Frostclan: Stay Out of the Shadows -OFFICIAL-

The white warrior walked into the camp, his jaws full of feather as a fat starling was clamped down. His red eyes wandered around the camp with a joyful gleam. Setting the bird down, he turned to Honeykit and meowed happily,"Hey, if you see Hawkpaw, tell him ha can have today and tomorrow off of training." He continued on until he met Spiritsong's gaze and then his blood turned to ice.

Shinepaw yawned, her eyes droopy. "H-huh?"

(Yayz!)

Spiritsong immeadiately stood up and padded over to Cherrywing. "So... Will you tell me how you and Hawkpaw both ended up being injured after training?" Her electric-blue gaze was locked on him and had an angry gleam to it. Her voice was only a little cold, though. At least, at the moment.

Cherrywing hadn't paid much to the question and he asked, staring off into the sky. "Spiritsong....what do you know about love...?" His body language said everything....the reason he had given Hawkpaw the day off...the reason he had been off in the forest all day.....the large warrior was in love.

Spiritsong was puzzled by the question. "Err... What? Why would you even try asking me that!? I'm a medicine cat, for Starclan's sake!" She started glaring at him. "Now answer my question. I want a straight answer, too... Not more of this 'love' business," she snapped.

Cherrywing joggled his mind back to normal and meowed,"Me and Hawkpaw were having a race and I didn't notice a thick bramble ahead of me. When I tripped on it, my tail made Hawkpaw stumble and we crashed into a bramble bush just ahead. I feel a little embarrased about the whole things because as a mentor, I should have had my sights on that stupid bramble."

Spiritsong growled. I knew it. "Liar. Why don't you admit what really happened?" She continued to glare at him.

What do you mean 'liar?!' Its the truth!! Just ask Hawkpaw!" He walked away, not wanting to deal with Spiritsong right now. How do I expect to bring Lily here if even my best friend doesn't trust me?!

Spiritsong hissed and followed him. "Is that so? Then why do these look exactly like marks from claws and teeth? What do you take me for!? What kind of medicine cat wouldn't be able to tell the difference!?" She growled in his face. "And besides, I-" She broke off, took a step away from the warrior, and started coughing.

Cherrywing's head whipped around, his eyes filled with concern. "Oh no, you're sick, aren't you?!" His eyes softened as he ushered the small cat back to her den. "You must stay out of the cold. Please!"

Spiritsong held back another string of coughs. Then the little she-cat growled at him. "I'll be fine! Now tell me this, why did you lie to me?" Her tail was lashing as she glared at him.

He looked her in the eyes, his red and glitering with sympathy and hurt. "Why don't you trust me? You've known me longer than any other cat here...."

Spiritsong sighed. "I would trust you, except I am a hundred percent sure you are lying to me about how you two got injured. What I was trying to say before I started coughing again was... I heard exactly what you told Hawkpaw. I saw you two training. I know full well it was no bramble bush that got you two hurt!" Her eyes blazed.

Cherrywing looked sternly at Spiritsong, then sighed. "There no hiding anything from you, is there, kiddo? It was nothing. Both of our blood was pumping and a little tussle broke out. We're fine and it won't happen again."

Spiritsong snorted. "Fine? Fine? Do you have any idea how bad an injury in leaf-bare can become, even if it's only minor?" She sighed. "You were asking me why I didn't trust you... But you don't trust me either. It seems that if I want the truth, I have to find out for myself!" She was still angry with the white warrior, and she knew it would be a stinging comment, but she added, "and get whitecough because of it!"

Riverpaw was dreaming. She dreamt she was in a lush green field, full of fat prey. She happily bounded around and caught a large rabbit. She tucked into the fat creature enjoying actually having a full meal. She then wondered where she was. It was leaf-bare, the prey shouldn't be fat and the fields shouldn't be green. "Am I dead? Am I in Starclan? Did greencough kill me?" she yowled to no one but herself.

Spiritsong whimpered and continued on. "Why should I trust you if you don't trust me back? What's the point in that?" She lowered her gaze and started coughing again. The words she'd spoken to Riverpaw earlier echoed through her mind. Calm down. Stress can make your symptoms worse... She continued to cough. Why didn't I follow my own advice? Some role model I am, going and stressing myself out with whitecough...

Cherrywing spun around and walked right back out into the forest. "Maybe I'll catch Greencough and wind up in a hole in the ground! Or maybe in a badger's belly!" He bounded away, not caring who saw him run. Equestria had woken with a start. Her nightmare had caused her to lose all sense of her surrounding,but she then quickly regained her memory, remembering Frostclan. Such a queer thing, time is.....Even as the world slows, time allows it to keep moving.....changing it. As the world grows, volcanoes roar, never hushing, never resting. As the world turns, oceans churn, never ceasing, never ending. As the world ages, forests grow, never stopping, never dying. And as the world dies, deserts spread, never yielding, never haulting. Time.....time controls it all....

Spiritsong whimpered again and dashed after the large white warrior. She was still occasionally coughing, but ignored it. Even though I said all that... He doesn't think I'd bother to try and stop him? I can't help it... I still trust him, and I doubt anything could change that.

Cherrywing stopped, catching Spiritsong's scent. Without turning to face her, he meowed softly,"What is it now, Spiritsong? Have I done more wrong by leaving camp. I am not fleeing if that is what you think. I am not the same cat that was banished from Flameclan.....I am not a traitor nor a pitiful wimp fleeing a battle that I cannot win." His voice seemed aged, as if he was begining to die inside.

Ivy waited as Shinepaw answered. Ivy looked around to make sure no one was listening. She quietly told Shinepaw and Hawkpaw her wild plan and how she wanted Shinepaw and Hawkpaw and a couple other cats to come with her to look for catmint.

Riverpaw padded around the green field. "Am I dead?" she yelled over and over. "No," a voice replied, it was a soft voice. "Who are you?" Riverpaw asked, she was now frightened. "My name is Tigerclaw, I am a starclan warrior. I was murdered," Tigerclaw replied. "Who murdered you?" Riverpaw asked frantically. "The traitor in the clan, the one who is responsible for Pheasantpaw and Darkstar's death. Be wary, don't trust anybody," Tigerclaw meowed, her voice was slowly weakening and know it was reduced to a whisper. "Your mother was a good friend of mine. She was also friends with Vulturewing but Vulturewing had a tainted soul. Don't let anybody foll you into doing something that isn't right" Tigerclaw mewed, by her last words she was barely audible. "Wait! Tell me the name of the traitor! Who could it be?" Riverpaw yowled. "Farewell," Tigerclaw whispered and faded away.

Spiritsong coughed again. "I never said anything like that. The only thing I want to know is why you don't seem to trust me anymore." Her voice had completely lost the hard edge to it. Now it was barely more than whimpering.

(Yes, she's going to get sicker than she already was...)

(That's just not gonna happen Chibi *evil grin*)

Hawkpaw listened intently to what Ivy was saying. "We could save the clan allot of trouble." He whispered to Shinepaw.

Shinepaw nodded, her eyes weak as he body heaved. "Yeah! I'll go!" Suddenly, Jewelpaw appeared behind the apprentices, her eyes wide. ".....I won't tell anyone...but do be careful." Cherrywing sighed, sitting down next to Spiritsong. "I do trust you. Its the others I feel who don't trust me.....just because of my blood."

Riverpaw woke up with a jolt. "Tigerclaw!" she yowled and then realized she was iin Spiritsong's den, not in the lush green field. What a wierd dream... Why do I keep hearing of this traitor? Who could it be? I shouldn't worry myself, Spiritsong said it would just make me worse. Riverpaw thought. She lay back down and tried to sleep, but failed.