Dawnfire was quiet for a while, but then she spoke up again. "Frostwind, I... I have a confession to make. I fell in love with a WinterClan cat."
"You did?" Frostwind asked. Forbidden love? Again? Like always? More problems?!!
"Yeah, I did," Dawnfire meowed quietly, in such a mournful voice that Frostwind felt bad her immediate thoughts were how problematic forbidden love would be.
Frostwind already had a feeling this mysterious love had died, but she didn't say anything. "Who did you fall in love with?"
Dawnfire lowered her eyes to the ground. "You killed Moonwisp today, remember?"
"Yeah... Moonwisp." Frostwind barely remembered the beautiful silvery she-cat who'd been bloodied at her claws. Moonwisp. She'd had a beautiful name that matched her looks.
"She was named in honor of her mother and her brother," Dawnfire meowed. "Her mother was Moongleam, and her brother was Wispflame. I fell in love with Wispflame. He was broken after the death of Moongleam, and we started talking, a little." Dawnfire looked at Frostwind, her eyes full of desperation. "Frostwind, right before the battle, Wispflame said he wanted to join SeasonClan. Well, SummerClan, but it's SeasonClan now. He said that even at the cost of his mother and father, and now they're dead."
Frostwind's thoughts drifted back to Blizzardleap and Moonwisp, both slain by her claws. She hadn't wanted to kill them. These days, she didn't want to kill anybody. But life was tough, and she had to be the toughest of them all to survive and thrive.
"Wispflame, huh?" Frostwind murmured. "Tell you what. The battle between four Clans is coming soon, and when it happens, Wispflame chooses a side. He either fights his own Clanmates or he joins SeasonClan in the assault. I know it's not ideal, but it has to be this way."
Dawnfire's expression was mournful, but she nodded.
"Right."
They returned to camp and Frostwind went to her den. Someone had changed the moss. She didn't think her Clan had any more apprentices, but she saw Hickorysnarl nodding at her and resolved to thank her former apprentice later.
The Clan was organized and moving smoothly along even with the new additions of the SpringClan cats. In fact, they already seemed to be forming friendships, which made Frostwind smile as she witnessed it. The more they bonded, the more united the Clan would be. This was the endgame they were all working towards, and she could see it working.
She realized now that there was no use waiting until the SpringClan cats recovered. That could be moons, and what if WinterClan attacked first, further weakening them?
"SeasonClan!" she called, jumping onto the High Rock. "I want a vote."
Everyone gathered beneath the High Rock, eagerly awaiting instruction, their ears twitching in anticipation.
"Who wants to attack WinterClan now, raise your tails," Frostwind meowed. She looked around for Windecho raising his tail only to feel a pang of sadness. They were divided again. Several cats, possibly the majority, raised their tails. "Those who think we should wait till the injured recover, go to the left there."
It looked around half half, but Hawkfeather stepped forward. "Leaf-bare is approaching. If we want to attack, we should do it now, in autumn. I have herbs now. I won't have herbs later."
"Point taken," Frostwind meowed. "We attack now! Every able bodied warrior, I want you gathered to my right."
There were quite a lot of them, all grinning like hooligans awaiting the battle of their lives. Frostwind herself jumped down to join them.
"Alright. Hawkfeather, we'll take you with us. Do you need help carrying herbs?"
"Yes, I'll need at least two warriors," Hawkfeather responded immediately. "Perhaps Honeybriar and Featherbreeze from the SpringClan cats."
A golden she-cat and a dark gray she-cat both stood up. They were still a little patched. Honeybriar looked excited while Featherbreeze looked a little disappointed, but all in all, they looked ready.
"Queens, kits and elders, I want you to go to the SpringClan camp," Frostwind meowed. "Twilightmoon, Talonflame and Cloudbeam will guard you; we can't spare any more warriors here. We will need to assault the AutumnClan camp and the WinterClan camp. We'll head to AutumnClan first. Remember, our targets are Stonestar and Mousestar. The rogues can escape if we can't track them down. Then we'll head to WinterClan. Our targets are Snowstar and whoever the deputy might b-"
"We also have to kill Wispflame!" one of the SpringClan cats spat, flexing her claws. "He killed my sister!"
Frostwind shared a glance with Dawnfire, and the bright orange she-cat looked panicky. "No, we will not. I killed Wispflame's father and sister yesterday. No revenge. Remember, these cats will eventually be part of the Clan."
The SpringClan warrior, whom Frostwind now recognized as Streamlight's sister, Berryshine, glared at Frostwind. "Aren't you mad that he killed Streamlight? He killed our prophecy cat!" Berryshine stomped her paws on the ground, agitated. "We have to kill him."
"No, we do not," Frostwind meowed. "He was likely just following orders. We're not trying to kill anyone but the leaders."
"Pathetic," Berryshine hissed, but one of her Clanmates placed his tail on her back, and she calmed down, but still glared at Frostwind through slitted eyes.
"Do you want to remain behind, Berryshine? Because I will make you if you don't cooperate," Frostwind threatened. The tortoiseshell hissed furiously at Frostwind but finally relented, although she looked nothing but annoyed and angry.
"Very well. Honeybriar, Featherbreeze and Hawkfeather, I want you at the back of our group. Dewfrost and Squirreltail" - Frostwind gave her former mentor an apologetic look - "defend them." Dewfrost nodded, looking determined, while Squirreltail merely looked sour.
Frostwind almost added 'with your life', but that should've been obvious.
She suddenly remembered Dewfrost and Brightflame had killed Stormwind in a supposed training accident. Once again, she hadn't thought about Stormwind for moons, but her sworn sister was up there in the stars watching over them.
Help us, Stormwind. Hopeheart. Shadowflight, she thought, thinking of all her dead relatives.
She led the patrol into AutumnClan territory. They slaughtered the border patrol on their way in and followed prey scent back to camp. They hunted along the way and ate some AutumnClan prey, but the moor was open and they were easily spotted gorging on rabbits in AutumnClan territory.
"Hey!" one of the hunting patrols shouted. "You think you-"
"SeasonClan, attack!" Frostwind yowled.
AutumnClan territory was flooded with SeasonClan cats. Mousestar came out with Stonestar, and their fury was evident.
"You've ruined my Clan!" Stonestar spat, leaping onto Frostwind's back. She twisted around and clawed him in the eyes, and he narrowly avoided being blinded.
"You destroyed the Clan by doing nothing!" she snarled, whirling around to stop an attack from Mousestar before kicking Stonestar into one of the AutumnClan cats. More like rogues.
"Who's your deputy now, huh, and why isn't he here to save you?" Frostwind taunted as Stonestar groaned.
"I don't need saving, you fox-heart!" Mousestar screamed, and attacked her with a whirlwind of claws, slashing in every possible direction.
What was the word for it? It was fun, and she exulted in the fight, even relishing the moment another rogue joined in and she got to absolutely destroy them.
Everywhere her claws slashed, blood splattered, and she killed Mousestar twice before pinning him to the ground to take a third.
"No... No, please!" he begged. "It's my last life..."
"You'll go quietly," Frostwind snarled, and slit his neck.
It was the quickest, most elegant attack she was capable of, and she leapt atop Stonestar, who was still groaning from his earlier fall. He was dazed, but his eyes were unbending steel. Where had this been when he'd lead SummerClan? He'd destroyed his birth Clan with his utter stupidity!
Then his eyes lit up and he sighed in relief, giving Frostwind a clear indication that something was about to happen. She leapt free of Stonestar just as Mousestar landed, claws unsheathed. Mousestar killed Stonestar and Stonestar fell to the ground, his tongue lolling out of his mouth, very much dead.
"You stupid, stupid cat!" Mousestar shook the dead body of his fallen ally. "I almost had her!"
"And I won't give you another chance," Frostwind hissed. He'd almost killed her! And she didn't have nine lives, not like he did.
But he'd only have thought to trick her on his second or third last life, right?
She ran at him, charging at full speed, her claws out and plunged them into his chest.
He screamed the day away, each cry growing shriller and shriller. He died once, twice, thrice to her claws. Was he cleverer than she'd thought? He struggled for a while longer before finally growing limp.
The AutumnClan cats, those scraggly rogues, turned and fled back to Twolegplace.
"Get lost," Frostwind snarled.
"Are Stonestar and Mousestar dead?" Amberfrost called, panting as she ran up to Frostwind. Her flank had a deep scratch, and Frostwind glanced at her, concerned.
"Maybe Hawkfeather should treat that. You don't have to join the attack on WinterClan," Frostwind meowed.
Amberfrost's eyes were ice. "But I want to," she meowed, and Frostwind knew not to argue.
"Everyone too injured to continue, remain here," Frostwind meowed.
"We shouldn't have left Pebblepaw to go to the SpringClan camp," Hawkfeather muttered.
Frostwind felt a pang. Yes, it would've been smarter to have Pebblepaw here on the battlefield, but...
A lean white form slid out of the bushes, gray paws and tail-tip shivering.
"Pebblepaw!" Frostwind gasped. Why had she come?
"I thought it wouldn't be enough..." Frostwind's daughter murmured.
Frostwind wrapped her tail around Pebblepaw, staring fiercely at the young she-cat. "I need you to follow orders, Pebblepaw. I won't have you die like Hollykit and Gleamkit."
"They weren't your fault," Pebblepaw's voice cracked.
"They were stillborns, of course they were my fault, I must've done something while expecting. I'm not letting anything happen to you too," Frostwind meowed.
"I'll stay with Hawkfeather, Featherbreeze and Honeybriar," Pebblepaw promised.
"I'll look after her," Featherbreeze promised Frostwind.
Frostwind glanced from Featherbreeze to Pebblepaw and sighed, finally nodding.
"Frostwind!" Amberfrost meowed, her voice sorrowful. "Duskcloud is dead."
Dawnfire made her way to the body of her brother together with Shimmerpelt, Hickorysnarl, and Hairypelt. Their brother had remained behind, probably had fled with the others.
Hickorysnarl looked around. "Where's Small..." Her eyes landed on the body of her brother some distance away. "Oh no, you..."
"He's gone," Shimmerpelt meowed. "He attacked me, Hickorysnarl. He sided with AutumnClan."
Frostwind didn't ask how it felt to have killed her own son. Shimmerpelt must've been fiercer than Frostwind gave her credit for.
"Regardless of loss, we must move on," she meowed firmly. "WinterClan is the last obstacle in our path to unity."
𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 𝟏𝟕𝟐𝟒
𝐎𝐦𝐠 𝐲𝐞𝐬!! 𝐀𝐋𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞!! 𝐀𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝!! 𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐟 𝐚 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬!! 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐧. 𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐧, 𝐈 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐔𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐈 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧. (𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠, "𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐣𝐢𝐧𝐱 𝐢𝐭!")