"Spiderice, please!"
The dark forest warrior was still silent. Redshade could see nothing apart from hostility and anger in his glowing eyes - as well as a tinge of surprise.
"Redshade, StarClan won't judge your actions based on what you're doing for the forest. Despite me being sent here, I still care deeply about the forest and my Clanmates - and that's why I'm sending you on this mission. I can't. I'm still alive. I just can't send you back out there without a warning."
"But I want to be in StarClan when my time comes," Redshade argued. Her voice was suddenly of a much higher pitch, and her eyes were staring deeply at her paws. "I'm sorry. I can't."
"So you won't fight?" Spiderice muttered, surprise and darkness tinged into one, deep murmur of shock. "What you're telling me is that you're perfectly happy going to StarClan knowing that you're letting the rest of the Clans become crowfood?"
Redshade looked down to her paws. "Can't you ask some other cat? Besides, I may not even be strong enough to kill these rogues."
"But you're the one leading the battle, Redshade. You have to kill Echofur. This isn't a choice I can give you, Redshade. I know you're not evil, but the warriors of StarClan will not. They are going to send you away when your time comes for killing other cats, but you have to accept your fate, which is to be a hero, kept hidden in the dark."
Redshade felt as if she couldn't look anywhere, not at Spiderice, not back at her reflection, not even into the shadows, where she saw nothing except the place she would be staying for all eternity. She would never be able to apologise to Emberfall for being a bad daughter, she would never be able to ask Larkwind her stories of being a warrior back before Berrystar was even born, and she would never be able to see her loved ones - ever again.
She shoved her head into her paws, wailing. She didn't even care about any cat that might of heard her. She felt Spiderice's presence cower over her like a crow judging her for every rasp, but she didn't care - not even a little. "Spiderice, please!"
She looked up one last time, her eyes as wide as she could open them whilst physically being narrowed with sorrow. "Please have me spared."
"I'll be watching you at the battle," he meowed. "I trust you to be the good, faithful cat I know you are."
Redshade felt her eyes swing open. She knew that she had been dreaming all along, and now she was awake in reality. There had to be a way for her to prove to StarClan that she was doing what she did for good. But she just couldn't think of anything.
She felt the skin beneath her boiling with panic, and she could feel the pads of her paws wet with sweat. She knew she wouldn't be able to tell Rocktail - in fear he would think she was insane for a cat ever telling her something like this.
To her relief, her mate was still beside her, although he was awake. "Are you okay Redshade?"
She attempted flattened the fur on her back, sitting up and sheathing in her claws as she took several long, rasping breaths, still trying to recover. "I'm fine," she spoke.
"Did you have a bad dream?"
Redshade said nothing. She parted her jaws away from eachother, closing her eyes to take in a deep breath of the musky air around her. "I guess so," she muttered.
Rocktail let out a sleepy mumble. "Are you okay?"
"A little shaken up," Redshade lied, wishing that she could tell Rocktail everything that Spiderice had told her, how if she hadn't survived the battle she would never be able to see Rocktail again. Already feeling lost without his comfort, she rolled beside him and pressed her nose to his pelt. "The battle's today," she whispered. "I want to spend time with Ashkit and Blackkit before we leave."
Rocktail nodded, pulling his face away from Redshade's quickly and taking in a huge yawn. "I don't know what time we're meant to be leaving," he meowed. "I've been up already to get a bite to eat, and all I know is Pinepaw's already back from his training."
"Already?" Redshade gasped quietly, pricking up her ears and suddenly aware that she may have been asleep for longer than she had anticipated. "How long has everybody been awake for?"
"Only a few hours," Rocktail meowed, tipping his head. "The dawn patrol has already come back, so don't worry about that."
"What about the hunting patrol?"
"I'm going with Muskstar in the evening, if you want to come."
Redshade was only half listening, mostly distracted by the sick feeling that was quickly enlarging inside her stomach. She still nodded nevertheless, turning away from Rocktail slightly so he was less likely to notice the fear and dullness in her eyes. 'I have to save the forest,' she reminded herself silently. 'This is my fate.'
"Do you want to go out for a walk?" Rocktail meowed. "We could bring back some fresh-kill now, if you wanted."
Redshade hesitated for a second, but still shook her head and refused. "I feel a little sick," she meowed, clearly under exaggerating herself. "But maybe later."
"Do you need to go and see Pricklenose?" Rocktail asked quietly, flopping his tail onto the ground and looking around Redshade for any sort of bug bite that could have made her feel under the weather. "How do you feel sick?"
"I'll be fine," insisted Redshade quickly, wafting her tail over her paws and pulling away slightly. "I'll be fine by the time we make our way to the rogues."
"I think Muskstar wants us leaving soon, whenever everyone has eaten."
Redshade folded an ear, surprised that the leader seemed to be rushing the attack so much. "Hasn't she planned out anything?"
"She probably assumed you had," Rocktail muttered. "You'll be fine. All you really need to do is shout attack and give those rogues a taste of their own herbs."
Redshade shrugged her shoulders bluntly before heaving herself up and collecting her grasses and feathers together in her jaws and making her way out of the front of the den, Rocktail following behind her doing the same. "I'll get the rest," he meowed once he had dropped his pile onto the heap outside of the warrior's den.
"Are you sure?" Redshade called uselessly. Her mate had already disappeared.
Redshade flattened her ears as she felt droplets of water splashing onto her crimson back. The sky was grey and the clouds above her were rumbling loudly, as if they were growling to eachother.
"Let's go and see where Muskstar is," Rocktail mumbled, narrowing his eyes irritably as he had a raindrop fall into his eye.
She began to follow Rocktail through the clearing, wincing as the soggy mud squelched into her paw pads.
"She's going to be in her den most likely," Redshade acknowledged, tipping her ear over the front of her face uncomfortably.
She felt a rush of relief as she noticed that her mate began to tread the grass faster. Making sure the didn't run into any of the mud in which Rocktail kicked back from walking, she trotted up besides him. The two cat's paces nearly turned into a run by the time they had reached the outskirts of Muskstar's den, and they were glancing at eachother challengingly with beams, trying to skip faster than the last until they pulled themselves to a stop outside of Muskstar's den. Rocktail nearly sent a huge puddle of wet mud into Muskstar's cave, but was able to skid himself to a stop in time, sniggering that off. Pulling himself into a normal standing stance, he got up and stood besides Redshade just outside of the opening to the cave. He stuck in his head shallow, gently calling his leader.
"I'm in here, come in and get warm," Muskstar called back. Redshade was grateful, because just as the leader had spoken, a loud, angry gust of wind blew at her, nearly knocking her off the mud. As she trotted through, she felt herself engulfed by the warmth. "Thanks," she muttered gratefully, gently poking her tail outside to shake off the rain.
"Did you hear from Mothspring's patrol yesterday then?" Rocktail questioned, sitting down to lick his paw.
"I did," Muskstar replied. "In fact they all came to see me again this morning whilst the both of you were asleep."
Redshade was surprised to hear humour in the leader's voice. She looked up with an embarrassed beam. "Sorry."
"Not to worry," Muskstar meowed. "Having clouds cover the sun is making telling the time much harder than usual, because we don't know when sunhigh is. Nevertheless, the attack shall go on."
Redshade nodded. "We need to attack sooner rather than later, Muskstar."
She couldn't help noticing that Muskstar's eyes widened a little, as if she was surprised Redshade was taking so much responsibility on a mission she had put her to lead.
"Good leadership, Redshade. Have you eaten?"
Redshade shook her head.
"Me neither. Let's go to the fresh-kill pile and alert the rest of the Clan."
Redshade nodded, suddenly feeling much closer with the leader. She turned around to follow her as she leaped out of her nest, which was particularly feathery today, and skipped out of the exit, as if careless about getting her pelt wet. Redshade closed her eyes to enjoy the warmth for a second longer before following Rocktail outside, where she was rudely greeted by the gusts of stormy winds again. She dipped her head into her thick pelt, scrunching her shoulders together oddly. She had known this was a good way to keep warm since she was a kit.
She heard several pebbles kicked from the top of Muskstar's den and sent down onto the murky mud with a thud as the leader pushed herself onto the top of her den, shaking her pelt as she landed. "Sorry," she muttered cheekily and with a smirk, before fixing her stance and standing tall. "May all cats old enough to stalk gather before me for a Clan Meeting!"
Redshade sat where she was besides Rocktail, wrapping her crimson tail around his rear. She couldn't help completely admiring Muskstar now that she had gotten to know her better - knowing she wasn't the grumpy, confined leader most cats thought her to be.
Redshade heard high pitched, whining mutters behind her, and didn't even have to turn around to know that Mothspring was complaining because she had just washed her pelt, and was now getting soaked by the rain.
"Morning Redshade," Jaggedclaw meowed as she perched beside the she-cat, the irritable Mothspring sitting besides her with narrowed eyes. 'She looked hostile," Redshade acknowledged silently. 'But only at the rain. Who could blame her?'  Redshade felt sarcastic sympathy for the cat, remembering the time as an apprentice when she had groomed her pelt fully to impress Stemclaw when he was an apprentice, only to be told by Sparrowstorm she needed to dive into the river as part of their group training. She wasn't impressed.
Not only minutes later had the two medicine cats joined the crowd. After Redshade and Rocktail had disappeared into the warrior's den the night before, Pricklenose and Oceanpaw had gone to the Pool of Stars with the other medicine cats. She didn't know at the time, only realising the next day that the night before had been a half moon. Longfoot appeared behind them, only minutes later followed by Pinepaw, who was obviously having too much fun playing in the muddy puddles.
"Cats of CederClan," Muskstar began. "You know the battle against the rogues is today."
Redshade watched, deeply concentrating. Her ear flicked when Pricklenose suddenly spoke up, standing on hind legs and raising a paw. "May I make an announcement before we begin?"
"Of course," Muskstar agreed quickly and contented. All eyes turned to the older medicine cat as he looked down on his apprentice proudly. "Cats of CederClan, you all know my apprentice, who has worked hard beyond belief to learn the way of the medicine cat code. He recently handled a kitting queen all on his own, and I see that he is completely trained, knowing the ways of a medicine cat. I hope he still continues to learn, but last night I decided he was worthy of his medicine cat name. Cats of CederClan, please welcome Oceanfur."
"Oceanfur, Oceanfur!"
The new medicine cat's name was rippling through the cats as the grey cat stood proudly, exchanging a beaming glance at Redshade before looking back up at Pricklenose. "Thank you," he meowed, suddenly seeming to sound wise beyond his years. "I won't let any of you down."
"We know," Pricklenose replied. Once the cheering had faded and Oceanfur was left contended, Pricklenose looked back to Muskstar, bowing his head.
"Congratulations Oceanfur," Muskstar announced. "You are a great and worthy medicine cat."
Redshade couldn't help but beam at the newly made medicine cat as he glanced around proudly. He dipped his head with a beam.
"Today is the day of the attack," Muskstar announced, her voice suddenly becoming much stiffer, much bolder. "We should waste no time. Please have a piece of fresh kill now," and meet back here."
Redshade saw Jaggedclaw dip her head and turn around, followed by Longfoot and Rocktail. "Go pick up a blackbird," he meowed. "You've hardly tried them."
"I just haven't really had a taste for birds before," Redshade mumbled, trying not to be blunt with her mate although she was clearly irritated by the rainfall on her pelt. "Besides, I don't think anybody likes soggy feathers."
"Come on," Rocktail mumbled, "The rain isn't even hard. Our entire sky is literally covered by leaves."
Redshade looked up, raising an eyebrow. Rocktail was right. But if she was complaining about the rain now, she knew she wouldn't even be prepared for going out to find the rogue's hideout.
Redshade backed away to let Longfoot have a pick from the pile first as he got there before her, but he simply dipped his head, backing away. "I'm not the one leading the attack."
"A-are you sure?" Redshade murmured, shocked. Longfoot simply nodded. Redshade knee she would feel bad if she let herself have a pick before one of the other warriors, but her stomach rumbled as her eyes snatched upon a fat squirrel among the rest of the prey. Instead of bowing down to her hunger, she stepped back, letting him take the first pick. "Go ahead," she meowed. "I insist."
Longfoot shrugged his shoulders, widening his eyes in pleasure as he pushed the squirrel aside, pulling out a thick snake with his paws and carrying the creature away, the body dragging along the wet ground. Redshade couldn't help but shudder as she picked up the squirrel, grateful the prey had been found so Redshade didn't have to feast upon another frog or lizard. They didn't taste bad as such, just too chewy for her liking. Rocktail had even made her try a bat once, and although she didn't mind the taste, she wouldn't admit that to herself. Rocktail took a small green frog off the pile and laid down, flicking his ear to invite Redshade to sit with him. She watched as he sunk his teeth gently into the shallow flesh of the frog, removing the skin and spitting the sheds to one side before biting into the flesh. Redshade looked away, grateful that she had a squirrel that didn't need skinning. She closed her eyes to quickly thank StarClan for the prey in which she had received before sinking her teeth into the fur, letting her mouth fill with flavour.
Once she had finished her squirrel, leaving nothing except the feet, tail and scraps of skin, she waited patiently besides Rocktail, who was still chewing the last juicy foot of the frog. Redshade's stomach squirmed, and she noticed herself suddenly wondering why she had never tried frog despite living near the river for most of her life.
Once Rocktail had finished, he sat up and Redshade followed him back to where Muskstar was talking to Mothspring, most likely about the whereabouts of the rogues whilst sharing an adder.
"They're too near to the border for my liking," Redshade heard Mothspring complain. And she had to be honest with herself, she needed to be complaining about something. She found the cat nice though, and she was pretty, too. And thoughtful, even if patience wasn't her most generous trait. "You shan't have to worry for long, Mothspring," she murmured back after she had swallowed a slurp of snake. "Those snake-hearts are going to be shown whose forest this really is. And they aren't going to get away with their evil deeds."
Rocktail sat down besides Muskstar, signalling yet again with his ear for Redshade to join him. She sat down besides him, gently wafting her tail over his rump. She flicked her ear to get rid of the rain on her fur.
They waited whilst Muskstar talked about how the rogues had settled in the Clanless Land, and how they obviously thought they were so smart for avoiding the scent borders of the other groups of cats. One by one, the cats crowded around them, forming a conversational group as each finished their meal. Redshade looked over her shoulder to even see Pricklenose waiting, with Oceanfur by his side.
"What are you doing here?" Rocktail questioned. "You're not coming to the battle, surely?"
"I am indeed," Pricklenose meowed. "I may not be a warrior, but I do have claws. Besides, they're more likely to retreat if they're surrounded by more cats, so whether we do end up helping you defeat them or not, we're bound to make a difference."
Redshade blinked, surprised by the thoughtfulness of the medicine cat. "If you're sure," Rocktail insisted, narrowing his eyes in the very slightest.
Jaggedclaw turned to Redshade, Pinepaw sitting at her side with huge eyes. "When do we make our way to the rogues?"
"I'll be able to lead the way," Mothspring continued.
Redshade said nothing, simply looking at Muskstar, waiting for her guidance. But the leader said nothing, simply blinking and widening her eyes.
"Okay then," Redshade murmured. In a louder, clearer voice, she added, "In that case, we'll leave now."
"Cats of CederClan," Muskstar meowed clearly. "Today, we unite and show those rogues who owns the forest!"
Ripples of cheers spread through the cats as they hissed and roared. She heard one particular cat in the crowd, she thought the voice came from Mothspring, who roared out Redshade name in triumph.