Heeeeey, my lovely viewers. How's it all going? Well, it's been especially good for me, what with Christmas break, and all. I also feel pretty good because I've finally gotten to watching more of a TV series I was introduced to, like, a year ago. I was really into it, but I wasn't able to watch more episodes until now. So yeah, I'm really happy.
Review reply time!
Amberflame805: Thank you, I really appreciate the reviews you always give all of my stories.
Spiderweave: Thanks, I find that I enjoy writing this very much!
Amberpool: No, Snow and Brindle aren't dead, technically. In the Gray World, you can only die "permanently" by two methods; Forcing and Leaving. Sight already explained in an earlier chapter I believe, that a cat cannot leave the Gray World until their spirit is balanced again. Creatures who come to the Gray World experienced some sort of suffering in the First Life, and until their spirits are mended, they will keep coming back to life after "dying" in the Gray World. More information on this later.
Guest: I've never read Rebellegirl's What if the Dark Forest Won?, but you made me curious, so I might check it out later. I'll admit, the idea for this story was inspired by another story asking the same question this story does: "What happens to a cat after they die for a second time?" That story followed Spottedleaf, who woke up in a world that bends to the imagination of someone living there. The story didn't continue after a couple chapters, and I was intrigued enough to try making a story inspired by it. I'm glad you're liking the story!
Warning: This chapter contains foxes. Snarky, arrogant foxes.
we'll feast on bones
The trek back down to the camp was a slow and tedious one. Gray's common sense was slowly flooding back to her, and she wondered with a growing sense of horror what she'd done. No doubt Snow would have something to say about the her rebellious behavior. Would Sight reconsider their deal? The thought made Gray pause, which caused Cloud to bump into her legs, mouth full of phoenix-wing. "Wath ith!" He growled.
Gray side-stepped, and allowed the younger tom to pass her by. Flower was supporting the right wing, and Roar dragging it by the neck. There was the sound of paw-steps behind the gray she-cat, and she turned to see the warriors coming slowly from behind. Maple was engrossed in the task of getting down the mountain, and Gray was able to pick up on the tortoiseshell she-cat's complaints. Shadow and Hawk had their heads together, no doubt trying to formulate some plan to get away.
"Tell me again why you're bothering sticking around these weirdos, Gray?"Maple hissed, amber eyes narrowed as she sprang onto the shelf of rock that Gray was perched on. "I don't know about you, but I want out of this pool of crazy as fast as possible."
Gray bit her lower lip, teeth sliding. "That's my business."
"I wouldn't trust any of this lot if I were you." With that, Maple crouched and then continued her descent down the mountain. The gray she-cat watched her recede away, Shadow and Hawk soon passing her as she sat. I wouldn't trust any of this lot if I were you. Heh, that was a load of dung coming from a she-cat who had wheedled a cat under her wing only to destroy everything he cared about for her pleasure. But then, Gray had experienced similar strife like Mapleshade's when the both of them still hadn't known what it was like to die. The way he had slipped away from her to another she-cat, the way she had gone beyond Gray's reach, leaving her all alone . . . and the way Leafscatter always received the attention and honors that should've been hers. And what had that led to? Murder.
Gray closed her eyes, and it occurred to her that the rain was beginning to lessen now, the slightest feeling of warmth tingling on her pelt. The smell of blood unwashed from her pelt reached her nose, striking a note in her mind. Maple could be right, may be right, but she couldn't afford to let this chance slip away from her. She could go back, reverse the past, undo the mistakes she'd made that had ultimately led to her own mother spitting on the dirt before her when she sought redemption. "Too little, too late, traitor!"
Her steps resumed, eyes narrowed against the buffeting wind which had only decreased slightly as the cats lost altitude. Her muscles burned from exertion, the group's quest for food having, ironically, sapped her strength. The gray she-cat had all too soon left the exposed stony environ and faced Snow again, the blood ringing the white she-cat's face a stark reminder of her momentary rebellion. The preyteacher looked murderous, yellow eyes mere slits. Gray was only faintly of Brindle watching with round green eyes as Snow slowly approached the gray she-cat. Leaning in, the white she-cat hissed, "One more toe out of line, and I'll personally see to it that we drive you out!"
"Aren't I already supposed to be a prisoner?" Gray said dryly. "Really, you would be doing me a favor by setting me free." She was bluffing, but Snow didn't know about Sight's deal. The white she-cat probably thought that her leader just thought Gray could be potentially useful, which was why she was having her trained.
Snow growled, her teeth flashing. A knowing grin spread across her lips. "There are worse things than being in a prisoner in the Sanctuary."
Gray felt a spark of uncertainty bloom inside of her chest, and she lifted a paw warily, ears angling back. "Oh?"
"I suggest you shape up your attitude, or I might just end up persuading our guests to have a taste of cat!" Snow flicked her white tail, and then turned back into the forest. "C'mon, the newcomers can shoulder the phoenix now."
Guests? Is that why we're bringing such a huge bird back to the camp? Gray glanced at the large, reddish-orange bird with a growing sense of horror. What kind of guests would the Sanctuary be playing host to that would need a big bird like this to be fed, and could kill and eat cats? Hadn't Sight said this forest was safe? Things were strange here . . . was it possible that cats weren't the only intelligent life?
"That was a close one!" Brindle chirped, bounding up to Gray's side. "I really thought you were going to get it! What exactly happened up there after I fell off?"
"There was a bit of a misunderstanding, and Sight miscalculated her jump; it isn't important," Gray said quickly. She glanced down at the young she-cat, the rare shade of concern growing. "Are you alright?"
"I was going to say the same thing," Flower said hastily, butting in. She flashed Gray a glare, and put her tail on Brindle's shoulder. "You fell pretty hard."
"I fell off of a cliff," Brindle said, wrinkling her nose. "That's going to be a hard fall no matter what. As it were, I . . . I'd rather not go phoenix-hunting from now on."
"You'll get over it, Brindle; I did." Gray turned, and saw that it was Cloud who had spoken. Despite his encouraging tone, the black tom looked grim, as if he was thinking about his previous experience with death. "The First Death is always the hardest," he mewed firmly.
"You've died before?" Gray exclaimed, surprise evident in her tone.
"There were some trespassers on our land, and I was on patrol. We attempted to capture them, but they escaped, and I got off badly," Cloud explained. "It was a while ago, when I just became a learner. I-I don't remember it that much." His whiskers twitched upon his uttering the last sentence, and his eyes flashed with the slightest hesitance.
He's lying, Gray realized. But then, that shouldn't be so surprising. It had to have hundreds of moons ago when Gray died for the first time, but she could still remember it clearly, the claws tugging at her throat, the brambles of the bush that had caught her digging into her back. Spiteful green eyes that sent her to her death . . . just like her second death, only Leafcolor had amber eyes. No one forgets such a vengeful gaze, no one forgets the pain.
The gray she-cat wondered what he could be hiding when a warmth rubbed up against her paw. The vegetation around them was faintly glowing, and the small clump Gray was currently standing in had come to life and was brushing against her. A tendril had already curled around her paw. Reluctantly, the she-cat began tugging on it, not wanting to hurt the plant, but at the same time, thinking she'd rather not get into more trouble with Sight then she was already going to be in. Suddenly, the green-glowing plant became a black-red and the burning sensation in Gray's paw increased.
"Ouch!" The she-cat hissed, biting down on the plant. "What in the world!"
Flower, who had been walking away, turned around. Her eyes widened at the color of the plant, and she moved abruptly, clamping her jaw down on the plant's base. Gray gasped when the burning abruptly disappeared. "Ah, thanks. What was that?"
Flower panted, and backed away from the plant, which had become a sickly black-green. "We need to burn it. I'll take it back to Phoenix immediately!"
"But Flower, won't you taint yourself if you touch it for too long?" Brindle said anxiously.
"I'm willing to take that risk," Flower said grimly, taking the plant in her jaws, and tugging until its roots come free.
"Will someone tell me what's going?" Gray snapped. These apprentices were just ignoring her!
Flower turned, and glared at Gray. Cloud's eyes narrowed. "I think I would like to know the same thing. How is it that you have so much dark energy in you?"
"Prohly cuhz she ah ewumer!" Flower spat through her mouthful of plant.
"I-I don't know!" Gray exclaimed, cursing her stutter. She skittered around the younger cats, casting a glare at them before running to catch up with the others. If she thought she had a million questions before, the gray she-cat's head was nearly filled to bursting. Would anyone ever give any substantial information about this place? Just thinking about it all made her have a headache. Maybe Ember could tell her later . . .
But she'd rebuked Ember, hadn't she? Nice going, Gray, what a way to support your only ally! The she-cat thought bitterly. But, was Ember really her ally. He was a newcomer, right? But so were Hawk, Maple, and Shadow, and Gray knew all too well they were only trustworthy when they had the same goals in mind. And if Gray were to help him escape? What would happen once they were free? Would Ember turn on her?
Ugh, there was that headache again. Maybe Gray shouldn't think so much about what she didn't know, and review the facts instead. The gray she-cat ruminated through her brain. Ember didn't want to get caught by Sight's group when we first met, Fox doesn't trust him, and Sight doesn't trust him, so that's pretty clear. Sight offered me a deal ensuring pretty much everything I ever wanted. Ember betrayed Sight, and he probably had an offer like mine, too . . . Gray wanted to believe that Sight could get her what she wanted, but what if Ember was right, and the she-cat wasn't to be trusted. Besides, if Sight had a power like that, wouldn't she just do the same for all her followers? No, there was something that Gray hadn't been informed of yet, and she was determined to figure out what it was.
There was a lot of activity in the camp when Snow's hunting group finally returned. Iralis was relieved, and more than a little disappointed. Sight had said she had wanted to talk business, hadn't she? The young male licked his white chest fur, feeling a bit smug at all the wide-eyed looks these tiny cats were giving him. Yes, they ought to fear the leader of one of the fiercest gangs of foxes on this accursed world.
Sorra fidgeted beside him, her ears twitching, and angling backwards every other breath. Iralis frowned. His younger sister was unused to the harsh lifestyle that their family was accustomed to, and the scarred male hoped that this trip into the Moon Forest would help her see how he ran things. On his right was his second, Tonur. If a gang of foxes were like a family, than Tonur was Iralis' brotherly soulmate. The two often thought in synch, and sometimes, it was hard to tell who was really in charge. Iralis trusted him more than anyone in the whole of the worlds.
Speaking of which, this white she-cat, who had managed to manipulate several Power Holders and a whole gaggle of her species into becoming her supporters in a world where no one trusted each other, was an awfully suspicious character. Iralis would have ignored the offer he had gotten altogether knowing he was dealing with the likes of her if it weren't for the benefits of getting a refuge like the Moon Forest. Absolutely no one came through this area of land, all too respectful of the huge group of cats that had a respectable concentration of Power Holders who could blast their butts to the Next Life. He'd even heard rumors that Sight had managed to learn how to Force, but then, Iralis heard many things. It was part of his trade.
Suddenly, a white shape darted out from behind the waterfall at the back of the huge camp. Iralis' eyes darted to the white form, and noted the glowing trace of lines on her body. The mark of her Power, a noticeably long one. Hmph. Show off. The lines along her white fur were a vibrant golden, speckles of shining Power dotting her body along the main lines. The she-cat's eyes were closed as she struggled to secure the display, before opening her eyes. While normally blue, Power had a tendency to change things. Now, they were a warm, golden color, like honey.
"Just in case you get any funny ideas," Sight purred, her voice carrying a faint hum. The golden lines faded, Sight having lost her concentration. Her eyes became a normal blue again.
"Ha," Iralis said. "You think I would come here without my own Power Holder?" He shifted his glance at Sorra, who flinched at the sudden attention, but obediently closed her eyes, allowing the cyan lines along her body to flare up momentarily.
Sight flicked her tail, showing no wavering of control. "You of all creatures should know I hold one of the greatest concentrations of Holders on this world. Your companion would be no match for all of us. But, we're not here to talk about who here has the better force. Snow and her group of hunters went out earlier to fetch you a proper feast. Snow?"
Another white she-cat appeared, her eyes yellow. She dipped her head respectfully to Iralis, and stepped away to show the phoenix her group had managed to catch. Three cats that bore a distinctively strange aura dragged the bird over. A tortoiseshell she-cat glared at the fox vehemently before moving back to join the growing crowd, and hissed. The dark tabby was less evocative, and quickly followed after the she-cat. A third cat, a tom with icy blue eyes, was content to simply shoot Iralis a glare.
"Who are these cats?" Iralis exclaimed, undeterred. He eyed the phoenix with an air of surprise. An impressive catch, no doubt some of the hunting party had to regrow a few limbs on the way back. Iralis tried to hide his impressed state, continuing to speak. "They don't smell of the Shadow World."
"They are newcomers," Snow explained curtly. "We have yet to teach them proper discipline." She flicked her tail and smirked, padding up to phoenix's carcass. "We will talk more about them later, for now, they are to be detained." Abruptly, a group of cats advanced on the three Iralis had seen, and a gray she-cat that was sitting next to them. "Now, we have a feast!"
A cheer went up from the assembled cats, and soon, all were digging into the huge pile of prey that had been stocked up for this occasion. Sight climbed up onto her rock above the waterfall, content to eat a waterbird. A large circle formed as each cat selected their prey and sat down in a ring connecting Sight's rock to the group of foxes and their prize. Iralis sat down to feast alongside Tonur, and made no protest when Sorra did not join them.
"Hey! We're with you guys now, aren't we?" Gray hissed, struggling to break free of the circle the cats chosen to guard them had formed. A blast of energy curled into Gray's chest as she slipped free momentarily, shoving her back into the center alongside Maple, Hawk, and Shadow. Hawk continued to struggle as well, and Gray was just about to get up and try to score another blow as the guards continued to march them to the tunnels in the cliff face, when Maple laid her tail on her shoulder.
"Struggle is pointless," the tortoiseshell she-cat hissed. She chuckled derisively. "Did you honestly believe they accepted you? We've only been here a couple days!"
Gray frowned. "But Sight made me a deal! She must know I would never try to run away if her offer was even slightly possible!"
"What did she offer you?" Maple exclaimed, even as a spark of clarity entered her eyes. "Of course. You were always the weakest, weren't you?"
"Don't you want another chance, too?" Gray exclaimed incredulously. "I know you, Mapleshade, I've been in the Dark Forest way longer than any of you!"
Maple hissed. "You're being played for a fool, Graywhisper. It's just like the Dark Forest here, making deals and looking out only for your own interests. Do you honestly think Sight is just going to give up whatever wealth of information you are so you can romp back to Sunshine and Butterfly Land?"
"Shut up!" Gray hissed, her ears angling back. She felt tempted to hit the other she-cat then, but one of the Sanctuary cats kicked her forward, forcing her to move faster. The gray she-cat dared to snarl at the offender, and turned back to the tunnel, her eyes widening as the darkness within swallowed them. The ring of cats dissolved into a single file, guards separating the Dark Forest warriors from each other. Gray shivered at the sudden chill that settled on her fur. She was vaguely aware of the walls closing in around her as her whiskers dragged against them. Occasionally, the breath of the cat behind her brushed against her tail.
Suddenly, after an eternity of padding down, down, down, a glowing light came into view ahead of Gray. Wondering if the tunnels were arranged like the Moonstone Tunnel back in the forest, the gray she-cat padded forward. Abruptly, she was in a huge cavern alit with floating balls of fire. They seemed to float around aimlessly, and Gray had to duck under one to follow a guard ahead of her into the adjoining cavern. Her eyes widened upon seeing what awaited. The dark brown tabby tom she'd seen earlier was resting on a flat-topped stalagmite, his eyes closed with concentration. Beside him was a golden furred she-cat, her eyes also closed. Yellow lines glowed along the brown tom's fur, while the golden she-cat was adorned with red. Slumped in a small pocket-cave was a familiar dark shape.
"Ember?" Gray exclaimed, daring to pad forward. Suddenly, the brown tabby tom's eyes flew open, and Gray froze. She was unable to move, as if there were invisible weights pressing around her. The brown tabby tom had glowing yellow eyes that he trained on Gray, and the she-cat felt an icy drop of fear slide down her spine. Somehow, she had a feeling that this cat had the ability to exert so much pressure on her to make her crumple up like a leaf. She held her breath, not even able to widen her eyes as she stood frozen.
"I advise you not to kill Sight's prize," a voice called from behind Gray. A golden tom came into view, his gaze following the brown tabby tom. Reluctantly, the light in the tom's eyes faded, leaving them a leafy green. Gray gasped as the force on her body suddenly disappeared, and she crumpled.
"Ah, sorry, Gray, I wasn't able to say anything before you moved." Gray flicked an ear as she heard Ember's voice, and she jerked her head up. The black tom was curled up in the pocket cave, having turned around to look at the assembled cats. "Evening, queens."
An older-looking, dark gray tom snorted, but was flicked in the face by a paler gray she-cat's tail. "We're not here to chat, Ember," she explained cooly. The she-cat turned to the two cats who were evidentially Power Holders. "We've got four more trouble-makers for you to look after. Shouldn't be too much trouble for a couple of mages, hmm?"
With that, the she-cat flicked her tail and turned to leave, the rest of the guards following her. Shadow looked around at the cavern, trying to see where the precautions meant to keep them inside the tunnel were, and failing. "How do you plan to keep us here?"
"Well, I can manipulate fire, and Mountain here can make barriers where there aren't any," the golden she-cat said, her gaze still a glowing red. Gray realized she must be the one causing the fireballs to float around in the other cavern. "So I trust that none of you would bother trying anything funny."
It seemed like there was no way to escape if what the golden she-cat said was true. Gray heard a frustrated growl from behind her, and she turned to see Hawk, who was looking around the cavern, and lashing his tail. She caught his gaze and stared at him meaningfully. Reluctantly, he relaxed his hackles.
"We might as well catch up on some sleep," Shadow said, assuming leadership. No one seemed to want to argue, so the group curled up on the stone floor, pressed up against stalagmites, and trying to turn their minds away from the day's events. Gray crouched, watching Ember's dark form, and waited until she was sure that the golden she-cat and Mountain were fully immersed in their task so she could creep up to the other tom. In the adjoining cavern, the fires were dimming, and Gray was willing to bet the two were getting tired focusing their minds. As silently as she could, Gray moved forward. Memories flew to the front of her mind about hunting back home in the ShadowClan forest. What she had been hunting had varied, and there some painful points at the forefront of her thoughts concerning the times she'd successfully caught cat.
Ember's head turned, his amber eyes glowing in the dark, and Gray paused against the wall of stone next to the small little niche the black tom was nestled in. "Hey," she whispered.
"What? Decided you needed me after all?" Ember said coolly, the sarcasm in his voice like knives in Gray's flesh. She flinched.
"I . . . apologize. I-I couldn't help myself," Gray said.
"Care to explain?" Ember asked, stretching his forepaws.
Gray took a deep breath, wondering how to explain her curse to Ember. Hey, I just happen to have an ancient curse that makes me into a rabid, unstoppable killer at random intervals. Maybe we can be friends? Yeah, this was going to be a great conversation. Gray's eyes narrowed as she thought. Then, something clicked in her mind, and her eyes widened. "Uh, earlier today, when a plant touched me, it became blackish-red with dark energy."
Ember's gaze looked quizzical for a beat, then his amber eyes widened. Along his spine, the dark fur rose. "Y-You have Power? But that's impossible! You're a newcomer!"
Gray shook her head. "I've had ever since I was born in, what's that term you all use, First Life? Anyway, I've been cursed ever since I can remember, and well, it's caused me a lot of grief."
Ember nodded. "I didn't know there was Power in such great quantities in the First World. I can't imagine anyone with Power there would be able to control it. But since you're here now, you should be able to contain it, or use it for your own purposes."
Relief swamped Gray. Was what Ember said really true? She thought about how during the phoenix hunt the red had come after Brindle had fallen off the cliff and Gray had wanted revenge. She had made the red emerge! Fear of herself tingled through every pore of her body. "Th-that's good to know." She frowned upon realizing something. "But . . . in the battle that I died in, the second time I died, there were three cats with powers in the clans at the time. And they could control them! Jayfeather could walk in other cats dreams at will, Lionblaze could never be defeated in battle, and Dovewing could see and hear things other cats couldn't!"
Ember looked at Gray in confusion. "But, that's impossible! There isn't nearly enough Power in the Firs—" Abruptly Ember's voice broke off, and his eyes suddenly grew round.
"What is it?" Gray hissed quietly, turning her head around abruptly to see if either of their guards had noticed them. However, both were still too immersed in their task to notice their hushed conversation.
"No, not them," Ember said, bringing Gray's gaze back to him. "I just, I remembered Sight talking about how there were so few Power Holders left in the Gray World. I think that maybe Power has been seeping from the Gray World into the First World."
"That would explain a lot," Gray said. "Does that mean there are going to be more cats like the three I mentioned?"
"Maybe," Ember said, his gaze narrowing. "After all, there used to be no such thing as a 'newcomer'. Then, one day, they just started popping up. Rarely at first, but more and more frequently as time went on. And now, you see four of them appearing in the span of a day."
"Well, to be fair, there was a huge battle in the clans. StarClan, it feels so long ago," Gray said, reflecting on the moons she'd spent in the Dark Forest quietly waiting for the opportunity to escape. "There's probably a lot more of them all over Gray World."
"Still, four of you popping up in the same relative spot!" Ember exclaimed. "The likelihood of that must be incredibly small! Well, maybe not so much anymore, but . . . still!"
"You've said still twice in a relatively short amount of time," Gray pointed out.
"I know," Ember said, grinning at Gray toothily. A period of silence lasted between them before a low moan suddenly pierced the air. Gray twisted her head, her ears pricking towards the long tunnel on the other side of the cavern that continued on into the darkness.
"What was that?" Gray hissed quietly, her blue eyes widening. Vaguely, she was aware of her hackles rising at the back of her neck.
"Wind, maybe," Ember said. "Who knows where these tunnels go. You could probably get lost if you aren't careful enough. One thing's for sure, those two don't want us going that way. I tried before."
"Maybe there's an exit," Gray said.
"Then why wouldn't Mountain put up a barrier there, too?"
"Maybe it's because there's so many tunnels that the likelihood of finding the exit is tiny. They don't want us to get lost in the tunnels because we're worth something to them."
"Sharp. Maybe you're right," Ember said, looking at Gray with an air of respect.
"Maybe I am. And we should try to investigate," Gray suggested, grinning at the tom.
"Didn't you hear me? You could get lost!"
"Or, we could follow the sound of the wind."
"What if it dies down? What if you take a wrong turn and can't hear it anymore?"
"What, would you rather we just sit on our paws and wait for Sight to determine our fate? I think this might be our only chance," Gray said, the determination in her voice solid and apparent. Ember sighed, knowing he wasn't going to sway her. He crawled to his feet, and fixated Gray with a fierce gaze.
"Alright, fine, but when we get lost, I'm going to say I told you so," he growled.
"Please, be my guest," Gray exclaimed sarcastically. The gray she-cat turned away from him and crept toward the tunnel. Another moan disturbed the air, and Gray couldn't resist shuddering. The wind sounded so alive, like it was in pain. Maybe it was, stuck in the tunnels eternally. The darkness loomed ahead of her, and Gray knew soon she would lose all trace of the golden-furred Power Holder's fire. Then, she and Ember would be plunged into blackness.
When she did reach the last of the light, a gray stroke on the darkness more than anything else, Gray hesitated. Ember bumped into her haunches from behind, and cursed. "Would you hurry it up? When I starve to death, I don't want to be sitting around."
"Ha ha, very funny. I was just listening for the next disturbance of air," Gray said. What she said was partially true, and she didn't want to let Ember know she was terrified. Too late to turn back now . . .
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Gray continued forward, practicing taking as quiet movements as possible. She was a shadow in the dark, unheard and unseen. Gray felt a curl of laughter inside her at thought of how invincible she felt, despite being under tons of rock in a small tunnel within a maze of them. Another moan caused her ears to prick up, and she continued forward.
The coldness that she'd felt before upon first entering the tunnels seemed to harden on her skin, securing its hold. Gray began to felt like she might never feel warmth again, even if she somehow managed to return to the surface. No, the icy cold had seeped deep into her skin, and had latched on with a vengeance. It would never die, not ever.
Despite the increasing cold, Gray was able to stay optimistic. The tunnel began to widen after awhile, and soon, she was walking side by side with Ember, pelts brushing. The warmth radiating off of him kept Gray from snapping under the cool temperatures. Also, the moans were becoming steadily louder, and Gray was confident they would soon reach the entrance. She felt a prickle of guilt for not bringing Hawk, Maple, and Shadow with her, but they probably wouldn't have come anyway. Gray still couldn't believe they'd managed to make this far, either.
Gray paused upon seeing a light up ahead. Her breath caught, and a grin curled across her features. They'd did it, they'd managed to escape! She turned to Ember, about to say a snarky comment when—
"Pleeeeeeeaase, let me go!" The chilling statement was followed by a few choked sobs.
That was no wind.
Gray felt Ember stiffen beside her, and Gray felt like cursing. They'd come all this way, only to have followed the cries of a fellow prisoner. Maybe there wasn't any exit at all, and the guards just didn't want their prisoners getting lost forever. Suddenly though, Ember was brushing past her, his fur fluffed out. "Willow!" he shrieked.
The gray she-cat stared gape-mouthed after the tom for a few moments, and then mentally kicked herself forward. The she-cat sprinted after him, darting around a corner into the light-filled chamber he'd disappeared into, and paused in shock at what she saw.
The light was coming from fire on large, stubby-ended sticks stuck into the stone wall with bits of bent metal. Gray felt like wondering at the strange invention with awe, but the scene in the center of the cavern was what had drawn her gaze. A slender, blue-gray she-cat with green eyes was pinned to the ground with large chunks of soft metal holding down her legs. Ember was curled against her, staring at her in amazement and morbid shock.
"Willow, what are you doing here? I thought I led the patrol away from you!"
"I know, but I knew you would get captured, and I had to go after you! They caught up to me with my bad leg and all, and you got away. I see that didn't last for long huh?" Willow said, smiling at Ember weakly.
"You know her?" Gray said, slowly approaching the pair. Willow turned her head around, and regarded Gray with round, surprised eyes.
Ember nodded. "Remember when you first met Sight? She mentioned Willow."
"Of course," Willow hissed, glaring at the thought of the white she-cat. "She wanted to use Ember as a weapon, but I convinced Ember that Sight only thinks for herself. We escaped together."
"Together?" Gray said, raising an eyebrow. She didn't know why, but she felt a sudden prick of jealousy. All of a sudden, she wasn't seen a slender, blue-gray she-cat, but a tortoiseshell one with arrogant amber eyes.
"Yes," Willow said, gazing at Gray with narrowed green eyes. She knows. "And now, we have to escape again."
Woo for cliffies! Yay for updates!
Were you surprised? Annoyed? Surprised at there being foxes like I said? Annoyed with me for being inconsistent? Do tell!