Author's Note: New update!
Anyway, this one's a little bit shorter than the last, but not by much. It's still pretty long anyway, so I think it's fine.
Thanks for your reviews! Really appreciate it.
So yeah. That's pretty much all I gotta say. Hope you enjoy Chapter Two.
Please RR.
Horizon: (Book One)
Chapter Two
The next morning, the Dark Forest was as cold and black as ever. The den was empty, so Skytail presumed that Amberheart was already up. She turned over, trying to find comfort in the the moss of the den, though she found none. Her eyes opened a peak. Through the camouflaged entrance, she could see a glimmer of light, which she knew was coming from StarClan's territory. Quickly, she was reminded of everything that had happened the previous day. Amberheart is coming with me back to StarClan.
As soon as she realised sleep would not come again, she got to her paws and stretched, licking her lips hungrily. The need for food called her: she couldn't wait to get back into the light of StarClan and catch a few mice. After she had finished her stretching, the she-cat ducked underneath the entrance and stepped out into the Dark Forest.
Amberheart was already waiting for her. He was facing the other way when she walked out of the den, staring forward into the distance. She couldn't see his eyes, and to be honest, she was almost relieved about this.
The she-cat sat down beside the tom and hesitantly flicked him with her tail. The tom turned around to face her, a slightly vacant expression upon his face. 'Hello?' Skytail said.
Quickly, Amberheart shook his head, and the usual light returned to his unblinking eyes. 'Morning, Sky.' He said, cheerfully. His ears were pricked sharply, as if he was searching for something. 'You ready to go?'
She frowned. 'Sky?' She asked, questioningly.
He grinned, before relaxing his muscles and kinking his tail over his back. 'I have nicknames for practically everyone. Even for other cats in the Dark Forest.' He rolled his eyes. 'I can tell it annoys it them, but I hardly ever meet anyone else, so it doesn't make much difference.'
Great. Skytail thought, frustratedly. I've only known this cat for about a day, and already he has a nickname for me. Personally, she was a little disturbed that a cat in the Dark Forest had made a nickname for her. It made them seem a lot closer than they were, considering she still wasn't sure whether he was totally safe or not.
She got up and padded forward a little. 'So which way leads back to the border?' She said.
He shrugged nonchalantly, and didn't answer for a moment, as if it was obvious. When all Skytail did was stare at him blankly, he tilted his head to one side. 'Don't you know that StarClan's territory surrounds the Dark Forest?'
Skytail was taken back. She had always thought of the Dark Forest as a place that was infinitely large, and went on forever. And too be honest, it did seem pretty big when she looked around her. The darkness seemed to go on for a long time. 'How big is the Place of No Stars?' She asked, incredulous.
'Oh no!' He said quickly, braking into a fit of washing. 'Don't get me wrong, the Dark Forest is huge! It's by far larger than the whole of the Clans forest territory put together. I haven't even explored all of it yet.'
For a moment Skytail was confused. But not about what he had said about the Dark Forest being massive, she was more puzzled as to why Amberheart had said the Clans forest territory. We don't live in a forest. She thought. We live beside a lake! A memory flashed in her mind, and she remembered the story of the Great Journey. And how the Clans old territory had been destroyed, and they travelled all the way to the lake. Does he mean that?
Suddenly, she paused, staring at Amberheart. It was as if she was looking at him in a completely different angle. Does he not know that the Clans moved to the lake? Does he still think we live in the ancient territory of the Clans?
How long has he been here?!
Amberheart's voice echoed into her thoughts. 'Um, hello?' He called, looking amused. 'StarClan calling Sky!' He waved his paw in front of her face as a joke. 'Where have you been?'
Embarrassed, the she-cat shuffled her paws. 'Sorry.' She replied, uneasily. The thought about Amberheart's punishment was still fresh in mind. 'I just had a nasty thought… that's all.' At least it's not a lie. She thought.
Amberheart looked at her for another few moments, before coughing and breaking the tension burning between them. 'Well, about this mission of your's, shouldn't we get going? Did they specify a time when you had to get back?'
She shook her head. 'No.' She replied, before turning away and staring at the light she could see glimmering from StarClan. 'They just told me to get back as soon as possible.'
Skytail waited for a reply from Amberheart, but when she received none, she turned around. He was just staring at her. In his eyes, there was faint sign of sadness. And… was that pity? She didn't really know what was going on, but she felt like something huge was slipping through her paws. Something she didn't understand.
'But it would be nice to get going so that they know I'm safe.' Skytail added.
Suddenly, Amberheart stood up. Skytail backed away a little, surprised at his abrupt movement. 'Great.' He said. She was surprised when she detected an almost angry tone in his voice. 'Let's get going then.'
She hardly had time to react before she was chasing after him through the Dark Forest, trying to keep up with his massive strides. He was moving unusually quickly. Quicker than he had been moving yesterday, anyway. I don't understand. She thought. Did I do something to annoy him?
The she-cat shook her head and emptied her mind of thoughts, and tried to concentrate on keeping up with Amberheart, but she couldn't stop herself from releasing a small smile. Her opinion had changed onAmberheart: even though she still knew almost nothing about him, she felt like she understood him a lot more. From what she had seen of Amberheart she could tell that he was definitely not the cat he made out to be. She thought that he was very insecure, and extremely troubled. It wasn't that he was insane or anything like that, but she got the impression he was haunted by his past. That fact made her fear his past. What had he done to send him to the Dark Forest? What crime that he committed haunted him so much?
And most of all, was the crime really so serious that he had to stay in the Dark Forest for what she knew had to be an extremely long time?
The light seeping from the border was growing ever stronger, and Skytail felt her mood becoming ever more positive with each step she took towards StarClan. The dark trees progressively got smaller, and the gaps between them became further apart with every paw step. Excitement rushed through her body. She noticed acutely that Amberheart's mood was also changing. He seemed to be growing more uncomfortable with every paw step closer to StarClan.
Skytail nearly fell to the ground in relief as they reached the very edge of the Dark Forest.
A thin beam of white light shone in the starry grass, marking the border between two worlds. She beamed from ear to ear as she stared at the hills and forests of the ever shining StarClan that glistened in front of them. She glanced at Amberheart. His expression was monotone, but she could tell that he was uneasy.
She sighed. 'Finally, we're out of that place.'
At that moment, Skytail was deeply glad for the new change of light, because she could see a lot more in Amberheart's face. In the light, his fur seemed a lot different. Lighter and heavier. In fact, the light improved his appearance in almost all areas. His unsettling amber eyes were now less threatening. Though she still found it unnatural the way he hardly ever blinked, his eyes now had a much more pleasing aspect. They shined like the rising sun in the morning.
Skytail instantly realised why Amberheart was uneasy. After spending so long in shadows and darkness, the idea of light and stars must be a foreign concept for him. It was crazy, but her heart went out to him. She couldn't help but feel sympathetic, though she got the sense she may not feel so sympathetic if she found out why he had been in the darkness for so long.
'So how does this work?' Amberheart asked her, his eyes fixed upon the border in front of him. The first signs of a smile showed upon his face. 'Dark Forest cats can't just leave this place on their own.'
'Ah!' Skytail replied excitedly. 'That's something StarClan did warn me about.' She gestured with her paws towards the Dark Forest. 'Residence of the Place of No Stars don't have the ability to cross the line, but StarClan cats not only have the power to get into the Dark Forest but also out again. All you have to do is make contact with me as we go over the border, and you'll be fine.'
Amberheart nodded quickly. He seemed a little nervous, but Skytail reached out her tail and rested it upon his shoulder, not only to calm him but also the make the contact that would get him over the border. 'Ready?' She said softly.
There was a moment of silence, before Amberheart looked up. There was a fresh determination and fire in his eyes as he answered, 'Ready.'
Quickly, the two of them leaped up into the air, in sync. For some reason, Skytail was half expecting the border to push them back and not allow them access into StarClan, but thankfully, that didn't happen. There was a flash of light as they passed over the border; Skytail was blinded for a moment, but it passed quickly.
And finally, Skytail was back home.
She breathed out a long sigh of relief as she landed upon the comfortable and fresh grass of StarClan. She felt her legs give way beneath her and she fell to the floor, purring in happiness. The Dark Forest was behind her, and she almost felt cheering. But Amberheart, well that was a sight! He got to his paws in a matter of seconds, and the look on his face was unmissable. For the first time, the tomcat looked truly happy. His eyes had somehow refused to blink, even in all the excitement, but they shone with ecstatic energy. He looked like a kit taking his first look at the world, and absorbing all the colours and beauty around him.
She laughed when he took a step forward and his legs wobbled a little. 'Guess you're not used to this?'
He turned to look at her, the happiness in his eyes unmistakable. 'Did you really think I wouldn't be?' He said, voice an overwhelmed whisper. The tom took another few steps forward before sniffing the ground and taking in the aromas around him. Skytail swore his eyes watered up when he detected the scent of fresh kill. 'Food.' He said, his voice still at the same pitch.
She got to her paws and padded over to him, inhaling to catch the same smell he had caught. She licked her lips hungrily. 'Mice!' She exclaimed. 'I haven't had any food since yesterday.' Like it was proving a point, her belly grumbled loudly.
He was quiet for a moment, and once again, Skytail frowned. The same melancholy and sad look had entered his unblinking eyes. The same look she had seen just as she walked out of his den in the Dark Forest that morning. 'I haven't eaten for seasons.' He murmured.
She snorted. 'What do you mean, seasons?' She said, thinking it was ridiculous. 'If you hadn't eaten in that long you'd be dea-' Immediately, she stopped speaking when she remembered the punishment of the Dark Forest. Guiltily, she looked at her paws, 'Oh.' She said. 'I'm sorry.'
You would have thought living your after life in a darkened forest with hardly any light, with little to no cats to comfort you was punishment enough for those banished to the Place of No Stars, but if you thought so, you were wrong. Probably the main torture of that place was the fact that you couldn't eat or drink. Forever you were stuck with an empty belly and a desire for water.
Amberheart shook his head, and his eyes lightened up once more. 'Well, I don't know about you, Sky.' He ignored the frustrated expression that contorted Skytail's face as he used the nickname. 'But I'm prepared to find your StarClan buddies later and hunt first.'
Skytail considered it for a moment. To be honest, I really should go and find Bluestar. By now she probably thinks I'm dead. She inhaled and took in the scent of prey again. But on the other hand, I am hungry...
She nodded. 'Let's go hunt.'
Amberheart returned the nod, and eagerly began to follow the smell of mice, his nose practically touching the starry earth. Skytail followed, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious. Every second she spent in Amberheart's company, she was constantly reminding herself that he was a Dark Forest cat. But to be honest, she felt very at ease around him. For some reason, she felt like she could relate with him. She knew his life had probably been a lot more tragic and painful than her's, and even though she hadn't had anything particularly wrong with her life...
Nostalgia hit her like waterfall. Can I really say I didn't have anything wrong with my life? Can I really say I was ever satisfied?
Quickly she shook her head and ignored her thoughts, catching up with Amberheart. He had stopped by a grand oak tree littered with fresh green leaves, and his eyes were fixed on the ground. She followed his gaze and saw what he was looking at. A mouse!
She was about to drop down into a hunter's crouch, but then she noticed the absolutely determined look upon Amberheart's face, and she remembered how long he must've spent without food and water. The idea made her sit up and gaze at him, intrigued to see how the tom hunted. She knew that he could easily not catch the food of StarClan, since he hadn't hunted for so long. But she still wanted to see what his technique was like. Skytail knew that it could give her a clue as to what Clan he had originally been from.
Amberheart cricked his neck before falling down to his paws and getting very low to the ground. As a ThunderClanner herself, she instantly recognised this as her Clan's signature hunting pose, something instinctive to her as well. But as he started moving forward, she became confused. Usually, a ThunderClan cat put one paw in front of the other and took big strides to their target; Amberheart seemed to be crawling instead of striding. It was a slow process, him getting as close as he could, and that was what made her understand the advantage of why he was crawling. Because he wasn't actually taking steps, there was no chance of him rustling leaves or stepping on twigs.
Now, Amberheart was so close that he could almost press his muzzle against the mouse, which had gone completely still. Skytail heard a sharp intake of breath, and then she discovered it was herself. Though he was just hunting, there was a surprisingly large amount of tensio-
WHAM!
Skytail blinked. If she'd blinked when he sprung, she would've have missed it. His paw shot out like a lightning bolt and held it down to the ground, making it completely helpless, and then he expertly inflicted the killing bite, ending any struggle the mouse could have put up. Skytail was impressed. The routine had been amazingly well practised.
Amberheart rolled around on the floor for a few a seconds in delight, before without even consulting Skytail was to whether she wanted some, he gobbled down the whole thing in one gulp. He licked his chops, before lying back and resting his head upon the shining green grass, his eyes as unblinking as ever.
Suddenly, he remembered that Skytail was there with him, and he quickly got to his paws. Noticing the slight gawp upon the she-cats face, he grinned, looking very proud of himself. 'Impressed?' He said, before shrugging. 'Guess I've still got it, huh?'
As soon as she realised she was looking at him open mouthed, she quickly shut her mouth and began grooming herself, a red hot blush clear upon her cheeks. 'Um, I guess.' She muttered. Privately, she thought that Amberheart must've practised his hunting in the Dark Forest to pass the time away. It definitely wouldn't have been so perfect if he hadn't.
Eager to change the subject, Skytail turned her back. 'Well you've hunted now.' She echoed, matter of factly. 'We'd best be getting along. I want to go and find Bluestar.' She started to pad off, hoping he would follow her.
'Wait!' He called out, sounding puzzled, and a little disappointed. 'I thought you were hungry!'
As he said this, Skytail was reminded of them emptiness in her stomach. Hey, she scolded herself, if Amberheart managed to bear being hungry for seasons, you can too. 'That's not important. I need to go and find Bluestar.'
Immediately, Skytail stopped when she heard Amberheart speak again. She was aware of the fact that Amberheart was prone to very swift mood swings, but any cat would have been surprised with the cold, icy and harsh tone that the Dark Forest cat's voice took on. He snorted. 'Bluestar, eh?'
She very slowly turned her head. 'What about Bluestar?'
He shrugged. 'Oh nothing.' Even from here, she could see his unsettling amber eyes staring daggers into her heart. 'I'm just interested in the merciless cat that would send you all alone into the Dark Forest, with no protection, and no real aim.' He raised his paw and unsheathed his claws, licking them un-caringly. 'So you know, it's nothing.'
Now, usually, Skytail was quite shy and reserved, and didn't like getting angry. But this was one of the situations were she couldn't really stop herself. She too unsheathed her claws and her pelt bristled. Hostility laced her voice. 'What are you suggesting, Amberheart?'
The white she-cat didn't receive a reply. All she got in return in was a deep stare. A very unkind, very threatening stare. Not only was she scared by it, but part of her was also curious. Curious as towards the tom's behaviour. The stare didn't seem to fit the face in which it was beheld. It was like the stare was coming from a completely different cat. A cat in completely the wrong body. And then the smallest smirk appeared upon his face. One that said, I know something that you don't.
Then it all changed. Quicker than the speed of light, it all disappeared. The stare, the smirk, it was gone. Faster than it had come. Amberheart quickly shook his fur, as if something had ruffled him, and padded towards her. Almost instinctively, Skytail backed off. She was still trying to understand what he had meant. What does he know? What's he saying about Bluestar? Is he saying that, that, she chose me for a bad reason?
Amberheart glanced at her as she moved away from him. His face became confused. Skytail couldn't believe it. Not only was he acting like he didn't know why she was keeping her distance from him, but he was acting like he was concerned! It was true. Amberheart looked like he was about to speak, to ask her what was wrong, but she quickly interrupted him.
'No.' She said firmly, disgusted that he was… that he was toying with her. 'Don't even try and ask.' She shook her head, outraged. She found her claws unsheathing themselves again.
Amerheart looked down at her warily. Skytail could see he was a good actor. He generally looked as though he didn't know what Skytail was bothered about. 'Sky, are you sure you're alright?' He said tilting his head.
If Skytail wasn't angry before, she certainly was now. No. She was absolutely furious. Not only was he toying with her, but he was using that stupid, patronising nickname. She shook her head, trying to stay calm. 'As much as I'd like to take you back to the Dark Forest right now, I can't.' She snarled. 'I have to complete my mission, now matter what you think about it.'
Now, the Dark Forest tom just looked bewildered. His eyes shifted from side to side. 'Um…' He trailed off. Even still, his eyes did not blink. 'Did I do something wrong, Sky?' He tried.
Skytail had had enough of him trying to make it seem like he didn't know what was going. 'Just follow me!' She growled, shaking her head in furious disbelief. 'We're going to go and find Bluestar.' She stormed away, seriously trying to resist the urge to scrape her claws across Amberheart's face. And to think I felt sorry for him. She realised how stupid she must have seemed in the Dark Forest, being friendly with him and such. She felt like an idiot.
Skytail didn't speak for the rest of the time that she lead Amberheart through StarClan. Often he tried to communicate with her, but she didn't say anything in reply. She was still in a rage, and at that moment, there was no way of getting her to cool down. The two of them passed over hills and trees, and they walked for a good half an hour. StarClan cats didn't actually have a firm base that they stayed in, like the Clans below. Their territory was endless, and since there was no danger, they tended to come and go as they pleased. There wasn't even exactly a group which everyone stayed in: there were lots of different ones dotted around, though usually every group stayed pretty near each other. Sometimes, it was good to chat with cats not just inside the usual ring of friends that you stuck with.
Skytail knew it would be reasonably difficult to find her group, but not as hard as it would be for other's. The cats she stuck with tended to stay in one area, but would shift around the places in their, "territory" as they liked. It consisted mostly of ThunderClan cats, which wasn't surprising, but there were some of other Clans as well. Bluestar had assumed, before she sent Skytail on the mission, that the murderer was based in their group, since two cats had disappeared from theirs, and the others from neighbouring ones. As soon as Squirrelflight had disappeared, the news had spread very quickly to the other groups in the area.
All the cats that Skytail loved in life where there. Her friends. Her mother and father and...
Her sister.
The she-cat closed her eyes for a moment as the thought of her sibling passed over her. Yes. Her sister has always been close with her- Skytail's sister liked her a lot. However, if the kinship was returned, Skytail hadn't been sure of for a long time.
She opened her eyes and realised that she had stopped. She looked over her shoulder and saw Amberheart waiting patiently behind her. She knew that the tom's eyes hadn't left her all the time that they'd been walking, and his unwavering gaze still did not leave her. 'Why have we stopped?' He asked cautiously, after a pause.
Skytail turned back round and considered answering him. She knew the sadness that had passed over her while she was thinking of her sister had calmed her down somewhat, but she didn't want to talk with the Dark Forest cat. The tension between them had shrunk considerably in the time before he had brought up Bluestar, but now, it was even stronger than the time he had found her.
'I was just thinking of where to head next.' She replied, her voice cold.
His eyes contracted, and he raised his paw, as if he was wondering whether he should pad closer, but obviously he decided against the action. 'Do you not know where Bluestar are the rest of her little cronies are?'
She stiffened. Amberheart had purposefully put on emphasis when he talked about Bluestar's, "cronies". 'StarClan cats tend to move around a lot.' She snapped back.
Amberheart clear got the impression that she didn't want to talk with him anymore, and he quickly fell silent. Skytail dropped to the ground and sniffed the floor, searching the air currents for any sign of her group. She found that she had actually stopped at a convenient point. This spot of the glistening territory was where she had left for the Dark Forest. She looked back and saw the shadowy darkness of the place in the distance.
'What does Bluestar look like?'
Skytail jumped when she heard his question. She got to her paws and her tail flicked from side to side. 'Why do you ask?'
He didn't address the question, and instead began combing his whiskers (Skytail noticed he did this a lot when he was smug about something). 'Is she by any chance a blue-grey she-cat with sapphire like blue eyes, with quite a small frame?'
Skytail was surprised, and she repeated her previous question. Amberheart smiled at her. 'Because I think I found her.'
Was that a rushed ending? If it was, I'm sorry, but I felt like I had dragged the chapter on for too long, and it felt right to end it there.
Hope you enjoyed it!
