Darkfrost's fury

Chapter 9

"No!" let out the wail of Swiftfur.

Robinclaw stepped forward hesitantly, "Please, Darkfrost... tell us it's not true..."
Darkfrost let out a sigh. "It's true..."

Adderberry padded forward, his eyes narrowed. She didn't like how he never really expressed his emotions. It didn't make him... seem like a cat at all. "And Darkfrost," he mewed, "how did Redstar die?"
The fur on her fur bristled. Was that judgement in his gaze?
Just like Snowpelt and Ravenspots, she thought.

She gritted her teeth. "I'll tell you once I get some room to start a Clan meeting!"

She pushed herself through the crowd and leaped onto the rock and let the ancient words: "All cats old enough to drift through the snow, gather below the Highrock for a Clan meeting!"
They were already turning to look up at her.
Yes, respect me.

She took a deep breath. "It.. is true that Redstar had died. We had tried investigating the Adderrocks from strange scents, but when an adder was about to get me, Redstar pushed me out of the way and sacrificed himself."
Cloudspots widened his eyes. "Even when he knew that was his last life?"
Darkfrost tried to keep her fur calm. If only he had payed more attention to me, he could've been a leader's mate!

Redberry muttered, "Interesting..."

Darkfrost nodded. "Yes, and it is with a heavy heart that I take his place as leader of IceClan. We will all miss him. I promise that I will spend the rest of my life striving to become the leader that IceClan deserves. And with StarClan's help I will succeed."
Yowls of excitement exclaimed from the crowd, chanting; "Darkfrost! Darkfrost! Darkfrost!"

Darkfrost felt the cold wind air brush through her fur, and she stared up at the sky.
Are you watching, you three? Good. Watch as I rise to power and make it better than any cat ever could.

Redberry stepped forward, still having that unreadable expression in his eyes. "Darkfrost, it'll be evening soon. And then, moonhigh. Perhaps it's best to choose a deputy before your leadership ceremony."
Darkfrost was about to snap back that she was leader now, she gets to choose when to announce her deputy, until realizing with frustration that this was her medicine cat now, who'd have to advice her over everything.

"Fine," she grunted, then lashed her tail. "I say these words before StarClan, so that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of IceClan is Silvertail."
Silvertail widened her eyes, then nodded as she took a step forward. "I'm honored, Darkfrost. I never expected to be chosen of all cats, but I promise, I will serve IceClan the best I can under your leadership."
Darkfrost let out a purr. She tried to see any doubt in the crowd of cats but was glad there was none. She had mostly chosen Silvertail to be her deputy since she was her apprentice, and the cat she mostly trusted to not betray her.

As she leaped down with a sigh, Redberry padded towards her with a flick of his tail. "Well, Darkfrost," meowed Redberry. "Are you ready?"
She tilted her head. "Ready for what?"
Redberry let out a tired snort. "To get your nine lives. Don't tell me the great and noble leader of IceClan has forgotten about their own nine lives ceremony?"
Darkfrost tried to keep her fur calm. "Of course not," she hissed. "But shouldn't I at least be able to mourn our beloved leader?"

There was a flash in Redberry's eyes that actually looked like emotion, but Darkfrost couldn't tell what it was. Either way, he covered it up with his normal neutral expression. His tail twitched, "You'll be there when the elders bury him in the morning."

Darkfrost let out a hiss as she called out, "Silvertail!"
Silvertail turned and padded over. "Yes, Darkfrost?"
Darkfrost looked at her, trying to seem like a real leader. "You will be in charge of camp while I am busy getting my nine lives. Don't disappoint me."
Silvertail dipped her head respectfully before padding away.

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The sun was up in a clear blue sky by the time the two cats reached Fourtrees, where the Gatherings were held between all four Clans every full moon.

"I hope we meet a EchoClan patrol," Darkfrost remarked as they crossed the border onto the high, exposed moorland, leaving the sheltering of the snow forest behind them.

She and Redberry reached the crest of a stretch of moorland, moving calmly through the heather.

On the edge of the uplands they paused and looked down over a very different landscape. Down below, the Thunderpath cut a swath across the land, while beyond that jagged hills reared up, their barren slopes looking gray.

Keeping to the shadows of the hedges, they eventually reached the Thunderpath, and crouched beside it, their fur ruffled by the wind of its monsters racing past them.

Darkfrost let out a quiet hiss  as it's disgusting reek of fumes flooded her nose and throat, her eyes stinging.

A moment later, after a brightly colored monster flashed past, Redberry mewed, "Now!" and ran rapidly out onto the hard black surface.
Darkfrost bounded ahead, her heart hammering.

She heard the roar of a monster in the distance, but before it arrived she and the medicine cat were safe in the hedgecrow on the other side.
She let out a gusty sigh. "Thank StarClan that's over!"
Redberry only narrowed his eyes, as per usual.

Already the sun was sliding down the sky.

As Darkfrost and Redberry reached the foot of the final slope, the sun was setting behind the peak. The evening shadows were lengthening and a chill crept over the ground. Above her head, Darkfrost could make out a square opening beneath an overhang of stone.

"It's time," mewed Redberry.

Darkfrost let out a purr, triumph rising in her throat. All the sacrifices she had done, Snowpelt, Ravenspots, Redstar, were all leading up to this moment.

And when she returned from the Moonstone, she would show the Clans the true meaning of power.