Snowflake's Choice

CHAPTER 1

Snow reared up on her hindlegs and swiped at Frost’s face with claws unsheathed. Moments later, with a painful last kick, Frost collapsed on her side. She was fighting for breath, her belly heaving as she took in gasps of air, blood trickled down her back from a neck wound. If she lived, which seemed impossible under her conditions, her hind leg would be permanently lame. A nasty smell coming out of it meant it was infected already.

Frost turned her blue eyes to gazed in horror at Snow. Then with a shuddering breath, she stopped moving, her grey and white pelt soaked in blood. Just like their sister, Annabel, Frost had died. Snow had killed them both that day.

Cheers erupted from the crowd of watching cats. Hissing defiance at the fallen she-cat, taunting and jeering at her to wake up, even though they could see she was dead. Snow tried to shake of the last look Frost had given her, she felt guilty. Frost was, or had, been her sister and it pained her to see her go.

‘Oh well, at least now I am a higher rank.’ Thought Snow, she turned her own blue eyes to Scourge, he was sitting on top of his heap as usual. His eyes gleamed in approval. Though he narrowed his eyes at the cheering crowd, flicking his tail for silence, they could only cheer for him no one else. He was their champion, hero, and leader. No matter how much gloating he did, which seemed to annoy everybody, they all listened to him respectfully, fearing death if they angered him.

Snow waited patiently for him to promote her, but instead his eyes, ever changing, looked at her coldly and cunningness entered. He leaped up unto four paws, his claws and the teeth on his collar gleamed in the light of the setting sun which managed to creep into the cold alley way.

“Storm! Step forwards!” Scourge snarled. Snow’s heart plummeted, she turned to face her mother.

Her mother’s grey pelt, just like her sisters, prickled in horror as she gazed at her daughter. They had been separated, as were the rules of Bloodclan, when the sisters were old enough to fend for themselves. Annabel and Frost had stuck close like burrs, but Snow knew that they would be punished if they stayed together, instead, Snow began to fight cats and bully her way up the rank. It was the only way she would survive to a grown cat. It was the only way of living. Killing had become daily, from rats to cats.

Snow stared with defiance at Scourge, “I’ve killed enough cats today, spare my mother.” She growled.

Scourge’s eyes flared, “I’m sure someone else would be glad to fight you both to death.” He purred silkily, his voice dangerously soft.

Snow sighed, with a reluctant grunt, she turned on her mother and bared her fangs. With a yowl, Snow leaped unto Storm, knocking her easily as if she were just wet carboard the cats used for shelter. Snow felt her claws meet flesh, sinking them in she started ripping. Storm let out a wail of pain. Making Snow almost stop clawing her in surprise, why, she wasn’t even fighting back.

Backing away, Snow stared at her in confusion, “Fight!” she snarled.

Storm staggered and fell, lying down next to Frost.

Snow glanced at Scourge, but he was just sneering, “Kill her.” He yowled.

Snow leaped, and with a swift kick, she closed her mouth around Storm’s neck. An anguished yowl aroused, Snow didn’t know from which cat. Storm went limp, and Snow staggered under her weight.

She spat out the fur from her opponent, if you would call a cat who didn’t fight an opponent and startled herself that she did not find any pride in her accomplishment. Not from this kill. Her sisters had put up more of a fight to defend themselves, maybe she just needed stronger opponents.

Snow decided that must be what she was feeling. She turned proudly to Scourge.

He slited his eyes, “Promoted.” He growled, then called out, “Next!”

Ice and Snake come dragging in a battered she-cat. Snow stepped out of the way, quickly hurrying to be with the watching crowd.

It wasn’t very interesting, a few moments late, a black and white tom came running he gave out a cry of dismay when he saw her, “Violet!” he moved to be beside her, but Ice and Snake block him.

The small she-cat let out a feeble cry, “Barley!”

Snow suddenly realized that Ice, Snake, the she-cat named Violet, and Barley all looked alike. They were siblings! Interest sparked her, but she ignored it, it was just another easy kill. Turning she stalked away, hearing the pained cries of Violet as she was scratched up.

“Serves her right,” muttered Snow, “Living and staying with her brother while they should have been separated. She deserves it. Just like Frost and Annabel deserved dying.”

Snow went to the box she usually slept under, yesterday she had found a black she-cat nursing some kits there. Snow told them to back off, but the she-cat was in such misery that Snow made sure she gave them some fresh-kill before they left. Which seemed to make the black mother overjoyed with graciousness.

Curling up in a tight ball, Snow dozed off, tired from her fights.

When she awoke, Snow stared in surprise to see Ice padding towards her, a rat in his yaws. He dropped it at her feet, “Here,” he meowed gruffly, “I brought you something.”

Snow almost snarled at him that she could catch her own prey, but remembering he had a high position by being one of Scourge’s guard, she meowed simply, “Thank you, it is a great catch!”

Ice flicked his ears carelessly, “Oh, I didn’t catch it. I stole it from Mole over there.” He pointed to a black tom who was eyeing them hungrily.

Snow snorted in disgust but tucked into her meal heartily.

“Done?” Ice prompted when she had licked her whiskers, he was keeping a hawk’s gaze on her. Even though Snow didn’t know what a hawk looked like she could imagen what it felt like to be watched.

Snow nodded. Ice settled at the entrance, so he could be comfortable.

“Look Snow,” he began, “I’ve been watching you lately and I think you’re a great she-cat.”

Snow stared at him curiously, ‘of course’ she was a great she-cat! She had hunted a huge squirrel yesterday that had crossed the forest and lost its way in the alley.

“And I’m such an important cat, I may lead Bloodclan one day,” Ice paused and watched her for reaction, but Snow just flicked her ears for him to go on, “I was wondering if you would like to be my mate.”

Snow stared at him in surprise, ‘have a mate? Have kits?' Ice might be the fourth cat she killed that day, she sniffed with disdain.

​

Ice went on, his amber eyes staring at her intently. “You could rule beside me, you would be powerful, having a position with me like that. You can have my kits.”

Snow was getting a little bit overwhelmed. Have ‘his’ kits! That could be the worst thing possible! Being a mother would be horrible! She would become weak, not powerful. She slowly shook her head, avoiding his eyes.

Ice sprang to his paws, his black and white fur bristling, “Is there another cat that asked you? Tell me! I’ll get rid of them!”

Snow hastily shook her head again, “No! Is that…I don’t ‘want’ to have a mate.” She meowed.

“Oh,” Ice sat down again, not at all bothered by the fact.

“Well see you around.” Snow meowed in an I-hope-you-go-away- tone.

Ice nodded at her and padded off, briefly pausing beside Mole to threaten him and then carried on. Tail high.

“Arrogant furball.” Snow muttered, closing her eyes again and was swept away into hazy dreams.

CHAPTER 2

Ice had been coming every morning for the past four sunrises. Bringing her prey and urging her to become his mate, talking about how powerful she would be and how he would rule. Mole now hunted two pieces of prey, so that when Ice took some from him to give for Snow he would have some for himself, he was miserably having his prey stolen, but he did not argued.

Ice had been kind, but now, as he strode towards her with a mouse in his yaws he looked angry. Impatient.

Snow quickly tried to hide behind one of the flaps of the cardboard box, but he had already spotted her.

He spat out the mouse and glared at her through amber eyes, “Snow, I’m tired of waiting.”

“I’ve already told you, I don’t want to be your mate.” Meowed Snow, instantly regretting her words.

Ice bushed up to twice his size, he angrily spat and turned on her, blocking the entrance to her den, “I don’t want to force you. But if I must, I will. It would not take much trouble to beg another she-cat to be my mate, I’m offering this to you, Snow. And I can win you over easily with a swipe of claws.”

Snow tried to keep her whiskers from quivering, and her claws from raking his snout.

Ice seemed satisfied, and with a lash of his tail, he turned and padded away, this time not stopping to threaten poor old Mole. Snow sighed as she watched him go, she gulped nervously and pawed the mouse aside. Then, with a second thought, she picked the mouse up and brought it over to Mole.

“Here,” Snow meowed gruffly, “it’s yours.”

Mole did not say anything but glared at her, then grabbed his mouse and quickly hurried away to eat it by himself.

‘Ungrateful flea-pelt!’ thought Snow, turning she crept out of the alley way. And headed towards a cluster of houses. Scaring some kittypets might be fun, but her belly was growling, it was best she hunted first. Heading swiftly towards the park and pausing to look both ways before crossing, it wasn’t long before she killed a young sparrow and gobbled him up. Who knew who might steal her prey, always eat quickly, always eat with your claws out.

After a while of wandering around and climbing a few trees in the park, Snow headed back home. This time as she eased herself into her nest she kept her claws unsheathed, just in case. This became a regular routine, and the days passed slowly, as if holding their breath. Ice kept visiting, his threats more and more dangerous, Snow took to waking early in the morning so that she could sneak away before he showed up.

One day after sneaking away hunting again in the park, Snow returned to her nest, to see Ice and his brother Snake standing next to it, waiting. Snow’s ears drooped in dismay. He still wanted to be her mate. With a dragging tail she slowly approached.

Snake sneered, “This is the she-cat you went after Ice?” he cackled.

Snow pinned her ears back, and with a low growl she sprang at him, knocking him over and slicing his nose. Ice purred in amusement, Snake staggered to his legs and glared at Snow, his muzzle dripping with blood.

Ice stroke her back with his tail in a friendly gesture, but his voice was menacing, “Snow, I have not come to see you kill my brother, you know what I’ve come to do? I’ve come to ask you for the last time to be my mate.”

Snow blinked and backed away from him, warily she guessed what this was coming to.

Snake hissed with pleasure at her fear, and joined his brother with the threats, “Snow, we are strong members and rule beside Scourge, I’m sure we could do lots of things to you.” He purred silkily, making Snow shudder.

Ice went on, his eyes narrowed, “Snow, I do not want to harm you, but if I must…”

Snake stalked forwards, and Snow shrank back, aware that cats had gathered, “I know plenty of ways that could toughen a pretty, delicate, she-cat like you to obey.”

“Snow, tomorrow, you ‘will’ come to the silver garbage can beside the old tire.” Ice growled.

“Why?” challenged Snow, purrs of competent aroused from the watchers, they were ready to see her suffer.

Ice padded forwards till his breath stirred her ear fur, “So you can become my mate, if you deny there, then you ‘will’ be very sorry…” he turned around, his tail flicking over her ear painfully, then disappeared into the shadows.

The rest of the cats followed him, leaving Snow cowering and trembling.

“I will ‘not’ become your mate. I will not come.” Snow vowed silently under her breath. What she was about to do scared her, but she must, it was not Ice’s choice to decide what to do with her life.

 It was her choice. Snow’s choice.

CHAPTER 3

Snow stared across the road, her heart beating fast. Houses rose against the sky behind her, in front lay the forest. She had heard tales about wild cats who lived and ate kittens for breakfast, but why should she believe them now? Suddenly all those tales might just be real.
She stepped daintily on the road, suddenly it trembled, heart lurching, Snow sprang back just as a monster roared past. It let out a bellow of anger that hurt Snow’s sensitive ears. Spitting defiance at the beast she watched it grow smaller. Reaching with her paw, Snow felt the hard road again, this time no monsters. She raced across and into the forest beyond.
She started trekking towards the bare hills she had seen earlier from a high perch, even at the edge of the forest she was soon soaked with the dripping dew of the plants. She flattened her ears in disdain, it was just too many bushes, plants, and mud. It oozed under her paws. Birds and countless of little paws pattered around her, at least prey was plentiful, but it was overwhelming and cold. No sun reached into these depts.
Deciding that she would not live here, no matter how much prey ran taunting circles around her, it would be impossible to hunt, roots and mossy rocks made her stumble countless times. Snow hoped she would at least find a clearing where no one, or Ice, could ever find her. Anyway, cats already lived here, she had scented their markers almost as soon as she crossed.
Suddenly there was a patch of light ahead, head buzzing with the longing of warm sunshine made Snow burst out of the woods in a hurry. The moor was just ahead! And between it and her was a huge bubbling river, reeds, sandy banks, and sunshine! Snow sniffed the air, to her dismay she had left the forest markers just to enter another territory! The slightly fishy scent of another border made Snow almost let out a wail of dismay, cats could not use that much territory! Unless they were big, fierce, and were many…
Bounding over to the river’s edge gracefully, Snow crouched down to drink thirstily. Ahead of her were some stones, that seemed good. Now she could cross to the moor and maybe find a place where none of these territory stealers lived. Snow saddened at the thought of leaving the beautiful place. Bounding towards the stones, she leaped from one to the other, the water lapping at her feet gently.
Snow reached the other side and lay on the sandy shore, enjoying the warmth of sun on her pelt, watching the clouds passing. Hours passed before she heard the brushing of fur with reeds. Sitting up she glanced around, no one. With a shrug, Snow was about to lay down again when a screech of fury was heard. A cat crashed into her, clawing and spitting.
Snow leaped to her feet and then relaxed to see it was only a kitten, making her fur lie down again, Snow waited for him to calm down.
Unfortunately, the brown tabby kitten saw it as surrender, “Intruder! You are caught on Riverclan land, you are now captive as long as I have your fur under my claws!” he hissed.
Then almost as soon as he let go he gave a squeal of excitement, “Blueyes! Mousewing! I’ve captured someone!” he yowled turning his back on her.
Snow gave him a bemused glance, but then realizing he might have more of his buddies might be coming, she quickly crept away. The tabby was still yowling her defeat to the sky, not aware that his prisoner was sneaking away. Snow saw a crack in a boulder, this might do for now, crouching she slithered under and waited. Hoping her scent wouldn’t give her away.
The sound of more cats moving through the reeds reached Snow’s ears, and soon a voice spoke, “I don’t know what you are going on about Bramblepaw, there is no one here.”
A gasp from the tabby was heard, “She was here! Really!”
The first voice, now annoyed spoke again, “Well, I certainly see no one, you scared off all the prey!”
“Really, I—" Bramblepaw’s voice was cut off.
Suddenly the first voice spoke again, much closer, “The scent follows this way…It leads to this cave.”
A new meow was heard, right outside Snow’s hiding spot, “I don’t think anyone would go in there…There is a snake inside, and it sure enjoys eating plump cats for lunch!”
Snow shoot out of the cave, scrambling to get out.
Three toms, plus the puny little kit, stood around the entrance, bemused expressions on their faces.
Snow felt shame burn her pelt, it had been a trick, now she was caught. But Snow wasn’t going to give up now.
With snarl, she leaped at the nearest tom, scratching furiously at his face, and with her hind leg kicked sand into another’s eyes. She leaped and bit his shoulder, he yelped in pain, and she bit harder. Finally when she couldn’t hold on with the gagging scent of blood, she turned with a whirl of teeth and claws.
The toms quickly got over their surprise, and firmly yanking and biting, they brought her down and sat on her. To Snow’s surprise they weren’t trying to hurt her, just capture. She went limp with gratitude.
A grey and brown tom peered at her through blue eyes, “Give up now?” he growled not looking at the least ruffled.
“I give up…” Snow mumbled through a mouthful of sand.
“Good,” the tom straightened and announced, “You are now a prisoner of Riverclan!”

CHAPTER 4

Snow was marched along the riverbank, a breeze coming from the moor washed through her pelt refreshingly, the gentle murmur of the river lifted up her spirits, even though she was in unknown territory with strange cats guarding her. The steps of the cats combined with the splashing of a distant waterfall.

Suddenly, a vole darted between the paws of the patrol, not thinking, Snow dived after it and killed it with a sharp, neat, bite. Triumphantly, she carried it in her yaws, just to see that the toms were looking at her disapprovingly.

“That is Riverclan prey!” Squeaked Bramblepaw indignantly.

“Right,” The grey tom meowed through narrowed eyes, “you are under our control, you can’t do that.”

“I can do what I please.” Huffed Snow, but said nothing, unwillingly to drop her prey, she trotted after the toms, the brown tom who she had clawed, fell in behind her, incase she tried to get anywhere. The other two toms, one black and one bright golden, with the ‘Bramblepaw’ fell in on both sides, while he grey and brown tom who seemed to be in charge, took lead.

“What’s your name?” Bramblepaw finally gave in to hold his curiosity.

“Can’t you be quiet for a second!” Snapped the brown tom.

“You aren’t my mentor!” hissed Bramblepaw.

“But I am,” meowed the tom in the lead, “and I tell you to be quiet.”

“Yes Blueeyes, sorry Sandwhisker.” Mumbled Bramblepaw, head down.

Sandwhisker snorted but said nothing. Blueeyes kept gazing confidently ahead, soon the sunny day loosened the patrol and they were talking, by the way they spoke Snow could tell they were being careful not give any important information. Soon Snow knew that the black tom was named, Moleclaw, and the golden tom, Honeytrickle.

‘Funny names.’ Mused Snow, but kept silent, her yaws ached from carrying her vole, but she refused to hurt her pride by setting it down.

Finally, they reached the end of the worn path they had been traveling on, it broke away into the river, the current smooting stones around it. Across the stretch of water there was a small island, movement from between the reeds revealed many, many, cats.

 “Do we have to cross?” Snow asked, keeping fear off her voice.

“Yes.” Sandwhisker growled, contempt in his voice, he clearly liked the idea of giving her discomfort.

This indeed was the first time Snow would swim. She crouched near Bramblepaw beside the stream, letting her eyes reveal nothing.

“Tell me how you swim and I can spare your life.” Whispered Snow.

Bramblepaw turned on her with wide eyes, gulping, he took the threat seriously, “Paddle one leg at the time, paws outstretched and keep your tail straight out behind you for balance.” He whispered back.

Sandwhisker gave her a push from behind.

“Go on, err,” Blueeyes trailed off, remembering he did not know her name, “rouge,” he finally stated, Snow wondered what it meant.

With a nervous gulp, Snow stepped into the clear, icy, water.