𝘞𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘴: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘛𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 (BOOK 1) (ROS)

𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 21

The next morning (?), a howling screech is heard below the valley of his outlook.

Ice'star had gotten paranoid, those hallucinations were getting to him. He could feel the stars falling, his hope of their comeback was long gone. He didn't want to believe that StarClan had abandoned him. He had dedicated his whole life to them, even if it meant to hurt others for his own faith. 

He stared into the gray skies; the darkness still remained. 

His claws scratched the ground anxiously. His tail thumped against the stone walls of his cave. He couldn't help himself but to overthink. That made everything worser from then on. High'sight approached the area, his eyes wandered where his leader had gone. He ends up seeing up staring out in the cliff. The emotionlessness of his face unsettled the tom. 

"Ice'star?" He spoke. "The patrol had found something outside of SaguaroClan's territory."

"Don't waste my time, it's probably something that isn't important of our journey." Ice'star growled at his deputy, his demeanor becoming passively aggressive.

"It's your son." The deputy responded with a grim tone. "And he's-..."

"My son?" The white tom's head raised. "He's alive?" 

"He's not in the best... form." High'sight bowed his head, something must've been up with his deputy if he fully isn't telling the truth. Ice'star didn't believe what he said, he stood from his haunches and padded off, glaring at his deputy in the process.  There were crowds of cats gathered in the medicine den. Some were suffering from malnourishment. Prey hasn't been this abundant in a long time, the pile was nearly empty. They were living off of small birds and voles. 

When the cats saw him, they were all quiet. Ice'star was puzzled to why everyone had acted different. 

"What is it with you all!?" His height towered most of the cats. His voice roared with unspeakable anger; he wasn't aware of the fate that his son suffered. The warriors spread out, giving him space, some stared at him with distrust.

The leader decided to walk into the medicine den, he didn't bat an eye at the sick warriors. However, he saw a tail that looked similar to his son. Primrose'dawn watched over the tom, his eyes filled with concern, but not for Ice'star. He had some recent knowledge from a prisoner below the mountain. "Who is that in front of you?" The white tom asked. Primrose'dawn rose his head, he gazed at Ice'star's concerned eyes before silently moving out of the way. The leader's eyes went aghast. 

Glacier'watcher's body was out in display. The blood gushed from his belly; his face became scratched to the point that he was left unrecognizable. It looked like he was caught by a bunch of scavengers in the territory, unfortunately that wasn't the case. What was noticeable about his body is the fact that the murderer had left a carved symbol on his right shoulder, the sun. 

The leader grew nauseous. He wanted to vomit after what he had seen. The blinded eyes, the wounds, this was like a horrible nightmare that became true. What pained him was the fact that he had probably saw darkness before he went on to 'StarClan'. The silver tom knew that there was no hope for his own life and was left for dead. The sun marking that the murderer left was a warning. 

Ice'star cried for him, the fear settled in now that he realized who the murderer could've been. He fell onto his son's body and grieved. Not just for him, but for himself. The cruel gift was a punishment for his crimes. His bloodstained paws reminded him of his son's mother that he had drowned in the river, and framed rogues for her death. He knew he could've been better, but he chose not to. His faith was more important than his family. And with that, he lost everything. 

Primrose'dawn had a cold expression. There was no emotion to comfort the leader with how much pain he had caused. He was now in the right time to expose him of his lies. "You could've prevented that if you were better." He commented. "That tom had a life, and you took that away from him." 

Ice'star stopped, he glanced at the tom. His eyes took offense of what he said. "What?" His voice lowered with a hint of malice.  "I said what I said." Primrose'dawn raised his voice. "You killed your mate, and now you've set this tom up for failure!" 

"You dare raise your voice at me?" He stomped his paws and went closer to the small medicine cat. His snout brushing against his ear. "I'll kill you off if you ever tell anyone about this." He whispered in his ear. Primrose'dawn didn't flinch. He scoffed at the tom, careless for his life at risk. "To think StarClan has a place for leaders like you, I'll tell everyone about what you've done to Storm'frost and Hawk'song. Mark my words." 

The leader hesitated, those names that were less prominent in his lives were coming back to him. With one word to the public, it'll spread like wildfire. The warriors will turn on him, and he'll lose everything he had built for. He sighed and sat down in front of the medicine cat. "If I do one favor for you, you will not tell anyone about them." 

"I want you to set free to the elders, apprentices, queens, kits of both clans and the prisoner, Ethel. You will keep your warriors for whatever reason unless they will want to go with us." He encouraged, he was doing it not because of Ice'star's easy influence towards the vulnerable that can cause destruction and hopeless deaths, but to bring them to BeachClan where cats that opposed the alliance is in. 

This request felt like a wasp sting towards the leader. He had to, in order to keep his reputation intact. He wasn't aware of his other plans, though. 

"You will not return, you know this. Correct?" The leader spoke strictly to the medicine cat. "We will turn you into crow-food if you do." 

"I will." Primrose'dawn nodded. "And you will never see us again."

He then walked out of the den, leaving the tom to deal with his own issues. This was detrimental to his alliance that he had planned for over a moon. But it was only just the lower ranks of the clans, right? He stared at the cat now heading off, he hoped that this will be the last of seeing that medicine cat. When he looked back at his dead son, he had to redeem himself a little. He grabbed his body by the scruff of his fur and head off to give him a proper burial. 

However, he will make sure to not fail again. He is the last hope of his ancestors. He had given too much to stop himself from saving the clans. Only violence will lead the way to his promised victory. 

Blood will spill blood.

After the day had passed by, the majority of elders, apprentices, queens, and kits left the cave, even with a few warriors who agreed to follow. Ethel was now leading a big migration across the forest and to the coastal territory. The hawk that fled above her guided the refugees to BeachClan. 

She had fulfilled her sister's promise, and now it was Hawk'song's time to return the favor.