~Chapter theme song~
~I'd recommend listening to it before reading this chapter~

IceClan surged forward.

Icefrost hissed to Poolpaw. "Keep close to me! And don't take on any cat bigger than you!"
Poolpaw stared up at the DawnClan cats bristling atop the rock as rain patted the cats below.

Blood pulsed in her ears as Icefrost charged up Icerocks, shrieking like a fox. She hurtled after her, ears flat and eyes round; a screech tore from her throat that was driven by terror than rage. Had DawnClan brought its whole camp?

Let Bluefeather come soon!

Emberstar howled as Silverstar crashed into him, knocking him to the ground.
Icefrost sent a white tom rolling across the slab of stone with a vicious swipe, then leaped on top of him, sending fur flying as she shredded the tom with her flailing forepaws.

A DawnClan she-cat with a mottled pelt raced alongside Poolpaw.
Thinking fast, Poolpaw ducked and nipped the she-cat on the hind leg as she flew past.
The DawnClan warrior shrieked and wheeled around. Shock pulsed through Poolpaw as the warrior's eyes fixed on her. They were blazing, lit by fury.
She was going to attack! Poolpaw crouched and braced herself. As the mottled warrior leaped, Poolpaw darted forward, slipping under the warrior's front claws and shouldering her way beneath her belly. The she-cat's claws scraped stone instead of pelt as Poolpaw pushed up with all her might, unbalancing her enemy. She spun to see the she-cat tumble sideways and felt a surge of triumph.

Yowling with rage, the warrior scrambled back to her paws and turned to attack.
Poolpaw prepared to lunge, aiming again for the belly, but the DawnClan cat was ready.

She came in low, knocking Poolpaw's front black paws from under her and sending her spinning and rolling along the rock. Grasping at the stone, Poolpaw's claws frayed without getting a grip, and she found herself tumbling and sliding over the side and plummeting into the snow piled below.

Struggling free from the drift, Poolpaw sneezed the freezing snow from her mouth and nose.
She paused to catch her breath, then began to creep along the base of the rock with her mouth open and her ears prickled, testing the air for any sign of DawnClan warriors.

The frozen river bubbled a tail-length away, swirling into blackness under the cloudy white ice. Steep rocks trapped her on the narrow riverbank. She could recognize the howls and shrieks of her Clanmates battling above.
From the stench coating the snow she guessed DawnClan had swarmed from there up the rock.
She went back into the battlefield.

She was still taken aback by how many cats there were.

She swirled around to see if any cat was coming behind her and as Duskwing passed by, she saw her.
Sunpaw.

Flashes of memories flashed through her...

Wind howling...

The rush of wind against her pelt as she ran to find her parents...

Horror of seeing her friend slaughter her parents..

"Do you feel nothing? You disgusting piece of roadkill?"

And she remembered clearly... her despair.

Anger started rising in her.
Rain swept over the cats, but Poolpaw felt nothing but wanting to hurt her. No... kill her.
Her fur started bristling and she unsheathed her sharp claws.

"MURDERER!" She yowled in rage as she flung herself at Sunpaw.

Sunpaw moved away quickly, Poolpaw yowled in triumph as she was able to dig her claws into Sunpaw's ear.
Sunpaw stiffened momentarily before shaking her head, blood droplets flying everywhere.
Poolpaw landed on the ground with a hard thud, and she swung around with pure hatred in her deep blue eyes.

"FIGHT, YOU COWARD!" She snarled as she raised her sharp claws and had aimed for Sunpaw's cheeks, but Sunpaw had ducked in time.
She hissed in fury, "When I am leader of my Clan, I will stop at nothing to take away your precious Icerocks!"
Sunpaw's ears flickered. "What are you trying to accomplish, Poolpaw?" They sighed. "I have a high pain tolerance, attacking me like this won't get you anything, in fact I doubt it will even make you feel better."
Hatred pulsed through Poolpaw's veins as she snarled. "You don't know what I want!"

Ha! They don't know what's coming! She then grinned, "And who said anything about me attacking you?"
She then grabbed Sunpaw's scruff and threw it against one of the large rocks and she pinned Sunpaw with her claw onto her throat. "You were always a fool, Sunpaw. Thinking I would merely attack you. No, I'm here to kill you."

"Well that sucks, I was starting to like you."
With a flash of silver claws, Sunpaw hit Poolpaw across the face.
Poolpaw lurched backward with a snarl of defiance and landed onto a sideways boulder.

She twisted around to Sunpaw with a snarl of rage.
Sunpaw sighed lowly, a hiss escaping her teeth. "I don't see why this is necessary, I don't want to hurt you."

A memories flashed from her.

"I just want you to look perfect when you meet the Clan."

"I don't know. But I hope Silverstar chooses well for you."

"Poolkit is safe and sound, and that's all that matters."

"You're going to make an excellent warrior."

Splatters of tears splashed onto the ground from Poolpaw's eyes.

She snarled in rage at Sunpaw even with tears flowing from her eyes, "I DO! YOU KILLED THEM!"

She then lunged with all the strength she had and pinned Sunpaw against her rock, her claws gripping Sunpaw's throat and she grinned wickedly. "Say hello to StarClan for me."
Are you watching, Whiteclaw and Raindapple? I'm about to avenge you!

As she raised her claw, and was about to slash at Sunpaw's throat, she felt a silver white cat knock her off of Sunpaw and sending her flying.
Poolpaw spinned and rolled and landed on her belly with a cough.

She stood up and saw Featherpaw was lifting Sunpaw up with her head. "Go!"
Sunpaw stood up and looked at Featherpaw, her ears lying flat then glancing at Poolpaw. "Poolpaw, I really don't know why you're trying to kill me," She then sprang away.
As Sunpaw fled away to help her Clanmates, Featherpaw gave a glare to Poolpaw that said we'll talk about this later.
Poolpaw snorted in annoyance as she glanced sideways as Featherpaw raced away to help their Clanmates with the battle.

As she climbed up a rock boulder, she glanced around the battlefield. How were her Clanmates doing?
"Attack!" Bluefeather's yowl rang over the stone.
The second patrol had come!
Claws scraped rock and frightened yowls rent the air.

DawnClan was streaming from the rock and racing away across the frozen river. Poolpaw held her breath as the last DawnClan warriors paused on the ice at the edge of the river.

Smashing down with their hind legs, they cracked the ice.
They wanted to stop IceClan from following!
As the ice shattered under them, they leaped light as feathers onto the solid ice beyond and hurtled back to their territory, leaving a channel of black water swirling between themselves and IceClan.

Poolpaw nodded and trodded forward to where her Clanmates were gathering.
"Did you see Emberstar's face when Bluefeather led her patrol up over the edge?" Briarfang crowed.
Rainpelt purred. "I had Sparkshine in a grip so tight she had to beg me to let her go!"
Silverstar padded from warrior to warrior, checking injuries and murmuring praise.

"Where did you get to?" Briarfang looked at Poolpaw. One of his ears was blood and his pelt was ruffled, tufts sticking out where the claws dug in.
"I was fighting," Poolpaw said, she didn't need to explain herself! She was so close to her revenge..

"Let's go home," the IceClan leader said. With a flick of her tail she signaled to her Clan and led the way towards the snowy trees.

Before she could follow her Clan, Featherpaw stopped her in her tracks. "Stop. What happened back there?"
Poolpaw glared at Featherpaw. "I don't need to explain myself. I was going to kill Sunpaw. End of story."
Featherpaw took a step back. "How can you think of killing a cat?!"
Poolpaw growled, "You don't get it! Sunpaw killed mom and dad!"

"So you're gonna be just like them?!" Featherpaw narrowed her eyes.
Poolpaw snarled. "I'm nothing like them! You're weak to even compare me to that traitor!"
Featherpaw's eyes widened. "What happened to you? You're not the Poolpaw I remember."
Poolpaw hissed. "Maybe you don't know me as well as you think you do!"

Featherpaw looked at her with sudden anger, "Are you trying to join the dark forest?!"
Poolpaw was taken aback and confused, "What's the dark forest?"
Featherpaw rolled her eyes. "Aaaandd of course you weren't listening when we heard the story," she sighed. "The dark forest is a place where cats go where they kill mercilessly, break the warrior code and do great crimes against their Clans."
Then what Featherpaw said next shocked Poolpaw, "The place is disgussting, with sluggish rivers and dark grey trees and the sky has no stars. They even train living cats to become ruthless killers like them."
Poolpaw felt like ice was cracking beneath her, "Can... can the dark forest cats visit cats in their dreams?"
Featherpaw nodded. "Pretty sure."

She needed to see her.

She dived into sleep, willing it, wanting it, and woke in the Dark Forest.
Darkfrost stepped out of the shadows with a purr, "Poolpaw, you nearly had them, if it weren't for your annoying sister. Maybe we should plan on how to expose of her."

Poolpaw snarled in rage. "You, ice-breaking, frost-brain!"

Rage scorched through her. With a roar, she leaped at her.
She remembered Darkfrost teaching her the death bite.

Swiping the black she-cat sideways with a hefty blow, Poolpaw lunged for her throat.
She ducked away, growling. Pleasure lit her eyes. "You think you're stronger than me?" she hissed. Darkfrost darted forward and reared at her, slamming her forepaws against her cheek.
Poolpaw staggered, lifted by the force of her blow, and stumbled to the ground.

Poolpaw spun away in time to knock aside another strike.

Claws outstretched, she hooked Darkfrost's pelt and flung her backward.
Darkfrost scrabbled at the dark earth with her hind legs, recovering her balance in a heartbeat and throwing herself at her, forepaws stretched out, claws glinting like teeth.
Poolpaw ducked and slid underneath her, swiping her hind legs away.

Then Poolpaw turned and leaped, twisting in the air, kicking out her hind legs, swiping with her fore, landing on her back as she struggled to find her paws.

Darkfrost pushed up with a force that shocked her.
Poolpaw lost her grip.
Flying backward, she turned, reaching for the ground.
It hit her before she found it, knocking the breath from her.
She grunted as she felt Darkfrost's weight on her back. Her claws pierced her pelt as she pinned her to the earth.

"Go on then, kill me!" Poolpaw hissed. "I've got nothing left to live for."
"Oh, no," Darkfrost's honeyed mew dripped in her ear. "Letting you live is far better revenge."
"Revenge?" Poolpaw twitched. "What did I ever do to you?"

Darkfrost jerked her backward and stared into her deep blue eyes. Her emerald gaze flamed with hate. "I should of been IceClan's leader! But my great, perfect, sister got everything!"
She gave Poolpaw a vicious shake, her claws hooking deeper into her flesh. "She had supported parents, a loving mate, friends with her entire Clan, I should of had all of that!"
Poolpaw tried to wiggle free.
"Oh, no!" Darkfrost yanked her back to face her. "You must listen to the whole story."
Her rank breath breathed her muzzle. "And she was going to be made deputy! Can you imagine what that feels like? To be rejected your entire life? When all you tried to do was love? But don't worry, I made her pay. Let's just say she wasn't able to become deputy if she's a dead corpse!"
Poolpaw tried to backdown a gasp of horror.
"Luckily, I was able to fill her shoes once she was disposed of. But, guess what?! That stupid medicine cat slaughtered me before I could even get my nine lives and gave me this frost-brain scar." She pointed a sharp claw to the scar that crossed from her eye to her torso.

Her gaze flicked around the clearing. "I earned my place in the Dark Forest. But what makes it worse.. I have other kin."
Poolpaw didn't like where this was going.

"When my poor sister had died, her devoted mate had to move on and took another mate! They had a daughter, and she had a son, and do you know who that son was?"
Poolpaw shook her head, trying to keep up.
"Whiteclaw," Darkfrost snarled. "Your father."

Poolpaw felt like she had fallen beneath cracking ice. She and Darkfrost were kin?!

"Do you see now? Do you understand?"
"Understand what?"
"You frost-brain! I could of been leader of IceClan! I've endured so much pain! So many cats have hurt me beyond measure. And then you came.. You and I, we both had the same things we want. Betrayed, and hungry for revenge. I always knew when I saw you being born, you were destined to become a merciless killer.. like me."

"You're crazy.." Poolpaw whispered.
Darkfrost thrust her muzzle close. "But I'm also dead."

Her gaze glittered wildly. "Which means you can't hurt me!" She barged past her and Poolpaw woke in her nest with blood welling on her pelt.