Swiftfur stiffened, her ears flat. "Bravepaw?"
"Claw wound," Snowheart told her. "Bleeding badly. He needs to be taken away, and we can't spare any of the fighting warriors."
Swiftfur nodded, and her round gaze hardened. "Come with us," she ordered Poolpaw.

"What about me?" Featherpaw offered, eyes shining.
"One apprentice will be enough." Swiftfur flashed Featherpaw a look that she did not argue with. Featherpaw backed away, dipping her head.

"Stay close," Swiftfur told Poolpaw. She darted from the rock after Snowheart, out into the lashing rain.
Poolpaw screwed up on her eyes and kept as close as Swiftfur's flank as she could, feeling for her with her whiskers and pelt when the rain blinded her. The grass was slippery under her paws, and her tail was whipped up over her back by the wind.

Without warning, Swiftfur halted. Poolpaw slithered to a stop beside her.
Blinking, she saw the ground drop away in front of her. In front of them, was a circle of brambles, and underneath them led to a gorse tunnel. The scents were stronger now, and Poolpaw knew that this must be DawnClan's camp.

Her eyes stretching wide in horror, Poolpaw watched as the battle raged. Screeches and yowls ripped through the howling wind. Blood stained the ground and frothed in red puddles, lathered by the rain. Fur, heavy with flesh, flew in clumps and snagged in brambles. Poolpaw narrowed her eyes, trying to pick out which cat was which among her clanmates.

There! Briarfang was thrushing a DawnClan cat from him with flailing hind legs, only to be set upon by two more warriors; his claws shone and his teeth were bared. He twisted suddenly to protect his belly, fending off one warrior with a shove of his massive shoulders; but the other one clung to him, and Briarfang howled as the warrior's claws ripped hunks of fur from his pelt.
On the other side of the clearing, Icefrost and Bluefeather were fighting side by side with their backs to the brambles. They slashed and sliced at the four DawnClan cats who came at them in a vicious assault, raking the IceClan warriors's muzzles, snapping at their legs till the ground around them ran red.
Springleaf screeched as two DawnClan cats dived on her, their eyes wild. Her shriek made Briarfang's ears prick and he kicked off the DawnClan warriors and raced to help his Clanmate.
Briarfang pushed one warrior away with his shoulder, flipping him to the side, before sinking his teeth into the sodden tabby pelt of the other. The tabby let out an agonized shriek that pierced Poolpaw's belly.

"Come on!" Swiftfur's sharp order shook Poolpaw out of her frozen horror, and she skidded after her clanmate and plunged through the gorse tunnel.

She burst into the clearing after Swiftfur and raced to where Bravepaw lay.
A long wound stretched along the apprentice's flank, showing bright pink flesh beneath his brown tabby fur.

Swiftfur grasped Bravepaw by the scruff and began to drag her kit across the clearing toward the gorse tunnel.
Poolpaw tried to help, nudging Bravepaw along with her nose, but Bravepaw kicked out.
"I can walk!" He gasped, twisting and clawing at the ground.
Swiftfur let him find his paws, but as soon as she let go of her kit's scruff, Bravepaw collasped, his legs too shaky to hold him.
Swiftfur grabbed him again, and Bravepaw staggered toward the edge of the clearing.
Poolpaw followed, her nose filled with the scent of blood and fear and torn fur.

"IceClan brought kits!" A dark-reddish brown DawnClan warrior was staring at Poolpaw.

Poolpaw stopped and growled at the warrior. "I'm not a kit!"
The DawnClan warrior advanced on her, his eyes gleaming. "Then show me your battle moves, young warrior."

Fear shot through her. She didn't know any! She'd been an apprentice for only four sunrises! She fought the urge to back away.
The warrior grinned. "I'll get the pleasure of striking first!" He raised his sharp, talon claws, glimmering in the rain.

Poolpaw's face paled. She was about to die..

"Acornstep!" A voice rang across the clearing.
Poolpaw recognized Gorsefur, Sunpaw's mentor. He was at the center of the fighting, with fur bristling and emerald eyes wide. His fierce gaze was fixed on the dark brown warrior. "I need your fighting off these warriors!"
Acornstep snarled at Poolpaw. "Looks like you're going to have to wait a little longer for your first battle scar," he sneered before turning away.

"Poolpaw!" Swiftfur called from the gorse tunnel. Poolpaw padded forward as Swiftfur guided her up the gorse tunnel and out of camp.

Swiftfur had stopped to catch her breath and let Bravepaw rest while she sniffed at her wound. "It's just a shallow wound and torn fur," Swiftfur meowed, relief flooding her meow.

Featherpaw bounded across the grass towards them, her pelt slicked by the rain. "I know! Flowertail taught me a few herbs!"
She paced back to where she was and came back with a wad of cobweb in her teeth and stretched it over Bravepaw's wound with careful claws.

Poolpaw glanced back at the battle still raging below. She could see a few glimpses of the clearing.
Briarfang and Springleaf were fighting side by side now.
Ravenbird and Snowheart had joined up as well, lashing out with their paws in perfect time with each other.

Were the DawnClan cats so ferocious that IceClan warriors couldn't face them alone?

Where was Raindapple?
Poolpaw's blood chilled. She hadn't seen her mother—not even once.

While her sister pad Bravepaw's wound, Poolpaw gazed down at the clearing.
Her fur felt cold and prickly: Something was wrong.

She spotted Sunpaw heading for a den made out of ferns. That must be the medicine den.
Raindapple had come out, and to her surprise saw Sunpaw and bolted out of the medicine den and out of the gorse tunnel and Sunpaw came chase, and Poolpaw could see that behind Sunpaw, Whiteclaw was giving chase to them.

Poolpaw panicked.
She rushed to Featherpaw and whispered into her ear, "I need to leave post."
Featherpaw whipped her head to Poolpaw in shock, "You can't! We're not allowed to!"
"Please!" Poolpaw said desperately.
"But—!" Featherpaw started.
"Mom and Dad are in danger," she gave Featherpaw a meaningful look.
Featherpaw's ears flattened and she nodded slowly. "I'll stall as long as I can.."
Poolpaw smiled softly, "Thank you..." and she bolted into the forest.

Her black paws raced through the leaves, the grass slippery and wet. Come on, come on...
She looked left and right frantically, searching for any clumps of fur. Where did they go?
She begged StarClan for Sunpaw to not harm her parents..

She then halted, hearing a yowling from the right and turned, following the sound.
She then reached brambles of bushes and furled into them, and her eyes went up in horror.
Raindapple was pinned down by Sunpaw and her claws was unsheathed.
Poolpaw frantically looked left and right. Where is Whiteclaw?

Sunpaw glared down at Raindapple, "What did you do."
Her hiss turned into a snarl. "TELL ME WHAT YOU DID."
"I did what I had to do! I destroyed your herbs!" Raindapple spat.

Sunpaw grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and threw her across the clearing, tossing her body like it was nothing. Raindapple's body hit a tree and she lurched horribly.
No! Stop!

Sunpaw stalked towards the warrior, "You...did...what?" A low menacing growl escaped the apprentice. She raised her head, "Do you feel nothing? You disgusting piece of roadkill?"

Poolpaw's eyes went in horror. This wasn't the Sunpaw she knew.. Sunpaw was brutal, ruthless cat..

"MURDERER!" Yowled a cry of agony as Whiteclaw leaped from the bushes and launched himself at Sunpaw.
Sunpaw didn't flinch as she jumped and raised her claws and swiped at his muzzle, landing softly on the grass.
Whiteclaw yowled in pain as he crashed into the ground.
Whiteclaw spun around, hissing, and lunged forward at Sunpaw.
Sunpaw threw herself forward, sinking her claws into his stomach before twisting and rolling away from him.
Whiteclaw crash-landed into the ground, blood started leaking from his stomach and effecting the grass below him.

Art drawn by xviioletcreme
NOOOOOOOOO! Poolpaw wanted to scream.

Sunpaw stared at the bodies in horror for a moment then dropped her head. She took a deep breath and she ran towards the way to DawnClan camp.

Once she was gone, Poolpaw burst through the bushes, heading toward her parents's side. "Mom! Dad!"
She heard a mighty yowl from the trees, "IceClan! Retreat!"
Thank, StarClan!

She nudged Raindapple. "Raindapple! Raindapple!" She nudged her mother with her nose, waiting for her limp to push back. But Raindapple only flopped backward.

Poolpaw ignored the tears that flowed from her cheek and she went towards her father, who had their eyes half-open. "Whiteclaw! It's me, Poolpaw!" She hoped to see them with recognition, but they were dull, filled with clouds that scudded across the sky.

"Poolpaw." Silverstar's soft mew sounded over her shoulder and looked up at her.
Poolpaw didn't even ask how she got here. "Why won't they get up?" Poolpaw wailed.
Silverstar shook her head. "They're dead, Poolpaw."
"They can't be!" Poolpaw twisted back to her father, pressing her paws to his flanks and shaking him. "They can't be dead. We were fighting warriors, not rouges or loners. Warriors don't kill without reason!"

She then went towards her mother.
They couldn't be dead. The young apprentice began nudging her with her muzzle. "Wake up!" she begged. "It was all a mistake. You don't have to be dead."

Silverstar sighed and flicked her tail, and Swiftfur padded to the clearing.
She felt Swiftfur's gentle paw.
She and Silverstar then had grabbed Raindapple and Whiteclaw's scruffs and padded forward and took them into a clearing.
Poolpaw finally her spreading tears fall. Come back! You guys were going to take us into the woods to get moss for our nests! You promised!

"Raindapple? Whiteclaw?" Featherpaw's frightened mew sounded from one of the bushes as half her body was peering out of the bush.
She ran began to lap at Raindapple and Whiteclaw's pelts.
"Are they badly hurt?" she asked between licks.

Poolpaw stared blankly back at her sister. "They're dead," she whispered.
"No!" Featherpaw's wail ended in a whimper as her paws crumbled beneath her.
"They promised they wouldn't leave us," Featherpaw wailed.
"It's okay," Poolpaw lied, summoning up every shred of strength she could find. "I'll take care of you now."
Featherpaw flashed her an angry glance. "I don't need taking care of. I need Whiteclaw and Raindapple!" She leaped to her paws and diving after Silverstar.

Poolpaw watched her go. I'll take care of you anyway, she vowed.
She waited for her heart to twist with more pain, but she felt nothing. Determination surged through her. She would take care of Featherpaw, and she would take care of her Clan. She would never lose another cat that she cared for, not like this.
She got to her black paws and followed her clanmates, her heart thumping dully in her chest.

The rain eased as they crossed the river and Poolpaw felt the familiar snow beneath her paws. As the shattered Clan passed beneath the snowy trees, the wind dropped and the branches fell still.
Was the silent sent by StarClan? Was it disapproval, a condemnation of the attack? Are they mourning Whiteclaw and Raindapple?
Poolpaw stared up through the snowy branches. Suddenly she felt loneliness like frost in her heart. She hunched her shoulders and padded after her Clanmates toward home.

Bravepaw was limping, but the cobwebs had staunched her bleeding. Springleaf leaned on Briarfang, and his gaze never left her.
Snowheart, BladeWing, Ravenbird and Silverstar were helping caring the bodies of Raindapple and Whiteclaw.

Featherpaw trailed along, her tail trailing along the ground.
Poolpaw wondered whether to catch up to her, but she couldn't think of anything to say that might make them either of them feel better.

Icefrost halted and looked back; her eyes met hers, brimming with sympathy. She said nothing but waited for her to catch up, then fell in beside her, padding close enough to share her warmth.
They were in silence as they followed the trail back to camp and came out of the tunnel.

By the time Poolpaw entered the clearing, Crowclaw and Ashfall were circling their battered and injured Clanmates, pelts bristling with alarm. Dawnstripe came running from the nursery and greeted Snowheart with a worried mew, sniffing her pelt to check her injuries.

Flowertail padded from the medicine den, yawning. "How'd it go?" Her eyes widened in surprise as Silverstar laid the bodies of Raindapple and Whiteclaw in front of her and stepped back.
"I don't know if Raindapple managed to destroy their supplies before she died," she growled.
Flowertail opened her mouth but no words came out.

"You killed her!" Swiftfur's screech took Poolpaw by surprise, and she flinched as the she-cat lunged at Flowertail and knocked her to the ground, hissing in her face. "This time one of your ridiculous omens has killed your Clanmates!"
"Stop!" Silverstar called.
But Swiftfur had already raised her paw, claws unsheathed.
Hawkflame and Rainpelt streaked from the clearing and dragged Swiftfur off the shocked medicine cat. They held her back as Flowertail scrambled to her paws and shook out her pelt.

Swiftwing and Stormclaw had ventured from the elders's den.
"You lost?" Swiftwing sounded as though she could hardly believe her eyes.
Silverstar nodded. "We had to retreat... and Whiteclaw and Raindapple are dead."

A wail of grief came from outside the nursery. Briarpool raced to Raindapple's body and crouched over her, burying her nose in her pelt.
"What's wrong?" Blackkit and Icekit came scampering after her, slithering to a halt when they saw their mother grieving over Raindapple's lifeless body.

Icekit turned her big, round eyes on Poolpaw. "Is she really...dead?" she breathed.
Poolpaw stared back, words stuck in her throat. She glanced at Featherpaw, but her sister was staring at the ground.

Icefrost stepped forward and glared at Flowertail. "We should never have been sent into battle!"
"I was only interpreting the signs from StarClan." Flowertail defended herself calmly.

"Perhaps you should learn to interpret weather rather than prey," Briarpool pushed ahead of Silverstar to join Icefrost. "Would StarClan have blessed a battle with a storm like that?"
Icefrost narrowed her eyes, her gaze flicking to Briarfang. "Perhaps Flowertail was more eager to satisfy her Clanmates's wishes than those of StarClan."

Silverstar shouldered her way to the front. "Enough!" she growled. "Flowertail is not to blame for our defeat. All warriors risk their lives for the sake of the Clan. It's part of the warrior code. Our wounded need attention. Arguing won't help them!"

Owlpaw hurried forward. "I'll get more supplies." She disappeared down the tunnel, followed quickly by Flowertail.
"You can hide from your Clanmates," Swiftfur muttered under her breath. "It'll be StarClan who judges you."

As the wounded cats limped to the medicine clearing, Dawnstripe, Briarpool, Crowclaw and Briarfang led the warriors bodies toward the middle in the clearing and started licking their pelts.
Stormclaw and Swiftwing joined them, tucking Whiteclaw's under him and lapping his pelt.

"Will you sit vigil?" Ashfall's soft mew roused Poolpaw from her grief-stricken trance.

The warriors, queens and elders finished their task and Whiteclaw and Raindapple's bodies lay in the center of the clearing, as sleek and peaceful as if they were only sleeping. The rain clouds were cleaning now, and the sun rested on the tops of the snowy trees, turning them pink. Raindapple's pelt turned silver while Whiteclaw's turned dark gray.

With a pang of grief so strong she had to fight her breath, Poolpaw remembered the first time she'd opened her eyes and been startled by her mother's beauty, and how she was amazing by how cool-looking her father was. How she wished she were back in her nest now, curling near Raindapple and Whiteclaw and hearing their steady breathing, waiting for them to wake up.

"Will you sit vigil?" Ashfall repeated.
Poolpaw snapped. "Why did you have to make them asleep! They're dead!" She stared at Featherpaw, but Featherpaw's eyes were dull with grief.

Icefrost padded from the shadows beneath Highrock and laid her tail on Poolpaw's shoulders. "No one's trying to pretend they're still alive. They now walk together in StarClan. But they're still watching you, as closely as they ever did. They'll never leave you, Poolpaw."
Poolpaw wretched herself away from her. "They have left me. I don't want them to be in StarClan. I want them to be here, where I can see them and talk to them."
Icefrost gazed steadily at her. "You'll see them in your dreams, I promise."

Stifling the wail that rose in her throat, Poolpaw crouched beside her parents's bodies. Featherpaw joined her, nestling so close their pelts touched.
Together they pressed their noses into their parents's fur.
The shadows lengthened around them as one by one her Clanmates joined the vigil. Poolpaw sensed the warmness of their bodies, even more noticeable next to the coldness of her parents.
She pressed her muzzle harder against her father's flank, wishing she could find a little remaining warmth in his fur. But her parents were as cold as earth.

That night, she was in a familiar forest she hadn't been in a while. She recognized the tall, dark grey trees and the starless sky.
As she looked forward, she was also face to face with another familiar cat.

"Greetings, Poolpaw," Darkfrost sneered. "I assume you now know who has betrayed you?"
Poolpaw nodded, immediantky knowing. "Sunpaw.."
Darkfrost purred and trodded forward and wrapped her tail around Poolpaw. "I pity you.. I too have felt pain in my heart. But I know something that secretly lurks in your heart."
Poolpaw flicked her ear, confused. "What?"

"Revenge."

Poolpaw was about to deny it, but.. she couldn't help the feeling of wanting her cold revenge on Sunpaw.
Darkfrost continued, "I can help you get what you want.. I can teach you to become a better warrior than everyone else. You'll be praised from your Clan with my teachings.."

Poolpaw listened carefully. But then she halted. She didn't want to spend more and more moons training of being a warrior. "Can you tell me the quickest way..?"
Darkfrost purred, "Very well." She then unsheathed her claws, "First, you need to unsheath your claws and pin them onto the their neck, making them unable to get away, and then, once your ready for your revenge.. slash through their throat!"
Poolpaw grinned, imagining the image. She dipped her head, "Thank you. Will I ever see you again?"
Darkfrost nodded. "Of course, whenever you are needed of help, I'll be here."

Poolpaw then woke up with a jolt.
She was now back into the apprentice, Featherpaw and Duskpaw sleeping peacefully. Bravepaw had to sleep in the medicine den for a few days.
Poolpaw remembered the night before where Raindapple and Whiteclaw huddled near their kits, promising them they would go out as a family and collect moss for their nests.

You said you would always be here with me. Why did you have to die?