Icefog's Origins

Chapter 9

"Slatepaw?"

"Is he okay?"

"Wake him up, Leopardwave!"

"StarClan, wait your turn!"

"He moved! He just moved!"

"Slatepaw? Slatepaw, can you hear me? Twitch your ear if you can hear me." There was a long pause before Slatepaw could hear the voice let out a relieved sigh. "He's alive! Thank StarClan." Something wet and cold was pressed against his muzzle and Slatepaw recoiled with a weak mew of protest, but he lapped feebly at what he could only assume was moss with water.

"I-Icepaw..." Slatepaw rasped, blinking open his eyes. The world was blurry around him, but he saw Leopardwave with Wetface and Tigerstar. "Wh-where's Icepaw?"

Leopardwave pressed her muzzle to Slatepaw's head and breathed a shaky sigh. "Don't worry about that, little one," she meowed quietly and licked between his ears. "You're safe now. You're home."

Slatepaw let out a groan and blinked a few times before he recognized the other faces crammed behind the medicine cats. Tigerstar, Lightstorm, Shiningfox, Wethare, Brackenfern, Goldenpoppy, Milkpaw, Autumnpaw, Leafpaw, Honeypaw, Lionpaw, Ravenfoot, Shadedpatch, and Crowstorm. "Wh-why are they here?" He croaked to Leopardwave, whose eyes were as soft as a kit's pelt.

"They're here for you, you reckless idiot," she purred and looked over her shoulder at the crowd of concerned warriors and apprentices. "What were you thinking? Going hunting on your own. You mousebrained fool." Leopardwave touched noses with Slatepaw, who let out a weak, wheezing laugh.

"Is-is he alive?" Slatepaw stiffened in the nest as Icepaw's voice cut through the air and he lifted his head to see his brother standing awkwardly at the cave mouth. There was cobwebs and herbs splotched on his pelt where Slatepaw had attacked him, and his eyes were wide with concern and worry. Their eyes connected and Icepaw's blue-gray eyes flooded with relief. "Slatepaw-!" He rushed forward, but Goldenpoppy lunged between the two brothers and snarled at her apprentice. Icepaw skidded to a stop in front of her, his eyes wide and blinking.

"Stay back, Icepaw." She ordered angrily. Her tail lashed back and forth, but Slatepaw could tell Icepaw was spooked. He's never scared of anything, what's happened to him? Could nearly killing me have knocked some sense into the mousebrain's thick head? "He's only just woken up and you shouldn't be near him right now. Leave."

Tigerstar turned his broad head and looked at Goldenpoppy. "Stand down, Goldenpoppy." He commanded, his voice stern but gentle at the same time. "Icepaw, come forward and see your brother."

Goldenpoppy snapped her head around and stared at her leader with horror. "He nearly killed Slatepaw, Tigerstar!" She protested. Icepaw took a step toward her, and she snarled over at him. "We shouldn't be trusting him with even being in our camp. He runs off to the twolegplace anyway. We should send him back to them if he's so loyal to a bunch of flea-bitten fox-hearts."

"That's enough, Goldenpoppy." Tigerstar flicked his ear irritably and the she-cat fell silent. "He's your apprentice, but he's also Slatepaw's brother. Plus, he owes Slatepaw an apology as well as vise versa." He turned his head to Slatepaw, and his yellow-orange eyes were glittering. "You both attacked each other, but Slatepaw did strike first. You both owe each other an apology." He swept his tail around to the other cats. "Let's leave them be for the time being. They need time to themselves." He herded the other cats out of the den, including Leopardwave and Wetface, who looked over their shoulders at the two brothers.

Once they were gone, Icepaw took a hesitant step toward Slatepaw, who didn't so much as twitch an ear at his brother. His eyes avoided Slatepaw's at all costs, even staring at his paws for a long period of time before eventually clearing his throat. "I-I didn't mean to nearly kill you." He mewed quietly, glancing at Slatepaw before averting his gaze quickly. "I just wanted to get Alastor and Azrael to Leopardwave before Alastor could die."