Assassination

It was dusk. The sun had begun to set as it fell beyond the mountains, the last remnants of its blazing light setting the sky on fire, igniting the clouds red and golden. The small shapes of a few silhouetted songbirds flashed by on their swift, beating wings and disappeared into the horizon.

In the dense forests of tall trees that made up ShadowClan's territory, three kits could barely be made out through the thick coat of greenleaf leaves. The breeze grew colder and colder as nighttime approached, but the cool, refreshing wind was still unmistakably relaxing.

They padded, their steps silent as they made their way along the edge of a gently running stream. One of the young cats gazed into the water. The once silvery-blue color had melted away into a fiery pink-and-orange one, as they saw the sky hide beneath the surface of the small, lapping waves. However, as the two larger kits skipped happily in front, admiring the views they never got to see—and were never allowed to see—before, the youngest hung his head low as he brought up the rear, his dark grey pelt fluffed up as he spun around at every noise of the forest, eyes wide and ears pricked.

"A-are you sure we can do this?" the young grey-furred kit mewed, his squeaky voice seeming weaker and smaller than ever as the whole land of trees loomed over him.

"Relax, Stormkit," one of his littermates, a silver-and-white tabby she-kit, glanced back at her younger brother and commented, chuckling, noting his nervous expression. "I'm sure Mother won't get mad."

"Icekit's right," the other, a light grey tabby tom, added confidently. "Besides, we're just taking a walk. Nothing wrong about that, right?"

"But Ashkit, what if—" Stormkit began again, constantly glancing over his shoulder. However, he was interrupted by his sister.

"Look at that!" Icekit's sky blue eyes sparked with curiosity as her two brothers followed her gaze to see a cave, half-hidden in the shadows of the trees. Its opening was narrow and very small. Only a cat or small animal would seem to be able to fit inside. Anything such as a large dog would definitely be stuck outside, helplessly pawing at the entrance.

"It's a cave," Ashkit remarked obviously, flicking his ringed tail thoughtfully. A flame of mischief suddenly burned in his amber eyes. "But I wonder what's inside?"

"Guys, I really think we should leave now," Stormkit warned, backing away, frightened. There was something about that cave that sent shivers slithering down his spine like a snake. Judging from here, it was empty. The small opening was pitch-black and there was nothing but darkness beyond that. But who knows what could be inside?

"No, not yet." Icekit shook her head and bounded forward, nearing the dark entrance of the cave.

"But we aren't allowed to do this!" Stormkit exclaimed, a layer of anger masking his true fear. "We'll get in trouble, or we could even be killed! Mother warned us about the dangers of being off camp grounds before."

"Mother doesn't know everything, Stormkit." Ashkit narrowed his amber eyes. "She can't control what we do." Stormkit lowered his head, his eyes cast at the ground, wanting to run away as the sky grew ever darker, but afraid he'd get lost.

"Besides, look at what I found!" Icekit suddenly spoke excitedly, her voice muffled. The two turned to see a bunch of herbs stuffed in her jaws.

"This is catmint, a herb that can cure sickness. Snowflower taught me about it," the silver-and-white tabby explained when she saw their confused expressions, thinking of the ShadowClan medicine cat. "There are tons of catmint growing right around the entrance of that cave."

"Alright, take them and let's go back to the clan," Ashkit suggested, an idea forming in his mind. "Snowflower and everyone else will thank us so much!"

Icekit nodded and trotted back in the direction of the clan's camp, Stormkit flanking her nervously and Ashkit bringing up the rear.

The dark grey tomkit kept glancing back at the cave's opening, both curiosity and fright mixed together as he slowly walked away. He could almost make out two slitted eyes piercing right into his soul through the inky black darkness, swirling a cold, eerie fog around the trees.

He left that place, and vowed he would never come back…


"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, please gather here for a clan meeting!" the leader's clear voice rang through the clearing as warriors and apprentices gathered underneath the tall boulders, and queens and elders poked their heads out of the dens to see. One she-cat, however, sat proudly right at the front of the crowd. Three young cats eagerly stood at the bottom of the high boulders, awaiting their turn.

Greystar began the ceremony as he saw all the cats were ready, "We are gathered here to celebrate the apprenticeship of three young cats. Ashkit, Icekit, Stormkit."

At their cue, the three littermates bounded up onto the large rocks to stand beside their leader, their eyes reflecting excitement and hints of impatience.

"Crowflight, you are now ready to take on an apprentice," Greystar continued. "You will mentor Icekit, who is now Icepaw. Crowflight, you have shown yourself to be smart and skillful. And now I ask you to pass down all you know to your new apprentice."

Icepaw's silver-and-white pelt flashed in the sunlight as she leaped off to touch noses with the black tom, gazing eagerly up at her new mentor.

"Ashkit," Greystar continued, "you will now be known as Ashpaw. Stormclaw, you've shown power in your fighting and loyalty to the clan. I hope you can teach all you know to this apprentice." The warrior padded forward from the crowd to greet his new apprentice.

"And last but not least, Stormkit, you are now Stormpaw," the ShadowClan leader gazed down at the young dark grey tom. "Swiftriver, you will mentor this apprentice. I hope you can pass down your cleverness and quickness of thinking to Stormpaw and teach him the ways of the clan."

A lithe blue-grey she-cat emerged from the crowd. Stormpaw glanced to his mother and saw her familiar grey pelt and warm, proud yellow orbs. Then he looked up at his new mentor and smiled, touching noses with her as a polite, traditional gesture.

I'll make you proud, Mother, Stormpaw silently promised. I'll make all of you proud of me.


The sky was dark and grey. Ominous, rain-filled clouds hung heavily from the strings of heaven, too low to be comfortable. Stormpaw could hear the wind moaning and groaning in the distance, as if the sky was crying and the breeze just sung its grief.

The fiery shows of leaf-fall had passed, and leaf-bare charged toward the clans like a storm. As the trees grew as bare as bone and the leaves all dried and died away, Stormpaw noticed for the first time in his life just how unprotected the territory seemed. He had a better view of the sky, of the clouds, of the storm about to unfold. A breeze ruffled his grey fur and an unsettling chill passed through his bones, racking shivers throughout his whole body. The last of the leaves flapped in the wind and came drifting down, landing silently at his paws.

He stood in the center of the clearing, his deep blue eyes reflecting sadness and worry as he scanned the cats around him. His clanmates. Caught in illness.

Some, of course, stayed strong, healthy and unaffected by the coughing, weak cats around them. They continued to fulfill their duties of hunting and daily checking of the borders in case there were other cats trespassing on their grounds. In fact, the hunting schedules were especially packed. Apprentices and warriors alike did everything they could to find even a little bit of food to last them through leaf-bare. Many desperately searched for herbs to cure the whitecough and even greencough—which was beginning to rise amidst the many sick cats—at the commands of their leader and medicine cat. At night, when the stars are clear and shining bright, they'd pray to StarClan and hope everything would turn out alright.

But then again, what could StarClan do now?

Stormpaw paced around anxiously, racking his mind for an answer, until he finally, abruptly, came to one.

Catmint.

Stormpaw suddenly remembered what Snowflower told him when he was a kit in a sudden jolt. Catmint was an excellent cure for greencough and whitecough, and if he could just get his paws on some right now, he'd be able to heal many cats that were suffering—and even weaker kits and elders that were dying—from the illness right now.

His mother and littermates too.

He knew the scent of catmint. It was strong and unmistakable. He was not affected by the sickness and he needed to help. Not for the sake of praise, but for the sake of lives that were on the line.

Where can I find catmint? he wondered to himself, narrowing his eyes as he swept his dark grey tail in thought across the dead earth. Then his eyes widened in a flash and something he thought he'd forgotten suddenly came back to him, flooding his mind.

The cave…

He growled, shaking his head to himself but the concerned look in his eyes told something different.

"I vowed I wouldn't go back there," he muttered, irritated at himself. His heart and head fought, and right now it seemed like none would win. "There's something about that cave that's unsettling. Not right." He sighed and remembered a few moons ago. "Mother warned me before…"

"Look, Mother!" Icekit bounded into the camp as night fell over the sky. She dropped the bundle of catmint she collected earlier onto the ground, just as two tomkits came filing in after her.

"It's catmint," Ashkit added, gazing proudly into his mother's amber eyes and waiting for a response. "We found it and Snowflower once said it can cure sickness." Stormkit sat down silently, wrapping his tail around his paws, afraid for a lecture.

"You went outside of camp?" exclaimed their mother, her eyes wide with anger and worry, and her ears now flattened against her head. She didn't even seem to notice the catmint at first. "You went out without permission and with no one else with you?"

"We don't need someone to look after us at all times!" Ashkit retorted. "We're almost going to be made apprentices, and we should know the territory. Besides, no danger's ever here, anyway."

"How would you know that?" their mother sighed and whispered. Stormkit looked up and almost caught… a flash of bitter, pained nostalgia?

When the three kits didn't answer for a while and quietness settled around them, she looked at their heads which were hung low and sighed hopelessly. "Alright, I see there's no point in scolding you. Just vow you won't ever go out of camp without permission until you're a warrior."

"Yes, Mother," Icekit mumbled reluctantly. Stormkit nodded and Ashkit kept his gaze down.

Is any cat going to speak about that cave? Stormkit wondered, shivering as he remembered those lime green eyes staring at him from within the unknown shadows. He shut his eyes and they seemed to be alive again.

"But how did you find all this catmint?" the older she-cat wondered, staring wide-eyed at her three kits. "We can't seem to find a place that grows catmint through all our searches."

"Oh, this?" Icekit gestured at the pile of herbs down at her paws. She gave a grin knowing someone finally asked about it and was ready to share the secret. "We found a small opening to this cave near the stream, and lots of catmint was growing right by the cave's entrance. There was so much I couldn't even take all of it!"

Their mother's once warm amber eyes seemed to drain in color. Instead, they filled with a sudden flash of fear.

"W-what?" she asked, hesitant and not wanting to believe what her daughter just told her. "A cave? Near the stream?"

"Yeah, it's really cool, and who knew so many herbs grew there?" Ashkit flicked an ear, grinning as he remembered the great discovery.

"No, no…" the grey-furred queen muttered, crouching down to look straight in their eye. Her gaze turned so hard, so intense, that Stormkit couldn't help but want to shrink back a bit.

"That place is not cool," she spat with such force that her kits' eyes grew wide in an instant, not wanting to hear what she had to say next. "Just promise me something. Promise me that you will never go back there again."

"But why?" Stormkit shuffled his paws and narrowed his eyes. "Why can't we?"

"Don't ask why," she growled. It was one of the only times Stormkit had ever hear her growl with so much force, but he knew something. He knew that her anger wasn't directed at them. "Just promise me, kits."

"I-I promise," Ashkit mumbled, still confused. Icekit repeated his words and Stormkit nodded.

Stormkit stared as her outline gradually disappeared, along with the figures of his siblings, as she made her way to the medicine cat to share the news about the catmint. He couldn't hear what they were saying, and truthfully, neither did he bother to try. All that was on his mind was what his mother had asked for him to promise, and one word wouldn't stop following him like an everlasting shadow.

Why?

Now he gazed over at his clanmates, and the promise seemed to slowly vanish.

"I'm sorry, but I'll be going back, Mother," he spoke, determined, to himself. Bounding away into the bare trees and in the direction of that stream again, he knew a little promise from ages ago couldn't compare to the risk of losing the lives of the ones he loves most.

The air suddenly dropped into a freezing cold temperature as he neared the cave. He could make out its entrance, piled with large stones and overgrown with moss, which was beginning to die as well. A gust of chilly wind hit his face and he growled, biting back the urge to run away from the shivers that, he knew, weren't caused by the temperature.

The sky seemed darker than ever. It was almost like night as the storm clouds closed in on the apprentice. He padded closer to the pitch-black opening, growing more wary by the heartbeat. He could see the catmint, a bit shrivelled and dry but useful nonetheless. They were growing right behind the opening of the cave, just a bit beyond the entrance.

A few steps into that place wouldn't hurt, Stormpaw encouraged himself, trying to comfort himself and masking the fear he really felt inside. What he thought he saw as a kit all came rushing back to him. What I believed was foolish. I was just imagining things as a kit.

Each pawstep seemed to feel heavier than the last to him. As he arrived at the entrance, he cautiously lowered himself to be closer to the ground to fit inside, and step by step, found himself standing in front of the herbs at last. The cave could be bigger in the inside than he imagined, or it could be the same. But either way, the young cat had no way of knowing, as the jet-black darkness shifted and closed in.

I'll get these back to the clan. Stormpaw began tearing out the catmint with his teeth and grasping them tightly in his jaws. I'll get these back to my clanmates, and my family will be saved.

But as he turned to leave as quickly as he could, a horrific, unnatural, slithering voice stopped him right in his tracks. A voice that came from the depths of the darkness that Stormpaw didn't want to see.

"They're already dead… Stormpaw."

Something suddenly lashed out at him and struck him across his body as two slitted, cold lime green eyes opened. He gave a sharp gasp and blood stained the hard ground below. Before everything flashed back to Stormpaw—the discovery, the promise, his mother and siblings and clan, all dying of greencough now—the bright eyes dimly lit something in the depths of the mysterious cave. Something that looked like blood and organs of bodies lying in pools of scarlet, and two frighteningly familiar amber eyes gave one last, lifeless stare at him.

No… Please, no…

The glint of blood-stained silver claws and fangs charged at him, and a chilling ghost of a smile curled upward on the demon's lips. Stormpaw saw those soft amber eyes close before he could take in another breath, and shift into narrowed orbs of lime green.

Then his eyes closed as well.


The theme is Assassination but it does have Illness in it too, I guess. However, for the Illness theme I have something completely different, so yeah… Review if you can! :) But even if you didn't like it I still wanna finish the whole challenge, so 25 more letters to go! XD

Word count: 2,952 words