Warriors: The Gates of StarClan

Chapter 21

Ivysplash's paws burned as she raced through the forest.  Amberstar panted as she sprinted along side her.  In front of them, Snakefang ran with his ears flat and his tail down.  Ivysplash had insisted on taking him to ThunderClan.  "We'll need him when we're interrogating Redclaw," she had told Amberstar.

Ivysplash knew Snakefang was so scared of her and Amberstar that he would not try to escape.  She was sure.

They burst out of the trees into the clearing where the ThunderClan camp lay.  The thorn barrier that ringed the camp floated hazily in front of Ivysplash's eyes.  Her heart threatened to burst out of her throat and she dug her claws into the ground to keep her legs from buckling.  Amberstar mewed between gasping breaths, "Where is everyone?"

There was no cat scent on the cool breeze that wafted by, no sounds of normal Clan life emanating from the gorge below.  Suddenly an icy voice behind them growled mockingly, "They ran off to their little RiverClan friends to help fight off the invaders."  Redclaw stepped out of the bracken.

Suddenly, a horrible thought came to Ivysplash.  She looked at the red-brown tom with disgust.  "It was you!  All those moons ago, it was you who killed my mother!  You killed Willowstorm!"  Ivysplash was shouting now.  "You killed my mother!  She was nursing kits too!  How could you do something like that?"  Amberstar brushed her fur up against Ivysplash in an effort to comfort her.  The light brown she-cat bristled with a new hatred for Redclaw.

Redclaw smirked and meowed carelessly, "She knew about my and Snakefang's plans.  She was hunting one day and happened upon one of our meetings.  So I pretended to chase Snakefang off our territory."  He sneered.  "But she didn't believe me and was going to report my strange behaviors to Amberstar.  And I couldn't let that happen."

Ivysplash glowered at the murderous tom.  Then she remembered the WindClan kit.  "And what about that WindClan kit on RiverClan territory?  I doubt it crawled there itself."

Again Redclaw smirked.  "I thought a battle between the Clans was a perfect time to get rid of Briarstar.  Once we had killed him and made sure Snakefang was made leader, we'd sneak into the RiverClan camp to kill you, Amberstar.  That kit was just one of many kits that were found on another Clan's territory."

Amberstar's eyes widened.  "So all the kits on other Clans' territories were stolen by you, Redclaw?"  The tom sneered.

Another figure stepped out from behind Redclaw.  Snakefang had no look of terror in his eyes this time.  In fact, he looked pleased with himself.  "Well, well, look at this.  No one will ever know where that badger went after it killed you two while we only arrived in time to, regrettably, see you die.  We will have chased the badger off, however, and be heroes among the Clans.  Why, Redclaw, seeing how his leader died tragically, might even be named leader in her place."  He smirked at the look of horror on the faces of the two she-cats.

The two traitorous toms leaped at Ivysplash and Amberstar.  The she-cats dodged them.  Ivysplash whipped around and sank her claws into Redclaw's flank, satisfied to see crimson lines where her claws had been a heartbeat before.  She glanced at Amberstar.  The RiverClan leader had Snakefang pinned under her, but he was making gashes in her belly as he raked his claws again and again.

Ivysplash released Redclaw and knocked Snakefang over while Amberstar scraped her claws over his side.He yowled in pain but managed to fight Amberstar off.  Suddenly, Redclaw bumped into Ivysplash.  She turned to defend herself just in time.  He flew at her, clawing recklessly, as she stepped out of the way.  He missed the edge of the ThunderClan gorge by a whisker-length.  Ivysplash glanced back to Amberstar.  She and Snakefang were locked in a fierce bout but were steadily inching towards the ThunderClan hollow.

Ivysplash watched helplessly as Snakefang pinned Amberstar a tail-length from the gorge.  He tried to bite her throat, but she pushed with her hind legs and flipped him over the edge of the cliff.  His screech pierced the quiet afternoon like a claw through a mouse.

Suddenly, a voice growled mockingly behind Ivysplash.  "Your precious Clan leader is a murderer."  Ivysplash lashed out with her claws at Redclaw's nose.  The tom flinched back and attacked Ivysplash.  Before long she pinned him to the ground.  She leaned down in his face and hissed, "The only murderer here is you, Redclaw.  And if Amberstar is a Clan leader with nine lives, how could you believe you could kill her?"

The tom spat beneath her.  "I'll take her lives one by one until I am leader of RiverClan.  I will not stop until she is dead."

Ivysplash hissed back, "I can't let you do that.  And seeing as I've got my claws at your throat, I think you'd better give up."  With that she released the traitorous tom.

Amberstar came to stand next to Ivysplash.  The RiverClan leader hissed, "Run away, Redclaw, and we'll let you live.  Although you don't deserve it."

Redclaw flattened his ears and slunk away.

Ivysplash and Amberstar looked over the edge of the gorge.  Snakefang lay at the bottom, his legs splayed out at unnatural angles.

Suddenly a cat ran at Amberstar.  It was Redclaw.  Amberstar retaliated quickly and lashed out at the tom.  Before long Redclaw had several deep wounds and Amberstar continued to slash her claws at him.  Only when Redclaw fell to the ground did Ivysplash shriek, "Amberstar!  You're killing him!" Amberstar looked up at her, the raging fire of battle burning in her eyes.  The fire quickly died as she realized what she was doing.

 Ivysplash helped her off the traitorous tom and looked for the damage.  It was not hard to find.  Redclaw did not get up as deep scarlet blood coursed out of the wounds all over his body.  He only managed to croak to Amberstar, "I'll be leader someday, mark my words."  Then his eyes glazed over.