Icestar's Rise

Chapter 7

Icepaw walked around Thunderclan territory aimlessly. It was about moonhigh and tonight was the half moon. Jayfeather and Dewcloud were at the moonpool. Icepaw had decided to sneak out and go on a walk alone. She heard a noise in the bushes behind her and she spun around claws at the ready. Stormpaw was silently walking through the forest with Spottedpaw. Icepaw walked behind them at a safe distance. It looked as if Stormpaw was leading Spottedpaw somewhere. Icepaw didn't like what she assumed was about to happen. Stormpaw lead Spottedpaw into a small clearing. "Spottedpaw, why do you love Fleetpaw instead of Rainpaw?" Spottedpaw looked taken aback and Icepaw felt the need to run back to camp and destroy Rainpaw.

Spottedpaw narrowed her eyes at Stormpaw and flattened her ears. "Fleetpaw is kind and has always treated me with respect!" she snapped. "Rainpaw is rude and disrespectful and has never been nice to me! I love Fleetpaw and that is the end of it! Understood?"

Stormpaw nodded his head fearfully and Spottedpaw stormed back to camp. Icepaw walked out of her hiding place after Spottedpaw had left and snarled at Stormpaw. "Never approach Spottedpaw within my sight again. Tell Rainpaw the same thing," Stormpaw nodded his head and ran.

As Icepaw continued on her walk she noticed how close it was to dawn. Jayfeather and Dewcloud would be on their way back and she needed to get back to camp. Icepaw looked around for an excuse to be out of camp and spotted a squirrel nearby. Icepaw got into the hunter's crouch and slowly moved forward. She accidently stepped on a twig and the squirrel ran. Icepaw cursed under her breath and looked around for something else. Icepaw spotted a thrush in a tree and climbed up a tree next to the one the bird was in. Icepaw walked out onto a branch above the bird and dropped on it. She quickly bit its neck and dropped it out of the tree. Icepaw climbed down after it and buried it. She heard two cats talking and realized she was near the Windclan border. She slunk through the undergrowth and saw Sneezetail talking with some Windclan cat. She was silver with black paws and blue eyes. She had once overheard Lionblaze telling Dovewing about this cat. Her name was Silverflame. "Sneezetail, I'm expecting your kits!" she mewed excitedly. Icepaw almost jumped out and killed Sneezetail right then.

Sneezetail's eyes went wide in surprise and he purred. "That's great news!" he sounded way too happy for Icepaw's liking. "Now Onestar will have to accept me since I will be the father of his great-grand kits," Silverflame was Heathertail and Breezepelt's kit. Breezepelt had left Windclan after the Dark Forest battle, but Heathertail found out she was pregnant soon after. Silverflame nodded excitedly and Icepaw ran back to camp making sure to grab the bird she had caught.

Oakstripe was the one on guard duty thank Starclan. "Oakstripe! You can't let Sneezetail back to camp!" Oakstripe looked confused and Sneezetail came out of the bushes glaring at Icepaw.

"Why can't I come back to camp?" Sneezetail hissed. Oakstripe stood between Icepaw and his brother. "Do you think I'm disloyal to the clan that adopted me?"

Oakstripe gave Icepaw a look that meant that she needed to explain. "I saw Sneezetail near the Windclan border. He was talking with a cat named Silverflame. She told him that he could come join Windclan now that she was expecting his kits," Oakstripe looked outraged and Sneezetailed looked guilty and ready to kill Icepaw.

Oakstripe turned to his brother. "Is this true? Are you really going to turn your back on Thunderclan for some stupid she-cat?" Sneezetail glared at Icepaw for revealing his secret and barged past them into camp. "Bramblestar will have to deal with him," Oakstripe decided.

The two went into camp and Icepaw tackled Sneezetail. The few cats that were up gave her wierd looks and Oakstripe went up to the leader's den. Bramblestar came out with Oakstripe on his heels. "All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here for a clan meeting!" he yowled. Everyone else woke up and gave Icepaw dirty looks when they saw her holding down Sneezetail. "I have been informed that Sneezetail has a mate in Windclan and that she is expecting his kits. I was also told that he plans on leaving us and that it was Icepaw who witnessed all this. Sneezetail, what do you have to say to these allegations?"

Sneezetail pushed Icepaw away and looked defiantly at Bramblestar. "You're going to believe what an apprentice said? Are you stupid?" Sneezetail spat. Icepaw arched her back and hissed at Sneezetail.

Bramblestar simply glared at Sneezetail. "Icepaw, what happened?"

Icepaw relaxed and gave her answer. "I was out for some night hunting since I couldn't sleep. I noticed that I was near the Windclan border and heard voices. I recognized Sneezetail's, but not the other cat's voice. I snuck over and watched from a bush. Sneezetail was sitting with a Windclan she-cat named Silverflame. She told him that she was expecting his kits and Sneezetail looked surprised but happy. Sneezetail said that because he was the father, that Onestar would have to accept him into the clan. I ran back as fast as I could and told Oakstripe. You know what happened from there," Bramblestar nodded and looked around the clan.

"Oakstripe," the huge orange tom looked at his leader. "Do you believe Icepaw?"

Oakstripe gave Sneezetail an apologetic look. "Sneezetail was close to this she-cat as an apprentice and as a warrior he has disappeared a lot. When he would come back he looked distracted and and it seemed as if he was hiding something. I also know Icepaw wouldn't lie about something so serious."

Many of the warriors murmured their agreement to what Oakstripe had said. "I think that if Sneezetail wants to be with this she-cat so much he should just leave!" Brackenfur hissed. Many cats got up and started stalking up to Sneezetail with their claws out. "Bramblestar, what are your orders?"

"If Sneezetail is seen on Thunderclan territory after sun high you have my permission to attack," Bramblestar decided.

Icepaw felt compelled to ask the question everyone was thinking. "Can we kill him?" Bramblestar nodded and Oakstripe advanced on his brother. Sneezetail turned and ran for the Windclan border. Icepaw smiled and looked at Spottedpaw. She looked very upset about the loss of her mentor. He must have been a good one for Spottedpaw to miss him.

Bramblestar seemed to realize that Spottedpaw needed a new mentor and looked around the camp. "Spottedpaw is in need of a new mentor. I will continue with Spottedpaw's training until she has recieved her warrior name," Bramblestar and Spottedpaw touched noses and Icepaw headed to the nursery to clean it out.