Moonsong woke once more in the Dark Forest. She had grown accustomed to being awake day and night, grabbing a few naps during the daytime. She rolled her shoulders, looking around for Quiverhawk or Junipervine.

There was no one to greet her.

The silver cat decided to go out and look for them. It wasn't like her great-grandfather to be late. She pushed through the slimy undergrowth, stretching her ears to try to pick up any sound,

What she heard was surprising.

Falconstrike's voice.

She leaped over a log, wondering why her soon-to-be mate hadn't told her about training here. Maybe he was embarrassed that he still had to train?

As she got a glimpse of his muscular figure, her heart leaped. She padded out of the shadows, tail waving.

"Falconstrike!"

Falconstrike whirled around, his face melting into shock.

"M-Moonsong? You come here too?" he stuttered, eyes wide. Moonsong nodded, stepping closer to him. "I have for a while. No one ever told me that you came too!" Falconstrike relaxed, embracing her.

"I've been coming here for a while now, since I became an apprentice. They've trained me well." He grinned at her, pride showing on his face. "They've taught me in their ways. It's really helped me focus on being a better warrior, a better leader." He tilted his head. "What about you?"

Moonsong snuggled closer. "I've been training here since late apprenticeship. Who's been training you? Quiverhawk, my great-grandfather, is helping me, and Junipervine recently joined in."

Falconstrike paused before responding. "Well, I'm not supposed to tell anyone this, but since you train here, I think it's fine."

"Flicktail has been training me."

Moonsong looked at him oddly. "I've heard that name before. Did he tell you who he was?"

The tom nodded. "Yeah, he told me that he was a loner before he joined the Clans." He glanced around, looking puzzled. "He didn't tell me which one, though. I assume he was a part of TwilightClan since he came to me."

Moonsong nodded, glancing at the mushy ground. Flicktail… She knew that someone had told her about the tom.

Maybe Quiverhawk mentioned his name, but she had forgotten. No… That didn't seem quite right.

She shook her head. No use pondering over nothing. Whoever this Flicktail was, he must have been a great warrior, like Quiverhawk was.

As if on cue, Quiverhawk crashed through the undergrowth behind her, muttering something over his shoulder to Junipervine.

"There you are," he called, glancing her up and down before looking straight at Falconstrike.

"You know each other?" he asked, looking curious. Moonsong nodded.

"Yes, this is Falconstrike, the tom I told you about. Falconstrike, this is Quiverhawk." Quiverhawk narrowed his eyes, nodding.

"Ah, the great Falconstrike. I've heard a lot of good things about you. Flicktail told me." Falconstrike ducked his head, looking proud.

"So you two are mates?" Junipervine spoke up. Falconstrike glanced at her.

"Yes, we've been meeting for some time now, since we were apprentices."

"Wonderful," Junipervine purred. "Maybe you two could arrange a daylight training session together?"

"That's actually a good idea," Quiverhawk agreed. "Maybe you two could meet up during the night instead of coming here for a day? Would be a nice change of scenery." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, to get onto what we had planned for tonight's session. Flicktail couldn't make it tonight, and Junipervine will fill in for him." Junipervine dipped her head, guiding Falconstrike away, leaving Moonsong alone with Quiverhawk.

"So, Moonsong, today's training session will be more focused on the… mental side of things." He purred, making Moonsong feel slightly uncomfortable.

"You have emotions, feelings, a pull to one thing or another. In your heart, you know right from wrong. Sometimes, your heart can be wrong." Moonsong furrowed her brow, not understanding what he meant by that. But he kept going on.

"You're a pretty new warrior, Moonsong. You have strength, yes, but not the wisdom or experience of a leader. I'm here to help you with that." Now the she-cat was even more confused. What was he getting at?

Quiverhawk in front of her, casting a shadow onto her face.

"You know how my voice is in your head? I've been helping guide your decisions all this time, but sometimes, you choose to ignore it, which can get you in trouble. That's why…" He paused, drawing out the moment.

"I want to join you, merge us into one. Are you willing to do that?"

Moonsong gasped.

"Wha-what do you mean by that?" she stuttered, eyes wide. What kind of power did this cat have?

Quiverhawk purred, clearly enjoying her shock. "Well, my dear, switching bodies gives you an advantage, because you get to come up here for a short while. You will get your body one day, I'll get it next, and we can train here together at night."

"But how does this benefit me?"

Quiverhawk rose a paw, glancing at his claws. "It would help push you towards becoming a leader. I would help get you a better position in the Clan, I'd strengthen your body, take care of your work. You'd take my place up here, training with other cats." He smiled at her. "It's a win-win. You get status, I get to go back to Shyspeck."

Moonsong paused for a minute, glancing at the ground. "I-I need to think about this. Can't you just teach me how to become a leader?" Quiverhawk let out a snort.

"I can teach you the ways of a leader, but you would need to be a leader."

She sighed, staring straight at him. "I am a leader," she protested.

"Prove it to me then. Tomorrow, lead as many patrols as you can. Train with your Clanmates, do extra work. I'll be watching."

Quiverhawk disappeared from sight, leaving Moonsong shocked and alone. What would happen to her life? Her friends? Her family? Her mate?

She didn't like this new Quiverhawk. There was something off about him…

She decided not to worry about it. After all, she didn't think he could take her over without her consent.

What had she gotten herself into...

. . .

Ah, this was fun to write. We got to see Falconstrike with Moonsong and got to see Quiverhawk's real intentions...

And Flicktail... His name does sound familiar, does it?

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Until next time!

-Russet