Frostbone's Slavery

Chapter 14: Calm Before the Storm

The weather was pleasantly warm. The grass in SandClan territory was allegedly still stained red, and VenomClanners knew for sure that the rocks on their border were. For an aftermath, the weather was clement, and oddly placid-- Frostbone thought it to be inappropriate. There ought to be a gentle rain in mourning for all those who have died.

Of course, the deputy was reflecting on the weather outside from inside Wolfstar's den. The sun was setting, setting the walls a dull pink, and the deputy was mewing, "Why'd you have to enter SandClan's territory anyway? We didn't gain anything from it."

"That was so long ago. Three moons ago. Why complain?"
"It was immoral." She argued.
"I did it to prove a point. Dear Frostbone, we gained much from it. You're too naive to understand how useful it is to test the waters." His eyes glinted in the darkness, reminding his deputy of a potent persuasion, hidden behind a candid, monstrous guise.

*~*~*

The next sunrise, Frostbone was on the Tangled Willow. She had just finished assigning patrols, empty minded as usual, waiting until Wolfstar exited his den-- it was sun-high, after all. Oddly enough, no warriors seemed to mind or notice his absence.
Despite him being gone, his influence was still heavy in camp. Everyone remembered The Great Battle, as it was named; the longest and largest Frostbone has ever heard of. 

The effects were evident during the last gathering Frostbone attended. Every warrior was separated by Clan, huddled next to one another and distrustfully eyeing the VenomClanners and OakClanners who mingled together. Even GreenClan was independent again, terminating their alliance soon after the battle and giving Wolfstar the temporary idea of invading them the night after.

Frostbone decided to climb down from the Tangled Willow and onto the warm sand. She spotted Redwillow and approached, nodding to Silentdawn who was nearby, and to her past mentor as she grew near.

"Want us to go on a patrol or something?" Silentdawn asked, biting into a piece of vole.
"No, I'm just here to talk to Redwillow." The deputy mewed.
Silentdawn got up, "I'll go then." She mewed curtly before leaving.
Frostbone watched her leave and then sat down in front of Redwillow who looked tired.

"I was on morning patrol and I'm due for the sun-high patrol." He muttered.
"I'll come with you for the sun-high patrol! Who leads that, again?" She thought back to whom she assigned. It seemed so long ago, and she usually assigns random cats to random patrols anyway.

"Icemarrow."

"Oh." She lashed her tail across the sand, "I'm sorry, I just thought'd be nice for him to leave camp for a bit." She purred.

He purred as well, despite looking uncomfortable.

Icemarrow's voice hissed from across the clearing, "Patrol! Gather, now!"

Frostbone and Redwillow slowly collected next to him alongside Soaringclaw and Strongheart.
Icemarrow stared at Frostbone. "Yes, my deputy?" He asked in a mockingly respectful tone. "What is it you need?"
"I am coming on the patrol." She told him.

"Oh, as a test to see how I lead one?" He cooed. The other two warriors chuckled.
"No. I just need some time outside of camp." She snapped. "I can't stay here all day long, assigning patrols one after another. I need to contribute to the Clan, too."

He looked away from her, icy eyes sour. He muttered something, "Rather you never did anything, like Longscar..." Before leading the cats from camp.

They were led to a couple of rocks. These rocks weren't red, for no battles have taken place here. It was a corner of land that was dark from the shadows of RockClan mountains close by, surrounded by rocks that were grey in colour. In fact, all VenomClan rocks are grey. Grey and tan were the colours of their territory. There wasn't much else.

Frostbone scented the air. The scent of RockClan was faint, as was expected, from their scent being blown from across the border. She instead focused on the scent of mouse that was noticeable nearby. She crouched into the sand. Camouflage did not matter  out near the rocks. It never did. VenomClanners caught prey based off of speed and accuracy.

She leapt at the mouse stationed just outside a rock crevice and landed on it before it had a chance to duck back under the rock. She lifted it in her jaws and looked for the others. Redwillow was sleeping on a rock. He had already caught a vole and he was now resting.

"Tired from the morning patrol?"

"Tired of everything." He answered without opening his eyes, "The other sunrise, Icemarrow made Bloodpaw train on me." He rolled over, eyes still shut, to show her the scratch marks on his belly. He sighed, "And Sootleaf keeps telling me of his dreams. There's something coming. Something coming soon."

"What is it?" Frostbone padded next to the rock and listened close. Are we going to die? Is this finally the end?

"In Leaf-bare. Sickness and plague and death and blood, yet we are all fine."

At the beginning of the sentence Frostbone felt excited, but near the end her hopes sank. "Oh."

He opened his eyes and looked straight into hers, "But what are we to do?" His glistening amber stare gazed into her dark blue with a heavy seriousness. "Long ago, in GreenClan, the same was practiced there. A slavery of sorts. Cats being kept for whatever the strong leader wanted. There was nothing they could do but die and release themselves into StarClan. But where is StarClan here?"

Frostbone's heart beat fast. "I don't think StarClan watches over us because they know there is absolutely nothing they can do to stop whatever will happen."

Redwillow nodded his head against the rock as he sighed, "The future is set."

*~*~*

Frostbone dropped her prey into the pile. The pile was placed conveniently  for where she was about to go next. She swerved from the fresh-kill pile propped against a stone cave and went into the cave's entrance.

"Sootleaf!" She ran to him and sat down, lost out of her mind.

He turned around and stared at her with twin moon eyes. "What is it?" He whispered to her. His claws sank into the sand, "Another battle? I should of figured the chance VenomClan got to start the leaf-bare with a bang was to start another battle."

"No! Is there something coming in Leaf-bare though? Redwillow said you dreamt of something horrific." She was panicking. How would Cougarfang and Coalspots like me now? How would they? How would they see me when my clan dictates over them and I stand next to the oppressor?

He nodded slowly, "It's true." He looked longingly outside of the den and at the grey sky.

Suddenly a snowflake drifted from the sky and fell at his paws.