Warriors: What Is There To Do?

Chapter 35- Almost Home

A cool, comforting breeze flowed along Splitrain's shoulders, ruffling her soft fur and raising a shiver. Against Glowstar's wishes she had joined a hunting patrol, and had innocently suggested the river that made part of their border with Shadowclan. A blue, cloudless sky was the opposite of foreboding as she made her way with, of all the cats in Riverclan: Iceheart, Strongsoul, and Skyheart.

Of all the luck! The three most influential cats she knew in Riverclan, right there next to her as they traversed to the fast-flowing stream. The tension was palpable, and Iceheart's whiskers twitched. In a moment, Splitrain was sucked up into her dream that she had so long ago.

Splitpaw had met him the day she opened her eyes to the world, and he was the one who made the puddle, that made her see what she was.

"First off, I called you Splitpath, not Splitface. Second, you are that great oak. You will be something great, respected, powerful... if you are not crushed first."

"Crushed? What do you mean?"

Iceheart gestured to the tree that was supposed to be her.

The oak was almost bent in half. Lichen, moss, ferns... everything that was usually on the forest floor was on this tree, and it was killing it.

Suddenly, as if triggered by her thoughts, the trunk snapped so loud that Splitpaw winced. She watched as the elegant, beautiful tree falls to the ground.

When it hits, her chest explodes into pain. She groans, and kneels to the ground. She can see stars.

She is taking deep breaths, trying to focus on anything besides the pain, when Iceheart comes over to her. Upon his touch, the pain disappears. She frowns and turns around to give him reluctant thanks.

He is gone, in his place an enormous puddle.

She didn't have to look, did she?

She took a deep breath, and bent her head over the edge.

She does not see herself.

Instead, she sees three toms. The first two she easily recognizes as Bonepaw and Moonpaw. The third, a silver-blue, blinks back at her confused stare with a kind light. It seems as though Bonepaw and Moonpaw can't see her. They are just looking straight ahead.

Since then, so much more had made sense. Sure, maybe she didn't know why Bonepaw had been in her dream, or what Dream-Iceheart had meant when he compared her to the giant oak tree, but she did know the other tom in the puddle had been Rapidflame. And she did know that things got better. That undergrowth was on the ground; where it needed to be.

Her father took Splitrain out of her thoughts.

"I will take the area around the stepping stones with Iceheart, so Skyheart, take Rai—Splitrain and cover that area over there," Strongsoul instructed, gesturing with his ginger tail.

Uncomfortable was an understatement as her and her mother padded over to the space that they had been assigned to. Making sure their shadows were not over the water, side by side they waited silently, tails wrapped around their paws and two pairs of eyes, one grass green and the other blue and a darker shade of the mother's.

As the clear water trickled and sang along the tiny stones that populated thin bend of river, Splitrain couldn't help but notice the smell of pines just three tail-lengths away. The thick scent coated her tongue and sent happy thoughts of longing through her.

She shot Skyheart a sideways glance, analyzing every move that the soft ginger she-cat made. Her eyes were focused on the water, flickering up and down looking for the tell-tale sign of silver that signaled a fish. The smallest chunks of ice flowed along with the occasional tree branch or leaf.

Next, Splitrain studied the gap between her and home. About three tail-lengths and a couple more of sand, then... freedom. She could almost taste it.

Lost in the plan that was forming in her head, at first she didn't notice the eyes inside the trees.

Flickers beyond the trees brought her attention to the ten pairs of eyes that waited.

Sharpstar had been true to her word; she had half the clan ready to help with her escape.

At the head, with his eyes the brightest, was Moongaze. He nodded, gesturing with his tail to the cats still shadowed within Shadowclan's recesses. Whatever her plan, she had all of their support.

Another glance to her mother, and she gathered her haunches. A great leap and she would be protected by her clan.

"Leaving so soon, honey?"

Pure ice filled her chest as she turned to her mother. A glare that could kill filled her face as she growled, lips pulled back to reveal sharp teeth.

Hair rose along her shoulders and spine as she returned the look. This cat was not her mother. This cat was never her mother. Sharpstar, in her opinion, held that title.

If her mother wanted a fight, a fight she would get.