The Fool [C]

He watched the young cat bound away into the night toward the direction she had glanced towards before, waving farewell with his own tail as she did so. Only when she was out of sight and out of earshot, did he allow a dark grin to curl up his muzzle. He shook out his pelt as if shaking off the personality he had adorned for the apprentice. It was as if his whole appearance had changed as he did so. His menacing expression seemed to darken with shadows, the suddenly sharp, harsh violet eyes glinting with cruel amusement.

He let to a slow chuckle, almost allowing himself a full laugh, but now wasn't the time. A patrol would be coming around soon, and it was best for him not to linger. Padding over to his original position, he leaned down, picking up the mouse which had gone stiff. Being forced to forgo a warm snack was little consequence to what he had just gained. An ally, a pair of eyes and ears that seemed to be fully, and happily willing to divulge the intricate workings of clans and the news that may arise from within their borders.

A valuable piece to the board game he had begun with these wild cats. He had made the first moves, leaving the remains of the unfortunate felines that had fallen under his claws in dens shrouded with scents of natural predators. It'd only be a matter of time before someone noticed them.

For now, though, he had just begun, and he still held a good amount of anonymity. Clover knew him and in more detail than most who had met him, but likely wouldn't tell too much about him. That Windclan patrol he had come across knew him, but no more than a loner that trespassed on their land, nothing unique to note.

He'd start slow, setting down a stable base for himself before launching into whatever grander plans he may come up with in the future. This was originally just his hunting grounds, but now it was something more. It was a game, a test to see just how far he could bend these unusual felines before they snapped.

Tarot didn't have a grand scheme yet, of course. Until he thought of me he would continue with his original plans. Learn, learn about this society of cats that are so shockingly unknown to cats beyond this forest, learn what makes them tick, and perhaps assist a few of them in getting rid of the ones outside their borders... or maybe even inside them... that they despised.

After that, he'd make a choice, toy with them, or leave them be. For now, he wouldn't mingle much with them, though he was sure that wouldn't be the case forever. It seemed they had morals, and he was crossing many of them simply by living as he did. Amusing, really, he hadn't even tasted their members yet, and he wondered if, when he did, that would be the only thing to push them over the edge.

Did they care about cats beyond their little bubble of life? Or would they only retaliate when that bubble was abruptly... popped.

He lifted his sinister expression to the sky, the moon bright despite only being half of itself. His pupils were shrouded by its pale reflection, giving him an unearthly, unnatural visage. Smiling, his fangs glinted in the night with the burst of dark excitement that filled him. The game was on, and he was intrigued to see how it would progress.

For now, he'd be patient, he'd set a profile of himself for all to see, so they would be all the more unexpecting of his actions.

He shifted his attention to the gorge in a silent farewell, before picking up his small meal, and slinking away into the night, muttering a few ominous words to the wind.

"Indeed... dear Clover... until we meet again..."

The shadows swallowed him once more, and the only traces of his presence was the stage he left behind, bare in the light of the moon.