Froststar's Destiny

Chapter Nineteen

"Then let's go."

The SummerClan cats filed into AutumnClan's camp, shouting battle cries (Frostwind was not among those) and charging in headfirst. Frostwind rolled her eyes and started a more calculative approach. She went for the nursery first, only to find it empty and half-abandoned. When was the last time they had had new kits? Slightly disappointed by her further waste of time, Frostwind continued to the warriors' den. It was empty. She looked around, and realized her Clanmates were swiping madly at empty air.

"Pause!" Frostwind shouted, and they were shocked into submission. "There isn't anybody here," she finished everyone's thought.

"No! They must be hiding somewhere! Check everywhere! Under the moss! Fresh-kill pile! Leader's den, nursery, elders' den, I don't know, check everywhere!" Stonestar blabbered. Everyone looked from Frostwind to him, then shrugged innocently and walked towards Frostwind, as if acknowledging her as leader over him. "She's my bodyguard and she speaks on my behalf, but this time you have spoken out of turn." He looked over at Frostwind and glowered at her, and she gave him a tame, docile look of submission. He grinned in satisfaction, unaware that she was mocking him. "So, we look everywhere. They have to be hiding here somewhere."

"On the contrary," Dawnfire put in, "they could be waiting to ambush us, or they could be attacking somewhere else."

"All of them?" Stonestar snorted. "Not likely."

"Stonestar," Branchclaw meowed quietly. "The fresh-kill pile smells like there was fresh prey there a few moments ago."

"Your warrior's right," came a cackling voice from the top of the leader's den.

Mousestar emerged into sight, his warriors trailing behind him.

"I knew we made too much noise on the way in," Duskcloud muttered under his breath, seemingly unconcerned about the severity of the situation.

Stonestar looked around at his warriors with confidence, then frowned uncertainly when he saw that his confidence was not reflected in those faces. Only Frostwind had a very neutral expression, her real emotions of pure calm and no panic at all disguised underneath a blank mask.

"This one is interesting!" Mousestar waggled a paw in Frostwind's direction. "She isn't cowering! What did you do to her to insert your overconfidence, Stonestar?"

"Oh, quite on the contrary," Turtleleaf meowed contemptuously from beside him. "That one's Frostwind. I know her. She's quite strong, actually. Remember?"

"Oh, her." Mousestar's previously snide voice had become slightly more panicked.

"It won't happen again. We were ill prepared the previous time," Turtleleaf soothed.

"Gee whiz," Duskcloud grumbled. "What a waste of time, listening to petty squabbles."

Frostwind shot him a warning look but not in time and the words were already out. Mousestar's eyes grew alight with fury. "ATTACK THEM!" he shrieked, and his Clan leapt off the roof of the leader's den, pouncing on the SummerClan cats as they slashed and bit them viciously. Frostwind caught her first attacker and spun him round, throwing him into the wall of Mousestar's den where he slumped to the ground, unconscious.

Mousestar's eyes glittered as he too jumped off. Instead of engaging Stonestar who was dashing for him, Mousestar started attacking Frostwind with all of his might. "You're the only one here worthy of my time," he sneered. "Deputy, get him!" He pointed wildly at Stonestar and Turtleleaf leapt for him, albeit reluctantly. She clearly wanted the challenge and her Clan leader wasn't giving it to her.

Frostwind fought off Mousestar's wild attacks with increasing ease. She could have taken him and Turtleleaf on at the same time, but she drew it out, only cutting Mousestar a little here and there, ripping away fur here and there, not injuring him badly. She smiled broadly as she continued fighting. This was her forte, fighting evil like him, and she flourished as she fought, relishing the time spent. It was something to be savored because not every day provided easy opportunities. Her love life had given her many headaches, but fighting off Mousestar? Oh, that was easy, easier than catching prey. He was like a kit, flailing blunt claws at a warrior who watched him with amusement, swiftly blocking any blow he dared throw at her. Mousestar was getting increasingly desperate and was pulling off less flashy and more unpredictable moves, finally proving some sort of challenge. One time, he jumped up and did a weird back flip in the air, exposing many places but she wasn't able to hit him. Still, he landed a few inches south of her and missed completely, instead snagging his claws on the ground.