Okay, I finally got over my writing block. I don't think this chapter is very good, though. Anyway, here it is.

Chapter 10-The Darklings

I watched hopelessly as the mouse slithered away from my grasp and disappeared into the undergrowth. It was my third moon in the Clans, and I was still a terrible apprentice. My hunting skills were pathetic and my fighting abilities were even worse compared to Lilypaw, Seedpaw, and the other apprentices.

Dewpaw sneered at me when he saw that I wasn't able to catch any prey at all. He had managed to capture two sparrows, a vole, a small hare and a robin, and the other apprentices also had a huge heap of fresh-kill by their paws. I flattened my ears in embarrassment.

As we headed back towards the camp, I couldn't help but be jealous of Snowpaw. He was always one step in front of me, and whenever I finally managed to catch up to him, he was gone. He was always the best hunter, the best fighter, and the best apprentice any Clan would ever want. Even the forest seemed to admire him. The slender branches of the trees appeared to bow down to him whenever he passed by, and the sun saluted him with its warm rays. He looked like a statue in the sunlight, warm and solid, strong and proud. I could see that he was going to grow up into a great warrior.

And me? I had no hope at all.

It had rained the other night, and my paws were brown with the thick mud. I wrinkled my nose in annoyance. A few puddles were lying around, and I glanced down at my reflection. A black cat stared back at me from the calm and still water. Its eyes were all flame and fire, flickering and leaping like tiny embers. The eyes were nothing but orange and red, yellow and blue. Those were my eyes. I blinked, and leaned closer to my reflection in the puddle.

Dewpaw stopped and called, "Hurry up, slowpoke! The rest of us don't want to wait for you."

The fiery eyes hardened, and seemed to glow brighter with an inner ferocity, like flames, like fire. The smoke gathered in my mind and snuffed out my thoughts so that I couldn't think clearly.

I looked up, and saw that I was alone in the forest. The other apprentices must have left without me. Oh, well. I needed to be alone so that I could think.

I tore my gaze from the puddle and began to sprint past the trees, in the opposite direction of the camp. Normally, I would have dashed up to the secret meadow in the clearing, but I didn't. It reminded me too much of Snowpaw. He was a better warrior than I could ever be. Jealousy flared up inside me.

I ran for what seemed like hours.

The ground beneath me eventually became rockier, and the grass disappeared. I awkwardly climbed over boulders and pebbles. My paws couldn't get a decent hold on the crevices.

Finally, I plopped down on soft ground again, and I paused to rest. The envy inside me had sizzled down into a dull ache. It wasn't fair. Why did I have to be here? Why did I have to a cat and be stuck in ThunderClan? I wanted to go home.

Home.

I hadn't thought about that place for a long time. A familiar emptiness echoed in my heart, and I quickly shoved the thoughts away. I didn't want to remember it. It would bring too much pain.

I buried my face in my paws and breathed in the smell of the brown undergrowth. It smelled old and musty, like an ancient spice that had been stored away for years and years in a childhood cellar. The trees swayed to the wind and crackled.

Something struck me as odd. I was used to the birds chirping and singing, but here, there was nothing but silence. The sun seemed colder, somehow. Even the scents of the undergrowth and leaves were different. The ground was barren with no trace of grass, and the sky was a darker shade of blue. Something about this place chilled the air. I shivered, and my fur prickled.

The trees seemed to be talking, and I strained my ears. The leaves whispered and huddled together, and whispered. I could barely make out the words.

She is the one…

She came.

She's here!

A single breeze traced its fingers over my neck, and even though it was only a slight touch, it chilled me to the bone. I winced and drew back with a small cry.

Hush now, child. Be still, for they may hear you.

Was I imagining voices? The wind sighed softly.

I looked around at my surroundings. The black rocks jutted out from the ground like huge spikes, and the skies and trees were lifeless. The leaves brushed against each other and whispered.

"Is someone there?" I called nervously.

A chorus of voices seemed to rise with the wind.

Don't say a word!

Be silent!

Be still!

Thou must be quiet, dearie, or they will find you.

I blinked. "What do you mean by 'they'?" I whispered.

There seemed to be three voices in the emptiness of the breeze. One of them murmured, The Darklings, child. They are blacker than any night, and prowl deep in the crevices of the inky depths. They sleep not.

Another voice breathed, This is a bad place to be in. Why are you here?

"I…I was just exploring," I stammered. "Where are you?" Who were these voices? They seemed to be coming from nowhere, and they echoed and mingled with each other like lost sprites. They sounded melancholy and mournful.

In truth, to say at least, we are nobodys. Oh yes, once, long ago, we might have had bodies and minds and places of our own, but those times were long lost.

We are lost souls, said another cracked voice. With nowhere to go and nowhere to be. We aimlessly wander the Boneyard and try to find our way back.

The first voice whispered, When we were still cats, the Darklings found us. They snatched us up like feathers and reaped our souls from our bodies. They planned to devour us like any other spirit would, but the three of us managed to escape.

The voice moaned, softly, and I had an impulse to cover my ears.

We have lost our way. We don't know where to go now, for the Darklings have fogged up our memories and made the path in front of us murky. We are destined to forever travel the Boneyard, in this cold place of ash and dust. So cold, so cold…

My heart pounded in my chest.

One of the souls whispered, almost hopefully, But no, all is not lost, for you have arrived.

I pricked my ears up. "Huh?"

We have heard, from the deepest corners of the Lake, that a savior would come, a cat that would arrive to bring peace to all the lands. And I have no doubt that that cat is you, missus.

I wanted to interrupt him, to say, "No, wait, you've got it all wrong. I don't know what you're talking about." But the voice sounded so hopeful, so sorrowful, that I couldn't bring myself to say it.

Oh, yes. We have heard. The prophecy says that a cat will arrive, a cat with wings of orange and red, with a heart so bright that it shone like the sun, and that she would come and help us all. You came. You came!

The voices rose to a soft chorus, and I felt the wind brush my cheek. It was stone cold. I instinctively flinched.

Our savior has come, it whispered. You shine brighter than any sun.

Suddenly, I stiffened. I began to feel uneasy, as if something unseen was crouching in the undergrowth. I spun around, but there was nothing there, nothing but the barren ground where no living things grew. The sky was grey. The whole place seemed to be holding its breath as the thing lurched in the shadows and crouched. In the back of my mind, I pictured an old, ancient creature, with pebbles for eyes, sticks for teeth, and a stone for a heart. It dripped a black substance, and smelled damp and musty like the deepest depths of the murky night.

Run, missus. Run far away from here.

It is there. We feel its presence. You must run now, or you could suffer the same fate as us!

Run, girl! Run!

The voices rose to a wail. The wind picked up and lashed at me with invisible claws. Without wasting a second, I sprang to my paws and began to sprint. I clambered over the solid rocks, and it slowed me down. Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw a flicker of movement. It made no sound, but I could feel it slinking after me.

The rough stone scraped my paws and I desperately lurched forwards. I had to get out of here! I didn't know why, but something about this place made me feel nervous and antsy.

And the voices. Had I imagined them? What were the Darklings?

I slipped and tumbled off onto firm ground. The grass tickled my nose, and I sneezed. Something was coming up behind me, but I didn't dare look. I quickly leaped to my paws again and continued running.

The trees flashed past me, and my legs were a blur as I dashed past.

The dark presence behind me seemed to be fading, but I didn't stop until I was a long distance away.

I stopped next to a bush to catch my breath. The birds twittered and sang from the branches, and the undergrowth rustled with beetles and mice. The sun shone warmly from the bright blue sky. I was safe, and was far away from the place they called the Boneyard.

But where was I? This part of the forest didn't look familiar.

A wave of panic swept over me. Was I lost? I couldn't be!

Desperately, I wandered to and fro, trying to find my way back. None of the trees looked familiar! None of the landmarks were the same!

I wanted to cry. What was I supposed to do now?

"Bramblestar!" I wailed. "Snowpaw! Millie!" I even called for Dewpaw. But no one answered my cries, and I felt lonelier than ever.

I was lost again. I lay down next to the trunk of an old tree to rest my paws. "Help!" I called. "Snowpaw! Millie!" An owl stared down at me with huge, round eyes. "Who? Who?" it rumbled.

My stomach growled, but I didn't have the heart to try to hunt. I sank down lower onto the grass. Was I doomed to forever wander the forest, lost and cold like the souls in the Boneyard?

A twig snapped from among the bushes. I leaped to my feet and pricked my ears up. I was hopeful that someone had come, but on a deeper level, I felt uncertain for some reason. A small prickle of doubt embedded itself in my mind.

The bushes stopped rustling, and lay still. I hesitantly took a step forward. "Hello?"

And suddenly, a flash of bright crimson fur exploded from the undergrowth and bowled me over. The breath was knocked out of me as it pinned me to the ground.

A fox stood over me. His yellow eyes were hard and unblinking, and his muzzle was scarred. I flattened my ears and stared up at him with wide eyes. I was too scared and shocked to do anything.

Another smaller fox was standing nearby. For a while, they chittered and snarled at each other in their strange fox language. Their voices were sharp and harsh, and they seemed to be arguing.

I squirmed and wiggled underneath him, but he pinned me down tight. I couldn't escape.

Oh, no. I'm going to die…

A sharp, hoarse voice sounded from the bushes, and another fox stepped out. It barked at the other two. She must have been the leader, for they nodded and ducked their heads.

She looked at me, and smirked. My heart pounded against my chest like a bird trying to escape.

The fox leaned down closer to me, and I could smell her sharp, rotten breath and the stench of crowfood on her scarlet fur.

She spoke in the cat's language, in a voice that was high and metallic. "So this is where you've been hiding." She chuckled. "Well, we're going to have to take you to our place." Her voice hardened, and the smile disappeared. "It's best that you don't try to escape."

The fox that had pinned me down now loosened his grip on me, ever so slightly. On a sudden impulse, I raked my claw over his face, and he reared back, howling. I leaped to my paws and dashed away.

Immediately, the smaller fox charged at me, and he was surprisingly strong. He knocked me face down onto the ground and pinned me down. Some of the dirt got into my nose, and I sneezed.

"She's a slippery one, Scarlet," he barked to the leader. "Are you sure she's the one?"

Scarlet trotted over and snarled, "Don't ever doubt me, Nettle. I'm as sure as sure. She's the one the prophecy wants."

She nodded at the second fox. Blood welled up from where I had scratched him, and he scowled at me angrily. The red rivers dripped down from his chin, and it made him look like he was crying tears of blood.

He bent over and whispered in my ear, "You'll pay for that, little kittypet. You'll pay dearly." I flinched as I caught a whiff of his rotten breath.

Scarlet barked something in the fox language, and they forced me to start walking with them.

Scarlet led the way, and the smallest fox, Nettle, trotted behind me. The one with the scratches plodded next to my side, and he growled low in his throat. I gulped, and shuffled forward with halting steps.

Should I try to escape? But they were much faster than me, and would surely be able to tackle me down.

Oh, Snowpaw. Where are you?

Nettle butted his head against my rear and barked, "Move it, cat! Walk faster."

Scarlet suddenly stopped walking. She tipped her head back and sniffed the air.

The fox with the weeping red scratches asked uncertainly, "What's wrong?"

"Quiet, Titus. I sense something."

I strained to listen, but I could hear nothing except birdsong.

Scarlet stiffened. "It's here," she said. "Why is it here?"

Nettle murmured, "Well, the Boneyard isn't that far away."

"But it's never ventured this deep into the forest before."

Something flashed in the corner of my eye. It melted into the woods like a liquid shadow.

I whimpered and crouched low to the ground.

Titus took a step back and growled, "The cat. It wants the cat."

Me? It wants me?

Another brief flash of darkness in the forest, and another. It seemed to be circling us.

The birds had stopped singing.

Scarlet muttered something under her breath and swore. Her fur prickled, and she suddenly yelled, "Run!"

Nettle butted my shoulder and sent me flying fore wards. Titus grunted. He bent down and heaved me onto his shoulders in one strong, smooth movement, and I landed with a small cry onto his back.

Something had spooked the foxes. They were running with a desperate ferocity, with their eyes wide and their ears flattened against their heads. Something flit from the darkness and seemed to be following us. I caught a whiff of its sour stench. It smelled old and musty, like a forgotten star that had fallen from the night long ago.

Scarlet barked, "We can't let it take the cat! The cat is ours!"

Their feet pounded on the ground and I bounced on Titus's back, willing myself not to fall off.

The forest seemed to moan, and shudder, and sigh. The trees groaned and creaked, and the branches seemed to move on their own.

And then, all of a sudden, the thing in the shadows was gone. I felt relieved, as if a great weight had lifted off my shoulders.

Slowly, hesitantly, the birds began to sing again, one by one.

The foxes slowed to a walk.

I took it as my chance. I took a deep breath, and leaped from Titus's back. My paws landed on the grass and I speeded away.

Scarlet howled angrily.

I heard them running after me, but I didn't look back.

"Help!" I screamed. "Someone help!"

A familiar feline head popped up from the bushes. It was Squirrelflight.

Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw the three foxes chasing me, but then she got up and charged at them.

Berrynose and Cinderheart appeared from behind her and hurled themselves at the foxes.

Scarlet snarled in fury and spat, "You wait, kittypet! We're going to get you! We're going to get you!"

She sounded so angry, and her beady eyes were scorched like fire.

She dodged most of the warriors' blows, but then beckoned at her companions and fled back to the trees.

I whimpered and shuffled backwards. What did she want from me?

Squirrelflight paused to catch her breath, and then demanded, "Where were you?"

She sounded angrier than I expected. I stammered, "Uh…I-I was on a hunting patrol with apprentices, and I got lost…"

The she-cat snapped, "How could you be so careless? The whole Clan was looking for you! If it weren't for us, the foxes would have killed you!"

Cinderheart murmured, "Squirrelflight, calm down."

I felt a hint of anger bloom up inside me. The whole Clan was looking for me? The whole Clan was worried about me? Those were lies! The Clan didn't care anything about me. They wouldn't care if I had disappeared. I didn't even belong here!

I spun away from the cats and stomped away. The landmarks were familiar now, and I recognized the path to the ThunderClan camp.

I trudged over to the apprentice's den and sank down onto the moss with a quiet sigh. A lot had happened today.

The anger boiled inside me. If Dewpaw had come into the den right then, I would have clawed his ears off no matter what. But luckily, he didn't.

Instead, it was Seedpaw.

"Ashley, you're back!"

I murmured something in reply. She looked worried.

The apprentice mewed, "You've got some scratches on your pelt. You should probably let Jayfeather check them before they get infected."

I probably got the scratches from when I blundered into a bramble patch. I nodded, and heaved myself up to my paws.

On tired feet, I slowly made my way to the medicine cat's den.

Jayfeather gazed at me with his blind eyes as I entered. He got up and sighed. "Alright, let's see where you're hurt."

OoOoOoOoOoOOOOooOooooOOo

I rested in the den with the chewed up herbs on my scratches. Jayfeather sorted through the plants and we watched each other in awkward silence.

I suddenly asked, "Do you know about the Boneyard?"

Jayfeather's gaze widened, and he quickly turned away. "Of course not," he meowed briskly. "No one's supposed to know about that."

I moved closer and mewed, "Please, I want to know more about it! And do you know what Darklings are?"

Jayfeather suddenly turned and spat, "How do you know these things? Did someone tell you?"

"Well…sort of." I didn't mention the lost souls. He must think I was insane if I did.

I suddenly felt dizzy and light-headed, and lay my head across the moss. Jayfeather muttered, "Just rest. You don't need to know anything about that stuff."

My eyelids felt so heavy. I was exhausted. I slowly closed my eyes and felt the comforting presence of sleep wash over me.