Icicle'Frost's Love - The Draining Lake, book 1.

Chapter 4.

The river clan cats were walking to the fallen tree just in their territory that lead to the island, all the cats that were chosen to come yesterday padding through the dark. They crossed the tree bridge onto the island, once Icicle'Frost had got off the tree, she smelt the air, river clan was the first to arrive.  "Great, we're first. We'll have to wait now." Growled Yarrow'Ear, once the last river clan cat hopped off the tree bridge. "And we will, Yarrow'Ear, I would like to speak with my apprentice, Jay'Strike will lead you all to the clearing, follow him." Heather'Star meowed."Yes Heather'Star." Jay'Strike mewed, padding off, all the cats following him through the bushes. Icicle'Frost walked into the clearing behind some cats, the tree for all the leaders shining under the moon. After a few minutes and a chat with Ash'Deer and Sand'Patch, she smelt alot of approaching cats. "Thunder clan is coming." Icicle'Frost mrrowed. The thunder clan cats ran through the bushes from where the tree bridge was, standing together. They then split up, noticing they were early, some of them went to go and talk with river clan friends, but some cats made sure the apprentices stayed with them, at least until the other clans came. "Our new apprentices look a bit nervous to talk with thunder clan." Ash'Deer mewed. "Yep, but you cant blame them, its their first gathering." Sand'Patch mrrowed. Ash'Deer sighed. "I suppose." Not long after, wind clan came through the bushes as well. Wind clan split up quickly, going to talk with the other clans, thunder clan then started to split up. "Hello there, Icicle'Frost!" Smiled Kestrel'Tail of wind clan. Kestrel'Tail and Icicle'Frost had been friends since they were apprentices. "Hi Kestrel'Tail!" She purred back. "Im excited for when Web'Pelt comes." She meowed, Web'Pelt was from shadow clan. And, as if they had heard, shadow clan came running through the bushes. The apprentices went off to their friends, most warriors going with their own clan as usual. Web'Pelt ran over to them, Sand'Patch stood. "Im going to go find Penguin'Tongue." That was his close friend, and Icicle'Frost with okay with him seeing him. "Okay, see you later." She mewed. "See you." He mrrowed, padding off towards a black, white and silver tom. Web'Pelt, a large black and white shadow clan she sat down with them. "How have you been?" she asked. "Oh, we've been fine!" Icicle'Frost mewed. "Wind clan has been amazing, prey is great!" Kestrel'Tail purred. Ash'Deer looked akward, he wasnt exactly in this friend group. "Im going to find Emerald'Eyes." He mewed. "Okay, have a good night." Mrrowed Icicle'Frost as he padded towards a completely black tom with emerald green eyes from shadow clan. "Where is Hare'Foot?" Asked Web'Pelt. "Oh,  im not sure." Mewed Kestrel'Tail. "Me too." meowed Icicle'Frost. Her and the others looked around the clearing, looking for their friend. "There she is!" Kestrel'Tail purred. "Over here Hare'Foot over here!" She called. "Shh, dont draw too much attention to us Kestrel'Tail your embarrassing us!" Hissed Web'Pelt with a small laugh.

Hare'Foot stopped talking with a small apprentice and padded over, her snow white fur and stub tail shining in the moonlight. The brown and grey she, Kestrel'Tail smiled at her, Hare'Foot smiling back. "How are you Hare'Foot?" Mewed Icicle'Frost politely. "Im great! Ive got amazing news to tell you!" She mrrowed delightedly. "What is it?" Web'Pelt meowed. "Ive got my first apprentice!" She purred. "Thats great, who are they?" Kestrel'Tail mrrowed. "Robin'Paw, shes my apprentice." The thunder clan she mewed, looking back at the orange and brown she-cat she was speaking with before. "She seems nice!" Mrrowed Icicle'Frost. "She is, and very eager to learn." Hare'Foot purred. "Well, river clan has been great," Icicle'Frost started speaking. "How has thunder clan been?" She looked around to see who was talking to who, Jay'Strike was talking with Seagul'Feather, the wind clan deputy. Heather'Star was speaking with Beech'Star, the thunder clan leader. A few apprentices were introducing their clans new apprentices to their friends, it seemed they were all best friends, Icicle'Frost felt a pang of sympathy, they couldnt be friends like this always but they seemed so close, like they hated being seperated. "its been great, tho shadow clan..." She trailed off, Web'Pelt looked at her oddly, something must have happened, Web'Pelt looked werided out, as if she didnt know what was wrong. "It is time for the gathering to begin!" Called Feather'Star, the leader of wind clan, just as Shallow'Star the leader of shadow clan climbed up onto the tree, followed by Heather'Star and Beech'Star. "You may begin, Feather'Star." Meowed Shallow'Star, in her deep voice. Feather'Star cleared his throat.

"Wind clan has been good. Prey is plentiful and we have a few new apprentices, Owl'Paw, Deer'Paw, Rabbit'Paw and Fox'Paw." He addressed the cats. "Congrats!" "I hope your enjoying being apprentices!" Friendly calls came from the other clan cats. "Heather'Star, you may start now." Feather'Star mewed as the noise quieted. "Thank you Feather'Star, our clan has been great, there is lots of prey and we have a few new apprentices, Lavender'Paw, Hail'Paw and Lion'Paw." Heather'Star replied, the friendly calls came again and as the noise quieted down Beech'Star and Shallow'Star gave each other werid looks and then it was silent for a moment before Beech'Star started, just as Shallow'Star was about to speak. "We have been great, exept for shadow clan marking our boarders and stealing prey, then attacking our patrol!" He yowled in rage. Growls and hisses of anger and confusion came up from the two clans, wind clan and river clan not sure who to take sides with, but most seemed to be thinking about taking thunder clans, shadow clan sounded like they were in the wrong. So thats what Hare'Foot was talking about! Icicle'Frost thought to herself. "Shadow clan are fox hearted, they killed Fall'Fur!" Yowled a thunder clan cat, Icicle'Frost couldnt see who it was, but gasps rang through the clearing, then followed up by screams of sorrow. "NO! NOT FALL'FUR!" Cried out Autumn'Patch, a ginger and black cat who was the mother of Fall'Fur, tho they were in wind clan. Web'Pelt was wide eyed, did she not know about this? She padded through the crowd to hisses and snarls at her as she passed, but she didnt care, she was wide eyed and in shock. She stopped infront of Icicle'Frost and told her. "I never knew about this!" She meowed in shock. "Nobody told me!" She seemed scared. "Its fine, I know it wasnt your fault." Icicle'Frost muttered to her. "So thats what Hare'Foot meant." She looked over at Hare'Foot, who had her head bowed and lips sealed, she was looking down in sadness for her fallen friend, and she seemed she didnt want to get involed. "Silence!" Cried out Shallow'Star, her threatening growl quieting the cats. "Shadow clan is dying! Our prey is running out and we need more territory! We have two new apprentices who are slim and so are the rest of our warriors, we need more territory and I will do anything for my clan to survive, we will kill if we must!" She yowled in anger. "WHO KILLED FALL'FUR!" Yowled Autumn'Patch. "WHO IS MY KIT'S MURDERER!" The clearing stayed quiet with tension. "It was Storm'Throat." She announced, the grey tom with a strange red eye and a yellow eye looked up at the tree blankly, he didnt seem to care. "YOU SAVAGE!" Screamed Autumn'Patch, other cats hissing at them, some of their clanmates defending them, some disagreeing with the leader and yowling and hissing. "WHO EVER IN MY CLAN DISAGREES WILL BE CHASED OUT OF OUR TERRITORY OR KILLED, WE WONT WASTE OUR TIME FEEDING UNLOYAL CATS!" Their leader snarled, making the shadow clan cats quiet down. "I never thought shadow clan would become this low." Feather'Star hissed. "Your all monsters!" Beech'Star growled. "I dont want war Beech'Star but if you will chase us out and stop us taking what we want we're having it." Shallow'Star snarled. "Fine then, your bloodthirsty, if you try murder our warriors we wont be scared to chase you out of our territory no matter what, we wont kill because we arent savages like you," Beech'Star hissed. "BUT THIS MEANS WAR!" Yowled Beech'Star, most of river clan and wind clan stuck together and moved away as shadow clan and thunder clan got up and started fighting, but some joined in, taking sides. "RIVER CLAN!" Screamed Heather'Star. "STAY OUT OF THIS!" Feather'Star looked around in disappointment. "Wind clan will not join this battle!" he called out. "Stop this battle right now Shallow'Star!" he looked over at him. "You will make star clan angry!" he looked up at the moon. "Beech'Star!" Heather'Star mewed. "Order your cats to stop, dont fight here!" Beech'Star met her stern gaze. "I would Heather'Star, but I didnt give the order, shadow clan did, if we stop, they will kill our warriors right here." He meowed. "Then leave! End this mess!" Heather'Star hissed. "Fine!" Beech'Star snarled. "Its for the best, river clan has no problem with thunder clan." She mewed. "Thunder clan, back to camp, now!" He ordered, jumping down and getting his warriors to follow, along with the help of his deputy, Oak'Claw. "Shadow'Clan, go back to camp immediatly!" Their leader cried, running out of the clearing, followed by shadow clan, they followed thunder clan over the bridge, but didnt chase them to their camp, shadow clan casting bloodthirsty or nervous looks at them, thunder clan looking at them in rage. Web'Pelt was nervous and scared of what would happen when Icicle'Frost had left her, she was anxious for her. Kestrel'Tail was next to her in the crowd of wind clan and river clan. "I hope Hare'Foot and Web'Pelt dont hate each other now." She muttered, she was obviously scared. "Everything will be okay." Icicle'Frost told her, she wasnt sure tho. Wind clan and river clan walked over the tree bridge side by side, then split up and said goodbye to each other, heading back to their camps after a long, crazy night.