Blizzard [Warriors Fanfiction]

Chapter Two [REVISED]

      Icepaw ran alongside his mentor Beeshade as the battle patrol raced across the border into  SwiftClan's territory. Five other cats were there as well: the deputy Squirreltail, two warriors, Birchstripe and Crowcall, and Darkstream with his apprentice Kestrelpaw.

      "Remember," Beeshade panted, "we're only here to take back the prey they've stolen. Don't attack any kits, queens, or elders."

      "Okay." Icepaw hissed slightly, disappointed that his first battle wouldn't be very exciting.

      It was only a matter of time after pelting through the hilly terrain before Icepaw heard pounding pawsteps running toward the heart of the territory.

      "ThornClan is attacking!" The voice of a young she-cat sounded in the distance. For some odd reason, Kestrelpaw's gaze brightened when he heard the call.

      The battle patrol picked up the pace until they were sprinting around trees and leaping over boulders. As they reached the wall of soil that served as the camp's entrance, the ThornClan apprentice scented several cats standing guard at the entry.

      "ThornClan, attack!" Squirreltail yowled, jumping over the dirt and onto the closest opponent, a cream tabby she-cat. Icepaw bounded forward as well, attacking a large dark brown apprentice twice his size.

      The tom hissed as Icepaw clung to his back, digging in his claws. The apprentice reared up, throwing the white cat off balance. With the enemy now pinning him down, Icepaw remembered his training and kicked with his hind leg, catching the tom's belly.

      Howling in pain, the SwiftClan cat broke away and ran into the throng of fighting cats.

      Icepaw's balance was suddenly thrown off when a force weighed him down from above. Eyes flashing, the tom noticed another apprentice that looked similar to him but with golden eyes instead of copper. The two rolled in a hissing and spitting mess, but neither of them inflicted any harm on the other. Finally pinning the enemy down, Icepaw raised a paw with unsheathed claws, ready to create a nasty wound.

      Before doing so, however, a memory from the depths of the white cat's mind resurfaced. There was blowing snow and the squeals of three other kits besides himself. The two she-kits still had their eyes closed, but the other tom blinked at him with the same gold eyes one.

      Icepaw's momentary hesitation gave another cat a chance to bowl him over, this one a large reddish she-cat whom the apprentice recognized as Russetstar, the leader of SwiftClan. She used her weight against him, leaving him unable to move as the warrior slashed him several times with her claws.

      Shrieking in pain, Icepaw mentally growled to himself about how unfair the fight was; a seasoned leader against an inexperienced apprentice. Deciding to use his smaller size as an advantage, he rolled unexpectedly and wriggled from the cats grasp, crouching low in preparation to spring.

      But before he could move, Squirreltail's yowl rang through the camp. "ThornClan, retreat! The stolen prey has been returned!"

      Icepaw spat one last time at Russetstar and scampered back into the shelter of the woods the way he came.

      Bluelily the medicine cat, who had been hiding in the bushes to attend to any serious wounds, emerged from the undergrowth and trotted alongside the victorious patrol. Icepaw glanced up to see the clouds swirling over the sun that was reaching its peak. A single ray streamed through the white and hit his pelt, warming the apprentice's back. Purring in satisfaction, Icepaw was happy despite his stinging wounds. The stolen prey had been returned and no one was killed.

      Bluelily, on the other paw, stopped short, gasping in sudden shock. "Are you okay?" He asked the sleek blue-grey she-cat.

      Instead of responding directly, the medicine cat turned her gaze to the streak of sunlight, whispering mysterious words under her breath. "Blood must flood the Clans during the tragedy of war to stop inevitable destruction."

      Is that a prophecy from StarClan she just received? Icepaw wondered, puzzled.

      Back at camp, Icepaw mentally played the prophecy over and over again as Bluelily pressed a poultice of herbs to a cut on his shoulder and securing it with a wad of cobwebs. Ignoring the stinging of his wounds, he muttered thanks to the she-cat and padded to the fresh-kill pile to see it surprisingly low for newleaf.  The apprentice spotted Beeshade talking to Darkstream and Kestrelpaw near the camp entrance and walked over.

      "Beeshade?" He asked, slightly embarrassed after interrupting their conversation. "I noticed the fresh-kill pile is almost empty. Can I go hunting?"

      His mentor's eyes brightened, probably because his apprentice was willingly offering to catch food for the Clan. "Of course!"

      "We were just talking about that," Darkstream put in, giving his smoky tabby pelt a shake. "Would you mind if Kestrelpaw joined you? It'll be safer and more productive if there are two of you."

      Icepaw nodded and followed his denmate through the thorn tunnel, wincing as the sharp plant scraped his ears. The two cats headed to the part of the territory where the undergrowth was thickest and they would have the most success with finding prey.

      He quickly picked up the scent of a rabbit nearby and whispered to his companion, "Go downwind of it and stay hidden. I'll scare it and send it running toward you."

      Kestrelpaw agreed and crouched low, silently heading toward the other side of the prey. Once Icepaw saw him in position, he ran forward, hissing to alert the animal. Its ears perked and sprinted toward the nearest bramble patch, where Kestrelpaw was waiting. Springing from his cover, the black-and-white tom pounced on the rabbit, dealing it a quick death bite.

      He dragged it into the open and kicked dirt over it while Icepaw smiled slightly, thinking about how many cats the large piece of fresh-kill would feed. The two wandered deeper into the bushes, continuing the hunt.

      When they returned to the camp, Icepaw carried two mice and a thrush, while Kestrelpaw dragged the rabbit behind him along with a nice, plump squirrel.

      "Well done!" Beeshade exclaimed, watching the two apprentices drop their catch into the fresh-kill pile. "Go take something for yourself, then join Eagleflight, Thistlefall, Lightpaw, and me for evening patrol."

      Icepaw nodded and did as told, fetching part of the rabbit he caught and eating it quickly, savoring the delicious and juicy flavor. He caught up with the four cats he was patrolling with just as they were about to leave the camp. Skirting along the OakClan territory line, Icepaw caught the whiff of blood and unfamiliar cats. "Rogues." He grumbled, remembering the part of the warrior code that stated a Clan must help another in need.

      Eagleflight's grey eyes flashed as a pained shriek sounded in the distance. Soon a pitch black she-cat with exhausted blue eyes appeared from behind a tree, limping on three legs as fast as she could toward the patrol. "H-help us... please! Rogues... are t-trying to drive us... out."

      The ThornClan apprentice recognized the warrior as Timberblaze from the three Gatherings he had attended so far. Thistlefall glanced at Lightpaw. "You're the fastest. Run back to the camp and get help." The pale ginger she-cat nodded and raced away.

      Beeshade's expression was unreadable as he followed Timberblaze across the border. He whispered something only Icepaw could hear. "Hope you're ready to shed some blood for the second time today."