Hello! It's back! I've sorted out what I want to do with this story and hopefully it'll be pretty smooth sailing from here on out (for me, not the characters). Thanks to everyone who gave me positive feedback for this story, you guys are a big part of my decision to continue this story.
Without further ado; here it is!
By the next day Maple seemed to have recovered from her breakdown and Shadecloud stepped out of their den to find the calico sharing a thrush with Shadow.
As the grey she cat watched Shadow said something and both laughed, even from across the clearing Shadecloud could see Maple's green eyes twinkling. As if she could feel the warrior's gaze resting on her the dappled she cat looked up, she grinned at Shadecloud before turned back to Shadow.
Settling down in a sunny spot near her den Shadecloud began to wash her dark grey fur, licking one paw and drawing it over her ears. As she was twisting to reach her back the black speckled she cat felt someone sit down beside her and recognised Lotus' scent.
The colorpoint she cat was watching Shadow and Maple with a small smile, as Shadecloud looked up she turned to face the warrior. "Looks like we might be seeing a new litter of kits soon." She remarked cheerfully.
Shadecloud nodded in agreement, thinking how much like one of the queens the normally aloof she cat sounded.
"It's nice that they're spending time together of their own accord." She added with a wry smile. "It gets messy with new cats." She explained, making a face.
Shadecloud laughed and looked at the cream she cat, wondering what had brought on the change in her attitude. "You're very cheerful today," She ventured, hoping she hadn't crossed the line.
Lotus only hummed in response, a low, contented sound that made Shadecloud think of her own mother's purring lullaby from when she was a kitten. The wind changed sending a whiff of Frost's scent to Shadecloud's nose on a soft breeze that ruffled her dark pelt.
The scent was soon accompanied by pawsteps and Frost stepped into Shadecloud's line of view, his eyes fixed on Lotus and a gentle smile on his face.
As he approached Lotus rose to greet him, touching noses with a purr. "Hello darling," Frost said, twining his tail with Lotus's as he settled down beside them.
With a small smile Shadecloud pushed herself up, "I'll leave you two in peace." She said, smirking at the pair.
Lotus looked up briefly and rolled her eyes before returning her gaze to her mate who simply smiled in Shadecloud's general direction.
With a shake of her head Shadecloud started to pad away before pausing, realizing she didn't know what to do. Pausing in her moment of indecision Shadecloud missed the sound of pawsteps until Rooster's voice sounded behind her.
"Looks like love is in the air." The mottled tom remarked, as usual there was a rumble of warm laughter in his tone and his eyes were dancing with mischief.
Shadecloud nodded, allowing a laugh of her own as she did, "It certainly does, it's nice that Shadow and Maple hit it off so well, I'm glad to see her so happy." The grey she cat smiled as she watched the pair in question pad into the forest together, deep in conversation.
For just a heartbeat Rooster's expression darkened but the look was gone so quickly that Shadecloud wondered if it had been her imagination. As Shadecloud puzzled over what she'd observed the tom angled his ears towards Frost and Lotus, "Good news for them too, Fallow will be over the moon. She's always wanted grandkits."
"Grandkits?" Shadecloud asked, looking from Rooster to the couple. "Lotus is pregnant?"
Rooster grinned at the surprised warrior, "They haven't said anything but that's my personal theory."
Shadecloud returned the grin, accompanied by a shake of her head, "You had me for a second, although you might be right." She mused, thinking over her earlier conversation with the cream she cat.
"They'll announce it in their own time, if it's true that is." Rooster concluded mildly, beginning to pad towards the entrance. "And when they do I'll say 'I told you so'."
Shadecloud shook her head at the aging tom's antics as the bushes closed behind him, obscuring him from view.
"Hey, you look a little bored!" Maple called out from where she was standing with Shadow near the entrance. "Do you want to come hunting with us?"
Shadecloud hesitated for a moment, wondering if she would be intruding, then decided that if it came to it she could always excuse herself and return to the hollow. "Sure!" She called over to the pair, getting to her paws and bounding over to them.
"Alright, shall we go then?" Shadow asked, touching his nose lightly to Maple's ear as he turned to lead the small patrol into the woods.
As usual the forest seemed eerily dark despite the sun shining high overhead, the trees whispered and rustled as the cats passed by and each bush seemed to hide gleaming eyes. Unable to allay her uneasiness Shadecloud quickened her pace and stepped closer to Maple, the calico didn't seem any more comfortable than the grey warrior and her green eyes darted from shadow to shadow.
Ahead of them Shadow's mottled form wound through the undergrowth as though he himself was part of the flickering shades. His golden eyes glinted in the low light as he cast a glance back to be sure that his companions were still behind him.
"This place is really creepy." Maple whispered as a snapping sound rang out from somewhere in the bushes.
Shadecloud peered in the direction of the noise, shuddering as she tried not to think about what could have caused it. "You're certainly right, I'd hate to be out here alone."
"Careful!" Shadow called back to them, "There are some craters and sinkholes around here so keep an eye out."
Even as he said the words they came into a clearing, the open space was light where the trees opened up above them. The ground was blackened and scorched, the trees the ringed the clearing were charred and dead.
Another snapping sound reached their ears again, at the sound Shadow stopped, tension clear in every line of his form. Shadecloud pricked her ears, taking a couple careful steps forward to stand beside the mottled tom.
"Is everything okay?" She whispered, keeping her eyes fixed on the surrounding undergrowth.
Shadow looked at her, his eyes dark with worry. "Take Maple and get back to The Hollow, you can protect each other."
From behind them Maple asked quietly, "What about you? Aren't you coming with us?"
"I'll follow soon. Don't worry about me, Love, I can take care of myself." He told her, his voice dropping to a softer, gentle tone that made something deep inside Shadecloud ache.
As the pair touched noses, Shadecloud found herself thinking of the tom she'd loved what seemed an age ago.
There was another rustle, louder this time and closer to them, Shadow's gaze darkened even further and his voice was even more urgent; "Go on now, I'll see you before sunset."
Shadecloud didn't need to be told twice and looked back to where Maple was hesitating to watch Shadow disappear into the undergrowth, though not without a gentle look back at the calico.
"Maple, let's get back." Shadecloud called as loudly a she dared, her pelt already prickling with that feeling of being watched. "Don't worry about Shadow, he'll be fine."
Maple nodded and followed Shadecloud back the way they'd come, though all too frequently her emerald gaze was fixed on the forest behind them.
As they neared the Hollow Maple stopped short, her ears pricked and every line of her body taught. Shadecloud stopped too, listening for whatever sound had caught her friend's attention. When she did catch it the noise was faint but could still be identified as a cry, though it was muffled by the trees and the distance.
"Maple." The former warrior said warningly, seeing her friend's body tense further as she prepared to leap back into the undergrowth. "You don't know it's him."
"But what if it is?" She asked, wide-eyed.
Before Shadecloud could voice her response the calico had leaped off, disappearing into the thick undergrowth with a single bound.
Only a heartbeat later Shadecloud plunged back into the woods after her, trying to keep track of the she cat's dappled pelt in the gloom. Before she knew it Maple had gone without a trace, her scent lost in a patch of boggy ground.
She paused, realizing that the last trace of Maple's scent was the only familiar thing in her surroundings. The dark forest was strange and the scent of damp and rot rose from the marshy ground. Her pelt prickled with uneasiness and every shadow seemed to hide the flashing fangs and claws of a Fallen One.
A loud crack brought Shadecloud crashing back to reality and she stiffened, looking around for any sign of movement or coldly glinting eyes in the dark. Another crack sounded, followed by a heavy thump and she turned back the way she came, ears pressed flat.
Branches clawed her fur and the trail she was following was almost obliterated by her own fear scent.
When she reached The Hollow the scene laid out within the clearing was idyllic, Lotus and Frost were lying in a patch of sunshine watching Rooster play with the kits. Nearby Fallow was scolding Ember who didn't look at all sorry but seemed to be apologizing.
As Shadecloud skidded to a stop the cats looked up, as their expressions shifted from shock and surprise to horror the grey she cat realized that she must look terrible.
She took a second to shake out her tangled fur and pick out a few of the leaves that had gotten caught in her long pelt during her mad dash through the forest.
"Shadecloud, is everything alright?" Lotus asked, padding up with concern clear in her blue eyes.
A heartbeat later Fallow appeared next to Lotus with a far darker look in her eyes. "What happened to Maple?" She asked abruptly, her voice bordering on hysterical.
Shadecloud stammered for a moment, trying to collect her thoughts; "She, I, well, Shadow told us to go back so we did but she ran after him and I tried to follow her but I lost the trail and I thought I heard something so I ran back for help." The words tumbled out in a barely intelligible string.
Lotus pressed against Fallow's side as if to calm her mother, "Do you think you can lead us to where you lost her scent?"
Shadecloud nodded, steadying herself with a deep breath. "I think so."
"Lead the way then." Frost said, coming to stand on Lotus's other side.
Rooster padded over, leaving the kits to play with a feather, unconcerned about the scene playing out only foxlengths away from them. "Come on Fallow, how about I get you something to eat while this gets sorted out."
Still shaken the tabby she cat allowed the old tom to lead her back to the kits and Shadecloud saw them settle down to eat a pigeon before she padded out of the clearing.
The fear scent lingered along the path of broken undergrowth and beaten earth she'd run only minutes before. She shivered as she detected, faintly but still present, the scent of someone or something else.
"I'm guessing this is where you lost her scent?" Frost asked as his paws sank into the boggy ground.
Beside him Lotus shuddered, shaking dirty water off one delicate paw; "I hate this place. It smells like death." She muttered and Shadecloud realized the she cat was right.
Trying not to think about the scent of decay hanging over the marsh Shadecloud peered through the gathering darkness; "Which way do you think she'd go? You know the territory better than I do."
"Can you make us a path?" Lotus asked quietly.
Frost nodded and suddenly a path of blue-white ice extended from his paws into the darkness, disappearing into the gloom. "Come on, we shouldn't be out here after dark so we'd best get a move on." He said, padding off along the icy trail.
Shadecloud followed him, doing her best not to slip on the ice, the last thing she wanted was to find out how deep the standing pools of stagnant water were.
From behind her Lotus spoke up; "We should have brought Ghost with us."
Frost nodded thoughtfully and Shadecloud wondered what the small, shy she cat could do to help them find Maple.
Lotus seemed to pick up on Shadecloud's confusion because she explained in a low voice: "Ghost can see every bad deed a cat has ever done, the worse the deed the more visible it is to her."
"Maple killed her sister by accident, would Ghost be able to track her through that?"
Neither of her companions looked surprised at the revelation, Frost just nodded sadly and Lotus made a sympathetic noise.
"Murder is really big, it's like a beacon." Lotus winced at Frost's words leaving Shadecloud wondering how they had discovered that.
Lotus looked up at the sky, barely visible through the trees above, and furrowed her brow; "Should we go back? It's getting pretty dark and the trail is cold anyway."
Suddenly realizing that they would have to walk home in the dark if they didn't turn back Shadecloud nodded, "We'll have better luck looking in daylight and for all we know she might be back at The Hollow al…"
She broke off, realizing that Frost had stopped short and the path was becoming slippery as though melting.
"Maple won't be back at the Hollow." His tone silenced the questions rising in Shadecloud's throat. "We've found her."
The white tom stepped aside to allow Shadecloud and Lotus to stand where he'd stopped heartbeats before.
Beside her Lotus tensed and took a step back, Shadecloud could see why. Below the milky ice, which was slowly becoming more transparent to reveal the limp body of Maple.
Her green eyes were open but any emotion was long gone, she looked as though she'd been flung into the water like a ragdoll. Blood wreathed from her slit throat and from the brutal gashes torn into her body.
Shadecloud turned away, staring blankly into the darkness as tears pricked at her eyes. Behind her there was a splash and then the rippling sound of disturbed water. Lotus touched her nose to Shadecloud's ear, standing close enough that the grey she cat could feel the warmth of her pelt.
"Come on, we should get home." She said gently, taking step and allowing Shadecloud to lean on her shoulder when the former warrior's legs buckled beneath her.
The walk back to The Hollow felt like a dream, the only thing that felt concrete to Shadecloud was the guiding pressure of Lotus's shoulder supporting her. Though her eyes were open and undamaged she didn't see the path or the thinning trees. Nor did she feel the ground become more solid underpaw.
She was barely even aware of arriving at The Hollow and the shocked reactions of the other cats at the sight of Maple's body. It was only when she was seated beside the cold form of her friend, who had been laid out in the center of the clearing by Frost, that she felt the world come rushing back into horribly sharp detail.
It's going to get a lot darker now, that was always the plan but I'm really loving how it's turning out! Let me know what you think in a review, I love hearing your opinions, and if you liked it please follow and fav!
Also; it's been a while since I've worked on this so if you catch any inconsistencies let me know so I can fix them. I think I'll probably rewrite the early chapters at some point, I won't change the plot but I want the actual writing to reflect my current style. (What I mean is that I wrote it years ago and it's bad...)
That's all for now, the next chapter is in the works but I'm lazy so I might now finish it for a while.
Byeeeee :)