This time the thanks go to Moving to Mars for finally getting me to update. And because, for the first time in years, I actually finished all of my homework on Friday night and had a totally free weekend. So here ya go. Blind Faith Chapter 62.

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Icestar felt a faint twinge of annoyance as Horsepelt relayed the news of Stoneheart's death. On either side of her, the rest of the dawn patrol uttered wails of surprise.

"So soon after that horrible Gathering!" mewed Robinwing, her eyes wide and sad. The RiverClan warriors stood at top of the bank, looking tired and hopeless.

"Stoneheart was mighty. It's cruel that StarClan allowed him to be stolen from his Clan, and at the height of his strength. We will never again see such as a pure-hearted, powerful warrior in this territory," lamented Horsepelt. He hung his head and let his tail drag in the mud.

Icestar tried her best to put on a sad face, but more than anything she was irritated. Eelshadow was moving too quickly – one wrong step and the entire plan would be gone like a squirrel up a tree. Cats were on edge after the chaotic Gathering two moons ago, when Seedfur had been killed and Raggedpelt named deputy. Now, Stoneheart's death might cause some curious cats to raise their noses to the wind and scent out the true culprits behind these supposed random tragedies. If Eelshadow spooks, Icestar thought to herself, he'll rat me out first and then get as far away from this place as possible. He could leave RiverClan at a moments notice and go back to his life as a rogue. Clan loyalty means nothing to him – this is just a game to him. But I'm not like that.

"Who has been named deputy in his place?" asked Icestar, laying her tail across Robinwing's shoulder to stop the ginger she-cat from whimpering. It wasn't as if she'd actually known Stoneheart, so Icestar couldn't see why she cared so much. Now seemed like a perfect time to steal some RiverClan territory, what with their strongest warrior dead, not for mourning his passing.

"Mintleaf," answered Horsepelt. The long-legged black tom cast a sideways glance at Murkypool, who was trying his best to stay standing while his eyelids drooped and his legs swayed back and forth with exhaustion.

Icestar didn't miss the sheepish expression on Horsepelt's face. Obviously Mintleaf wasn't a very popular choice for deputy. But the choice told Icestar more than just the fact that RiverClan was running low on good warriors. It meant that Floodstar, as always, was too clever for his own good. The most logical choice for deputy, at least in Icestar's calculations, would have been Eelshadow, much as she disliked admitting it. Even though the black tom was a former rogue, he was strong and smart and generally well liked – good at playing the loyal friend when needed. If Floodstar had really wanted to protect his Clan from invading warriors and kept them well-fed and happy, he would have appointed Eelshadow. Choosing Mintleaf meant that he could see past Eelshadow's cunning façade.

A shiver passed down Icestar spine. She could not underestimate Floodstar's intelligence. If he was suspicious of Eelshadow, then he was probably suspicious about Stoneheart's abrupt and mysterious death. Floodstar, like Icestar, might know that Stoneheart had not simply been swept off his feet by the raging river current. A powerful swimmer like Stoneheart would not succumb to the water's pull so easily. No, Stoneheart had not drowned. He had been drowned.

"Well, ThunderClan is sorry for your loss. We all admired Stoneheart's strength and courage. Silverpelt has gained a bright star, but too soon," meowed Icestar turning to continue the patrol.

"If there any cats in your Clan who might wish to pay their respects to Stoneheart's spirit, Floodstar says they will be welcome before the vigil tonight. Even though there is no body, we must still send him off in the proper way," said Horsepelt dejectedly.

A terrible fate, not to be buried in one's territory, thought Icestar, and felt a sharp spike of fear deep in her chest. What am I playing at, she wondered briefly. How long can this game go on before I finally realize that I cannot win?

"Thank you Horsepelt, I will send over those cats who knew Stoneheart well." She couldn't think of any cat in ThunderClan who would trek over to RiverClan territory just to say one last goodbye to Stoneheart, but then, she didn't know much about the private lives of many of her clanmates. I should probably fix that, she admonished herself, but she doubted there would be anything interesting. If there was one thing to be said for the spirit of ThunderClan, it was that no cat harbored many secrets outside the walls of the clearing. Clan loyalty actually meant something to the warriors of the oak forest.

On the last leg of their patrol, Icestar hung back to trot beside Robinwing. Her duties as leader left her little time to confer with her old friend, but Icestar liked to catch up once in a while. Robinwing knew more about the daily goings on in the camp than any other warrior or apprentice, except perhaps for Redwhisker, who kept careful tabs on the movements of every tom and she-cat, from old Mossfur to young Graypaw.

"How are things going in your den?" Icestar asked her, clambering over a rotten log and relishing the taste of the newleaf air as it rippled through her fur.

"Oh, great," answered Robinwing. "It's wonderful now that the snow is melted and it's not so whisker-cracking cold in the mornings anymore. Ashfoot told me that yesterday he caught two squirrels, all fat and juicy from eating new sprouts. He said they were just sitting there, and he was practically on top of them before they even noticed him at all. Maybe the squirrels are getting lazy because of the nice weather!"

Robinwing prattled on until they reached camp and the patrol ducked through the bramble tunnel. As always, things were already busy. Eagleclaw and Tawnypaw were filling in a gap in the back wall, carrying twigs in from the surrounding undergrowth and weaving them in with the old material. Specklefoot was sunning herself by the freshkill pile, where Smallpaw and Rosepaw shared a thrush. Yellowstripe and Graypaw had just dropped some new mice onto the pile and the apprentice rushed to join her friends, meowing a cheerful hello. As the dawn patrol headed off to fill their bellies or relax in the warm sun before the next outing, Icestar made her way to the medicine den.

Shortwhisker's scent clinging to the fern barrier was stale, and Icestar guessed that he had gone out early in the morning to gather herbs. There was no sound of Sparrowtail bustling about in the clearing, but Icestar hadn't seen her in the camp. Curious, the white she-cat pushed through into the cool shelter.

It was eerily quiet. Usually there was at least one apprentice or warrior scurrying to and fro from the medicine den with cobwebs wrapped out a paw or dock leaves in their jaws. Instead the only sound was the rustle of the wind through the ferns.

Icestar padded closer to the cleft in the rock where the herbs where stocked. Deep in the recesses of the cave she could make out the shadow of a cat crouched in the dark.

"Sparrowtail?" called Icestar, feeling a chill in the pit of her stomach.

The cat's head turned slowly, revealing two glowing amber orbs.

"Icestar," mewled Sparrowtail faintly. Her voice was hoarse and desperate.

"What's going on?" Icestar growled, lashing her tail. "Why are you cowering in here like a frightened mouse? Where did Shortwhisker go?"

"I- I had a horrible dream," whispered Sparrowtail, ignoring Icestar's question. "A nightmare." The tortoiseshell she-cat turned back to the cave wall, shrinking further into the shadow. As Icestar's eyes adjusted to the blackness she could see that the medicine cat apprentice was shaking like a leaf in a storm.

"Come out into the clearing and tell me about your dream. I'm sure it wasn't all that bad."

Sparrowtail raised her head again but made no motion to leave the cave, so Icestar reluctantly moved closer in, stepping daintily among the piles of dried leaves.

In a voice like the rasp of claws against stone, Sparrowtail meowed slowly, "Remember the snakes?"

Icestar froze. She had almost forgotten them. The gruesome omen, undoubtedly lain out by Eelshadow as some sort of cruel prank: a Twoleg trash bag filled with snakes, all dark and horrible except for the one snowy white snake laying on the top of the pile, its eyes open, staring vacantly up at the sky. The dead creatures had poisoned the stream water for suns.

"They swallowed me."

Icestar blinked in surprise. Sparrowtail's eyes were wide with fear as she relayed the story of her dream.

"I was walking through the forest. It was twilight, and everything was very beautiful." The she-cat hesitated, looked down at her paws, and then nodded as if reminding herself to speak the truth. "St-Stonepelt was there," she stammered, not meeting Icestar's gaze.

For a moment Icestar felt a brief wave of revulsion. What is this, some foolish lovestruck kit dream? Sparrowtail dreaming of a twilit rendezvous with Stonepelt? Why do I ever give her mouse-brained imaginings credit?

Then Sparrowtail continued the story. "And we were attacked. It became night very quickly, and a black she-cat came out of the woods. She started circling us, trotting around like the horses on the Twoleg farm. And Stonepelt started to follow her. He started laughing and smiling, like some mouse-brained idiot. And then, all of sudden, the black cat turned into a snake and… and… ate him. And then she ate me."

Icestar didn't know whether to laugh or be furious with Sparrowtail. So it had been some stupid kit dream after all. Who didn't dream about being eaten by a snake? At first Icestar had wondered if Frostfire's prophecy had actually come back to haunt her. Beware the one among many who does not fit, he had told her. She had assumed it was Eelshadow, the outsider, the rogue. Maybe StarClan was telling her again to be cautious of them. But Sparrowtail's dream was nothing.

"Come out of that cave," Icestar growled, beginning to rise to her feet. "Nothing will look so frightening if you just come into the light."

"Wait!" Sparrowtail hissed, and her voice was so full of panic that Icestar sat back down quickly, her brow furrowing.

"What?" she hissed. "This is ridiculous, Sparrowtail. I'm not your mother, and you're not a kit anymore."

"That wasn't it," the medicine cat hissed.

"You were eaten! How could there be more!" meowed Icestar exasperatedly.

"I wasn't dead. You don't die in dreams. You either wake up or you keep dreaming." The she-cat shuddered. "I kept on dreaming. Trapped inside the belly of the snake."

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Woooahhh, UPDATE.