Skyblaze followed the stranger into the forest. Who was it? She had to find out. The gray tail disappeared into the thick bushes. She was just about to follow
"Wait, that's.." She realized "That's not clan territory!"
That was obviously a clan cat, but why did they go out of the clans' territory? Something wasn't right. She gathered her courage and stepped through the undergrowth. Instantly, the air seemed to grow denser, and fog swirled around. Feeling dizzy, she tripped on a branch. She pushed herself up, but someone pushed her back down.
"Wha!" She let out a cry. Claws dug into her back, piercing her skin
"Well, well," A cold voice meowed "Who do we have here?"
(BreezeClan)
Deadheart rolled around in his nest. He had to go to the ancient oak! What was Windheart thinking, keeping him in camp? There was only one thing to do now. Sneak out.
"Deadheart?" Windheart meowed
He froze in his tracks. "Yes?" He stammered nervously.
"What are you doing?" His voice sounded suspicious
"Going to the... dirtplace." He lied
"Why? Do you not feel well?" Windheart got up, flicking moss from his pelt "You should tell me, you know."
"I'm fine," Deadheart replied too quickly "I mean, I just gotta go."
"Okay," Windheart settled back into his nest. Sighing with relief, he padded out of the den. The cool night breeze ruffled his fur. He glanced around camp. Meadowstream was guarding the front entrance. Mouse dung! Featherstar had added extra patrols after the gathering. She worked rather quickly. Deadheart looked around for another path out. I guess I won't really have to lie, he thought as he padded to the dirtplace tunnel. Meadowstream seemed half awake, so Deadheart passed without being noticed. The smell of dung pierced his nostrils. He hurried across, careful to avoid the dung patches. The cool grass ticked his paws and sent a cool feeling up his spine. Shuddering, he raced towards the ancient oak with a strange feeling of dread.
(Ancient Oak)
Hawkfeather padded around anxiously. Where the heck did Skyblaze go?
"Where the heck is she?" He muttered
"I don't know." Cloud meowed quietly. Hawkfeather forgot that she was still there. Her eyes were clouded with worry.
"I'm going to go look for her." He turned around to leave, but Cloud stopped him.
"Don't be rash! We can't have you being lost too." She hissed.
"But Skyblaze is out there somewhere!" He couldn't keep the despair out of his voice.
"You have to calm down! She'll come back." Cloud's voice wavered
"Don't lie to me! I HAVE TO GO!" He shoved her away.
"You mouse-brain!" She attacked him from behind. Hawkfeather was surprised by her weight. She had lost her kittypet fat and gained muscles. He was knocked off his feet and fell into a pile of dirt.
"Stop being such an idiot!" She screeched "You need to start thinking before you act. One toe out of line and we could all be in danger!"
He couldn't breathe. He was too shocked at Cloud's outburst. Since when did this soft kittypet become such a tough cat?
"Do you hear me? We'll go together, but let's give it a little more time to make sure she really is... not here." She returned to her normal soft voice. Hawkfeather nodded, still shocked. They padded around, waiting for Skyblaze.
"GUYS!" A voice shouted from BreezeClan direction. Cloud's head whipped around. Deadheart was limping up the hill.
"Deadheart!" Hawkfeather sprinted towards him "What happened? Why are you so late?" Deadheart gasped for air.
"Oh, nothing." He meowed while panting "I was just held back by... something at camp."
"As long as you're here." Cloud meowed "Why are you limping?"
"I stepped on a sharp twig while coming here," He admitted, looking awkward "I'm fine though, really."
There was a bit of blood on the ground, and he seemed fine.
"Let me see." Cloud meowed. Deadheart obeyed, seeing the strange look in her eyes. Cloud pulled the remaining pieces of the twig out of his paw. He flinched.
"There," She meowed "It'll have to do for now. We should get going." Hawkfeather gawked at her. Just five seconds ago, she had told him to wait.
"Go where?" Deadheart scrambled out of his awkward position.
"We need to look for Skyblaze." She meowed calmly
"What? Why?" Deadheart's ears perked up
"We don't know," She answered "She left to follow someone, and she hasn't come back yet."
"Then let's go!" Deadheart panicked "She could be held by those rogues!"
Hawkfeather nodded quickly and together they dashed off into FireClan territory. Cloud opened her mouth to taste the air.
"She went that way." Cloud flicked her tail towards the edge of the territory.
"What could she possibly be doing?"
"I told you, she was following someone." Cloud shot him an annoyed look
"Sorry..." Hawkfeather muttered
Deadheart looked at him in sympathy. They followed Cloud outside of FireClan territory, where she suddenly stopped.
"What now?" Deadheart whined
"Someone else was here!" Her eyes were wide
"Who?" Hawkfeather meowed
"I don't know. The scent isn't from any clan!" She cried desperately
"Well, never mind that!" Hawkfeather half shouted "We have to go help her, she might be in trouble!"
That seemed to jolt her out of her panic. She opened her mouth again, and went further into the unknown woods. There was a strange air hanging in the forest. A heavy feeling Deadheart couldn't shake from his fur.
"I hate this place." He muttered
"I know," Hawkfeather meowed "it feels so strange here."
They continued through, the feeling the unease growing. For the second time, Cloud stopped eruptly.
"What?" Deadheart hissed
"Look!" She flicked her tail at a clearing. Skyblaze was lying in the middle, limp.
"Sky-!" Hawkfeather was cut off by Deadheart, who jumped on top of him.
"You crazy?" He hissed "We're all going to be killed!"
Hawkfeather quiet down. Skyblaze looked so vulnerable there.
"Who could have done this?" Cloud meowed with shock
"It's got to be the rogues." Deadheart muttered "They've been causing trouble everywhere."
Cloud nodded in silent agreement. The three cats stared at their unmoving friend, heart hanging by a thread. Finally, Hawkfeather spoke
"We should go help her. There's no one coming. We need to get her out of there and back to FireClan camp."
Deadheart looked at him, then at Cloud
"He's right, you know." His eyes pierced her "We should start moving."
"What if it's a trap?"
"So what if it's a trap? We need to take a risk to get her out of there." Deadheart meowed, a growl forming
"We could all die." She hissed "What will the clans do then?"
"You stay then," Hawkfeather spoke up "Then they'll at least have you."
She glared at him. "How could you say such a thing?"
"It's true though"
"Stop your arguing! Let's go, we should all stick together." Deadheart meowed angrily
They stopped and followed Deadheart out into the clearing. They quickly grasped Skyblaze by the scruff.
"AARGGHH!" Someone cried from the forest. A huge tabby jumped out from the trees and bowled Deadheart over. All of a sudden, cats came flying out from everywhere.
"Cloud! Get her out of here!" Hawkfeather shouted over his shoulder while battling two toms at once. She grasped Skyblaze's scruff with her teeth and dragged her off to the trees.
"Where do you think you're going?" A heavyset tom stepped in her path. Cloud dropped Skyblaze and hovered protectively near her. She leapt onto the tom's shoulders and swiped at his eyes. He cried out in pain and flipped Cloud over. Using her strength, she bounced off her shoulders and aimed her hind legs at his stomach. Huge paws swiped at her nose and knocked her down into the mud. Just as he lifted his paw to give the killing blow.
"NO!"
The ground shook and opened up. The tom fell into the deep crack as he screamed. Cloud scurried away from the edge, panting with fear. A couple others had also fallen, but thankfully not Deadheart or Hawkfeather. They both seemed to be in shock. Cloud turned around to glance at what they were looking at. Skyblaze was panting, her blue eyes extremely wide.
"I'm sorry!" She cried desperately "I didn't mean too!"
Half of them were scurrying away into the woods, tails fluffed up in fear.
"Oh my gosh," Cloud breathed "That was you?"
"I don't know how!" She wailed "I was scared! He was about to kill you!"
"I..." Cloud didn't know what to say. Skyblaze looked absolutely terrified at herself.
"Okay, let's all calm down." Deadheart meowed, trying to keep his voice steady "The most important thing to do right now is get Skyblaze back to camp." he was shaking
"Yes, of course." Hawkfeather stuttered "Let's go. We need to tell our leaders what happened."
They padded out of the strange forest and back into FireClan territory. It seemed like a huge weight was lifted off of their shoulders. Deadheart took in a gulping breath. He and Hawkfeather accompanied Cloud and Skyblaze close to the camp.
"Well, we should get going." He meowed, still feeling uneasy "Be careful."
Skyblaze looked at him with her strange blue eyes and padded into their camp. Deadheart sprinted back to BreezeClan territory, not bothering to try and hide his scent in FireClan. Too much had happened today, way too much.
(FireClan)
Skyblaze padded into camp, Cloud on her heels. She sneaked back into the warriors den, carefully trying avoid stepping on everyone's tail. Her nest was cold, and the cold pierced her bones. There was still one question that is in her mind. Who was following us? The mysterious cat had disappeared during the fight, and Skyblaze never knew who it was. She sighed and rolled over. They had to find out who it was, no one can know what is going on. Not yet, at least. She closed her eyes and sleep crashed over her.
(RippleClan)
The reeds rustled as Hawkfeather snuck back into camp. He winced. The noise was loud in the silent night. He was still confused. How did Skyblaze do that? It can't possibly be true. He needed to tell Wetstar what was going on... Hawkfeather was too tired. He padded slowly back to the den, hoping no one will catch him.
"Hey Hawkfeather!" Jaygaze meowed, coming from the dirtplace. Hawkfeather slowly turned around.
"Jaygaze!" He meowed, "What are you doing so late?"
He looked at him with a strange look "I went to the dirtplace." He meowed as if it was the most obviously thing in the world.
"Of course!" Hawkfeather stuttered, and faked a yawn "I'm so tired. I should go to sleep."
He scurried to the den to avoid any questions. He was never so glad to see his nest.
(BreezeClan)
Windheart was outside of his den as Deadheart padded back into camp.
"Where did you go?" He meowed calmly, as if he already knew
"Um..." Deadheart didn't know whether to lie, or to tell the truth.
"Forget it," Windheart interrupted "Just tell me next time." He turned around into his den, and noticed Grasspaw peeking out from the den.
"What are you looking at," He scolded. Grasspaw shrunk as Windheart went into the den.
"Why's he so grouchy?" He asked Deadheart
"Isn't he always?"
Grasspaw opened his mouth to reply, but no words came out. Deadheart couldn't help but laugh. It felt strange to laugh after all had happened tonight.
"Wait..." Deadheart trailed off. He'll tell Windheart tomorrow. Right now, he needs sleep.
(FireClan)
Cloud rolled around in her nest. It wasn't that she couldn't sleep. She wanted sleep so badly, but it wasn't coming to her. She couldn't stop thinking about what happened. Skyblaze had opened up the earth! What in the world was going on? Her head was throbbing with questions.
"Oh my StarClan..." She sighed. If she doesn't get her answers soon, she might just burst.
Cloud lifted herself up and out of the nest. She padded out of the apprentices' den to get a breather.
"Cloud? What are you doing?" She turned around, surprised. Stoneheart padded out from the dirtplace tunnel. He seemed dead tired, but shocked at her presence.
"Me? I was just getting some air." His eyes narrowed in disbelief, Cloud gulped "I should be asking you what you're doing!"
"Nothing," Stoneheart walked past her "You kittypets shouldn't be involved in Clan things."
Cloud stared at him in shock. How could he say such a thing. Something strange was going on, and she had a feeling it was not good at all.
"What'd you say to her?" a voice growled from behind them. Pinepelt emerged from the warriors' den. He looked absolutely angry.
"Nothing..." Stoneheart looked terrified. What is going on?
"Good," Pinepelt grunted "You've caused enough trouble already. Off with you!"
Stoneheart scrambled off into the warriors den, tail fluffed up.
"He's been acting extremely strange lately..." He murmured, half to himself "You should go back to your den." He nodded at Cloud. Cloud turned around and half ran to the apprentice den. There was too much going on, even in the Clan.
"It's gotta be the rogues!" She whispered "Everything has gone wrong since they appeared."
Cloud panted heavily, her heartbeat racing. She needed to figure out what was going on with those rogues. They aren't normal rogues... everything from their fighting technique and the cats in the band! The four of them must figure this out.