Spottedrose shot back around the camp barrier, sliding slightly from the slick blood on her paws.  "I need to get as many of them out as I can," she gasped, out of breath,  as she barreled through the thorns of the camp wall.

The shrieking and yowling had grown louder and more desperate.  The Iceclan cats were battling for their lives.  Spotting Brokenpaw hunched over outside the medicine den, Spottedrose quickly bounded over to her.

The apprentice hissed as she approached, turning away from a cat she was tending to on the ground.  It was Stormsurge, his usual dark gray pelt turned crimson with spilt blood. 

"It's just me," Spottedrose gasped as Brokenpaw slashed at her muzzle.  The apprentice recoiled slightly, seeming to finally recognize Spottedrose.

"What are you doing here," Brokenpaw growled as she turned her attention back to Stormsurge.  Weaseltail was poised a few pawsteps away, yowling at any BreezeClan warriors that got close.

"I am here to help your clanmates escape," she insisted, "I can not stand by and watch you all be killed."

Brokenpaw took a deep breath, "there has already been many deaths, for both sides," she whispered. Spottedrose could almost not hear her over the sound of battle. Brokenpaw waved her tail through the air, pointing it in the direction of the medicine den entrance.

Spottedrose's heart sank as her gaze fell upon their bodies, arranged in two rows to the side of the entrance. She couldn't distinguish the bodies of some since they were so horribly mangled and bloody.  But her heart thudded in her chest as she looked over them all.

In the first row lay Webstripe, his throat gouged and bloody from Nightvolt's ambush at the start of the battle.  Next lay Hawklash and Timberstrike, Goldensky and Softgaze.  At the end of the line lay Quickwater, her blood not yet dry despite her quickly fading scent.  Spottedrose remembered how kind and accepting the gray tabby had been when she first joined IceClan.  She knew she would never forget her.

In the opposite line there was Snakefang, Coldwind, Vinestrike, and Bearclaw.  Spottedrose's heart twisted as she laid her eyes on Bearclaw.  She had wanted to train him well and to understand that battle was not always the answer.  It looked as though she had failed that task.

"Well get a move on," Brokenpaw growled, shoving Spottedrose aside.  She looked down at the apprentice, noticing her good eye was filled with fear and sorrow as she continued dressing Stormsurge's wounds.

"I will get as many out as I can," Spottedrose promised as she turned to race away into the battle.  Brokenpaw stopped her, placing her paw on Spottedrose's tail tip. 

"Tinypool and Wildflight are protecting Blizzardstar in the medicine den.  I'm not sure who is still standing out there, but we need to keep them away from the medicine den," she mewed urgently. 

Spottedrose looked up at the massive split rock, wishing with all of her heart that she could be in there with Blizzardstar.  But she had a more important duty now, she had to get the surviving IceClan warriors out.

"You two need to leave too," Spottedrose meowed as she turned to leave again.  "Reedfur is out there somewhere, I'll send the others in his direction."

Brokenpaw hung her head, pressing her bloodied paws against Stormsurge's flank.  "I can't leave him here," she whispered.

"Yes you can," Weaseltail growled as he stepped over and nudged Brokenpaw away.  "I will take her to Reedfur," he meowed to Spottedrose, "just make sure Blizzardstar is safe."

She dipped her head, glad for the tom's help.  Brokenpaw wailed in distress as Weaseltail grabbed her scruff and hauled her away through the camp barrier, adding another large hole along with the countless others.

"Blizzardstar!"  Spottedrose jumped as Oakstar yowled across the camp.  He was standing in the middle of the camp, casting his gaze across the dens.  While she was speaking with Brokenpaw, the commotion had ceased.  Most  of the warriors were dead or dying while the rest had collapsed into bloody heaps on the ground.

"Blizzardstar! I have come to take my revenge and wipe out your sorry clan once and for all," he yowled, prowling forward slowly. 

His eyes locked onto Spottedrose as she turned away from the medicine den.  "Is he in there?" he rasped, his long curved claws sinking into the grass with each step.

"You won't accomplish anything by wiping IceClan out," Spottedrose meowed loudly, "they will always live on, in Frostkit and Pinekit!"

Oakstar's eyes narrowed to tiny slits, a fierce growl rumbling in his throat.  In a flash, Oakstar was bounding forward towards the medicine den.  Spottedrose fought to stay in his way but he pushed her aside with ease and shot into the den.

Immediately, yowling and hissing sounded with Oakstar's intrusion.  Spottedrose slid in as quickly as she could, hoping that she wasn't too late.

But as she entered the den, she was stopped with pure terror.  Oakstar had Tinypool's neck in his jaws, blood was gushing from his mouth as he stood there staring at Blizzardstar. 

Wildflight was standing protectively over her leader, her fur bushed up to almost three times her size.  "Oakstar you have no honor! To ruthlessly kill a medicine cat!" Wildflight yowled, her voice shaking with fear. 

"I will kill all of you," he rasped as he opened his mouth and let Tinypool drop to the ground.  He started to inch closer to Blizzardstar and Wildflight, pawstep by pawstep.  His eyes were dancing with madness, his jaws dripping with Tinypool's blood.

Spottedrose felt like her paws were blocks of ice, too cold and heavy to move.  But as Oakstar reared back on his hind paws, she felt energy course through her pelt once more. 

With a gigantic leap, she threw herself onto Oakstar's back, digging her claws into his shoulders.  The massive tom twisted, yowling with pain as Spottedrose raked her claws down his back.

He flung her off effortlessly and he whirled to face her, his eyes dark and his teeth bared.  She felt her heart flutter in her chest for a moment before he struck.

In the blink of an eye, Oakstar had dove forward and tackled Spottedrose to the ground.  He started to claw at her pelt, shredding her fur and spraying blood across the den.

Without even a moment's hesitation, he sank his fangs into her chest.  Despite what was happening, Spottedrose did not cry out or make a noise.  Wildflight was calling out frantically next to Blizzardstar.

"No! Spottedrose! You need to fight back!" she shrieked, watching as Oakstar continued to bite her all over.  His large fangs left deep punctures in her delicate skin, blood welling up and dripping down her fur.

After a few more agonizing seconds, Wildflight took a step away from Blizzardstar's body.  She dared to step closer to Oakstar, peeking over his shoulder at Spottedrose's lifeless body on the ground.

"You've killed her," Wildflight gasped, her eyes round.  Oakstar didn't move; he was sitting over Spottedrose's body, his expression blank.

"I will kill whoever it takes to rule this forest," he whispered, barely loud enough for Wildflight to hear him.

But she knew she had to end it, quickly, before Oakstar came to his senses once more.  In a fluid motion, Wildflight slid behind Oakstar and gripped his scruff in her teeth.

Before he could retaliate, she reached her paws forward and dug her claws into his chest.  His breath gurgled in his throat as she pulled her claws up and across his neck.  She could feel his warm blood flowing around her claws, as she let go of him and let his body slump to the ground.
~

"I can't wait any longer, I need to go back now," Blizzardstar wailed as he paced across the clearing.

Lilybloom and Snowpuddle were sitting together, their gazes emotionless as they watched Blizzardstar pace.

"Yes, I suppose it is time for you to return," Lilybloom mewed after several more moments.

Blizzardstar bounded over to them, eager to go back to his clanmates.  "Now, go lay next to the puddle and close your eyes," Lilybloom instructed him.

Without any objection, he bounded over to the vision puddle and lay beside it.  He closed his eyes and started to think about how wonderful it would be to see his clanmates again, when suddenly the sharp tang of blood filled the air.

He opened his eyes to see Wildflight a few paces away.  "Wildflight," he croaked, his voice was shrill and dry from being asleep so long.

He tried to stand but his muscles were far too weak to support him.  Wildflight turned around and stared in astonishment at her leader.

"Blizzardstar, you've finally returned," she meowed, her voice tense.

Polarstar could scent so many unfamiliar things, he wasn't quite sure what was going on.  "Is that Oakstar I smell? Why was he here," he asked curiously.

"Oakstar is right here," Wildflight mewed, taking a step back from the BreezeClan leader's body. 

"He came to wipe us all out," Wildflight meowed, "I had to kill him, or else he would have surely killed you."  She turned away from Oakstar's body and padded back to Blizzardstar's side.

He sighed, feeling responsibility weigh down on his shoulders once more.  In his eagerness to return, he had forgotten that a bloody battle was unfolding in the IceClan camp. "How many of our clanmates have been wounded," he asked.

"There have been many deaths," Wildflight meowed sadly.  Blizzardstar felt his heart start to beat faster in his chest, "deaths," he echoed.

"Yes, and I'm sorry to say... but Spottedrose attacked Oakstar when he entered the den.  He was so overcome with anger... he killed her," Wildflight choked out the words.

Blizzardstar lay his head back on the ground, not quite sure what he should say or do at this moment.  "Is she here, in the den," he asked, his voice crackling with sorrow.

"Yes," Wildflight meowed.  She padded over to the calico's body and picked her up gently.  She slowly carried her to Blizzardstar's side and lay her down, making sure their pelts were touching.  Blood was still pouring from the wounds all over her body.

"Are Frostkit and Pinekit here," Blizzardstar whispered, his voice growing weaker and weaker.

"There are no kits in the camp," Wildflight murmured, brushing her tail over Spottedrose's fur.  She looked over at Tinypool's body, uncomfortably aware at the sheer amount of death she had to face outside the medicine den.

Blizzardstar lay in silence next to Spottedrose for many hours, not moving or making a noise.  Wildflight was slowly bringing order back to the camp while he grieved.  He wasn't aware of what time of day it was, or how many days may have passed.  All he could think was that he was too late. His destiny with Spottedrose was just a fantasy, now.