#leopardclaw

Cloudkit, Bearkit, Violetkit, and Flamekit were in Shadowclan for the time being. His nerves were going crazy, Bluestar honestly had to make sure he didn't try to storm over there. It made him even more determined to take care of his remaining kits, easy to keep Shrikekit and Sunnykit pleased and just mostly making sure Fuzzypelt got to see his grandkits, mainly Rosekit and not giving to shits what Robinwing and Chestnutclaw thought, it seemed to apply to Cherrycloud's litter as well.

He honestly stuck around Tiger-roar and Nightshade because he didn't want them to suspect anything. It was less about his own safety and more about what would happen to his kits, didn't help when Raveneye was avoiding him most of the time, only really being around him at night. He wanted to find hard evidence to bring to Bluestar but he only had his word against Tiger-roar and Nightshade's. He tried to bring it up to Bluestar but her glare was enough to know that wouldn't work, she almost kicked him out of the den when their kits were sleeping.

To give them credit, they covered their tracks very well where it would only be word vs word.

Since Redtail's death, Sandstorm has been running herself ragged. Working hard with hunting and training Marigoldpaw harshly, Icefire could tell she wasn't taking breaks. Dustpelt isn't any better, Icefire knew him and Redtail were close, he also saw the bruises Pouncepaw got from training. Honestly he dragged them away and to camp more often than not to save their apprentices from passing out before they made it back to camp.

He took times to help train with all the other apprentices at this point since his own had been chasing rabbits til they returned. It was hilarious to fight with Fogtail and not get in trouble for it.

Marshstar's idea did work, they found the rouges and sent them backing into Twolegplace.

As much as he trued not to he drifted back to his conversation with Nettlemist yesterday:

-Flashback-

Icefire had just finished hunting with a newly named Cinderfreeze and Brackenfur. They wanted to get started early on the new-leaf hunting. Took him a few tries but he caught his kits favorite, Magpie.

"I'm surprised you wanted to name yourself after me"

"Some cats said it was fitting for me, Harekit liked it" Cinderfreeze replied "I guess you rubbed off on me but you also helped me be a warrior Icefire, you trained me and convinced me to train under Deadfoot so I could still be useful to my clan"

"You were always gonna be useful Cinderfreeze" Brackenfur mewed, rubbing himself against his adopted sibling.

"You say that but..." Cinderfreeze trailed off and Icefire knew what they meant.

"I say screw the mouse-brains" Icefire purred

Cinderfreeze and Brackenfang chuckled through the prey. The chuckling stopped when they heard small sobs. Icefire dropped his prey and went to check it out.

"Head back to camp" he mewed

"But Icefire-" Icefire cut Brackenfur off

"I'll be fine, I'll tell you two later but go"

He had jumped on a log, looking around. He then lowered himself then looked inside the log to see Nettlemist crying. The nursery tom had a paw over his eyes and his fluffy dark gray tail over his head.

"Nettlemist?"

The pointed gray tom looked up and screeched when he saw Icefire.

"W..what are you doing here?" Nettlemist said, trying to wipe his tears with his paw

"I could say the same thing with you crying in a log"

Nettlemist padded out of the log, his eyes puffy and red from crying. "Don't worry about it"

Icefire jumped from the log "You're my friend Nettlemist and I care deeply about you, of course I'll worry"

"I'm fine" the pointed tom snapped

"The more you say it the more I don't believe you" Icefire retorted, he lifted Nettlemist's chin with his paw "What's wrong Nettlemist?"

Nettlemist sat down with a thump, he covered his leg stump with his tail.

"Nettle, please" Icefire pleaded

Tears seemed to form in Nettlemist's blue eyes. "I feel useless" he whispered

Icefire looked shocked "How?"

"Icefire you know I'm not a good fighter or hunter, I'm very useless in a fight and I usually depend on others for food" Nettlemist looked away "I've always been interested in nursery life but after my injury, I felt like I had to be a nursery tom to be useful"

"You were always going to be useful to Thunderclan"

Nettlemist whipped his head around to face him "Don't say that fox-dung Icefire you know just as well that Thunderclan would pile all the disabled cats and let us rot if they could" tears ran down his face "I'm the son of two great and respected warriors and over-seers, I know others say I'm a disgrace to what they worked for"

Icefire knew Nettlemist spoke truth.

"They only reason the clan doesn't treat Frostbite and Featherears worse is because of Bluestar and don't get me started on what I heard Robinwing said about Cinderfreeze"

Icefire couldn't respond to that, he felt all the comments about his issues and his outsider blood. He did his best to bury his feelings but he was starting to feel them spilling out.

'Don't cry Don't cry you weak son of a bitch' he yelled at himself. He felt a flashback of training and Nightshade scolding him for crying when he hurt his paw during training. Even now he was taking her advise "Crying is for the weak" the dark molly had said "Warriors know how to hold their pain"

He held Nettlemist close, letting the other tom cry and rant.

-Flashback ends-

Icefire hated every time he remembered that. He tried not to be he too felt useless sometimes. Tiger-roar could call him a kittypet all he wanted but the great warrior knew he was far from useless from the way he trained him. He knew he would have to put all of what Tiger-roar taught him to bring him down.

He felt a nudge on his shoulder and glanced at his companion "Hey Ice, you okay?" Graystripe asked, her yellow eyes filled with concern

"Yeah I'm fine just thinking" Icefire replied

"Bout how Voletail's a mouse-brain"

"He's your former apprentice Graystripe"

"He's acting like he's Starclan's gift, I didn't expect he'd be a warrior so soon"

"It's not Brokentail soon and he's been growing alot since before and after he came back, he was old enough" Icefire muttered "Over-seers did say he was doing well"

"Not sure why Leopardstorm or Miststrike had to admit it" Graystripe looked away "I'm worried for Riverclan"

"Me too"

Icefire knew Riverclan was having troubles. He saw all the oil and the dark, rotting fish. He wanted to do something or at least check up on them.

When they reached the edge of the trees Icefire realized that the water had risen even farther. The Sunningrocks were almost submerged now, and the current swirled around them in tight circles. "We'll never make it across there" he mewed

"Let's head downstream" Graystripe suggested "We might be able to use the stepping stones"

"We can try" Icefire mewed uncertainly. He was about to follow his lover when he thought he heard something a thin, wailing sound, above the wind and the rushing of the torrent. He didn't know if it was real of his ears acting up. "Wait," he called "Did you hear that?"

Graystripe looked back, both cats stood, ears pricked, straining to catch the sound. Then Icefire heard it again the panic-stricken mewing of kits in distress.

"Where are they?" he mewed, looking around and up into the trees. "I can't see them"

"There" Graystripe flicked her tail in the direction of the Sunningrocks "Icefire, they'll drown!"

Icefire saw that the current had driven a mat of twigs and debris up against the Sunningrocks. Two kits balanced precariously on it, their tiny mouths stretched wide as they wailed for help. Even as Icefire watched, the current tugged at the mat, threatening to sweep it away. "Come on," he yowled to Graystripe "We've got to reach them somehow"

Taking a deep breath, he waded into the flood. The water soaked into his fur at once, and paralyzing, icy chill crept up his legs. The tug of the current made it harder to stay on his paws with every step he took.

Graystripe splashed in behind him, but when the water reached her belly fur she stopped. "Icefire..." she choked out.

Icefire twisted around to give her a comforting nod. He could understand how the river might terrify Graystripe, after he nearly dragged her into a water grave moons ago. "Stay there" he mewed "I'll try to push the mat over to you"

Graystripe nodded, trembling too trembling too violently to speak. Icefire waded forward a few more paces, then launched himself into t he current and began to swim, thrashing his legs instinctively to push himself through the disgusting black water. They were upstream of the Sunningrocks; if Starclan was kind, he should be carried down toward the kits.

For a moment he lost sight of them in the wind-ruffled waves, though he could still hear their terrified cries. Then the smooth gray bulk of a Sunningrocks loomed up beside him. He kicked out strongly, fearing for one panic-stricken heartbeat that he would be swept right past.

The current swirled; Icefire's paws worked furiously, and the river tossed him against the rock, driving the breath out of his body. He saw the outline of the tortie that was around Bluestar, her wounds didn't look healed, her amber eyes eyes were filled with worry. She flicked her tail in the direction. He thought the kits were. He scrabbled at the rough surface, bracing himself against the rushing water, and found himself face-to-face with the two kits.

They were both very small, still suckling from their dam, Icefire guessed. One was a dark gray tom with dark mottled markings that reminded him of Goosefeather and the other was a black tom, their fur plastered against their tiny bodies, their brilliant blue eyes wide with terror. They were crouched on a tangled mat twigs, leaves, and human rubbish, but when they saw Icefire they started to scramble toward him. The mat lurched and their wails grew louder as river water sloshed over them.

"Save them!" The tortie's voice rang in his ears.

"Keep still!" Icefire gasped, paddling against the current. Briefly he wondered if he could climb onto the rock and haul the kits up with him but he saw the tortie look at him and shake her head as if she could hear his thoughts. He shook that though away and went with the better plan which was to push the mat over to Graystripe. Looking back, he saw his friend had already moved downstream, into a good position to catch the mat as it swept toward him.

"Here we go" Icefire muttered "Starclan help us!" He pushed himself off the rock, thrusting at the mat with his muzzle to guide it into the current. The two kits whimpered and flattened themselves against the twigs.

Icefire put every last scrap of energy into pushing the mat ahead of them with nose and paws. He could feel exhaustion draining the strength from his limbs. His fur was soaked, and he was so cold he cold hardly breathe. Raising their head and blinking water out of his eyes, he realized with horror that he had lost sight of Graystripe and the bank. It seemed as if there was nothing in the world but the churning water, the fragile mat of twigs, and the two terrified kits.

Then he heard Graystripe's voice, sounding close by "Icefire! Icefire, here!"

Icefire thrust again at the mat, trying to propel it toward the voice. It spun away from him, and his head went under. Coughing and choking, he clawed his way back to the surface, to see Graystripe pacing on dry land just a few tail lengths away.

For a heartbeat Icefire felt relief that he was nearly there. Then he focused his blurred eyes on the kits again, and again fear pulsed through him. The mat was beginning to break up.

Icefire watched helplessly as the twigs underneath the gray kit gave way and the tiny creature was plunged into the torrent.

"No!" Graystripe yowled, launching herself after the drowning kit.

Icefire had lost sight of them because of his fucked up vision. He heard the kit left on the mat squealing desperately, the kit was trying to cling to the twigs, he felt the mat starting to split apart by the current. With the last of his strength Icefire drove himself forward, sank his teeth into the little creature's scruff, and kicked out for dry ground.

Within moments he felt stones as he rolled onto them, keeping the kit close during the process and managed to stand. Stone-limbed with weariness, he staggered out and dropped the gray kit on the grass edge of the flood. Its eyes were closed; he was not sure if the kit was still alive.

Glancing downstream and narrowing his eyes, he saw Graystripe splashing out of the shallows, with the black kit gripped firmly in her teeth. He padded up to Icefire and set it gently on the ground.

Icefire nosed both kits. They were lying very still, but when Icefire looked closer he could see the faint rise and fall of their flanks as they breathed. "Thank Starclan" he muttered. He began to lick the black kit like he did kits in the nursery, Graystripe followed his example.

Soon the black kit twitched and coughed up a mouthful of river water. It took longer for the gray kit to respond, but at last it too coughed up water and opened its eyes.

"I'm so glad they're alive" Graystripe exclaimed, her voice filled with relief

"Yes, but they won't survive long without their dam" Icefire pointed out. He sniffed the black kit carefully. The river water had washed off much of the clan scent, but he could detect a faint trace. "Riverclan, Mistyfoot's kits" he mewed, unsurprised "We'll have to take them home"

He had almost drowned rescuing the kits, and he felt exhausted. His limbs were cold and stiff, and his fur was soaked to the bone. He may look bulky but it's mostly fluff. He honestly wanted nothing more than to creep into his nest and sleep for a moon.

Graystripe, still crouched over the gray kit, looked as if she felt the same. Her thick gray fur was flattened against her body, and her yellow eyes were wide with anxiety. "Do you think we can cross?" she mewed

"We've got to Gray, or the kits will die" Forcing himself to his paws, Icefire picked up the black kit and headed downstream. "Let's see if we can cross the stepping-stones, like you said" Graystripe padded after him, carrying the gray kit through the wet grass at the edge of the floodwater.

When the river was at its usual level, the stepping-stones were an easy route across for Riverclan cats. The longest leap from rock to rock was mo more than a tail-length, and Riverclan controlled the territory here on both sides of the river.

Now floodwater completely covered the stones. But where they had once broken the surface, a dead tree, its bark stripped away, lay across the river. Icefire guessed that some of its branches had been caught on the submerged stepping-stones.

"Thank Starclan!" he exclaimed. "We can use the tree to cross" He adjusted his grip on the kit and waded out into the flood toward the splintered end of the tree trunk. The kit, seeing the churning water barley a mouse-length below its nose, began to mewl and struggle feebly.

"Keep still, both of you" Graystripe growled gently, as she set down the gray kit to adjust her grip. "We're going to find your dam"

Icefire wasn't sure if his terrified kit was even old enough to understand, but at least it went limp again so it was easier to carry. he had lift his head high to keep the tiny creature clear of the water as he floundered toward the tree. He reached it without needing to swim and sprung upward, clawing for a grip on the soft, rotting wood.

Once he had pulled himself up, his main concern was keeping a pawhold on the smooth, slippery trunk. Gingerly placing each of his paws in straight line, Icefire padded toward the opposite bank with river churning beneath him, sucking at the tree as if it wanted to sweep it, and its burden of cats, away downstream. Icefire glanced back to see Graystripe following with the gray kit, his face creased with determination.

At the far end trunk divided into a tangle of broken branches. Icefire ducked down to squeeze through them, being careful not to let the kit's fur catch the splinters. It was harder to find a pawhold as the branches tapered, and he ran out of anything that might bear his weight when there was still a gap of a couple of fox-lengths separating him from the far side of the river.

Icefire took a deep breath, flexed his hindlegs, and leaped. his front paws his bank while his hind paws kicked madly in the rushing current. As water splashed up, the kit started to struggle again. Icefire kept his teeth clenched in its neck fur as he sank his front claws into soft earth and scrabbled upward until he stood safely on the bank. He lurched forward a few paces and set the kit down gently.

Glancing around, he saw Graystripe pulling himself out of the water a little way downstream. He lowered the gray kit to the ground and shook herself. "The river water tastes like mouse-dung" she spat

"Have you tried fox-dung? cause you would need to know what that tastes like to make a comparison" Icefire smirked

"Icefire!" Graystripe whined

Icefire couldn't help but chuckle. "Look on the bright side" Icefire suggested.

"What's the bright side?"

"It could've been fox-dung"

"That's it you little-" Graystripe broke off as three cats crashed out of the bushes just beyond her. Icefire braced himself as he recognized Leopardclaw, Blackclaw, and Stonefur. Forcing his tired legs to move, he picked up the gray kit and padded along the bank to stand beside Graystripe. The gray warrior hauled herself to her paws, and the two cats set down their burdens and faced their enemies together.

Icefire hoped that the patrol wouldn't attack them. He knew that he and Graystripe were too exhausted to stand up to a patrol of strong, fresh warriors, and his head spun as he tried to summon enough energy for a fight into his frozen paws. But to his relief, the Riverclan cats halted a few tail-length away.

"What's this?" Leopardclaw growled. Her golden-spotted fur bristled, and her ears were flattened against her head.

Beside her, Blackclaw stood with his lips drawn back in a snarl. "Why are you-" he was cut off by Stonefur rushing over to them "They found them, Pikekit Perchkit, they found Misty's kits" the scarred warrior mewed with relief. Graystripe rested the black kit down and Stonefur nuzzled it.

Leopardclaw's eyes widen with realization, she stepped forward but Blackclaw stepped infront of her. His amber eyes blazing with mistrust. "How do we know you didn't try to steal them?"

Icefire stared at the black tom. After risking their lives in the floodwater, he couldn't believe that they were actually being accused of stealing the kits. "Don't be such a mouse-brain!" he spat "No cat from Thunderclan tried to steal your kits when we could walk across the river on the ice. Why do you think we'd try it now? We nearly drowned! Do you think we're Brokentail?"

Leopardclaw looked thoughtful and seemed pleased with that response, but Blackclaw stalked up and thrust his head aggressively into Icefire's face.

Stonefur turned his head "Blackclaw don't-"

But Blackclaw did. He struck Icefire, he felt claws split open his nose. Icefire stumbled a little and Blackclaw advanced, pinning him down.

"Blackclaw!" Leopardclaw mewed sharply "Back off! We'll let these cats explain themselves to Stormstar, and see if he believes them"

"I say we deal with them now" Blackclaw snarled back, spitting in Icefire's face

Icefire struck Blackclaw with an uppercut on the bottom of his right cheek. He kicked off the older warrior, his teeth bared. "I'd say listen to your clanmate"

"Why you-"

Stonefur shoved Blackclaw to the ground, the black warrior pinned on his back with Stonefur digging his claws in. "Enough Blackclaw" he gazed at Icefire's wound "Doesn't look like it'll scar"

"Let's go" Leopardclaw ordered

The Riverclan deputy led the way along the bank, Blackclaw tried to take Pikekit from Icefire who he'd been carrying but Stonefur shoved him away once again while carrying the Perchkit.

When they reached the island where the Riverclan cat shad their camp, Icefire saw a wide channel of racing water separated it from the ridge of dry ground, wrenching at the overhanging boughs of the willows trees. No cats were visible through the reeds, and Icefire could see silver water lapping among the bushes that concealed the camp.

Leopardclaw paused, her eyes widening with alarm. "The water has risen since we left camp" she mewed

As she spoke, a yowl came from behind at the top of the slope, "Leopardclaw! Up here!"

Icefire turned to see Stormstar, emerging from the shelter of the bushes. His gray tabby coat was soaked, fur sticking out in all directions, and his twisted jaw made him look as if he were mocking the patrol and their prisoners.

"What happened?" Leopardclaw demanded as she reached her leader.

"The camp is flooded" Stormstar replied. His voice was flat with defeat. "We've had to move up here"

As he spoke, Silverstream, Morningriver, and Poolpaw emerged cautiously from the bushes.

"And what have you brought us?" Stormstar went on.

"They found the kits" Leopardclaw told him, nodding to Stonefur and Icefire to bring the kits forward. Blackclaw tried to take Pikekit again but Icefire shoved him away with a paw as he set the kit down, he heard Stonefur chuckle. "They claim they pulled them out of the river"

"I don't believe a word of it!" Blackclaw spat "You can't trust a Thunderclan cat"

At the mention of the kits, Silverstream had turned and disappeared rapidly under the bushes again. Stormstar padded forward and sniffed the pathetic bundles. By now they had began to recover from their ordeal and were trying to sit up, though they still looked completely waterlogged.

"Mistyfoot's kits went missing in the flood, we didn't know if they survived" The gray tabby leader lifted his head, his eyes didn't seem hostile just with pure exhaustion.

At that moment Mistyfoot broke out of the bushes and came racing over to them. "My kits! Where are my kits?" They crouched over the tiny scraps of fur, staring wildly around as if they thought the other cats would try to take them away from her. Then they began licking them furiously, trying to comfort both of them at once. Stonefur and Mudbelly pressed up close on either side of them and mewed comfortingly into their ear. Skyeyes and Leopardclaw also went to comfort the frantic cat.

Silvertream, Willowheart, and Minnowpool followed slowly more slowly and stood beside their father, eyeing the Thunderclan cats.

More cats emerged after them and gathered curiously around. Some seemed at little calmer when they saw him, they were already used to his presence. He spotted Condorpaw, he flashed him a small smile as did Lakepaw. He saw Mudfur, crouching near Mistyfoot to examine the kits.