Caterwauls echoed throughout the trees. Huddled beneath one of them was an apprentice, shivering, though not from cold. No, she was terrified of the howls of pain, the brutish yowls of command that permeated the forest, and the horrible stench of rotting crowfood and the metallic odor of blood.
A dark figure padded through the trees, stopping in front of her. It's icy blue eyes seemed to reach into her very soul, and she visibly flinched as the other cat stopped.
"You must get back to training, apprentice," said the cat.
The apprentice shook her head, stubbornly refusing to go back.
The cat snarled and brought his paw down, getting a gasp to be emitted from the small apprentice. She saw bright red, then darkness.
Meanwhile, two cats gathered together. One had a golden pelt and striking amber eyes. The other had a gray tabby pelt with clouded blue eyes.
"Brother. We must hurry. I have had a vision, one of pain and darkness." said the gray tabby cat.
"So our assumptions were correct?" asked the golden one.
"Yes, Lionblaze. The Dark Forest is rising."
