Alrighty, here's Chapter 1. It's a little jumpy, but just remember that it will switch off every other from flashback to present. If you have any suggestions on how to improve, please give them! Also, do you like the little italicized phrase or are they just annoying?
Chapter 1
A white ball of slicked fur, the wet being licked away by a pink tongue, took its first breath. "Blackkit, do you want to name this one?" A she-cat with the same white fur as the kit was looking intensely and happily at Blackkit with dark blue eyes. Not even the pain of giving birth could deter the sparkle from those eyes.
Blackkit brightened, his silver eyes mirroring the she-cat's excitement. He shifted his black paws and pictured the kit looking the same as his mother with the pure white fur and the dark blue eyes. "Wavekit!" he squeaked.
.
What have I done?
The black tom, once an innocent little kit, now looked at his friend with crimson claws and a torn heart. His friend was still as pure white as ever, though in the darkness it was ash gray like the remains of the black tom's innocence and reason. The dark blue eyes that had never once before lost the sparkle like the mother's now held such sadness, the sparkle as diminished as the stars and moon.
The black tom, discouraged by his white friend, looked to his other, hoping that maybe he would break the silence. Dark brown fur blotched his body, almost smothering the sandy undercoat. The black tom was disappointed, seeing the yellow eyes of his friend dull with grief.
What have I done?
.
Blackpaw and Wavepaw rested on their haunches, their fur contrasting more than day and night. Excitement flowed from eyes of silver to eyes of dark blue.
"Eaglepaw, from now on you will be known as Eagletalon…"
"Eagletalon! Eagletalon!" The loudest of the cheering was easily the black and the white apprentices. After the ceremony, they were the first to tackle the newly made, dark brown warrior. They teased him about his silent vigil and their laughter lightened the mood of the whole camp.
.
The black tom let out a great sigh as if it would blow away everything that had just happened. There was still a long way for the three cats to travel, and he just couldn't bear the silence anymore. He couldn't bear the images of the mangled she-cat. He couldn't bear the words that kept repeating over in his head.
Banished.
"Please… Please just say something… either of you," he murmured, his voice barely audible.
"What is there to say?" Eagletalon muttered, his yellow eyes on the ground his sandy paws were brushing.
The black tom was desperately trying to keep his eyes from leaking regret. "When have we not had something to say? You guys… You guys are my best friends."
"A cat who murders is no best friend of mine," the white tom growled, trying to keep his voice from cracking. The black cat knew he didn't mean it, but the words still stung… almost as much as the blood that had spurted into his eyes…
"Wavecrest…" the black tom began, but couldn't find the words again. The thumping of their pads was the only sound in the forest for a few moments.
"Blackhorizon," Eagletalon meowed finally, mustering up the strength to lift his head and look full on into those silver eyes, "You… You… You're my… b-best friend. I've known you all my life." The usually hard and determined yellow eyes were pooling over. "You were cheering the loudest at my warrior ceremony. You… You were there for me when my sister died. You stayed up all night with me. What… happened? Where did that cat go?"
Blackhorizon stared at his friend.
Where did that cat go?
.
Blackpaw was bubbling over with excitement. This was his last patrol before his warrior ceremony. His mentor padded in front of him, her silver-white tail waving with her steps. The leaves of the trees around the apprentice seemed a brighter green than they had ever been. Sunlight washed over the forest, bathing it in a golden glow.
"Are you ready to be a warrior, Blackpaw?"
The black apprentice turned to look at the she-cat padding beside him. Her sandy fur glowed gold.
But, in a flash of gray, white, and black, the golden fur turned red.
It was so sudden. The badger had been downwind. Blackpaw, with the size and skill of a warrior, and his mentor were able to fight it off, but it was too late.
The warrior ceremony was forgotten. Blackpaw could never forget the look on Eagletalon's face when he and his mentor came back with the body of his sister. The black apprentice didn't even think about his delayed warrior ceremony when he stayed with his friend all night next to his sister's body.
.
The same look as the night of his sister's death plagued Eagletalon's eyes.
Where did that cat go?
Blackhorizon shook his black head. He didn't know any more than his friend. It was almost as hard as keeping down the tears; keeping down the fear… fear of himself.
Where did that cat go?
Something had changed. Something had snapped. Blackhorizon didn't even know his claws were capable of… He shuddered as the image sprang back into his mind.
"What will you do now?" Wavecrest asked quietly.
Blackhorizon gazed at the black sky. "I… I don't…" The silver eyes flickered from the sky to the black leaves. "Maybe I'll…"
"Will you… Will we…" Eagletalon seemed to have guilt clog his throat as he asked, "Will we see you again?"
Blackhorizon looked with surprise at his friend. His eyes softened. "You want to?"
In Eagletalon's yellow eyes, a battle raged. "I… Yes… I…" He gulped. "I don't think you're a bloodthirsty killer, Blackhorizon."
"I think…" Wavecrest meowed, drawing the eyes to him. He hesitated. "Blackhorizon…" His voice faded away, leaving the paw steps to be the only sound again. The crickets had stopped chirping long ago.
.
Blackhorizon pricked his ears, his nose twitching. "Do you scent that?" he inquired. It was night, but the moonlight dripped down through the leaves, illuminating a small clearing.
A smaller black tom stopped beside his mentor, his sky blue eyes darting back and forth. "Is that…?"
"Cat," Blackhorizon murmured, "Rogue, maybe." He looked down at his first apprentice for a moment, his very light blue eyes silver with the moonlight. "Remember what I've taught you. And if we're outnumbered, run back to camp to get help."
The apprentice shivered, anxiety making his paws twitch.
Blackhorizon looked back to the pool of moonlight and watched the long blades of grass wave in the night breeze. He flexed his claws, ready to give the fight of his life. "Who's there?" His voice was calm but stern.
"Oh, thank the stars!" a small voice squeaked. Blackhorizon hesitated before taking a step forward. The bushes that rustled from the wind produced a white she-cat whose belly was bloated to twice the normal size. A ginger she-cat followed, helping her friend along. "Please!" the cat exclaimed, "Please help…!" Her voice faltered as the white she-cat collapsed on the moonlit grass.
The small black tom rushed to the white she-cat's side. "Blackhorizon…!" he cried, unsure of what to do, his blue eyes on his mentor for help.
"Go back to camp, Bluepaw," Blackhorizon commanded, joining his apprentice at the white she-cat's side, "Get Mintleaf." The cat was gone before he finished.
The ginger she-cat looked at Blackhorizon with desperate amber eyes.
Blackhorizon took another step towards the collapsed cat and recoiled. He looked at his paw and found it stained crimson. "It's too late…" he whispered.
The ginger she-cat cried out and Blackhorizon found her face buried in his own shoulder, tears wetting his fur. Normally, Blackhorizon wouldn't even let a rogue touch him, but he found himself incapable of pulling away.
.
"This is it," Eagletalon murmured as his dark brown paws slowed to a halt. Wavecrest's dark blue eyes were a mess of emotions again. Blackhorizon tried to gulp away the fear and anxiety that was rising in his throat at alarming speed. He managed to keep himself calm as he turned around to look at his two best friends.
This is it.
"Whatever you do, Blackhorizon, please come back someday," Eagletalon murmured, a hopeful glint to his yellow eyes.
Wavecrest's head whipped around to face the dark brown tom. "To kill someone else?" he asked incredulously.
Blackhorizon stared at the white cat. Even his closest friend didn't understand, but still, the black tom just couldn't find the words to explain. He opened and closed his mouth several times, but gave up without a single syllable spoken.
Eagletalon's eyes clouded. "Just because he can't voice the reasons doesn't mean he doesn't have them," he murmured, his voice almost inaudible.
Wavecrest couldn't find words.
.
"M-My name?"
"Yes, your name." The voice was soothing.
"M-Meadowlark."
"What was your sister's name?"
"Chi… Chickadee."
"Where did you come from?"
"A group of rogues."
"Where is Chickadee's mate?"
"Chickadee's mate?"
"Yes. Did he want to raise the kits with her? Or is he long gone?"
"I… I…"
"Do you know where he is?"
"N-no."
"Do you think he would follow you and your sister?"
"I… I don't… no. I-I don't think so."
"Okay, thank you. You may rest now."
Blackhorizon waited patiently until the ginger she-cat emerged from the leader's den with Mintleaf and Thunderstar on either side. Her dull amber eyes seemed to brighten a little when she saw the black tom whose shoulder she had cried on.
"Blackhorizon," Thunderstar meowed, approaching the black tom that was almost a head shorter than the huge gray leader. He murmured in his ear, "Please show Meadowlark to the medicine cat den and give her some poppy seeds. She seems more comfortable around you."
Blackhorizon nodded solemnly, but tried to look a little happier for the distressed she-cat as he led her to Mintleaf's den. It was a small opening under a boulder that really didn't have as much room as Mintleaf would have liked. Blackhorizon flicked his tail towards one of the three nests that fit tightly together on one side of the den and Meadowlark settled down into it. The she-cat's amber eyes followed Blackhorizon's every move, remaining on where he had been even when he had disappeared into the small cavern that held the medicine cat's nest and supplies. He came back with a few poppy seeds on a loosely gripped leaf and opened his jaws to let the leaf settle to the earth. Meadowlark daintily lapped them up one at a time. Blackhorizon was the last thing she saw before her eyes were closed.
.
Blackhorizon padded through the dark undergrowth, feeling loneliness grip his heart. It hadn't even been that long since he had been standing next to his friends, but it already felt like moons of solitude. The forest had gone silent, but Blackhorizon still found it loud.
Banished.
This time, though, a new word plagued his mind also. It was the last thing he had said.
Goodbye.
He hoped it wasn't forever.
