The moon hung high above in the clouds, shining down onto a dense forest below.
It was the night of The Gathering, the first in many moons.
Below, in the gorge of gathering, sat many cats, whispering hushed things amongst themselves as the leaders below argued.
It was not the start to a good night.
"But that territory is RubbleClan's! To take it would to be going against StarClan themselves, how dare you Darkstar!"
Three, tall, intimidating cats sat upon a gray slab of rock, and below sat three more cats, eying the gathered cats above. Or, so three cats would usually be sitting there, instead, tonight, one tiny ginger and white she-cat was erect, fur standing on ends as she hissed to the largest tom on the gray slab.
"Russetstar, it would be best if your deputy learned when to hold her tongue," The dark tabby's amber eyes flashed angrily, glaring down upon the tiny cat. Next to him, a ginger she-cat moved, her tail swishing to cover up the angry cat's muzzle.
"Control your temper, Cloudfire," The tiny she-cat obeyed, sitting down in a huff next to the three other deputies. The ginger cat sititng above her, content, turned away from the young cat, instead focusing her attention upon the dark tom. "but, what she says is true, Darkstar. RubbleClan territory has always been left, out of respect for the lost souls of the lost clan. To merely take it would be wishing ill-"
"My clan is starving, no one uses that territory anymore anyway. RubbleClan is nothing more then rubbish, a myth!" The tom's amber eyes blazed, a cruel smirk twisting upon his lips. "Those who believe it are no better then kits." Something flashed within the she-cat eyes and, not a moment sooner, she was on her paws, hissing.
"How dare you speak of them that way! Why-" "Leave him be, Russetstar." On the far right of the slab, sat a small white she-cat. She had watched the argument, with a quiet air, before deciding to intervene as the ginger she-cat stood up. "If he wants the land, let him have it, it's only the marsh."
The ginger she-cat bristled, her eyes flashing to meet the other she-cats mis-matched eyes. One green, one blue. This cat had only taken over in the eave of her father's death four moons ago but, was already proving her worth. She had ended the long one-sided feud between StreamClan and TimberClan and, for that, the ginger she-cat respected her.
"The land is cursed anyway."
Sitting back down, the ginger cat turned away from the dark tabby, who was smirking from his "win".
"Now," he started, with mock respect lacing his voice. "is there anything else you wish to say, Wildstar?"
The white she-cat bristled for a moment, before turning away. "No."
"Then, this gathering is over. MarshClan, return!" From below, a small black she-cat shot off, running up the indented earth. Many cats followed suit, the dark tabby being the last to jump down.
"Hear this warning, Darkstar, " His eyes shifted to the ginger she-cat, a look of confusion crossing across his face. "Nothing good shall come from this, you have brought doom upon this forest, I can feel it." The tom smirked, amber eyes glistening.
"Then I shall battle that doom, head on, Russetstar." Letting out a proud, haughty laugh, the tom took off, heading back for the marshes from where he was born.
But, perhaps the tom should have listened to the ginger she-cat for, she had been right.
Nothing good came from those woods.
And, nothing good would come from MarshClan reawakening the ghosts of that forest, ghosts that should have been left to rest.
"Dear StarClan, it's a massacre..."
It was a bloodbath, mangled limbs and bones scattered apart, staining the ground a horrible red. They had been on patrol, sent to the otherside of the river to patrol the old RubbleClan border lines. Usually, they would not have to worry but, Darkstar had become more and more ambitious and, Wildstar could take no chances. Not only that but, Wildstar's mate and the deputy, Jadeclaw had gone missing and patrols were sent out nearly every hour in hopes of finding him.
They had found him alright but, unfortunately, not in the way they hoped.
He, alongside two non identified cats, had been found mangled and gutted, left open like a rotting wound. It was a nasty sight to see but, the cats could only be glad that their leader, Wildstar, had not been here to see it either.
"Jadeclaw..." A brown she-cat stumbled forward, nosing the dead body tenderly. Hawkfire had been one of Jadeclaw's mate's closest friends, it was only natural she felt a great pang for this loss.
Falconclaw, even if he would never admit it, felt a great sadness for this loss himself.
No cat should ever be killed this way.
No one deserved this.
"Hawkfire! We found something!" Beneath the safety of a bush, back on TimberClan's side of the old border, two tiny mewls were heard. "Kits.."
Three tiny scraps of fur, all black in color, mewled and cried for a mother that would not come.
If Falconclaw had to guess, she was somewhere on the otherside of the border, mangled alongside Jadeclaw.
"Hawkfeather, didn't your mate just have kits?" The tom glanced up from the kits, nodding. "Good, then she can nurse them." Turning to leave, Hawkfire padded forward but, stopped as Hawkfeather called out once more.
"Hawkfire, this one isn't moving..." Her eyes flashed for a moment, before she drew in a sigh. "Leave it, the patrol from the gathering will be returning soon, we need to report this to Wildstar." And with that, she was off, leaving Falconclaw himself and Hawkfeather to carry the kits home.
But, as they left, they never did look back and so, they never did see the eyes of the beast, back within the darkness of the abandoned territory.
The eyes of the beast, living within RubbleClan.