Icestar's Rise

Chapter 8

Icepaw flung Dawnpelt away from her and looked around for Jasminepaw. Shadowclan had attacked trying to reclaim the clearing that Thunderclan won many moons ago. She saw Jasminepaw had Rainpaw pinned and was about to deliver the killing bite. Icepaw growled and pelted over tackling Jasminepaw. "Get away from my clan mate!" she screeched. Icepaw shredded Jasminepaw's ears and left a long scar from her left ear down to her nose. Jasminepaw screeched in pain and retreated into her part of the forest.

"Thanks for saving me," Rainpaw smiled at Icepaw. Icepaw gave him a glare and went to fight her next opponent. She was still mad that he had dared question her sister's feelings for Fleetpaw. Icepaw saw Blackstar and Rowanclaw fighting Thornclaw. Icepaw went over and helped Thornclaw by driving Blackstar back. Blackstar tripped over a branch and Icepaw took the oppurtunity to bite down at his neck. When Icepaw tasted blood she let go and watched as Blackstar lost his last life. Everyone stopped fighting and watched as the once great leader of Shadowclan lost his final life. Blackstar twitched once and lay still forever. Icepaw turned and saw everyone staring at her. Rowanclaw walked past Icepaw and picked up the body of his leader.

Rowanclaw looked at Icepaw with many emotions shining in his eyes. "I hope your happy," he hissed. "Shadowclan, let's go home. This wasn't worth the loss," the Shadowclan cats followed their new leader and that was when Sorreltail screech. Icepaw whipped around and stopped when she saw Brackenfur lay dead.

"Who killed him?" Bramblestar asked. Poppyfrost came over and stood next to her mother.

Lionblaze was glaring at Shadowclan's side of the forest. Dovewing tipped her head to the side to listen. "Jasminepaw," she growled. Icepaw turned and dashed into the pines ignoring her clanmates calls to come back. Jasminepaw was at the back of the group bragging about killing Brackenfur to her horrified siblings. Icepaw let out a loud yowl and jumped on Jasminepaw and pressed a paw to her throat."You killed Brackenfur!" she screamed digging her claws into her fur until they touched her skin. "How dare you even touch one of my clan mates!" Icepaw dug her claws in and by this time the Shadowclan warriors had come back and stopped when they saw Icepaw. Icepaw looked at them with wild eyes and looked like she did everytime she was in a killing mood. "I should kill this disgrace right now!" she sounded insane. "I have already killed one of your clan mates and I won't dispose of this one'" Icepaw felt blood on her claws coming out of where she had injured Jasminepaw's throat, "but she needs to be taught a lesson." Icepaw tore a small hole in Jasminepaw's throat and left.

"Did you kill Jasminepaw?" Bramblestar asked as soon as she came back to camp. Many others were staring at her waiting for an answer as well.

Icepaw shook her head. "I taught her a lesson. I already took away one of their clan mates and I am not going to be the one to give Jasminepaw the punishment she deserves," Bramblestar nodded his head and went up to the high ledge.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the high ledge for a clan meeting!" he yowled. Squirrelflight came out of the nursery with her three kits and groomed them. Scorchkit was squirming and Volekit was staring at Molepaw. Hawkkit was staring up at his leader and father. "Today we have two new warriors and three new apprentices. Darkpaw and Shinepaw come forward," the siblings walked up and Rosepetal and Foxleap looked at them proudly. "Starclan, these two apprentices have trained hard to understand the ways of the warrior code and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Darkpaw, do you promise to follow the warrior code and to protect and defend this clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do!" Darkpaw yowled.

Bramblestar smiled. "Then from this day forward you will be known as Darkheart. Starclan honors your loyalty and courage and we welcome you as a full warrior of Thunderclan," Bramblestar rested his muzzle on Darkheart's head and Darkheart licked his shoulder in return and went to sit with the other warriors. "Shinepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to defend this clan even at the cost of your lfe?"

"I do!" Shinepaw mewed excitedly.

"Then from this day forward you will be known as Shinepelt. Starclan honors your enthusiasm and speed and we welcome you as a full warrior of Thunderclan!" Bramblestar rested his muzzle on Shinepelt's head and Shinepelt licked his shoulder in return. Shinepelt stepped back and sat next to her brother.

"Darkheart! Shinepelt! Darkheart! Shinepelt!" the clan cheered.

"Today three kits are also ready to become apprentices," Scorchkit, Hawkkit, and Volekit stood in front of their father. "Scorchpaw from this day until you recieve your warrior name you will be known as Scorchpaw. Seedshine is ready for her first apprentice and will mentor Scorchpaw," Seedshine and Scorchpaw touched noses. "Hawkkit, from this day until you recieve your warrior name you will be known as Hawkpaw. Squirrelflight will mentor you," Squirrelflight touched noses with Hawkpaw and Bramblestar turned to his daughter. "Volekit, from this day until you recieve your warrior name you will be known as Volepaw. Lilyleaf you are ready for your first apprentice. You will mentor Volepaw," Lilyleaf and Volepaw touched noses. "Today Fleetpaw lost his mentor in a fight with Shadowclan. Fleetpaw needs a new mentor and I have decided that Lionblaze shall continue Fleetpaw's training until he becomes a warrior.

."Scorchpaw! Hawkpaw! Volepaw! Scorchpaw! Hawkpaw! Volepaw!" the clan cheered for the three new apprentices. Icepaw saw Volepaw run over to Molepaw and the two went over to the apprentices den to get Volepaw a nest. Scorchpaw ran over to Rainpaw and Stormpaw and Hawkpaw ran over to Icepaw.

Hawkpaw was jumping up and down excitedly. "Could you show me where I'm suppose to have my nest?" Icepaw nodded and led Hawkpaw into the apprentices den. Scorchpaw had a nest next to Rainpaw's and Volepaw had a nest next to Molepaw. There was an empty nest where Darkpaw used to be that was inbetween Icepaw and Larchpaw. "Can I have this one?" Hawkpaw asked.

Icepaw smiled at the excited young apprentice. "Of course Hawkpaw. It is an empty nest after all."

Darkheart and Oakstripe appeared at the entrance to the apprentice den. Oakstripe growled something at Darkheart and he left. "Come on Icepaw! If you want to be a warrior you need to train as hard as possible!"

Icepaw ran out of the apprentices den and followed her mentor into the forest. Oakstripe stopped at the training clearing where Icepaw saw Volepaw, Larchpaw, Lilyleaf, Bramblestar, and surprisingly Sandstorm there. Lilyleaf was about to fight Sandstorm when the two walked into the clearing. "Good, you're here," Bramblestar smiled. "We were just about to have Sandstorm demonstrate some moves she learned when she want on a misson from Starclan when we lived in the old forest," Bramblestar signalled for the two to continue and Lilyleaf leaped at Sandstorm. Sandstorm slid under Lilyleaf and ran for the tree behind her. Lilyleaf whipped around, but Sandstorm was already in the tree. Lilyleaf walked over to the tree and Sandstorm swung down using her hind claws to grip the branch and swiped sheathed claws at Lilyleaf's face. Then Sandstorm got back in the tree and jumped out landing on Lilyleaf's back and pinning her. "You can let Lilyleaf up now Sandstorm. Thank you for demonstrating and you can go back to camp now if you would like," Sandstorm shook her head and looked at Icepaw.

"I would like to see Icepaw do the move first. She has Skyclan in her," she replied. Oakstripe nudged Icepaw forward and Icepaw faced Lilyleaf.

"I'm going to enjoy shredding you," Lilyleaf whispered. Her claws were unsheathed and Lilyleaf jumped at Icepaw. Icepaw noticed that Lilyleaf jumped low to the ground so Icepaw jumped over her instead of under. Icepaw ran to the tree and climbed up. Lilyleaf landed frustrated and ran towards the tree. Icepaw unsheathed her back claws into the tree bark and swung down knocking Lilyleaf in the face at full speed with sheathed claws. Lilyleaf stumbled back and that gave Icepaw time to swing back into the tree. Before Lilyleaf could recover Icepaw jumped out of the tree and landed on Lilyleaf's back and pinned her to the ground. Lilyleaf struggled to get up, but Icepaw secretly put her claws on the back of Lilyleaf's neck. Lilyleaf stopped struggling and Icepaw let her up. Lilyleaf hissed at Icepaw and walked away. "You got lucky," she snarled.

Sandstorm got up and circled Icepaw as she stood there. "I was right that you have the skills of a Skyclan cat along with Thunderclan. Firestar must be pleased to have such a skilled cat in Thunderclan," Icepaw blushed and Sandstorm sat next to Bramblestar who was now being examined by her. "You have Skyclan blood in you from your father's side of the family. Tigerstar's ancestors were from Skyclan from what Firestar told me. That is one thing that you inherited from your father that you don't have to be ashamed of," Bramblestar looked shocked and Sandstorm got up and left heading back to camp.