Chapter Four

It had been a hard few sunrises after Morningsun's incident. Moonstar was still worried about the young warrior, she was not recovering well from her wounds. It was early that morning when Webpelt came to visit her. "Her wounds are raw and inflammed," he had mewed softly. She could hear the defeat, so raw in his voice. "I don't know what else to do for her," he growled, "my herbs just don't seem to be working."

A choking wave seemed to enfold Moonstar, her body felt cold and rigid. How could she accept that one of her newest and most promising warriors was losing her battle? "Are you sure you couldn't tell what attacked her," she asked him again. It would be so easy for it to just have been a boar or a troublesome badger, then they could just go drive it away from their land. Not even Berrysplash had heard from the Star Runners about this incedent. Webpelt just shrugged miserably, his whiskers drooping; Moonstar knew how hard this must be for him. "And Fernpaw will still not speak with me," he whispered in his leader's ear.

Moonstar did not know how long it would take the apprentice to speak of what happened, but she hoped it would be soon. After her troubling meeting with the leaf mender, she had left the camp to be by herself for a little while. She caught curious glances from both Battlescar and Boartusk as she exited the camp; she didn't have to tell them where she was going, she could take care of herself. Besides, this was her territory; if there was some kind of predator lurking in the shadows, she could take care of it.

As her thoughts wandered, so did her paws. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't notice when she left the cover of the trees and her paws sunk into the warm, baked earth surrounding the Red Mountain. As she approached the towering mountain, she looked around for the first time. This is not my territory, she thought faintly. For some reason the thought still didn't strike her as odd. It was only until an unfamiliar scent of cat tickled her nostrils that she stopped and realized how far she had wandered.

"Are you Moonstar," a gruff, unfriendly voice called from behind her. As she turned, a large, bulky outline loomed in her path back to the jungle canopy. It seemed almost the spitting image of that mysterious cat she had met, but the voice was completely different. "Have we met," she asked calmly.

"My father told me about you," he replied; his voice softened slightly but was still rough with dislike. "He would probably want me to take you back to our camp," he continued. Moonstar looked at him questioningly, her fur beginning to rise a little.

"I have to return to my own camp," she mewed hesitantly, "they would be wondering where I went." The tom chuckled softly, his long, sleek tail whisking over the ground behind him. "You can return to your camp after you visit my father for a few moments," he promised in a teasing voice. His tone made Moonstar's whiskers burn with annoyance, this tom had no right to order her around.

"I suppose I can stop by for a little while," she grunted as he started to pad away. She didn't know if he was leading the way or what, since he was being unimaginably rude and curt with her. She was used to being treated with respect by her camp mates, not being treated like some kind of strange rogue that needed escourted to safety. She had to walk quickly to catch up as he padded around the edge of the mountain. He was leading her to the side that faced the ocean. She realized that this would be the first time any of the Beachrunners had seen this face of the mountain.

"Have you or your group seen anything of a new predator around," she asked casually. Maybe they would have some sort of idea of what had attacked Morningsun. "Couldn't say that we have," he answered her quickly. She felt that his answer was rushed, but she wouldn't draw attention to that now. Somewhere up ahead she could scent a multitude of cats, all laced with the sickly sweet scent of that strange leader.

"So, what is your father's name," she asked him before they entered the camp. He only snickered to himself and stayed silent. As they rounded a thicket of interwoven ferns and bushes, she realized that this camp was very well secluded. It was nestled right next to the base of the mountain, thick vines and flowers growing out of the cracks in the rock. The dens all seemed to be large overgrown bushes around the edge of the clearing, the overhang of leaves and branches made it difficult to see inside. There was also one large cave embedded into the rock, but it was semi blocked with thick foliage and vines that dangled down from above.

As her gaze rested on the entrance to the cave, the face that she had thought of for so many days poked out of the darkness. His eyes grew bright with happiness as he spotted her, and he bounded out of his den and to her side. "Thank you for bringing Moonstar here, Shadow," he purred to his son. "But what are you doing on my territory, I told you to be careful around my den," he turned his attention back to Moonstar. Her pelt burned under his shining green gaze, but she held her head high with the authority of a leader.

"I was just a little lost, it won't happen again," she mewed sincerely. She hoped he wouldn't be too upset that she was on his territory, but the vibe she got from him was more of a welcoming than a warning. "I would like to discuss a possible threat to our group mates though, if you would welcome me into your den," her tone was serious and concerned. She wouldn't want any cat to end up being hurt like Morningsun had been.

The tom's eyes burned brighter with obvious delight, his long pitch black tail waving behind him. He turned towards the cave and beckoned her to follow him, dissapearing from sight into the shadows. For some reason her heart started to pound, but she didn't seem to notice; something deep down in her limbs drew her closer to that hidden darkness, making it almost impossible to stop and turn back to that big burly tom for an escourt home.

As she entered the den she noticed him sitting on a moss and feather lined nest, a scent of sand and sea water lingered on the air. "What a wonderful den," she purred softly to herself, but he was next to her in an instant. "It is a wonderful den," he agreed as he brushed his black pelt against her pristine white fur, "after my father died I was moved into this den so I could lead my group."

Moonstar's head fight light and airy, as if filled with clouds. "After my father died, I was also moved to my own den," she meowed softly, "I miss being surrounded by my group mates." On some of the coldest nights, she could always appreciate a soft, warm pelt by her side to ease her into sleep. She had spent many countless moons awake in her den, sometimes from cold and other times from her anxiety. "I can never confide in my group mates about the troubles of being leader," she admitted miserably, "I can not burden them with the my responsibilities."

The tom lightly pushed his nose into her cheek fur, his scent overwhelming her. "You are a wise leader, Moonstar. You can always confide in me," he purred softly into her ear. His soft tone and gentle manor calmed her, she ended up confiding in him all of her problems or worries. She made sure to talk about Morningsun's incedent in the jungle. The tom assured her that he had not seen or scented any new predators near the jungle, only the occasional badger and boar.

"Maybe you should stay in my camp with me for the night and I can have Shadow escourt you back to the jungle in the morning," he advised her. It was already getting quite dark and it was dangerous to venture into the trees at night. She felt delighted at the thought of staying with him for the night, but she knew she must try and stay professional in his presence.

"Will one of your apprentices make me a nest," she asked in a light voice. He looked at her, puzzled, for a moment before replying, "I can have one of my guards make you a nest." He must not train apprentices here, she thought. She looked around the den for the first time, noticing a small scuffed up patch of earth that was dusted with the smell of blood and fresh-kill. There was also a side of the cave that was covered in claw marks, obviously where this powerful tom would sharpen his claws.

"We don't have to bother any of your guards," she meowed after a couple seconds. "I can just lay on the soft earth next to your nest," she reasoned with him. He nodded slowly, taking a couple steps towards his nest. Moonstar noticed that her paws ached with tiredness from her long day patrolling and catching prey with her group mates. She trotted quickly after him to the far side of the cave, darkness completely enveloping them both. It felt oddly calming with the shadows of th den covering them like a thick blanket.

"We can always talk until you get tired," he invited her as he climbed into his luxurious nest. She purred weakly as she pawed at the dirt next to his nest, making a small dip to lay in. She felt comforted by the still nameless tom, he was being so understanding and caring towards her. No other cat had ever treated her this way before.

"Well, you should really tell me what your name is," she mummbled into her fur as she curled into a ball in her makeshift nest. She could hear his deep chuckle and his nest crinkling underneath him as he shifted his body, "my name is Blight."

Blight, she thought, such an unusual name. With the mystery of his identity no longer binding her, she leaned her body into his as she started to drift in and out of sleep.