White Ivy

'This is book three of the Poisonous Perfection series. Enjoy! '

~Chapter One~
''Perfection. ''That's the only word I can think of to describe that. I gaze at the she-cat by my side once again, just to make sure she's really there. She is(just thought I'd let you know). I breathe in her scent, which is like fresh mountain air, spring water, and lilies all combined.

"Snowheart," I whisper, gazing into her navy eyes. "I love you."

"Blackfire get up! Snowheart's in trouble!"

"Snowheart!" I leap to my feet, then blush bright red. I'm about to stutter an excuse such as: "I was not'' dreaming about her, why would you think that?" ''when what she just said sinks in. "What? Where is she?"

"She's furious. Blackstorm just told her that Sageheart is dead," Pinecloud explains, her eyes wide with worry for our friend. "I think she's planning to single-handedly beat up Ivystar's entire group."

I groan and peer out of the cave at the dreary winter morning. "Great. Let's go get her." With that, the two of us begin scrambling down the side of the cliff. "Where are the others?" I ask.

"Ashsong and Whisperpelt took the 'paws out for training. Ashsong is determined they don't lose ground just because... well, SnowClan doesn't exist anymore."

I wince upon hearing the words; none of us are used to the fact that the Clan we grew up in is gone yet. Pinecloud's eyes soften. "I think Ashsong misses Weaselclaw. Weasel or no weasel, he was still her mate, and she still loves him."

"He was a rat," I retort. "And I hope he dies."

"Blackfire!"

"Snowheart!" We both spot the body at the same time. Everything else fades into oblivion as I charge down the slope, my heart beating a mile a minute. She's lying so still. Is she even alive?

As I get closer, I see another cat standing over her. My first reaction is anger as I think it must be one of Ivystar's cats, but then I realize it's a she-cat, and completely unfamiliar. As we skid to a stop, she looks up, her eyes widening in fear as she correctly reads the anger in our faces.

"I- I didn't mean to. Honestly! It was just a reflex! Did I hurt her?"

Before Pinecloud or I can respond, Snowheart stirs. Pinecloud is instantly by her side, something I wish I was comfortable enough to do. Instead, I stand by and watch as she helps her to her feet.

"What happened?" Snowheart murmurs, glancing around with a dazed expression on her face. "Who are you?"

The she-cat blushes and stares at her paws. "I don't think we got off on a good paw. My name is Night. I'm a rogue... at least, a loner. Or not exactly. I... hung around with another group of cats for a while. About a week ago, our leader had a strange dream. A black tom told him to come here, in riddles, but we figured it out pretty quickly. I scouted ahead one night, to make sure this feather-brained scheme wasn't a trap, though how it could be I don't know. All I knew was that something didn't feel right. The next thing I knew, I stumbled upon this she-cat in the woods, ordering two toms to bury an old cat's body. I fled; somehow I knew-" She breaks off abruptly, as if just realizing she's spouted all this information out loud.

Snowheart is too keyed up by now to relent though. "This tom, was he black with fangs and bronze ripples in his fur?"

"I'm not sure. I never saw him, but his name was Viperface."

Pinecloud, Snowheart, and I exchange looks, our jaws gaping in identical expressions of shock.

As usual, Snowheart recovers her speech the fastest. "WHAT? WHERE IS HE?"

Grinning, Pinecloud flicks her tail towards the sky. "There, I'd presume. That's where StarClan is, isn't it? Don't think you can get to him there. Sorry dear." I can read the relief in her eyes though; she's as glad as me that our hard-headed friend is safe.

Sticking out her tongue, Snowheart turns back to Night, who is looking at us as if we all sprouted two heads. "Sorry. We have a lot to explain... But first, why did you leave your group?"

With a sigh, the black she-cat sat down, giving her silver-flecked pelt a quick lick. "Like I said, somehow I knew that this was wrong. And I knew that she-cat," she shuddered, "burying the cat, was evil."

"She is," I snarl angrily; the mere thought of Ivystar makes my blood boil. Night's eyes widen, taken aback by my response. "Well... she is," I stammer.

"Hey guys!" a voice calls from behind us. I turn to see Ashsong approaching, Aquapaw racing ahead, with Heatpaw and Summerpaw bringing up the rear, bragging around the prey that stuffs their mouths. Yes, I know, they can't officially be apprentices without a Clan, but who cares? I wasn't about to dampen Ashsong's attempt at raising her kits the SnowClan way, without any SnowClan. She really was a good mother, and we all pitched in. The apprentices were important, and besides, we were all clinging to the hope that our Clan could be rebuilt. Once Ivystar's head was on a stake of course.

"Who's that?" she asks as she gets nearer, her expression darkening. Night frowns.

"I'm Night," she says in a semi-friendly tone.

"This is our friend, Ashsong," Snowheart meows. "And that's Aquapaw, Summerpaw, and Heatpaw." Each of the younger cats mutter a half-hearted greeting, save Aquapaw.

"Hey!" she says exuberantly, her sea-colored eyes bright. "Night? That's a cool name. Not a Clan name though. Are you a loner? We can't be friends if you are."

I burst out laughing, not able to help it. Trust Aquapaw to liven and lighten things up. "Guys," I say. "We're supposed to be being hospitable."

"Right," Snowheart says, rolling her eyes. "Sorry, Blackfire. Obviously, you're the most polite one among us. Night, do you want to stay with us?"

A small smile of hope appears on her face. "Really? You want me to?"

"Sure," Pinecloud says.

"Yeah!" exclaims Summerpaw, getting over her shyness. "It'll be fun to meet someone new."

"The cats we stay with are boring!" adds Heatpaw helpfully. Ashsong cuffs her son around the ear, and he blinks back innocently. "What? It's true."

"Okay," Night says, hiding a grin. "I'll come with you."

"Great."

We lead her up the side of the cliff. I expect her to keep slipping and sliding on the loose rocks and steep slope, but she doesn't, just doggedly climbs up, keeping pace with us. Snowheart notices too. "Were you a mountain cat before?"

"No," Night says with a touch of ruefulness. "But I've lived in a lot of places. I know how to get around."

"Ah, that explains it," Ashsong says, glancing at her own pads, which are hard and firm, like the rest of us.

"So, tell me more about this evil cat," Night mews, her green eyes curious, but wary. I can see it'll take a while for her to fully trust us, and we know almost nothing about her past, so it'll probably be vice versa too.

"Her name is Ivystar. She is, was, the leader of SnowClan, when it existed." Which was only a few days ago, I think. Pinecloud is clearly thinking the same thing, but she continues, "Now, she's got some kind of power called the White Ivy, and she can use it to do almost anything to cats, and build her own army of minions."

"StarClan knows what she plans to do with them," I say. "Just continue making clones?"

Snowheart shudders, as if she knows something we don't. Which is understandable, since she's actually experienced the White Ivy, and has a share in it. What if- I cut off the thought. No, it would never work. I'd never let her risk it. No matter what it comes to, it can't go that far. Ivystar isn't that powerful; we'll find a way to beat her.

"Guys!" Whisperpelt comes scrambling out of the den towards us. She stops short when she spots Night.

"Whisperpelt, this is Night," Snowheart says. Quickly she explains what the she-cat had told us, with the rest of us butting in at regular intervals. At the end of it, Whisperpelt still doesn't look sure, but she nods hesitantly, and steps aside from the entrance of our cave.

"Welcome to the team, Night," I say, flicking my tail to beckon her in. "I'm sure you won't let us down."

"Thanks Blackfire," she says, blinking warmly at me. "I hope not."

Snowheart elbows between us, a tad impatiently. Casting a glare at me over her shoulder, she calls, "Come on, we have work to do." A little surprised at her temper, I follow with a shrug.

"What work, exactly?" inquires Whisperpelt. Night glances about the inside of the cave with approving eyes; it's not huge, but it's spacy enough, with a narrow chamber that spaces out into a wider cavern, which is where our nests are.

"Uh... I was hoping you'd know that." She gives a sheepish grin; I try to ignore the way my heart pounds at her smile.

"Snowheart," Pinecloud says quietly. "You... you have part of the White Ivy too, don't you?" My heart sinks as I realize what she's getting at- the same thing I considered for an instant. Snowheart obviously realizes it too. Her eyes widen, and for a second I hope that she won't even think about it, but it's no use. She's much too heroic for that.

Nodding, she says, "Yes. I do. So... I could battle Ivystar."

"One on one?" asked Aquapaw, her eyes large.

"It's too risky," I say, trying to keep my voice steady. "We have no way of knowing if you'll survive it, or if your side of the White Ivy is more powerful than Ivystar's."

I can tell she's not listening. "This could be the way to beat her for good," Snowheart exclaims. Then her eyes darken. "But we have to figure out how, exactly, I can control my power, to attack her."

Everyone falls silent. I bite my lip from screaming out loud, ''"Are you CRAZY?! Snowheart, you're worth a thousand Ivystars. We can't let you die. There has to be another way." ''Instead, I stare at my paws, trying to avoid her sapphire-colored gaze. Hopefully, we'll never figure out how to kill Ivystar using the White Ivy.

Suddenly, Snowheart's head shoots up. "I've got it!"

"Are you sure this will work?" Night asks. The darkness covers us like a blanket as we head down the side of the mountain and into the woods, alert for any SnowClan patrols. Or, you know, former SnowClan cats wandering around. I don't know how Ivystar manages her group now; it's probably different from our Clan life, which wasn't so Clan-like either, and wasn't at all like what I was used to when Birchstar was leader. Still, it was the closest we had, and now it's gone.

"It has to," Snowheart says, obviously trying to muster more confidence. "I don't know where else to go."

Pinecloud flicks her ears in agreement. "But you've never been there before. How do you know the way?"

"I- I can't really explain it. It's like... it's been imprinted into my mind, like I did it a long time ago, in another life or something," Snowheart says. "I don't understand it myself, but I know that that's the closest place where we can access StarClan." Her gaze darkens, as if she's recalling something unpleasant, and I guess she's hiding something. A pit of unease churns in my stomach.

"Well, that's reassuring," Whisperpelt sighs. I can see my own worry reflected in her olive eyes.

Blackstorm glances up at the inky sky, her gaze solemn. "I just don't know Snowheart. We're risking our lives for all this? Why can't we just leave the territory and settle somewhere else?" There's no trace of the she-cat's usual sarcasm, just an honest suggestion.

Snowheart meets her former mentor's eyes with all the courage and calmness I love about her. "I'm not asking you guys to do this with me. This doesn't have to involve all of you. In fact, it would probably be better if you left now, before things got too dangerous. I don't want any of you to get hurt. But... I have to do this. I know I do. It's my destiny to save SnowClan. Honeywind and Beepelt," she chokes up for an instant as she says her parent's names, "would have wanted me to. They'll help me."

"You're crazy," I say sharply.

She gives a swift gasp. "I know it sounds impossible, but I'm-"

"As if any of us could ever leave you alone to face this," I interrupt. "We're all in this together. No way are we leaving you to blunder around shooting blue fire at everyone. You would be arrested, and what would happen then?"

A purr rumbles in her throat, and she steps closer to me, brushing her pelt against mine. "Thanks." I nod, not trusting myself to speak.

"Guys?" It's Pinecloud, her voice hesitant and wary.

"Yeah?" I ask.

"Snowheart, you said we were looking for a large pile of rocks?"

I push past her, and gape in shock. In front of us, strewn across dusty ground, lie several shattered fragments of stone. It looks like a giant explosion rocked the entire place. I gulp to think of what could be so powerful as to break whole boulders like glass. There is no sign of any entrance to the tunnel we're looking for.

"Found it."

"Great," I say sarcastically. "This is just what we needed." I wonder if I'm doing a good job of hiding my glee.

"No..." Snowheart moans. "They can't be gone. StarClan is stronger then that. Everyone, split up and look for any sign of a large blue..." She trails off, her eyes widening in horror. Then, she slumps to the ground. "I'm so stupid."

Pinecloud exchanges glances with the rest of us. "Well, I'd hate to agree, but-"

"It was me," Snowheart says. "I had the StarStone. But I delivered it right into Ivystar's paws... Guys, it's not here anymore. I transferred it, when I brought that blue stone to her. That was the StarStone. Oh great. Our only hope of figuring out how to beat Ivystar is in the middle of her lair. This is just perfect."

"How can the StarStone be the same as your... whatever it is. White Ivy stone," I wonder. She shrugs helplessly.

"The only cats we can ask, StarClan, are inaccessible right now."

Night looks extremely confused, though we explained our situation to her as best as we could. "So, we can't just go in and get it?"

Snowheart looks at her like she sprouted another head. "No, we most certainly cannot, unless you have a death wish. We need a plan. It's going to be us against Ivystar's entire crew, and believe me, that's huge. It must have gotten even bigger by now."

"Let me get this straight," Blackstorm interjects. "We're devising a dangerous plan so we can get something that will allow us to make another dangerous plan?"

"Exactly," she says.

"Great!" Heatpaw says. "Let's do it!"

~Chapter Two~
This is crazy, this is crazy, this is crazy.

That's the chant that spins around in my mind as I creep down the side of the cliff. Down below, I can see the overhang that shelters what was once the SnowClan camp, and beyond that, further down the slope, the pine forest, stretching away in snow-covered bliss. How I long to be out on a normal hunting patrol there, living out my old life. Instead of this.

Then I glance at my friends beside me, and grit my jaw. I'll just have to stick this through, for them. For Snowheart. For SnowClan.

"Okay," the pale gray-silver-and-white she-cat says, turning to face us. "Ashsong and Summerpaw are fast, so they'll cause the distraction." She flicks her tail over to a large pile of rocks, teetering dangerously. The only thing stopping them from pouring down the mountain is a tiny wedge of rock that Pinecloud and I pre-arranged the night before. "Make sure Ivystar sees you two pulling it out before running, and don't get caught, but don't lose them. Got it?" The mother and daughter nod their heads. Snowheart continues. "Then, I'll lead the rest of you guys in there. We need disguises, but we don't have mud up here, so just smear your pelt with dust and grit. It may not fool them, but it'll confuse them a bit."

"One thing," Aquapaw says. "How on earth do we get the stone out of there? I mean, from what you said, it's huge."

A strange glint enters Snowheart's eyes. "Don't worry about that. Just... If I say to get back, get back right that instant. Okay?"

The apprentice nods hesitantly. "I guess."

"Good. Everyone ready?" Snowheart asks. We all nod. She gives us a brisk salute. "Let's go." I try to catch her gaze one last time before we head down the cliff, knowing I might never see her again, but she's already turned around, marching off to the battle. Sighing, I follow her, admiration mingling with irritation in my heart. Mark my words, that's one strong cat.

Ashsong and Summerpaw take their positions behind the pile of rocks, and give us a nod as we progress down the cliffside. Looking down at my old home, my heart stirs with longing. SnowClan was just about the only thing I'd ever loved and clung to in life. And now, seeing it like this, overrun with loners and rogues, ruled by an evil she-cat whom we all hated, it tore at some little piece of me. I grind my jaw and narrow my eyes. We will succeed. I'll worry about the cost later.

Our group crouches behind a large rock that juts up over the overhang. Snowheart smears grit and dust onto her pelt, and indicates that we should do the same. I pick the chalkiest stuff I can find to put on my fur; it stands out starkly against the ebony color. Beside me, Night's fur is almost identical. She laughs when she sees me. "You look ridiculous. Here." She leans forward and licks a tuft of grit-coated fur on my shoulder down. Snowheart's eyes practically shoot blue sparks.

"Stop talking," she hisses vehemently. I can't help feeling surprised at how angry she is. Surely Night wasn't overheard? "You'll give us all away."

"Relax Snowheart," I tell her. Her gaze is so daggerish I fall silent. What is with her?

Turning back up the mountain, Pinecloud flicks her tail. Seconds later, a low rumbling shakes the ground under our paws. I shove Night out of the way just as a flurry of rocks cascade down the place where she'd been standing. "Thanks," she pants. Snowheart says nothing.

Down below, I hear Ivystar and her follower's exclamations. Our mission has started.

"Wait," Snowheart whispers, as if she can sense the way my legs itch to go streaking down the cliffside and launch myself on top of Ivystar. I'd definitely be struck dead by a bolt of green energy before I even touched the earth again. "Not yet..."

In the camp, Ivystar is screaming instructions. "Beetlefur, Casper, Ironfoot, Torntail, and Reebo, come with me right now!" I don't recognize some of the names, but there's no doubting that Ivystar's army is even stronger with the rogues and loners; all the tom's muscles ripple under glossy pelts as they pound past us, not even pausing to glance our direction, intent only on Ashsong and Summerpaw, who are luring them further away. Night gives a little gasp as one tom streaks past, a dark gray one with one blue eye and one green eye. That's all I catch of him before he passes by in a blur.

"Come on," Snowheart says.

"Wait!" Whisperpelt's mew is desperate. "We're still heavily outnumbered, and Ivystar does have captains and leaders within her rank, who could take charge."

"Don't worry about it," Snowheart says grimly, setting her jaw. "Leave the rest up to me."

Night flicks her tail. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes!" Snowheart hisses at her. "Now come on. We don't have time to waste." We race down the side of the cliff, and leap off the overhang. I land with my legs braced, and pounce on the first cat I see, who happens to be Weaselclaw. The brown tom's eyes flare with recognition, but a second later any sense of comradeship we might have developed, serving on the Council together, vanishes as he reaches a claw for my throat.

Screeching, I block his blow and kick out with my hind legs. He goes flying, but two more strange toms that I don't recognize take his place. I'm backed up against the den where Snowheart and the other she-cat's used to sleep, which isn't good because it's the thorniest, prickliest part of the camp. Wincing as thorns tear at my fur, almost as hurtful as the claws ripping at my shoulders, I lash out at a ginger tom, then headbutt another cat. To my surprise, though it shouldn't be I guess, there aren't any she-cats around. Surely some came with these toms? What did Ivystar do with them? I don't even want to know.

"Guys," Snowheart calls from outside the leader's den. "Get out of the way!"

I just have time to scramble halfway out of the thorn barrier before her eyes go completely blank. No pupils. Just eerily glowing blue. Slowly, from behind her, a large rock rises into the air. We watch, awestruck. Snowheart's controlling it, I know she is, but I have no idea how. How did she even get this power in the first place? And... how dangerous is it?

The rock and Snowheart are advancing out of the camp. Ivystar's "warriors" scatter, yelping with fright as she floats past. Her paws don't even touch the ground; she's suspended in a pulsing cloud of cobalt/sky-colored energy. I gulp as she floats past. Nothing can touch her now. Slowly, Snowheart and the rock progress up the cliff.

"Come on!" Whisperpelt calls, jolting me back to reality. "They won't dare follow us!"

"I'm not so sure-" I begin, but I break off as everyone else starts running. The other cats make no move to chase them, so I bound out of the camp too, racing up the cliffside.

We've been running for about three minutes when I see Pinecloud has stopped up ahead. The camp is out of sight, but we're still not out of danger. Ivystar and her patrol is still somewhere out on the mountain, chasing Ashsong and Summerpaw. I shudder to think what would happen if she caught either them or Snowheart. "Where is she?" Pinecloud says, breathless with fear and exhertion.

"I don't know," I say. Night, Whisperpelt, Heatpaw, and Aquapaw stop beside us. Suddenly, Blackstorm appears, eyes wide.

"Guys," she says, a grim look settling ono her face. "You might want to see this."

I lope after her, dreading what made sturdy, sarcasstic Blackstorm this worried. When I see her, I skid to a stop, gapsing. "Snowheart!"

She's lying on her side, the blue rock on the ground nearby. She looks frail and spent, her pale coat almost translucent. A trickle of blood seeps from a gash near her ear, and her breathing is heavy and rattling in her chest. "What... happened?" Pinecloud says.

"No," moans Whisperpelt. "This wasn't supposed to happen. She was supposed to control it."

I push past them, bounding to Snowheart's side and crouching over her. "Snowheart? Answer me! Are you okay?"

Aquapaw frowns. "I've never seen you this unnerved Blackfire."

Opening my mouth to retort hotly, I break off as Snowheart moves against me. Relief floods me, making my knees weak, not that I'd ever admit it. "You're okay," I breathe. She smiles faintly, licking a paw and wiping some grit and blood off her face.

"I must be a mess."

"You've never looked better," I promise. Taking a step back, I help her off the ground. She wobbles unsteadily, but she's as annoyingly stubborn as ever.

"Where are Ashsong and Summerpaw? We need to help them!"

"You're in no position to be helping anyone," says Pinecloud firmly. "We'll help you back to the cave." Together, we escort her back to our home. Suddenly, I hear the crash of rocks sliding down the mountain from somewhere nearby. We all freeze. Avalanche.

There's no time to lose. "Whisperpelt, keep Snowheart here. The rest of you, come with me!" With that, I race off, hoping we're not too late to save the other's lives.

It isn't hard to find the others. A few feet further up the mountan, a bright, sickly green glow begins to taint the air, practically pulsating with energy. My fur sticks up with static the further I press into the aura, but I square my jaw and plod on determinedly. "Summerpaw! Ashsong! Where are you?"

A weak cry leads me onwards. Up ahead, I make out a small shape, hunched over with grief, and on the floor beside her... "No!"

Pinecloud hurtles past me like a rocket, falling on her knees in front of Ashsong. The she-cat's dark gray fur is singed, but it looks like she died on impact, her eyes still wide from shock. A trickle of blood dribbles out of her mouth. Summerpaw looks stricken, tears rolling down her cheeks and wetting her honey-colored fur as she shudders with sobs. Anger courses like a fire through me. Raising my head, I look around for Ivystar. She's standing several tail-lengths away, surrounded by the rest of her patrol. Her eyes are back to normal, but her fur is on end still from the power she just used, and she's trembling slightly. Interesting. So it does cost her something to expend the White Ivy. I store that information away, in case we end up needing it.

"She can't be dead," Aquapaw says softly. Heatpaw just stares at his mother's body, speechless.

My heart twists in pity for them, but there's no time for ceremonies now. We're all in danger. Except... Snowheart's not with us, thank StarClan. And she's the one Ivystar really wants. Not to say she wouldn't kill us anyway, just for the fun of it, but she's not completely stupid. There are goals and motives behind her every action, and if I read hers correctly at the moment, I'd think she'd be more likely to hold us hostage and make Snowheart come to her, rather then burn us to ashes on the spot. Of course, she could kill us and expect Snowheart to come in revenge... I push away the stream of thoughts, raise my chin, and face her down.

"How dare you kill her." My voice is surprisingly calm, considering chills are running through my body and I feel like I'm about to throw up.

Ivystar cocks her head patiently. "Oh, I'm so sorry. Was she a friend of yours? My bad."

"You are bad," Pinecloud spits. Weak, but you can't blame her. Her best friend just died, and we're all pretty shaken up. Besides, no one ever won a war by insulting the opposite side to death(that I've heard of).

Ivystar takes another step forward. Suddenly, she bares her fangs in a deafening roar, her green eyes ablaze with what looks like fire. Heatpaw, Summerpaw, Aquapaw, Night, and Pinecloud are all driven back, yowling and clutching at rocks. Summerpaw claws for Ashsong's body, but Ivystar twitches her whiskers and she goes flying into a boulder, where she lies motionless.

Before I can move to help them, a thick coil of green energy wraps around me, immobilizing me. The expanse of color fills my vision, till all I can see in it is Ivystar's face, her pointed fangs bared like a snake's. "Come to me, Blackfire. If I can't have you, I'll take you away from Snowheart. And she won't get you back. But," she adds, a sickening cruelty etched on her face, "She'll try. And that will be the death of her."

I try to cry out, but the White Ivy power seems to have stilled everything about me, save a wrenching pain, burning me up, eating me alive. The, the green energy rears up like a massive monster, gains momentum, dives down, and swallows me whole.

~Chapter Three~
"Uh..." I groan groggily, blinking my eyes as I try to figure out where I am. There's something familiar about this place. I freeze. No. It can't be.

But it is. I'm in Ivystar's den. And just in front of me, her slanted eyes fixed on my pelt like lasers, is Ivystar.

"Blackfire," she coos silkily, taking a step in my direction. I stumble backwards, into the ruined, crumbled remains of one of the walls. What happened to this place? Then I remember Snowheart bringing the blue StarStone out of here, and how she described summoning the White Ivy here. "So glad you decided to finally wake up."

"Wouldn't want to disappoint you," I hiss through clenched teeth, hoping she doesn't see how much pain I'm in. I don't think I can walk without help, let alone fight her off.

She purrs amusedly, as if I've just said something hilarious. Which I have, I guess, because I'd want to disappoint her every time. Ha ha.

I lean back carefully on the wall, which alleviates some of the pain coursing through my body. Able to face her now, I say, "Why have you brought me here?" While I wait, I glance past her. It's night outside; a jolt runs through me. ''How long have I been gone? ''The others will be really worried now, there's no use denying it. I wish I could say they wouldn't care, wouldn't miss me. Wouldn't come here looking for me. But of course they will, if for no other reason then the warrior code. And that must be what Ivystar intended all along. They'll be walking right into her trap. And it'll be my fault.

Ivystar seems to sense that I've pieced together what she plans, because she doesn't bother answering the question. Instead, she trots to the edge of her den and peers out at the camp. I strain to see what she sees, and can't hold back a gasp. The camp is flooded with cats. Overflowing. They're everywhere, pouring out of the dens, sleeping out in the open, even draped on nooks and crannies in the cliffs nearby. It's an invasion. A sickening feeling starts in my gut. We have no hope of defeating all these cats. And even if we do, what will we do with them? SnowClan's territory isn't enough to support this many predators. Ivystar's group will starve, but that means our Clanmates, useless and dumb as they are, will die with her. And we'll be the only ones left. Could that be our mission? To wait till the others die, and then start SnowClan anew? I shudder at the thought. That can't be it. StarClan wouldn't want that.

All this thinking has got my head spinning again, and I sink slowly to the floor. Ivystar turns to me, but her eyes are faraway. She appears to be thinking about something else, and, shockingly, it seems to frighten and unnerve her. "Stay here, or not, I don't really care, since this den is fully guarded. I have business to attend to." Is it just me, or is her voice a little more unsteady then normal? Very strange.

Shaking my head, I sink down into the crumbly, dead grass lining the bottom of the den, not even bothering to check where the leader disappears to before falling headlong into the clutches of sleep.

''Thunk. ''I drag open my eyelids to find myself staring into a pair of lifeless, glassy orb-like eyes. Just then, I'm pretty sure my heart stops beating, until I realize it's a squirrel. Then, my mouth floods with water and I spring to my feet. Weaselclaw is standing there, apparently having just delivered the prey. He watches me carefully, as if judging if I'll try to claw his throat out. If I tried, I'm sure several dozen other cats would have me pinned in no time.

Instead, I play it cool, remembering that we used to be pretty good friends as apprentices. "Thanks," I say, bending down to sniff the squirrel. It smells clean, no poison or anything, so I take a huge bite. The meat is stringy and tough, but I'm too hungry to care.

"You're in a mess now," he says, by way of welcome.

"Tell me something I don't know," I snort around a mouthful of flesh.

His tail twitches. "So they all survived, huh? Pinecloud, Ashsong, Whisperpelt, Snowheart, Blackstorm... I thought they were goners for sure, but they managed to evade Ivystar so far." Weaselclaw raises his head. "And you joined them."

"Not Ashsong," I say, polishing off the last shreds of fresh-kill. When I look up, I'm shocked to see that his eyes have bugged out and that his jaw is gaping like the opening of a cave. "You okay?"

His voice comes out in a stammering croak. "A-Ashsong's dead? What about our- her kits?"

"They're fine." I force back any sympathy for him. He abandoned her, and his children, for a snake like Ivystar. Ashsong didn't deserve to die, but he deserves to lose her, after all he put her through, the cad.

Weaselclaw seems deflated all of a sudden. "I never meant for all of this to happen."

"Well, it did. Is there a reason you're still here?" I snap.

He winces, then turns and limps slowly out of the den, and not just because of the injuries I gave him when we fought previously. He really looks heartbroken. Shaking my head, I sit down heavily. My heart is torn and conflicted. Weaselclaw seemed to have cared about Ashsong still. I know they were head over heels for each other as apprentices. But what cat could forsake their family completely, for another she-cat, and claim to still love their old mate? It just isn't right. I would never do that to-

Snowheart. Like she'd ever be my mate. Like we'll ever even make it out of this alive.

I never dreamed I could really fall for any cat. And half the time I doubt I really have. I think of Snowheart as a close friend. But then she comes near me, and I catch a whiff of her flowery scent, the way the swirled pattern on her coat catches the moonlight, and the deep sapphire of her eyes and... I just melt.

I don't think she even realizes it(Admittedly, I'm not good at showing it), and I'm positive that she doesn't feel the same way. It's just... if I have to die, I'd like to die knowing that I've truly loved one cat in my life. If only she could have known. Maybe if things had been different, if I'd been a little bolder... But dreams don't get you anywhere.

Peering out the entrance of the den, I see it's turning to dawn outside. The sun is rising slowly over the mountainside. I think we have the most beautiful winter sunrise in the world. The light sparkles with a thousand colors on the freshly fallen snow, causing it to glitter and twinkle. The sheer slate-colored mountains look both immense and puny against the vast sky, which is streaked with deep rose, vibrant orange, blood red, and dreamy violet. It's enough to convince almost anyone that things will be all right. Except I know better.