Icestar's Rise

Chapter 12

So the truth is about to be revealed. Who is the real father of Icepelt and her litter mates? Why and how did this happen?

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Icepelt woke up in a grassy clearing. She looked up to see Brackenfur and Purdy looking down at her. A huge dark brown tabby joined them. "Bramblestar?" Icepelt looked at her leader in surprise.

Bramblestar nodded sadly. "Onestar took my last life after you blacked out," Bramblestar explained.

Icepelt's eyes narrowed to cold slits. "I thought he called a retreat!" she hissed.

"He did, but then he killed me before he left," Bramblestar looked at Icepelt sadly. "Please do not try to get vengence. It is not the will of Starclan."

Icepelt dipped her head to her former clan leader. "I understand Bramblestar."

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Icepelt woke up in the medicine cat den to see Darkheart and Tigerheart standing over her. "Thank Starclan you're OK!" Darkheart purred. He licked Icepelt's forehead and Icepelt purred weakly. "You're never going to believe what Tigerheart admitted to doing!" Icepelt gave Tigerheart a confused look.

Tigerheart looked at his paws with a look of shame. "I'm your father," he shuffled his paws. "I forced your mother to mate with me and then you and the others were born and Dovewing knew that I was the father."

Icepelt tried to stand to her feet, but her legs buckled and she flopped to the ground. "How could you?" she reached to try and claw Tigerheart, but missed. "You have Pinenose and Leafclaw and your entire family in Shadowclan, yet you force mate my mother? What is wrong with you?" Icepelt was furious and Tigerheart took a few steps back. "Why didn't Dovewing tell anyone sooner?"

"I was and still am in love with your mother. I used Pinenose as a cover up," Tigerheart couldn't look his daughter in the eyes. "I threatened to kill her if she told," at this point Icepelt was in a rage.

Icepelt glared furiously at Tigerheart. "You sick piece of fox dung!" Icepelt freaking out. "How dare you do such a thing to such a wonderful cat!" Darkheart got between Icepelt and Tigerheart.

"Love, if it didn't happen you and our kits wouldn't be here," he soothed her. Darkheart licked her cheek lovingly. "I would be with Lilyleaf and probably the unhappiest tom because she is such a complainer and totally clingy," Icepelt had to admit that Darkheart was right.

Icepelt looked and saw that Tigerheart was leaving and Dovewing was coming in. Dovewing hissed something at Tigerheart and walked over to her daughter. "Oakstar made Icecloud and Cinderheart's kits into apprentices. You're going to be Mosspaw's mentor," she sounded excited. 

"How long have I been out?" Icepelt was confused at this point.

Darkheart glared at Dovewing and she left. "About three days," Darkheart whispered. "Whitewing was named deputy."

Icepelt had to ask. "Who became the mentor of the other kits?"

"Oakstar is Bramblepaw's mentor, Berrynose is Spiderpaw's mentor, Whitewing is Ashpaw's mentor, Sorreltail is Eclipsepaw's mentor, Leafpool is Hollypaw's mentor, Brightheart is Bluepaw's mentor, and Birchfall is Nightpaw's mentor," Icepelt shook her head. "What is it?"

"Leafpool as a mentor to train a warrior?" Icepelt gave her mate a look that seemed confused. "Does that seem like something that is good for Thunderclan?" Darkheart shook his head.

A small light brown tabby bundle of fur ran into the medicine cat den. "Hi Icepelt!" Mosspaw jumped up and down excitedly. "Are we gonna train today?" Icepelt had to admire Mosspaw's entusiasm.

Jayfeather walked out from the back of the den. "Icepelt should be well enough as long as she doesn't try to kill Tigerheart," he decided.

Icepelt got up and Mosspaw helped her out of the den. Icepelt decided to show her apprentice around Thunderclan's territory. "Come on Mosspaw. Let's go see the territory," Mosspaw ran ahead of Icepelt and into the forest.

When Icepelt caught up to her apprentice and saw her staring in awe at the forest. "It's so big!" she exclaimed, clearly in awe. "We get to explore it all, right?" Icepelt nodded and smiled at her enthusiastic apprentice. "Can we go to the lake or the Windclan border or twoleg place?" Mosspaw was jumping around. Icepelt took off in the direction of the Windclan border.

"Come on! Windclan border first!" Mosspaw ran after her mentor and when they arrived Icepelt saw Squirrelflight and Hawkpaw with Lionblaze. Icepelt trotted up to them with Mosspaw following close behind. "Mind if Mosspaw and I join you?" she asked.

Squirrelflight smiled kindly at her clan mate. "Of course not. This will be good experience for her," Mosspaw went over and talked to Hawkpaw. Icepelt heard a yowl and saw Silverflame coming with Antpaw, Boulderfur, and Heathertail. "Greetings Heathertail," Heathertail dipped her head to Squirrelflight.

"I'm sorry my father is a mouse brained fool and killed your mate after calling a retreat," Heathertail sounded sincere and Squirrelflight had to turn away. Her eyes were filled with grief and Boulderfur had to make some stupid comment.

"Aren't there any other toms you could be chasing after?" he sneered. Icepelt and everyone else looked at him in shock. Silverflame was growling and Squirrelflight's body had stiffened.

"Shut your stupid mouth!" Silverflame hissed. "I'm not going after any other toms! Sneezetail was the only cat I will ever love and that was him! Bramblestar was Squirrelfight's true love just like Sneezetail was mine!" Boulderfur cringed under the angry she-cats stare. Antpaw shook her head at the inconsiderate tom and then Squirrelflight turned around.

Boulderfur had a look of pure fear on his face as Squirrelflight spoke to him. "Of course Boulderfur wouldn't now what true love is. He's never had someone love him!" she spat. "He never will either if he keeps up that pleasant attitude!" Boulderfur ran away and Icepelt took Mosspaw away from the Windclan border.

"Let's go to the lake then the Shadowclan border," Icepelt told her apprentice. Mosspaw ran ahead and Icepelt pelted after her. Mosspaw had made it to the lake and looked at it in amazement. "Come on. We can go to the Shadowclan border from here," Icepelt led the way to the Shadowclan border across the beach. "This is the Shadowclan border. Take a good sniff."

Mosspaw walked up to the border and sniffed it. She spat at the scent and backed away disgusted. "It smells awful!" she sounded surprised. "Your dad is from this clan? How can he stand the smell?" Icepelt's fur bristled.

Icepelt looked calmly at her apprentice. "Please do not bring up that fox hearted traitor," she requested. "Now let's head up to the abandoned twoleg nest then I can go see how my kits are doing. They haven't seen me since the fight with Windclan," Mosspaw nodded and followed her mentor up to the twoleg nest then back to camp. "Why don't you go tell your friends how your day went?" Mosspaw ran over to the apprentices den and Icepelt walked into the nursery.