Muddy Frost

Chapter One: The Beginning Of The End

Mudclaw watched as Onewhisker spoke. "Due to Leafpaw finding the Moonpool, I will go and receive my nine lives tomorrow!" The cats all cheered, but Mudclaw. He glared at Tornear, his brother, his littermate, his best friend... I should be leader! Not that mangy excuse for a cat! He thought. How could Tornear cheer for him? Why didn't he support Mudclaw? 

"I wonder though. In all apprentices' training, apprentices and their mentor go to the Moonstone. Crowfeather was my apprentice, though he never saw the Moonstone. Perhaps he and I should come with  you, Onewhisker?" Mudclaw asked, as Onewhisker and Barkface finished their pieces of prey. The moon was setting, so Barkface had told Onewhisker to eat, as when sunhigh came, they couldn't eat or even have traveling herbs if they were to share tongues with StarClan. Onewhisker looked surprised. "O-Oh! I hadn't thought about that! Of course! Mudclaw! Thank you! You would've made a much better leader than me!" Onewhisker finished the last sentence with a jokey-serious tone, and Mudclaw forced himself not to bristle. Is he joking with me? I'd never be YOUR friend, if that's what you're hoping for! But he was pleased he could go. Time to tell Hawkfrost my plan..

The night seemed to drag on forever as Mudclaw waited for the warriors to fall asleep. As they did, he crept out to the lake and stared out at the island. He saw Hawkfrost and his RiverClan supporters waiting. He spotted a few of the WindClan cats on the island as well and he thoroughly wondered how they had gotten there without being caught. He looked at the lake's crashing waves and shuddered. Mudclaw took a deep breath and leapt in. The current was unsurprisingly strong, but he'd gotten used to swimming. He shook himself as he reached the island's shore, and saw the other cats give him a nod of respect. Hawkfrost jumped onto the branches of a huge tree and looked around. "As you know, Onewhisker will be getting his lives soon. We must act fast. We NEED a plan!" 

This was Mudclaw's chance. Show them that he was truly worthy of being leader of WindClan. "I have a plan. Tomorrow me and Crowfeather will go to see the Moonpool as well. I used the excuse that Crowfeather never had a see at the Moonstone, therefore.. if you hide outside the cave, we can surprise him. We'll pick him off in the darkness and no one will ever know what happened." Some cats gave him nods of acknowledgement, but a RiverClan apprentice piped up, "Excuse me, but if Crowfeather and Barkface tag along too, won't they know?" Mudclaw's stomach lurched. What could he say? "We'll have to force them into silence..?" Mudclaw said. He earned a few snorts from RiverClan cats. Hawkfrost silenced them. "It's the only simple option. What other than that would you suggest?" Hawkfrost prompted them. They looked slightly startled and shuffled their paws silently. "They will not be able to stop us if we are quick and silent. Only Barkface and Onewhisker will enter the cave. We can hide in there until they arrive, and strike." Mudclaw countered quickly. "And Barkface.. we threaten him, he's a stupid medicine cat.." Everyone nodded. They looked ready to hurry on with it. Mudclaw nodded back in a dignified way. It was time.