Chapter 1- Goldenforest's Message
Thunderclan Camp
(Goldenforest's POV)
I don't know if I like being called 'Goldenforest'. But it fits. Golden because of my coat and my Crest, Forest because of my last name, Forester. I'm about two years in cat terms, and when you're a cat, your view of things change. Not just vision, but your morals, too. Which scares me a bit.
Anyway, Firestar has welcomed me into his camp with open paws. The other cats know me because Ravenclaw spoke about me when she was here. Of course, they want to know how she's been. So, I told them everything that had happened in the past three years. They seemed to be shocked. For good reason.
Right now, I'm lying in the middle of the camp, on my side, staring at the entrance. Lionblaze, one of Firestar's three grandkits, comes over and sits next to me. "So...you're also a two-leg?" I nod. "...Interesting...so you can understand them?" "Yep. I can understand pretty much anything." "Even Badgers and Dogs?" "Yep." By now, other cats have gathered around us. Noticing them, I get to my paws and stretch, digging my claws into the dirt. Straightening, I nod at them. "Hi." "Hello, Goldenforest. Firestar wants you to come with us on a border patrol. Will you come with us?" I nod and get to my paws. "Lead the way, Lionblaze."
"...I have to do that?" Several cats are marking various plants and rocks. Lionblaze and I are standing a bit away from the others. He looks at me. "Of course. Why are you looking at me like that?" I turn from him and stare off into the woods. "...Because...I haven't really been a cat before...and..." I look back towards Lionblaze and notice that other cats have begun to look at me. Then Dawnsky, a white-furred she-cat with blue eyes, nods. "Why, of course you would feel like this. You're a shape-shifter, are you not?" I nod. "...Yes…" Graystripe pads over and leads me away from the others.
Once we reach a certain distance, he stops beside a massive tree. "Do you smell that?" His mouth is open, like he's eating the air or something. "What are you doing?" The gray cat closes his mouth and looks sideways in my direction. "Tasting that scent. What are you doing?" I open my mouth to answer, but then I notice something. ...What...is that? My mouth still open, I follow the scent to the massive tree. It ends at the roots. Graystripe joins me. "Now do you smell it?" I nod. "Of course. But the question is, what is it?" Graystripe begins to meow with laughter. "You don't know what that is? It's a scent mark! Left by a she-cat! Go on, tell me who left it. Just go up to the roots and sniff them." He backs off a certain distance and sits by a few bushes. I, on the other hand, pad up to the tree and lower my furry head to sniff at it's roots.
My eyes widen. I must say something because Graystripe is next to me within seconds. "Well? Do you know who left it?" I raise my head to gaze at the older tom. "...Yeah...I know who it is." "Then who?" I look between the roots and Graystripe. "The mark belongs to a certain silver cat with blue eyes, one that has a golden bird on their right fore-paw." Now Graystripe's eyes are round as well. "...Ravenclaw?" I nod. "It's her. I haven't the faintest idea why she would do this, of all things…" Other cats call for Graystripe and he looks towards the bushes. "You need to be alone, don't you?" I give him a grateful look and nod. The gray tom smiles at me and nods back. "I thought so. You tell her that you've been here, alright? Whatever means necessary." Then he turns and runs off, leaving me beside the marked tree.
Once he leaves, I turn back towards the tree, letting my beast side drift closer to the surface. Just this once. I have to let her know that I know that she's been here. I pad closer to it, somewhat dreading what I'm going to have to do. Get ahold of yourself! This is natural for cats! Just mark the tree and get it over with. I'm standing over the roots now, and as I breathe in the scent coming from them, I realize something. ...How do you even mark stuff when you're a cat? I ponder this for a few minutes. ...Well...the others were backing up to whatever they were going to mark...didn't Ravenclaw say something about this? I think she did. Or if she did, I forgot about it. I know that my anatomy is slightly different than it is when I'm a Dragon. Or human. It's more like a wolf's than anything. ...Can I even change? I haven't tried it yet...but a cat's body is similar to a wolf's... Trying to decide what to do, I bend my head to the roots and sniff them again. This time, I realize that there's a message. ...Great...just great...well...I have to read it, don't I? ...Let's see... "Goldenflower. If you read this, you've been on a border patrol. Which is good. This was the only way to reach you. So, I figured, why not mark this tree? Anyway, if you decide to, mark this tree. I'll be here a week from now, try to find me, will you?" ...But it has been a week. With my head still bent down towards the roots, I look up into the branches. Green leaves litter the branches and you can barely see the sky. ...If I'm going to do it, now would be the time to do so. Letting the beast side take over, I move so I'm standing directly over the mark and then drench the roots in my scent.
I then leave the clearing, feeling satisfied that the scent that's on the tree now is mine. Then, I hear a cat scream. Multiple screams. I stop, ears pricking up. Then my eyes widen. I know that cat... I spin around and dart off towards the other cats.
I find them in another clearing. Several toms are trying to Take a silver she-cat. She's been hurt. I can't see what they've done to her from where I'm standing, but it seems like at least one of them has Taken her already. Fury consumes me. ...They...they wronged the Goddesses today… "Halfclan crowfood!" I race out of the cover of the bushes, my claws unsheathed. I land in the group of toms, clawing anyone I can reach. They get out of my way, and for good reason. Then, someone throws me down to the ground. I can't get up. Then, a brown muzzle appears at the corner of my vision. "...You dare calls us halfclan? Strong words, kittypet. But we've had our way with her, so you can do whatever you want. Kill her, even." The brown cat lets me up and I stand and face him, eyes narrowed. "What? Are we going to fight?" The tom grins and unsheathes his claws. I do the same. "What do they call you?" "They call me...Darkfern." He lifts his tail and sprays the grass behind him. I grit my teeth. "What do they call you, Thundercat?" I meet Darkfern's gaze. "Goldenforest. I'm a true Thunderclan warrior as you are a Shadowclan warrior. What will our leaders say about this?" Darkfern grins. "They won't know. But there's something that you must do before we fight. I marked the grass behind me." "So?" The tom snarls at me and I take a few pawsteps back. "Are you draft? You're supposed to mark as well! Go on!" ...How do I tell him that I marked a tree? "...I was on border control...so I'm afraid that I cannot mark anything at the moment." Darkfern nods. "Very well. Maybe you're lying. I'll find out if you are, because if you cannot mark, you won't ruin your coat when I kill you, if you're lying..." I snarl this time and lower myself to the ground. "Come on! Let's settle this!" Darkfern crouches down and then leaps at me.
He claws my side, sending red-hot flames coursing through me. Shit! I spin away from him, trying to at least avoid his attacks. I end up backed against a tree, ducking and weaving. "Stay still, will you?!" "Nope. Too fast for that." I dart past him and leap towards another tree. I dig my claws into the bark and climb up the tree, then I drop out of the tree onto Darkfern's head. He yowls, and bucks, sending me into another tree.
I can't see much. I must have passed out for a while. Darkfern's bloodstained form appears above me. When he sees that I'm awake, he hisses at me. "You fool! I didn't want to kill you! What were you thinking?!" I slowly get to my paws, and try not to be sick. I fail at that. Darkfern and his friends dart back from me, some wearing concern and others are just mad. "...Din, my head hurts..." I manage to look up at Darkfern. "I was trying to fight you." The tom scoffs. "Well, you weren't thinking clearly." He turns to his friends. "Come on, let's go." All of them leave, but then Darkfern turns back to face me. I then noticed that his right paw appears to be glowing. Warmth spreads through me and I realize that my Crest is glowing. I look back up to see Darkfern grinning at me. "...Yes...Courage...that is how you lived...Forester." My eyes widen. "...Dragmire?" Darkfern nods. "Indeed. I will let you live for now. Leave my sight. And take your friend with you." The tom turns and leaves the clearing.
I've spent too long just standing here. I feel weak. Then, I hear a meow and I turn to face a limp form lying near some bushes. My head pounding, I rush over to the form and stare down at her. "...Can I do anything?" The she-cat looks past me, off into the distance. "Ravenclaw?" As I lower myself in front of her, I hear a clap of thunder and the sky above us lights up. Then rain begins to fall. We're soaked in seconds.
I'm trembling now. I can barely stand, let alone talk. "...Ravenclaw...I have...to get you back to camp…" She merely nods at me. I take it as a sign she'll let me help her. I transform into a wolf (think Wolf Link, but slightly smaller), and set the cat on my back. As I set off towards the camp at a fast run, we begin to talk to each other. "How's life out here? You seem to be enjoying yourself." "It's just like you told me." "Good."
As I near the camp, a sudden wave of dizziness strikes me. I dig my claws into the rain soaked ground and hang my head. Still positioned like this, I slowly make my way towards the camp.
I end up falling just outside the entrance. Already, cats are smarming us, taking Ravenclaw from me and taking her to Jayfeather's den. Firestar and Sandstorm appear above me, along with another cat. He's staring down at me in horror. "...What...happened to her?" He manages to croak out. He bends his head and buries it in my fur. A few seconds later, he gets ahold of himself and raises his head to look at me. "...Bearclaw?" He nods frantically. "Yeah...her and I were out here looking for you...we got ambushed...they knocked me out...didn't wake up until I saw you leaving with her...there was so much blood…" I manage to sit up and transform back into a cat. But even that is too much for me. As I fall, Bearclaw catches me and holds me by the scruff of my neck. "Someone help me!" He yowls. Graystripe, Firestar, and other cats rush to his aid. Just before my world goes dark, my friend looks down at me. "We're going to get through this. Together." ...Together... And then everything goes dark.
