Chapter 6: A Dark Omen
"Lets go already! We're late enough as it is!" Aquastar yowled, headed for the field for the gathering. I sighed and followed them, Moondust padding next to me. I don't know what it was but I had a bad feeling about the gathering tonight. Maybe it was the fact this is the first gathering I'm attending since I became a warrior.
When we got to the field I knew there was something wrong. There were hardly any Mountainclan cat there and the ones that were present looked beaten and exhausted. Halfstar wasn't there, but his deputy Falconclaw, was.
"Wonder what happened..." Moondust muttered. Aquastar bounded up the ledge to Falconclaw and he whispered something to her, then padded forward and waited for the rest of us to quiet down.
"About a moon ago, Mountainclan was attacked by a pack of mountain lions. We were able to fight them off, but several of our cats were killed or wounded in the process, including our oldest Elder One-ear. Halfstar was injured and was not well enough to be here tonight, but Mountainclan still stands strong." Falconclaw mewed when everyone had quieted down. i drowned out what Aquastar was saying, and ignored all the glares form the other cats.
"Halfstar lost a life. Mountainclan is weak. I have a test for you tonight"I heard Scourge's voice hiss in my ear. The rest of the gathering was a blurr. I really didn't pay much attention.
After the gathering I ate a mouse from the Fresh Kill Pile and went strait to my nest. As soon as I closed my eyes I was in the Dark Forest, but I didn't see Scourge or any of the others. It was eerily quiet and abandoned looking. Cautiously I padded out of the dead looking field and into the dark woods. I made my way to where Scourge normally was, the hill where I first meet him, but there was no one there. I turned to leave, but someone slammed into me, knocking me to the ground, and pinned me there. I looked up to see a large spiky furred grey tom with a white face and white shoulders. I hissed and kicked him off. I got to my paws and was about to pounce on him but stopped when Scourge jumped in front of me.
"What in the name of Starclan are you doing!?" I hissed,
Scourge narrowed his eyes and sighed. "You may be a warrior in Seaclan, but you are still an apprentice in the Dark Forest. In order to become a warrior here you must pass two tests. You're first test is yo beat Thistleclaw here in a fight. And I mean a real fight." Scourge leaned in and whispered in my ear "Thistleclaw has been here for a while now. If you beat him, he'll fade away forever" I gulped.
"That wouldn't be the same as murder would it? Afterall...he already is dead..." I shook the thought from my head and nodded, getting in a battle stance. Thistleclaw smirked. When Scourge stepped out of the way and nodded, Thistleclaw and I rushed at each other. I slammed into Thistleclaw and dug my fangs into his shoulder. Thistleclaw snarled and clawed at my back and sides. I pinned him to the ground and and raked my claws down his face. he kicked at my belly, back claws unsheathed and I leaped off of him. He leaped on my back and dug his claws into my side. I winced and rolled over on top of him, chomping onto his foreleg. Thistleclaw wriggled out from under me and swiped at my face. I dodged and slipped under him and clawed at his belly. Thistleclaw growled and ran from me. He turned and ran back at me, snarling. I reared up on my hind legs and lash my claw's out at his face. He ducked and tackled me to the ground. I dig my claw's into his side and bite down on his throat. Thistleclaw screeched and ripped away from me.
"Finish it! Now!" I heard Scourge yowl. I nodded and pinned Thistleclaw to the ground. I was about ti rip his throat out but paused. He had a terrified look on his face. He whimpered something, I'm not sure what. It sounded like a cat's name. Snowfur? i shook my head and latched on to his throat, gagging when I tasted blood wash down my throat. Thistleclaw gurgled and struggled for a minute then went limp. I let go and looked down at him. His amber eyes had clouded over and were dark. After a minute his sorta faded. Like, i could see the blood stained grass through him, then eventually he just vanished. I sighed and backed away.
"Very good! You're halfway to becoming a warrior of the Dark Forest." Scourge grinned, a very creepy looking grin. " Now, as for your next test...you need to kill one of your Seaclan clanmates without being caught." I froze.
"W-wait...I can't do that..." I backed away. Scourge glared at me.
"You will if you want to be a warrior here. Besides, if you don't do as I say, then I'll have no choice but to kill you." He sneered. I shuddered then nodded, feeling defeated.
"Good. I was going to be generous but I've changed my mind. The Seaclan cat you must kill is...Rainwhisper, your former mentor."
A/N: Well? I used Thistleclaw because I just don't like him. Actually I hate him XD So if he died...again...during the last hope then sorry.
