SIXTY FIVE

The air was rancid with the tang of blood and fear. The strange mixture of scents was enough to satisfy Smokefrost. The battle had only just ended, but memories of scoring her teeth into the necks of SkyClan cats still burned. She used her darker pelt to her advantage. With the moon barely providing any source of light, SkyClan was exposed to an ambush. Russetstar had used the timing to his advantage, knowing that they only had a small chance to take SkyClan by surprise. The initial plan had always been to see whether or not SkyClan posed a threat. Taking out the guards had been a bonus for her.

"You did well tonight," Russetstar congratulated her when the battle party returned. "Though from what I was told, your work could have been a little less sloppy."

"I wasn't expecting the other cat to fight back the way she had," she rolled her eyes in exasperation. "She didn't have the chance to alert them though until it was too late."

She made sure of that by keeping the guard distracted. One of her tactics was distraction, and she used that whenever she could. It was fun to watch their confusion and frustration. More importantly, it was fun to watch the panic stir as other cats poured into the barn and started the fight. The tactic worked, and it didn't take long for the combination of WindClan and ShadowClan to overwhelm SkyClan. SkyClan was already weak from traveling for so long, but this battle proved they were far from worthy to live by the lake. Smokefrost hoped that the other Clans would see it that way. ShadowClan was not willing to lose territory, and she doubted WindClan would either.

"I can't believe you got to fight in that battle," Snowstorm complained when she joined her only friend.

"There will be more in the future if Russetstar has his way," Smokefrost reminded her bluntly.

The only reason Russetstar entrusted her in the battle was due to the 'special' training she received on a nightly basis. Those training sessions had begun dwindling though as Russetstar focused his attention on the alliance with WindClan. He needed to keep Icestar in control until he was able to overpower WindClan. Ultimately he planned on starting with WindClan, then he would move on to the other Clans. He already had some allies in RiverClan who were willing to listen to reason, but he needed Minnowstar to see it that way as well.

That will be easier said than done with her alliance to Petalstar, she thought angrily. RiverClan and ThunderClan had been working together since the last Gathering. It seemed they were in favor of letting SkyClan return, though Smokefrost had her doubts with all of RiverClan. Some cats were angry with the idea of losing valuable hunting territory due to SkyClan's arrival, and understandably so. It meant they would be easier to manipulate if Russetstar figured out how to do so. Smokefrost had no doubt that Russetstar was able to pull off such a trick, especially in light of recent events.

"I still don't understand why we're doing these battles in the first place," Mousefang muttered. "With leafbare in full swing, we should be focusing on keeping our borders secure and our store of herbs are full."

Smokefrost glanced at the older tom warily. She knew he was right. Scorchheart and Ravenfeather only had a small supply of herbs due to the alliance with WindClan. One of the agreements they made was to share a certain amount of herbs and prey with each other. Furzewhisker had reluctantly shared some of her supply while Scorchheart gave out some supply of their borage. It wasn't an easy alliance to maintain, but it helped keep Icestar in check.

"If we show an ounce of weakness, the other Clans will be quick to take over," she pointed out. "We have to remind them how strong we are, even in desperate times."

"I'm surprised that you didn't go out tonight with Russetstar," Snowstorm remarked as Mousefang retired to his nest. Smokefrost looked at her in surprise as she gave her chest fur a few quick licks. "I'm not saying it's a bad thing… I'm just surprised that he's been so invested in your training. He wasn't exactly thrilled to let you stay when you first showed up all those moons ago."

That feels like a lifetime ago, she realized.

It had been moons since her mother dropped her off in ShadowClan. Her injuries had since then healed and scarred over. Now she had new scars to show how much she progressed over the seasons. Russetstar's interest in her hadn't waned in that time. If anything, she took her training even more seriously now that they had SkyClan to worry about. There was also the added fact that she had been born as a rogue before she joined the Clan. She had more to lose than everyone else, which was why she had been so determined to prove herself.

The last thing she wanted was to face her family again after everything she did to them. She had no regrets in lashing out at Luna when they encountered each other moons ago. Luna and her brother had abandoned her just like their mother had. They were no better, and Smokefrost had no intentions of seeking them out again.

"He has more to worry about tonight than training," she said drily. Snowstorm huffed in amusement as they headed for their nests, knowing full-well tomorrow would be another long day. "Besides, we've got a full day ahead of us tomorrow if tonight was anything to go by."

Snowstorm merely purred in amusement as she curled up beside Mousefang, though not without giving Smokefrost a quick lick on the shoulder. Smokefrost stiffened in surprise at her sudden motion. The movement was so unexpected that she didn't know how to react initially. But she soon found herself relaxing as Snowstorm rested beside her, letting her warmth wrap around her.

"You need to stop worrying so much, Smoke," she murmured sleepily.

Smokefrost closed her eyes and allowed the soothing motions to lull her into sleep. The last thing she expected were the sudden emotions welling up within her. Snowstorm had always been a good friend to her from the moment she joined the Clan. She knew somewhere deep down that Snowstorm deserved a better friend, especially given her history. The only thing she could do was hope that she made up for those actions, and that she could be a better friend than she was a Clanmate.

...

She knew she was dreaming the moment her eyes opened.

The warm scent of ShadowClan was stronger than ever as she found herself wandering through the marsh. Mud squelched her paws, sending a shiver through her in the process. She blinked a few times when she saw shadows streaking across the landscape. Shapes and sizes that were easily distinguishable leaped around her. These were her Clanmates. Cats she recognized over the last few moos of living with ShadowClan. Yet, something was off. The cats leaping in and out of the darkness had no fur color or markings she could recognize. She could make out their scents and their age, but that was all.

Smokefrost stopped in her tracks when she registered the fact that this was not the territory she was familiar with. Yet her paws seemed to know where they were headed. The path looked as if it had been well-used, leading towards a tunnel made of reeds and horsetail. Her ears flattened when she registered the fact that this looked like a camp.

"You're harder to get a hold of than I expected." Smokefrost stiffened when a voice spoke up. Her eyes narrowed with annoyance as she spotted a cat sitting at the center of a clearing within the tunnel of reeds. "I was hoping that it would be easier to reach out to you since you've been in the Clan longer, but it's clear Russetstar's influence is stronger than I'd hoped."

"What are you talking about?" she demanded.

The cat that was speaking finally appeared before her. To her surprise, this cat was a mangy looking dark gray she-cat with yellow eyes, a smudged face and a broken fang. She looked ancient, yet there was an air of strength about her that sent a shiver of unease through Smokefrost. This cat had been here for seasons.

"I'm talking about the fact that you've been acting like a foxhearted scum!" the cat snapped without hesitation. Smokefrost flinched when the cat closed the distance between them. It was only then that she saw starlight lining the stranger's pelt. She had never believed in StarClan until then. She realized with a start that this cat was likely from StarClan. "Everything you've done until now has been a kit's game! You must avoid Russetstar at all costs, Shadow!"

That name buzzed around her head like a swarm of angry bees.

Shadow? Who is that? she found herself wondering.

She already knew the truth.

She was Shadow. The cat simply looked at her with an expression filled with annoyance.

"Look, I'm not sure what sort of nonsense you're talking about, but it isn't as if I was given a choice," she retorted. "It was either listen to Russetstar or die from injuries that would have killed me."

The stranger merely rolled her eyes in exasperation, "Stars above, death would have been a better option!" Smokefrost flinched once again when the cat straightened up and appeared taller than before. "Get your act together and act like the Founder you're supposed to be! ShadowClan will not be seen as the Clan of darkness again!" Smokefrost didn't know how to respond. Her jaw clenched when she suddenly heard the sounds of wails in the distance. The sounds of her Clanmates echoed around her, and soon, the stench of blood followed. "The lake will soak with blood if you continue this path. Beware of the darkness that threatens to take hold."

Smokefrost was struggling to comprehend what this cat was saying just as the vision began to clear. She blinked a few times once more, though this time, the dream faded. Her heart nearly skipped a beat when she found herself back in the warrior's den. She glanced around warily, not missing the fact that everyone was still asleep. Well, almost everyone.

To her surprise, Scorchheart was wide awake. The medicine cat hardly ever spoke to her when her injuries were treated. Usually, Ravenfeather was the one who treated her injuries. The younger medicine cat had been more compassionate towards her than Scorchheart. Admittedly, she preferred spending time with Ravenfeather because of that. Scorchheart had been reluctant to use his herbs on her when she was first brought to the Clan, and eventually Ravenfeather was the one who convinced him to treat her properly.

"I suppose sleep has evaded you as well?" Smokefrost glanced at the medicine cat warily when she reached him. "There's enough poppy seeds in the den if you need 'em. Russetstar uses them every now and then to help him sleep."

She was hardly surprised to hear that bit of information. From what she gathered, Russetstar had been young when he became leader. He saw unspeakable horrors before taking his role as Clan leader, having lost most of his family to a terrible fire. It didn't help that WindClan had nearly wiped them out shortly after the fire, leaving few warriors left to protect the borders. It explained why Russetstar had a vendetta against WindClan, though that didn't excuse his awful behavior.

"I'm fine without them," she retorted.

Truthfully, she was afraid to sleep again after that nightmare.

"Then what are you doing up so late? Or I suppose I should say so early since most of us prefer being awake at night."

Smokefrost winced when she noticed the way Scorchheart's gaze raked over her. She didn't have a good answer as to why she had woken up so early.

"Am I not allowed to have nightmares?" she countered. The medicine cat just stared at her as if she'd grown wings. "Forgive me for being 'normal'. Maybe ShadowClan have it engraved in their skulls that they can't suffer from nightmares."

The silence that followed was penetrating to say the least. For a few heartbeats, Smokefrost was afraid that she'd gone too far. But soon she heard a deep rumbling sound, and she realized with a start that he was actually laughing.

"And here I didn't think you were capable of humor," he chortled with laughter. Smokefrost blinked in confusion as he shook his head in amusement. "I thought for sure Russetstar had clawed away any trace of the kit that was brought to us moons ago."

It only took a split second for Smokefrost to register what he was implying. Her ears flattened with annoyance when she realized he'd called out Russetstar's behavior. The leader had never mentioned what they were doing during their nightly sessions, but Scorchheart must have known. He never treated her injuries when she returned from their sessions, but he knew what was going on.

"It isn't as if he forced me into those sessions," she muttered crossly. "I went along with it willingly. I wanted to get stronger."

"And are you stronger?" Scorchheart's gaze raked her once again, and she could feel the intensity of that stare. "I know how cruel my brother can be. It's why I chose to become a medicine cat. He was the only family I had left, and I couldn't bring myself to say anything that went against his word. I should have said something sooner."

A shiver swept through her as realization dawned on her. She didn't realize that Scorchheart was Russetstar's brother. From the way they interacted with each other, it was clear they weren't close. Then again, they had been through a lot. She looked down at her paws angrily, suddenly aware of the fact that Russetstar had taken advantage of her.

"I can stop if I want to," she snapped, though she knew what that meant.

Russetstar would simply use that as an excuse to cast her away. She would have nothing, and she turned on her own family. Her heart sank at the thought of what would happen if she was exiled from the Clan. Russetstar had every right to do just that. She posed a threat to his leadership and the Clan itself.

"If you really wanted to stop, you would have done so when you were an apprentice," Scorchheart reminded her. His green eyes were dark with something akin to sympathy. "It's too late to take back those actions, and now you must live with the consequences. What you do in the future is what counts." She was taken aback by those words. Scorchheart left it at that, though not without giving her a final look. "Take it from someone who has dealt with his brother's cruelty since we were apprentices: Learn how to deal with it now before it's too late."

He left it at that, and Smokefrost was left to ponder what he meant by that.

...

"Last night's raid was a success!" Russetstar announced after calling for a Clan meeting.

The sun had begun to rise when Smokefrost managed to sleep after her conversation with Scorchheart. She was still reeling over what he said. His words had an impact on her conscience in unexpected ways.

The last thing she expected was to regret everything Russetstar taught her. He was teaching her how to kill cats without hesitation or empathy. He drilled it into her head that it was safe to kill others without conviction. She knew how wrong it was, but she went along with it out of fear that he might attack her. She was well aware of just how dangerous he could be if he was provoked.

"How was it a success? We retreated," Sleetstorm scoffed.

Russetstar's glare raked over her, and Sleetstorm immediately backed down with shame.

"It was a success due to what we've learned," he explained calmly. "We've learned that SkyClan's reinforcements are weak. If we attack them again, we know where to strike and when to strike. They won't be ready for the next battle."

"But they'll know that we're going to attack them again," Talonclaw pointed out.

He makes a good point, Smokefrost thought.

Tactically speaking, it would have made sense to wait until they least expected an attack. Now with two of their Clanmates dead, the Clan would be even more defensive. She doubted SkyClan would back down from another fight if ShadowClan and WindClan were involved. Russetstar planned on taking over all the Clans though, which meant he had to take out SkyClan while he could.

"That is why we will wait," Russetstar reassured everyone. "There is another matter we must attend to: WindClan. They have more than enough kits now to keep their numbers up, and it's time Icestar paid for our alliance. Our Clan is in need of strong warriors that are loyal to ShadowClan only."

A shiver swept through Smokefrost when she realized what he was implying. There had been times when their sessions took a deadly turn for younger rogues and loners. Russetstar had no problem hurting innocent kits, and he had no problem tearing families apart. She shared an uneasy glance with Snowstorm, suddenly aware of just how wrong this was.

"Russetstar, we don't have the herbs necessary for more kits," Scorchheart warned him.

"You said yourself that our supply of herbs are high," Russetstar snapped. "And if we need a fresh supply, we can always demand more from WindClan."

Smokefrost's eyes narrowed with annoyance. There was no turning back now. Russetstar had already made up his mind on whether or not he would attack WindClan. The only thing they could do now was make sure the kits were kept safe. It was all she could hope for as she exchanged a horrified glance with Snowstorm. She knew that if Russetstar pulled through with this attack, then ShadowClan would be known as the Clan of darkness once again. And that thought alone left her blood boiling with outrage. Something needed to be done to stop Russetstar from taking over the Clans. She knew she couldn't face this mess alone, and she had a feeling that things would only get worse before they got better.