Smokedawn rose to his paws, shaking his pelt to rid himself of the lingering dizziness. He looked around, and realized that they had won . . . Or rather, survived, the battle. He began to celebrate, until his eyes caught something. An unmoving clump of snow-white fur, damp with red blood. Smokedawn felt the breath catch in his throat as he padded toward it warily.
Gazing down, he met the dull eyes of a dead Woodclaw. Blizzardpaw - Icywhisker's Woodclaw before she left. Her throat was slit, her belly clawed and torn, an angry red pool frozen beneath her. She had been violently murdered, and left to rot. He felt his stomach churn, and he backed away from the body, tripping over Icywhisker who was sitting on the ground. She hissed at him, then rose, spotting the unease in his eyes. "What's wrong, Smokedawn?" she meowed. "I-Icywhisker, I . . .", "It's Yarrowheart now," she meowed unenthusiastically. " . . . Y-Yarrowheart, it's . . ." He found himself unable to finish his sentence, and just turned and gestured his tail toward the body. He heard her pad over to the body, and stop, breath catching in her throat. He couldn't bear to turn around as he heard her yowl in a mix of rage and loss.
Minutes later, she padded back over, sitting down weakly next to Smokedawn. Suddenly, Smokedawn's attention was roused by silence. He didn't hear any other cat doing . . . Anything. He looked around, and spotted Icestar laying on the stone, surrounded by Mintclaw - a shortfur orange she-cat and the Herbclaw-, and Leaffern - a longhair black tabby she-cat and the Moonclaw. He padded over, but froze, as he saw yet another pool of frozen blood. He stared for a moment, before slowly continuing. The view of his leader's body slowly came into his eyes around the other two cats. His throat was bruised, his belly battered, his front leg chewed and red. Smokedawn stared for a while longer, then launched himself out of the hollow. I need to think about something else. This is too much . . . And, the group will need food. he told himself, justifying his fleeing.
He was crouched, hugging a rock as a snow-white rabbit bounced happily by, unaware. He launched himself forward, after the rabbit. The rabbit squealed in terror, darting off, throwing cold half-melted snow in his face. He rocketed after it, but the rabbit ducked into a burrow before he could reach it. He hissed in frustration, kicking the ground angrily with his forepaw. He turned and walked back to the camp, with no prey.
Smokedawn walked defeated back into the camp - both bodies missing, likely already buried. Oddlake was standing on the cracked rock at the far end of the camp - the spot where the Starclaw stood to make announcements. Smokedawn realized this now meant Oddlake was the leader.
"All cats above the age of 9 moons gather here below the Crackedrock for a group meeting!" Oddlake yowled.
Smokedawn sighed, and sat at the foot of the Crackedrock, gazing up at his new leader. Mintclaw settled in beside him, followed by Leaffern next to her. Moonpaw sat next to Smokedawn on the other side, close.
Once all the cats had settled, Oddlake sighed gently. "As you all know, Icestar has passed." he began, his voice tense. "That makes me your leader. That also means, however, that I now need to decide on who will be the new Steelclaw." he meowed, "And seeing Icywhisker has abandoned us, that leaves me with only one choice. Though, it is a good choice." Smokedawn stared confused for a moment, before his fur prickled at his realization of who he meant.
Oddlake meowed the ritual, "Those of The Moon, I call to you. I give you this: Smokedawn, and I ask of you to know him forth as Smokedawn; Steelclaw of Those of The Flurry."
Smokedawn rose to his paws, and slowly he walked over to the Crackedrock, nervously jumping up and sitting next to, slightly behind, his new leader. I'm the Steelclaw now . . ? Oh Moons . ."
Several days had passed since the battle. Smokedawn rose, yawning. He slowly walked out of his den, which was next to Oddstar's. He expected sun, but was met with cold icy rain, splattering the stone and freezing immediately. He hissed as his pelt was coated with freezing rain, and quickly shoved himself backward into his den.
He grumbled as he licked the rapidly freezing rain off his fur, freezing water slowly creeping into his den.
He waited and waited, but the rain didn't seem to calm. He was about to go back to sleep when he heard the menacing sound of water splashing. He slowly peeked his head out of his den, to be met with half-melted snow burying his head. He quickly pulled back, huffing, as his den was closed off with the half-melted snow. He hissed and headbutted it, but found it had frozen solid. Great, he was trapped in here now.
With a growl, he walked back to his sleeping spot and curled up, drifting off.
Later, he woke, and rose to his paws, stretching out, yawning. He shook the drowsiness out of his limbs momentarily, then walked to the opening, remembering only now it was frozen shut. He growled, took a step back, then rammed it with his head. It cracked and gave way.
The feeling of victory washed through him, but was quickly washed away and replaced with surprise as water gushed in through the new opening and washed him into the back of his den. He yowled in surprise and frustration as he looked at the entrace, water gushing in. He fought to the front of the den, and climbed out, and onto the rocks around the camp, his pelt soaked.
He gazed down at the camp, shocked to find it flooded, water just paw-lengths from the top of the hollow. He was even further shocked to see the body of a cat. Orange and black fur plastered to its sides. He stared, silent, breath caught in his throat, as he spotted a second unmoving lump. Shimmering, pale yellow fur flattened. Moonpaw . . . he thought, unbreathing.
He stood with a start, turning quickly, as he heard a cat meow gruffly. "Smokedawn." and met the eyes of Oddstar, Leaffern sitting beside him, licking water from her pelt. "O-Oddstar! What happened!?" he meowed frantically, Oddstar gazed at the water warily, then flicked his tail. "The snow melted." Oddstar growled, gesturing to the hard, gray, frozen-over stone below his paws.
Smokedawn stared at the bare stone, shocked. He hadnt seen the mountain without any snow in his life. "The . . . Snow . . Melted? All of it?" He meowed, shocked. "Yes. And now, we need to find somewhere new to live, since our camp is flooded."
Smokedawn sighed, "Okay, but . . . Where? There's no other suitable camps in our territory." he meowed. Oddstar glanced toward the Gentle territory, then growled "We'll have to take refuge in another group's camp, until we can find a new place in our territory, or can get rid of all the water."
Smokedawn stared at him blankly. "Uh . . Those of Gentle Current? Why not Those Along the Fringe? They did just help us with this battle." Oddstar glared at him, and hissed "That's exactly why we can't go to them. We'll owe them far too much. Come on, we're going now." and turned, beginning to walk down the bare mountain, Leaffern quickly stood and followed him. Smokedawn quickly sprinted up after them.