Warrior Cats: Icetail's Enemy (COMPLETED ✔️)

Chapter Three

Edited ✔️

It was sunhigh, and the heat beat down on Icepaw's hot flank. He was thirsty, but excited. Today he was on a border patrol with Ashtail, Fireshade, Dawnpaw and Swiftbreeze. Everyone was silent, so he remained silent as well, following the patrol until they made it out of the trees. Icepaw felt just like the time at the moor a few days ago when he was moss collecting: out in the open.

But Icepaw wasn't scared. He was excited and hoping for a battle. He kept that feeling to himself in case Ashtail should scold him.

Leaves rustled with a gentle breeze and birds flew overhead from tree to tree, making him jump every time. Icepaw was excited but he was also nervous. Dawnpaw dropped in beside Icepaw, her eyes still up ahead.

"There might be a fight," Dawnpaw whispered, making Icepaw jump again. "There's a hunting patrol somewhere nearby. Brightstar uses them as backup whenever Sparrowheart sends a patrol here." Icepaw knew Dawnpaw was referring to the fact that DarkClan warriors loved battle and had a reputation of attacking the other Clans, especially MoonClan, for what seemed like no reason.

Icepaw shook his head. "If there was a hunting patrol here then they should have gone somewhere else!"

"Exactly!" Dawnpaw meowed. She took a breath of air in and smelled the area. "And DarkClan warriors are vicious and travel in large groups. Sometimes when they come to gatherings, they have more warriors than any other Clan!"

Icepaw looked down to his paws. I wonder if she is just trying to scare me? he thought. Dawnpaw continued, "You can see for yourself one day."

"I know," Icepaw murmured, nodding. He didn't know what else to say. But his battle hunger didn't go away. It only got stronger as he knew this was going to be a challenge. Maybe Icepaw could try his two-days-worth of battle training on them. He knew he'd been working hard; he wanted to really fight.

The DarkClan scent washed into their noses, and immediately Swiftbreeze stopped, holding up her tail. Her patrol stopped behind her, and all of the cats crouched low, scanning the area. They looked out for another patrol.

Soft twigs broke and leaves crunched somewhere on the other side of the border and Icepaw's heart beat faster. A light ginger she-cat followed by a rusty-orange-colored apprentice and a few other warriors stopped at their side of the border, staring over with delight into Icepaw's Clan territory.

"Ah," the ginger she-cat sighed. "MoonClan. The biggest enemy. The Clan that is closest to our camp." She slowly looked around, and her eyes passed over the bush the MoonClan patrol hid in. "Hey, let's see if a patrol will come? They're always here at sunhigh."

The apprentice by her side squealed with excitement. "If there is a patrol, will there be a battle?" he asked, holding the same excitement that Icepaw held.

The ginger she-cat rested her tail on the apprentice's spine. "Perhaps, Flamepaw," she meowed. Icepaw stared mainly at the apprentice, Flamepaw. He saw how bouncy and young the apprentice looked, and at the same time, how battle hungry he was.

Icepaw knew Flamepaw was just like him. We'd be great friends if we were Clanmates, he thought.

A gray tabby ran up to the ginger she-cat with worry in his eyes. "But Sandstar!" he nervously meowed. "Flamepaw's too young. He might not survive in his first battle."

"Silence!" Sandstar hissed. "You are more lowly than Flamepaw! He should be treated with great respect." Flamepaw nodded curtly. "Now, Flamepaw, take the other apprentices over there and check the borders until MoonClan comes. Oaktree, I assume you can handle two others and wait over to the other side?"