'The Darkest Skies Is Where We See The Brightest Stars' -Richard Evans
Troublesome. The dark grey and white tom looked out from the den. Stars littered the sky like flecks on a speckled cats coat. He lie in the warriors den, his nest was straight from the entrance making him able to see the glistening sky. The moon was close to half and Thistleclaw knew the medicine cats were bound to be heading out in the next few days. His amber eyes stayed wide and he sighed as quietly as he could.
Why can I not get to sleep? The events of the day were not distinct then any other day. Crickets roared in the silent of the night. On one side of Thistleclaw was Tigerclaw. His apprentice got to be in the middle where the seniors were at from Thistleclaws convincing to Windflight. Now the young tom slept with ease.
On the other side of Thistleclaw was his sisters familiar grey tabby pelt with her red tail over her nose. On the other side of Rosetail was Bluefur. Thistleclaw could not despise a more suitable cat than her.
A particular smell hit his nose as he perked his ears. Mosspaw? He sighed as he reluctantly got up from his nest. Being deputy was more work than what he thought but he was the only cat for this job. His tender legs left the comfort of the newly made soft moss that one of the apprentices must have got recently. He decided that since he could not sleep he might as well criticize a cat to go sleep.
departing out of the den, his eyes set on the grey and white she-cat pointing her pink nose into the starry sky. Her blue eyes were bright as her jaw opened in awe. Thistleclaw watched for a moment then grumbled to himself. Was I like this when I was an apprentice? He took a step towards the young apprentice. "Thistleclaw, welcome!" she said. She sounded more calm than what she usually was. Thistleclaw cleared his throat before continuing towards her.
"Get to sleep apprentice, you breathing is keeping us up." he meowed. He had intentionally meant to hurt her, maybe then she would not come to him in time of need like last time. She did not hesitate from her viewing of the sky. She was the size of a kitten, a small cat of Thunderclan compared to her mother. Mistypaw and Stonepaw were both like their mother so he did not doubt that Mosspaw was too.
"I want you to tell me more about the Dark Forest." she meowed sternly. She jumped onto her paws and padded towards Thistleclaw bravely. Thistleclaw swiftly but carefully looked around to see if any cat was watching the two. He then inched closer to her bunching his muscles to look even bigger. Earlier in the day she had said the exact same thing. He had said nothing to her then, why would he now?
"I've got nothing to say to you kit, now be a good kitten and sleep." he growled. She nodded but had a glint of something in her bright blue eyes. The breeze was slight as it went against the cats fur in silence. Thistleclaw sheathed and unsheathed his claws in frustration.
"Bring me there." she meowed. She said it so quietly that it sounded like the wind just passing by. Thistleclaw thought for a moment. He had joined the Dark Forest when he was in the middle of his apprenticeship, not the beginning. Like he thought, she was still a kitten. He shook his head.
"I am not staying here for this, I've got duties in the morning." he meowed as he started padding back to the warriors den. He wondered how she knew about it and why she wanted to go there. Since she was a kit of Bluefurs he was not going to bring her to the Dark Forest. He did not look back.
"I want to learn something I don't know. Out of all the apprentices my skills are the best. I slack off because I know everything already. I want to expand my horizons." meowed Mosspaw as she started towards Thistleclaw. Her meow was serious and her gaze was cool like the night breeze. "I heard it from a rogue named Leaf, heard of him?" she asked. Thistleclaw perked his ears at the name. He had never met a cat even with the prefix leaf, let alone a loner. Thistleclaw still did not want to take her where he felt home but he knew she would not be quiet.
"Never, now if you go to bed will take you to the dark forest, but I swear you will regret ever going. You are a weak kit and not worthy of the Dark Forest." he said. He honestly did not know how to lead her to the Dark Forest but at least she would go to sleep. She did not pounce around like an excited kit, Thistleclaw was surprised. She was mature for her age and strangely calm like her siblings. I also have to remember that she is related to Snowfur as well. He remembered his mate with sorrowful eyes. She had always been there for him. His son, Whitestorm was all he had left of her but even his son was weak and fragile like a she-cat.
Mosspaw nodded as she padded back sneakily where the clump of ferns hugged each other. The other apprentices lay there fast asleep snoring. Thistleclaw did not wait for her to lay down, he finally found the time to go to sleep. Laying beside his apprentice and sister, the warmth soothed him enough to go back to where he truly belonged, in the dark forest.
He closed his eyes only for a brief moment. He did not know how tired he was until he appeared in the dark forest moment later. He stood in the black dark forest. Trees were dead and nothing was alive. There was no breeze but a chill in the air anyways. The only smell in the air was something rotten. It was a uncomfortable silent view. The dark sky made Thistleclaw feel at home.
"So this is the dark forest?" Thistleclaw jumped at the sound of the apprentice behind him. He mumbled under his breath. He had guessed it worked for her to be there. Her tail flicked with discontent. She looked around but not like an excited apprentice like Thistleclaw thought she would. When Tigerclaw was an apprentice even he would be excited at small stuff. I am curious on what she will be like when she is older. Mosspaw looked at him her eyes showing no fear.
He did not say anything as he padded forward. "I expected something more... intimidating." she continued as she followed him. She flicked her head around sharply as if she was going to be attacked at any moment. Thistleclaw wanted to tell her to keep her fur on but before he could a tortoiseshell and white she-cat came into view.
"Mosspaw is it? You better not slow us down kit! Go back to your mother or prove to us that you are meant to be here." Thistleclaw nodded at her. Mapleshade was good with the new recruits, Mosspaw better be screaming back to Bluefur after this. He hoped Mapleshade would go hard on her. A few familiar cats started gathering to watch the fight. Tigerclaw stalked forward to sit beside Thistleclaw.
"You're late." he meowed as he looked at Mosspaw with his amber eyes wide in curiosity. Thistleclaw looked at his apprentice. Thistleclaw was only half a mouse length taller but Tigerclaw was more muscular. Thistleclaw snorted as he watched Mapleshade square up.
"A fight to the death, who ever wins...gets the freedom to not be faded or dead, and be in the dark forest as a warrior." Mosspaw did not look frightened but excited for once. Now she was acting like a real apprentice. They stood in a dark clearing. Cats that watched were quiet. The battle had started but neither of the she-cats moved.
Mosspaws blue eyes did not break contact with Mapleshade's. Mosspaws turned sideways then jolted back from the direction they came from. Thistleclaw knew that the Mapleshade would not fall for Mosspaw running away. There was not a speckle of fear in her eye so why would she run away?
Mapleshade did understand. Mosspaw was fast as her grey and white pelt dissipated. Tigerclaw looked over at Thistleclaw and the two toms nodded. Maple shade stalked carefully along the dark mossy greasy ground. The other cats followed including Thistleclaw and Tigerclaw. Who would not want to miss a great fight like this?
The dark forest cats followed the senior she-cat. Thistleclaw's heart raced. He could tell Mapleshade was following her scent. Thistleclaw wondered why she was being cautious, it was only a kit. Thistleclaw wondered when they would need to get up, he had hoped that this battle would end by ten. His blinked as he realized what this meant for his clan. If the she-cat did join the dark forest they would have other cats then Thistlclaw and Tigerclaw in the dark forest.
They reached a black lonely lifeless river. It flowed fast and was the only sound heard in the dark forest. Mapleshade started sniffing around as a tom in the dark forest group chucked. "Lost her already?"he asked. She rallied on him pouncing in front of him with her claws out but before she stroke him she started smelling the air again. The black tom who had spoke Thistleclaw recognized the dark brown tabby leader of ShadowClan. They both had been training there together for moons.
Mapleshade past the river and Thistleclaw wondered if he should just leave the fight and train because he felt like it was never going to reach its climax. A twig cracked a few fox-leaps away. Thistleclaw chucked. Yeah smart. He thought sarcastically. Mapleshade headed there with her eyes filled with pride and courage. Mosspaws coat showed from the side of the stump where the twig had cracked. Thistleclaw stood where he was at waiting for the battle to be over. Tigerclaw sat down beside him with his eyes wide.
Mapleshade looked around the stump as she grit her teeth and hissed. She looked around furiously. Thistleclaw felt a cat behind him brush his fur. It passed him to get a better look. His eyes widened as he realized that it was too short to be a dark forest warrior. The small fluff pounced on Mapleshade. Mapleshades eyes did not have a smudge of fear of them. The kitten hung on Mapleshade's fur until she pulled her by the scruff.
"You see?" she said with her teeth digging more and more into Mosspaw's scruff. Her meow was muffled by the grey and white fur present in her jaw. "A kit can never live in the dark forest!" she said. Cats started yowling to kill her. Thistlelcaw and Tigerclaw stood silent. She tried and was smart too but Mapleshade did win. Mosspaw's kit eyes finally widened in fear as she tried to wiggle out of the large she-cats mouth.
"Wait Mapleshade!" Thistleclaw looked behind him to see the Shadowclan leader padding out from the group f cats. Most cats glared at him. Mosspaw almost unconscionable but her eyes were still open. She was loosing a lot of blood from her scruff. Mapleshade put the apprentice down but held her down with her massive paw.
"Go on Brokenstar, but make it fast because this kit is going to be crowfood." she said as she unsheathed her claws and touched it to Mosspaws soft stomach. Thistleclaw decided not to watch the apprentice scream in agony. He wished mapleshade did not need to torture her before she went back to the real world. Mapleshade would only severely hurt and not kill, to warn off other cats what the dark forest can do.
"This apprentice is smart and cunning, let her join the dark forest!" he meowed with his eyes glinting as if he said something smart. Thistleclaw huffed. She was smart and would be a valuable asset but he could not let a spawn of Bluefur join the Dark Forest. He looked back at the three cats. Mosspaw had a long gash on her stomach while Mapleshade loomed over her.
"Yeah, says the leader who apprentices kits when they are off their mothers milk." meowed Mapleshade as she let go of the apprentice. She still was three times the size of Mosspaw. "Save yourself by explaining what you did." meowed Mapleshade. Thistleclaws eyes met Mosspaws. He could tell she was asking for his help. He had only helped her with Mistypaw for the sake of Sunstar seeing him better. He did not care for any spawn of Bluefur. Mosspaw's eyes held the worst fear he had ever seen in the she-cat. So much for acting all high and mighty. He thought. Brokenstar did not take Mapleshades comment as an insult and he stepped back into the crowd.
"I...I..." she stuttered as she shivered. She really was just a kit. Thistleclaw thought as she shook. He finally felt sorry for her. "I ran away but when you realized it was a trap, I went for another plan." she started Mapleshade and the others had listened intently. "I went through the water and rubbed my fur in mud to disguise my smell." She meowed as she looked over at the group. "I threw a stick from that tree to make it sound like I was over there and put my fur there too when no one was looking." She meowed as she flicked her bright pink nose up to a large dark oak. "I snuck up from behind the group and...you know what happened after that." she meowed. Thistleclaw nodded to himself.
She is smart, smart for an apprentice. She is just not strong enough or she would have had Mapleshade in her grasp. Thistleclaw thought. He sighed as he stepped forward. "I am the deputy of Thunderclan, when I think she is worthy I will bring her back here. She will have this scar to remember that the dark forest is not for kits." he meowed as he glanced up at Mapleshade. Her gaze was filled with pride. She nodded back to him.
"If she is not worthy, she shall never come back again!" she meowed. Tigerclaw nudged his mentors side as he looked at him in the eyes.
"We better wake up, It is sunrise." he meowed. Thistleclaw nodded but instead he woke up to a scream.
"MOSSPAW!"
