Darkstream lay motionless in front of Ivytail, completely still. Blood slicked his black fur and pooled around him. On his neck, there were bite marks, the size of the cat's teeth that had torn his throat out. It was too horrible to look. Ivytail forced herself to turn away. Raising her muzzle, she let out a splitting howl of anguish. Why him? She yowled silently to StarClan, why did it have to be him?
"Ivytail! Ivytail!" Someone was shaking her. Her eyes snapped open and her gaze automatically slipped to Darkstream's nest. He was gone but it could have been because he was on patrol or something. Not because he was dead. That was just a dream although it was too real for Ivytail's liking. She focused on the cat who had woken her up. It was Silverlight, who had been sleeping in the nest next to her's.
"Are you alright?" the silver she-cat asked Ivytail anxiously, "You were thrashing around in your sleep." Ivytail nodded, "I'm fine, I just had a bad dream, that's all." Silverlight looked unconvinced but returned to her nest again. Ivytail padded out onto the beach. It was early dawn and Ivytail could not sleep anymore. Her head was filled with that horrible image of the dead Darkstream. Ugh. Deciding that a morning walk through the forest would help clear her mind, Ivytail headed out.
The light breeze brought with it fresh and untainted scents of the woods. Smells of waking prey and green plants. The clean air managed to flush her worries away. Feeling the crunch of twigs and dried leaves beneath her paws, Ivytail made her way further into the forest. Further than DawnClan territory. Further than any cat had been before. So far that she could almost hear the sounds of the Twoleg Place nearby. But she did not care, not in the least.
Then, something brought her up short. It was a scent, a very familiar scent. Darkstream's scent. What was the Warrior doing here?
Curiousity getting the better of her, Ivytail tracked his scent to a small clearing completely surrounded by bramble bushes. She pushed her way into one of the bushes and crouched there, among the leaves and thorns. The bramble dug into her pelt but Ivytail was too surprised to be annoyed. All her attention was riveted on the scene in the clearing. There were four cats.
Darkstream was standing in between two she-cats, a small light brown tabby who looked that she might be Quailfeather's age and a tortiseshell. Crouched in front of them was a haggard-looking tabby tom. He was meowing something urgently to Darkstream but the black Warrior silenced him with a growl. Ivytail strained her ears, though she still could not hear what he was saying.
Suddenly, Darkstream yowled out, "He save your life yet you betrayed him! How could you!" His eyes were filled with pain and his meow was anguished. The tabby tom lowered his head and replied softly, "He forced me to. He threatened to kill me. I betrayed my saviour. I am a worthless friend.You can kill me, Darkstream, if you want but I tell you this. He is coming, run while you can Darkstream. You are the one he wants to see dead."
Darkstream, who had his face turned all the time abruptly whipped around, his meow dangerously soft, "Are you threatening me?" The tom flinched, "N-no!" Darkstream let out a bellow of rage, "After all that time to think I thought you changed!" A shiver of fear ran down Ivytail's spine; she had never seen Darkstream this angry before. Ivytail could almost feel the black waves of fury emanating from him.
The black Warrior sprang forward and flung the tabby tom with full force across the clearing. He lunged forth again and sank his teeth into the tom's throat. Blood from the wound dripped down and stained the ground of the clearing. He's killing the cat, Ivytail thgouth, he's killing the cat. She felt sick at the sight, someone stop him, just make his stop.
"Darkstream," the brown she-cat stepped forward. "He's dead. He's dead!" The Warrior opened his jaws and the limpbody of the tom slipped to the ground.
All at once, the body on the ground changed to Darkstream's. It was his throat, not the tabby tom's that was bloody and torn, his pelt that was drenched in blood and he was completely motionless - just like in Ivytail's dream.
Only...Ivytail snapped back into reality. Darkstream was not the victim; he was the killer.
No! her mind screamed. No! That was not possible! Darkstream was a respectable and noble Warrior! He wouldn't kill a cat!
And for a fraction of a second, Ivytail looked directly into the blue eyes of this very cat. Her response was immediate. She sprang to her paws and ran. Ran and ran, away from Darkstream, away from the clearing, away from the killer...
The light breeze brought with it fresh and untainted scents of the woods. Smells of waking prey and green plants. The clean air managed to flush her worries away. Feeling the crunch of twigs and dried leaves beneath her paws, Ivytail made her way further into the forest. Further than DawnClan territory. Further than any cat had been before. So far that she could almost hear the sounds of the Twoleg Place nearby. But she did not care, not in the least.
Then, something brought her up short. It was a scent, a very familiar scent. Darkstream's scent. What was the Warrior doing here?
Curiousity getting the better of her, Ivytail tracked his scent to a small clearing completely surrounded by bramble bushes. She pushed her way into one of the bushes and crouched there, among the leaves and thorns. The bramble dug into her pelt but Ivytail was too surprised to be annoyed. All her attention was riveted on the scene in the clearing. There were four cats.
Darkstream was standing in between two she-cats, a small light brown tabby who looked that she might be Quailfeather's age and a tortiseshell. Crouched in front of them was a haggard-looking tabby tom. He was meowing something urgently to Darkstream but the black Warrior silenced him with a growl. Ivytail strained her ears, though she still could not hear what he was saying.
Suddenly, Darkstream yowled out, "He save your life yet you betrayed him! How could you!" His eyes were filled with pain and his meow was anguished. The tabby tom lowered his head and replied softly, "He forced me to. He threatened to kill me. I betrayed my saviour. I am a worthless friend.You can kill me, Darkstream, if you want but I tell you this. He is coming, run while you can Darkstream. You are the one he wants to see dead."
Darkstream, who had his face turned all the time abruptly whipped around, his meow dangerously soft, "Are you threatening me?" The tom flinched, "N-no!" Darkstream let out a bellow of rage, "After all that time to think I thought you changed!" A shiver of fear ran down Ivytail's spine; she had never seen Darkstream this angry before. Ivytail could almost feel the black waves of fury emanating from him.
The black Warrior sprang forward and flung the tabby tom with full force across the clearing. He lunged forth again and sank his teeth into the tom's throat. Blood from the wound dripped down and stained the ground of the clearing. He's killing the cat, Ivytail thgouth, he's killing the cat. She felt sick at the sight, someone stop him, just make his stop.
"Darkstream," the brown she-cat stepped forward. "He's dead. He's dead!" The Warrior opened his jaws and the limpbody of the tom slipped to the ground.
All at once, the body on the ground changed to Darkstream's. It was his throat, not the tabby tom's that was bloody and torn, his pelt that was drenched in blood and he was completely motionless - just like in Ivytail's dream.
Only...Ivytail snapped back into reality. Darkstream was not the victim; he was the killer.
No! her mind screamed. No! That was not possible! Darkstream was a respectable and noble Warrior! He wouldn't kill a cat!
And for a fraction of a second, Ivytail looked directly into the blue eyes of this very cat. Her response was immediate. She sprang to her paws and ran. Ran and ran, away from Darkstream, away from the clearing, away from the killer...
