Unused Posts/Stories

"You're...What?"

Those two words rang in the air above the two lone figures that sat in the marsh. The bigger of the two - even if not by much, stared at his company with wide eyes, filled to the brim with emotions as he tried to choke down the words that she had just uttered. His ears were flat on his head, his mouth dry but his body completely still as if his brain couldn't do anything but repeat those three words over and over...

"...I'm expecting kits, Smokestripe," the she-cat repeated once more, a slightly annoyed tone seeping into her words but her green eyes were wide with terror. Her body was constantly shifting, unable to sit still as the fear of what was upon her took root. Smokestripe could see it easily despite her feeble attempt to act tough. She was always trying to be tough.

He finally swallowed, letting some moisture back into his mouth as he straightened up. His gaze broke away from hers, his whole body tensing. She was pregnant...And he wasn't the father. How could he be the father? They were never mates despite his crush on her and he had never found the courage to admit it. But that only left a single question in his mind... "Why are you telling me this, Ravenclaw?" There was a crack in his voice, it thick with emotion as he glanced over at the black she-cat that sat next to him. "Why are you telling me this first?"

"Well...Honeydrop and Puddlepaw know as well," the she-cat admitted, clearly trying to avoid the subject despite the fact that she had been the one that had requested to speak to him privately in the territory as she spoke in a flippant tone. “Honeydrop was the one that realized I was expecting when I was visiting her because I was feeling sick and…” She drifted off, her ears falling flat. Her gaze dropped to her paws as she kneed the ground, sparing a glance at her slightly swollen stomach. “I’m scared, Smokestripe.”

Ravenclaw? Scared? Smokestripe almost wanted to laugh if it wasn’t for the fact that he believed her whole heartedly but still it was a tough piece of prey to swallow. Ravenclaw was the bravest cat he knew...Well, Larksong was pretty much up there but Ravenclaw had stood against a badger when Larksong had been hurt! Seeing her standing there against the odds...It was what made him realize that he truly loved his kithood friend. But now he sat there, his heart torn in two as jealous, harsh questions barked in the back of his mind. Who was the tom? Surely he was a ShadowClan cat but...What had caused her to choose them over him? But he forced those bitter questions down, knowing that there would never be a truly right time to ask them. And so he sat there, silently as he waited for Ravenclaw to continue.

It seemed like forever but finally the she-cat spoke once more. “I’m so scared,” she whispered, her voice cracking as she sat there on the verge of tears - unwilling to meet the tom’s yellow gaze. ”The father...H-He won’t care for the kits. He can’t.” There was a slight tone of panic that seeped into her words. “I never wanted to be a queen...A mother! At least so soon! I never meant for…” Her whole body shook as the terror started to overwhelm her. “I’m alone, Smokestripe. I-I’m going to be a single mother. I don’t know the first thing about-” She cut off as Smokestripe suddenly pressed himself against her, wrapping his tail around her.

“You won’t be alone, Ravenclaw,” he said, his voice even as he brushed his cheek against hers. “We’ve been together since we were kits. I am not going to leave you to deal with this alone.” There was a silence as he raised his gaze, fighting down his own terror and heartache as he stared at her. “Ravenclaw...You...You mean the world to me,” he said softly, touching his nose to her forehead. “I won’t ask who the father is - it's your right to hold that to yourself. But know that I will be there every step of the way with you. I...I love you, Ravenclaw. That isn’t going to ever change.”

Ravenclaw stared at him, tears at the edge of her eyes before she broke down. She pressed herself against his stomach, her whole body relaxing as Smokestripe resting his head on hers. Through the muffling of his fur, he could hear her whispering ‘thank you’ over and over. Still, he couldn’t deny the heartache of knowing that Ravenclaw had chosen another tom over him at first but he also couldn’t deny that he loved her with all of his being. She wasn’t going to be alone, not now. Not ever.

There was a calmness to the night as two lone forms slunk their way along the Thunderpath, sticking to the shadows and freezing every time the roar of a Monster split the air. The two dropped to the ground as a sleek black Monster, almost invisible if it wasn’t for the glaring yellow eyes that illuminated the blacken path that it claimed its own but moved on without incident and the two figures moved on once more.

“I will never get use to them,” one of them grumbled under his breath after a few heartbeats had past, getting a sidelong glance from his companion. His yellow eyes flickered onto the tortoiseshell that had placed herself between him and the thunderpath as he scrunched up his nose at her. “How can you act so calm around them Larksong? You barely flinch whenever one goes by.”

The she-cat shook her head with a faint chuckle, her amber eyes glowing ever so slightly in the faint moonlight. “I suppose I’ve just gotten so use to them. Back when I was stuck as a kittypet for a few moons, they were everywhere. I was even in a Monster a few times...They are strange creatures, not natural if you ask me but I’ve learned that they are mostly harmless as long as you don’t get under their paws…” She drifted off as she noticed that her companion had come to a stop as he stared at her with wonder. “Smokestripe? What is it?” she questioned with a worried twitch of her whiskers.

“You’ve been in one of them?” he gasped in awe as he forced his paws to keep moving, his tail swishing as his eyes lit up like a kit about to hear a story from an elder. “What was it like? Is it true that they allow Twolegs to ride within them? What did it look like...What did it smell like?”

There was an uneasy laugh from Larksong as she kept moving, causing Smokestripe to have to give a burst of speed to catch up as the ShadowClan warrior allowed her gaze to focus on the path before her. “I’ve been in one, yes, but I had been stuck in a strange gray log that the Twoleg had put me in. I couldn’t see all that much from it. From what I can tell, yes they do allow Twolegs to ride in them but I don’t know why...Also they surprisingly smell much better from the inside,” she noted.

Smokestripe shook his head in wonder as he fell into step beside her, his ear twitching. “I suppose I just forgot that you were a kittypet for a while...We’ve just been friends for so long it slipped my mind. I mean, we even became warriors together!” he purred with a wide swish of his tail at the recalling of the happy memory.

“It has been a long time since my return...I try not to think about my time away but now I don’t find it much of an issue,” Larksong admitted as she tasted the air as they walked the border. “With everything that is going on, it's just so hard to think about that part of my past. I mean, my father is deputy now for StarClan’s sake! It's amazing...I’m just so proud of him,” she whispered with a happy purr. Then her eyes took on a mischiefing light as she took a step toward Smokestripe, gently giving him a shove with her shoulder. “And then there is everything with you.”

Smokestripe gasped in surprise as the sudden shoulder shove, a nervous look crossing over his face as he stared at his friend. “I-I’m...Sorry? What do you mean?” he laughed, tilting his head slightly.

“You and Ravenclaw of course! I mean, I always thought you two would be cute together but it was just so...Sudden.” Larksong gave a shrug of her shoulders as she thought on the events of the last few moons. It had been so strange, Smokestripe and Ravenclaw suddenly announcing that they were together and that she was expecting kits of all things! There had been no denying that Smokestripe had loved Ravenclaw - even Larksong could see it and she was ready to play matchmaker between the two but...Maybe there was something that Larksong couldn’t put her paw on but she supposed it wasn’t any of her business.

The nervousness in Smokestripe’s body relaxed slightly as he listened to his companion but there was still a flicker of worry in his eyes. Him and Ravenclaw had been rather sudden...It hadn’t been planned. Not them, not the kits...After all, he wasn’t even the father of the kits! But he had promised to act the father for not just Ravenclaw’s sake but also for the kits’ sake. He didn’t know who the father was, he didn’t care...But he truly loved Ravenclaw and he couldn’t let her face being a parent alone. “Yeah...It was rather sudden,” he sighed wistfully but he didn’t regret it. Not for a heartbeat. “Life works in mysterious ways…But I wouldn’t change what I have for anything.”

Larksong rolled her eyes at the sappy comment, playfully sticking her tongue out. But then something caught her attention as she came to a halt. A flicker of movement on the WindClan side of the border. She was tempted to just ignore it and keep on walking - if it was a WindClan cat then she didn’t care but there was something...Off. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to make out the shape but even in the moonlight, it was hard to make out as it clung to the shadows of the moor.

“Larksong? Why did yo-” Smokestripe had come to a stop upon realizing that Larksong had stopped moving. He turned  to face her but he was quickly silenced as the torshiell darted forward and threw him into the ground. Underneath her paws, he squirmed as he fought to free his head from where it had been wedged in mud. After a few heartbeats of silent wiggling, the pressure of Larksong lessen and he was able to pull his face up with a gasp. “What was that for?” he hissed at her once he had caught his breath.

“There is something moving on the WindClan side of the border,” Larksong growled back quietly, her breath tickling his ear and causing it to flicker.

“So? It's most likely a WindClan cat.”

“That isn’t a WindClan cat, Smokestripe. It's far too large…” Larksong stepped from where she was pinning Smokestripe to the ground, crouching next to him as she raised her chin and pointed her nose in the direction of the creature she had spotted.

Smokestripe followed her gaze and his heart sunk, his eyes narrowing as he struggled to make out the shadowy shape that moved along the moor. “Maybe it's a dog?” he questioned softly.

“I’ve seen dogs before and that isn’t one. It looks like a large cat if anything!”

“Like...A lion?”

Silence fell between the two ShadowClan cats as the sound of a Monster started to hum quietly in the distance, growing louder and louder. The figure on the other side of the Thunderpath came to a stop, its head raising as the Monster - this time a bright crimson one - came roaring down the path, the glow of its yellow eyes giving them enough light to see what had been lurking on the moor.

It looked like a cat, but was much larger. It had ragged but short tawny fur with thick muscles beneath. Its eyes were alight with a strange curiosity as it watched the Monster roar past but barely reacted otherwise. Then it started to slink forward...Toward the thunderpath and the two hiding warriors.

Larksong pressed herself deeper into the mud, laying her tail on Smokestripe’s back in a silent signal to do the same. Her eyes were narrowed as she watched the creature move forward and forward until it finally stopped...And stared directly at the two. Panic rose in her chest as she shifted ever so slightly to the side without a sound and the lion-cat’s eyes followed. The large feline dropped into a crouch, its muscles tensing before it leaped forward straight at the two of them.

Oh StarClan…

Within heartbeats, both Larksong and Smokestripe were on their paws as the large cat came bounding across the Thunderpath. Without a thought, Larksong threw her weight at the side and right into Smokestripe, shoving him hard in the direction of the territory as she spun to face the oncoming giant. StarClan give me strength...She bared her claws, her back arching but even at her best attempt to look bigger, she was nothing compared to the beast before her.

Smokestripe was thrown off balance as he was thrusted forward by Larksong, catching himself as he started to pull himself into the territory but when a yowl echoed behind him, he came to a stop as terror seized his heart. Larksong’s cry of pain split the air as he glanced over his shoulder to see the she-cat be thrown to the side by a swift paw...And for another paw to come barreling right on him. There was a split second of unbearable pain as the paw smashed into his back, his legs giving out beneath him with not even a fight. The mud was cool on his fur but it didn’t distract him from the searing white-hot pain of claws digging into his back.

Larksong struggled back to her paws from where she was tossed, bearing her teeth once more as she spun and threw herself at the lion-cat as it pinned her companion to the ground. “Smokestripe! RUN!” she yowled at the top of her lungs as her claws raked at the creature’s face, getting its attention as it released its grip on Smokestripe. Once the tom was free, Larksong allowed herself to disengage and positioned herself between the large feline and her clanmate, her claws digging into the mud as she stood her ground.

Smokestripe pulled himself to his paws, spinning and getting his first good real look at the feline that had attacked the two warriors. It was...It was huge, its teeth pure white as it loomed over the two. Its body was indeed a tawny color, its face holding more of a golden hue however, not that it was easy to tell in the dim light of night. While he could spot where Larksong had scratched it, her wound didn’t even look to be bothering the creature in the slight...All it did was make it more angry. The warrior gasped for breath as panic rose in his chest at the sight, his paws frozen to the spot.

Larksong’s ear flickered as she realized that Smokestripe hadn’t run like she had ordered. The older she-cat glared over her shoulder with a snarl, her fluffed out tail lashing. “Smokestripe I said ru-” she was cut off as the lion-cat took the opportunity of her distraction to strike. Claws sank into Larksong’s shoulder and perhaps neck - it was hard to tell from where Smokestripe stood - and she collapsed on the spot.

“Larksong!” Smokestripe yowled as he darted forward at the fallen she-cat only for the creature to make another strike at him. Claws dug into his side as he bit back a sharp cry, almost knocked off his paws as he staggered from the blow. He could feel the warm crimson blood start to pour from the wounds but before the lion-cat could take another strike, the roar of a monster split the air.

The feline glanced over its shoulder in the same curiosity it had before, forgetting about its quarrel for a heartbeat, but that heartbeat was all that Smokestripe needed. The mostly gray tom leaned down and grabbed Larksong’s scruff and with a mighty heave started to pull her across the mud. The sound of the monster’s roar grew closer and closer and he knew what little time he had was coming to a close. With panic he glanced around, spotting a small hole in the ground, barely visible underneath a fallen log. There! With all of his strength he moved himself and Larksong into the tunnel, not stopping until they had reached the farthest side of the small underground cavern.

He dropped his grip on Larksong’s scruff, his breath coming in ragged breaths that filled the air. He could hear the angry snarls of the creature as the shadow of it fell over the opening. His breath quickly fell silent as he waited for the shadow to disappear. One heartbeat...Two heartbeats...Finally, after what seemed like forever, the shadow disappeared and the world fell into silence once more.

He didn’t dare move, struggling to catch his breath as a small puddle of blood formed beneath the two ShadowClan warriors. What...What had been that thing? He had never seen a creature like it. It reminded him of the tales of the old Clans, LionClan, LeopardClan, TigerClan...Could it be one of them? He wasn’t sure, he was just relieved that they had escaped.

There was a cough beside him, almost causing the tom to jump before he remembered the state of Larksong. He glanced over to where he had dropped the she-cat, relieved to see her stirring awake even if her black and orange fur was stained with a deep crimson from her wound. “Oh, thank StarClan you are alive!” he gasped as he clambered to his paws, glancing around the cavern for cobwebs and moss. It didn’t take long to find some in the forgotten hole that had saved their lives and hurried over to where Larksong was lying and pressed the moss to her neck, using cobwebs to hold it in place. It wasn’t pretty and he wasn’t even sure if he was doing it right but it would have to do for now. “We need to get you to Honeydrop…” he muttered softly as he watched the moss quickly start to darken from the blood.

Larksong forced herself to her paws, her whole body shaking as she struggled to support herself but still found in her enough strength to glare at her companion. “I thought...I told you to run,” she muttered softly as she slowly started to move toward the entrance of the cavern, all too eager to escape the cramp confines of the hole.

Smokestripe frowned as he followed her, giving her a shoulder to lean on. He wasn’t in the best of shapes, the wound on his back and side almost unbearable but he was at least doing better than Larksong… “Come on, Larksong,” he said in a low tone as they helped each other though the small opening. “You always risk your life for your Clanmates...Why can’t I do the same for you?”

Larksong was silent as she glanced at the small entrance beneath the log, before chuckling slightly. “But it makes it so much harder trying to figure out who is suppose to die for who if we are both trying to risk our lives for each other. Why not just make it simpler and let me do all the hard work?” she joked, but there was no denying the pain and weakness in her voice as she started to stumble forward.

“Well it doesn’t matter because tonight there won’t be any dying,” Smokestripe said softly as he moved to support the tortoiseshell. As he walked over to her, he tasted the air and spared a sad glance at the direction they had come from. From what he could tell, the creature had headed back toward the WindClan territory… “We’ll both make it back to Honeydrop and she will fix us both up no problem...Besides, somebody needs to tell Leopardstar and Magpiewing about...That,” his voice died a little as he led Larksong into the territory.

“It...It went back to the moor, didn’t it?” Larksong asked after a few moments of silence, getting a confused glance from Smokestripe.

“Yeah...Couldn’t you smell that?”

There was a shake of her head as she let out a weak laugh. “All I can smell is my own blood…” There was a flicker in her eyes, of worry as she turned her gaze toward the WindClan border. “If that thing runs into any WindClan cats...They won’t have anywhere to hide,” she noted in a soft, terrified voice. “I don’t…”

“It isn’t our problem Larksong.” He tried to keep his tone solid but despite it all, his voice cracked. He didn’t like the idea of any of the Clans having to deal with that, mostly if they were unaware of it...But what could they do? He doubted any cat could stand against that thing. Still… “We need to get back to the camp and tell Leopardstar and your father about this. Come on,” he said in a low tone as he turned his gaze on the path before them.

And together, the two heavily injured ShadowClan cats slipped into the marshes toward the ShadowClan camp.

The heavy scent of blood tainted the air as two cats, Smokestripe and Larksong, stumbled into the camp clearing. They forced their way forward side by side, both leaning on each other and ignoring the thorns that tore at their pelts as they exited the thorny entrance, the thorns just simple annoyances compared to the pain that both cats were in. Within moments of getting into the clearing proper, Larksong collapsed to the ground.

Blood pooled from her side and her shoulder, the wound on her shoulder fearfully close to her neck but there was already moss and cobwebs on the shoulder wound, attempting to slow the bleeding. Smokestripe stumbled to a stop as fear flickered in his eyes. He was in slightly better shape than his companion, blood trickling down his back legs, back and  his side from where heavy claws, much bigger than any Clan cat’s claws, had raked.

“Le-Leopardstar! Magpiewing! Ho-Honeydrop!” Smokestripe’s voice rang in the air as he called out as loudly as he could for the needed cats. He slumped to the ground next to Larksong, his legs finally giving out, but he kept his head raised with an obvious alertness as he scanned the clearing for other cats. Beside him, Larksong stirred ever so slightly as she laid on the edge of consciousness.

The only sign that she was still even aware was her ears flickering at Smokestripe’s cries but even then she simply heard them, barely registering the words for what they meant but her eyes did flicker open at one of the names. “Mag-Magpiewing…” she whispered weakly as she shifted slightly, a feeble attempt to call for her father before her eyes flickered closed once more.

There was a calmness to the night as two lone forms slunk their way along the Thunderpath, sticking to the shadows and freezing every time the roar of a Monster split the air. The two dropped to the ground as a sleek black Monster, almost invisible if it wasn’t for the glaring yellow eyes that illuminated the blacken path that it claimed its own but moved on without incident and the two figures moved on once more.

“I will never get use to them,” one of them grumbled under his breath after a few heartbeats had past, getting a sidelong glance from his companion. His yellow eyes flickered onto the tortoiseshell that had placed herself between him and the thunderpath as he scrunched up his nose at her. “How can you act so calm around them Larksong? You barely flinch whenever one goes by.”

The she-cat shook her head with a faint chuckle, her amber eyes glowing ever so slightly in the faint moonlight. “I suppose I’ve just gotten so use to them. Back when I was stuck as a kittypet for a few moons, they were everywhere. I was even in a Monster a few times...They are strange creatures, not natural if you ask me but I’ve learned that they are mostly harmless as long as you don’t get under their paws…” She drifted off as she noticed that her companion had come to a stop as he stared at her with wonder. “Smokestripe? What is it?” she questioned with a worried twitch of her whiskers.

“You’ve been in one of them?” he gasped in awe as he forced his paws to keep moving, his tail swishing as his eyes lit up like a kit about to hear a story from an elder. “What was it like? Is it true that they allow Twolegs to ride within them? What did it look like...What did it smell like?”

There was an uneasy laugh from Larksong as she kept moving, causing Smokestripe to have to give a burst of speed to catch up as the ShadowClan warrior allowed her gaze to focus on the path before her. “I’ve been in one, yes, but I had been stuck in a strange gray log that the Twoleg had put me in. I couldn’t see all that much from it. From what I can tell, yes they do allow Twolegs to ride in them but I don’t know why...Also they surprisingly smell much better from the inside,” she noted.

Smokestripe shook his head in wonder as he fell into step beside her, his ear twitching. “I suppose I just forgot that you were a kittypet for a while...We’ve just been friends for so long it slipped my mind. I mean, we even became warriors together!” he purred with a wide swish of his tail at the recalling of the happy memory.

“It has been a long time since my return...I try not to think about my time away but now I don’t find it much of an issue,” Larksong admitted as she tasted the air as they walked the border. “With everything that is going on, it's just so hard to think about that part of my past. I mean, my father is deputy now for StarClan’s sake! It's amazing...I’m just so proud of him,” she whispered with a happy purr. Then her eyes took on a mischiefing light as she took a step toward Smokestripe, gently giving him a shove with her shoulder. “And then there is everything with you.”

Smokestripe gasped in surprise as the sudden shoulder shove, a nervous look crossing over his face as he stared at his friend. “I-I’m...Sorry? What do you mean?” he laughed, tilting his head slightly.

“You and Ravenclaw of course! I mean, I always thought you two would be cute together but it was just so...Sudden.” Larksong gave a shrug of her shoulders as she thought on the events of the last few moons. It had been so strange, Smokestripe and Ravenclaw suddenly announcing that they were together and that she was expecting kits of all things! There had been no denying that Smokestripe had loved Ravenclaw - even Larksong could see it and she was ready to play matchmaker between the two but...Maybe there was something that Larksong couldn’t put her paw on but she supposed it wasn’t any of her business.

The nervousness in Smokestripe’s body relaxed slightly as he listened to his companion but there was still a flicker of worry in his eyes. Him and Ravenclaw had been rather sudden...It hadn’t been planned. Not them, not the kits...After all, he wasn’t even the father of the kits! But he had promised to act the father for not just Ravenclaw’s sake but also for the kits’ sake. He didn’t know who the father was, he didn’t care...But he truly loved Ravenclaw and he couldn’t let her face being a parent alone. “Yeah...It was rather sudden,” he sighed wistfully but he didn’t regret it. Not for a heartbeat. “Life works in mysterious ways…But I wouldn’t change what I have for anything.”

Larksong rolled her eyes at the sappy comment, playfully sticking her tongue out. But then something caught her attention as she came to a halt. A flicker of movement on the WindClan side of the border. She was tempted to just ignore it and keep on walking - if it was a WindClan cat then she didn’t care but there was something...Off.

“Larksong?” Smokestripe came to a pause as he realized that his companion had halted, glancing over his shoulder. Her attention seemed completely focus on something else causing the tom’s whiskers to twitch with worry as the she-cat didn’t answer. He allowed his gaze to follow hers, only for his mouth to fall open as he tried to come up with any words to describe the scene before him.

He could see a sea of fog rolling across the moors, thick and clouded and almost moving as one large clump as it headed toward them. “Is that...Fog?” he questioned loudly, his ears twitching as he took a small step back. That...That couldn’t be right. There was no reason for there to be that fog rolling in - the weather wasn’t right and… “Larksong! We should get back to camp!” he snapped as he turned his gaze to the torshell.

But the she-cat could only shake her head at that, her eyes glimmering with fear but also wonder as she took a small step forward, peering at the mist that was drawing closer. “I-I think I see something inside of it!” she called over as her tail swished in the darkness.

“Who cares?” was his response, the sharpness to it dampered by the terror as she spared another glance at the oncoming fog. “Th-That fog shouldn’t be here! Something is wrong!” he snarled as he darted at his Clanmate, clamping his teeth down on her scruff as he gave the older and slightly larger she-cat a pull. To his relief, she didn’t fight back as he dragged her a few steps further from the Thunderpath which had gone strangely quiet, not a monster to be heard.

There was however a moment where Larksong planted her paws, bringing their feeble backing up to a complete halt as she stared into the cloud of mist that was drawing closer and closer. Her eyes were narrowed, a confused look flashing over her face before her amber eyes widen as she took a step back, the fur along her spine rising. “T-There is...Run!” there was terror in her voice as she spun, darting away into the marsh.

For a second, Smokestripe allowed his gaze to shift to the fog and swore for all but a second he saw the figure inside that Larksong claimed to see but it was as if the figure was a part of the fog. Then the fog surged forward as the shape was lost within, heading straight for the pair as the grey and black tom turned and barreled after Larksong.

The two of them darted straight into the marsh in a mad run, attempting to flee from whatever the strange mist was. Eyes wide with terror and fur on edge, Smokestripe was to focused on questioning what in StarClan’s name was going on, wondering if this was all but a dream when something hard nailed his paw. There was a gasp of pain as his front leg gave out from beneath him, sending him head over tail into the cool mud.

Larksong stumbled to a stop as she heard Smokestripe’s gasp, glancing over her shoulder just in time to see him sliding to a stop, his pelt coated with the thick mud that layered their territory. Her eyes flickered up to the cloud of mist that was drawing even closer, her ears perking at a sound that she couldn’t quiet recognize as she swallowed. She wanted to flee from this strange thing but she had made a promise to herself. A promise that she would always put her Clanmates lives before hers.

Smokestripe was attempting to find is footing in the slick mud when he felt something grip his scruff. His eyes went wide with terror, his paws flailing until he heard the grumbling of Larksong for him to quit it as he was hoisted onto his paws. Relief flooded over his face as he started to turn to thank the she-cat when he was suddenly thrown forward as Larksong threw her entire weight into him, causing him to stumble as he was forced into a run.

But he was forced to stop as there was a yowl...No, a scream behind him that turned his blood ice cold. Larksong. He spun on his paws, his breath quickening as he saw the mist had caught up to them, Larksong being thrown to the ground as it rolled in around her. Her eyes flickered as she met Smokestripe’s gaze, true terror within as she stretched out a paw toward him before she was stolen from view by the thick mist.

“Larksong!” the tom yowled but he took a step back, staring with complete horror. T-This had to be a dream! It had to be! His breath quicken even more as his chest heaved as he struggled to make sense of it all. The torshiell was hidden from sight within the mist that spun and swirled but moved no closer to the terrified tom, allowing Smokestripe a good view of it. At first it seemed simply a cloud of fog but for a second, he swore that he saw the darkened shape within once more but caught a glint of yellow as well - illuminated almost like the golden eyes of a monster before it was lost into the fog again.

His ears slicked back at the sound of laughter that seemed to echo from the mist as he took another step back, and another. He was lost completely on what to do, only able to watch as heartbeats dragged on until the mist started to move again - this time receding back toward WindClan’s territory. He watched as painful moments passed as it drew from sight...And he was alone. His blood went cold.

“L-Larksong?” His gaze scanned the marsh quickly, taking a step forward as he tasted the air. There was no sign of the torshiell other than the scent of her that still wafted gently in the midnight breeze but it stopped where she had fallen - no traces of if she had been taken by the fog or… “Where are you?!? Larksong?” He cried as loudly as he could as he took another step forward, hearing the sound of his own heart beating in his ears. “Ple-Please answer me!”

The only answer was pure silences. Smokestripe’s legs shook, threatening to give out from under him as he took a step backwards, his ears falling flat on his head. His chest heaved as he shook his head, praying over and over to StarClan that this was a dream. It had to be a dream! Larksong had just...She had just...The silence was suddenly unbearable as the tom spun on his heels and darted into the darkness - heading straight for the ShadowClan camp as he struggled to grasp what had just happened.

“Sun, you shouldn’t be up there!”

Storm that Lights the Clouds knew the pale golden she-cat had heard his warning, a flicker of her ear told him so but yet she continuing with her clambering up the rocks. She even dared to spared a glance down at him, her warm amber eyes meeting his dark green ones. He wanted to be angry at her but as he met her gaze, all of his anger and worry disappeared.

They were an odd pair, Sun that Shines on Water and himself. While he was a well-built cave-guard, she was a sleek prey-hunter. While he was often quiet and cautious, she was loud and outgoing. But each brought out a bit of one another in each other and there was no doubt of the feelings the two had for one another. Not even Storm could deny it as he stared up at the she-cat, her golden fur glimmering in the light of the sun.

But yet he found himself annoyed, angry that she would do something so dangerous. The rocks around here were loose and with the recent rainfall...It was reckless, it was stupid, to be climbing them and yet here they were. “Sun! Please! It isn’t safe,” he pleaded as he paced back and forth, keeping his gaze on the sky and on her. He had watched her climb all the way up there and he found himself lost on why she had thought this was a good idea but his pleads had fallen on deaf ears - even now as she climbed higher and higher.

Finally she paused, clambering her way onto a small outcropping as she sent loose pebbles down onto her friend. She peeked over, down to where her friend looked like nothing but a mouse to him and smiled. “Oh come on, Storm! The view is amazing up here,” she praised, her voice faint as it reached his ears.

“Amazing view or not, it's dangerous!” Storm shouted up at her, ceasing in his pacing as he craned his neck to stare at her perch. His tail lashed back and forth, fighting back tides of anger at how foolish she was. They were suppose to be hunting, not climbing around like kits. “Get down from there!” he yowled into the air, stomping a paw onto the hard surface below him.

“No,” Sun’s voice teased, as gentle as ever despite the fact that she had to shout to even have her words reach Storm’s ears. “Come on, Storm, haven’t you ever had the need to just...Climb?” she asked, stunning the tom at her question. Climb? They were good at leaping, good for taking down the eagles that they hunted but climbing? What was there to climb other than rocks and the few trees that managed to survive this harsh landscape they called home.

He didn’t give an answer but Sun soon carried on anyways, Storm almost able to hear the faint purr in her tone. “I have. I’ve always loved climbing since I was a kit. There is just something that feels so...Natural about it! I feel like I am on top of the world when I am climbing…” there was a pause, Storm was sure she was giggling to herself.

His ears fell back as he stared up at where she was hanging her paws loosely off of the side, seemingly having decided to sit down and rest. His whiskers twitched as he opened his mouth to shout back a reply but stopped himself as a familiar, dreaded sound hit his ears. His whole body grew rigid as his eyes flew open in panic, his voice a shriek as he shouted up to his friend.

“EAGLE!”

Sun’s paws disappeared over the edge, no doubt jumping to her feet at his call as Storm took the moment to scan the air. Sure enough, he saw it. The sleek brown body of an eagle circling the sky, growing closer every heartbeat. His first reaction was to make for cover but he forced his legs to lock in place as horror as he realized that Sun had no cover - she was wide open.

He dropped into a crouch as he kept his gaze on the bird, his ears falling flat on his head as a shriek split the sky. It had spotted her. His heart leapt as bile rose in his throat, cursing that he could do nothing but watch, the eagle and Sun far to high for him to be of any aid.

The eagle swooped...Before taking higher into the sky as Storm just made out what looked to be Sun’s paws fending off her attacker. For a second, Storm had hope. Perhaps she could fight off the eagle...But then there was the sound of pattering stone landing next to him and he watched as the stone crumbled and Sun fell.

In the moment, his whole body grew cold. The taste in his mouth growing even sicker as he watched her body plummet toward the ground - toward him. Her screech filled the air, her body twisting as she tried to right herself...And hit the ground hard, not far from where Storm was crouching. “SUN!” he shrieked after a few silent moments, his body suddenly lurching forward toward the broken body of his friend.

His breath came in quick gasps as he stumbled to a stop, his green eyes wide with horror as the wretched scent of blood hit in his nose. There was so much blood...Her body wasn’t suppose to twist that way...She...She...Tears started to run down his cheek as he struggled for air. “Sun!” he wailed as he collapsed next to her limp, cold, still form. He dug his nose into her fur that was already growing cold, ignoring the overwhelming scent of blood that followed.

As he laid there, pressing himself against Sun that Shines on Water’s corpse, all he could do was blame himself. He hadn’t been strict enough - he hadn’t stopped her from climbing. His whole body shook with grief, with anger at himself. No...No more. He wouldn’t let anybody else take a risk like she had. He couldn’t bear the idea. He would do everything in his power to keep his Tribemates safe. He would allow no chances.

Smokestripe wanted to ignore the fear that crept up up in his chest like a rising shadow at moonhigh as he stepped through the marshy landscape that was the ShadowClan territory. His yellow eyes flickered as he mindlessly moved forward but sought out something with purpose. At first when Yewpaw had informed him of her brother disappearance the night previous, Smokestripe wanted to play it off. Pinepaw was a good apprentice but he was still young - maybe he had decided to sneak out of camp... He remember dreaming of adventuring when he was little, maybe Pinepaw had gotten sucked into that. But when he had woken up the next night, Pinepaw's nest was still empty. Cold, haven't not even been slept in.

So where was he? Smokestripe shook his head as he came to a stop, taking in deep breaths as he tried to calm his racing heart. Surely he was just getting ahead of himself. It had only been a night since Yewpaw had noted her brother missing from the apprentice den...Maybe Pinepaw had just decided not to return back to the camp one reason or another? But...That certainly didn't seem like him. The warrior blinked as he allowed himself to scan the swamp again, taking in a deep breath as he tried to locate Pinepaw's scent.

But it was a muddy mess of scents which only confused the tom even more. He could tell that Pinepaw's scent was there - only a night or so old but he was having trouble picking up its path. But why? He had grown use to picking up scents but it was like something had messed with the scent trail itself. The best he could do was roughly guess what direction Pinepaw would have traveled in and went that way, letting his gaze drift up to the sky above.

All in all...It was a beautiful night. The moon glimmered in the sky in the shape of a claw as the stars flashed around it like fireflies. Part of Smokestripe couldn't understand how the other Clans slept through it - the sun was often to blinding in his option and preferred the cool air of night instead. It wasn't even like it was all that hard to see in the night - if anything just having the sun out made it harder to see thanks to just everything being...Well, washed in bright colors that were distracting.

Of course, he was distracted in his own right and didn't realize that something was in his path until his paw stuck it and he stumbled forward. His front paws gave out beneath him as he tobbled over whatever laid in his path, hitting the mud with a slurping thud as it shifted beneath him and clung to his dark colored fur. The tom muttered soft curses under his breath as he glanced at what he had tripped over.

His breath caught in his throat at the sight before him.

The limb form of a cat laid sprawled out in the mud, light gray fur with darker markings shifting slightly in the midnight breeze. But that was the only movement of the body as Smokestripe stumbled to his paws, threatening to slip in the thick mud beneath him. “N-No,” he whispered as he recognized the pelt pattern as he stumbled forward, leaning over the still body as his heart started to race.

“No, no, no, no, no, no…” he numbly repeated as his worst fears were confirmed as he found himself staring into the milky eyes of his adopted son. “Pinepaw?” he squeaked out as he stepped over the body, collapsing into the cool mud as he reached out to pull the young apprentice to him. There was no breath in Pinepaw’s chest and no light in his eyes - his body freezing cold.

“Nonononono, Pinepaw...You can’t…” Smokestripe gasped...Choking on the lump that formed in his throat as he buried his head into the shoulder of the stil body. His body quivered as he fought back the sobs that ran through him, his breath coming quick as he forced himself to pull away. “How...Why…”

His eyes scanned the limb body before him, his heart dropping at the sight of no wounds. There wasn’t a trace of blood on Pinepaw’s body - no sign of death or… “How...How am I suppose to…” Oh StarClan, what was he going to tell Yewpaw? What was he going to tell Ravenclaw? “I’m so sorry,” he whispered softly as he buried his head once more into Pinepaw’s shoulder.

He wasn’t sure how long he said there, his body ransacked with waves of sobs as he fought down the emotions that blossomed in his chest. So many questions raced through his mind as he finally forced himself to his paws but he had no answers for them. He gently leaned down, letting his muzzle brush against Pinepaw’s cheek as he closed his eyes and breathed in the faint familiar scent that still rolled from the tom.

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t a better father…” he managed before he grabbed Pinepaw by the scruff and genty started to tug him in the direction of the camp as if afraid he was going to hurt him. Pinepaw had deserved better than him...He had done his best but he had focused so much of his effort on training Yewpaw that he had neglected Pinepaw...And now he would never get the chance to tell his son - even if he wasn’t truly his son - how much he had meant to him.