Magicstar's Story

Chapter 16

"Frostpaw! We're going hunting!" Magicclaw called across the clearing to her apprentice as he finished eating his fresh-kill. He gave his light-gray fur a quick grooming, then hurried over to join his mentor. They pushed their way through the gorse tunnel and out into the forest. Magicclaw set a brisk pace, heading for the Sunningstone. A nice day for hunting she thought.

Once they were at Sunningstones then Frostpaw scented the air, stalking into the undergrowth, hardly making a sound. Magicclaw stood still for a moment, there was a scent her that she recognized, but it didn't smell like an Iceclan or Fireclan cat, she almost knew all the Iceclan cats by scent. Picking her way carefully so that she didn't stray over the border Magicclaw sniffed again, she smelled this scent before, but where? Magicclaw kept sniffing, walking back and forth, a few times she strayed over the border but she kept close to it. Then another scent came to her, Iceclan. Magicclaw looked up and saw a patrol heading toward her, Rushingriver, Blackheart, Gorsepaw, and Gladetail were in the patrol, but she didn't really care at the moment, she needed to know if they possibly recognized the scent she kept picking up. Gladetail reached her first, her blue-gray fur was smooth, but her eyes were wary.

"What are you doing here?" Gladetail asked.

"Trespassing!" Hissed Gorsepaw, his white and orange tabby coat was fluffed up as he glared at Magicclaw. Magicclaw paid no attention to him, instead she turned to Rushingriver, she knew that his scenting skills were as good as Flashnose's.

"Do you smell anything strange?" She asked the gray tom, Rushingriver sniffed the air, his eyes widening.

"I smell you." He meowed at last.

"Why are you asking?"

"I'm smelling a different scent, other then Thunderclan and Iceclan." Magicclaw responded. The Iceclan cats sniffed the air.

"She's right!" Gladetail mewed, Blackheart dipped his head to Magicclaw.

"Is it alright if we have a sniff on your side? It's a little faint on ours." Magicclaw nodded and stepped back, Gorsepaw kept watch beside her as his clanmates sniffed around, Blackheart spoke.

"I can smell different cats, but I can remember what cat would carry this scent..."

"Thunderpath, monsters, twolegs, carrion..." Rushingriver named off the different scents he could pick up. Magicclaw's pelt fluffed up with alarm, she know recognized the scent...her father! She started to backaway.

"Magicclaw? Are you okay?" Rushingriver was right next to her. "Go get some of her clanmates!" Blackheart yowled at Gorsepaw, he took off into the forest. Rushingriver and Gladetail pressed against her as her legs gave way from beneath her. Magicclaw wanted to wail out loud, this is all my fault!.

It felt like a moon had passed until Gorsepaw came back with a Fireclan patrol, Rushingriver and Gladetail had not left Magicclaw's side.

"Magicclaw, Are you okay?!" Deadshadow raced to her side and gave her frantic licks on her face. She let out a small whimper, only loud enough for him to her.

"It's all my fault..." Deadshadow pressed his muzzle against hers, Gladetail and Rushingriver helped Magicclaw to her paws.

She didn't want to go home and explain what had happened, she needed to get away. Backing away, Magicclaw blindly looked around her clanmates, one missing, Ivyheart should be with us... Magicclaw thought, but it was her fault that she died, wasn't it? All her clan mates could have been killed or injured and she would have blamed herself for it all....

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It had been three dawns Magicclaw realized she was a possible reason for the attacks. The day before she met Shadowclaw on the border and told him to meet her at Fourrocks, and tell Spiritfur if he saw her. Nowadays, Frostpaw helped Magicclaw with almost every task, hardly leaving her side. Deadshadow didn't seem to mind, although Magicclaw caught jealousy in his dark brown eyes from time to time.

She was aware of her belly beginning to swell, it didn't make since, it was leaf-bare, although there had been no snow yet. And she started not to eat, she didn't want her clan mates thinking she was eating on patrol. Magicclaw was pulled from her thoughts as Stonesong came into the den.

"Magicclaw, How you feeling?" She mewed.

"Tired and hungry." Stonesong looked at her.

"Magicclaw, you're expecting kits."

The ground seem to lurch under Magicclaw's paws, I'm expecting kits? The dream, which seemed like seasons ago, came back to her. Goldenclaw had told her that she would have kits, but she needed to become deputy first.

"Where's Deadshadow?" Magicclaw asked her sitting up. "Hunting, Paleshadow has been covering for you since you've had that encounter with the Iceclan cats." Magicclaw nodded, standing up she staggered into the clearing. "I'm gonna go for a walk." She called over her shoulder, it was time to meet her littermates at Fourrocks, would they be happy that she was expecting kits? Magicclaw pushed the thought to the back of her mind and headed out of camp, but she couldn't help wondering, what would Scourge think?