Chapter 2
"Sparkpaw, look at me." Sparkpaw was laying in her nest in the apprentice's den, Amberpaw sitting next to her and staring at her best friend with concern in her amber orbs. "Are you okay?"
"No." Sparkpaw meowed curtly. "I'm freaked out. None of you saw that besides me?"
Amberpaw shook her head. "No, but I believe that you saw something. It's not like you to make things up."
"Articwind thought I was." The gray and white senior warrior assumed that Sparkpaw faked seeing the shadow in an attempt to get out of hunting for the day. Splashnight had given him a mouthful after that, but it still bothered the golden apprentice.
"Articwind is a fox-heart!" Amberpaw snarled. "How dare he say that? You were shaking! You were terrified!"
Sparkpaw only sighed at Amberpaw's response. Sure it was a bit cruel of the warrior to assume something like that, but Sparkpaw saw where he was coming from. He certainly didn't deserve to be called a fox-heart.
"Sparkpaw‒" Amberpaw started, but was cut off by Sparkpaw.
"I think I should get some sleep."
Amberpaw nodded. "Okay, but I'm not leaving you." She curled up in the nest next to Sparkpaw, and Sparkpaw felt her heart flutter at her friend's gesture.
"You don't‒"
"Shut up, yes I do. You're still shaking. I can feel it." Amberpaw stated matter-of-factly. "You can't put anything past me mouse-brain."
Sparkpaw purred. "I see that. Okay, I give." She cuddled into her best friend and murmured. "Night."
"Goodnight, Sparkpaw."
The golden she-cat found herself in an unfamiliar area. It was a dark, shadowy forest with lots of tall, dank, gray trees with fungus growing on them. The air was cold, thick, foggy and damp and there was an echoing silence. The forest had a black and starless sky, but was near impossible to see due to the height of the trees. Mist wreathed on the thick, sticky, forest floor that lacked grass.
She looked around nervously and noticed something in the darkness. As it got closer, she realized it was the shadowy figure that had been haunting her. "What are you!" She yowled, backing up a bit.
"Relax." The figure spoke, and Sparkpaw realized it was the same voice that she had kept hearing in her head. "I will not harm you."
The figure stepped out of the shadows and appeared as an actual cat, not just a shadow of one. He was a black tom with a darker pattern and a single white paw like her own. He had one nick in his right ear and one on his left. His muzzle and left cheek was scarred, and his eyes were the same chilling blue as his shadowy form. "I am Darkfrost. I am here to help you."
"Help me?" She echoed.
"Yes, I can see the potential in you. You want to be the best warrior you can be? I can help you achieve that."
"You can?" Sparkpaw asked.
The black tom nodded. "I was a ThunderClan warrior many moons ago, I almost became leader actually. Unfortunately, I died before that time came." He paused. "You are like many other apprentices. You strive to be the best warrior of your clan, potentially leader. I have many seasons of experience, and even now I still train and hone my skills. I can teach you everything I know, even moves the warriors of your clan don't teach you."
"You can teach me moves that Splashnight can't?"
"Yes," He replied. "The advantages of being a StarClan warrior are you learn the fighting styles of the other clans, and some that have been lost over the years."
"Wow…" Sparkpaw murmured. "You can really teach me all of that?"
"I can…if you want." He told her. Sparkpaw pondered his offer. Why her? She didn't understand why he chose her of all cats. Another thing that crossed the young cat's mind was that he didn't look like a StarClan warrior from what she was aware of from elder's tales. They said StarClan cats leave starry paw prints, their eyes shine like stars, and their pelts glow with a strange light that makes them look like they have stars in their fur. Why didn't Darkfrost look like that?
"Why doesn't your pelt glow?" Sparkpaw had to ask.
"I see. You're untrusting because I don't look like a normal StarClan cat. Understandable, but I assure you, I am. StarClan cats can make themselves appear like normal cats. We can change forms."
Oh. Duh. Sparkpaw thought to herself. Of course he could change his appearance, he was a shadow earlier for StarClan's sake!
"Okay then…I'll train with you!"
"Excellent." He purred. "Training starts tomorrow. I must warn you…it's not easy."
Sparkpaw nodded.
"You run along now, it's almost morning." Darkfrost meowed.
"Uh, where do I go?"
"Just walk. You'll wake up eventually."
Sparkpaw started to pad away. She didn't notice the evil smirk that overtook Darkfrost's features, and started to fade from her dream.