Hi again! Sorry I haven't updated this in a while...the other day,I sprained my ankle and it was my birthday on Friday, so I was busy going to the doctor and stuff like that. But now, you guys can enjoy! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors.

Chapter 6: Dark Forest's Intentions

"Has he figured it out yet?"

A battle scarred tom leaped through the bare branches of a bush, landing next to a dark tabby tom who was looking into a murky puddle. The tabby unsheathed his gnarled claws, flexed them and lashed his crooked tail. The look in his amber eyes was sadistic. He bared his fangs in what would've been an evil smile. "Jayfeather is a smart tom, I'm sure he'll piece it together sooner or later."

The dark tabby glanced back into the murky water and swished his tail back and forth in approval. The first cat-a light brown tom with scars along his neck-gazed into the puddle beside the massive battle scarred tom. "Have they met?"

The dark tabby tom hissed in annoyance. "You're full of annoying questions, aren't you?" The brown tom flicked his black ear, but showed no anger towards the tabby. "It was only a question..."

"Antpelt, go bother some other cat, I am trying to listen to Jayfeather here," the tabby hissed and whacked Antpelt with his tail. Antpelt growled at the battle scarred tom, but reluctantly turned away. The tabby turned to face the murky puddle once more.

He was now staring at a male Twoleg with gray fur on top of his head and gray pelts. The Twoleg was standing next to another Twoleg, but this one was female. She had auburn-brown fur and brown eyes. The tabby couldn't understand what they were saying, but he was sure that they were talking about his test subject.

Suddenly, the female Twoleg ran away from who the tabby assumed to be Jayfeather, leaving him confused. The scarred tabby snarled a bit and unsheathed his long, gnarled claws. He slashed at the murky surface of the water and turned towards the bare-branched bush behind him. The tabby tom leaped through a gap with no problem and into the forest. Shadowy figures lurked in the darkness, but the battle scarred tom seemed unphased by the eeriness of the gloomy forest. He stopped in front of a small boulder and leaped up next to a large tom.

"I believe our subject is fulfilling his job," hissed the dark tabby. The broad shouldered tabby beside him let out a wicked mrrow.

"Good," muttered the large tom.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, meet beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!"

The moon was steadily climbing in the sky. Sleepy warriors shuffled over to the clearing below Highledge. Ambersky nervously padded out from behind the bramble curtain of the medicine den entrance. Cinderheart herded Duskkit and Sunkit out of the nursery with a sweep of her tail. Dovewing slowly made her way to the outside of the entrance to the nursery, her belly swollen with kits.

Ambersky leaped up next to Bramblestar, Squirrelflight close behind. When the Clan was quiet enough, Bramblestar backed up and let Ambersky step forward. She wanted to tell the Clan of Jayfeather's disappearance.

"Cats of ThunderClan," she sounded more confident than she actually was. All the excess murmurs had silenced to the howl of the low breeze sweeping through the gorge. Ambersky gulped; it was dead silent. "J-Jayfeather is missing."

Howls and yelps of protest broke out as soon as the words left her mouth. Her ears flattened against her head in shame; she should've known better than to let Jayfeather go into the tunnel on his own. The gray medicine cat apprentice looked at her paws, trying to hide her face from every cat in the clearing.

Bramblestar called a warning howl to the clearing. "It is not Ambersky's fault. She did not know the story, nor was she old enough to remember his first disappearance." This quieted down the protesting Clan, and Ambersky decided to look up at her Clanmates again.

"He returned to us once, so he must be able to return again," Bramblestar went on to the Clan. "I'm sure he just wandered off of Clan territory, and into the woods somewhere. Don't worry, we will find Jayfeather."

Some cats muttered in disagreement, others remained silent. The Clan broke up and padded back to their dens, returning to their nests so that they could sleep. Ambersky sighed as she too started to head back to her den. Bramblestar padded up beside the gray she-cat and nudged her gently. "It's not your fault you know. You can stop blaming yourself."

Ambersky nodded and continued to pad towards her den. She was greeted by a yawn from Briarlight, who was curled up in her nest. The gray she-cat padded to her own nest and collapsed tiredly into the moss. Ambersky's eyes drooped closed and she fell asleep.

Ambersky awoke in the hunting fields of StarClan. A menacing hiss sounded from the shadows and Ambersky glanced over her shoulder. The lush green forests of StarClan slowly faded into a shadowy forest. It seemed that there was an invisible line between the two forests, because all the grass and undergrowth in the other forest were dead.

Ambersky heard the slash of claws against bark and more hissing, so Ambersky decided to see what was going on. She silently padded towards the source of the hissing and hid herself in the bare branches of a dead bush.

Now that she was closer, Ambersky could make out two figures through the shadows. One was jet black with amber eyes, and the other cat...the other cat was Jayfeather!

It seemed that the two of them were fighting; the black tom lashed out at Jayfeather's chest, but Jayfeather jumped back just in time. Ambersky struggled in the bare branches of the dead bush, twigs and sticks snagging her pelt.

"Jayfeather!" she shrieked in exasperation, when she finally got loose of the branches. Jayfeather's blue eyes widened at the sight of Ambersky.

"You need to get out of here, Ambersky!" hissed Jayfeather. The black tom slashed at Jayfeather again, landing and sinking his claws into the side of his face. The gray tom let out a howl of pain and lashed out at the black tom. Jayfeather glanced in Ambersky's and hissed again. "Go, now!"

The black tom turned around to face Ambersky and he sneered. He hissed and slashed at her, and Ambersky toppled over. She quickly regained her composure, and bolted out of the dead, gloomy forest, the black tom on her tail.

Ambersky sat up in her nest, eyes wide in fear. "Jayfeather's in trouble."

Author's Note~

Hello my lovelies! Sorry this took a while to update, like I said I was really busy. Jayfeather and Autumn weren't really in this chapter, but they will be in the next chapter!

Thanks for reading! And leaving a review wouldn't hurt! ;)

~Xelaric the Nobody