Tomorrow night was going to be the night where, Ivypool, who quite bluntly stated she would slice my throat open if I betrayed her…(so I'm pretty much set on keeping my word) would try and find the cat we would target first. I don't know what to do with my time right now, since we are cutting all connections right now so the trainees could train on their own, maybe even, if there was a battle, with each other. These days were usually slow for me, since there was nothing to do and if the other cats wanted to do something with me, it usually ended up with me getting knocked to the ground or tore up or just getting humiliated to large proportions.
I spent most of the daytime or…nighttime, like I told you, I can't tell the differences between times in this place and just listened around, hoping to have some information to report for tomorrow. The only thing I picked up was that Mapleshade defeated (and probably killed) a cat who tried to ambush her and how Hawkfrost managed to teach four of the Dark Forest cats a lesson in battling, nothing useful. Everything else was just talk, like who they met and all that stuff. Finally, once everyone was doing there own thing, separating throughout the Dark Forest, I decided to go up on the outside world.
As a dead cat, you are allowed to wander out in the outside world for a temporary amount of time, but the catch is, you can only be up there for two hours at the most, can't talk to any alive cats, you can't be seen at all by any of the cats, you can't enter the live cats minds, you can't hurt them, and many other things. It's all part of being a ghost I guess. I scratch the boggy dirt longingly though, it always felt good though being up there. StarClan cats and other Dark Forest cats are always warned not to go up there too much or you waste away up there, getting addicted to there and soon evaporate into nothingness. I don't know about all that being true, but I'm cautious anyway about how many times I go up there. I was never one to take risks.
I follow the short narrow path upwards with some other Dark Forest cats and rise up, passing some cats on the side of the path who usually warn not to stay up there to long or tell stories or just stare at it longingly. The weird thing about the path is that it places you in random places when you go up. I may go up one time and be right on top of the Highrock in ThunderClan territory, but another day, I might end up right in the middle of WindClan territory! It was a strange device and I'd overheard an elderly Dark Forest cat who was waiting by the path, talking to what appeared to be his sons, telling them that wherever the path takes you, it means something special or important is there. I don't know about that, but maybe I should pay attention more when I go up there.
I had always loved stories, even when I was a warrior. Whether they were just old legend or actual heroic tales, stories had been a big part of my life when I was alive. They were what was keeping me alive to this day. StarClan cats only become faded when no cat remembers them, but not us Dark Forest cats, we disappear into thin air, only stories being told by elders seem to keep us alive in memory…but how long would those last?
I try to shake the thought of it away and gracefully run up the narrow path and appeared in the middle of ShadowClan camp. The pines were dark and large against the night darkness and despite all the other Clans being asleep, they were hunting and going on through the day like they always do. ShadowClan always had strange rituals when it came to Clan life like being awake during the night and eating rats despite the risk of getting sick.
I shake my head and remember the old elder by the path. If I'm meant to be here, what am I supposed to see? I scanned along the camp, that was surprisingly like ThunderClan and most of the stuff the cats did were normal ThunderClan activities. When I was growing up, my mom told me that they were to be feared and they lived like rats, vicious, and in numbers, invading other territories. But then again, that was the time ShadowClan was under Brokenstar's rule, so…
Shaking my head, I begin to focus again and pay attention. Blackstar and Rowanclaw were talking to one another about lengthening border patrols and Kinkfur was eating a large lizard…Littlecloud was grooming his pelt…nothing interesting was really spiking up. But suddenly, someone caught my attention. Ratscar. I watched him cast his eyes side to side to make sure no one was paying attention to him before walking up to Tawnypelt's apprentice, Starlingpaw, I think... Confusion hit me and for some reason, I think this is why that path led me here. How many other things did I miss when I went up here? Geez…
I was to far away to hear, but I saw Ratscar whisper into the young apprentice's ear and the apprentice's eyes get really wide with fear. I narrow my eyes, this was definitely needing to be inspected. I leap from where I was and go near Ratscar and Starlingpaw, who are leaving the camp. Quickly and secretly following them, I see them stop at the ThunderClan border and I wonder why they wanted to be there. Then I saw it. The dead body.
On the strip of territory ThunderClan won from the battle, laid Applefur's mutilated, torn apart body lying in a puddle of deep crimson blood. Starlingpaw's light leaf green eyes were wide with horror. The small tom was shaking like a leaf and his mouth was gaped open in total and utter horror.
Ratscar rounded the corner and curled his lips and said, "Those ThunderClan kittypets did this to her! You need to alert Blackstar! He wouldn't believe me because of that…incident…" Incident? My ears instantly pricked as I saw Starlingpaw's nod before darting across the trees in a flash. As he did, I saw Ratscar look guiltily at Applefur's body and whisper, "I'm sorry Applefur…but Tigerstar said it was the best thing for the Clan…" My ears curled back, lip curled. Tigerstar!
I wanted to shout and scream, but as a ghost, even if I did, no one would hear. I'm going to have to tell Ivypool to ditch the old plan…we have something else to work on…
Ratscar then turned around to follow Starlingpaw down the woods quietly. I slid my claws out and wanted to stay longer, but the invisible force that was hitting my body was telling me that I needed to go back to the forest. I growled at the bad timing, but I had to follow it or fade away. So I quietly walked down the path to the middle of the camp and went back to the path and went down to the Dark Forest.
I saw the old elderly cat who was by there still in the same place and then I quickly meowed, "Thanks dude." He gave me a confused look but I ran on ahead without acknowledging him. I then leapt through the bushes and returned to the original camp spot. I looked around and saw that some of the cats went up to the living world. Only Tigerstar, Hawkfrost, Thistleclaw, and Mapleshade were here. I wasn't surprised that Antpelt was up on the living world knowing that his mate was up there and that he was a recent add on to this world…
I saw Tigerstar talking to Thistleclaw and I threw him a glare. I got something to find out tomorrow.
A/N: New chapter! This one was super fun to write too! Now I want to ask you guys something…I want to make another character to develop more in this story. It can be anyone training in the Dark Forest or is in the Dark Forest. I want your guy's opinion here. Please tell me! Anyway, this chapter was a great way to ease my anger and I love this story so much! Thank you guys so much for encouraging me to write this. Thank you and have a great day.