Warrior Cats: The Making Of Destruction #3: The Beginning of the End

Chapter 3

Winterfrost felt the ground whirling beneath her paws. All she could see was darkness, and all she could hear was quiet.

"Is anyone out there?" She meowed, her voice echoeing away. The she-cat longed for a friend, or even a stranger, just someone to talk to, someone to reassure her, someone to tell her what was going on. She suddenly felt the ground turn to water and plunged helplessly into the depths of shadows. Panicking, she tried to swim but her legs wouldn't move. What is happening? Where am I? Her lungs screamed for air, and finally she had to open her mouth for a breath. As expected, water rushed into her mouth. When she was sure she couldn't take it anymore, she felt something grab her scruff and tug her upwards. Am I dead? She wondered. Am I being pulled to Starclan?

Winterfrost lifted her head and gasped. Her heart was thumping so hard it felt like it was going to burst out her of chest. She was still in the small den cuddled next to Tundraleap and Cougarsoul. Although she was sure she had made noise in her sleep, the two shapes hadn't seemed to have noticed. They were both breathing in soft, rhythmic patterns. She forced her still-pricked fur to lay flat and let her heartbeat slow down. Winterfrost knew she couldn't get to sleep again, so as carefully as she could, she stood up and stiffley padded out of the dip.

Winterfrost stretched each leg in turn, almost gasping at how good it felt to be out of the cramped space. Enough room, you say? She flashed a glance at Tundraleap, who still hadn't stirred. It was raining softly, but most of the water was being caught in the trees, sheltering the three cats below. She looked around to get a better glimpse at her surroundings. Many of the trees were oaks with the occasional pine, and there were many dirt paths that smelled strongly of twolegs. She shook out her white and gray pelt. There had to be prey somewhere. Hunting always calmed her down. Then she started thinking. It had been a while since she used her powers, and it had been a while since she had seen Yellowfang. Had the starclan cat told her all the powers she had? She shook her head and realized she had wandered from the small shelter.

Winterfrost hadn't gone far, but she remembered she was supposed to be out hunting. The rain turned to small hardly noticeable flakes of snow. I don't remember the last time there was a snowfall, it's quite rare in the clan territories. Well, the ones with Rainclan and Sunclan. The thought of there being eight clans, maybe nine, confused her. But that's just how it works, she figured. Her whiskers twitched as she heard some leaves crackle and saw a plump vole chewing lazily on some berries. She dropped into a hunting crouch and stalked forward until she was almost a tail-length away, then pounced quickly. At the same time, a white blur flew out of a nearby bush and barrelled into her, knocking the vole out of her grasp. It squealed helplessly and tried to get away but the same creature who had shoved her away killed it with a swipe, then looked back to glare at Winterfrost.

"What do you think you're doing" The cat hissed, his brown ear-tips twitching in irritation. Winterfrost struggled to get up but he had one paw planted on her chest. She never felt so weak in her life.

"I'm hunting, that's my vole!" She glanced at the prey laying nearby. The tom's grip tightened.

"I was stalking it first! I know because your white pelt is easy to see amung all the trees." He growled. Winterfrost squinted.

"Your pelt is white too, if I had been looking I'd have found you!" She was finally able to wriggle free and bounce to her feet. The tom was white with brown ear-tips, a black tail tip, and two black hind paws. The tom froze, catching her hard gaze. But then returned it with a glare a moment later.

"What are doing so close to Shadowclan territory anyways?" He sniffed boredly.

"Why is that any of your consern? I haven't crossed a border or I would have scented it." Winterfrost retorted. She held back a wince as she saw pain in his eyes. Had something happened to this tom to make him stray so far?

"Well... Bloomstar has been looking to change the borders to I'm out looking for good territory." He stammered. An excuse. Winterfrost thought to herself.

"If you're looking for borders why were you hunting?" Winterfrost got him with that question.

"I... uhh..."

"Winterfrost? Winterfrost??" Tundraleap's voice sounded. 

"I'm over here!" Winterfrost called. The tom gave her a startled look.

"There's more of you??" He whispered. Winterfrost rolled her eyes as her mother stumbled through the bushes.

"There you are! Your brother and I have been looking all over for you! Guess what, I remember now that Shadowclan is very close! So we'll have to be careful not to-" Tundraleap's gaze shifted from Winterfrost to the Shadowclan tom.

"Oh, you've already met up with one by the looks of it!" She exclaimed, then took a close look at the tom.

"Wait a minute.. Foxkit, is that you?" Tundraleap asked. Winterfrost glanced at her mother. Did she know this tom?

"It's Foxclaw now. How do you know my name?" The tom asked curiously.

"Your mother, Dawnleap, and I used to be best friends before I left! Don't you remember me? I used to let you play with my tail and have some moss from my nest for a game of mossball! Oh, and I told you the story of the little white rabbit! You were 5 moons old when I left, do you remember?" Tundraleap threw questions at him anxiously. Foxclaw closed his eyes, trying to remember, then opened them with a softer gaze.

"Tundraleap! You were my favorite cat after Dawnleap and my father Stonetuft!" He padded closer to the old she-cat, who gave a purr of excitement. Winterfrost felt something rising in her chest. Something she hadn't felt in a long time, and hoped never to again. Foxclaw had known Tundraleap better than Winterfrost and Cougarsoul did.. they both knew eachothers' scent by heart. Foxclaw had grown up with not only both parents' love, but even Tundraleap.

Winterfrost felt the sharp pang of jealousy for the cat who had grown up with everything she had missed out on.

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Another chapter! Woo! I enjoyed writing this one more than I usually enjoy writing chapters, it was just soo....... (I'd like to say fun but that sounds childish, I need a better word! ;~;).