Chapter 55: To Exert Will
It had been a couple moons in the living world. Meanwhile in the Darkforest, I discovered another presence. Some other cat was colluding with the living. It didn't take me long to find the culprit. Regardless of their power, the cats here can only interact with the living through reflection pools. It wasn't hard to sense a cat hanging near a pool for extended periods of time. I decided to set out to meet this reflection pool user.
I was approaching the site when a thought occurred to me. The crazies and the evil cats here are incredibly difficult to hunt down when they are on their own. Maybe I could organize them. That wasn't to say I'd make them stronger. In a sense, they would be, but it would be easier to take them out in one fell swoop. This reflection pool user might be the ideal candidate for my first member. I could already feel they were a cat running on pure hatred of the living, trying to carve out whatever little influence they could.
After I sensed their living correspondent leave, I made my move. I approached the mangy cat. He spun to face me with hatred in his eyes.
"What do you want you pathetic molly?!" He hissed.
I swiped at him hard enough to send him flying into a tree. It knocked the wind out of him and he was gasping for breath. I slowly padded over to make a show of my superiority before resting my claws on his neck.
"That is no way to speak to your betters." I paused as if in consideration. "Tell me, you've been able to interact with the living, correct?"
He looked at me with spite until he felt the pinpricks of my claws through his skin. A look of fear crossed his face as he frantically nodded.
"Good boy. You aren't the first, but you do seem to be doing it well. I've got my own project going down there. Perhaps we should collaborate." I mewed, more a command than a request.
"Yes! Yes! Of course!" He sputtered.
What a pathetic cat. A true coward was all he was. At least he'd make it easy for me to control this new foul faction.
"So what are you doing?" I asked.
"Uh… Yes. Of course. There's a cat in Thunderclan, Thistleclaw. Silverhawk and I are trying to make him deputy." He mewed quickly without a bit of restraint.
"Not too dissimilar to mine, but mine is Crookedjaw of Riverclan." I mewed as if lost in thought before I turned sharply on him. "Now who is this Silverhawk?" I growled.
His ears flattened as his eyes tightened with fright. "He's the one who had the idea! Honest!"
I pulled my still extended claws away from him leaving tiny scratches behind. A look of relief shot across the cowardly tom's face. He seemed to truly understand his position under me. Maybe it was already time to propose the alliance.
"I'd like to meet this Silverhawk. It seems we are aligned in goals. Maybe we could actually put something together to take revenge on Starclan. An alliance of sorts. The only issue is that the Darkforest itself detests cats gathering together too thickly. We all have to take time to walk alone, but together, we can put those Starclan cats in their place!" I spoke with an appearance of fervor and conviction.
Shredtail actually looked impressed and excited. He thought he could trust me. He did not know I was asking him to perpetuate a lie. As long as those he spoke to and recruited were told about the Darkforest's 'hatred' of cats grouping up, their belief would make the lie a reality for them. A good leader knows how to use the information he gets to lead a fight. A brilliant leader plants false information in his opponents' heads before the battle begins. This was the start of a long haul project, but I knew I already won. Soon this evil faction would be established with me as one of the heads. AA collection of traitors under one ruler totally unknowing that ruler planned to betray them. I almost laughed at the irony.
I left Shredtail to his own devices. Better the enemy I know than the one I don't. I'd already foreseen the future with the first obelisk, and Shredtail's plan was bound to fail. Starclan had their own candidate they were backing, and without an obelisk, Shredtail had no means of winning that fight. I, on the other paw, did.
Speaking of setting up a deputy, I needed to check in on Crookedjaw. After heading home, I used the reflection pool to scry Crookedjaw. What I saw made me slightly giddy. He had his first apprentice. I couldn't be any more proud. I don't know much about Riverclan training, but it was nice to see Crookedjaw so attentive. I could even see bits of my lessons creeping in.
I continued spying on him every couple of days to see how one of my favored kits was getting on. My soul sense now somewhat applied in the world of the living. Before Riverclan left on their patrols, I saw something flair around Rainflower, something distinctly Appledusk in nature. While Crookedjaw was out training Sedgepaw, his apprentice, I felt that flair again. Crookedjaw must have noticed something because he and his apprentice raced off. What he found was a critically wounded Rainflower. That Appledusk aura was intense and seemed to be mounting up to something. I listened in to their conversation to hear that a dog had done this to Rainflower. Crookedjaw looked lost on what to do. The dog was still a threat, but a cat was dying. A tough choice was needed, so I decided to shoulder the burden. I sent a whisper.
"Crookedjaw. The dog is the more immediate problem. Rainflower is… not going to make it. You can't save her, but you can save others. Drive that dog out!"
Crookedjaw's face hardened and he raced off to finish my request. While he fought, I watched Rainflower. Her death was unfortunately a necessity. She will die to save her clan. As I watched the life leave her eyes, the aura of Appledusk reached a crescendo. I saw the soul depart for Starclan, somehow knowing they'd honor her as a hero despite all she'd done. It was then it hit me, what that aura really was. It was a blessing and a curse, a mark of martyrdom. I could only look out at Crookedjaw who still bore that aura and painfully wonder, did I make him my martyr?