• Ice Clan
    Territory: Lake Acurity/ rt. 217

    Leader: Has power over the clan/#Blizzardprint: Easygoing & old; grateful for the warmth of his clan. Wears a Zinc band. Rookie:*Shyphase
    Lietenant: Responsible for organizing the clan/*Breezetail: Wears a plain glittering sliver scarf with a white Ice symbol. Rookie:#Bouncephase
    Healer: Heals the clan's wounds and deciphers signs sent from Star Clan/#Frostbite: Trustworthy & smart; Loves to be in the nursery with the pups so much he actually moved his chamber in there. Wears a Persim scarf.
    Warriors: Pokemon who've devoted their lives to protect, defend, and feed the clan /*Diamondtail: Inconsiderate & skillful; mother of Crowfood. Wears a plain glittering crimson scarf with an Ice symbol. Rookie: *Snowphase
    *Featherstorm: Wears a plain glittering onyx band with an Ice symbol. Rookie:#Whitephase
    #Icefang: Wears a plain glittering light colbat scarf with an Ice symbol. Rookie:*Crystalphase
    #Fringeheart: Wears a plain glittering gold band with a white Ice symbol. Rookie:#Articphase
    *Cloudpaws: Wears a plain glittering bronze band with a white Ice symbol. Rookie:*Cottonphase
    *Bluenose: Wears a plain glittering copper scarf with a white Ice symbol. Rookie:*Hollyphase
    *Frostpelt: Wears a plain glittering matallic pink band with a white Ice symbol. Rookie:*Crowfoodphase
    #Raggedtail: Wears a plain glittering matallic sliver band with a white Ice symbol. Rookie:#Clawphase
    Queens: Females caring for their young in the nursery/*Mirrorpelt: Wears a plain glittering metallic blue scarf with a white Ice symbol. Fathering Icefang's pups. Pups/ Nightpup & Kelppup.
    Elders: Retired Warriors/*Moonpool #Lepardpelt

    Chapter #6
    Absolute Ambush!


    It would break my heart to come to the conclusion that no one could be trusted so, I push the situation out of my thoughts, for the time being, while I waiting outside the nursery. The sky was sheding what's left of it's dullish pink to a nice shade of voilet by the time the foraging party got back to camp. Everyone was buzzing about with gossop of who would stay at the camp and who would go to the monthly gathering. Soon the Delibird-feather woven curtains parted, as Frostpelt padded through. Her wounded leg was bandaged with sundried seaweed from the lake.
    "Were you waiting for me, Mossphase?" Frostpelt noticed me sitting besides the entrance. "No need to worry. Warriors faces injuries like these one way or another. And since it's not too serious that means that I'll go to the gathering too."
    "But Frostpelt, you're hurt. You should rest, not insist on going to the gathering anyway." I was quite annoyed at how my mentor could brush off something serious just to go the gathering.
    "I agree with Mossphase." Frostbite slipped halfway through the curtains. Leaving his upper torso visible. "Even if I said your injury's not too serious, I do advice you to rest a bit."
    "Even if I stay at camp," Frostpelt arugued. "I won't be much of any help to the clan. I go inform Blizzardprint." She then strolled over to Blizzardprint's hut. She kinda wobbled a bit on her leg but, nothing to be too concerned about.
    Frostbite just sighed. "She's so stubborn. I do hope that when you do become a warrior Mossphase that you'll take the time and effort to talk to your healer first. Before you do something rash." As soon as the healer padded out of the curtains, Kelppup bolted out of the hut and bumped into Frostbite's hind leg. "Oh my!"
    "Sorry Frostbite." The young pup squeaked. He looked at both me and Frostbite and asked. "Are you two going to the gathering? Mom says that I'm not old enough to go yet..."
    "I don't know about me but I'm sure Frostbite's going."
    "Really?! Cool! I wish I can go right now! I'll run through snow and swim thourgh icy rivers, and jump over frosty mountains!" Frostbite couldn't help but chuckle. "What's so funny!? You don't think I can do it, don't you!?"
    "Ah Kelppup. Did your mother ever told you that beyond these frosty mountains and snow covered birch trees, there's a land of warmer weather that grows gorgeous gardens; sprouting unimaginable multicolored flowers? And, the smell of grassy green meadows in the air?"
    "...Garden?...Green meadows?" Kelppup's eyes seemed to light up in the gloom at the newly, discovered world of afar. "How green are the meadows? As green as the evergreen trees?"
    "Even greener. With bright blue skies and cool rivers that gently rushes past your paws if you stand in it."
    Now I was getting interested in the conversation. All my life, I've known nothing but white snow, pale gray rocks, and freezing waters. Never once had I heard of a place where the earth grew something bright green. Not to mention the weird pokemon that inhabits it. It sounded unreal but, I just had to see it for myself!
    Blizzardprint and Breezetail emerged from the leader's hut above the ice ledge, and trotted to the center of the camp where three giant boulders stood. Blizzardprint leaped upon the boulders until he stood the top. Breezetail sat on the second tallest rock. Leaving the shortest boulder vacant.
    "It appears that they're started the clan meeting." Frostbite quickly padded to the center of camp, and took his place on the boulder. With leader, lietenant, and healer, Blizzardprint called out to the camp.
    "Let all those enough to withstand the ice and snow, gather here before The Noble Boulders!"
    Almost immediantly, the clan surrounded the Noble Boulders in an eagar silence. Awaiting the news from their leader. Kelppup peeked his head through the curtains. "Come on mom! The meeting is starting!"
    " Your sister is sleeping!" Mirrorpelt replied in her hushed tone. "Go one without me. And don't get into too much troble."
    "Let's go sit over there Mossphase." He beckoned his paw at the outside of the group. Not the best spot to sit. Once there I looked around. Maybe Snowphase will join me? This'll be our first clan meeting together as rookies. I soon located Articphase seated in the front inbetween his littermates Bouncephase and Shyphase, backs towards me. Snowphase, on the otherpaw, was washing her triangle on the far right side of the group, alone. After a while, she too was looking my way yet, she seemed to be glaring instead. I beckoned her with my paw but, she just turned her head and ignored me. Is she upset? I wonder what could be upseting her. Whatever it is, she obviously dosen't want to tell me at the moment.
    Once nearly everyone was looking up at him, Blizzardprint continued to speak. "I have just recieved bad news from Breezetail. First is that our traditional Glacier Rock has finally shattered and a scearh for a new one will take place as soon as the party returns from gathering." There was horrified chatter that waved across the camp. Kelppup just appeared to be utterly lost in the stirring panic.
    "Why is everyone so scared about?" He whispered to me. "Blizzardprint said he'd throw a scearh party to find another one. Is it that importanted?"
    I glanced at Kelppup at the corner of my eye. "Yes because once the gathering party gets back, there should be a warrior cermony going to be held for the older rookies. Without it the Eevees will probably never evole into Glaceons. There are not easy to find, you know." Blizzardprint waited for the worried to camp to subdued.
    "Second is that a group of Snorunts was reported walking together as a group this afternoon."
    "...So??" Kelp muttered under his breath. "There just stupid little stone humans that walks around with orange clothes. I don't see the big deal." Just as I was about to correct the inexperienced pup once agian, Blizzardprint interupted.
    "As most of you know, any sighting of Snorunts traveling as a group together is a sign that a snowstorm is approaching (and of all times)."" Everyone glance around and whispered worringly at each other. Blizzardprint later raised his paw for silence. "I predict the storm won't hit until three days after. So inorder to make time we will leave as soon as moonrise hits. Now, to annouce those who'll go." I anxiously patted down the snow underpaw. Frostbite's stories of the foreign lands south has motived me to get me excited about going. But the question remains, will I really get to go?
    "Don't you dare get your hopes up," Almost at once I assume it was mother muttering to me. I turned to confront her only to realize that it wasn't her, it was Bluenose instead. "I have a feeling that your mother is going along as well as myself. Blizzardprint isn't foolish enough to leave a pokemon as unpredictable like Diamondtail alone with little supervision in camp with pups around. But I'll be damn, if they picked you and burdened everyone else along with your mother."
    Anger boiled to the ends of my fur. "We'll just see about that!" I growled back. Kelppup watched us with anxeity, clearly listening to the arugument.
    "Raggedtail, Frostpelt, Diamondtail, Articphase, Clawphase, Bluenose,(fish bile!) Snowphase," The leader suddenly paused to catch his breath. It's moments like these that reminds you how old our leader truely is. I glanced up at Bluenose. Bluenose's copper scarf glittered as she stared down at me with a contempted smirk slapped acrossed her face.
    Just looking at her grin enraged me even more. I quickly turned my attentions back at the huffing leader. When he finally caught his breath he continued. My heart beated twice as hard as the following names spilled out of his jaws "...Whitephase, Crystalphase, Hollyphase, Crowfoodphase, (yeeess!) Bouncephase, Leapardpelt, and Cloudpaws. These pokemon will attend this moon's gathering. End of meeting." In order, each pokemon hopped down from each rock from the lowest to the highest into the dispatching crowd. I stared back up at Blueleaf with a counter smirk, she snarled and stomped off.
    As she distanced herself away from me, I felt as if an Iceclaw peirced me through my belly. A sickeningly thought came to mind. What if Bluenose was the one who made that contract with the darkness? It made sense! Bluenose always dispised me because of the fact that I might follow my mother's pawsteps, and bring more dishonor to the clan. Frostbite's image soon flashed in my mind. I'll consult him before I get more evidence before I can prove she's the one.
    Kelppup noticed the conserned look on my face. "Don't worry Mossphase. If Bluenose attacks you I'll give her the clawing of her life! I'm behind you all the way." He vowed before running off after his mother's call.
    I no more than smiled. It was nice how Kelppup was concerned about me but, he is merely an adventurous pup whose too young to fully understand my troubles. I needed pokemon who've watched my struggles and were able to help me through these troubling times. I scanned around the slowly empting clearing, then gazed up at the glittering stars overheard. Where are my brothers in Sliveridge when I need them the most?

    idea


    After a quick nap and a meal of Magikarp, the gathering party were now saying there good-byes to the clan before we leave for the 12 day jounery.
    Seated next to Frostbite, who was now wearing his Persim Band, I watched everyone by the camp entrance. Icefang was play-fighting with his pups, then said his farewells to his mate, Mirrorpelt, before sitting inbetween his brother Fringeheart and his more ancient and grumpier sibling, Raggedtail.
    Cottonphase wished her sister, Snowphase, a memorable journey and prayed that Star Clan would watch over the party even after we leave the mountains. Snowphase padded off; waving her tail in farewell back to her. The disgusting tang of human rubbish hit my nose agian when Snowphase walked pass me to sit by her mentor. The smell was somewhat stronger than before but, now I was certain that the scent was coming from her. When did Snowphase started smelling like this? Did see slip into the nausous stink and didn't clean herself thouroughly?
    Meanwhile, Frostpelt and Cloudpaws was informing their elderly mother, Moonpool, there early departure and how their father, Leapardpelt, was going with them. Blizzardprint also had a quick word with his retired sister before joining the gathering party. "I only wished that all four of you come back to camp, safe and sound," the elder croaked and stumbled back to her hut with the help of her two grown daughters. Once a warrior retires from their years of duties, they trade in there plain bands and spend the rest of their days living clan luxury in the elder's hut. Before they live to join Star Clan.
    Kelppup bolted from his mother and dug his face into my fur. He lifted his head and rested his green eyes agianst my sliver eyes. As he spoke his voice sounded as if it held a trace of a whimper in it. "You'll come back...won't you Mossphase? Promise me you won't get mauled by a Sickle tribe warrior or get lost in the mountains, okay?"
    "What makes you think I'll wouldn't?"
    Kelppup stared down at his tiny paws. "I overheard Blizzardprint and Moonpool the other day about how many moons it's been since their half-sister pass away. And I got scared because you got....you know....picked to go. I don't want anything bad to happen to my friend. Promise me you'll come back."
    I didn't want to fill the pup's spirits with fragile hope so I leaned close to his ear and whispered. " Just pray that our Warrior ancestors will light our path before us."
    Once the party said there farwells, the leader nugde his head at the entrance and the party was off into the cold atumn night. Twisting my head at the camp entrance once we padded thourgh the thorn barrier, Kelppup and Nightpup was watching us vanish into the distance. Before Mirrorpelt coiled her tail around her pups and guided them back to the comforts of the nursery.

    idea


    It wasn't after padding seven miles before my paws stared to ache in the frozen snow on the exhausting jounery to the gathering. Despite being in the center of the party, I was still cold and tired, along with the other rookies. Crystalphase and Hollyphase already gave up walking, for the time being, and hitched a ride upon the backs of Blizzardprint and Icefang. And Frostbite's jaw must be hurting him after carrying such a large medicince bag filled with herbs and traveling seeds around for so long. I longed for the comfort of easing my throbbing paws but, the thoughts of green grass and cool rivers rolled around inside my head fueled my determination to go any farther.
    A swift movement caught my eye, and I temperaly stopped. "Keep going runt." Raggedtail growled from beside me. "We still have a long way to go. We can't stop here."
    Raggedtail was right. We had just padded into a massive clearing with nothing but bits of trees, and the sound of the gathering party's paws crushing the snow underneath. Any creature who bird-brained enough to start a clan here would starve from the scarce of food that could be found. Yet, the fact remains.
    "I saw something move over there." I whispered.
    "Probably a frightened Swablu."
    "Swablu don't have reds eyes." I concluded.
    "Eh, your just imagining things because your mind is tired. Look I don't see anything out of the ordinar-!"
    Just as Raggedtail spoke, twelve absols bursted out of the snow forming in a diamond-like formation. They have large, unretractable claws and grows a sickle like blade on the left side of there heads. Ranging from young to old was snarling at us. All the absols where covered with scars and strange berry painted marks only found in the tribe's territory. Such as green circles under one's eye, blue triangles coming from the bottom of another's jaw all the way to corners of her eyes and, the other had a black heart on one cheek and a purple star on the other. That's probably how they tell themselves apart.
    "Ice Clan...so nice to see you agian." The absol at top-left corner who bore pink triangles under his eyes spoke.
    Blizzardpelt silently groaned. " Ozhoo...what are you doing here at a time like this?"
    "I should be asking you the same thing, and on OUR territory for that matter. Traveling to your important little gatherings or is Ice Clan trying to expand there territory into ours?!" Ozhoo angerly countered yet a smirk seemed to etch onto his face. "I guess we should thank you. You did us the favor of bringing all these pups to us, they'll feed the Sharpclaws and Littleclaws well tonight."
    Blizzardprint stepped forward. "Over my dead body!"
    "Oh Blizzardprint! You don't know how much that can be obliged!" At the nods of Ozhoo's head both sides from the left to right attacked us!
    The smallest of the group shot out and slammed hard agianst my side and I was left rolling down a snowy landscape. Frostpelt cried out my name but her voice was cut-off after battle screeches and catawails burst out on the battle field.
    After reaching the bottom, I struggled to stand on my paws only to get knocked down by another heavy blow to my flank. Flailing widly into the air and snow. As soon as I was pinned down, I felt teeth bite into my flesh, sending a wave of pain up my legs. Enraged, I targeted my attackers face and ranked my claw mercilently across his muzzle. She jumped back, spraying droplets of scarlet on the white earth. As blood trickled down her cheeks, I was soon aware of the orange lines that ran from her nose to the edges of her boney face.
    I unsheathed my claws and leaped I on top of her back. Quickly biting down on her fish fin like tail and diplayed another series of unpleasant clawing at her flank. After a yelp of pain, the absol rapidly rolled onto her back, crushing me under her surprisingly heavy weight. I tried to find the strength to quickly stand on my paws, but before I could, the she-absol whipped her now glowing claw, which is a move I've heard of called Slash, at my face back into the snow. She then gripped my hind leg and send me flying until I slammed my back into a hard rock.
    The pain was unbearable now yet I had to get up, there was too much to live for to throw it all away now. "Give up and died, you stupid furball! I want my first catch of fresh-kill as a Littleclaw to be quick and painful!" The she-absol barked before charging at me at full force.
    At this point, everything was moving slowly in the heat of the moment. My heart suddenly started beating slower yet, loud enough for me to count every beat. I couldn't explain this feeling in too many words but, it was more like an instense power rising in my heart. A power that wanted to be unleashed. I felt like vomiting but, at the same time I didn't. I opened my mouth and a black ball formed a nose-lenght away from my fangs. My heartbeat gradually rose and time was rapidly returning. With the she-absol in plain veiw, I sent the dark ball spiraling and exploded into her face. A flurry of crystal and snow whirled into the air like a snow fog. I waited patiently for the fog to clear to see the slihoutte of the she-absol still standing defiantly in front of me before, collasping down to her knees. She was now nothing more than a panting bloody heap of red and white fur on the snow. D...did that kind of power came from me?
    There were shrieking and ki-yi'd sounds coming from the top of the landscape. As I looked up, I saw Frostpelt staring down at me with Blizzardprint not too far behind, a strong awe in her eyes. There was a few scratches on both their flanks, but they seemed alright at the moment. Absols fled down hill with Ice Clan party at their heels.
    Ozhoo momentarily stopped in front of the injuried she-absol. "Get up, Minx! We're retreating for the time being."
    Minx stumbled to her paws and snarled vicously at me. "Don't think that you won furball! I'm not finished with you yet!" After the terrifying threat, Minx then leaned on agianst Ozhoo's side before hubbling off as fast as she could. I...I won my first battle all by myself!
    "Don't ever mess with Ice Clan, you slowpokes!" Hollyphase and Bouncephase pulled up from behind me and stood proudly with their clanmate sitting inbetween them. Bouncephase had a cut over his forehead and had blood trickling down his right eye. Hollyphase, on the otherpaw, had three deep claw marks running down her side.
    Behind me Clawphase had three horizonal claw marks ranked acrossed his muzzle. Bluenose examined the blood that oozed out of Whitephase's paws where some of his claws broke off. Both her ears were slit and her plain copper band was stained in blood. Breezetail limped heavily agianst Leopardpelt who, despite his age, managed to survive the battle with a scratch on his shoulder and a missing fang when he yawned.
    While observing the clans injuries I noticed that even Frostbite had blood plastered on his pelt and claws. This was a surprise to me because healers swears a life of tending to the clan under the watchful eyes of Star Clan. And stays out of the afairs of a warrior, such as fighting and hunting. I guess Star Clan will make an exception if the healer's life depended on it.
    Out of everyone, Snowphase had the worst injuries. With what looked like two sprained paws, a slit ear, and a fur coat matted down with blood which might have hidden potentially fatal marks, it was no astonishment that she curled into a ball in the middle of the bloody battlefield. It was obvious her fight didn't go as well as mines did.
    Laying out not to far from Snowphase was two wounded Absols. One particular Absol had long purple line running down from his eyes that ended a cross at the ends and, a deep gash in his throat. The other had a dotted diamond under her left eye. She had many fatal wounds around her neck and heart. "Are both of them...dead?"
    "Yea...Blizzardprint slit the male Absol's throat halfway through the fight. He drowned in his own blood." Hollyphase replied.
    "And Diamondtail won the life and death struggle with that she-Absol." Bouncephase continued.
    "And their tribe left there bodies here?!"
    "Sickle Tribe dosen't go too far after comrades have fallen," Bouncephase nudged his head northeast at the pile of bloody Absols resting a good lake length away from us. "They'll wait until we leave before they go to retrieve the bodies."
    Despite all the prey I've killed so far, I've never seen anything more atrocious than how those Absols bodies was splayed about on the ice. The glisten stream of blood that ran out the corner of the she-Absol jaw, in the small pool of blood that surrounded both of their bodies, staining thier white fur. I took it all in. These Absols deaths won't be the last time I'll see something like this. Death is part of a warrior's life too, whether I want to belive it or not.
    My body was too tired to stand another second, therefore collasping in the surprisingly cool snow...and dream. A cool night breeze etched the smell of blood and a slight stench of human rubbish, ruffled my fur before I dreamed...a long frosty dream.