"And then... Pounce!" The white tom shot forward into the air, his claws outstretched and ready to pin his target. When he hit the ground, he dug his claws into the mouse. It let out a startled shriek before it went limp. "See?" He purred, turning to his audience.
Two tom's sat a few fox lengths away, watching him. "Wow!" The small cream colored tom's eyes were round with interest, while the bigger yellow and cream tom looked unphased. "That was awesome, Icepaw!"
His tail flicked with irritation, though he was mildly amused as well. "It's Iceslide!" He reminded the tom. "I became a warrior moons ago, remember?"
"So?" The cream tom blinked.
"So my name changes!" Iceslide huffed. "I explained all of that!"
The tom shrugged and lifted a hind leg to scratch behind the blue collar around his neck. "Yeah, well, I think it's stupid," He grunted. "My name has always been Truffle. I'm not just going to let someone start calling me Trufflebutt one day."
The bigger tom let out an amused purr. "Trufflebutt."
Truffle spun to face his companion, fur bristling. "Shut up, Sulfur!" He sprang at the yellow tom, and the two broke into a play fight, pawing and yowling at each other.
Iceslide rolled his eyes. He'd known these two for many moons. Truffle was a kittypet, but he rarely saw him in twolegplace. The tom enjoyed adventure almost as much as Iceslide did, taking every chance to explore the territory beyond his yard. He'd met Truffle one day on the outskirts of RiverClan territory. The kittypet was no coward. He'd attacked Iceslide and knocked him right off his paws. However, he hadn't had a clue what to do next. Truffle had been aggressive and rude at first, but the more Iceslide got to know him, the more he liked the kittypet's spunk. Then there was Sulfur, a rogue Truffle had introduced him to. The tom was very independent, and more intelligent than Truffle. He could fight and hunt very well. Iceslide thought he could make a good warrior if he didn't like being alone so much.
"Give in?" Sulfur's meow broke Iceslide out of his thoughts, and he blinked to see the yellow and cream tom had Truffle pinned into the grass, his paws planted firmly on his shoulders.
The kittypet struggled under him, paws flailing. "Get off me, you hefty brute!" He spat in annoyance. Sulfur stepped back, his yellow eyes gleaming with amusement. Truffle scrambled to his paws, shaking scraps of grass from his pelt. Iceslide chuckled to himself, padding toward his friends.
Truffle glanced at him. "I wish I could fight like you and Sulfur," He grumbled. "I'm no match for even a kitten! I can't even hunt for myself, I have to rely on my housefolk."
"I can show you." Iceslide offered eagerly. "You could be my apprentice!"
The cream tom blinked. "Really?"
"Of course!" Iceslide straightened, lifting his chin high and imagining he were Shimmerstar. "From this day forward, until you earn your warrior name-"
Truffle exchanged a look with Sulfur. "What's he meowing about?"
"-You shall be known as Trufflepaw!"
"No!" The kittypet gasped, his yellow eyes lighting with anger. "I'm Truffle!"
Iceslide leaned forward, his whiskers twitching with amusement. "Trufflepaw!" He corrected. "Until you earn your warrior name, Trufflebutt!" The tom let out a horrified wail. Iceslide and Sulfur broke into laughter.
Sulfur nudged the kittypet. "Shouldn't you be back with your twolegs before sundown, Trufflepaw?" At the mention of the time, Iceslide became aware of the sun setting behind them. I should get back to camp. I've been here since sunhigh!
"I have to go." Iceslide meowed. "My clanmates are going to start pestering me again." Last time he spent this much time away from his clan, Shimmerstar had scorned him for being lazy. He wasn't lazy! He was exploring! They're the lazy ones for spending their lives in the same place. He thought. I'm seeing the world. He waved his tail to his companions before turning and bounding back into RiverClan territory. He stayed close to the WindClan border, hoping to avoid any of his clanmates who may catch him sneaking back to camp.
"Hey, Iceslide!"
He nearly jumped out of his fur, thinking one of his clanmates had spotted him. But he stopped and spun to see two familiar WindClan warriors padding toward the border, eyes friendly. One was an orange tom with a reddish tail and ears, the other a dark gray-black tom.
"Hey!" Iceslide relaxed and approached them, purring a greeting. "Firetail, Soakedears." They were young warriors, about his age. They'd met at a gathering as apprentices and had been friends ever since. "How's the prey running in WindClan?"
"Fast as usual." Firetail purred, waving his red tail in the air. "But green-leaf has been good to us."
Soakedears twitched his black ears for which he was named for. "Is all well in RiverClan?"
Iceslide nodded. "Everything's great." I think... He spent so much time away from his clan, he really wasn't sure if anything new was happening. And I'd better get back there to find out! "I'm sorry." He dipped his head. "I can't talk today, I have to get back to camp."
"Of course." Firetail meowed. "Take care." When the WindClan cats said goodbye, Iceslide turned and continued racing back to camp. He bounded over the stepping stones, hearing the river running softly below him. He entered the clearing and glanced around. No cat seemed to have seen him arrive. Frozenripple and Petalfin were sharing tongues by the side of the clearing, looking happy and content. Shorestep was demonstrating a hunting crouch for her new apprentice, Heartpaw. Swanpool was basking in the sun, her white pelt tinted orange in the sunset. Sunripple and Mudslip spoke to each other quietly by the fresh kill pile.
He huffed out a sigh of relief. Thank Starclan! He started forward.
"Iceslide?"
He flinched. Great... He reluctantly turned to see that Frostedcloud, the clan deputy, had approached him. Here we go again... Last time he'd returned to camp so late, he'd been given a lecture about loyalty. Obviously I'm loyal to RiverClan! "Good day, Frostedcloud." He offered a purr.
The white tom looked unimpressed. His pale blue eyes narrowed. "You haven't brought back any prey again?"
Iceslide hesitated, his mind scrambling for an excuse. "I... I hunted this morning," He meowed.
"On whose patrol?" Frostedcloud asked, obviously unconvinced.
"Um... Mine." Iceslide twitched his tail. "I went out on my own."
The deputy snorted. "As usual. And where have you been all day?"
"Keeping our borders safe, Frostedcloud." He responded coolly. "In fact, I ran into Firetail and Soakedears. They said WindClan is well."
"And how is that of interest to me?" Frostedcloud demanded. "RiverClan is our primary concern, Iceslide. I hope you don't forget that." With that, the white tom turned away to speak with Shallowpool.
What a rude piece of fox dung! Iceslide stifled back a growl of annoyance. I'll do what I please! It doesn't make me any less loyal to RiverClan!
"Iceslide!"
What now? Iceslide glanced over his shoulder to see a white and pale tortoiseshell splashed she-cat hurrying toward him, her pale green eyes glowing with happiness. "Hi, Lilynose," He meowed.
"I haven't seen you all day!" She exclaimed, sitting beside him hesitantly. "What have you been up to?"
At least some cat seemed to miss me. He thought. "Err, not much." He looked beyond her and spotted his littermates, Blizzardfur and Winterlight, with Coralshine. "I'm going to talk to my littermates," He meowed, quickly moving away from Lilynose. "See you."
"O-oh, okay..." The she-cat sounded disappointed, but Iceslide ignored her as he headed toward his littermates.
Winterlight's pale yellow ears flicked forward when she saw her brother. "Iceslide!" She purred, stepping forward to bump heads with him. "Where have you been?"
"On patrol," Iceslide meowed hesitantly. "What-" He broke off when he saw Coralshine rubbing her head against Blizzardfur's thick neck fur. The two cats purred loudly. "What's happening?" Iceslide blinked.
Coralshine let out a purr of amusement. "What do you think, mouse-brain?"
"We've just decided to be mates!" Blizzardfur blurted out, his blue eyes lit with joy. "Isn't that great?"
Iceslide stared at them, stunned. I never even realized they were so close! "Of course! Congratulations!"
As the couple purred and touched noses, Grayshadow and Whitedapple approached, purring at their kits.
"I'm so proud of you." Whitedapple purred, rasping her tongue over Blizzardfur's ear. "You'll be a great father someday."
Grayshadow gestured to the fresh-kill pile. "Iceslide, did you see what your sister caught?" He prompted. "That huge trout? She caught it all on her own!"
Winterlight ducked her head in embarrassment. "It's nothing."
"Certainly not! It's the biggest trout I've ever seen!" Grayshadow purred proudly. "Frostedcloud puts you on so many patrols because you're one of the best hunters in the clan."
Iceslide let out a purr. "That's great, Winterlight!"
His parents turned their attention to him. "What have you done today, Iceslide?" Whitedapple asked.
His pelt prickled with unease. "Umm... I caught a fish..."
He was answered by silence. After a moment, Grayshadow forced a purr. "Well done."
I'm such a disappointment to them. Iceslide thought. But I'm happy with my life. I don't care what they think of me!
"It's coming!" A wail rang out from across the clearing. The cats around him spun to see what was going on. Otterpelt, the medicine cat apprentice, had raced to the center of the clearing, her yellow eyes round with alarm. "There's a darkness coming!"
"Otterpelt!" Maplesky shouldered his way through the crowd to his apprentice, looking worried. "Be quiet! I told you, the dream wasn't an omen, it was-"
"No!" She ignored her mentor and continued to speak. "I saw a darkness destroy our clan!" She cried. "The river ran with blood, and-" She shrunk back, whimpering. "There were cat skulls and bones everywhere..."
The clan broke into anxious murmurs, exchanging terrified glances. "What do you mean?" Swanpool gasped.
"Will RiverClan be destroyed? Driven out?" Dipfoot demanded anxiously.
Iceslide stared at Otterpelt, his fur bristling. That can't be true! Nothing can destroy us! There must always be five clans!
"Otterpelt!" Maplesky hissed and gently shouldered her away, looking around at everyone apologetically. "Excuse her, she had a nightmare. There's nothing to worry about. Even medicine cats have regular dreams, and sometimes it's hard to tell what's an omen and what's just a nightmare." He nudged Otterpelt back toward their den "Come, you need to relax."
"I'm telling you, Maplesky, I know what I saw!" Otterpelt wailed, and every cat stared after her anxiously. "RiverClan is doomed!"