Warrior Cats: Icetail's Enemy (COMPLETED ✔️)

Chapter Fifty Three

Edited ✔️

Icestar returned to camp just before dawn, as promised. Most of his Clanmates were already awake, their expressions worried. Sagepelt and her kits were fast asleep in the nursery, with Silverleaf anxiously sitting and waiting in her own nest. Flameheart was trying to console Ashtail as the deputy paced around the camp. Sharpfang, Crowflight and Stonetooth were speaking to each other in a concerned tone. They were still talking about Dewstar's threat and Icestar's sudden disappearance.

Icestar padded deeper into camp when he realized that nobody had noticed him enter.

"Icestar!" Swiftbreeze gasped as soon as she saw him. The cat she was sharing tongues with, Dawnstripe, looked up as well.

"Where've you been?" asked Dawnstripe with a breath of concern.

Icestar shook his head. "I went nowhere in particular," he meowed. "I was in the territory for the rest of the night. I just needed to think." He exchanged a glance between Swiftbreeze and Dawnstripe.

"It's good you're back," commented Sharpfang from behind. He padded right to Icestar's side. "Ashtail was worried that he'd done something wrong by letting you go out there alone."

Ashtail arrived at the mention of his name, along with Flameheart. "Was everything okay out there?" asked his deputy. "No cat is crazy enough to go out in a storm. Except for you, of course!" he added.

"It was just snowing so much," said Icestar. He decided not to mention Dewstar now. The first cat he wanted to tell was Ashtail, and he didn't want to make his Clanmates have something else to talk about.

Flameheart nodded with agreement. "You look crazy, too. Your fur is all frosty!"

"I suppose so," laughed Icestar. "I was out there all night. Anyways, Ashtail, it seems like the storm has died down for now. I think you should send out patrols now just in case it'll come back later on today."

"I'm on it," Ashtail meowed, walking to the warriors den to wake those who were still asleep. Everyone else dismissed themselves away, and went back to talking or going to Ashtail to join a patrol when they realized that Icestar was okay.

He thought about his apprentice as he watched the Clan get on with their morning business. He felt that he was too tired for morning training or patrols, and decided to sleep until sunhigh since he was up all night without a blink of sleep. He decided that he would send Amberpaw out with a patrol, to see how she managed without him.

"Flameheart!" Icestar called, padding up to his friend.

Flameheart was grooming his pelt from the white flakes of snow and the messiness of his fur from the wind. Icestar must look much worse than Flameheart since he was exposed to the storm for so long. "Is there anything you need?" he asked.

"I need you to take Amberpaw training or hunting today. I'm too tired now," he admitted.

"I understand. You've probably had a long night," Flameheart meowed sympathetically. "I'll take her when she wakes later on."

"Thank you, Flameheart." Icestar let a breath of relief. Today, he could rest. Perhaps in his sleep he might forget about everything that troubles him, everything that haunted him, everything that hurt him. Maybe he could find peace within a dream, or within no dreams at all. He just needed everything to be quiet for a little while.

Silverleaf padded outside of the nursery as he stood up. "You're back, Icestar," she said softly.

"I arrived a short while ago," Icestar said, nuzzling her. "You sound tired. Did you sleep at all?"