had immediately picked out a flaw and solved it herself. Without her, Eelshadow's dream could not be realized. Icestar knew that, in the end, only one of them would come out on top. She had no doubt as to who the victor would be.
Eelshadow was not a fool, but there was still much he did not understand. His arrogance was evidence of that. If there was one undesirable characteristic that Icestar did not possess, it was arrogance. She was vain, proud, maybe even cruel, but she had never been conceited. Certainly she despised the circumstances of her birth, which always set her below her fellow Clanmates, but she had never attempted to tip the scales and act as haughty as Tansyleaf or Mossfur. She could best any cat in a fight and outsmart even the most cunning warrior, but she was intelligent enough not to flaunt it. Modesty was essential to winning the hearts and minds of fellow warriors. Icestar knew this. Eelshadow did not. From the moment he had somehow forced himself upon RiverClan, he had set himself apart. And Icestar knew that this would be his ultimate failing.