5-3-20 5:32 PM

The night was silent as he padded through the territory. A strange fog rolled at his paws, seeming to make the ground disappear. Wildpaw felt his heart drop. There was something unsettling about this, like one of the horror stories that Garlicfoot use to tell when he was only a kit.

Wildpaw couldn't even remember coming out of camp. The best he could recall wad curling up into his nest. Watching as the moss frosted over, some even quickly becoming stuck in ice before he fell asleep. "Hello?" Flicking his ears, the tom bristled his pelt.

Scanning the moorland he sighed. There was nothing but a dark sky and fog, even the usual wind was gone. Glancing up he flinched, the moon and stars had disappeared. Gone in this strange relm that he had been casted to.

"Hello," a sharp hiss made Wildpaw's head snap up. Tail lashing he glared at a black tom, two glowing green orbs staring back at him.

Wildpaw bristled his multi-coloured pelt. Tufted ears flattening against his head, claws digging into the unseen ground beneth his paws. "Who are you?" The apprentice demanded, watching as the strange tom trotted slowly forward.

The cat gave a harsh laugh, sleek black pelt giving off a crowfood scent as he got closer. Taking a step back, Wildpaw felt his chest squeeze. What kind of cat smelled like he was rotting from the inside?

Before he had time to react, the tom leaped at him. Claws raking into his fur and skin, hissing darkly. Pinned into the fog, panic started to set in. Wildpaw opened his jaws to scream, choking up at the rotting scent waving off the tom.

Jaws brushed against his ears, lips peeled back into a snarl. "Plague." The single word made a cold shiver shake him violently as he lurched from his nest.

*

Sunlight blinded him as he stumbled from his nest. Sweat shoked his long-haired coat, eyes wide as he gasped for breath. The horrible smell of crowfood still stuck with him, and he rubbed his nose with a paw, eyes watering.

A tail touched his shoulder, jerking back the calico squinted. "Galepaw?" He breathed, relief filling him as he sat down.

The medicine cat was frowning, but their eyes held concern. "You had been in a deep sleep. Some of the apprentices were worried about you," they explained, "is everything alright?"

Licking down a patch of ruffled fur Wildpaw blinked. He glanced around the den, finding no traces of fog, the strange cat or the smell of crowfood. Images of the black tom flashed in his head. Who was he? Plague. Shuttering Wildpaw pushed away the snarling voice. The Clans haven't had a plague for seasons now.

"I'm fine. Just a bad dream," he meowed, giving a dismissive shrug. Rubbing sleep from his eyes, Wildpaw noticed that everyone was out of the den. And by how much sunlight shimmered in through the entrance, he concluded it must be sunhigh already.

Galepaw was watching him with their eyes narrowed. "Bad dream or not, you should eat these. It'll help you get ready for the patrol Dustypelt put you on." Getting to their paws the silver cat padded out of the den.

Left alone with his thoughts, Wildpaw curled back into his nest. Glancing over at the leafs that Galepaw had left behind. It was a small, dusty looking leaf and when they lapped it up it tasted bitter. Sighing he started to groom out the knots in his fur. Frowning in thought as he tried to remember the dream.

Wildpaw had somehow gotten out of his nest. His paws carried him forward, like on an unseen path. The calico tom paused, his nose twitching as he looked at the guards. It was Nightleaf and Dustypelt for the night, the two she-cats watched out for anything that could brake into camp.

But as he passed they didn't even blink an eye. Instead, as he waved his tail in front of the muscular she-cats face, she seemed to look right through him. Strange. Turning he bounded down the path. Was this StarClan's doing? If so, then why?

"Wildpaw," a paw jabbed his side gently. Blinking open his pale yellow orbs, the apprentice spotted Hazelwind.

The large tom was watching him with a prickled pelt and worried eyes. As soon as he moved, though, the worry became quick relief. "Galepaw said you were awake." He explained, looking down at his paws.

Stretching, Wildpaw lifted himself onto his paws. It felt like he had been running through the moorland all night long. Sighing inwardly he forced the thoughts of his dream away. Maybe he'll find answers later on, possible tonight.

*

Hazelwind frowned at his friend. There was something that seemed off. The apprentice usually did keep to himself, but that was only because of the Clan's treatment towards him. Just like my siblings did to me.

The apprentice was looking at him with a frown. Before nodding to his paws, ears twitching. "Clean off your paw, the frost will spread if you don't." Without another word the calico walked out of the den.

Looking down at his paws, Hazelwind frowned. Frost had started to creep up his legs, shining droplets shimmered off his silver coat in the sunlight. Thinking quickly, the young warrior lit his paws on fire. The flames flickered, making shadows dance on the den's walls.

It worked perfectly! The frost was already gone before two seconds had even passed. Does this mean I'm immune to his frost? The thought made him purr. Surely this was a good sign, he didn't have to stand so far from Wildpaw!

With a delighted purr he trotted outside. Grinning happily as be bounded over to the patrol group, dipping his head to Nightleaf. "Sorry, I had to do something real fast." He explained, for once being able to ignore the snort and harsh comment under his sister's breath.

5-5-20 12:35 AM