CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

It was a daunting time for Sprucepaw. She had spent a few days in RiverClan until deciding they wouldn't want anything to do with her. Now she had begun traveling towards the Horseplace. After giving it some thought, Sprucepaw had realized that she wouldn't truly understand what was going on until she left the Clans. Maybe StarClan could give her answer while she was gone. Otherwise she wasn't sure where she would go.

She wasn't sure how long she had been wandering. The Horseplace was just another destination she had in mind. Loud thundering steps told her that the creatures who lived here were approaching. Sprucepaw wasted no time in running out of the way before she was trampled to death. She'd heard far too many stories of cats dying because they were careless.

Almost at once Sprucepaw's mind leaped back to the horrible day when her mother died. Larksong had given her more advice than she could imagine, and she never once took it for granted. She missed the days when Larksong would comfort her with words of wisdom. She longed to feel the warmth of her mother's tongue and her loving gaze.

I'm not going to let Icestar get away with this, she promised.

Sprucepaw had finally reached the barn where she remembered mother mentioning was a safe place to stay, but only for a short while. She'd heard many stories of the cats from the Horseplace sometimes asking to join the Clans. Most of the time they were turned down, but one cat had managed to join ThunderClan. Some of her kits were the ancestors of the warriors that now live within ThunderClan.

"Who goes there?" Sprucepaw froze at the sound of a she-cat's voice as she crept towards the barn in question. "No cat is allowed to enter the barn without my permission!"

A spiky haired tortoiseshell she-cat suddenly emerged from long stalks of dried yellow grass covering the barn floor. Sprucepaw's eyes widened when she saw the scars covering the she-cat's body, and realized this cat was no stranger to battle.

"I'm not here to start a fight," Sprucepaw replied, struggling to keep her voice steady. "I only want to spend a night here, maybe two. I'm trying to find a way to stop my Clan leader."

That caught the she-cat's interest. Her position went from hostile to calm in a matter of heartbeats, leaving Sprucepaw more confused than ever.

"Well, why didn't you say so?" she asked, her voice suggesting she was still wary of Sprucepaw's presence. "I've been looking for someone who could take care of those fleabags who call themselves 'warriors'."

Sprucepaw felt a shiver run through her at the way this she-cat spoke. Something told her that this cat had different plans in mind when it came to the Clans. Yet exhaustion had slowly begun to take over as Sprucepaw stared at the empty space in the barn.

"Would you mind if I spent the night here?" she asked warily, wondering if this was a good idea after all.

She might decide to attack me in the middle of the night, she thought. Or worse, she might bring Icestar and the rest of WindClan to finish me off. She shook her head at the uneasy though as the loner eyed her thoughtfully.

"I suppose one night wouldn't hurt," she growled after a few more heartbeats had passed. "But don't think I'm going to let this be easy. I want you to catch me three mice for the night before I make up my mind."

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Sprucepaw realized that this she-cat was just testing her hunting skills. And possibly using her as a way to fight off her own laziness. Whatever the loner's reasoning, she had no choice. It was this or sleep out in the open where she was alone and vulnerable to predators.

So she spent the rest of that night hunting for three mice that were outside the barn. Those were the she-cat's conditions. Hunting within the barn would have been too easy. Sprucepaw knew that the golden grass the she-cat was lounging on had to be nice and warm. A perfect place for mice to hide in as well.

The sun was beginning to sink by the time Sprucepaw had caught her third mouse. Her shoulders were numb with exhaustion as she limped back towards the barn. The she-cat was waiting impatiently within the entrance until she made Sprucepaw stop just a few tail-lengths in front of her.

"Now than, I suppose this is where I let you stay for the night," she muttered while looking over her shoulder. "But I have this irritating tick on my back ear that I just can't get rid of. Perhaps you can make yourself useful and help me get it off?"

For a moment, Sprucepaw wondered if she was being serious. Then she noticed that the she-cat actually did expect her to do all of those things. Her hackles rose with outrage as she grabbed one of the mice she had caught earlier right from under the she-cat's nose.

"You know what, this isn't even worth it!" she spat venomously. "All you want is for me to do your dirty work." The tortoiseshell only tilted her head to one side, looking slightly amused.

"Oh, but I thought this was how the apprentices in the Clans treated their elders," she said in a mocking tone. Sprucepaw stared at the she-cat for a few moments before realizing what she was implying. "You really don't get it, do you?" The she-cat let out a sigh and shook her head. "I wouldn't expect some stupid WindClan apprentice to understand what I've been through. What those horrible monsters put me through."

"W-What did the Clans do to you?" Sprucepaw asked. She really was curious as to what they could have done to a strange she-cat like this one.

"I once was part of WindClan," the she-cat explained, her voice suddenly icy as her eyes narrowed with hate. "I trained harder than any other apprentice just to gain Icestar's approval. He was only the deputy at the time, but he had already taken over Wildstar's role as leader. Even that wasn't enough to earn the title of a warrior. Icestar told me that I would never amount to anything - that I would always follow in my bloodline's heritage." The she-cat paused to let this sink in, and suddenly it dawned on Sprucepaw just how cruel Icestar really was. "By the time my warrior assessment was up, Icestar refused to let me take part in it. Leopardheart and Wildheart were able to become warriors, but me? He just cast me out like I was nothing."

Sprucepaw felt her blood run cold at the mention of her father and uncle's names. She recalled Larksong telling her that they had had a sister, but she had died during a terrible storm. Now that Sprucepaw thought of it, she remembered Wildheart even mentioning something once or twice.

"Why would Icestar treat you that way? What did you do to make him hate you so much?" Sprucepaw couldn't help asking, and almost regretted doing so as the she-cat narrowed her eyes once again.

"I overheard Icestar talking with Rowantail," the she-cat replied, her voice becoming bitter. "They were planning to overthrow Wildstar. He was already on his last life, but he still had plenty of fight left in him. When they caught me, Icestar used me as an excuse to go as far as claiming I was the one who killed Wildstar. I was still an apprentice at the time, Pinionpaw. When Icestar sent me into exile, I changed my name to Pinion, and swore to never trust another warrior again."

I always knew there was a reason I couldn't trust Icestar, Sprucepaw thought bitterly. Now I know the reason.

"Leopardheart was my father," Sprucepaw explained after taking a deep breath. "Larksong, my mother, was killed by Icestar because I warned ShadowClan about the battle he was planning. He wanted to overthrow ShadowClan and banish them from the lake." Pinion's eyes widened at the mention of her father.

"Was?" she repeated.

"He... he died in battle against ThunderClan," Sprucepaw murmured, her voice becoming distant as she tried to imagine what life would be like had he lived. Pinion simply nodded in understanding.

"Now it all makes sense," she growled. "Icestar is planning on taking out the whole family, one by one." Sprucepaw looked at Pinion in confusion as she rolled her eyes in annoyance. "How do you think your father really died?"

"F-From a ThunderClan warrior..." Her response came out as more of a question than an answer.

"Wrong," Pinion spat. "Icestar was responsible for his death. Or one of his followers. Leopardheart held high value in his training and was respected throughout all of the Clans. I doubt any ThunderClan warrior would go out of their way just to kill him."

Sprucepaw felt a lump of fear form in the back of her throat as she realized what Pinion was saying. Icestar had been planning this long before she was even born. She suspected he would have done the same thing to her if the Clans hadn't been there to watch.

"But why? What did we do that makes him hate us so much?" she asked warily.

"I don't know if you've ever heard the legend of the Great Five," Pinion replied in a brisk tone. "Of five leaders who once were thought of as legends, who have returned to the living, sent from the stars themselves." Sprucepaw's eyes widened as Pinion caught the look and nodded in satisfaction. "It was rumored that Windstar would return to WindClan and claim her role as leader. Our bloodline is directly related to her."

Almost at once, understanding surged through Sprucepaw. It all made sense now why Icestar would want her of all cats gone. Her mother once said that she resembled the old WindClan leader so much. Even Leopardheart had told her about the prophecy, but she had tried turning it down as something that wasn't real.

Sprucepaw tried to swallow the vile rising in her throat. This wasn't something she had wanted. She just wanted to live a normal life and become a warrior who could defend her Clanmates from any oncoming threats. This was something entirely different from that path.

"I-I think I need some time to think alone," she sighed after giving it some thought.

"The Clan won't stop until all of my family is dead," Pinion growled, giving Sprucepaw a look that told her Icestar was the least of her worries. "I'm sure that Wildheart is next on his list, and anyone my brother is close to for that matter."

Just like that, Sprucepaw felt as if her legs had suddenly grown weak.

He wouldn't hurt Palemist or her kits, would he? she wondered fearfully.

I won't let him do such a thing! Sprucepaw wasn't sure where that thought had come from, but she knew that it was right. She wouldn't allow Icestar to hurt a single hair on Wildheart's kits. Not as long as there was breath in her lungs.

"Pinion, thank you for sharing this with me," she suddenly meowed as she tried keeping herself from fleeing in the opposite direction. "I need to make sure Icestar doesn't hurt his kits, or Palemist. Is there anything you can do to help me?"

Pinion looked as if she was giving her question some consideration, and remained silent for what felt like moons. Sprucepaw was well aware that anything could happen to Palemist and her kits if they didn't act now. She would never forgive herself if she allowed Icestar to get away with this kind of murder. Kits were always a good thing to the Clan, a blessing. Finally a look flashed in Pinion's eyes, a look Sprucepaw was all too familiar with by now.

"Alright, apprentice. I'm in," she meowed. "But only because Icestar deserves to have his throat ripped out for what he has done to this family." Sprucepaw breathed out a sigh of relief before the she-cat asked one more question, "By the way, what is your name?"

"Sprucepaw," was all she replied.

...

The plan had been decided between Sprucepaw and Pinion. It was the following morning after Pinion had told Sprucepaw her story. Her mind was still reeling with shock over all the news she had been given. But determination had given Sprucepaw the edge she needed to return to her Clan. Only this time it was to rescue Palemist and her kits from an execution that would surely happen soon, if not today.

Both she-cats had fed well during the morning on the mice in the barn. Once they were well prepared for the upcoming fight, they made their way back towards WindClan territory. Pinion's eyes were flashing with anxiety as she caught a familiar scent rolling in the wind.

"It's been a long time since I've stepped paw here," she sighed. "Will he even remember me?" Sprucepaw wasn't sure who she was talking about, but she assumed it was Wildheart.

It's still hard to believe that they're even siblings, she thought after thinking over the story during the night. Now that she looked at it though, Sprucepaw could see the similarities between Wildheart and Pinion. The tortoiseshell she-cat's fur was even dappled like Wildheart's fur.

"Once we get there, I need to find Wildheart and make sure he's okay," Sprucepaw murmured. "I'm surprised Icestar hasn't gone after him yet," she admitted, suddenly feeling guilty for saying such a thing.

"That's because Icestar doesn't want the Clan to get suspicious," Pinion replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "If there were suddenly cats dying left and right, the Clan would think something terrible was happening to them. The first cat they would look to is their leader, and he's already corrupt with power as it is."

Sprucepaw nodded in understanding, though now she wondered why the Clan would look up to their leader for advice. If anything they should go to their medicine cat, who was supposed to look after the Clan. She wondered if Furzewhisker had any idea what was going on with her leader.

The two of them kept quiet as they skirted along the edge of WindClan camp. Being out in the open made Sprucepaw feel vulnerable to any prying eyes. Though for some reason, there weren't any patrols out. Maybe it was too early for them, but Sprucepaw still kept an eye out for any patrols keeping an eye out for enemies and prey.

"Pinion, can you wait in that bush over there? I'm going to see if Wildheart is okay." Pinion looked as if she was ready to argue when she thought better of it. Then she clamped her mouth shut and skirted over to the nearest bush, where she blended in with the leafy brush almost perfectly.

Once she was sure that Pinion hadn't followed her, Sprucepaw breathed out a sigh of relief and began to slink towards the WindClan camp. Sure enough there were cats sitting guard. She blinked in surprise when she saw Owlflight and Twigfur standing guard.

That was when she spotted Palemist lounging outside the nursery with her kits playing beside her. Sprucepaw felt her heart sink when she realized Mosskit wasn't among them. Palemist didn't look all that relaxed as she watched her kits, almost as if she was expecting the worst possible outcome.

Her tail flicked irritably when she caught sight of Wildheart pacing outside the medicine cat's den. He was looking at the den anxiously for what felt like an eternity. Then he stopped his pacing, and Sprucepaw braced herself when he looked in the direction she was hiding in. Sprucepaw had to crouch down low to the ground when Wildheart bounded in her direction.

"Is something wrong?" Twigfur asked when he spotted the senior warrior passing the guards.

"I thought I spotted someone just above that hill," he admitted.

"We should go and investigate," Owlflight growled, but he was immediately stopped by Wildheart, much to Sprucepaw's relief.

"No, I'll go and check it out myself," he replied. "I'm sure it's nothing serious. If it was a fox, we would have picked up it's stench."

She was waiting patiently for her uncle to join her outside the camp. They would need to get a few feet away from camp in order to actually speak, but once Wildheart saw her, she was certain he would follow.

Please let him believe us, she prayed silently. A few more heartbeats had passed before finally Wildheart had reached her. Sprucepaw wasted no time in bounding as far from the clearing as possible. Wildheart gave chase until he seemed to recognize who he was chasing, than he stopped himself.

"Sprucepaw?" he asked in surprise. "Icestar told us you were dead!"

Sprucepaw resisted the urge to spit something in response. "The foxhearted traitor would say something like that!" Wildheart stopped when he realized that Sprucepaw was hiding under the bush where Pinion was currently crouching under. "He killed my mother, and my father!"

"Those are some pretty high accusations," he meowed thoughtfully, still not getting why she was angry. "Sprucepaw, you have no idea how-" Wildheart was stopped when Pinion suddenly emerged from the bush, her hackles raised slightly.

"All of which are true," she snapped. Wildheart's eyes widened as he seemed to recognize who she was.

"P-Pinionpaw?" he asked in disbelief. "Sprucepaw, you shouldn't believe a word she says! She's the one who-" Pinion stopped him once again with a cold glare.

"Wildheart, do you honestly believe a word that fleabag says?" she demanded in an icy tone. "All Icestar has ever done is try and hurt our family. Why do you think Leopardheart and Larksong are gone?"

Wildheart flinched as if Pinion had clawed out his heart. She might as well have for the way she was speaking. Judging by the tone in her voice, this was unfinished family business. Sprucepaw suddenly felt as if she was put on the spot while Pinion glared at Wildheart accusingly.

"Icestar would do no such thing," he growled as if trying to reassure himself. "He-He isn't a murderer."

"Wildheart, I watched him murder my mother with my own eyes," Sprucepaw meowed, her voice thickening with sorrow as she spoke of her mother's death. "He wanted me out of the Clan after I warned ShadowClan about his attack. He was going to chase them out of the area for good."

Wildheart flinched once again when she mentioned her mother's death. She suspected Icestar had blamed ShadowClan for Larksong's death. If he did, than she would make sure he felt even more pain than before when this was all over. He was going to suffer for hurting her family so much.

"Has anything happened to your kits, Wildheart?" Pinion suddenly asked. "Anything suspicious at all?"

"I-We took Mosskit to the nursery after she started throwing up in the nursery," he admitted, sounding guilty as he looked over his shoulder. "She's never showed any kind of sickness, and Furzewhisker said she was one of our healthiest kits."

"He's probably poisoned her," Sprucepaw mewed with cold realization. "Or someone else he's close to, like Rowantail." Wildheart's eyes narrowed with anger as if he'd only just realized something himself.

"Harewhisker was spending a lot of time with the kits," he growled. "I thought he was just hoping to mentor one of them, but now I see why he was."

"We have to get the kits and Palemist out of there before it's too late," Pinion meowed. "I have a feeling it won't take long for Icestar to finish the job."

"But how do I know you're telling the truth?" Wildheart demanded, his suspicions rising again. "Pinionpaw, I once trusted you with my life. But that all changed when you murdered Wildstar." Pinion only rolled her eyes at that and suddenly swatted her paw across Wildheart's face.

"Stupid rabbitbrain, do you really think I'd want to murder my own leader unless there's a reason behind it?" she retorted. "Icestar has done nothing but fill your head with lies. And if you don't believe us, you'll lose your kits and your own life."

Sprucepaw couldn't help but watch them in amusement. Pinion really knew how to put herself above others when it was needed. Now she understood why Pinion had managed to survive all these moons on her own.

"Alright, fine," Wildheart grunted after rubbing his muzzle with his paw. "How exactly are we supposed to leave without the Clan knowing? Icestar guards the entrance night and day now."

Sprucepaw and Pinion shared knowing looks. "That's where we come in," Sprucepaw replied confidently. Wildheart looked at them nervously, but he suspected this had something to do with the fact that his sister was with Sprucepaw. And it couldn't lead to anything good.

...

Sprucepaw was waiting for the perfect opportunity to sneak in once the sun went down. Pinion was slinking around the other side of camp while Sprucepaw waited at the top of a hill overlooking the hollowed out clearing. If their plan succeeded, more lives would be saved tonight, and Icestar would lose a few more of his 'followers'.

She peered over the ledge to see that Wildheart was sitting beside a distraught looking Palemist. Her heart sank even more when she realized they must have lost Mosskit. The other kits had looks of confusion and fear written across their faces. Wildheart must have told Palemist what was happening.

Good, that'll make this plan a little easier, Sprucepaw thought.

"Icestar, we need to bury her body outside the camp," Wildheart was meowing to the WindClan leader. Sprucepaw winced as she saw the cold look in Icestar's eyes. Why had she never noticed that look before?

Because you were too young to understand the truth... Sprucepaw's eyes widened at the strange voice sounding once again in her head. She wondered if that truly was Wind, the cat Pinion had mentioned in her story. Only silence greeted the questions that were beginning to stir within her mind.

"And you need to bring your entire family with you?" Icestar asked irritably.

"They deserve to know what happened to their sister," Wildheart growled, sounding as if he was struggling to control his anger.

Don't make it so obvious! Sprucepaw begged silently. Icestar narrowed his eyes and nodded, stepping aside to allow the small family through. Sprucepaw waited at the edge of camp until finally Palemist emerged from the entrance, eyes widening when she spotted the apprentice.

"Sprucepaw? Thank StarClan you're okay!" she gasped after approaching Sprucepaw.

"I'm so sorry about Mosskit," Sprucepaw apologized, noticing the solemn looks on Gorsekit and Harekit. Palemist's expression changed from a look of joy to a look of sorrow.

"Wildheart told me what Icestar was planning, but by the time we found out, it was too late," Palemist sighed. Wildheart was holding a tiny body in his jaws as he joined them. Sprucepaw could only stare at them with grief as she realized this tiny kit was Mosskit.

They traveled a few miles away from camp until they knew no cats would spy on them. Silence engulfed the group of cats as Wildheart dug a grave for Mosskit.

She didn't deserve to die, Sprucepaw told herself. She was just a kit... far too innocent to suffer this kind of tragedy.

"Mosskit, I only wish I could have watched you grow into a fine warrior, and perhaps one day even a mother," Palemist meowed, her voice heavy with sorrow.

"May you walk in the path of StarClan, and watch over your brothers," Wildheart continued after they finally buried her.

"I won't let Icestar get away with this treason," Sprucepaw growled. Both Wildheart and Palemist blinked in surprise at the tone in her voice. She sounded older and wiser than before, almost as if someone else was speaking for her. "He will pay for what he did to this innocent kit."

It was than they realized that wasn't Sprucepaw speaking. The ancient leader Wind had spoken through her, just as it was prophesied. Wildheart exchanged an anxious look with Palemist as she tried to keep her kits calm.

"Sprucepaw, we should head back to the barn," he suggested in a quiet voice, hoping that would break whatever hold Wind had over his niece.

Sprucepaw blinked, and for a moment, Wildheart was afraid she might actually attack them. But her tense muscles had relaxed a little as she shook her head.

"I suppose that wouldn't hurt," she sighed.

It felt like moons had passed before they finally arrived at the barn. Palemist's kits kept asking where they were going and why they were leaving WindClan behind. It was difficult to explain to them that their leader wouldn't want them around. That they would suffer the same fate as their sister if they stayed.

Sprucepaw was exhausted by the time they reached the barn. With Pinion waiting for them, she could slip away unnoticed and get some much needed rest. Palemist's eyes widened in recognition as she saw Pinion for the first time in moons.

"I can't believe you're really alive!" Palemist exclaimed as she and Pinion sat together while Wildheart tried to get the kits to sleep. "Icestar told us that you were the one who killed Wildstar... but I couldn't believe what he said. I know you're not that kind of cat."

Pinion flinched as if Palemist had hit her. She might as well have for her false words. "Palemist... I am that kind of cat," Pinion sighed. "I hurt an innocent kit a few moons ago, and I regret those actions. I was just so angry with myself and the Clans, that I took it out on that kit."

"You said yourself that you regret those actions," Wildheart pointed out once Gorsekit and Harekit were fast asleep. "I'm sure that you can make it up by protecting the future kits of WindClan."

They sat there in silence for a few heartbeats before Palemist finally spoke up.

"Wildheart... back there in the clearing when Sprucepaw spoke, it was almost as if-"

"Someone else was speaking?" her mate suggested. Palemist nodded and he lashed his tail. "I suspected as much. She told me what you told her, and I have a feeling that whatever is happening has something to do with her."

"Wildheart, we're direct descendants of Wind herself," Pinion meowed. "I've had a feeling that Icestar would eventually turn on our family, but I never thought he would go as low as killing a kit."

"That's why he killed Mosskit, Leopardheart and Larksong?" Palemist gasped in disbelief. "But that... that doesn't make any sense! Icestar has never shown any aggression towards me."

"Maybe that's because you're his daughter," Wildheart pointed out. "Either way, we need to protect Sprucepaw. If Wind spoke through her, than there's a reason behind it."

Pinion and Palemist nodded in agreement. Even Pinion was having second thoughts on what was about to happen. Wildheart knew that it was in his best interest to keep watch over Sprucepaw. Palemist just wanted to make sure nothing happened to the rest of her kits. Their family had already suffered enough.