Blizzardstar's Choice

Chapter Five {Edited}

Blizzardstar ran swiftly through the towering pine trees of his territory. His paws skidded and slided in the patches of snow. He could hear Wildflight and Quickwater behind him, their breaths coming in fast, shallow gasps. They had wanted to reach the border quickly. Blizzardstar was sure that Oakstar would be quick to send an attack as soon as he saw Rockclaw.

They neared the border, the ground turning to patches of grass and snow.  The brilliant sun shone off the snow coated hillside, reflecting through the trees and into the shadowy Iceclan forest. "Wait." Blizzardstar signaled with his tail for the she-cats to stop. Up on the hillside, he could see a spotted calico pelt racing towards the border.

"That's Spottedrose," Wildflight mewed warily, sinking her claws into the grass. Quickwater sat, perfectly content to stay silent and watch what would happen. Blizzardstar stepped out of the cover of the trees to meet the Breezeclan she-cat. Her fur was ruffled and her eyes were wide with urgency.

"Spottedrose..." Blizzardstar meowed questioningly as she skidded to a stop right in front of him, "has something happened?"

"Other than the death of Rockclaw," she rasped as she caught her breath, "Oakstar is positively mad! He is sending out the clan to come and attack your camp!"

Quickwater had stood while Spottedrose was talking and slunk to Blizzardstar's side. "Well what are we supposed to do against a whole clan? They are surely all intent to wipe us out." Quickwater murmured, her voice thick with worry. "Should I return to camp and warn the others?" she looked up at Blizzardstar desperately.

He nodded, his muscles tense in his shoulders. The dark gray tabby she-cat quickly turned and ran back the way they had come, her tail streaming behind her.

Wildflight stepped up to Blizzardstar's side, her voice unusually calm, "we have come to speak with Oakstar. We thought we could try and work this out without the need to shed our clanmate's blood."

Spottedrose shook her head sadly, "Oakstar will want to kill you both, for the deaths of Rockclaw and Lilybloom." she sounded defeated. Blizzardstar growled and stood, padding past Spottedrose onto BreezeClan territory.

"Hawkslash didn't kill Rockclaw! If I have to go there and fight Oakstar myself over my warrior's honor, I will!" Wildflight quickly bounded after her leader, looking apologetically at Spottedrose as she passed. Blizzardstar was still fuming, his claws itching to slash across Oakstar's muzzle.

How dare he assume that it was Iceclan who had killed Rockclaw? He could hear Spottedrose running up behind them, she was mewing for them to stop.

But he couldn't stop, he had to convince Oakstar that there was no reason for war. The anger faded from his thoughts. He knew that he would not do much convincing if he attacked Oakstar in his camp.

Spottedrose appeared at Blizzardstar's side, her eyes sad and questioning. "Are you really going to fight Oakstar?" she meowed quietly, sounding almost dissapointed.

"No," he sighed, "I just want to talk with him. Maybe fighting can be avoided." Spottedrose nodded, staying silent until they reached the Breezeclan camp.

It was a deep valley in the rolling hills, sheltered with a dense ring of ferns, bushes, and tall weeds. Spottedrose pushed through first, her tail lightly brushing Blizzardstar's nose as he followed her. Almost at once, the camp grew eerily quiet. All of the cats had turned their hate filled gazes towards Blizzardstar and Wildflight.

"What are you doing here?" a deep, menacing voice called from the shelter of a large boulder. A massive brown and white tabby glared from the shadows, it was Oakstar.

"I just came to speak with you about an incident on the border earlier this morning." Blizzardstar meowed confidently, keeping his gaze level with the Breezeclan leader.

"Oh yes, when your clan killed Rockclaw!" Oakstar hissed as he slipped out of the shadows. He padded closer to Blizzardstar, his teeth bared.

"We did not kill Rockclaw," Blizzardstar insisted, "he attacked us across the border. Rockclaw intruded onto our territory."

Oakstar yowled, "Silence!"  Blizzardstar felt his heart stop in his chest, his blood turned cold as Oakstar sank back on his haunches to pounce.

Spottedrose leaped forward just as Oakstar sprang. She crashed into his side and bowled him over. Some of the warriors around them gasped with astonishment. Others growled and hissed at the calico she-cat.

She stood slowly, keeping her eye fixed on Oakstar. "I will not let you attack Blizzardstar when he has come to talk in peace," she spat angrily, her back arching. "We have seen enough death, the fighting has to stop!"

Oakstar stared, completely baffled, it didn't seem like he knew what to say. But Blizzardstar could hear cats hissing and snarling all around him, "Coward!" "Traitor!"

Oakstar got to his paws, looking defeated even though he had only fallen in the dirt. His eyes were filled with anger and sorrow as he spoke, "Spottedrose, I can no longer favor you over our clanmates.. if any other warrior would have done this, they would be exiled."

Spottedrose gasped, not even daring to blink as Oakstar continued. "You have brought these murderous cats to our camp. I can only assume you went to warn them. It seems you are more loyal to Blizzardstar than you ever would be to your own clan," he mewed as he turned his hard glare onto the Iceclan leader.

Blizzardstar's heart thudded in his chest at Oakstar's words.  Was Spottedrose loyal to him? Surely not, Oakstar was just being delusional.  The thought of Spottedrose going against her father's word for him made his stomach feel like it was filled with butterflies.

Spottedrose took a step forward, trying to catch her father's eye; but he would not meet her pleading gaze. "You are no longer a warrior of Breezeclan. If me or any of my warriors catch you on our territory again, we will rip your fur off." he growled.

Spottedrose looked frozen, rooted to the ground where she stood. Blizzardstar felt his heart breaking for her. He hadn't meant for her to be banished from her clan! Blizzardstar looked back at Oakstar, preparing to speak on Spottedrose's behalf. But Oakstar silenced him with a hiss.

"Just take her and leave," he yowled, "and never set foot on my territory again!"

The whole clan erupted into furious hisses and yowls as Blizzardstar, Wildflight, and Spottedrose ran out of the Breezeclan camp. They didn't dare to slow down as they crested the hill and ran down to the field. Blizzardstar looked back at Spottedrose once when they neared the border but he could tell her her heart was completely shattered. Her father had questioned her loyalty, and banished her from her home. 

"We will figure something out." he mewed confidently as he looked forward once more. He heard Wildflight grunt in agreement but Spottedrose stayed silent. Oh Spottedrose, he thought, I am so sorry.