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...