The Stepping Stones - Part III

"I'm here, Shadestar. What did you need me for?'' Darkenedheart mewed as he arrived at Shadestar's den.

His Leader smiled her honey-and-poison smile and replied, "There are some friends of mine I would like you to meet."

Almost out of nowhere, three dark shapes, all she-cats, slithered out of the shadowed corners of Shadestar's cave.
Two were silvery grey; one with stripes and one with a dappled pelt, but the other smaller cat was black as night. With great surprise, Darkenedheart recognized the dappled silver she-cat as Streamcloud, Shadowstar's own daughter. The small dark one definitely had the scent of IslandClan, but the TangleClan Deputy could not recall ever coming across her.

Growing impatient, the striped one, the larger of the two silver she-cats spoke. "I am Featherstar, Leader of MistClan."

"And I am Streamcloud, traitor of IslandClan." The spotted silver she-cat smirked.

The small black she-cat replied in kind. "I'm Hollystorm. I'm from IslandClan too but I work for Shadestar."

Shadestar flicked her tail and continued. "You see, my dear Deputy, Hollystorm and Streamcloud are my wonderful informants. They collect information for me because they are both trusted members of IslandClan society, therefore no one would suspect them. And then they meet with Whispernight every half-moon at the stepping stones." The black and white she-cat moved one towards Featherstar.
'Featherstar here -"

The MistClan leader cut in with a warning look at Shadestar who narrowed her eyes but let Featherstar continue. "- We have an agreement. MistClan will help TangleClan get rid of IslandClan if TangleClan will help us settle our score with SunClan, our nemesis. We will rule the remains of those Clans as..' Featherstar chuckled softly to Shadestar, '..Joint Leaders."

The black and white she-cat returned a masking smile but when other Leader turned once again to Darkenedheart, it dropped from her face to be replaced by a sour, dark scowl. Shadestar flicked her tail to dismiss the her 'friends' and retreated back into the shadows of her cave-den.

"Laugh now, mighty Featherstar of MistClan,' She whispered, 'While you are still able to draw a breath. But for present matters, I think I should attend to the prisoner now."

The Story Also Continues in SunClan

The Stepping Stones - Part II

"That's erratic. Absolutely insane." The TangleClan deputy whispered hoarsely from in the small cave where he was conversing with Otterpad.

 

 

 

"Chase, it could work! We could slip away without anyone noticing, and maybe even free the IslandClan Leader too."

Darkenedheart sighed. "First, my name is Darkenedheart now, forget about Chase. Second, do you think that no one will notice when the TangleClan deputy and chief assassin go missing at the exact same time as the prisoner escapes?" He took a breath and then kept going, 'I know what you're thinking. You think that if we spirit Shadowstar back to her camp, she'll welcome us into her Clan with open paws. She won't." The black tom mewed forcefully. 'If you haven't forgotten, we assassinated her best warrior. We're miscreants, Otterpad, and it's too late to change. TangleClan is the only place we'll ever be accepted now. "


 

"No! It's never too late to change! I can't stand another moon with this bloodthirsty so-called Clan. It is never too late to do what's right." Otterpad mewed, raising her voice to a higher decibel.

 

 

Darkened heart narrowed his eyes. "If we try to leave, they'll catch us and kill us."

 

 

Otterpad snorted. "Us? We're the best fighters in the Clan!"


 

"Against countless numbers of TangleClan loyalists. They'll be on us like a pack of foxes. We won't survive a minute."



"I'm still going to try. I have to try."



"No. you can't."



Otterpad narrowed her eyes. "I can't?!"



"I won't let you. I can't let you get hurt." Darkenedheart mewed, his ice-blue eyes boring into his Clan-mate's.



"You can't stop me. I need to do this."



"I can't let you get hurt."



 "I can take care of myself, Chase. And why 'can't you let me'?"



"Because... I lo - " Darkenedheart was cut off by a yowl sounding from the camp.



"Where's my Deputy? Darkenedheart?! Where are you?"



"I have to go."

* * *

"We have to help her!" Mudflower shrieked as she thundered into camp, eyes wide with terror. IslandClan stirred and watched as their Medicine Cat continued yowling.
"They've taken her! We have to help! StarClan told me! They're going to kill her! At the StarGlenn!" Mudflower wailed.

Lionheart padded forward to her, trying to calm her down. He asked the question every other Clan member was pondering. 'Who?'

"Shadowstar! StarClan told me at the half-moon meeting!" Mudflower mewed miserably.

"StarClan wants to kill Shadowstar at the StarGlen??" Mosspath inquired, looking very bewildered.

"NO - you mouse-brain -,' Hissed Mudflower 'StarClan warned me that TangleClan had captured her. We have to help her."

"But what if it's a trap?' Mosspath asked, still suspicious.

"If!? They've probably been planning this all along.' Sparkleshine replied to her friend solemnly.

Snowblaze spoke her mind, 'It would be suicide to go in there. We'd be trapped like.. Like a flies in a spider's web.'

'The web.. of the shade..' Mudflower was trying to remember something. 'The prophecy!
Only the power of the Lion
and the wit of the Amber One
will save IslandClan from
the web of the Shade!"

Lionheart gave her a confused look. The Medicine Cat only continued, 'Shadowstar recieved that prophecy from StarClan!"

'But.. what does it mean?'

To be Continued...