Return- Hawkfrost x Ivypool

Chapter Twenty

Once Hawkfrost was done being embarrassed by Lionblaze's teasing words, he managed to fall asleep. (even with Spottedleaf snickering as she sat on her floating nest) Even as he sank into sleep, he knew something was off. Mouse dung.

His intuition proved to be right when his eyes shot open in the Dark Forest.

"Why am I wet?" Hawkfrost grumbled as he stepped out of the pool of water, the Dark Forest cats surrounding it. "This was not the graceful entrance I imagined."

"Get used to it," Tigerstar replied curtly. "It's faster."

Hawkfrost sighed and shook out his pelt, ignoring Mapleshade's angry screech when he sprayed her with water. He considered apologizing, but decided he preferred a fuming and wet Mapleshade more than a smug and pissed one. At least this way, she probably wouldn't claw him for showing "weakness."

Pretending he couldn't feel her glare burning into his pelt, he padded over to the tree. "Anything special I need to know about this time?"

"We have some new apprentices," Tigerstar replied. "I think our little show at the Gathering convinced a few more to join us before they died."

"And what do the ones we had already think?" Hawkfrost asked. "Surely they don't believe we're a force of good after we killed a helpless apprentice right before their eyes?"

"They'll be taken care of, whether or not it's with words or claws," Mapleshade interjected. "I would not make such a reckless attack if I knew it would bring us a disadvantage."

"Didn't you die because you recklessly attacked your old mate, his new mate and an apprentice alone?" Brokenstar muttered to her. She spun around with an angry screech and slashed a claw across his nose.

Brokenstar lunged at Mapleshade, and they rolled, growling, across the clearing. Tigerstar rolled his eyes. "Compose yourselves, you mouse-brains. The apprentices are coming soon."

Hawkfrost held his breath as cats shimmered into existence. Had more ThunderClan cats joined?

The ThunderClan cats appeared, but there were no new additions- it was just Frostfire, Brokendawn, Thistlefur, Tigersky, Maplestem, and Snowpelt. On second thought, that was still plenty, but at least ThunderClan wasn't completely made out of mouse-brains.

WindClan arrived next- two warriors Hawkfrost didn't remember the names of, Speckleclaw, and- StarClan forbid, the deputy herself.

"Hello, Fernstem," Tigerstar meowed to the WindClan deputy. "Are you here to join us?"

"Of course," she replied. "I've heard about the evil in our Clans."

"Mouse-brains, all of them," Hawkfrost groaned as RiverClan and ShadowClan appeared. How had they fallen for Tigerstar's lies in the first place, and then continued to follow them even as they watched Mapleshade kill an innocent apprentice? "Evil in our Clans, sure."

Glancing around, Mapleshade counted the cats. "That's even better," she purred to no one in particular.

"Tiger... Tigerstar?" Whitesplash, a RiverClan warrior, piped up. "Why did she kill that apprentice at the Gathering?" He flicked his white tail at Mapleshade.

Finally, some semblance of intelligence! Hawkfrost thought, keeping his gaze impassive. Inside, frustration boiled up. How could cats be so, so absolutely stupid?

"Poolpaw?" Tigerstar asked. Whitesplash nodded. "She was corrupted by the evil that tainted the Clans. Had Mapleshade allowed her to live, she might have killed some of her Clanmates. I understand you're all concerned about her death, but I assure you, our intentions are pure."