Chapter 13: The lost warrior...

Hey guys! This chapter is really exciting! And my longest yet! Yayz!

Quite sad at one point though.

RANDOM QUESTION: who likes any of this lot?

OWL CITY (MY FAV!)

COLDPLAY

IMAGINE DRAGONS

SNOWPATROL

Tell me in the reviews!

Disclaimer:

Neon: Go on Mysticpaw

Mystic: OK! Neon does not own warriors! :P

Neon: good, now can I hug you?

Mystic: (backs away slowly) um...how about no? (hey Dabi you like the way I used that!?xxx

NOW I WILL ANSWER REVIEWS!

Jayleaf1: "Right now it is Swiftpaw even though she probably just killed a cat!"

Actually she didn't I can assure you that Hollowflight is alive, as you will find out in this chapter, also thanks for liking her cause I just LOVE her! I can't wait to make her a warrior cause she'll have such an epic name! Xx btw thank you for all the support you have given me! If you have any fanfics, plz tell me and I will send you support back! (reviewing basically!)

Catlover19841: "What is furze, sorry I've never heard of it"

I have no idea either! Lol! I just looked it up and it has something to do with gorse? I'm not sure :D

Halfmoon: "I love Darkclan"

Haha, I do too! Aren't they just epic little evil kitties!

GuardianFan-He: "Wait. To stop Tigerstar will that mean Blackpaw will have to die?"

Hmmmmm... that's for me to know and for you to find out! I actually don't know yet, that's quite far down the storyline, probably the last book which has no plans at all so far ;)

ANYWAYYYY BACK TO THE BOOK! PLZ REVIEW SO I CAN DO MORE ANSWERING REVIEWS, IT'S FUN!

Mysticpaw groomed his thin black pelt, he sat underground in the apprentice den where it was coolest. Outside was the scorching sun and clear deep blue sky. There was no wind and no prey. He was lucky, his thin pelt keeping him a little cooler than the rest of his clanmates. But he was still boiling! His brother Nightpaw was lying grumpily in his nest. He had one of the thickest pelts and the hot weather wasn't doing him any good. His sister who was grooming herself also Swallowpaw had a short pelt like Mysticpaw and their father, Breezestar.

Mysticpaw was in mid lick when Clawpaw ran in. "Breezestar says get some sleep and go to the Darkforest to train." He then padded into the den through the tunnel and settled in his nest. Mysticpaw glanced at his two eyed brother. His amber eye and green eye glowing with excitement. Swallowpaw was already asleep looking extremely cute. Her silver tail curled around her, her grey ears twitching as she dreamed. Mysticpaw gave her a quick affectionate lick before settling down in his own nest. Going to the dark forest was something very normal, they received the best of training there and the warriors there made them formidable fighters, Mysticpaw didn't understand why the other clans only followed Starclan. Was the dark forest evil? Probably. But why would one clan want to follow the shadows?

He blinked open his dark amber eyes , Nightpaw's fluffy tail slapped him. "Come on slow snail" he growled. Mysticpaw rolled his eyes, he was used to Nightpaw's grumpy and irritable self, but they were still good friends. He spotted Swallowpaw up ahead with Rainpaw and Redpaw and the pretty long furred silver she cat, Featherpaw. "Come on you two! We have to get to the clearing!" Growled Redpaw. The arrogant red furball got on his nerves frequently. Acting with high authority all the time, Mysticpaw ran to catch up with Featherpaw. "So what do you think they'll teach us?" Featherpaw asked. Mysticpaw remembered it was only her second time. "Well, fighting I guess." Mysticpaw replied. Featherpaw nodded, trying to look brave but Mysticpaw could see her paws trembling. It was normal to be scared of the dark forest at first, but Mysticpaw had known these cats his entire life, they led Breezestar on his road to making Darkclan. Giving the exiled cats a place to live, united in their confidence in the shadow cats, that Starclan refused to take.

Mysticpaw couldn't help but think whether listening to the dark forest cats was a bad thing. It was all he had grown up with and he didn't know much different. Sometimes he would ask his father why they followed the dark forest cats and not Starclan. He would be rewarded by a sharp claw on his ear and a cruel comment calling him a disloyal mouse heart. Mysticpaw had plenty of scars from his father and his visits to the Darkforest. His ears were full of notches, too many for his young age. His brother had them too, their mother was more protective of his sister, she had mainly stayed clear of their father's beatings.

If Mysticpaw did something good though, like make Tigerstar proud in battle training or bring back a huge rabbit, his father would give him an approving purr and would take him for a hunt along with his siblings. Mysticpaw knew about his father's past, his grandfather Crowfeather had betrayed Breezestar and Nightcloud by taking Leafpool the thunderclan medicine cat as a mate. Then Breezestar's half siblings were born Lionblaze, Jayfeather and Hollyleaf.

Crowfeather never cared for Nightcloud, or Breezestar. Making Breezestar's parenting skills not the greatest. Along with Blossomfall who's mother basically unhinged her from the family. So Mysticpaw's parents didn't have the best experience. Making them poor parents to his siblings and himself. They tried though but Breezestar always expected the best out of Mysticpaw and Nightpaw. Pushing them to their very limits, especially in the dark forest. Blossomfall protected Swallowpaw always and left her sons to become strong warriors, while caring for her precious daughter.

Mysticpaw's thoughts were interrupted by a claw striking his cheek. Mapleshade glared at him her yellow slits shooting into him. "Pay attention. You're lucky I didn't do worse than claw your face."

Nightpaw was nowhere to be seen, as always he seemed to slink off during training and strangely Brokenstar would appear straight after his disappearance. Tigerstar sat in the centre of the circle. His amber depths scanning the group. Mysticpaw, Redpaw, Featherpaw, Clawpaw, Rainpaw, Lightshadow, Dogfang, Blackspots and Hollowflight sat in a semi circle around the dark forest leader. Mysticpaw couldn't help but cringe when he saw Hollowflight's neck scar. It had been inflicted on him by Swiftpaw, a thunderclan apprentice with the speed to match her name. Tigerstar had laughed when he found out how he had got it, calling him a fox being attacked by a mouse and losing. He was right though, it was strange how an apprentice could take on a seasoned warrior.

Mysticpaw hadn't fought in battle yet, nor had Nightpaw. But their claws itched readily for the first feel of fur and blood between their claws. If there was one thing the dark forest had taught him, it was that fighting was everything, and going for the kill was legendary.

Mysticpaw realised with a blur he had been paired with Clawpaw for fighting. The light brown tom was far less Kittypet looking than his brother Rainpaw, who had a long, fluffy cream coat. Clawpaw looked far more clan born. But really he had been adopted into Darkclan along with his brother when they were found abandoned by a river. Not that the two brothers remembered it.

Redwillow was their mentor for the night, he padded around them and inspected their health. "Looks like I have a good strong pair tonight. This will be interesting..." his green, snake like eyes glinted in the constant darkness. "Tonight you will learn how to fight, with complete darkness as your ally."

Mysticpaw gave a victorious smirk to Clawpaw, he was brown his pelt was not as dark as Mysticpaw's black fur that would easily slip into the shadows unnoticed. "Follow me and I will take you to the eternity of shadows. A place even we prefer to avoid..."

Mysticpaw plodded beside Clawpaw trying to see the confident tom's reaction of going somewhere even Tigerstar avoided. "Clawpaw, if there is something there that the dark forest avoids.. then surely it will be certain death for us!" Mysticpaw anxiously muttered in Clawpaw's ear. The light brown tom nodded.

"I don't think we should go there either but.. if we don't you know we'll get beaten up by Hawkfrost or Mapleshade." Clawpaw insisted.

"You two better get quiet or you'll regret it." Redwillow threatened. Clawpaw shared an uneasy glance with Mysticpaw but being the confident cat he was Mysticpaw decided to challenge Redwillow about what was there. "Redwillow, if you avoid this place, then what's in there.." Mysticpaw growled.

Redwillow stopped dead. Mysticpaw looked ahead of them and wished he hadn't. The small amount of murky light the Darkforest did have abruptly stopped. Ahead of the three cats was a huge expanse of darkness. Mysticpaw leapt back, his fur on end as from the obscurity came a tortured yowl. "What's in there!" Clawpaw shrieked.

Redwillow glanced at them. "The lost souls... have you ever heard of whisperers?"

Mysticpaw nodded. "Sometimes certain cats can hold on after they have faded away, retaining some sort of consciousness and a body at times. It might be quite faded, it depends on how strong a cat is that determines how long they will stay for. Tigerstar was one once, he stayed in my father's head, guiding him with whispers to lead Darkclan. Then he just came back into the dark forest like nothing happened. My father is rather confused about it."

Redwillow's pupils became larger as if he was surprised at how much Mysticpaw knew, but Mysticpaw had a feeling Redwillow knew the real reason for Tigerstar's come back along with Hawkfrost and Brokenstar. Who were whisperers too at one point. "The lost souls are whisperers, but they stay in the eternity of shadows, shrieking, yowling, terrified of the darkness around them. They were Darkforest cats once, but they've been here too long to be remembered. They sometimes lure cats in, from their sleep and well...kill them."

"Why!?" exclaimed Clawpaw.

Redwillow anxiously looked back at the shadows. "They were some of the most blood thirsty cats that ever existed, they're stuck in there.. bored.. and tormented. They want someone to share their pain, but not in a good way." He flicked his tail. "That's enough of a history lesson, you two have to go in there and find your way back out... preferably without dying."

Mysticpaw dropped his jaw open. "You've got to be joking! We'll die!"

"Actually there's a small chance you can get back out. If you're lucky they'll guide you out. Not to help you, but to make it more fun for them when they kill you a mouse tail away from the exit." Mapleshade slivered out of the bushes, grinning unpleasantly.

"Are they mad!?" Clawpaw hissed.

"No, they're insane. Being stuck in complete darkness for hundreds of moons can take the sanity out of you." Redwillow growled.

"No go, they won't follow you once you've got out, but you'd better hope you're fast enough and carful enough for them not to find you." Mapleshade chuckled. She sat down and wrapped her tail over her paws, as if the experience would be entertaining for her. What a sick piece of crowfood. Mysticpaw glared at her, and reluctantly followed Clawpaw as they took the first steps into the gloom.

Mysticpaw felt Clawpaw's soft fur against him when they crept forwards. Mysticpaw glanced back. "The exit's gone!" Mysticpaw whispered as quietly as possible in Clawpaw's shredded ear. His clanmate shuddered and tensed. "We'll have to keep walking then."

Mysticpaw saw something shift in the complete darkness, making him prick his ears and put all his senses on the most alert. Clawpaw let out a yowl as he was barrelled over by a shadowy shape. "look what she has found, two little kits, lost and scared, never to feel the touch of daylight again! She finds this excellently exciting!"

Mysticpaw realised the cat was referring to herself in third person. These cats really had gone mad. "Who are you?!" shouted Clawpaw at the unseen menace. "Her name? Does she remember her name!? Stuck in the screaming depths for so long... She thinks her name is Silverwhisper. Once so beautiful and loved, now she lurks in the darkness, waiting for an unlucky kit to be led her.. by the dark forest. For me to kill."

Silverwhisper crept closer to them, revealing her extremely faded shape. Her eyes were the only thing still un faded. They were a dark blue. Mysticpaw couldn't tell what colour her pelt was, it seemed she had been here for a long, long time. Another cat padded out of the cover of the night. He was not faded at all and obviously new. He was brown with a black ear and amber eyes. "The kin, of the betrayers!" he cried. "Tigerstar's students... I fought for the Darkforest.. I got killed.. I became one of them and then Ivypool..I got killed again." His voice went higher like a lost kit. "Tigerstar led me here when I became a whisperer, he told me going in here could bring me back...he trapped me here. LEFT ME HERE!" he roared as he filled with rage.

"wait, but you were a Darkforest cat, why would he leave you here, you're his clanmate." Clawpaw intrigued.

"Never trust him, he only wants the mass murders to be on his side, if not you're just a soldier, the next one he'll place ready to die. Leave while you can, Tigerstar has no loyalty to anyone, he only sees what he can use for his own plans. I learnt that the hard way, now I'm stuck in here.. for eternity."

"You're Antpelt aren't you?" Mysticpaw whispered. Antpelt nodded and turned to the mad she cat.

"Silverwhisper, leave them alone, you know I'm stronger than you. They don't deserve to die." Antpelt growled. Unsheathing his claws.

"But Silverwhisper wants blood...Silverwhisper want...REVENGE!" she yowled as she flung herself at Clawpaw. She clawed him with one long blow on his belly, ripping part of it open. Antpelt spat at the blue eyed cat and wrapped his paws around her neck as she laughed. She didn't even seem to notice when Antpelt snapped her neck bone. Mysticpaw, frozen watched her faded shape dissipate, soon it was no longer there. Antpelt nuzzled the writhing Clawpaw, as he yowled in agony. "I'll lead you out, help me carry him." Antpelt growled as he grabbed Clawpaw's brown fur in his jaws.

Together they dragged the bleeding apprentice, leaving a trail of blood, Mysticpaw didn't want to imagine how much pain Clawpaw was in. He could tell it was torture by the piercing screams Clawpaw let out. Finally Mysticpaw saw Redwillow and Mapleshade watching the darkness, waiting for them to return. They clearly couldn't see the three cats, their expressions were content. Mysticpaw looked at Antpelt with gratitude glowing in his amber eyes. "Thank you, so much Antpelt, I'll never forget this."

Antpelt purred. He looked longingly at the lighter reality. "I wish I could leave this place. But when you're a whisperer, you can never leave. I'm trapped in a prison where it's unlikely that I'll die." He then glanced down at Mysticpaw. "You're Mysticpaw aren't you?"

Mysticpaw nodded. "You need to make sure they know nothing of this, nothing of me. It will put you in grave danger if they think you're disloyal. You're entire clan trains here, you can't change their minds, but you can make sure you stay safe. Do what they want, do whatever you have to keep the disguise, it's the only thing stopping you from being killed." Antpelt whispered.

Mysticpaw felt a rush of emotion to the cat that had saved him. He touched his nose to Antpelt's brown fur. "Thank you."

Antpelt shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Now your friend is dying there, I think it best if you leave this place."

"We're coming!" an excited yowl echoed. Antpelt's smile turned to horror.

"They're coming! Go now!" Antpelt yowled. Mysticpaw's eyes widened as he saw an entire clan's worth of cats, all grinning with claws unsheathed.

Mysticpaw blinked his thanks to the lost warrior and dragged Clawpaw out of the prison. Mapleshade's grin turned to disbelief as Mysticpaw came into view, dragging Clawpaw. "How did you possibly survive..." she whispered.

Mysticpaw forced himself to come across arrogant. "Cause I'm awesome."

Redwillow gave Mysticpaw an approving nod. "Well done. But it looks like you're friend isn't doing that well..."

Tigerstar surprised Mysticpaw by wrapping his paw around his neck. Mysticpaw gulped. "Well done, Mysticpaw, you show as much talent as your father and brother."

"I don't think it's right, hardly anyone comes out of there alive." Mapleshade growled. Eyeing Mysticpaw suspiciously.

"I can't help that I've had the best training possible." Mysticpaw lied. Glancing at Tigerstar he continued. "From the most legendary cats."

Tigerstar smiled, clearly pleased and fooled by Mysticpaw's fake admiration. "The apprentice shows talent, we only have to enhance it. I can see us working together Mysticpaw." Tigerstar purred with a voice like honey.

Mysticpaw nodded and puffed out his chest, looking pleased. Mysticpaw had crossed the first river, he had gained the respect of Tigerstar, and the interest of the Darkforest warriors. Now he needed to continue the deception and do what they wanted, one day he would be fully integrated into the Darkforest, and no one would doubt him.

It was the only thing that could keep him living.

(By the way if you want tips on how to write, listen to music which relates to the storyline, I was listening to radioactive when I did this)

OHHHHHHHH! Poor Antpelt, after writing this I really warmed up to this version of him, by the way, he risked his life by doing that, if the dark forest cats find out they'll go and kill him so GO ANTPELT!

Thanks for reading plz Read and Review! Xx

Till next time! AND if you have any interesting warriors fanfics, your own or anyone else's plz tell me! xxx