"You may lose your lives in this next fight," Frostwind meowed quietly, addressing the entire SeasonClan with sadness in her eyes. "WinterClan was trained as warriors, unlike the rogues that made up AutumnClan. If you want to back out now, I understand."
Firespark stepped forward boldly. "I swore to defend SeasonClan with my life," he stated. "What kind of warriors would I be to desert you now? No. Frostwind, I would follow you to the ends of the earth. My loyalty is with SeasonClan and always will be."
Frostwind looked proudly at the young tom. She should've spared him some more attention. He was prideful and bullheaded, but right now, that was good. He would learn to be calmer and make wiser decisions given time, and right now, being stubborn wasn't that bad. She needed every warrior she could possibly get. While she could level a battlefield on her own, she only had four paws and couldn't be everywhere at once. It would take time to win over a Clan, and in that time, innocent cats could die.
"Thank you, Firespark," Frostwind meowed warmly, and surveyed the rest of the Clan. "What say the rest of you? Will you stand with me?"
There were some fleeting looks of panic and uncertainty, but every wavering gaze hardened, every warrior taking a step forward with steely determination in their eyes.
"We will fight for SeasonClan!" they yowled with one voice.
"Then let's go and conquer WinterClan," Frostwind meowed.
The steady beat of paws drumming against the ground was music to Frostwind's ears. They were moving to conquer WinterClan, their will unbending steel, pure desire to unite overcoming any insecurities. They were standing there, one Clan.
And soon, they would be a whole.
Frostwind's only regret was that AutumnClan had been fully exterminated. She'd killed them early on, and now no AutumnClan blood would run in SeasonClan veins. But the descendants never had to know that. They would know that all four Clans joint as one and rules the forest, moor and river with determination and power.
Frostwind let Amberfrost lead the attack and fell behind to Dawnfire. "Dawnfire," she whispered, "Go ahead, before our group, and warn Wispflame. If he goes to his Clanmates, leave him. It doesn't matter if they're ready for us; they probably already noticed the ruckus in AutumnClan territory. I plan to give Wispflame a chance, although Berryshine would say otherwise."
"No," Dawnfire meowed, her eyes dark with anger.
"No what?" Frostwind asked, surprised.
"I'm not going to tell Wispflame." Dawnfire looked at her paws. "He killed Streamlight, Frostwind! I can't ever forgive him for that. Why would he do that? Streamlight was innocent, and she was so kind."
"Perhaps... Perhaps this is her destiny, Dawnfire." Frostwind took a deep breath. "We have to learn to forgive cats even if they've wronged us. That alone will keep the peace for generations beyond."
"I still love him, Frostwind," Dawnfire's voice cracked. "But after all he's done? I'm a stupid mouse-brain! Why do I still love him?"
"You won't hate him until you've heard his side of the story," Frostwind meowed quietly.
Dawnfire smiled. "When did you become so wise? I'm older than you! Alright, I'm going to find Wispflame. But... If he gets even a fox-length from a Clanmate, om out of there and coming back."
"You love him, not me," Frostwind said, amused. "I don't even know what he looks like. I'm not going to convince you to give him a second chance. The choice is yours and yours only. Don't run away too fast. You'll regret it." Her expression turned pained. "Just like I regret how little time I had with Skyfeather."
Dawnfire nodded sympathetically, then ran off deeper into WinterClan territory.
"Frostwind!" Amberfrost called after attempting to stop Dawnfire and failing. "Dawnfire-"
"It's alright," Frostwind meowed. "She knows what she's doing."
"Does she?" Amberfrost looked doubtful, but didn't question Frostwind further, instead returning to the front lines looking troubled.
Frostwind smiled wryly. Amberfrost loved Branchclaw, but she'd never had to fight for him the way Dawnfire had. Dawnfire would've had to fight to even be with Wispflame at all.
The SeasonClan patrol reached WinterClan unobstructed, but the WinterClan camp was empty.
Dawnfire's lifeless body lay in the center of the camp.
Beside it lay Wispflame's.
"What?" Berryshine snarled. "I didn't even get to claw his guts out! How dare he die before I could get here!"
"Berryshine," one of her Clanmates chided. Frostwind winced. It was Icepool. She'd been there when Frostwind fell into the river, and the older she-cat flashed her a knowing smile.
"Ugh! He killed my sister!" Berryshine spat, trembling on her paws.
But weren't Dawnfire and Wispflame's forbidden relationship supposed to bring peace? That Dawnfire forgiving Wispflame showed that Streamlight's role had been completed after all?
Wispflame... His eyes were glazed and empty, but there was life still fading from his eyes. And Dawnfire... That expression wasn't one of anger, it was one of love, sorrow, and shock, at the end.
Frostwind was almost certain that Dawnfire had forgiven her beloved mate for Streamlight's death at the very end.
Maybe SeasonClan stood a chance of uniting after all.
"You mange-pelts," someone hissed, and Frostwind whirled around to meet the strangled but piercing eyes of Snowstar. Her entire Clan stood behind her, queen, kits, elders and warriors alike.
Moonshine and Nightfall... They looked terrified. The Clan's medicine cats weren't prepared for battle, didn't want battle.
Well, too bad, because their leader seemed to be thirsting for battle with every fiber of her body. Frostwind emitted a delicate laugh, so unlike her usual self that Amberfrost started.
"We're no more mangy than yourself, Snowstar," Frostwind responded with amusement. If this leader was going to go out with insults, she'd show them she could do the same.
SeasonClan stood behind her, their pelts bristling, hopping from paw to paw in anticipation of a battle.
Then, from behind Snowstar stepped Frostwind's brother. Windecho looked almost triumphant as he gazed down at his sister. Frostwind had always been slightly shorter than him, and he should have towered over her, but the mere menace radiating from Frostwind seemed to counter his height. He really was puny by battle standards.
"Recognize him, Frostwind?" Snowstar hissed, her voice contempt and filled with satisfaction.
"Oh, right, he's a traitor from my Clan. Why?" Frostwind asked airily.
Snowstar looked surprised, but hid away her initial shock with mere amusement. "I thought you'd be more excited to see your long-lost brother."
"I thought you'd be more terrified to see enemy warriors in camp," Frostwind responded easily.
Snowstar blinked. "You're really not bothered by him or Dawnfire, are you?"
"Dawnfire and Wispflame are together in death, happier than they could ever be. I suspect once Streamlight formally forgives Wispflame in StarClan, that dispute will be behind them and Dawnfire can go back to loving him like before." Frostwind met the WinterClan leader head-on. She meant every word she spoke.
Snowstar laughed, too, a dry, fake laugh. "Well, I wonder what this brilliant and shiny SeasonClan is doing in my camp."
"Oh, nothing much," Frostwind responded. "Just surrender your leadership and we'll be on our way."
"Surrender my leadership?" Snowstar barked a laugh. "You talked to Blizzardleap before he died, Frostwind. Didn't he tell you anything?"
"He told me you were stubborn, and this isn't worth it," Frostwind meowed evenly. "Think about it, Snowstar. Blizzardleap, Moonwisp, Wispflame... You've destroyed a family, Snowstar."
"You killed Blizzardleap and Moonwisp," Snowstar hissed back, her eyes widening with barely controlled rage. Her claws sheathed and unsheathed, scratching the earth beneath her paws.
"Oh, but it was your battle," Frostwind answered coolly. She seemed to be coaxing Snowstar out of her shell.
"You chose to kill them, Frostwind."
"I chose to save my friends. There's a difference."
"I will join SeasonClan on one condition," Snowstar hissed, "that I get to lead it."
"Condition not granted," Frostwind said with a smile.
Snowstar wasn't pleased by that, and she glanced around at her warriors, flicking her tail. "Bring them to me."
Them? Frostwind wondered, and her heart stopped for a moment.
Hawkfeather and Pebblepaw, captured by the WinterClan cats, struggling against their captors. Pebblepaw frantically shook her head at Frostwind, as if trying to tell her that she wasn't worth it.
But a mother... A mother could never get her kit killed like that.
"Make one move, Frostwind," Snowstar hissed, "and she dies."
"It's alright, Frostwind! Mother! Listen to me," Pebblepaw begged. "Let them kill me. I'll be happy with Skyfeather in StarClan, I promise. The Clan is more important than me!"
"You're misunderstanding something, apprentice," Snowstar chortled, looking thoroughly amused by Pebblepaw's reaction. "A mother's love for her kit is not something to be underestimated. I'm sure Frostwind would sooner die than let anything happen to you. Am I right, Frostwind?"
"Let her go," Frostwind meowed quietly. "If you lay a claw on her, I will kill your entire Clan."
That sent enough of a message. Not to Snowstar, who merely scoffed, but to the warriors who were holding Hawkfeather and Pebblepaw captive.
Because they knew she could do it. Knew she would do it.
The warrior holding Pebblepaw dropped her.
Frostwind's daughter was too fast for the WinterClan warriors and sped over to the SeasonClan side before any cat could move a paw.
"Stormweaver, you idiot!" Snowstar snapped, glaring at the stormy gray tom who'd let her go. "Kill him," she ordered.
Stormweaver was shredded before Frostwind's very eyes.
She watched the WinterClan cats tear apart their own Clanmate mercilessly, watched Stormweaver's head lol back, his eyes losing life before he fell still.
"Who else dares defy me?" Snowstar growled. "I will rule, SeasonClan. I will rule or die trying!"
"And I will rule by her side," Windecho echoed, his voice solemn but determined.
Frostwind snarled. "You won't live to tell the tale."
Snowstar smirked. "Really, now. I won't live... Or you won't live?"
𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 𝟏𝟓𝟗𝟏
𝐀𝐡𝐡𝐡, 𝐨𝐡 𝐦𝐲 𝐠𝐨𝐬𝐡𝐡𝐡𝐡𝐡𝐡, 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐬𝐦!! 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧. 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤! 𝐍𝐎- 𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐓, 𝐈'𝐌 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐉𝐈𝐍𝐗𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐓- 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐰𝐚𝐲. 𝐘𝐞𝐬, 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤. 𝐘𝐞𝐬, 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐈'𝐦 𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬. 𝐘𝐞𝐬, 𝐈'𝐦 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚- 𝐎𝐤𝐚𝐲, 𝐬𝐡𝐮𝐭 𝐮𝐩 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧. 𝐀𝐧𝐲𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐈'𝐦 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤. 𝐒𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐡 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧, 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧! 𝐔𝐦. 𝐈'𝐥𝐥 𝐓𝐑𝐘 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡! 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬, 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭? 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐈'𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐬𝐢𝐱 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬? 𝐎𝐫 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐨. 𝐎𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞. 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰! 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐈'𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐬 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧, 𝐈 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞!