Untold Lies Chapter 14: The Challenge
"Now is the time." Lightheart quietly mewed. "Streak could show up any minute and during the night is the best time to escape." The full moon barely showed through it's fluffy dark gray guards that gave the smell of rain. "You two know what the plan is right?"
"Yes, let's go." Lilystorm replied with anticipation. Thundertail nodded in agreement. Lilystorm padded into the cave that held her friend and his father captive.
The two cave guards stood at Lilystorm's arrival. "You two can leave now. Go and tell the next two cats to hurry here." Her authority rose above even Zee's but Zee would never admit that. They quickly scrambled away without question. As soon as they left the cave, she slipped into the innermost part of the cave where Arrowhead and Horn were held.
"Arrowhead!" She hissed. "Time to go!"
"Time already?" He asked as appeared from the darkness. His pelt had lost some of it's color but not as bad the cat's pelt that stood next to him.
"Yes, we have to hurry." Lilystorm meowed quickly before she hurried out of the cave. Arrowhead and Horn followed her until they reached the spot where Lightheart and Thundertail were hidden.
"Good to see you again, Arrowhead." Lightheart said with a friendly nod.
"Now is not the time, we have to hurry." Thundertail rushed. "Lilystorm, go; you know what to do." Lilystorm nodded and ran off back to the cave. "Arrowhead, Horn, this way." Thundertail led the way to the back cave. Lightheart went into the small entrance first, Arrowhead and Horn followed. Thundertail waited for Lilystorm to arrive before he followed.
"So where are we going?" Arrowhead asked as he saw a light at the end of the long dark cave. Lightheart was shocked that the even though it was night time and the clouds covered the moon, the cave was still as bright as ever.
"Well, we found a way out of here instead of going through the maze. At the end of the cave, there is a larger cave where light radiates and anyone who likes to fight, is blinded." Lightheart explained.
"But, how is that possible?" Arrowhead asked confused.
"It's like Echo Cave back home." Lightheart replied. Arrowhead felt Horn tense up behind him but did not question him. When they reached the cave of light, Arrowhead looked awestruck.
"This is amazing!" Arrowhead exclaimed.
"It's bright in here." Horn hissed as he ran for the other side of the cave, back into the shadows. Arrowhead and Lightheart stood in the center of the cave, but the peaceful cave became restless as Horn was thrown at Arrowhead by an unsuspected visitor.
"What is the meaning of this?" A large cat with three others behind him arrived at the opposite end of the cave.
Arrowhead and Lightheart were bristling as they noticed he and his followers were unaffected. Horn struggled to his paws and yowled, "Streak!"
"Your Streak?" Arrowhead asked, angrily. "Your the one who trapped my father and forced him to leave the clan?"
The silver tom with a black streak down his right flank looked surprised. He had not expected anyone to know of that. One word also struck Streak hard. "Father? Your one of his sons?" He asked calmly.
"The only one now." Arrowhead hissed. His eyes started burning. As he shut his eyes, he also let out a small yowl of pain. He couldn't get his eyes to adjust to the light that had not effected him before.
"The only one? What happened to the other? I know there were two." He responded cooly. He knew the secrets of this cave and how to not fall victim to the harsh light.
"He died...from an enemy that I will hunt down and kill. That's why I am here now." Arrowhead responded. Lightheart kept a close eye on Streak's cats and tried to find a way around them to no avail.
"You think I did it?" Streak asked, his fur slightly starting to rise.
"No, I know exactly who did it."
"If he is one of my cats, then give me a name and I will see to it that you have your revenge."
"He is not one of your cats but-"
"Then, I ask again, what is the meaning of this?" Streak's fur began to bristle but he was still not affected by the light.
Arrowhead and Lightheart looked at each other. They couldn't decide to tell him the truth or not. "We-" Lightheart began but stopped.
"We came to rescue my father and get answers." Arrowhead confessed. His eyes started re-adjusting as he calmed himself down. He knew that as long he couldn't see, that he could not escape this cave alive.
"What answers? I want the full story now." Streak growled. He lashed his tail back and forth. Arrowhead caught a slight struggle in Streak's eyes. Is he finally being affected? Arrowhead wondered. Lightheart and Arrowhead were silent before Horn stepped out of the shadows.
"He does not have to answer to you." Horn hissed, his fur beginning to rise. Not even he knew why Arrowhead and his friends rescued him, but he knew they had to have a good reason.
"He will answer me or die." Streak countered. Arrowhead knew the cave was affecting him now. Just for an instant, Arrowhead saw pain flash through his eyes.
The cave became silent until Lilystorm and Thundertail barged through the shadows and almost ran into Horn. "What's going on?" Lilystorm asked after she retreated back into the shadows with a hiss. Thundertail did not retreat but endured the pain and stood beside Horn.
Streak looked surprised as he asked, "And who are you?"
"I am Lilystorm!" Lilystorm boasted from the shadows.
Streak nodded and turned to Thundertail, expecting an answer. "Thundertail." Thundertail hissed. He felt pain shoot through his head but refused to show it.
"Now what is the question, or all of you will die." Streak growled, flinching.
Arrowhead answered, "No. I now know that this cave is affecting you. If you attack us, then you will be at a disadvantage against us and you don't want that now do you?"
Streak looked at Arrowhead through squinted eyes. "You are smarter than you look, but we have the entrance blocked, so try and escape." He knew they could not go back, so the only way they could go is forward.
"Looks like we are not going anywhere then." Lightheart said angrily, lashing his tail but keeping his claws sheathed.
Not even a moment passed before Arrowhead felt him. He came to kill his father! "Nightsign!" Arrowhead yowled as he shoved Lightheart away from the middle of the cave, but he was too late. Darkness poured over the light filled cave and engulfed the cats. Streak's hair was on end as he ran too where Arrowhead and his friends were huddled together, his cats following close behind him.
"It can't be! He should not have this much power!" Streak hissed enraged as he huddled with the others.
"What?" Thundertail asked, shocked that Streak knew about their most dangerous enemy.
"You know?" Lightheart asked.
"Do I know? Who do you think trained him while he was still alive?" Streak said with disgust. Arrowhead could not believe what he heard.
"But Nightsign was a clan cat, how did you-?" Lilystorm asked before he appeared.
His black fur, which blended perfectly with the darkness, raggedy pelt, and ghostly figure would scare any normal cat into shock. "Streak trained me to kill." Nightsign said, his voice sent a chill down Arrowhead's back. "I was sent to kill Roundstar and succeeded. Until he asked you," He glared maniacally at Horn. "to kill me."
Horn stepped out of the huddled cats and was nose to nose with the cat he killed. "And I would do it again in a heart beat."
"But you can't." Nightsign responded. "I'm already dead."
"You're right, I can't. But my son can." Horn said with pride and furiousness. Arrowhead looked at Horn, who had not taken his focus off of his enemy, incredulously.
"Speaking of your son," Nightsign growled. "Has he told you how Wolfstar died yet?"
Horn looked shocked, broken, and ready to kill this cat ten times over. "It's because you killed him!" Arrowhead hissed as he tried rushing at Nightsign. Nightsign easily dodged and counter attacked, throwing Arrowhead to the ground. Arrowhead gasped for air, but a ghostly paw prevented him from breathing.
"The reason your brother died is because you were too weak to save him." Nightsign hissed in his ear. Arrowhead felt his life fading but a force suddenly struck Nightsign. Arrowhead gasped for air as he scrambled to his paws and tried to figure out what happened. The huddled cats had disappeared into the darkness. Only Nightsign, Streak, Horn, Arrowhead and the force that attacked Nightsign remained.
"Roundstar? Froststar?" Horn said with astonishment. He had not seen his leader and his friend since he left Echoclan.
Roundstar looked at Horn and then at Arrowhead. "You." He growled as he stared straight at Arrowhead. "None of this would have happened if you would have listened to me!"
Arrowhead glared at Roundstar who stood between him and Nightsign with Froststar at his side. Froststar focused on Nightsign to make sure he did not attack. "Really? If I had listened to you then I would be dead! I could not have won against Nightsign if I fought him without knowing how to kill him!" Arrowhead hissed, lashing his tail.
Roundstar's frustration boiled to the point he was ready to kill Arrowhead and Nightsign both. "Why can't you understand? We needed you to kill him when he was at his weakest! When you could have killed him! Now it's too late."
"Roundstar." Horn said, "It's not too late. If Echo Cave has not been taken, then he might have a chance."
"That sounds like a good idea." Nightsign growled. "I will be able to kill Arrowhead the place he was raised in." Nightsign purred at the thought of him killing Arrowhead. "I'll leave. I will be waiting for your arrival back at Echoclan. So long Arrowhead." The darkness disappeared along with it's master.
Arrowhead's fur stood on end and a chill went down his spine. Streak looked shocked at the events that just took place. Roundstar and Froststar disappeared, while Horn stood next to Arrowhead. "Are you alright?" Lightheart asked as he ran up to them. He had found himself thrown out of the darkness along with the others.
"Yeah." Horn answered. He supported Arrowhead since he felt light on paws and could hardly stand.
"What happened?" Lilystorm asked eagerly.
"We- We have to go home. To Echo Cave before Nightsign takes it." Arrowhead could hardly speak. Nightsign had challenged him! To a fight to the death in Echo Cave! Multiple thoughts flashed through Arrowhead's head at the same time.
"But, why?" Thundertail asked curiously.
"Nightsign challenged him to a fight." Streak answered, padding up to the cats. His cats were behind him once again. "I will allow you all to leave. I know now why you four came and why you rescued Horn. Arrowhead, be careful. He challenged you at Echo Cave because that is where he will reside, that is where he is going to be most strongest if he takes it. Kill the monster I created."
Lilystorm looked around the cave before asking, "What did he do to the cave? It doesn't affect me anymore."
"He stole its energy. The power that gives it a bridge to the next life is gone." Streak growled angrily.
"Streak." Arrowhead asked warily. "Why is Nightsign the way he is?"
Streak looked surprised. He did not expect him to ask such a question. "He- he is known as the untold lie. He is a secret in Starclan to keep any and all clans from worrying and causing them to plunge into chaos. They once had him locked up, but he escaped and is now wanting revenge." He paused for a moment and then continued saying, "Now go. Kill Nightsign and save all the clans." Streak instructed as he left with his cats to go into his mountain fortress.
"Come on, we have to go as well." Lightheart said after they all watched Streak disappear into the shadows of the cave.