Part 1- Siren
"As leader of LoyaltyClan I give Songkit the name Songpaw and give you the mentor Littlescar!" Mothstar looked down at the cats. Mothstar was the second leader of LoyaltyClan, after Skystar who escaped the WindClan after being accused of killing two Clanmates. She, and her friend, Stripedflower, had started LoyaltyClan as a testament of their friendship.
Both were dead now but Mothstar was alive and was assigning her first apprentice, Songpaw. Songpaw was a tiny thing, very thin and hardly bigger than a three moon old kit with pale brown fur with white spots dotting her pelt and big green eyes. She could be blown over in a strong gust of wind. She had given Littlescar to Songpaw as a mentor because Songpaw, and her sisters, Fadedpaw, Breezepaw and Dreampaw, used to be kittypets, while Littlescar used to be a rogue. She was skilled in fighting, very small and gentle with the timid cat.
"Ready to go?" Littlescar asked Songpaw. She shyly nodded her head. "Don't be scared little one. There is nothing to be afraid of. I won't hurt you. We're part of Clan. I'm covered in scars from protecting the ones I love. I won't let anything happen to you, I swear."
"Okay." They started to pad off to explore the territory and when they came across a dense part of the forest Littlescar stopped. She stepped in front of the apprentice and walked slowly.
"Where are we?" Littlescar asked to herself in a whisper. There was thorny undergrowth covering everything. There was the scent of fox, dog and badger everywhere. There was just one place that looked safe, a tunnel that looked like an old rabbit nest in the side of the hill that was over grown with ivy.
Looking around nervously, Songpaw ran into the tunnel, terrified of her surroundings. "Songpaw, wait!" Littlescar padded up to the tunnel and sniffed inside. There was only the smell of blood around her. It was choking her. "Songpaw, come out of there!" Littlescar padded to tunnel, afraid of what was inside. Then she heard it.
This is
Where the wind won't blow
Where hearts are sorrow
Where the scared souls go
Trapped forever in my web
The scent of blood
That comes from the dead
I say these words
For my siren I've found
She lulls you in with sweet melody
Siren sweet,
Please sing for me.
Littlescar felt the urge to run, afraid of the creature that told the haunting poem but stood still for Songpaw. "Songpaw, run, get out of there!"
Siren please sing,
It is you that I need
To rid this world of evil,
Blood won't stain your paws
But shall create the universe around you
Who is this stupid cat?
She is crying for you?
She is too afraid to enter.
Lure her in sweet siren
So that I may devour her
Drink her blood and leave the corpse to rot.
She is the fly,
I'm the spider
So,
Siren please sing,
Sing for me.
Littlescar looked at the cave. I'm sorry Songpaw! She started to run but there was a shadow behind her that touched her where her scar was. It was a huge scar that ran from her muzzle to her left shoulder. She screamed in pain as the shadow over took her and forced her into the cave. It was dragging her into it. Littlescar could hear her screams, and was sure the whole forest could, but no help came.
When the shadow let her go she saw Songpaw standing in front of her. Her bright green eyes were dull and sightless. Her paws were dripping in blood. Her mouth was closed. She stood there not making a sound. "Songpaw, help me." She managed to whisper.
Songpaw opened her mouth. The shadow emerged from it carrying Songpaw's melodic voice.
"Come to me sweet
Let me see
The way your heartbeats
Sweet blood master shall drink
Come to me sweet
Lay your head down
I promise it'll be over soon
Sweet blood master shall drink
Come to me sweet
Close your eyes
And make this easy for me
Sweet blood master shall drink
Come to me sweet
Show me your neck
Master is fixing to dine
Sweet blood master shall drink
Come to me sweet
You are so still
Maybe because you are dead
Sweet blood master did drink"
Songpaw finished her song, and Littlescar was dead for everything she sang was true. Spider Master had given Songpaw the power of a siren, and like all of Spider Master's slaves before, she was hypnotized.
Part 2- Nightmare
It was a moon ago when Songpaw disappeared and Littlescar was found dead with no blood in her body. They had found her outside the densest part of the forest. They had attempted to search the inside of the trees but the brambles were too high for them to scale. Dreampaw often thought of her little sister, cold and alone, waiting to be rescued. She was living off of crowfood because she didn't know how to hunt.
Dawnfrost, Dreampaw's mentor appeared beside her. "Thinking of Songpaw again?" Dreampaw nodded. "We tried everything and haven't been able to get in there."
Dreampaw looked at the cream she-cat and thought about how when compared to pelt color; it would be much easier for Dreampaw to sneak in. Her pelt was sleek, brown with dapples and marbled markings. Her paws, tail tip and ear tips and face were light brown so she could easily blend in with the brambles. Even her eyes, the same green as Songpaw's would look like leaves. She often thought of how she could go and sneak through the brambles at night, rescue Songpaw and return her to the Clan. It would be easy. "Can we go check, one more time?"
Dawnfrost reluctantly nodded. This had been Dreampaw's request for a moon. "Let's go." They padded through the forest until they saw it. The brambles were gone.
Dreampaw ran into the trees quickly, ignoring the thorny underfoot and the scent of fox, dog and badger. She ran to a tunnel. "Dreampaw, wait!"
Dawnfrost was alone. Her apprentice was no where around. "Not again." She walk to the tunnel and was appalled at the scent of the blood. "Dreampaw, come out of there now!"
There was silence. "I mean it, Dreampaw. Leave right now!"
Dawnfrost timidly walked to the mouth of the cave and stood there. She then heard a voice.
Nightmare please come,
It is you that I need
To rid this world of evil,
Blood won't stain your paws
But shall create the universe around you
Who is this stupid cat?
She is crying for you?
She is too afraid to enter.
Lure her in brave nightmare
So that I may devour her
Drink her blood and leave the corpse to rot.
She is the fly,
I'm the spider
So,
Nightmare please come,
And put her to sleep.
Dawnfrost's eyes widened at the poem and the eerie voice that went with it. There were shadows that pulled in Dawnfrost. The shadows whipped her and caused her to scream louder and louder until she was swallowed by the cave. Inside was Songpaw, as small as she was when she was six moons old, with a blank hypnotic stare and Dreampaw, who had the same blank expression on her face.
Siren, please sing our guest to sleep.
Songpaw opened her mouth and shadows poured out of it.
"Come to me sweet
Close your eyes
It is time for you to rest
Sweet blood master shall drink."
Dawnfrost fell asleep and saw herself trapped where it was black. Nightmare, make her still. Dawnfrost ran away from the voice and ran into Dreampaw except she was black with gray markings and blood red eyes. Blood was dripping from her eyes, swallowing Dawnfrost, drowning her in blood. She swam through the blood but it became thicker and thicker. It formed tendrils that turned the color of snow but they were stained with blood. "Let me go!" She screamed. Her screams were futile. She was trapped in a spider web and the shadows bit her neck and drained her of her blood.
Spider Master's long shadowy arms petted Dreampaw. He had given Dreampaw the power of creating nightmares. Her blank stare was staring off, hypnotized.
Part 3- Hurricane
It was a moon after Dawnfrost had been found, drained of blood at the same spot Littlescar had been found. The brambles were surrounding the densest part of the forest, making it impossible to climb over. Tonight is a full moon, like the other nights they vanished. I'm going to save my sisters. She groomed he long, mottled brown fur and one black foot. She was only slightly bigger than Songpaw was, and had bright yellow eyes, unlike Dreampaw and Songpaw.
She was watching for her mentor, Waspflight, a dark gray tom with black tabby stripes. His amber eyes would look dark on any other cat but since his pelt was so dark they looked incredibly bright. He was the only other cat good at night hunting in the Clan.
She carefully walked to the entrance and padded out into the forest. I did it! I'm going to get my sisters back. "Where do you think you're going?"
Breezepaw turned around and saw Waspflight looking at her with narrowed eyes. "No." he said plainly.
"But Waspflight, it's two of my sisters! I have to go save them."
"Breezepaw, I said no." Breezepaw ran off into the direction of the densest part of the forest before he could force her back. Sighing, he ran after her, praying not to become another lifeless carcass.
The brambles were gone. He looked around warily at the surroundings that reeked of fox, dog and badger. He kept walking towards the scent of Breezepaw and the scent of blood.
He came across an ivy tunnel. All of his senses were screaming at him to turn back while he could but he couldn't leave Breezepaw to die. "Breezepaw, come out here at once!"
There was a chuckle coming from the cave. "Breezepaw, now." But the voice wasn't Breezepaw's.
Hurricane please come,
It is you that I need
To rid this world of evil,
Blood won't stain your paws
But shall create the universe around you
Who is this stupid cat?
He is crying for you?
He is too afraid to enter.
Lure him in strong hurricane
So that I may devour him
Drink his blood and leave the corpse to rot.
He is the fly,
I'm the spider
So,
Hurricane wreak havoc,
And put cause him to weep.
He stepped into the mouth of the tunnel quickly and shadows appeared around him, gorging into his eyes, mouth, ears and nose that blinded him to the world outside the tunnel. In front of him stood Songpaw, still six moons old, Dreampaw, not changed in size one bit and Breezepaw. Each had a blank stare on their face, each hypnotized into the frozen state they were in.
Siren, sing for our guest and put him to sleep. Songpaw opened her mouth and shadows poured out, surrounding her and her sisters.
"Come to me sweet
Close your eyes
It is time for you to rest
Sweet blood master shall drink."
He couldn't control his heavy eyes, as much as he tried to keep them open, they made him fall asleep. He was surrounded by blackness in his dream when he heard the voice. Nightmare, cause him to be afraid. Spider webs came down and wrapped him in their webs yet he was unafraid.
Hurricane, he is strong willed. Break his will by breaking him. Waspflight felt himself being lifted into the air yet he refused to yell. He simply stood there letting himself be tossed around like fresh kill.
There was one way he thought of getting across to the sisters. "Looks like you three have become slaves! You all have become kittypets again?" He yelled, hoping to get some sort of response from them, snapping them out of their trance. There was still nothing. Good try, Waspflight. You truly are that yet the spider can still catch wasps in his nest. You almost ruined the curse, yet even you failed. One more she-cat and Spider Master will prevail.
Waspflight closed his eyes and said to the shadow "This one will be the most difficult; I can tell you that, Spider Master." Kill him! He was thrown by the winds that lifted him into the air into the side of the cave and he was forever still. It was a shame to kill this one. He bit into Waspflight's neck and made him dry.
Spider Master looked at Breezepaw. Good job, my pet. You have proven yourself as useful as a hurricane. Breezepaw looked off but her tail flicked to the side.
Part 5- Invisible
Four moons ago, before any of this happened, the apprentice den was full. It isn't now. She sighed and looked at the nursery. The next kits won't be apprentices for another four moons. She looked at the setting sun. Now or never, I have to go.
Fadedpaw ran out of camp as quickly as possible, being sure no one saw her in the sunset light. It was a full moon tonight. She saw the open hollow and timidly stepped in. It was full of scents of badger, fox, dog and a faint scent of blood. She followed the scent of blood until she saw a tunnel. "Hello?"
What's this?
An apprentice?
There is no mentor for me to snack on.
Should I give powers?
Should I dine?
What to do?
"Who's there?" Fadedpaw stood tall, her sleek pelt as smooth as a warrior's, like she almost was. "Come out and fight!"
Fight? I'll fight you if you can defeat my minions. Go Siren, I have need of you.
Fadedpaw held her breath as she waited for the one the voice called siren. She hadn't expected what she had seen. The cat looked to be five moons, give or take a moon, with perfect pale brown fur littered with white spots. The once bright green eyes were dulled over, as if she were dead, but she stood on four feet, had her ears pricked and was scenting the air. It was Songpaw and she was preparing to attack. "Songpaw!"
The tiny she-cat opened her mouth. Shadows filled the air and music filled her airs. Fadedpaw froze, captivated by the music.
"Come to me sweet
Let me see
The way your heartbeats
Sweet blood master shall drink"
Fadedpaw focused on the lyrics. "I won't be food for your master, Songpaw. What happened to you? You were once so sweet!"
Songpaw hissed. "There is no Songpaw here. I am simply Siren, Spider Master's servant." Songpaw launched herself to Fadedpaw but she had no battle training. Fadedpaw stepped to the side and grabbed her kit sized sister's scruff.
Just one chance, Fadedpaw thought. She threw Songpaw into the tree. She then ran over to her little sister. "Songpaw?"
Songpaw groaned but her eyes were bright and sweet looking once again. "Where am I?" She looked up at Fadedpaw. "When did you get so big?" Fadedpaw bent down and licked Songpaw's ear.
"Stay here. If it looks like I'm in trouble don't do anything. Just run back to camp. Songpaw, you've been missing for four moons." Fadedpaw glared at the cave. "You've been under control of one called Spider Master. He has our sisters too I think."
Songpaw leaped to her feet. "You expect me just to sit here?"
"That's exactly what I expect. Sit. Stay."
Fadedpaw padded back up to the cave. "Spider Master, I have defeated your Siren. Are you willing to fight me now?"
I'm impressed, young one. You're brave and strong but I doubt you can defeat the one who can place fear into your heart.
Out of the cave came Dreampaw. She was still young looking, seven moons old, she suspected. She had the blank face that stared at nothing though the rest of her senses were perked. Fadedpaw braced herself. Dreampaw was an excellent fighter, even as a kit.
As Dreampaw launched herself at her she glanced to the left. There were the beginnings of illusions of fox and badgers, though they were just illusions to the eyes. Fadedpaw kept the left side of her face to the illusions, closing her left eye, as she tackled Dreampaw.
When Dreampaw regained clarity in her eyes the illusions disappeared. "What happened? Where's Songpaw?"
Fadedpaw pushed Dreampaw to where Songpaw stood. "Listen, you've been missing for three moons. Stay with Songpaw and make sure she stays put." Dreampaw nodded and ran to her sister.
Fadedpaw padded back to the cave. "Are you ready to fight now?"
Little one can fight off illusions too? How brilliant is that? Little one cannot fight off a hurricane though. In the mouth of the cave appeared Breezepaw. She looked like she was Fadedpaw's age and her eyes were bright and alert. "My sister doesn't have to fight a hurricane! I was never under your spell. Waspflight was able to save me from that."
Breezepaw ran to Fadedpaw and stood by her, and beckoned Songpaw and Dreampaw forward. "Fight us Spider Master. Fight us with all the powers you gave us!"
I'll be fair and even give this one here a power. Siren, Nightmare, Hurricane and now Invisible are all doomed to be eternal servants to Spider Master. Songpaw tensed and shrunk back like the kit she was. Dreampaw looked up at the stars for guidance. Breezepaw glanced at Fadedpaw who simply nodded back to her sister.
Spiders flooded out of the cave, each one bigger than the next. "How do we defeat spiders?" Breezepaw whispered to Fadedpaw, who was trying not to show her fear.
Fadedpaw pondered the question and grinned. "Songpaw, sing!"
Songpaw looked back at her confused. "How will that help?"
"Just try it, please Songpaw!"
Songpaw nodded, took a deep breath and opened her mouth. Instead of shadows emerging, stars did.
"Sweet spiders turn away
Run into meadows where you can play
Please leave my sisters and me alone
Go find a place where you can roam
Find a place where the sun shines
Find a place filled with moonlight
Find a place where flowers grow
Sweet spiders
Go find your home."
To the sisters surprise the spiders started to turn away and leave the hollow. Fadedpaw looked at Songpaw. "You're a lullaby, not just a siren. That's amazing!" Songpaw ducked her head shyly. "Spidermaster, come out you coward!"
I have been battling. It was clever to use singing to get rid of me. I am in the spiders; I am also in the shadows in the corner of your minds. The sisters each fell down in turn, passing out and entering a world filled with darkness, shadows, the only light pooling from bright red eyes. Giant spider legs moved forward, each step bringing them closer to death.
Songpaw screamed and placed her head in her paws. Breezepaw moved to comfort her. "It's okay, shh, it's okay little one." She looked at Fadedpaw and Dreampaw. "What do we do?"
"We're asleep." Dreampaw smiled at the realization. "We're asleep!" Dreampaw's eyes glowed with the stars as she created an illusion world. The spider kept moving toward them but Dreampaw smiled. In front of them appeared a giant silver web. The spider was caught in it. On the web came a bigger spider made of light, stars and the moon. It killed the spider and dissolved. The world dissolved and the sisters woke up.
"Spider Master, we're tired of games, come out and fight!" Fadedpaw was looking into the cave, nothing scared her.
I'll fight when I feel like it. I enjoy these games, very funny, trapping my spider illusion in a web. Try this. Three spiders the size of the cats were in front of them. Get rid of these and I shall battle you.
A grin came across Breezepaw's face. "Let me." She took a few steps forward before she took a glance at her sisters. "Go somewhere out of the wind." As she said that the wind picked up and blew the spiders into the air. She brought the wind down incredibly hard smashing the spiders on some rocks.
There was a shape that rippled through the air. Something that looked like a spider and a twoleg wrapped in one came out of the shadows. I am Spider Master.
Fadedpaw looked over at Songpaw who had started shaking in her pelt. Dreampaw looked equally as uncomfortable. "You two stand back. If he tries to get us from behind you can protect us. Breezepaw, you hold him back with your winds. I'm going to try my power." Songpaw was Siren, Dreampaw was Nightmare, Breezepaw was Hurricane. He called me invisible. Perfect. Fadedpaw faded away from the others and snuck up behind Spider Master while he was distracted. "Die Spider Master!"
She leaped up and tore the small spider she saw on his back and bit it. Everything that was Spider Master disappeared in a mist and the hollow that surrounded them and held them prisoner vanished. "It's over. We've won and we're back together."
The four sisters took looks at each other. They quickly walked out of their former prison without a glance back.
Okay I loved writing this but it took forever! I realize there is no book two yet. It is going to be the bridge between book 1 and 3. For now, here is book 3. This was for Misgiving Writer's The Forest Challenge. I loved it a ton and wrote this. I hope it meets her expectations.
Songstar of MaskedClan of the Warriors Challenge Forum
May the stars sing you to sleep
