Fire and Ice

Chapter 3

The first night alone was the loneliest Skyfall had ever felt. Her small, sorry excuse of a nest did little to keep her warm through the night, even with her thick pelt. She heard a water vole sniffing curiously at the brambles and she quickly brought her paw down on its neck, killing it swiftly. Skyfall wondered if she made the right decision sleeping outside of camp alone when Brokenstar and his followers were still on the run.

No, this is right, she thought. This will show the Clan I love them and are willing to do anything for them. I hope Bluestar understands. Her tail wrapped tightly around her belly, trying to mimic the comfort of another's presence.

Skyfall woke before the sun had begun peeking over the horizon. Stretching quickly she ate the water vole she caught last night in quick gulps and began her punishment. It wasn't difficult to find long, thick branches and small, easily bendable twigs for the dens and walls. Finding good leaves was a little more annoying but Skyfall didn't utter a word about it. Hunting came easy as well with all the prey waking early. Skyfall made sure to catch enough for the queens for the entire day with plenty to spare. Was it to spite Bluestar's expectations? Possibly.

Skyfall padded into camp with four pieces of prey dangling from her jaws, two more hanging from her shoulders. She dropped the two from her shoulders onto the prey pile and carried the rest into the nursery. Dropping a share at each queen's paws Skyfall was quick to leave the den and crossed the clearing back to the gorse tunnel.

No cat spoke a word to her as she passed, as if they were afraid to even speak up. Skyfall would deal with that later. She returned to Sunningrocks and gathered as many leaves and twigs she could carry to repair the elders' den. She knew they were getting drafts so she gathered extra leaves for better cover.

"Thank you, Skyfall," Patchpelt purred after she'd filled in the last hole with an extra thick branch. "Though I must ask, what is this about you sleeping at Sunningrocks for a few nights?"

"It's nothing, I promise. I just asked Bluestar to let me do this so I could show the Clan that I'm not disloyal or untrustworthy," Skyfall replied. She gave the branch a soft push to make sure it would hold. The entrance to the den was smaller now, but the elders had more protection this way.

Patchpelt's amber eyes softened and the old tom rested a paw on Skyfall's. "There is not a single cat in this Clan who doubts your loyalty. You have nothing to prove to any of us, believe me. Now, why don't you return to camp, you can still do what has been assigned, but you won't be isolated from your Clanmates."

Skyfall shook her head. "No, Patchpelt, this is for me to do. I'll return to the warriors' den in two sunrises. Until then, I will continue what I'm doing now." She stepped away from the elder. "I have to go gather more supplies for the apprentices' den, I'll talk to you later."

Skyfall didn't let Patchpelt get another word in before she was bounding back to the camp entrance. She nearly leaped straight into Tigerclaw at the top of the ravine.

"I trust you're fulfilling your punishment?" The ThunderClan deputy growled.

"I trust you're monitoring your son's progress?" Skyfall fired back. Swiftpaw was the only kit to survive of Tigerclaw and Goldenflower's first litter.

Tigerclaw nodded, his pale gaze lighting up with pride. "Yes, Swiftpaw is coming along well. Longtail told me he managed to catch his first squirrel today."

"That's great, we need all the hunters we can get when leaf-bare arrives," Skyfall replied. She and the deputy parted ways after that, each leaving with their own goals in mind. This was the first calm conversation they'd had in a long time.

For a murderer, Tigerclaw is definitely devoted to his kit, Skyfall thought as she trekked her way back to the large pile of supplies she'd gathered. She gathered about the same amount she had for the elders' den and retraced her pawsteps, growling when she slipped on a dried leaf.