Darkness

Chapter 6

Picture: Crowfrost

Jaypool turned, staring into a pair of dark green eyes. In front of her stood a long-furred tortoiseshell she-cat with four white toes.

"My name is Ferndapple. I'm from StarClan; me and my three friends were sent here to give the four an important message." She said.

"But why not tell us this message at home? Why make us travel all the way here?" Jaypool asked, still feeling her sore legs throbbing from the long walk.

"You know those two amber eyes you saw in that dream with Frostfoot?" Ferndapple fixed her intense green eyes in Jaypool, who nodded. "They belong to our enemy, and they watch the forest. They see everything, ranging from what happens in the clan camps to what happens in StarClan's dreams. That's why we couldn't tell you there, because he would know."

"Who is he? What does StarClan want us to do?"

"That's why I'm here," Ferndapple dipped her head. "Follow me."

Jaypool wondered where there was to go in this endless meadow, but she followed anyway. Ferndapple led her to a small puddle of water.

"Look inside it. It will take you into the past; show who the enemies are."

Jaypool nodded and squinted into the rippling liquid. It cleared, and she felt herself plunging into a dream. A dream inside a dream.

Jaypool scrambled to her feet. She was in a clan camp- a quite familiar surrounding. It's StormClan! She looked around. The clearing was full of cats, but Jaypool didn't recognise anyone. The long branch from the gathering tree was still there, she suddenly realised. It had collapsed after Jaypool had been made a warrior, killing Fawnstep's sister, Lilyheart. Jaypool turned just in time to see a strange cat walking toward her.

"Hello? I-" She stopped and gasped as the tom walked right through her! She staggered back in surprise. So, she was in the past and no one could see, hear or touch her! She turned around and watched the cat that had walked through her pad up to a grey she-cat. She had short silver fur, black paws and tail, and icy blue eyes. The tom was white with large black spots and dark orange eyes. Jaypool's blood turned to ice as she recognised his amber eyes. He's the enemy?!

"Darkheart! Hi!" The she-cat exclaimed when she saw him.

"H-Hey." Darkheart, the spotted tom, stammered.

"That is your enemy. He is- was- in love with that cat, Silvershade." Ferndapple appeared next to her. Silvershade purred. Maybe she knew Darkheart had a crush on her. Jaypool couldn't believe this sweet tom was their enemy!

"Hey, Silvershade!" Another tom came trotting over to the two. He looked a lot like Silvershade, but paler, and he had green eyes.

"That is Dusttail. Silvershade and him are in love, but Darkheart did not know that at this time." Fernshade chipped in again. "Now you've met them. Stand still!" Jaypool obeyed and felt herself spinning, and reappeared in a dense forest.

"This is about a moon later- Dusttail and Silvershade became mates." Ferndapple backed off, and Jaypool saw the two mates crouching in a small bramble bush. They had their eyes fixed on a mouse shuffling around in the leaves a few tail-lengths away. They seemed to be out hunting together. Jaypool noticed it was sunset. Pastel plink orange, yellow and red was smeared across the sky, spreading warm colours over the darkening forest.

Suddenly, a flash of black and white flew down from a nearby tree, landing on the mouse.

"Darkheart!" Silvershade cried out in surprise. Darkheart growled and brought his paw down to smash the mouse's little head. Dusttail got up.