Cinders to Flames

Chapter 21

Cinderfrost stepped out into the leaf-bare sunlight, the rays warming her fur which was damp and cold after her long hunt in the misty forest. The rest of her patrol leapt out from the trees and into the camp clearing, prey hanging from their jaws and filling the frosty air with the warm scent of prey. The elders were out of their hollow log den, stretched out on the rock, soaking up the warmth that had been seldom seen for the past few moons. Leaf-bare was melting into new-leaf, which meant a new litter of kits was sure to be on the way. She thought briefly of Twistfoot and Toadshine. The spotted grey she-cat was already talking about kits. Cinderfrost wondered how cats could settle down and have kits so quickly. She never really thought about it before. She frowned as she thought of Sootslash. I don't think I would be a particularly good parent, especially with my mother as a role-model. Cinderfrost dropped her mouse on the quickly growing fresh-kill pile. The whole clan would eat tonight. She cast a loving gaze around the clearing at her clanmates, glad to see they had survived the harshest part of leaf-bare. Still, new hurdles were sure to surface, she reminded herself. They were still on thin ice with DarkClan, and groups of loners, angry from DarkClan's recent ownership of what was once called the Untaken Land, were stirring.

Heronsky dropped a crow on the top of the pile, puffing his chest proudly. Cinderfrost scowled, stalking over to a patch of sunlight by the empty apprentices den. She watched with growing irritation and disbelief as Featherpool ran up to the white tom, purring as they touched noses. Heronsky meowed something, flashing a look in her direction. Great. Her sister laughed, a high pitched giggle that always made her fur stand on end.

"Nice mouse Cinderfrost!" She called, her eyes flashing.

Cinderfrost wouldn't let anyone make her snap. "Thanks, Featherpool!" She called back, flattening her spiked fur and smiling warmly at the pair. "Nice crow Heronsky," she added for extra effect. Heronsky's ears flattened. He thought he could agitate her. Good luck mousebrains.

He hissed something in Featherpool's ear and turned around, flicking his tail for her to follow. Featherpool paused, giving Cinderfrost a strange look. Was that guilt in her eyes?

She shook the thought from her mind with a flick of her tail, setting to clean the soil and shreds of damp leaves from her fur. Her dream from a few nights prior returned to her thoughts. Drowning in blood... Was it a sign from StarClan? She had gotten the dream a sunrise after her slaughter of the rogue Jess. She flicked her ear in irritation. She deserved to die! She was only defending herself, after all. Jess had set out to kill her in revenge for killing her brother in the Death Trial. Lynx had obviously not been missed, for he was a tom, and toms had little power in the Council's eyes. Still, he had been allowed to go on patrols and was given a sliver of respect since his sister was in the Intermediate. No one had seemed to notice that Jess had died, which Cinderfrost thought was strange. She felt a tug of regret. Maybe she had gotten too carried away. Did the tabby deserve death? Surely she wouldn't go to StarClan since she didn't believe in the warrior spirits. She wouldn't even go to the Place of No Stars, where cats who committed crimes against the warrior code went. Her memory would be completely forgotten. Cinderfrost felt a shiver run down her spine. To kill a cat was against the warrior code. She wouldn't go to The Place of No Stars.... Would she?

A cry from the direction of the camp entrance pulled her from her thoughts. The border patrol was back. The sharp metallic scent of blood stung her nose and she was on her paws in an instant. Houndheart, Mudsplash, and Yellowleaf stood at the entrance, a ginger furred cat covered in blood in between them. "We need Goldenstripe. Now." Houndheart growled, his amber eyes narrowed slits.

"I'll fetch her." Cinderfrost cried, racing to the medicine cat den. She shoved her head through the ferns, her eyes searching frantically for the golden tabby. Aspenpaw sat sorting herbs by the moss pool, bits and pieces of herbs and twigs sticking out of her tortoiseshell coat. Featherpool sat not too far from the medicine cat apprentice. The two were deep in conversation and didn't notice her enter.

"Where is Goldenstripe?" Cinderfrost demanded, alerting the two she-cats of her presence.

Aspenpaw looked up at her, her golden eyes distracted. "Yeah she's near the HeatherClan border." Then she noticed the panic in her eyes. "What happened?"

"It's Paleear. She's hurt."

Aspenpaw turned to Featherpool. "Grab cobwebs, confrey and dock. I need to inspect the wound. Cinderfrost, grab some wet moss." Then she disappeared from the den. Featherpool quickly got to searching the piles of leaves, grabbing bundles in her jaws. Cinderfrost soaked a piece of moss and rushed to the clearing, water dripping down her jaws. Aspenpaw sat next to Paleear, who was now lying on the ground, staining the rock crimson. She dropped the moss beside Aspenpaw, who started cleaning the wound. Cinderfrost dropped the moss beside the medicine cat apprentice. The sharp smell of blood stung her throat and she fought the sickening feeling in her stomach. Featherpool came up beside her and dropped the cobwebs and bundles of herbs next to the moss. Aspenpaw set to work chewing up a poultice to dress the wound. Once it had stopped bleeding she moved the wounded she-cat to the medicine cat den. Cinderfrost watched from the other side of the camp as cats spoke in hushed voices, occasionally casting worried glances in the direction of the medicine cat den. Mudsplash paced at the front of the den, his amber eyes glazed with worry for his mate. Vinespring sat gazing at the entrance, waiting for news from Aspenpaw and Goldenstripe about her mother. Goldenstripe had arrived soon after they had moved Paleear to the medicine cat den, and she had praised her apprentice for how she had dealt with the situation without her being there. Twistfoot sat not too far from his sister, Toadshine sitting quietly beside her mate.

Cinderfrost's ear perked up as she heard Blackwhisker slip through the camp entrance with a rabbit hanging from his jaws. He searched the camp with a questioning look, his head tilted slightly as he always did before he asked a question. Toadshine shot the black tom a glare.

"Finally, the half-loner has arrived." She hissed, her mew dripping with scorn. Blackwhisker's eyes widened.

"That was uncalled for." Cinderfrost snarled, standing up to face the grey speckled she-cat. "We all know that Blackwhisker is half loner, but Paleear's injury is not his fault."

"She got attacked by a group of loners." Berryfang piped up. "Are you sure he wasn't conspiring with them? He hasn't been here for the whole day. Isn't that suspicious?"

Cinderfrost shot the tom a withering look. "Are you mousebrained?"

Wolfclaw narrowed his eyes at Blackwhisker. "I always knew he would end up like his father," he snarled to Heronsky who sat beside him. The white tom watched the situation play out with a look of curious satisfaction. She cast a disgusted look around her clan.

"Blackwhisker is the nicest cat I've ever known. I can't believe you think he is even slightly responsible for Paleear's injury. He has done nothing but do his best to serve FrostClan in every way." She met Berryfang's yellow gaze with a calm ferocity. "Conspiring with loners? Blackwhisker was out catching prey so you can eat tonight." She stared at Toadshine. "I can't believe you're picking on Blackwhisker for being half loner, kittypet." Her teal eyes widened and the cats in the clearing turned silent.

"I have something to say." Vinespring meowed, shakily standing up. "It was when he was just an apprentice, but I saw Blackwhisker meeting with a loner-"

"Exactly! He must have told the loners when our patrol times were so they knew the right time to strike!" Berryfang cried.

"Yeah, I might have been a kittypet, but at least I'm not planning attacks on my own clan." Toadshine added.

Wolfclaw stood up, his fur spiked with anger, "he should be exiled immediately!" He demanded.

Sootslash stalked towards Blackwhisker, a growl in her throat and her eyes narrowed. "We have no room for traitors in this clan." Cinderfrost cut in front of her mother, shielding Blackwhisker from her clanmates.

"You're going to have to get through me first."