• Ice Clan
    Territory: Lake Acurity/ rt. 217


    Leader: Charged with the responsibility to watch over, manage, maintaining discipline, order and protection to an entire clan/#Blizzardprint: Easygoing & old; grateful for the warmth of his clan. Wears a Zinc band. Rookie:*Shyphase
    Lietenant: the second-in-command to the leader and responsible for organizing the clan/*Breezetail: Wears a plain glittering sliver scarf with a white Ice symbol. Rookie:#Bouncephase
    Healer: Heals the clan's injuries 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:*Mossphase
    #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

    #=Male *=Female



    Chapter #8
    Sneasel's Tale and the Foreboding Night


    Frostbite says that shaking severly in midafternoon snow is a sign that winter has come, as the party trudged through the bits of shrubs growing out of the light snow. I shivered hard at when cold air blasted directly at my face. The pale green grass that managed to stick out of the snow was stiff with frost. We've finally decided to head out as soon as the blizzard eased up into a light snow fall a few hours later.
    Glancing ahead of the gathering party, Blizzardprint and Frostbite padding side by side whispering something to one another. I remembered earlier how the healer mentioned Iceprint's message to him shortly after I awoke. Frostbite took their conversation to a corner of the cave. I fixed my ears on the conversation. Would Frostbite mention my appearance in the dream too? Would Blizzardprint ever look at me the same way if he did? After explaining the message to Blizzardprint, the leader had uncertainty showing from his eyes.
    "Ice Clan alone is having too many problems in such a short amount of time. Now I have to fear that the party's safety as well?" Blizzardprint slowly shook his head. "I only hope that fortune smiles down on us before Breezetail is given resonsibility over Ice Clan."
    "Maybe our warrior ancestors will send the star to come and save Ice Clan. Have faith in Star Clan and they'll come thourgh."
    "....I sure hope so Frostbite....I really do." A faint scent of human rubbish entered my nose agian and I began to wonder if I was losing my sanity. "But until then, it's best if we leave, now that the snowstorm has died down."
    Now we're on the move as the pale light of the evening sun faded from sight. While padding onwards I couldn't help but imagine how the southern mountains would be like. Lush green grass under bright blue skies with a cool river that won't freeze your paws off if you stay in the water too long. I was so into my daydream that I didn't notice the hole in the snow until after my paw plunged right into it. Half of the gathering party turned their heads to see my hind quarters sticking in the air with my face full of snow, how embrassing.
    Because of the earlier Absol attack, the leader decided to walk to the three bridges with extreme caution. Blizzardprint, Breezetail, and Frostbite padded in front to watch out for any potentially dangerous pokemon. And Cloudpaws, Raggedtail, and Lepardpelt stayed farther back to listen and patrol from behind.
    "Be careful." Lepardpelt whispered from behind me. "We don't want to have you being carried as well." Snowphase was first carried by Cloudpaws at sunhigh, and then Diamondtail by sunset.
    When I pulled my paw out of the abandoned burrow hole a strong wind whipped thourgh gorge, uncomfortably brushing my fur the wrong way.
    "Would you care to listen to my meloncholy song of woe?"
    Was that a voice I heard on the wind? "Hmm...Did you hear something? Sounded like a tykes voice."
    "Your only imagining things, old timer." Raggedtail called from behind of the party. "Just the wind whirling around rocks, nothing unusual." At least I know it wasn't in my head.
    As soon as the stairs came to veiw, Clawphase lost his self-control and bolted head first up the stairs. "Get back here, Clawphase! Do you have birds in you brain!" Raggedtail growled after his awry apprentice.
    Hollyphase, Articphase, and Whitephase got into the excitement as well and both scampered up the stairs. Now I was getting curious myself but, Crystalphase and I took a more subtile approach. We both looked up at Raggedtail, muttering something indecent under his breath. He caught our pleaing eyes and sighed. "It seems like you two are the only rookies who takes the time to check with other before dashing off." Raggedtail then turned to Cloudpaws. "Hey, do you mind if I leave the patrol to watch the rookies?"
    Cloudpaws shrugged. "Go ahead, everything's under control here."
    It wasn't long until Crystalphase and I rocketed up the stairs before even Raggedtail could shift his attention back at us. He muttered somethings and followed us at a much slower pace.

    l idea


    The moment I outran Crystalphase to the top of the stairs, I looked down at the ground to a nerve wrecking height. The slightest nudge could send me spiraling down the steep cliff to my death. Overhead, I nearly mistook Altarias and Swablus as pink clouds as they flew past into the dying sun.
    Crystalphase pointed her paw at the far mountain side northeast, where the other rookies sat around a rather young looking Sneazel with some kind of warm yellow colored trianglular tool. He criss-crossed his legs, his eyes closed; sat on a large stone overlooking the rookies, while he strumed his golden tool. As he plucked it's strings, soft gorgeous music heard through-out the fast air currents and whirling snow.
    I slowly padded towards Articphase with Crystalphase not too far behind. "What are you guys doing?" I whispered.
    "Oh Mossphase, you've finally here. This Sneasel was going to tell us a scary story on his weird shiny thing. But I told him I wanted my friend to listen too."
    Sneasel stopped plucking his golden heart-shaped thing, and opened his narrow eyes to slits when I came into view. "Is this everyone?"
    "Yup!" Whitephase piped. "Everyone's here so you can start now."
    "Very well then," The Sneasel replied without taking his eyes off me. He then closed his eyes agian and started his story by struming a lovely sonnet. "This is a true story told by the pokemon inhabiting Mt. Coronet, of two human sisters and their envious brother. The tragic tale is called Erydice & Aries." Crystalphase and I were seated when an upbeat tone was strumed soon after. "Many years ago, there were two sisters who lived together in frozen harmony in Snowpoint. Every night they would both leave the safety of their city in the twilight, climb to the top of any mountain they could scave and, played their instruments, much like my harp, in honor of the approaching dawn. That brought light and warmth to the land." The same kind of brief optimistic notes were heard. "The eldest of the two named Erydice, would blow softly on her Aqua-Monica, which was known to play wonderous melodies as serene as flowing water. And the youngest, Aries, played her Icy Flute, said to play notes as clear as ice (An Icy Flute? Wasn't that metioned in Iceprint's message?) . Both water and ice pokemon were lulled by the melodious music of the two instruments being played together. The two maidens also loved being near one another. They were inseparateble."
    Another series of note were shared in the brief pause in the story. I observed the listening group. Half of the rookies seemed unamused, and to be honest I was a little crestfallen as well. Was the Sneasel telling us a completly different story than he planned? This sounded more like a fairytale than a tragicedy. Sneasel continued. "But one day, a bitter argurment grew in the midst of their family. And as tension arose, the sisters were split apart." The once cheerful music rapidly shifted to an depressing howl. "Erydice was sent away to live with her father and her elder brother, Zenus, in Celestic town. While Aries remained with her mother. The two maidens were deperate to be by each others sides once more so one day, Arries recieved a letter from Erydice, to meet her on top of their most favorite mountain on nights when the moon would fill from a cresent to a white dics to continue their musicial duo in secret. The clever sisters played their instruments to locate each other and rejoice in their rekindled relationship. "Now the sad song turned ominous and terrifying. "On the other hand, it wasn't long until Zenus discovered the maidens private enconters in the mountains. Zenus loved his sister Erydice with great passion and forbidden love. He believed that nobody but him had the only rights to her heart. Not even his younger sister Aries. Enraged by jelousy of his sisters bond, Zenus followed Erydice on one of her scheduled meetings with Aries. With his Rock Horn, known for it's rock-shattering volume, gripped in his hand." The ominous melody grew bumpous and hollow. "When Erydice was a few feet away from Aries. Zenus quickly pulled out his Rock Horn. He thrumped so loud that the soundwaves shattered the ice and rock beneath Aries feet and the ledge gaveway, as a result, Aries fell to her death in the deep snowy mountains." The music steadily dropped to a hollow wail that would make a pup cry if it listened to it too long. "Erydice stared in disbelief and backed away as her overzealous brother stride closer and closer towards her. She looked over her back to the fast current river that lead to a roaring waterfall. A tear rolled down her face and onto the rocky earth before she dove in and over the waterfall, never to be seen agian. Zenus was just about to jump after his dead beloved before he was stopped by a ghost goddess of the snow. She appears as if she's wearing an elegant japenese kimono along with two glaciers sticking out of her head, her blue eyes were as cold as ice. 'No more human blood shall be spilled by your murderous hands in these mountains tonight, human.' She pointed her small hands towards Zenus. 'You have until sunrise to leave these mountains. Or else you will become immortal and wander these cave for an eternity!" A blizzard of snow rushed into the caves and swept the snow goddess away. But Zenus didn't hed the snow goddess's curse. Since he wasn't familiar with the mountains like his sisters were, Thesues decided to wander along the river where Erydice had drowned alonged, hoping he would see his beautiful sister's face once more. Thesues was never seen leaving the mazey tunnels that night."
    The dreadful music slowly rose to back to a meloncholy tone. "It is said that the two maidens are still seaching for one another in the mountains. Aries spirt was sent up into the isolated snowy mountain peaks, while Erydice's spirit was drifted away to an underground lake somewhere. It is said that if you so happened to walk inbetween both maidens secret locations, you can hear the beautiful music they use to share to find each other in the world of the living for a few minutes. And shortly after the music ends, Zenus's ghostly wail would echo 'Erydice!' off the cave walls and a dead silent would quickly take over..."
    The group nervously looked at one another, eying them questioningly. Surely after hearing the story the group wasn't seriously thinking that one of them would betray them in the same way, would they? Just as I thought that, the group bursted out into laughter.
    "Nope! I don't think anyone here would do something that evil." Crystalphase reasured to no one in particular.
    "I hope this youngster's foolish story satified you rookies," Raggedtail was sitting patiently by the stairs before padding through the snow towards the first bridge. "Because we're going. Stat!" Clawphase, Whitephase, and Crystalphase leaped off like Bunearies trying not to get stuck in the snow until all three of them simutaneously suck into the snow three tail lenghts away from the bridge. Raggedtail glanced over his shoulder. "Whoops, I forgot to tell you rookies that the snow gets pretty deep around the bridges. Oh well, water under the bridge now."
    "Now he tells us..." Clawphase muttered somewhat loud enough for me to hear.
    As I was about to jump, the Sneasal strumed his harp. "There is still one last thing I forgot to tell you young ones about Aries and her Icy Flute." Hollyphase, Bouncephase, Articphase, and I gave him our full attention. "After her unfair death, it was said that Aries spirit took on a similar appearance of the snow goddess who punished Thesues. Her once charming personality was turned bitter due her fustration in finding Erydice and unlease her wrath upon the innocent, especailly on males. If she catches you she'll use her once peaceful flute to play one of either two songs. An ear-peircing whistle to lure you away into unrecognizable caverns or a deeply depressing notation that will steal your soul!" I swallowed hard at the thought of how the Icy Flute had such a wicked side.
    "You three! Get a move on or I'll come over there and claw each of your pelts clean off!" Raggedtail yelled from the bridge with Clawphase, Whitephase, and Crystalphase, not too far away.
    All four of us quickly hopped to over to the bridge. When my paw landed on the wooden bridge, I was surprised at how easily it was to grip the unfrozen wood. As a hard wind slamed into my side, I was certain that the Sneasel's voice was being carried on the wind. "...Beware the lost maiden and her Icy flute, star wieldier! Bewaaaaaaare!"
    I whipped my head around to the boulder where the Sneasel was sitting at. But he too vanished in the whirling snowflakes just like the snow goddess in the legend.

    l idea


    A mile of walking on the cold, rocky mountain floor bare paw and my pads were becoming raw. The gathering party reunited by Mt. Coronet's mouth and entered the dangerous carverns. After a while the group decided to rest upon stacked boulders to protected ourseleves from slithering predectors like Ekans or Arborks. Because we're sleeping in unknown territory, someone always has to volunteer to stay wake during some time in the night, and keep vigilant of sleathy predectors.
    I found it a challage to sleep on the hard rocks. I glanced up at the ceiling to see Zubats hanging comfortably upside down and, the Altarias curled huddled together in a bracken nest on an unreachable ledge. Those pokemon sure look comfortable not sleeping on these dumb rocks. Not to meantion the numerous dripping noises of droplets seeping through the cavern ceiling and splashing into puddles below. And some loss gravel tumbling down a pile somewhere echoing off the walls and increasing the sound ten folds. What a noisey place to live!
    Some of the other rookies found it hard to rest tossing and turning on the jagged rocks. Trying to remove rocks so that there pointy edges dosen't irrate their wounds. While the rookies struggled to find releaf, the warriors made themselves comfortable on the cold stones. They're use to sleeping like this, I'm not.
    I turned my attention towards Cloudpaws, who's on vigilant watch at the time being. If it was not for her turquoise paws and her glittering bronze band, her dark colbat fur would've made her invisible in the gloom. She keenly focused her eyes in the gloom, ears raised for any sounds, and nose perked to pick up any smell. Never moving, almost unblinking.
    Just as I was slowly being lulled to sleep, a hushed breeze blew into the cave. "Erydice...is that you? "
    I jerked my head off my paws and swiveled my head around the cavern. Nothing but dark tunnels and the sound of whirling air. Then I turned my head towards my clanmates, sleeping soundly. Was it just me who heard it?
    "Who's there?!" Cloudpaws growled into the blackness. Then she dropped her voice down to a whisper. "Who's Erydice?"
    " There's no mistaking it. I recoginize those amber eyes anywhere. I've finally found you after all this time! Now we can rest in peace together in the Realm of Departed Souls."
    Cloudpaws appeared utterly confused. She glanced back at the sleeping party, then leaning forward she whispered to the shadows. "Sister? Look I'm sorry to say, who-ever you are but, you must have me mistaken for someone else."
    " I've searched for you for so long, and now we're finally together agian. Now come to me. Follow the sound of my flute back to the mountain tops." Soft depressing music echoed against the cave walls. Everytime the flute reached a high note, for a few seconds, an ear-splitting whistle would scratch angianst my ears.
    Glancing at Cloudpaws post, I became deeply troubled when I spotted her pupils had vanished and that her eyes has cooled to faded shades of amber. Cloudpaws then slowly rose and padded down the stacked rock pile into the cold darkness. This must be Aries's doing! Her and her Icy Flute luring Cloudpaws away. I wanted to rush after her a pull her back to her clan but, my paws refused to move. Is this the work of the Icy Flute? If I don't do something quick, I might never see Cloudpaws away...
    Two pebbles was batted at Cloudpaws. Both missed by a tail's lenght away from her. I turned my head gazing at Fringeheart and Articphase in the gloom.
    Frantically using there tail tips to collect more rocks to throw. Articphase couldn't get a good grip on the some loss gravel but his father on the other paw picked a fairly small stone. Adjusted it, then batted the stone and whacked it at the back of his mate's head.
    Cloudpaws almost loss her footing and nearly falling over from the shock. Automatically snapping her out of the trans she appeared to be under and the music of the flute. Now able to move agian I strecthed and supressed a sigh. That was too close for comfort.
    Fringeheart arose for his spot, padding over to his mate who was gazing upon the cave walls thourgh dazed eyes. He slowly pressed his muzzle up to Cloudpaws ear and whispered, "You can rest now. It's my shift now." She only nodded and climbed back up the rock pile to sleep in his place.
    Articphase crawled up to my side. His voice trembled as he spoke. "Mossphase...did you hear that too just now?"
    "Yeah."
    "Do you think it was some predator trying to manipulate my mother? Will it come back?"
    "I'll bet you a Swablu's wing it will. Aries wants your mother and she's not giving up without a fight."