Nightfrost's Choice

Chapter 9

The air seemed to get tenser when Darkstar pushed her way through her territory and into the clearing, her thick black pelt dark and her yellow eyes menacing.

She didn't greet either of the leaders, just sat on the hug branch like she owned it.

Every cat seemed to stop talking and stare at them, but then eventually, the babble broke out again.

Nightpaw spotted Cloudice and Firetail, who were sticking close together and twining tails with each other.

They're mates! Nightpaw realized, and then she shivered.

Snailpaw and Scorchpaw, who looked much bigger now, pushed their way through the undergrowth, followed by a tabby striped shecat....

No! Nightpaw had to grip her claws in the ground to stop herself form leaping at the shecat. Instead, she Let out a low growl, and Swiftbreeze turned to look at her.

"Something wrong?" The ginger warrior asked, and Nightpaw shook her head.

"No, I'm fine." But she kept her eyes glued to the shecat.

That murderer.... That snake.... That piece of fox dung...

Nightpaw was pleased to see that there were still scars on the shecat's side and she relaxed a bit, but her mind was still on the scene at the battle.

Moonshadow... Dead.

The scene was broken when ForestClan entered. The leader, a cheerful white tom called Froststar, pushed his way up on the branch.

"Hi, Pebblestar, Fernstar, umm... Darkstar." Froststar meowed cheerfully, but his tone hardened at Darkstar's name.

Grateful for the distraction, Nightpaw pushed her way through the crowd and looked for her friend.

"Firepaw!" She yowled. "Firepaw!"

A familiar gray pelt with white paws. pushed up to her face.

"Hey Nightpaw!" The ForestClan apprentice meowed cheerfully, his color changing eyes sparkling with mischief, which were at the moment bright amber, indicating he was cheerful.

Nightpaw let out a friendly purr.

"Hi, Firepaw." She meowed. "How's life in ForestClan?"

"Oh, you know..." Firepaw meowed mischieviously. "Amazing... Relaxing.... awesome... But you wouldn't know..."

"Hey!" Nightpaw shoved him, and Firepaw laughed.

Out of the corner of her eye, Nightpaw saw Dewpaw wink at her, and Nightpaw glared at her sister. She just mouthed,
Sweetie, and Dewpaw shut up quickly.

Nightpaw turned to Firepaw, about to talk to him more, when Pebblestar raised his tail for silence, and everyone quieted.

"Cats of All Clans," he yowled. "The Gathering begin! Any leader want to go first?" He added, but no cat moved, and he began. "MountainClan is thriving, despite the cold Leafbare, and our cave-dens help to keep the warm out. Prey is scarce, but we are keeping well under this hateful weather. Our medicine cat, Nectarwing, found a huge patch of catmint near the old twoleg place. Your medicine cats are welcome to share it." He meowed, dipping his head to Froststar and Fernstar, and Nightpaw noticed he didn't acknowledge Darkstar at all.

But the cunning StreamClan leader kept a stony face and didn't move a muscle, still.

Fernstar sprang up next.

"Thank you, Pebblestar, for that generous offer." She meowed warmly. "Thankfully, we haven't had to use catmint yet, as no sicknesses have spreads through our clan, which is healthy and strong. We have three new warriors: Thrushwing, Fogpelt, and Swiftbreeze!"

"Thrushwing! Fogpelt! Swiftbreeze!" Every cat except for StreamClan yowled, and the three warriors puffed their pelts out proudly.

"And," Fernstar went on, "Our medicine cat Vinetail, has had his apprentice become a full fledged medicine cat as well.... Echoflight!"

"Echoflight! EchoFlight!" The clans except for StreamClan repeated heartily, and beside Vinetail, Nightpaw saw Echoflight puff her fur out proudly, her turquoise eyes glimmering.

"Prey is well and our apprentices and warriors are strong." Fern star
R finished, and Froststar dipped his head.

"I hope your clan stays safe this Leafbare," the white leader began, "As my clan, ForestClan, has stayed so far. We also have three new warriors: Kestrelwing, Leafdew, and Hickorytail!"

"Kestrelwing! Leafdew! Hickorytail!" Nightpaw raised her muzzle and shouted the names to the sky, praying for those cats that none of their kin dies.

"Alright, umm, Darkstar? Would you like to....?" Froststar started off awkwardly, but Darkstar said nothing, just stood up on the branch and swept her icy yellow gaze over the assembled cats.

"Cats of all Clans!" She yowled, and her voice rang with power through ought the forest. "This is a warning. Any cat who trespasses or steals from us, will be-" Darkstar suddenly pounced on a crippled, runty StreamClan apprentice and sliced him from throat to tail tip with a single swipe.

"The truce!" Pebblestar shouted, his tail lashing as clouds darkened over the moon, but he didn't say anything, just stared at the dead apprentice with unease and horror.

"-ripped apart." Darkstar's mew was cool and calm, and she calmly licked the blood of her paws and sprang forwards.

Nightpaw watched blood ooze out of the poor little apprentice's belly like a river, fear blossoming in her stomach like a tiger.

"Why would she kill her own clanmate?" Forepaw whispered beside Nightpaw, but Nightpaw was transfixed with horror.

Keep everycat except for StreamClan safe, StarClan, Nightpaw pleaded, and Moonshadow's voice echoed in her ears:

Every cat deserves a chance, love.

Yes. Nightpaw agreed. But not StreamClan.