Warriors: The Lurking Darkness (Book Two)

Chapter Fifteen: Has It Really Come To This?

CHAPTER 15

"It's tomorrow, Soulflame. Are you sure she's fit to fight? It has only been a quarter moon... I'm worried about her, I don't know if she can handle fighting against the cats that tortured her," Mothflower mewed with concern, trying to peek behind my shoulder, but I was much bigger than her.

I set my tail on her shoulder comfortingly. "If Iceheart doesn't fight with us she'll feel even worse. She needs her revenge on these cats. Let her fight, Mothflower, please." I knew what was best for her.

She gazed at me for a heartbeat and then nodded. "Okay, Soulflame. I'll tell Russetstar she can fight, but she's your responsibility. Don't let her die." Then she quickly padded out of the den.

I turned around and looked at Iceheart who was sleeping soundlessly in her designated nest in the medicine den. Her pelt had healed well, leaving only a few of the deep wounds as scars. Her beautiful white fur had grown back in pretty well too and with how much I had been grooming her, the blood didn't stain in her fur. She slept most days and let me walk her around the clearing when she was feeling up to it, it was a good system.

"Thank you, Soulflame," she muttered, one of her green eyes flicking open to look at me. "I really do need to fight tomorrow. It'll help." She lifted her head and parted her jaws in a yawn. "Let's walk to the fresh-kill pile, shall we?" Iceheart rose to her paws, stepping out of her nest. She seemed a lot better. When she'd come back from The Dark Forest cats her body trembled all the time and she could barely stand. Now she had rippling muscle under her pelt and seemed a lot braver. But she still jumped at loud sounds now and again.

We padded out of the medicine cats den and into the clearing. The other cats had stopped staring not that long ago. Everyone was concerned about her but they also thought her pelt would never heal. They were wrong, they were always wrong.

We made it to the pile where she picked out a rabbit and hungrily ate half of it. I ate the other half.

"Iceheart!" the gray-and-brown medicine cat raced up to us excitedly, a smile on her face. They had been best friends ever since the accident. Mothflower said it had something to do with going through a trauma together. "I heard you're fighting tomorrow, are you sure you're up for it?"

She nodded and smiled at her friend. "Of course I am, Fernsplash." She looked over at me. "This is my destiny."

Fernsplash smiled warmly back. "You're right, sorry. I'm just a little nervous to be there. It's clear they don't care about titles, they could attack a medicine cat."

Iceheart set her tail on Fernsplash's shoulder. "If Stonetail dies, I am confident you will be a great medicine cat. Now go check on Fawnpelt, I hear she moved to the nursery with Lionfur's kits," she squealed excitedly.

The medicine cat squealed too and then hurried off to find Fawnpelt.

I looked down at Iceheart in amusement. "You want kits someday too?"

She met my gaze and smiled. "Well, yes, as long as it's with someone I love and someone who loves me." Iceheart looked down at the ground and shuffled her paws. "Soulflame-"

Russetstar's yowl interrupted her and we faced the Tallrock where he sat with Larkstar. "Tomorrow is the attack on The Dark Forest cats. ThunderClan and RiverClan will be coming here tonight to stay with us, leaving those who will not be fighting in their camps. Tomorrow at dawn we will march into ShadowClan's camp and take it back, killing any Dark Forest cats who try and stop us!"

Cheers erupted around us and Iceheart jumped, scooting closer to me as she looked around wildly. I wrapped my tail around her comfortingly and then looked back up at the two leaders.