Special thanks to RavenblazeOC, MoonStarOfShadowClan, snowyfrostwolf, and FrostedShadowx for reviewing!
. . .
Moonsong followed after Quiverhawk through the forest, more focused on the trees around her than the tom himself. The trees weren't bad, she had decided, just a little eerie. It would be better if there was a sun. This forest didn't even have any stars. Just a foggy moon that hung in the sky, covered by dark clouds. She jumped as she heard a rustling in the undergrowth, and saw a dark tabby staring at her with his piercing amber eyes. She shuddered. Quiverhawk fell back, sensing her fear.
"Don't worry about the other cats here, Moonsong. I will protect you, and they wouldn't dare attack a cat related to me." He purred, sounding like a dying monster, and continued. Moonsong swallowed, allowing his words to comfort her.
"Before we get into our combat training, which will be another night, I want to teach you a few hunting skills." He waved his tail for her to sit down.
"Alright, now, I want to teach you a new technique. This is called the Snake Slide, which allows you to creep up on your prey much easier than if you used your old move that BlazeClan taught you." Moonsong nodded, feeling happiness spread through her. This wasn't so bad. She nodded, staring at Quiverhawk. He nodded to her before crouching down into position.
"You're going to want to put your hind legs back like this, and pull your forearms in. This way, your walk with be powered by your back legs, not your front legs." He nodded jerkily towards Moonsong. "You try."
Moonsong took a deep breath, copying him as well as she could. He gave her a meow of approval. "Great job. Keep it up."
. . .
A few hours later, they had completed their training session. Moonsong was tuckered out but tried to keep going. After a few minutes, though, Quiverhawk motioned for her to stop. "That's enough for tonight. We will try this again in a couple of days. I will stay with you, though." Moonsong was confused for a moment. "How would you stay with me when I'm not here?" The dark tom purred. "Don't you recognize my voice? I am the voice inside your head. You have been hearing from me for a while now."
Moonsong looked at him with wide eyes. "That's you? Wow... that's amazing!" Quiverhawk smiled.
"Of course. If you ever need me, all you have to do is asked. Now, you better be getting back. The sun is coming up."
Moonsong sighed, lying down on the cold forest floor. "Goodbye, Quiverhawk," she meowed, feeling herself spiral back into reality."
. . .
Sunshadow groaned, sitting up. His head was throbbing, and his vision was foggy. A cat was staring straight at him.
"You're awake? Good. Burrowwink really did you good." The brown-and-white tom looked at him, suddenly concerned. "He didn't hurt you too badly, did he? Burrowwink tends to be harsh with intruders, but he told me that you were looking for his brother, Falconstrike. Were you?" Sunshadow froze, opening his mouth to answer, but the tom kept on going.
"There, I treated your head injury. Does it feel better? I hope it does. Usually, this herb mixture tingles for a minute before setting in. Did it for you?" Sunshadow barely got out a yes before the tom rambled on again.
"I'm Leafbreeze by the way medicine cat of TwilightClan. I assume you are Sunshadow of BlazeClan, right? I remember when Hawkstar announced that you and your sister were warriors. What was her name? Moonwish? Mooncall? Moon-" Sunshadow interrupted. "Moonsong. Her name was Moonsong." Leafbreeze nodded, ignoring his tone.
"Ah, yes, I remember her now. Silver tabby, gray belly, green eyes... Looks almost exactly like you, only a different color." Leafbreeze continued to bustle around the den, grabbing a few things from here and there. "Do you want anything to eat? A hunting patrol just brought back a whole load of prey, and I'm sure no one would mind if you had a bite." Sunshadow shook his head.
"All I want to know is why you brought me here instead of back to BlazeClan," he asked. Leafbreeze looked surprised at his question.
"Well, Burrowwink was suspicious of why you would ask about Falconstrike. He was wondering if you had been meeting for some reason. Have you?" Sunshadow shook his head once more. "No... I- I just thought that Burrowwink was Falconstrike, who I- uh, have met at Gatherings before." Leafbreeze nodded, not seeming to notice the hesitation in the golden tom's voice. "I see. Gathering buddies, eh?" He backed out of the den. "I need to tell Nightstar that you're awake."
As the tom left, Sunshadow rested his head on his paws, staring straight ahead. He didn't want to stay stuck in this Clan's camp, yet...
It seemed so peaceful.
He wondered what it would be like to actually live here. It didn't seem too different from BlazeClan, only a bit darker and strange. He yawned, a headache setting in, as he felt himself fall into sleep.
. . .
What are your thoughts? And what would you like to see in the next chapter?
I have heard a lot of good theories from a lot of you! A couple of them have given me inspiration for upcoming chapters. If you have an idea or want to see more of a cat or ship, please let me know!
Thank you for reading! Russet, out.