Riversplash's Defeat (plan on finishing soon)

Chapter ten

"Well? Have you?" Iceclaw asked, calmer now. Her tail was lashing left and right.

Right, Pinestorm. He died recently.

"Of course I have, Iceclaw. Everyone's heard of the story of Pinestorm." Riverpaw meowed.

"He was my mentor," Iceclaw meowed, eyes clouded with grief.

"I know that, Iceclaw. Lilystar mentioned it during my apprentice ceremony." Riverpaw mewed, eyes cast to the floor of the marshy area.

"I just don't want you to end up like he is. He is dead because he was mouse-brained enough to go against the code. Love can make a cat do mouse-brained things you know?" Iceclaw told him.

Riverpaw looked at the ground.

"Look, you're a nice apprentice, Riverpaw. I can't stop you from visiting those cats, but please be careful if you do. You're only one cat against an army of skilled fighters." Iceclaw meowed.

"How do you know all this about them?" Riverpaw meowed, suspicion ringing in his mew.

Iceclaw glances at the ground.

"Pinestorm," she mewed miserably. "He—he told me all about what he had witnessed. I could have stopped him, but I didn't. I was too busy focusing on becoming a warrior to know he was going so far into this path he didn't want, yet he went down it anyways. All for, strangely enough it was for their leader, Gecko. What happened after that is so hazy. I dislike thinking about it, Riverpaw. I hate seeing you walk down a similar path as him. Please....just be careful." Iceclaw meowed.

Riverpaw felt miserable.

Did Pinestorm really fall in love with Gecko?

Riverpaw knew falling for Zinnia was one thing, but her mother? She was absolutely Fox-hearted.

"I'll try, Iceclaw. I really do love Zinnia though." He added.

"Just don't tell them anything that they can use to their advantage. They'll use it against RiverClan and end the lives of many more RiverClan warriors." Iceclaw advised.

Okay. I'll stop telling them things like that now. Surely Zinnia wouldn't want to actually kill Hotpool right? Riverpaw wondered.

"Now run along. I hate seeing the same things happen to good cats, but I know you're different than Pinestorm." Iceclaw mewed.

"Thanks, Iceclaw! I'll be heading out now! Could you please lie to the clan for me and tell them I'm getting moss or something?" Riverpaw purred.

"Of course!" Iceclaw meowed, forcing a purr out of her throat.

Riverpaw headed out, but not before he heard Iceclaw meow, "I really do wish you and Pinestorm travel different paths, but unfortunately this might be the end for RiverClan."

He shook his head as he ran towards the stream that marked the border with WindClan and the Horseplace.

Excitement glittered in his eyes as he bunched his muscles and prepared to leap over the stream.

He couldn't contain how happy and excited he was.

His heartbeat quickened with every breath he got closer to Zinnia.

By this point he had forgotten his mentor's words. Too excited to remember to be careful.

He pushed off the ground, happiness plastered all over his face as he landed.

Splash!

Halfway into the stream.

It didn't matter, though. He was learning how to swim and he had reached the more shallow part of the stream as he landed.