A Frozen Clan

This is the second book in the Clans of the Blizzard series.



Chapter 1: Flameheart
Flameheart awoke to the sound of scuffling in the middle of the night. She tilted her head with confusion and stood up. She padded lightly towards the sound in just enough time to see her brother, Tabbysnow, slip out of the cave they used for camp. "What is he doing?" Flameheart wondered aloud. "I didn't order him out on patrol."

Flameheart started to follow him, then decided against it. She knew her brother, he wouldn't do anything disloyal. Before she went to sleep, she trotted across the cave to a small tunnel. She poked her head inside and smiled at the three apprentices inside, her kits. "Sleep well, Polarpaw, Snowpaw, Shiverpaw." she murmured.

She turned to go back to the Warriors' Den when she almost ran into a black tom. "What are you doing up so late?" he asked her.

"What are you doing up so late, Smokepelt?" Flameheart asked. Smokepelt was one of the elders, along with Snowslide.

"Couldn't sleep." he muttered.

"I was just woken up by a scuttling noise." Flameheart lied, "It was probably a bird of some sort."

"Well, we'd all better get some sleep." Smokepelt told her, then turned and trotted back to his den. He was the youngest elder, but there was still a limp in his step. Flameheart glanced outside, wondering what her brother was up to, then padded into her den and slept.

Chapter 2: Tabbysnow
Tabbysnow slipped across HailClan territory. Back when he was a kit, this territory was hidden in the blizzard that had raged for three moons. He had no idea what he was doing out here, but there was a voice in the back of his head saying, "Go to the FreezeClan border, Tabbysnow. Go to the FreezeClan border."

Tabbysnow's dark tabby fur stood out against the snow, but he had white patches, too. The effect of this was it seemed like dark tabby shapes were floating through the snow. As he padded along, he remembered the short time the other clans had spent with his clan, HailClan, before they had returned to their own territories. One the guidance of StarClan, or so they thought, the other three clans left their territories. However, StarClan had sent a blizzard to the clans' new territory to show that they had been wrong, and they journeyed back to their old territories.

Tabbysnow secretly felt that the other clans should have apoligized to Lakestar when he was alive, for they had attacked him and a patrol on the border before they had left. (Although Tabbysnow didn't know it, but Flameheart knows, the FreezeClan medicine cat had killed Lakestar's mate, Poppyfrost.)

After he reached the FreezeClan border, he sat by a bush on the scent markers and waited for something to happen. He had had the voice for three sunrises now, but still nothing had happened. While he waited, he unshealthed his claws and used them to draw pictures in the snow.

Suddenly, Tabbysnow heard a cracking noise. His muscles tensed and his fur bristled. He heard a growling and he turned (towards the HailClan side) to see a snow fox less than a tail-length from his whiskers. He yowled with alarm and ran in the oppisite direction, onto FreezeClan territory.

After a long time running, with the fox on his tail, he knew he must stand and fight. He turned and sliced at the fox's nose. The fox growled with anger and picked Tabbysnow up, its teeth cutting into his belly. He yowled with pain, but he didn't stop fighting. As the fox whipped him about in anger, he scratched at the fox's muzzle, nose, and face. However, he was tiring and the fox's teeth had cut into his belly hard.

Just as he was almost out of energy, The fox howled in pain and dropped him in the snow. Tabbysnow blinked tiredly around, and saw a bright golden she-cat clinging to the fox's back. He watched her fighting the fox angrily while he lay there, turning the snow red with his blood.

Finally, the she-cat bit hard into the fox's back and it raced away fromt he angry FreezeClan cat. Tabbysnow lay his head in the snow, breathing hard and losing energy. He heard the crunch of the she-cat padding through the snow to him, and felt a shadow lay across his fur as she reached his side. He blinked open his eyes weakly and saw that the she-cat had the most beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen.

His relief in being saved faded when the she-cats face turned from concern to hate and she hissed, "What are you doing on my territory?"

Chapter 3: Polarpaw
Polarpaw was curled in a small snow pile, purring with glee. She blinked up at the beautiful sky, until it was blocked by a white and ginger she-cat. "Hello, Polarpaw, daughter of Flameheart, daughter of Icecrack, daughter of Flutterstar, son of Lakestar."

"Excuse me?" Polarpaw blinked in confusion, standing up and staring at the she-cat.

"I know you, and your mother, and her mother, and her father, and his father." the she-cat purred. "I am a great-grandmother of yours."

"What's your name?" Polarpaw tipped her head to one side.

"I am Poppyfrost, and I was mate to Lakestar. I would have had more kits, but I was killed in a battle before I could have my second litter. My first litter was one tom, you know him as Flutterstar."

"Wow!" Polarpaw muttered under her breath, eyes wide with curiousity.

"Flutterstar's kits, Iceslip and Icecrack, are your grand-aunt and grandmother. Icecrack's daughter, Flameheart is your mother, and Tabbysnow, her son, is your uncle. So you see, we are distantly related." Poppyfrost purred and closed her eyes as she smiled at the apprentice. Then she remembered what she was here for. "Have you noticed anything about yourself and you littermates?" she asked.

"Not really..." Polarpaw meowed, then remembered;

''Polarkit, Shiverkit, and Snowkit played outside in the fluffy snow. Polarkit was pinned down by Shiverkit, and couldn't break free. She opened her mouth wide and breathed out hard, and ice came out. She wriggled away, and stared with wide eyes at Shiverkit, who had turned to ice. She gazed in horror at her brother, but then Shiverkit turned back to fur, skin, and bone and gazed in between his paws in wonder. "You're fast." he murmured.''

''Snowkit raced over and bowled Shiverkit over. They kept rolling until they crashed into the side of the rock cleft, knocking a snowball down onto them. "Are you okay?" Polarkit asked worridly.''

''"We're fine." the kits meowed, emerging. Shiverkit shook out his fur, getting most of the snow out of it. He shivered, and the ground beneath Polarkit's feet shook. The entire world was vibrating, and Polarkit let out a yowl of fear.''

''Shiverkit stopped shaking, eyes wide. "Did I do that?" he asked.''

''"Maybe we have super powers!" Polarkit joked. "Come on, it's just our imagination."''

''"Hey, lt's see who can sing prettiest!" Snowkit meowed.''

''"Okay!" Polarkit went first. She raised her muzzle to the sky and tried to make a pretty noise, but couldn't manage it. Then Shiverkit, but he didn't do better. Then Snowkit. Snowkit whistled at the sky in the most beautiful voice any cat had ever heard. Just then, snow started to fall from the sky.''

''"I guess we have to go inside." Polarkit sighed. She turned and padded into the cave with her littermates after her.''

"Yes!" Polarpaw meowed suddenly, after being lost in thoughts for a long time.

"You are the choosen ones, Polarpaw. And you three will save the clans from the upcomign danger." Poppyfrost leaned forward and whispered in Polarpaw's ear. "The sun will melt the snow, the prey will disappear, strangers will kill the clans, and the world will end."

Polarpaw woke suddenly, blinking sleep from her eyes. It was just a dream. Or was it? Polarpaw just sighed and settled back down in her nest, pushing up against her littermates.

Chapter 4: Flameheart
Flameheart awoke to the sun shining in the cave entrance through the holes in the twoleg fabric that covered the entrance. She stood, stretched, and padded into the cave. It was time for the dawn patrol, she had better find Tabbysnow, who was leading the patrol, and the others going on the patrol, Frostypelt, Briskywind, and Winterfur.

She stuck her head in the Warriors' Den. She padded carefully around the sleeping cats and roused Frostypelt and Winterfur. Once they awoke, she padded off to find Tabbysnow and Briskywind. She peeked in each den, and eventually found Briskywind talking with the elders. However, she couldn't find her brother.

What if he hadn't come back from his moon-high walk? Flameheart felt a prickle of worry around her paws, then padded over to the patrol. "You'll have to leave without Tabbysnow." Flameheart sighed. "I'll find another cat to take over your patrol." She turned and ducked into the Warriors' Den again. She prodded her aunt Iceslip with her paw. "I'm sorry, Iceslip." she meowed as she woke up. "Tabbysnow isn't here, he must be out, so you have to take over dawn patrol."

Flameheart led the sleepy Iceslip over to the patrol, then glanced at the fresh-kill pile. There were only two measly mice. "I'd better send a hunting patrol, as well." She saw that her kits were waking up, and padded over to them quickly. "Want to go on a hunting patrol, you three?" she asked. She purred at their excited mews, then meowed, "Go get Snoweagle and Snowmelt. Don't bother Flutterstar, though. I'm afraid you won't be able to go with your mentor today, Snowpaw."

"Okay!" Shiverpaw meowed, bouncing up and down in joy. Was it just Flameheart's imagination, or did Poalrpaw seem a little lost in thought today? It was probably just her imagintion, Flameheart decided.

As the patrols left, it struck Flameheart how she hadn't seen Tabbysnow yet. If he wasn't back by evening, she would send a search party, Flameheart decided.

Chapter 5: Tabbysnow
"I was running from that fox." Tabbysnow splutered, coughing blood. The hostility evaporated from the she-cat and she started licking the blood out of Tabbysnow's fur. Once he was almost completely clean, she stood and examind the wounds.

"It's mostly just scratches, but that belly wound is bad, it's still bleeding." she muttered.

"Help." Tabbysnow murmured. He felt lightheaded, he was losing too much blood.

"I-I..." the she-cat stepped back fear clouding her eyes. "I dont know how!" Then her vision cleared. She started packing snow around Tabbysnow.

"What...?" Tabbysnow asked.

"I'm hiding you, in case the fox comes back." when tabysnow was almost completely concealed, she meowed, "I'll be back soon with Frostfern."

Tabbysnow felt fear in his belly, what if she didn't get back in time? He wished that he had been able to die with his sister and his mother at his side. they might not know what happened of him until his body was cold. Although, his body was already cold. He shivered as the snow made him feel numb.

Tabbysnow felt his rising panic almost giving him a heart attack as he realised that dawn had already passed. His absence would be noticed, and he had no way to explain why he died so far into enemy territory. His vision faded, and he fell into sleep, all his worries disappearing.

Tabbysnow awoke, feeling warm and safe, but very sore and weak. He opened his eyes to see a pale gray she-cat with blue-gray eyes and an unusually pink nose. "He's awake, Frostfern." the she-cat meowed.

"Back away, Frigidstar." a blue-gray she-cat meowed, pushing forward with herbs.

The pale gray she-cat backed away obediently. "We should send out a patrol to HailClan to inform that he is too weka to return home yet."

"Yes, it will be a few sunrises until he'll even be able to stand. Lightheart missed that his paw was hurt badly, he won't be able to walk vvery well. I'm surprised we got him back to camp." Frostfern pushed the herbs up to Tabbysnow's muzzle and meowed, "You'd better eat that." she told him.

"Who-? Where-?" he asked, unable to get real questions out.

"Lightheart, the golden she-cat who saved you, came to me and we brought you here. You're in FreezeClan camp. The medicine den, to be specific." Frostfern meowed. "You won't be able to return to HailClan for quite awhile, but what me and Frigidstar were just discussing, we are going to tell your clan what has happened."

"I see." Tabbysnow coughed. Frostfern padded farther into the den and Frigidstar left. Then he heard a familair voice at the entrance to the den.

"Can I come in, Frostfern?" Lightheart asked.

"Yes!" Frostfern called.

Lightheart, the golden she-cat, trotted to Tabbysnow's side. "You're okay?" She asked worridly.

"I'm fine." Tabbysnow rasped.

"You were hurt badly." Lightheart meowed, looking at her paws. Then she gazed at Tabbysnow's pelt. "Your pelt is matted." she meowed. She lay down next to Tabbysnow and started to clean his pelt. "What were you doing on FreezeClan territory anyway?" she asked in between licks.

"I was hunting in the night, when suddenly that snow fox snuck up on me. It chased me over the border." Tabbysnow sighed.

It was silent for a few minutes, then Lightheart stood and meowed, "I'm on the patrol to HailClan, to tell them about you." She meowed. "I'll be back."

Chapter 6: Polarpaw
Polarpaw slammed into the side of her brother. She landed a tail-length away while Shiverpaw lay in the snow behind her. She turned quickly to return and pin him down, but Shiverpaw stood too quickly and smacked her nose with his forepaws before she knew what had happened. While she was stunned, Shiverpaw pounced on her back, and being heavier than her, pinned her face-down in the snow.

"Okay, my turn!" Snowpaw pounced forwar, knocking Shiverpaw off her sister. "And Polarpaw, you need to keep a hold of your enemy, you gave Shiverpaw too much time to recover."

"Got it." Polarpaw nodded, then padded away to watch her littermates fight. When she was out of injury-range, she sat by a winter fern and watched. Suddenly Polarpaw remembered her dream, and glanced around to make sure no cat was watching her. She and her littermates were alone out here because Snoweagle and Flutterstar were on sunhigh patrol, and Snowmelt was out hunting, while her littermates were too busy fighting to pay attention to her.

Polarpaw turned to the winter fern and inhaled deeply. Then she opened her mouth wide and exhaled hard at the fern. Ice came out of her mouth, freezing the fern into a solid ice statue. She blinked at it. It couldn't a coincidence, her dream had to be real!

Suddenly Polarpaw heard a yowl of alarm from the place where Snowpaw and Shiverpaw were fighting. They had rolled into a snow bank, and Shiverpaw shivered at the cold. The entire world vibrated, and snow fell from the trees and landed on Snowpaw's head.

"What is up the earthquakes lately?" Snowpaw asked, staring at Shiverpaw in wonderment as the earth stopped shaking.

"Hello?" came an unfamilair voice. "HailClan?"

Polarpaw tensed as the scent of FreezeClan filled her nose. She flipped around to see a patrol of three cats emerging from a nearby patch of winter ferns.

"Who are you?" Poalrpaw hissed, her fur standing on end.

"We're not here for hostile purposes." a pale gray she-cat meowed, stepping forward. Her muzzle was tinged with gray, and her eyes looked blue-gray. "I am Frigidstar of FreezeClan. We have come to discuss what has happened to Tabbysnow with Flutterstar."

"Flutterstar's out right now." Polarpaw meowed. She turned to her littermates and meowed, "We'll take them back to the cave, they can't attack us with only three cats."

Snowpaw and Shiverpaw flanked the patrol from the sides and Polarpaw followed behind. They led them back to the cave.

Chapter 7: Flameheart
Flameheart watched the sun start to pass its high point. She frowned. She would have to send out a patrol for her brother soon. What could have happened to him? Was he stuck in a bramble bush again? Flameheart shook her head, he couldn't be stuck in a bramble bush unless he was in the forest part of HailClan territory, near the FreezeClan border. The border patrols would have found him.

What if he had been attacked by the Snow Wolf that sometimes ventured into the clan territory? Flameheart actually jumped at that idea, and Icecrack set her tail on her shoulder and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just wondering when I should send out a patrol for Tabbysnow." Flameheart sighed. "He's still gone."

Icecrack tensed at the news that her son was still missing. "I-I'm sure he'll come back soon." Icecrack meowed. Mother and daughter were sitting at the mouth of the cave-camp and gazing at the beautiful sky. Finally, Icecrack broke the silence once more. "Have you been on patrol yet today? You need to stretch your muscles."

"I haven't." Flameheart meowed. There was a good reason why she didn't want to leave the cave. She was afraid that Tabbysnow would turn up before she returned, and she wanted to see her brother as soon as possible.

"Well, maybe you should go hunting." Icecrack flicked her tail to the empty fresh-kill pile.

"I'm going to lead the patrol to find Tabbysnow, which should be leaving any moment now. I'm worried." Flameheart felt her throat burn with worry and she found it hard to speak. Something terrible must have happened to her brother, she just knew it! He could be lying dead, or worse, he could be on the fresh-kill pile of some fox or wolf!

Suddenly Flameheart smelled FreezeClan. Her fur bristled and she stepped forward. "Icecrack, block the entrance to the cave." she ordered her mother. Icecrack stood in the middle of the entrance, blocking most it with her body, the rest of it with her claws. Flameheart stood in front of the entrace, hiding it behind her. Suddenly, she smelled her kits.

"Polarpaw! Snowpaw! Shiverpaw!" Flameheart exclaimed as they rounded a pile of snow, flanking a FreezeClan patrol. "Frigidstar? Lightheart? Snowball?" she meowed. "What brings your patrol so deep into HailClan territory?"

"We've come to discuss what has happened to Tabbysnow with Flutterstar." Frigidstar meowed.

"Flutterstar is out right now." Flameheart meowed, her heart jumping. "Please come inside, he will be back soon." Flameheart led the patrol into the cave, flicking her tail to Icecrack to let her know that the problem was under control.

Chapter 8: Flameheart
Flameheart sat in Flutterstar's den with the rest of the patrol. Flameheart was chatting friendly with Frigidstar. "Well, when we were hunting earlier today, Polarpaw jumped and landed on a branch so high above the ground! I don't think even I could have jumped that." Flameheart purred at the thought of her daughter.

"I remember the first time I went hunting as an apprentice." Frigidstar meowed, smiling. "I leaped out of a tree after a bird and landed on my mentor's head."

"Did you get the bird?" Flameheart asked, whiskers twitching in amusement.

"Of course I did, and it was huge." Frigidstar turned her head and pricked her ears. "It sounds as if Flutterstar has returned."

Flutterstar raced into his den, fur bristling. "What is Frigidstar doing here?" he asked. his fur flattened once Flameheart explained.

"Well, will you tell me what's happened to my brother now?" Flameheart asked.

"According to him and Lightheart, he was out hunting in the night and found himself being chased by a snow fox. It chased him over our border, and injured him badly. Lightheart found him then and attacked the snow fox, driving it away. She got our medicine cat, and we took him back to camp. He is too injured to return home yet, and it might be quite awhile." Frigidstar meowed.

"Are you keeping him prisoner?!" Flameheart hissed.

"No, he is simply too injured to move." Frigidstar meowed.

"This is fine," Flutterstar meowed, "but you must allow one of my warriors to return with you and keep an eye on him."

"Okay, then it's settled." Frigidstar meowed. "Who are we bringing home?"

"I voulenteer!" Flameheart meowed quickly.

"But I need my deputy." Flutterstar meowed.

"I need to keep an eye on my brother!" Flameheart mewed. "I need to! Icecrack or Iceslip can take over as deputy while i'm gone!"

Flutterstar considered it for a moment, and reluctantly meowed, "I'll allow it."

Chapter 9: Tabbysnow
Tabbysnow lay quietly in his nest in the medicine cat den. As Frostfern padded by, he raised his head. "Frostfern!" He meowed. "Can I go outside? I need some sunlight."

"I guess, but don't walk around too much. I'll take your nest out there." Frostfern nudged Tabbysnow to his feet then dragged his nest out into camp. He came back and let Tabbysnow lean on him, helping him walk outside. He dropped him gently into his nest, then returned to the herbs inside his den, letting Tabbysnow soak up the warm sun.

After several minutes, Tabbysnow scented the patrol. I was hard to scent them, because he was being choked by unfamilair clan's smell. He thought he smelled a familair scent, but it must be his imagination. However, he lifted his head and pricked his ears. Indeed, his sister trotted into camp behind the rest of the patrol.

"Flameheart!" Tabbysnow exclaimed. He stood and attempted to run to his sister, but there was a sharp pain in a scratch on his leg that made him gasp with paina nd fall back into his nest. Flameheart was at his side in less than a second, Lightheart directly behind her.

"How badly is the hurt?" Flamheart asked. She started licking his fur on his belly away so she could get a better look at his belly wound. She winced at the sight of how deep and long it was.

"I'm fine, Frostfern's given me herbs." Tabbysnow assured his sister, then, "What are you doing here, sis?"

"When they came to tell us what had happened, Flutterstar said that one of our warriors had ot come to look after you, and I voulentered." Flameheart replied as Lightheart came and lay down next to her.

"What about your deputy duties?" Tabbysnow asked, nodding in greeting to Lightheart.

"Iceslip and Icecrack are taking over while I'm gone." Flameheart replied, clawing at a bit of moss that had fallen out of Tabbysnow's nest.

"So, Are your wounds still hurting you?" Lightheart asked, changing the subject. She could tell, along with Tabbysnow, that Flameheart was having some internal struggle with abandoning her clan for her brother.

"Not as much, but I still can't walk without help." Tabbysnow meowed, "Frostfern says I shouldn't try to stand yet, some of my worse scratches are on my hind legs, and my paw was cut so badly I can't even put any pressure on it." Flameheart prodded the ball of moss around, then flung it at her brother. Tabbysnow caught it in midair with his teeth, then spat it out on the ground and passed it to Lightheart. Lightheart flicked it to Flameheart, and they continued in the game while they talked.

After awhile of lively chatter and sharing tounge, Frigidstar padded up to them. "I see you'll be just fine in staying here for awhile." she meowed. "I've asked Frostfern, and you can stay in the medicine cat den. However, you must hunt whle you're here, to pay for you and your brother's stay."

Flameheart nodded. "Agreed." she meowed.

"You can go on the Dawn hunting patrol with me." Lightheart meowed. "We were short a warrior."

"Will Fluffysnow mind?" Flameheart asked, referring to the deputy of FreezeClan.

"He won't, I'll go talk to him." Lightheart stood and walked away. Flameheart happened to glance at Tabbysnow's eyes at the moment his gazed landed on Lightheart. Flameheart saw something un-explainable in his eyes. She had a feeling trouble was brewing.

Chapter 10: Polarpaw
Polarpaw sighed as she climbed out of a snowbank. She had just slid off a frozen rock where she and littermates were playing. She was about to climb back up the rocks when Snowpaw jumped out of nowhere, startling her. As a reflex, she exhaled ice and froze Snowpaw.

Shiverpaw gazed at Polarpaw and Snowpaw with wide eyes. "Wh-what?" he stammered. He started quaking with fear, and the world started shaking again. Polarpaw grabbed her frozen sister and pulled her away from the rock as it tipped over.

"Stop shaking, Shiverpaw!" Polarpaw called to her brother after Snowpaw was safe. Shiverpaw tensed his muscles until he stopped shaking, and world stopped vibrating. Shiverpaw jumped up onto the snowpile they were sitting on and gazed in fear at Polarpaw and Snowpaw. "She'll be fine." Polarpaw assured Shiverpaw. "She'll unfreeze in a sec."

After several moments, Snowpaw melted into her normal self. "What happened?" she asked, seeing that they were a tree-length from where they were a second ago (she wouldn't remember anything since she froze).

"Polarpaw.... s.s.. she f..froze..y-" Shiverpaw stammered.

"Stop being so scared!" Poalrpaw snapped at him, in a random burst of anger. "You'd battle a badger without a flicker of panic, but now you're freaking out!"

"Just tell me what happened!" Polarpaw flinched a the annoyance in Snowpaw's voice. So, Polarpaw did. she started with her dream with the prophecy, to experimenting with her powers.

"W-w-we're going to save the clans?" Shiverpaw and Snowpaw echoed at the same time.

And then they did it.

The End

To be continued in the third book; The Unwlecome.