A New Horizon Book 3: A Frozen Heart {COMPLETED}

Chapter 3

"Just focus on keeping your balance." Nightpaw instructed. "Distribute your weight evenly on all four paws, but when you jump you wanna use the strength in your hind legs." Nightpaw watched Rabbitpaw, the small apprentice did as Nightpaw said and prepared to jump. She waggled her hindquarters and jumped. It wasn't the best jump, but she landed cleanly on her paws. "Good job!" Nightpaw praised and rushed up to her friend. "You're getting a lot better."

"Really?" Rabbitpaw's green eyes filled with hope.

"Yep." Nightpaw purred. "You really are." In the past moon, Nightpaw had started working with Rabbitpaw. While they weren't being trained by their own mentors, Nightpaw and Rabbitpaw would go out and train together. The apprentice was incredibly shy, insecure and neurotic and Nightpaw wanted to help her be braver and more confident.

During their time training, Nightpaw and Rabbitpaw had become incredibly close friends and Nightpaw was happy for that. For the longest time, Nightpaw's only friends had been Blackpaw and Wheatwhisker but Blackpaw had so much to deal with lately and Wheatwhisker was her mentor and a warrior so it was nice to have a friend who she could spend time with and who was her age. She also didn't consider Thornstar her friend, just another cat who taught her skills. She also hadn't been visited by him in a long time, she had to admit while she didn't miss Thornstar, she missed the training. Training with Rabbitpaw had helped make up for that.

"We should head back to camp and see if we're needed for any patrols." Nightpaw suggested. Rabbitpaw agreed with a nod and the two apprentices hurried back to camp. Nightpaw shivered as they moved through the frozen forest. Normally, the pine trees in AshClan territory would keep their needles all season, but the trees were nearly bare thanks to the dying forest.

Not only were the trees losing their needles, but they were falling as well. Several trees had fallen in the past two moons, one which had nearly crushed Ravensong and Timberpaw who nearly escaped with their tails. Riverstar had made it a rule to stay away from trees that looked like the would fall soon.

She had also organize patrols of cats to try and push over trees that were on the verge of falling to avoid any cat getting caught by the trees and getting possibly killed. Nightpaw knew that the SunClan apprentice Pikepaw had been killed by a falling branch and she didn't want that to happen to any of her own Clanmates.

Nightpaw and Rabbitpaw reached camp and found a scene when they returned. Skyfeather and Riverstar faced each other before the leader's den, both their fur bristling. Blackpaw was off to the side, his ears flattened and looking incredibly uncomfortable.

"I told you it's not that easy, Skyfeather!" Riverstar spat at the medicine cat. "We can't just get up and leave!"

"We've had two moons and we're no closer to leaving!" Skyfeather argued, lashing his tail. "I can't stand by and watch my Clanmates starve any longer! We need to leave, the longer we wait the more we are putting our Clanmates lives at risk. Any deaths are on your paws, Riverstar!" Riverstar flattened her ears and gasps of shock spread throughout the Clan.

"How dare you speak to me like that?" Riverstar puffed out her chest and towered over Skyfeather, but the pale medicine cat stood his ground, blue eyes blazing with anger. "I'm your leader, Skyfeather!"

"And I'm your medicine cat! It's my job to look over and protect my Clanmates but I can't do that when my leader is an idiot!" Nightpaw's jaw dropped.

"Don't forget, Skyfeather, my word is law!" Riverstar's claws dug into the frozen ground.

"So was Thornstar's! But we stood up to him because AshClan was in danger! You're trying to prove we're strong by staying independent but the truth is that we need the other Clans right now! AshClan is strong spirited but we have no herbs, no prey and less warriors than any other Clan. We need help, Riverstar!" Skyfeather's voice was desperate and pained, Nightpaw could see the strain on his face. "Talk to the leaders at the gathering tomorrow, make the decision to start leaving before the half-moon. If we haven't left by then then I'm gathering up the Clan and we will leave without you. I'm not going to let my Clan die." Skyfeather turned away and started back towards the medicine cat den.

The Clan, including Riverstar was in a stunned silence. Nightpaw looked at Rabbitpaw who looked just as shocked about the whole situation. Nightpaw's attention went back to Riverstar as Ashblaze approached her. "You know he's right." Ashblaze said quietly. "We should've left long ago."

"I know." Riverstar's voice was dry. "We will talk to the leaders tomorrow night." Ashblaze dipped his head and headed towards the nursery. Nightpaw watched him walk there, thinking about his three kits. Slatekit, Dewkit and Mistkit had all been born to Silvermoon about half a moon ago. They were all born healthy, but the Clan feared what could happen to them without herbs and prey. Sagekit and Hailkit were two moons old now and strong, but they were still young and might not be able to fight off sickness. Nightpaw had been worried about leaving, but she knew that it would be the best thing for the Clan.

Nightpaw opened her eyes, but she wasn't in the apprentice or the dark forest where she trained with Thornstar. She was alone in a vast field with snow half-way up her forelegs. The wind blew mercilessly, it felt like claws cutting into Nightpaw's fur. She flattened her ears and squinted, trying to figure out where she was.

As the violent, leaf-bare wind blew, Nightpaw was sure that she could hear voices being carried by the wind. She strained her ears to hear what they were saying. Her heart quickened as she realized the voices were scared. They're in trouble! Nightpaw pushed through the heavy wind and snow, using all of her senses to try and figure out where they were coming from. As she trudged through the snow, feeling her muscles scream for her stop, Nightpaw began to recognize the voices of her Clanmates.

With her heart rate quickening, Nightpaw forced herself to move faster. I have to get to my Clanmates! She thought frantically, panic beginning to set in and slow down her paws. Not willing to give up, Nightpaw forced herself to run, bounding through the thick snow and biting wind.

In the distance she could now see shapes and the sounds of fear and terror were loud and clear. Nightpaw saw Silvermoon cowering over three small shapes, Nightpaw's heart twisted as she realized that it was her three kits, all dead. No! Nightpaw ran harder, doing everything she could to reach her Clanmates.

She started seeing more cats, Petalshine and Lilyclaw were nearly buried by the snow, their eyes glazed over. Harewhisker was on the ground, a horrible wound in his belly that stained the snow crimson. What did that? It was a horrible sight and Nightpaw had to force herself to keep moving.

She spotted more and more of her Clanmates, frozen or bloodied from a mysterious attacker. Nightpaw felt helpless. What do I do? All my Clanmates are dying! An ear piercing scream turned Nightpaw's blood to ice, she whipped her head around trying to find the source. She spotted Rabbitpaw, cowering before a disgusting looking creature. It looked like a fox, but bigger. It's brown fur was dirty, matted and bloody. The creature towered over Rabbitpaw while the apprentice helplessly wailed for help.

"I'm coming Rabbitpaw!" Nightpaw yelled, her stomach twisted. Nightpaw ran as hard as she possibly could, her legs aching and her lungs burning. The creature moved forward, snapping its jaws at Rabbitpaw's tiny body. "No!" Nightpaw cried out, making one final jump to reach her friend. Nightpaw saw the creature's teeth close around Rabbitpaw's neck, fear and pain filled Rabbitpaw's green eyes. Nightpaw met her gaze and felt her heart breaking.

I was too late. Nightpaw hit the ground and shot up, suddenly she was back in the apprentice den. Her heart was pounding so loud she was sure it woke up the other apprentices. Nightpaw looked around frantically, her eyes resting on Rabbitpaw immediately. The brown and white she-cat was sleeping soundly in her nest, free from harm.

A dream. Nightpaw told herself, struggling to relax. It was just a dream. Her blood was still racing and her legs were sore. She couldn't shake the image of her dead Clanmates out of her mind. She rested her paws on her chin, trying to calm down. I can't let that happen. Nightpaw told herself. I never want to see that again.