Warriors: Beyond the River (SOB prequel) (COMPLETE)

Chapter 14

A thin layer of snow coated the ground. Iceslide padded through it, glancing over his shoulder every so often to make sure no cat saw him. It was snowing lightly. He hoped it would be enough to cover the tracks he was leaving behind with each step. He continued toward twolegplace, snow falling gently onto his pelt.

He knew it was risky going to twolegplace again. But it was the only place where he felt truly relaxed, and that was exactly how he needed to feel. Lilynose's death was still on his mind constantly, and he couldn't shake the guilt that dragged him down like a stone in the river. I should never have brought her here. He thought as he padded along the fence. He soon reached the gap in the planks leading into Juicy's yard, and he crouched and slipped inside. 

Last time I was here, Lilynose was with me. He thought with a pang on sadness. He padded into the frosty yard and looked around. Juicy wasn't out on the patio like he usually was. He saw that his chair was wet with a thin layer of snow. Kittypets probably don't like the snow. He thought. They want to stay inside where it's warm and dry. Juicy must be in the nest. 

He decided to look for Violet and the other kittypets who might be out. He padded around the side of the nest, crossing the first thunderpath and heading in the direction of Violet's home. His thoughts darkened again. Lilynose wasn't the only thing on his mind. Otterpelt's vision from yesterday was filling his thoughts with unease.

"Everyone's dead! So many dead! The blood!" The medicine cat's words echoed in his mind, frightened and desperate. He began imagining what she could have possibly seen, the camp filled with dead cats, her friends and family, their blood splattering the ground. Such a vision would have been terrifying. I can't imagine what it would be like to see that. He shuddered and tried to clear his head as he walked, but the dreaded thoughts took hold of his mind again. He remembered how Otterpelt had stared at him, and a quarter moon ago had begged him not to leave RiverClan territory. 

It seems like she thinks I'll cause all of this death she saw. Iceslide thought. But that's impossible! I would never kill anyone! And leaving RiverClan territory certainly wouldn't change that! I'm- He stopped in his tracks.

He could see Violet's twoleg nest just ahead, behind another nest. His gaze drifted to the thunderpath and rested on the place where Lilynose had died. He heard a dog barking faintly in the distance, but he didn't move. His eyes stayed fixed on the thunderpath, his heart aching as he remembered how furious and heartbroken she'd been with him. I wish I'd said something before she died... I wish I could have told her that I appreciated her, even if she wasn't my favorite cat. I-

The barking grew louder, and Iceslide pricked his ears, looking further down the thunderpath toward a small intersection. He couldn't see anything, but the barking remained frequent. He slowly relaxed. Relax, mouse-brain! it's not going to come here. Dogs are always tied up in-

BARK

He froze at an even louder bark and saw a cat appear, racing around the corner of the intersection. Sure enough, a huge black dog appeared close behind her, barking madly as it charged in pursuit of the cat. Iceslide instinctively spun and raced into the safety of a bush, looking out as the golden and brown she-cat bolted past him. The dog sprinted after her, howling and barking angrily.

That cat had better run! He peered out anxiously. Hurry! The she-cat had made a sudden turn, racing between two houses on the opposite side of the thunderpath from where Iceslide was. Clearly she hoped to lose the dog and run somewhere from there, but the dog skidded and scrambled on the frosty road as he ran after her between the houses. The she-cat let out a startled gasp. The gate to the yard was shut. The cat skidded to a halt and spun around, her amber eyes lit with alarm as the dog closed in, head low as he snarled at her.