FrostClan: A Dark Tomorrow

Blueshard chuckled. "I think you miscalculated mine Quartzprickle. According to you, I shouldn't be able to catch anything." He nodded at her catch. "Good catch though. For leaf-bare the clan should be well fed...." he trailed off sighing. "Nothing wrong with a bit of friendly competition for a good cause." He looked her over again. "You remind me a bit of old Spiritclan and Waterclan. They had such pelts as yours as well as these webbed paws. I've only heard stories of them, but apparently they were the best with Ice and Snow hunting." He dug up his score. "I suppose we should get these back to camp?"

Quartzprickle sniffed. "I suppose. Very well, but I warn you. Tis only a fluke that you caught that mouse. And I should advise you not to speak of this to any of the other cats- they would surely not accept you among them for your actions." She trotted ahead, unsure of why she warned him. Did she accept him? No.....Or maybe she did? After all, I did warn him to hold his tongue. Hmmm! She then stopped dead in her tracks, dropping her mouse and voles. "I can't go back now- I have to watch for the other huntress apprentices. You take the prey back and say you were delivering it for me."

Blueshard rolled his eyes and looked at her. "Just keep in mind, I don't know where you came from, and you don't where I came from. You don't know what I've been through or where I've been, just as I don't know what you've been through or where you've been. But I promise you, I can hunt, and I can hunt well." With that, he took the prey from her gently and dipped his head to her as he began to carry it back to the camp, keeping his paws light and steady again in the snow. Everything was far too white for his likings, and her warnings had more annoyed him than anything else, but still. Even he had to admit what she said was true. It was ok to hunt for the clan, so long as they didn't know he was doing it.

Quartzprickle bounded away, her semi wet pelt slowing her down quite a bit. Though her apprentice was icy, her blood was rushing hot. I needed to keep my eyes on them! What if Boulderclan already got to them?! I must hurry! She was completely strained from fighting the strong river current.

Blueshard was quick on his return to the camp. Somehow he felt he had to get back out there. Though he wasn't sure why or for what. His return to the camp was quiet, as he had silently hoped. He didn't meet anyone, thankfully, and heard no yowling of battling cats as he reached the camp. If there really would be a battle with Boulderclan or whatever their names were, it would be a game of luck, a game of shadows as it were. He padded back into camp, the limp prey hanging from his jaws.

She shuttered feeling a chill run down her back. The huntress turned, and her cruel gaze met up with what she knew she would find.

"Ooo looky looky- Its the little ice princess, the daughter of Harrierstar himself!"

"What? The little royal mouse has left her cave?! For shame!!"

"Oh come on! You weren't even trained to fight! At least this'll be easy- making our point!"

Standing before her were three sleek, well-fed bodies, all rippling with strong muscles. Vipersqueal, with his apprentice Gingerpaw and Saltshoals, the warrior who's scratches are said to burn with the stinging pain of salt. "What are you all doing here?" spat Quartzprickle, feeling her dampened fur rise to points.

Vipersqueal snickered and snarked out,"Gingerpaw! This one should be an easy target! She's had no training!"

At her mentor's command, the ginger and tan tabby shot forward, catching the Frostclan off guard and slicing open the thin skin across Quartzprickle's nose, over the ridge of her white muzzle. Then Gingerpaw threw a clawed kick, hitting Quartzprickle straight in her chest, which was still strained from swimming in freezing water and running through the snow with wet fur. Rearing back, Gingerpaw snapped at the huntress' face,but missed and caught the larger cat's throat instead, but was easily thrown off.

Quartzprickle stumbled back and spat up blood, her eyes wide and focused blankly on the ground, unaware of the two toms just standing around her, watching the fight.

Blueshard layed his fresh kill upon the pile. nobody had seen he thought. He didn't give it time to waste. Something told him hurry up. He turned around, leaving the camp quickly behind. Blueshard remembered that Frostclan's territory was much smaller than Rockclans (about a fifth or so for those of you math geeks XD) and he quickly found the spot that he had last seen Quartzprickle, but something was different. He sniffed the air. A new scent, definitely cat, not one he recognized. He growled. "Looks like fights on today." he said to himself. He flicked his ears, thinking he heard yowling. A second later, he confirmed it and streaked off, as best as he could, through the snow.

He stayed silent, not wanting to betray himself to the others, not even to Quartzprickle. So far as he knew he was the only one there who could help now. He looked over, an apprentice appeared to be attacking her, and two warriors were looking on. What'd they think this was? Dinner and a show? Blueshard dug his claws into the snow. He was gonna give em a show they weren't expecting, nor were wanting.

Vipersqueal spun around, his tabby brown body bristling and his solid black head lowered, his green, snake-like eyes seething in anger. He suddenly launched himself forward and landed squarely on Blkueshard, his claws digging into the blue tom's back. "How stupid do you think we are?! We were expecting more to tag along, but if should've hidden yourself better!"

Saltshoals darted over to his clanmate's aid, the white and pale blue-tinged tom raking his salty claws across Blueshard's face,a burning sensation lighting the flesh to a bright, burning red color.

Blueshard Cringed a little, back into the old breach. The adrenalin kicked in almost immediately. The large tom had landed squarely on his back, but Blueshard easily toppled him, loosening the snow under him. He kicked some of it up, splashing it in the eyes of Saltshoal and Squeezed out from under Vipersqueal.

Blueshard was in a moment beside Quartzprickle. He fiercely whispered to her, "I really don't like our odd's here."

Vieledmist glanced back to Shadderscream and Hellspire beside Relicheart. He took a step into the den, noticing that Harrierstar had stirred-possibly from a slumber.

"Oh, you don't say?!" she snapped back, ducking her head to the side as Gingerpaw attempted to dive onto her face." Damn, this kit's got more bite than some of our own warriors!"

Gingerpaw hesitated. "R-really?" Her bright green eyes began to glow and her harsh face seemed to grow soft and thankful.

Vipersqueal got to his feet and yowled, though not in harsh context,"Gingerpaw! Why have you stopped?! Have you forgotten what Frostclan has done to our leader?!"

Saltshoals shook his head, melted snow slosh flying in droplets from his face, commenting more calmly,"Vipersqueal....this isn't right. Have you no Boulderclan honor- trying to kill one with no knowledge of battle? Think of our ancestors, remember the tales of the peacekeepers who's allies were all. They were wrong, and we are now wrong.....Two wrongs do not make a right."

The dark warrior's harden face lost its strain and meowed,"I know.....But Shadowmire- He ordered an attack-"

"And we gave him one. But then we leveled our heads. Gingerpaw, Vipersqueal- Lets us return home. However, before we go, Quartzprickle....please forgive us of our cruelty and allow us to assist you in any way.

Quartzprickle was shocked, but then stood firm. "To pay us back, return to your camp and fetch a clump of catmint and chervil, then have Gingerpaw deliver it to me."

"Understood." Saltshoals flicked his tail, ordering his clanmembers to follow. It was clear he had made his place known in his clan. He should've been made the deputy...

Blueshard realized that he hadn't actually unsheathed his claws yet, but it appeared that this battle had finished; so he kept them sheathed, careful though not to trust them. His nose stung a little, but it was dull, the scratch wasn't deep. A few scraps of fur were missing, but that mean't little to him. Regardless, his fur remained puffed up to twice his size, though he wasn't a relatively large cat. He stayed silent, letting the cats who knew each other speak.

Once the cats left, Quartzprickle looked down at the ground, staring at the pool of her own blood that had gone cold. She was silent, appearing oblivious to Blueshard still being there, her fur only prickled to the extent that it normally did, no more to show she was hostile.

Blueshard let his fur lie flat now, taking his paw over his deeper wounds, but not bothering with the others. Looking over to her, he blinked. "Are you ok?" he asked, fearing a fierce rebuttal he'd take for asking that, but taking the risk anyways.

At Blueshard's words, she fell to her belly, landing flatly in the snow. She wasn't faint, only in a state of shock, fully awake and clear to all that happened around her. "Yeah..."

Blueshard's eyebrows raised. Surely that wasn't it. He'd known her to be so fierce, the strongest of the she-cats in the clan it seemed, but she seemed almost broken. It was bizarre to him. He wasn't sure how to react to that. He flicked his ears, distracting himself from thinking about it. He didn't want to think about it. Battles were horrid things, but in this f-ed up world, they were necessary. At least that patrol had one smart cat to realize that. Blueshard began to analyze in his mind what had just occurred. What he could have done differently? Could he have been there sooner to help Quartzprickle? It didn't matter. "We haven't seen the last of them... they'll be back..." he mewed, his words hardly more than a whisper.

Quartzprickle, still gazing bleary-eyed at the ground grumbled,"Well no duh. They have to deliver the herbs to me to take back to camp. I know they'll be back." Despite her harsh comment, her voice was calm and empty, as if she really didn't care what was being said to her.

(After reading your story, I'm going over my old story and I think I'm going to add another chapter to it Thanks for getting me back on topic.)

"Not what I mean't and you know it." Blueshard sighed. "just one little fight like that won't be enough to avenge the life lost to their leader." His eyes scanned the area, looking for them to come back with the herbs. He hadn't really even caught their names, but did that really matter? He went silent again, forming his air of silence around him that he had come to be known for.

Quartzprickle stood up and turned around to face the Boulderclan border, her reddened nose wriggling as they drank in the approaching scent, though it was hard to do so as a buffet of sharp, icy wind caught her face.

From far away, the familiar body of the small, ginger and tan tabby she-cat could be seen trotting towards them, her green eyes matching the bright leafy clump wedged in her maw.

Blueshard could see the cat, he looked up just as the buffet of wind stung him. He looked down sharply, blinking his eyes for a moment, looking back up a moment later. I've had about enough of this crap.... he thought to himself as he waited.

Gingerpaw stopped before the two cats, her breathing strained to huffs as she set the catmint and chervil at Qurtzprickle's paw, dipping her head, and retreating back to her own territory.

Quartzprickle nodded to the leaving cat and gathered up the gift, her gaze flashing once at Blueshard as if to tell him to follow as she bounded away.

Blueshard didn't let the cat get out of his sight until she had retreated to her own territory. His eyes flashed for a moment as he closed them, opening them just in time to see Quartzprickle's gaze fly across him. The tom did not hesitate to follow and though normally it was hard to track her in ice and snow such as this, today he could see her just fine. He floundered a moment at first before remembering his light steps. A slight hiss of annoyance leaving him before he did.

Quartzprickle finally reached the camp, glad that her pelt was white, the snow covering her wounds blending in well with her fur. She disappeared into the medicine cat's den, waving her tail in a friendly goodbye to Blueshard, going to deliver the herbs to her friend, Emeraldeye.

Blueshard dipped his head to her as he broke away. His scratches didn't really need looking at, at least he thought, but by now he felt the wave of exhaustion crash into him. The warriors den looked so appealing right then and there, but he shook his head. With that attack, could it be possible that they would send others to the camp? Surely in leaf-bare they'd think better of it.

Emeraldeye turned from his sorting to see Quartzprickle with herbs in her maw. "Where did you find those? I thought the only catmint was deep in twolegplace, if even there," He mewed curiously, unable to scent any traces of Boulderclan over the distinct smell of herbs that surrounded his den.