Ashfur sniffed the air. Why wasn't there any prey here? They couldn't even grace the Dark Forest with the worst of it. Ashfur sniffed a glowing mushroom. Would he starve here? Did spirits starve? Did the others eat the mushrooms?
He hesitated and took a nibble. He spat it out immediately, the taste absolutely dreadful. He wiped off his tongue with his paw.
"Hey, idiot!"
Ashfur drew in his tongue and froze. Someone was behind him. His pelt prickled and fear traveled through his body. His heart raced.
"Oh, don't be a scaredy cat. I'm not gonna kill you or steal your mushrooms." the voice called again. It was most definitely a tom.
Slowly, Ashfur turned around to face a pale grey tabby. He didn't know this tom.
The tom smiled, "Name's Silverhawk." he mewed. His pelt was faded and his blue eyes seemed to piece Ashfur's soul.
"Erm, Ashfur." Ashfur mewed nervously, taking a step back.
"I said I wasn't gonna hurt you. Why you scared?"
You are very, very intimidating. Ashfur thought. He narrowed his eyes, "I'm not scared! Just cautious."
Silverhawk ignored him, "Why are you eating mushrooms? You don't need to eat."
"Oh. I-I thought we did" Ashfur mewed, feeling stupid.
Silverhawk snorted, "Idiot." he mewed, shaking his head. Silverhawk flicked his tail and turned, "Come on."
"Why?" Ashfur mewed, "Why would I follow you?"
Silverhawk smirked and chuckled a bit, "You don't have to. But I suggest you do because if you don't, well, you'll die."
Ashfur looked behind him to see two cats approach him. A black tom and a dirty pale brown tabby with missing patches of fur. Ashfur flinched as the scraggly black tom nipped at his heels, "Move!" he hissed. Ashfur yelped and rushed over to walk besides Silverhawk.
Silverhawk smiled wickedly, "Glad you made your decision."
The tabby tom walked forward, into the trees, Ashfur following behind. The brown tabby walked up to Silverhawk, "I'll take the lead."
Silverhawk frowned, "Really Maggottail. Come on! I got him for you."
Maggottail hissed and snapped his jaws at Silverhawk's face, making him flinch, "I said I'm taking the lead, Silverhawk. Got anything else to say?" he growled.
Silverhawk bared his teeth, "No, Maggottail."
Maggottail huffed and took the lead, "Don't forget your place, Silverhawk. You'll regret it if you do."
As Maggottail walked forward Silverhawk let out a low hiss.
Ashfur blinked. He hadn't seen many Dark Forest cats around since he was banished there but from what he could tell, they didn't get along well. The black tom shoved him forward and Ashfur picked up his speed.
I don't deserve to be here! These cats are crazy!
Ashfur watched as the trees thinned. He hadn't seen this part of the Place of No Stars before. Where were they taking him? He looked at the sky. Was… was that a moon! It was blood red and dark, casting a red glow across the forest.
"Beauty, ain't she?" Silverhawk asked.
Ashfur flicked his ear, "More creepy than pretty."
"You'll get used to it. We're almost there." Silverhawk mewed.
"Where?" Ashfur asked with a hiss.
Silverhawk licked his lips, "Our camp in the moor."
"There's a moor!?" Ashfur yowled in surprise. Why call it the Dark Forest if there's a moor!?
Silverhawk chuckled, "You have much to learn, Ashfur."
Ashfur frowned. Apparently I do.
He looked up at the blood red moon. He wondered how it got its color. He was certain some cat had possibly made one theory of how the moon got its terrifying red color. He continued to follow Silverhawk. The black tom sped up to stand besides Ashfur. He looked at him.
"He looks rather harmless. Are we sure we want him?" the black tom asked. Ashfur crinkled his nose at the scent of his fetid breath. It smelled of crowfood and StarClan knows what else.
"Yes, Houndleap. He'll be useful in the future, you'll see." Silverhawk mewed.
"Stop gossiping like queens! We'll never make it to camp with all your talking slowing you down." Maggottail hissed.
Silverhawk frowned and made a childish face, mocking Maggottail. Houndleap took another sniff at Ashfur and seemed to cringe before slowing his pace a bit, going back to trailing behind Silverhawk and Ashfur.
Ashfur sighed with small relief. Houndleap wasn't very comfortable to be with.
Ashfur looked around and saw something black. It looked like it was made of some liquid. Not water though. Maybe mud? As he looked at it he spotted that it had five eyes! Five red eyes, looking round the moor. He almost didn't recognize what animal it was until he saw two, long ears sprout from its head. The five-eyed mud thing was a rabbit!
"There's prey here?" he mumbled.
Silverhawk flicked his tail, "Hm, oh, yeah. Shadow Rabbits. One day, out of nowhere, a bunch appeared in StarClan and so the cats chased the little buggers over the border and into our land. Hasn't been a Shadow Rabbit there since."
"Can we eat them?" Ashfur asked, his mouth salivating at the thought of digging his fangs into a rabbit's haunch, tearing its juicy flesh off and eating it.
Silverhawk snorted, "You can try! Those things are made of mud-like stuff. Even if you do kill one, which mind you is extremely hard, it'll just melt into a boiling puddle of black goo. And that stuff tastes terrible."
"Have you tried any?" Ashfur asked.
"No, but i've seen cats try it." Silverhawk looked at Ashfur, "Okay, look idiot. Just don't eat anything, nothing tastes good here and it never will."
Ashfur frowned but nodded. He looked at Maggottail, the pale tabby seeming focused on the trail.
"We're almost there!" the patchy tom yowled, speeding up.
Ashfur changed his walk to a speedy trot so he wasn't left behind. He spotted a shallow dip in the ground not too far off. Maybe that was the camp! He hoped so. His pads were hurting and he could do with a rest. Soon the group reached the shallow dip. Ashfur could see three more cats inside. A brown-and-white tabby, and two tortoiseshells.
Houndleap pushed past Ashfur and walked into camp after Maggottail.
Silverhawk inhaled and sighed with a smile, "Home, terrible home." he mewed sarcastically. Silverhawk padded into camp, Ashfur following him hesitantly.
Ashfur looked around as the eyes of the three cats in the camp locked on him as if he was a mouse. He gulped and went to walk besides Silverhawk, wanting the eyes to disappear.
"Oh, don't worry Ashfur. They won't hurt you. You're on our side now." Silverhawk mewed.
Ashfur simply nodded, though his pelt still prickled.
The brown tabby stepped in front of both toms, her pelt bristling.
"Who is this?" she rasped, narrowing her eyes at Ashfur.
"Our newest recruit. Rushtooth, meet Ashfur. Ashfur, Rushtooth."
Ashfur waved his tail a bit, trying to show he was good. Rushtooth huffed and turned around, heading back to the spot she was sitting in.
"Who are the tortoiseshells?" Ashfur asked.
"Ripplestar and Spotsun." Silverhawk mewed.
"Is Ripplestar the leader of this group?" Ashfur asked. He assumed so since he had a -star in his name.
"Nah, that would be Maggottail. He's the leader of this here group." Silverhawk meowed.
"Why?" Ashfur asked.
Silverhawk snorted, "Don't know. He just earned respect and such. Besides, no one likes Ripplestar. He added another rule to that cursed warrior code."
Ashfur frowned. He supposed it made sense to hate the code when you were in the Dark Forest, but these cats grew up on the code!
They're here for a reason, Ashfur. Why would they care whether they grew up on the code or not? he reminded himself.
Maggottail flopped down onto a spot of flattened grass. Houndleap sat next to Rushtooth and the two made conversation. Ashfur looked around, suddenly feeling awkward and lost just standing in the middle of the Dark Forest camp. He quickly walked over to the corner of it and sat down. His blue eyes looked around before looking down at his paws.
"Hey, newbie!" Rushtooth yowled. Her blue eyes didn't show the hostility from before, "Wanna join us. Think you'll find the topic to your liking."
Ashfur hesitantly nodded and walked over, only to be shoved away. Maggottail had pushed him, "Before you three talk, did you find Uglytuft yet?"
"You mean Snowtuft? Nah. He's always been good at hiding." Rushtooth mewed.
"She's not wrong. Even for white fur he's an expert." Houndleap mewed, nodding his head.
Maggottail frowned and bristled, "Coward." he muttered before shoving Ashfur again.
Ashfur watched him leave before walking over to Rushtooth and Houndleap. He sat down next to Rushtooth.
"What were we talking about again?" Rushtooth mewed, looking at Houndleap.
"Spying on StarClan." Hounleap mewed casually.
"Right, right. Anyway, that cat you helped, Hawkfrost, is in StarClan." Rushtooth mewed.
"Yeah, I know." Ashfur mewed, running a paw over his face, "He was at my trial."
Rushtooth frowned, "Oof. Tough man. Anyway, we were thinking about spying on the beggar since we scent him often when checking the border."
"Why check the border?" Ashfur asked.
Houndleap yawned, "Some pretty tortie has been seeing Mapleshade. She's been doing all sorts of things which are weakening the border. We're thinking of checking it to see and report when it shatters."
Ashfur licked his paw, answering with a gruff grunt. As Rushtooth and Houndleap discussed their plan, Ashfur thought for a moment. Maybe he should help them. He could get revenge! If he could break into StarClan, then he could probably go into the living world, too! He could make Squirrelflight regret her decision of breaking up with him! He was filled with excitement at the image of Squirrelflight cowering under Ashfur, his unnerving cackle surrounding her. He looked up at Rushtooth, "I'm in." he growled.
Rushtooth looked up, seeming confused at first, but then remembered that they had had a conversation only heartbeats ago, "Cool! We'll start in a half-moon."
Ashfur smiled and dug his claws in the earth, excited for the future.