It's almost sad that I can update so much faster than usual because of confinement: it means that the cliffhangers don't work that well anymore T-T
WyldClaw - glad to see you liked it!
I swear, every time I see that my little Ivy story got a review, I'm so happy that for a second, I think I might literally burst! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far!
THANK YOU to Lightfeather123456 for the favourite and the follow *throws mini party and dances with computer* (everyone has such cool names OoO)
I REALLY NEED TO REMEMBER THE DISCLAIMER THIS TIME! But maybe, too caught up with the excitement that this chapter will, no doubt, bring, I'll forget, once again. Well I'm happy to write, you're happy to read, and we'd both be happy if you reviewed! Reviews are the connection between the reader and the writer; so REVIEW!
On with the chapter (I honestly have nearly no more of an idea about what will happen than you do lol)
Chapter 18
The strange cats walked Ivy and Slick into a ridiculously stinky and crowded clearing. Dens were woven into a bramble wall. Hers was different: it was a converted juniper bush, with a widened rabbit hole at the end to provide an escape should anything ambush her, but which she hoped she'd never use. She really didn't like cramped spaces, and she really didn't like the dark.
Hostile glares gleamed at them from all sides, indicating clearly that those cats did not take kindly to strangers.
I wonder what they'll do with us.
Suddenly, Ivy understood the scent of fear that came off Slick. Dog claws and cat teeth glimmered dully at their citypet collars, so that, instead of making them look like soft, pampered kitties, they had the air of seasoned combatants. Dog claws... They killed dogs? And the cat teeth... Oh no.
If these cats decided that they didn't like her and Slick, they'd be torn apart. A few unsheathed claws gleamed, and she saw that some were reinforced with dog teeth and claws. One wrong word, one misplaced action, one loud breath, and they would die. Painfully. Like Jay.
But how had Slick, if the fear-scent that came of him was any indicator, guessed the danger they were in before seeing what they were up against? She'd have to take it up with him... if - if they were still alive.
"Night - who are they?" A black she-cat with gleaming amber eyes asked the other black she-cat who was escorting them. Ivy guessed they were sisters.
"Some trespassers we picked up, Shadow." Night responded. "We're taking them to see the Governor."
Shadow visibly shuddered. Whoever this Governor cat is... they don't sound like some cat you'd like to meet. And we're being taken to them... This is looking bad. Let's hope Slick knows what to do.
Questions were being asked to Night and the other two toms, distracting them for a moment. She felt a light touch on her shoulder and nearly jumped, but it was just Slick.
"Let me do the talking," he whispered quickly, looking straight ahead to disguise the fact that he was talking to her, "and if they ask you questions, back up what I said."
Ivy could only nod mutely at Slick's words before their escort managed to shoulder their way through the cats that all seemed to want to know who they were, where they came from, what they wanted, why they were trespassing, how they had gotten into their territory, and a whole lot of other things that Ivy barely understood a word of.
"Shove off unless you want a scarred muzzle," growled the massive grey tom leading, "we have to take them to the Governor." He shot a nasty look over his huge shoulder at Ivy and Slick, as if he was hoping to see them executed before sundown.
At his words, the mob of curious and angry cats recoiled, some shivering like Shadow had. What could be so terrible about the Governor that even a simple mention of them made so many cats that afraid?
In a now entirely complete silence which conveyed more hostility and fear that words ever could, they followed the trio across the clearing and out of a small opening that was virtually impossible to see unless you were standing on the right-paw, from the entrance, edge of the clearing. It opened into a low and dark fern tunnel, and Slick visibly relaxed, though they were getting closer and closer to the mysterious Governor...
Night and Slick's black pelts both faded into the shadows, but unlike Slick, who seemed to relish the darkness, Night appeared tense and worried. I wonder what happened to make her afraid of the dark, but then, maybe she just doesn't like it, like me... or is she scared of the Governor?
They soon came to a huge, looming rock. There was a hole in the side, almost invisible from where Ivy was. Out of the hole came darkness, deep, sucking, thick darkness, evil like Ivy, who was barely ten moons old, had never seen, or even dreamt of, before. It seemed to be drawing her in, luring her to it, as if eager to press her in on all sides, wanting to crush her until the life was gone. Was it just the darkness? Or was it the Governor inside, making black darker, deadlier, than any colour should be?
Even Slick seemed afraid of this darkness. It wasn't natural. The small tom was quivering, and she felt a brief stab of sympathy for him.
The powerful tom knocked his paw against the rock hard a few times. What is he doing? Ivy wondered. She nearly toppled over in shock when a voice, distorted by the layers of rock, answered what she now realised was a way of announcing yourself.
"Come in."
With a flick of his tail, inviting them to follow, the grey tom disappeared into the shadows. Night signalled for them to go first, surely to make sure that they wouldn't try to escape. Hesitantly, Slick put a paw out, and slid into the darkness, his pelt melting into them faster than Ivy had expected.
She didn't want to disappear like that. What if it was the last thing she ever did? But Night hissed at her and pushed her forwards. Forced to walk into the wide, hollow rock, Ivy felt the blackness swallow her like prey. She heard Night and the other tom getting in too, the sounds muffled by the thick darkness.
"Stone." Came a cold voice. It sounded like it had never known emotions; never known pain or sadness or the grief of loss. For a moment, Ivy stared into the darkest corners, envying the unfeeling owner of the voice. But the Governor had never known happiness, never felt the bond of friendship, never experienced love. Suddenly, the darkness lifted, like some kind of enchantment. Moss on the walls seemed to gleam silver in the most disturbing, ghostly way. "My lieutenant. State your purpose."
Stone, whom Ivy assumed to be the big burly grey one, bowed low. Ivy, who had been staring into the darkness, anywhere rather than the Governor, deemed it prudent to do the same. Still, she risked a glance into the unrelenting shadows where she knew the Governor sat. She nearly gasped in she had been prepared to see the outline of a tom even more massive and muscled than Stone, there was the slim silhouette of a she-cat.
Her smooth, unmarked silver coat shone sleekly in the half-light, putting even Slick's well-groomed fur to shame. Her tail was long, thick and fluffy. She didn't look young, or old. And her eyes... She had violet eyes that one could stare into forever. Dark blue and electric purple traced patterns around her pupils. The pupils themselves were hardly dilated by the darkness, as if she were so used to it that she had become part of it, but rather straight, sharp, thin, displaying calm that only a cat that knew that she was in complete power could show. The tip of her ear was shredded at the tip, but no other scar showed.
Even Ivy realised how beautiful she was. What a feat, to look beautiful even to your prisoners. How many hearts had she broken? It was a strange kind of beautiful too, ageless, slim, with eyes that were gorgeous, if only because of how unusual they were, the half-shredded ear showing fighting experience, a danger in her that was strangely appealing. To be totally objective, she was the most beautiful she-cat that Ivy had ever seen. I wish I could look like her. She surprised herself in her wish.
Then Stone spoke, his head still bowed. "Trespassers. I - we - caught them on our land."
The Governor's voice was as silky as her pelt, almost a cold purr. "It was only recently that it wasn't our land." Was it possible that they could get out of this? "But it's our land now."
Fear shot through Ivy like lightning bolts. She had never dreamed that the cat she would be most afraid of in her life would be the most beautiful she-cat she had encountered in her life. But as she opened her mouth to meow, showcasing perfect, pointy, deadly white teeth, Ivy hoped that she would never hear that cold, emotionless voice ever again.
"And since they were on our land," she was really purring this time, a purr devoid of amusement, full of nothing but the cruel, twisted pleasure that she got from keeping us waiting for her verdict. "Since they are on our land... They can stay there." She was purring louder than ever, and Ivy fleetingly wondered why that was so frightening.
Night dared to raise her voice, but not her bowed head, and meow. "Stay? Surely you don't mean-"
"I do mean it." The Governor interrupted, purring more silkily than ever. "We are keeping them for the Testing."
Let's stop now, shall we, just to annoy you! I figured that if I can't make the suspense from my cliffhangers as long as I'd like without purposefully delaying updates, I might as well make it worse! And do you know what the absolute worst thing is? I know everything that's going to happen, and you don't. Keep that in mind. I'm threatening you. I can stop this story if I don't get enough reads. I can simply disappear off the face of the earth and you will never find me again, if you don't review. So, keeping in mind that I know everything and can make a really unpopular ship happen, or have a favourite character killed (yes, you can cry for poor Jaysie), REVIEWreviewREVIEW!
Hope you like the turn of events... this is a sticky spot for Ivy... and for you! What is the Testing? Why is the stunning Governor keeping them? What exactly is Slick's history with the Blood?
Crystalshine: I was about to ask the Governor but you know how she is...
Stone: Yeah I do know. Get on to the important stuff.
Crystalshine: Say - um - please - say the disclaimer.
Stone: Okay, just mention to your readers that I'm the best.
Crystalshine: *grits teeth* *whispering* What an arrogant little *******. *not whispering* FINE. Stone is the best.
Stone: HA, you're finally admitting it!
Crystalshine: *glares*
Stone: Okay, calm down... Crystalshine doesn't own Warriors, or Sparkpelt would have been called Sparkfire.
Crystalshine: OMG I didn't forget the disclaimer *dances around the room weirdly because she's a terrible dancer*
Fun fact: I was about to call them the Blood Brothers but decided that they didn't act enough like family, so I broke it down to Blood.
Hope I didn't bore you with my insanely long A/N and see y'all around!
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~Crystalshine of LightClan (REVIEW, I can do what I threatened *smirks more evilly than the Governor could*)