CHAPTER FIFTY NINE
Smokefrost watched through narrowed eyes as the WindClan cats picked up the remaining prey from the fresh-kill pile. The other ShadowClan warriors gathered around the clearing were equally uneasy allowing enemy warriors in their camp. What made it worse was the fact that they were allowing these cats to take fresh-kill needed for the rest of the Clan.
Russetstar claimed it was necessary for the alliance he formed with Icestar. Though Smokefrost suspected this was Icestar's doing. Unease crawled through her at the thought of letting them get away with such atrocities.
With leafbare now in full-swing, the last thing the Clan could afford was losing fresh-kill. Another blanket of snow covered the forest, making hunting more difficult than it already was. Most of the prey was hiding in their burrows or nests, and Smokefrost couldn't blame them for wanting to avoid the cold.
"I still don't get why this is necessary," Talonclaw muttered under his breath. "I understand the alliance between WindClan and ShadowClan, but sharing our prey isn't necessary."
"According to Icestar, his Clan is in desperate need of fresh-kill," Mousefang rolled his eyes in exasperation.
Smokefrost watched the pair curiously. Mousefang was normally quiet and submissive around his superiors. Though it was clear even he wasn't comfortable with WindClan cats venturing directly into their camp.
"That's a load of foxdung if I've never heard any," Talonclaw snorted in disbelief. "Though it would be interesting to see what sort of excuse is used at the Gathering tonight."
Her ears pricked forward with interest at the mention of the Gathering. She was more than interested in attending the Gathering, since the last few had left her in camp. She knew Russetstar was biding his time in allowing her to attend. After the extra 'training' she received from him, she couldn't help but wonder if he had other intentions as to what role she would play at the Gathering.
Truthfully, she looked forward to seeing what that extended to. Her training was beginning to pay off in more ways than one. While Russetstar still had no respect for her – and she doubted he would ever respect her for being an 'outsider' – he held higher expectations out of her. She proved herself time and time again, in spite of the new scars that now adorned her muzzle and face.
He may not realize it, but I am learning from those confrontations, she reminded herself silently.
She shook herself from those thoughts and glanced across the clearing. Snowstorm crawled out of the nursery, looking more than pleased with herself for visiting Thistlepatch's kits.
Ever since the kits were born, Snowstorm had been spending more time in the nursery. Smokefrost hadn't missed that notion, or the fact that Snowstorm seemed rather fond of kits. She could never understand why she-cats were so obsessed over kits. It wasn't as if toms had shown any interest in her, and the feelings were entirely mutual.
"They're so cute!" Snowstorm purred when she reached Smokefrost. "Briarheart said her kits are due in a moon as well, and that means we'll have even more adorable kits to play with."
It also means having more mouths to feed, another thought occurred to her.
"Have you thought of having kits yourself?" she asked, deciding it was best not to mention that out loud.
Briarheart was her former mentor. The brown and black she-cat had never shown open hostility towards her like the others. While they never particularly got along with each other, Briarheart did a better job at hiding her annoyance than the others. She doubted the queen would ever allow her to mentor one of her kits, but that didn't stop her from wondering.
"Maybe…" Snowstorm shuffled her paws in embarrassment, suddenly looking meek. "I mean, I've talked to Mousefang about it and he said he's interested in having kits too."
Smokefrost's ears pricked forward with interest.
If she has kits, then more than likely I would get to mentor one of them, she decided.
A purr rose in her throat at the thought. There were benefits to having friends within the Clan. As annoyed as she had been with the way Snowstorm wormed her way into her heart, she was grateful for Snowstorm's acceptance as well. The gray she-cat had always been kind to her from the very beginning, always sticking up for her whenever Sleetstorm or the others picked on her for being an outsider.
She was ready to say something when Russetstar emerged from his den. She shared a knowing look with Snowstorm.
With the Gathering taking place tonight, she had little doubt that the others were keen to know who would attend.
"Let all cats old enough gather around the High-branch for a Clan meeting!" Russetstar yowled once he climbed to the highest branch hovering over his den. Smokefrost and Snowstorm had already taken their place, with Mousefang sitting beside Snowstorm. It didn't take long for the rest of the Clan to gather around the clearing. Everyone was eager to hear who would attend the Gathering. "It is high time the Clans see how strong ShadowClan has become… with that thought in mind, I have already picked out who will attend the Gathering tonight. Sageleaf, Sleetstorm, Mousefang, Snowstorm and Smokefrost will attend tonight."
"Are you sure it's wise to allow the outsider to join us again?" Barktail demanded.
Smokefrost resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She remembered how he acted the first time she arrived at ShadowClan camp. Back then, she was inexperienced and terrified of being attacked by anyone in the Clan. Barktail took full advantage of that, and he was the first to steal prey from her. He certainly wouldn't be the last to do so, and soon she had to learn how to fend for herself.
"Smokefrost has proven herself as a valuable asset to the Clan," Russetstar replied without missing a beat. His tail lashed as he threw Barktail a withering look, one reserved normally for her. "Or do I have to remind you that my word is law?"
Barktail suddenly lowered his gaze when he realized what Russetstar was implying. Even he knew better than to argue with those words.
Once that was settled, everyone started getting ready for the Gathering.
"Scorchheart thought it would be a good idea for him to stay," Ravenflight meowed after emerging from the medicine cat's den. Smokefrost watched the medicine cat apprentice with keen interest. "Said something about wanting to gather more catmint before the frost destroys what supplies we have left."
Smokefrost frowned when she realized what that entailed. With leafbare in full-swing, it meant that herbs were lacking in supply. She knew from experience how important those herbs were. Those herbs saved her life when she was on the brink of death, and even if she hated being stuck in the medicine cat's den, she also understood where Scorchheart was coming from.
"If he is worried about greencough or whitecough infecting the Clan, then we should take his word," Grayshadow warned Russetstar.
The ShadowClan leader acknowledged his advice with a flick of his tail. Even he knew better than to argue with the word of his medicine cat.
Funny how Scorchheart is pretty much the reason I was allowed in the Clan, she thought bitterly.
She often found herself wondering what would have happened if Scorchheart hadn't convinced Russetstar to accept her when her mother begged for mercy. Would she be in a similar position to her siblings? She hadn't seen Luna or Dusk since her encounter with Luna nearly three moons ago. Then again, it wasn't as if she had given either of them a reason to see her again.
Unease crawled through her as she remembered the way she 'marked' Luna during their last encounter. Her sister was never given a chance to explain herself. She doubted she would see them again, and if she did, their reunion wouldn't be a happy one. Whatever the case, she needed to focus her attention on the Clan rather than her old family. It wasn't as if they wanted anything to do with her in the first place.
…
The moon was high in the sky as the patrol headed towards the island. Smokefrost was quivering with excitement over the prospect of seeing the other Clans.
Her last Gathering hadn't been particularly exciting. Most of that was due to the overwhelming effect the Clans had on her. At the time she didn't know how to react to seeing so many cats surrounding her. Plus, it didn't help that she had the added pressure of being seen as an outsider among the other Clans. The only reason Russetstar dragged her along was because she was given 'special' training by him.
Now she was more experienced and had Snowstorm by her side. She could feel the gray she-cat's excitement as they ran side-by-side to the island. Russetstar was equally as eager to get the Gathering over with, especially knowing the alliance he formed with Icestar.
Will they announce their alliance? she suddenly wondered.
She doubted other cats would take that news well. The rest of the Clans were already on edge with leafbare in full-swing. With WindClan's alliance towards ShadowClan, it would add to the already tense atmosphere. Smokefrost relished that tension. Her pelt prickled with excitement when they finally reached the island where the Gathering itself was held.
"WindClan is already here," Snowstorm whispered.
No surprise there, Smokefrost nearly rolled her eyes.
Icestar wanted to make a show of his Clan's strength. That was part of the reason he agreed to ally himself with Russetstar, though Smokefrost suspected he had other reasons for his alliance.
Once Russetstar thought the tree-bridge that crossed into the island was clear, he gave the signal for his Clan to follow his lead.
Smokefrost remembered her first Gathering clearly. A shiver swept through her as she recalled how overwhelming it was to see so many different faces and scents. Russetstar had warned her to use that to her advantage. He claimed that it was smart to remember every cat she encountered on the island. The more she thought about it, the harder it was to imagine remembering everyone at the Gathering.
"It's good to see you again, Russetstar." Smokefrost watched through narrowed eyes as Icestar greeted the ShadowClan leader. His face was masked with an heir of calmness. She knew deep down that it was just a facade. There was tension between them that caused her hackles to rise slightly, though she did her best to smooth her ruffled fur. "I trust your journey went well?"
"Of course," Russetstar replied with a lash of his tail. "My Clan is more than capable of making the journey to the island without fail. Though the same cannot be said about your Clan."
As if to prove his point, Russetstar pointed his muzzle towards the meager group of WindClan warriors. Smokefrost didn't miss the lack of elders that were present either. Her tail flicked from side to side with renewed interest when she noticed how scrawny looking the WindClan warriors were as well.
"Do not test my patience, Russetstar!" Icestar bared his teeth in a snarl, "Our group may be small, but all of our queens have kits to protect."
Smokefrost snorted at the thought of caring for so many mouths. It was clear his act was just a ruse, and Russetstar didn't buy it. The ShadowClan leader merely twitched his whiskers in amusement before stalking past Icestar, ignoring the withering looks his warriors gave the ShadowClan cats as they followed.
That's why Russetstar chose to ally himself with Icestar, Smokefrost realized. Deep down, Icestar was weak and defenseless. He was desperate for more able-bodied warriors, which was also why so many queens had recently given birth. She wondered if he was ready to face the consequences with leafbare now upon them.
"Something tells me this alliance isn't going to end well on Icestar's part," Snowstorm mewed under her breath.
"Icestar is a fool if he thinks he can win this fight," Smokefrost agreed with her fullheartedly.
Snowstorm glanced at her warily, though she dare not say anything else as RiverClan arrived next.
The two she-cats watched with interest as Minnowstar led the way further into the clearing. RiverClan looked as sleek-furred as ever. A shiver swept through Smokefrost when she noticed some of them were soaked through. She couldn't imagine swimming in the water, especially with the temperature as cold as it was.
They truly are frogbrained, she decided.
Her ears pricked forward when a familiar tom emerged from the group.
She encountered that silver-furred tom during her first Gathering. The first thing that came out of his mouth was 'dirty rogue', causing a fight to break out between them. She would never forget his face, not when he was the one who started that fight. Her tail lashed as the tom looked at her with equal annoyance.
"Smokepaw," he greeted her with the same cockiness he had during their first encounter.
"In case you hadn't noticed before, my name is Smokefrost," she corrected him with a snarl. "Unlike you, I've grown since our last encounter."
"I'm practically shaking in my fur," the tom rolled his eyes in disbelief.
Smokefrost refused to back down from the challenge.
"Reedriver, must you go around starting fights again?" Smokefrost stiffened when Snowstorm approached them. "I know you and Smokefrost don't exactly get along, but this is Gathering." Reedriver held her gaze for a few heartbeats before giving in with a reluctant nod. Snowstorm purred in relief. "Thank StarClan!"
"So I take it you're time in ShadowClan has been well?" Reedriver decided to change the subject before it got anymore awkward.
"Of course it has," she retorted. Did he think so little of her? Or did he know that she wasn't technically pure ShadowClan? "I'd rather be apart of ShadowClan than a Clan that stinks of fish."
Reedriver was ready to argue when a yowl from the tree-bridge cut him off. Smokefrost thanked her lucky stars for the arrival of ThunderClan, though her relief was short-lived when she noticed ThunderClan wasn't alone. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw Petalstar with unfamiliar cats carrying unknown scents.
"Petalstar, why in StarClan would you invite rogues among your Clan?" Russetstar demanded.
"We are no mere rogues!" Smokefrost watched with renewed interest as the ginger tom walking alongside Petalstar bared his teeth. "We are warriors just like the rest of you, but our Clan was banished seasons ago."
"What is the meaning of this?" Icestar spoke up. "The lake can barely contain four Clans let alone one more."
"If you would all be so kind as to let Petalstar through, I'm sure she can explain the situation," Minnowstar yowled above the clamor that followed.
Smokefrost stiffened in surprise when she realized what Minnowstar was suggesting. The RiverClan leader hadn't taken sides like Icestar, but it was clear she was equally interested in these newcomers. Icestar and Russetstar reluctantly gave in, though not without glaring at the newcomers as they followed Petalstar to where Minnowstar sat.
"Before I begin, I want to ensure that no fights break out," Petalstar started once she took her seat beside Russetstar. "I know times are already tense with leafbare in full-swing, but this Clan deserves their voice just like we do."
Few cats dare argue with her. Smokefrost shared a knowing look with Snowstorm when she reached her once again. She too had been watching the newcomers with keen interest. The ginger tom brought along a silver-furred she-cat and a gray and darker gray she-cat. Smokefrost couldn't tell them apart. It almost seemed as though they were all family, though it was hard to tell from where they were sitting.
"My name is Emberstar, and like your Clans, we once lived in the forest where the other four Clans lived," the ginger tom spoke up once the clearing was quiet. The crowd ruffled with unease at the mention of the old forest. Smokefrost never knew about the old forest or where the Clans lived previously. This was news to her. "However, our Clan's territory was destroyed by Twolegs seasons ago. We were desperate for more territory, but the other Clans drove us out. Eventually we found a new home by the gorge, but it turned out that was no better than the forest. Twolegs soon took over the gorge and started poisoning our prey. We were forced to leave once again, and journey on the whim of our medicine cat."
"How do we know you're telling the truth?" Smokefrost glanced at the WindClan warrior that asked that question. "Perhaps it would be a good idea to slit his throat and see if he has nine lives."
"Or we should just drive them out now while we have the advantage," a RiverClan cat snarled.
"Enough!" Petalstar yowled just as the crowd started arguing. "Over two moons ago, four cats were sent out to find this Clan and bring them back to the lake. This was all based on a dream they shared, and a connection they share. I'm sure the other leaders have had similar prophecies or dreams."
She glanced at Russetstar and Icestar as if to prove her point. Only Minnowstar seemed mildly interested in 'prophecies', something of which Smokefrost scoffed at. She hardly believed in StarClan let alone the idea that cats could have prophecies or dreams revolving around them. She was born as a loner and raised in ShadowClan thanks to Russetstar, but that didn't mean she carried similar beliefs.
"My medicine cat had a similar dream when Reedriver, Hollycloud, Larchwing and Willowsong were born," Minnowstar meowed thoughtfully. "We couldn't be sure which kit was the main topic of the prophecy, but Reedriver was chosen to join your group."
It took a few seconds for Smokefrost to realize what Minnowstar meant by that. She looked in Reedriver's direction, not missing how his ears flattened when other cats stared at him.
"The leaders of old will take their place," Petalstar nodded in agreement.
"That sounds like a load of foxdung to me," Icestar snapped. "Even if what you're saying is true, we don't have the space for a fifth Clan. I'm not giving up any territory for them."
"Neither am I," Russetstar agreed with him.
"RiverClan will need to discuss this before we reach an agreement," Minnowstar replied with a flick of her tail. "I do agree that the Clan deserves a place among us, but I also agree that we cannot afford to give up territory."
Did they seriously expect the Clans to give up territory willingly? Smokefrost snorted at the thought. She wondered if Petalstar had bees in her brain. It was the only explanation she had for such foolishness. Either way, she looked forward to seeing how this situation would progress, especially with WindClan and ShadowClan working together.