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Post by .Swiftclaw. on Sept 23, 2007 16:16:05 GMT -5
Title: The Darkness Rising Chapters: 4 so far, but there will be around 20… Author: Swiftclaw Pairing: There are a few but they aren’t the focus of the story Rating: PG13 Spoilers: None Summary: This is set many moons after the current forest cats have joined StarClan. All is peaceful, but suddenly an ominous prophecy throws the Clan cats’ world into peril… Warning: Violence, character death, possible horror and slight spoilers later on. Disclaimer: Erin Hunter owns Warriors, but I made up some of the characters. Beta: None Cover: Not yet, hopefully one soon. Author's Notes: Hope you like this. There is some violence but if you don't like the stuff in the prologue don't despair, it won't get much worse. Please read, enjoy and review! Thanks! The Darkness Rising Prologue: A Dark Destiny It was a still, dark night. The silent stars twinkled and shone down on the dense forest as lithe figures skulked in the shadows. There were five, but one was slowly creeping away from the huddled group. His eyes glinted in the darkness, and his ears strained to listen to the faint sounds ahead. The cat let out a mrrow of surprise when another cat, female by her scent, and blacker than the shadows, stepped out in front of him. She looked behind her warily, and then turned to the tom. “I am Nightshadow,” she mewed in a low voice, her eyes fixed on her paws. “Ah yes, the young she-cat who wanted to join us.” The tom’s voice had the hint of a sneer in it. “Why would you abandon your Clan, and StarClan? They’ll miss you!” he taunted her. Nightshadow raised her head and their eyes met. His were a cold green, and hers were a shocking ice blue. They seemed to be draining the warmth out of the tom, named Scar, and he could not look away. He could barely suppress a shiver. “Scar, please,” Nightshadow pleaded. “My siblings are dead. My mother died giving birth to me. My father died before I was born, and now my whole Clan – and probably every cat in the forest – hates me.” “Why?” Scar uttered the single word, and his eyes grew softer. Maybe she wasn’t so bad after all. “A quarter moon ago, I was out with my apprentice, when a fox attacked.” And suddenly she was back there, replaying the scene in her mind. “Nightshadow? I smell fox.” Petalpaw was looking warily around her. Nightshadow parted her jaws and raised her head. The strong, rank scent of a dog fox was unmistakable. What was it doing so close to Clan territory? There were no suitable dens, and foxes hardly ever came here. But before she could voice this thought, a terrible shriek cut through the air. Nightshadow had been facing the other way, and she whipped round. The sight she saw was so horrifying she wanted to block it out of her mind forever. The young apprentice was slumped on the ground, the life bleeding out of her. Her once shiny white pelt was stained scarlet and her pale green eyes were glazed over, the light gone. Nightshadow caught a glimpse of a bushy tail swinging out of sight, and two gleaming eyes filled with malice. The fox had torn a gaping hole in Petalpaw’s stomach and blood soaked the ground all around the limp body. What a waste, thought Nightshadow bitterly. She could feel a wave of sickness sweeping over her. But then, with a jolt of horror, she realised the blood-soaked she-cat was, miraculously, still alive. Petalpaw stirred feebly and whimpered. Nightshadow rushed over to her, almost slipping in the pool of blood. “Night…shadow,” Petalpaw rasped. The word was a huge effort for her. “Tell……Pebblestar……this was meant to happen.” She finished, gasping for air. “There is…a prophecy…about the one…who will…bring………peace.” “Prophecy? From StarClan?” Nightshadow echoed, puzzled. “Yes……you stupid furball.” Some of Petalpaw’s old humour had returned in her dying minutes. “Ask…Sagewing…she knows……I am sorry…Nightshadow………tell them the truth……………you are the one…………………” And that was it. Petalpaw’s spirit left her body, and her pretty blue eyes glazed over. Nightshadow was left alone, in the growing darkness, confused…angry…alone. “That’s what happened,” Nightshadow finished sadly. “Soon afterwards, a patrol came. It looked bad, trust me, and they took me to Pebblestar. I told them the truth, I really did, but they wouldn’t listen. You see, I haven’t always been the perfect warrior.” She dropped her gaze to her paws, tail down and unmoving. “I understand,” was Scar’s sympathetic reply. But then Nightshadow’s tail lashed angrily. She dug her claws into the ground and tore at the grass, as if it were her enemies’ fur. “I hate them!” she howled, a howl of raw, pure rage and grief. “Especially Pebblestar! Because do you know what they did?” Scar shook his head. “They left me to die!” Her voice rose to a screech, and the fur on her back was straight up. “I had to leave my precious kits. They were so young, and they will never know their mother.” Nightshadow’s voice trailed off into a whimper. “You and DarkClan are my last hope.” There was silence for a few minutes, apart from the sound of Nightshadow breathing heavily. Then Scar decided. “Come with me,” he meowed, flexing his claws. “I will take you to the current leader of Darkclan. He will decide your fate. But first, answer me this. What of StarClan? Are you still a believer?” “I am, but they guide me no more,” Nightshadow replied. “Good. That is the belief of DarkClan also. Follow me.” And with that, Scar disappeared into the undergrowth. Taking a deep breath, Nightshadow followed, stepping along the path of her destiny. *** As soon as Cobra saw the young black she-cat, who was no bigger than an apprentice, he was doubtful. How could a feeble excuse for a cat like her be tough enough for the life she wished to live here, in the shadowy depths of DarkClan? But underestimating her was where he went wrong. Right from the start, he was disbelieving. And that was to be his biggest mistake. Nevertheless, she joined his Clan. She kept her name. It was perfect. Everything was fine, and Nightshadow was just another misguided fool who nobody cared about. Just another cat added to DarkClan to make it strong. Or was she? One look into those icy eyes and the happiness, or what he thought was his happiness, drained out of him like blood from a defeated enemy. They had no feeling, no warmth, and he felt sure he would die by just looking at her. But then Nightshadow turned away, and Cobra shivered. There was something more to that cat, something only StarClan would know. But StarClan did not guide Cobra or his Clan. Little did those foolish Clan cats know, but StarClan were not alone in the sky………
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Post by .Swiftclaw. on Sept 24, 2007 11:06:15 GMT -5
Should I write more?
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shadow
Junior Member
Posts: 67
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Post by shadow on Sept 24, 2007 16:07:16 GMT -5
YES! Please, please do! This is a very good story so far.
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ghostfeather
Junior Member
......boredom kills.....
Posts: 76
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Post by ghostfeather on Sept 24, 2007 21:27:40 GMT -5
YES! plzz write more i liked it a lot! post again soon!
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Post by .Swiftclaw. on Sept 25, 2007 12:46:00 GMT -5
Thanx 4 your comments the nxt chapter will be up soon!!!
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Post by .Swiftclaw. on Sept 26, 2007 13:20:31 GMT -5
Next chapter!!!!!! ;D ;D ;D Chapter One: An Elder’s Tale It had been a hard leaf-bare for the four Clans, and there was no sign that the fresh season of newleaf was anywhere near. However, three kits had been born earlier in the year and were now approaching their sixth moon. They would all make fine, strong apprentices. They were siblings and very adventurous. One of these kits, a very curious one named Swiftkit, had ventured out of the nursery and was talking to one of the elders. Swiftkit respected elders, and admired them for the stories of great battles they sometimes told to her and her siblings. But today an old pale grey cat by the name of Fadedpelt was telling a story about DarkClan. “Young Swiftkit, settle down and listen. There was once a Clan that lived alongside the four Clans we know so well. They were called DarkClan. There were evil and heartless, and would kill for fun. But rumours have been flying. They say that DarkClan have risen again. But we have no proof yet.” “How does their Clan work? Is it the same as ours?” Swiftkit asked. “Yes, mostly. Even those twisted cats of DarkClan know that if you don’t train your apprentices, care for your cats, and look after queens and their kits, you don’t have a Clan. That’s why they have a medicine cat, even though they have no connection with StarClan. But elders, well, cats have to fight even when they are old and weak. They never die peacefully.” “But that’s horrible!” Swiftkit was aghast. “And how do you know all this?” “It’s an old nursery tale. But some say it’s true, and DarkClan still live,” mused the elder. “Do their leaders still have nine lives?” Swiftkit was curious and puzzled at the same time. “If they don’t believe in StarClan?” “Well, it is said that they believe in StarClan, but do not follow them. Instead, they believe there are cats other than StarClan that walk the sky.” Swiftkit’s eyes were round and huge, like two full moons. “Maybe like the place where evil cats go,” she wondered. “Yes, I believe so. Legend has it that they are called DeathClan. But all this is a bit nasty for a little kit’s ears. Run along now, but remember this: This is no ordinary elder’s tale. It is all true.” Fadedpelt’s voice had sunk to a whisper, and he closed his eyes. Swiftkit nodded, then turned and walked slowly off, her thoughts on what the elder had told her. His last sentence echoed in her mind. It is all true. “Ha! I win, Rainkit!” Swiftkit had her brother pinned down and he struggled but remained on the ground. “That’s not fair! You always win!” Rainkit protested. Their sister, Ebonykit, calmly watched them from a safe distance away. She never joined in their fighting games; she was too gentle and peaceful. However, she was smart, and used logic to work out good countermoves, sometimes helping one of them to win. Today, though, Ebonykit was sitting quietly. A smirk crept onto her face and her blue eyes narrowed in amusement as she watched her agile but powerful sister overcome her wiry, smaller brother. She knew he was not a fighter simply by looking at him – he would almost certainly make a better hunter. She herself did not like fighting or hunting, but sometimes hung around with the medicine cat Sagewing. Sagewing was a fairly young medicine cat, pale rusty ginger with a cream coloured chest and light green eyes. She had been appointed to full medicine cat status less than four seasons ago, following the mysterious death of her mentor, Speckleheart. She had taken an interest in Ebonykit and the two of them had become good friends. The little black kit also had quite a knowledge of healing herbs for her age. But the most intriguing thing was what Ebonykit had to tell her. “Hi Sagewing,” Ebonykit said nervously. “Yes, what is it, Ebonykit?” “I wanted to tell you something.” Ebonykit looked behind her and shifted her paws anxiously. “Come on, tell me. I won’t laugh or anything.” Sagewing was studying the kit with interest. “Okay. Last night I had this weird dream. There was this slender black cat, and she was talking to some bigger cats. Then one of them attacked her, but she fought back, and she was so strong for her size. She overpowered him, then let him go and hissed, and he ran away. Then I saw her eyes, and-” Ebonykit broke off as the leader of their Clan, Pebblestar, came over and greeted Sagewing with a brief nod. She muttered something to him, then turned back to Ebonykit. “Ebonykit, tell Pebblestar what you told me. Just start from where you left off.” “The she-cat’s eyes were ice blue. I felt tired when I looked into them, sort of like they were drawing the energy out of me. Then I heard this weird voice but I couldn’t make out what it was saying. Then it was the scary part. I saw the black she-cat again, but she was sitting next to this tiny black tom with one white paw. He had the same cold blue eyes, except he was sort of…fainter than the she-cat. And the tom had this collar. It looked like it had dog’s teeth on it. I don’t think he was a kittypet. He also had huge claws, like eagle’s talons. Then…well, I woke up,” Ebonykit finished. Pebblestar and Sagewing were staring at her. “Ebonykit,” Sagewing meowed slowly. “Have you ever heard the elder’s tale about the old forest that the Clans lived in many moons ago? In the times of the great Firestar?” “Yes, many times,” replied Ebonykit. “Well you just described the leader of BloodClan perfectly. The tom, with the collar? He was called Scourge. And the she-cat-” she glanced at Pebblestar. He shook his head. “This is not the right time. She is too young. It could disturb her too much,” he explained softly. Ebonykit’s sharp ears picked up every word, and, although she did not show it, she was puzzled and intrigued at the same time. “Anyway,” Pebblestar straightened up after muttering again to Sagewing. This time Ebonykit had not heard his low voice. “You’d better get back to the nursery,” he addressed Ebonykit. “You have a long day ahead of you.” Ebonykit dipped her head respectfully, then turned and scampered back towards her mother in the soft warm nest she loved sleeping in. The leader and medicine cat watched her go. “You think she is the one?” enquired the old grey tom. “I am sure,” responded the young ginger she-cat. *** That night, Ebonykit could not sleep. Every time she started to drift off, whispering voices jolted her awake. She gazed at her sleeping littermates. They were all asleep, their fluffy pelts rising and falling. Then Ebonykit decided. She would go for a walk, clear her head, and maybe tire herself out. Slowly she squeezed out of the den and padded over to the tunnel, her paws making no sound on the cold stone. Once she was out of the camp she realised that she had been holding her breath. She let it out in a sigh of relief, and padded into the night. Ebonykit didn’t know how long she had been walking for, or where she was. An owl screeched and she flattened herself to the ground in terror. Suddenly she was flooded with panic. She was lost and there could be anything out there, lurking in the shadows. But then she noticed the faint glow through the trees ahead. She raced over to it and skidded to a halt, her heart pounding. In front of her was a sparkling, shimmering pool. The Moonpool! She had heard Sagewing talk about it sometimes. Shaking, Ebonykit made her way down the slope and crouched by the pool. She touched her nose to it and was instantly transported into sleep.
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Post by .Swiftclaw. on Sept 27, 2007 11:48:37 GMT -5
Should I write more?
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Post by Shadowstar on Sept 27, 2007 13:25:47 GMT -5
Yes!
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Post by .Swiftclaw. on Sept 27, 2007 13:31:49 GMT -5
OK, here is chapter 2! Chapter Two: The Right Path Ebonykit dreamed. She dreamed that she was in a moonlit forest clearing, the dew drops on the grass looking like stars. At first she thought she was alone but then she turned around, and what she saw would remain in her memory forever. Endless lines of cats stood in the clearing behind her, their fur seemingly made of stars, their eyes sparkling, and every one of them was glowing like the moon. StarClan! She crouched in awe, and her eyes grew huge with wonder until they were two light blue pools. A StarClan cat broke away from the others and stalked towards her. She had blue-grey fur and pretty pale green eyes. Then she spoke, a sweet, gentle voice that seemed to fill Ebonykit with happiness. “Young Ebonykit, you have come to us and we have something to tell you. You are not an ordinary cat. Neither are your brother and sister. You have been chosen to fulfil a great prophecy. But I cannot tell you. The time will come, I assure you. But now you must get back to your nest. Tell no one of this dream.” “But…I have a question. Who are you?” Ebonykit’s curiosity got the better of her. The StarClan queen smiled. “I am Whisperheart. I was alive many moons before you were born. I joined StarClan about three moons before your mother was born.” Ebonykit nodded, and Whisperheart disappeared along with all the other StarClan cats. Then Ebonykit was back at the Moonpool. She climbed back up the slope, took one last look back at the sparkling, star-filled pool, and then raced off into the night. *** The next day it was well past sunhigh when Ebonykit woke up. Swiftkit and Rainkit had been up for a long time when their sister finally emerged from the den, blinking in the bright sunlight. “You’re not usually up this late,” Swiftkit had meowed. “You’re the one who’s always waking us up.” “I was just tired,” replied Ebonykit. “So, who wants first bite of the mouse?” she quickly changed the subject. “I do!” yelled Rainkit, charging over to their mother who was padding back from the fresh-kill pile with a plump mouse in her jaws. But Swiftkit was the fastest, and she got there first, well before her siblings. Her paws were a blur as she sprinted over and skidded to a halt, throwing up a cloud of dust. Her mother dropped the mouse with a purr of amusement, and Swiftkit felt a satisfied smirk creep onto her face as she bit into the delicious prey. Ebonykit and Rainkit joined her and they shared the mouse. Just as they were finishing the last scraps Pebblestar came over to them. “Young kits, you are going to be apprentices today! Right now, in fact!” he announced. The three kits looked at each other excitedly, then followed their leader over to the Highledge. “All those cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!” Pebblestar’s call rang out and bounced off the stone walls of the camp. As the Clan cats began to gather, he beckoned over three cats: Hawkshadow, Sagewing and Tigerfang. They sat near the Highledge, looking very happy. Pebblestar continued when all the cats had seated themselves. “Today we have quite a few ceremonies to perform. First of all, two warrior ceremonies. I, Pebblestar, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turn. Grasspaw, Wolfpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?” “I do,” meowed Grasspaw confidently. “I do,” repeated Wolfpaw. “Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Grasspaw, from this moment you will be known as Grasswhisker. StarClan honors your compassion and your bravery, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan. Wolfpaw, from this moment you will be known as Wolfheart. StarClan honours your courage and your strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan.” Wolfheart’s eyes shone, and he let out a purr as the Clan cheered his and his sister’s new names. “Grasswhisker! Wolfheart! Grasswhisker! Wolfheart!” “Next,” continued Pebblestar, “we have some apprentice ceremonies. Swiftkit, Ebonykit, Rainkit. I call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon these kits. They would like to become warriors of ThunderClan, but must first become apprentices. Swiftkit, from this day forth, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Swiftpaw. Hawkshadow will mentor you.” Swiftpaw’s emerald green eyes sparkled with delight as she touched noses with her new mentor. “Rainkit! From this day forth, until you have earned your warrior name, you shall be known as Rainpaw. Tigerfang will mentor you.” The large ginger warrior smiled encouragingly at Rainpaw and the young apprentice smiled back, suddenly looking more confident. “Now last but not least, Ebonykit. From this day forth, until you have earned your warrior name, you shall be known as Ebonypaw. You have chosen a different path from your siblings, and it is the right path for you. Sagewing, the medicine cat, will mentor you.” “Swiftpaw! Rainpaw! Ebonypaw!” cheered the Clan. Ebonypaw touched noses with her friend and mentor, who was purring delightedly. It was half moon that night and Ebonypaw was to receive a dream from StarClan. She had decided to never tell any cat about her secret visit, and she hoped that StarClan would not reveal to her mentor what she had been doing that night. When the two medicine cats reached the sacred meeting place they were greeted by the WindClan medicine cat, Featherfur, and the RiverClan one, Lilypool. Lilypool’s apprentice was there too. Her name was Honeypaw, and she and Ebonypaw chatted together. Honeypaw had a soft, kind voice, a mottled golden pelt, and warm brown eyes. A few minutes later the ShadowClan medicine cat Hailfoot arrived, her pale grey pelt glowing silver in the moonlight. Finally they were ready for the ceremony. “StarClan, I bring you Ebonypaw, my apprentice,” Sagewing began. “I pray you will accept her as you accepted me.” The medicine cats settled down by the edge of the pool. Ebonypaw touched her nose to the pool, and the icy shock of it almost made her draw back. She stifled a hiss, and, as the cold spread to the tip of her tail, slowly drifted into sleep.
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Post by .Swiftclaw. on Sept 29, 2007 13:18:04 GMT -5
Should I continue?
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Mossleg
New Member
My cat says get off the computer and pet me!!
Posts: 28
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Post by Mossleg on Sept 29, 2007 17:16:43 GMT -5
Stop asking and just keep going! You don't need anyone's approval to write a story.
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ghostfeather
Junior Member
......boredom kills.....
Posts: 76
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Post by ghostfeather on Sept 29, 2007 19:53:28 GMT -5
yeah, u don't need to ask. ;D it's great, post again soon!
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Post by .Swiftclaw. on Sept 30, 2007 10:28:29 GMT -5
Chapter Three: A Grim Foretelling Ebonypaw was in a starlit hollow. Four great oaks surrounded her, their branches softly waving in the gentle breeze. In the centre of the hollow stood a huge boulder, and seated at the top was a StarClan cat. She was brown tabby and white, and her amber eyes glowed with excitement. “Greetings, Ebonypaw. You are a very special medicine cat, and I have something to share with you. There has been a prophecy –” The starry cat broke off with a hiss, staring at something behind Ebonypaw with a horrified expression on her face, and then the young apprentice was thrown into blackness. The last thing she saw was the tabby’s mouth open in a soundless yowl. Ebonypaw didn’t know where she was, or what had happened. There was no ground beneath her paws, she could see nothing but blackness and her heart raced. It appeared to be silent, but as her heart slowed down she could just make out some faint voices. They were being blown towards her like flimsy leaves even though there was no breeze. Ears straining, Ebonypaw listened carefully. “Don’t be such a mousebrain!” The first voice was cold and sneering. “Since when did you get so smart?” came the angry reply. “Before you were kitted!” “I hate you! You and all your…your…supporters! You’re just a gang of bloodthirsty traitors!” “SILENCE!” roared the first speaker. There was an awful scream, and then silence. Ebonypaw was utterly confused. Who had been speaking? She didn’t recognise the voices. But then she was brought back down to earth with a jolt. She was back in the hollow, and the warrior ancestor was sitting calmly as if nothing had happened. She beckoned for Ebonypaw to sit down, and spoke once more. “You have chosen a very special path. You will never be allowed to fall in love, or have kits.” At this the she-cat’s eyes clouded in pain, and Ebonypaw was puzzled. She could sense strange emotion coming off the tabby, in strong waves. Sadness, longing, and something else. “On the other hand, you will experience a life no ordinary warrior ever could. You will speak with StarClan, receive prophetic dreams, and heal your Clanmates. But even besides all that, you are very special. You can sense what other cats are feeling, yes?” Ebonypaw nodded. “Sometimes, I can hear what they are thinking too,” she added. The StarClan warrior nodded eagerly. “Just one word of warning. Do not abuse your power, for it is meant for good, and good alone.” The she-cat’s eyes flickered with shadow, but in a heartbeat her eyes were back to their, sparkling, amber selves. “Thank you,” Ebonypaw meowed, dipping her head respectfully. “But I have one question – what is your name?” “Leafpool,” answered the shining StarClan she-cat. The name stirred something in Ebonypaw’s mind – had she heard it in an old nursery tale? Should she know of this ancestor? Seeing the young apprentice’s puzzlement, Leafpool added, “I was medicine cat long before even your mother’s mother was kitted. I was the daughter of Firestar, a great leader.” Ebonypaw’s eyes grew wide. Firestar! He had been the greatest leader ThunderClan had ever seen! “I will meet with you very soon, young Ebonypaw. But for now, you must wake up and get on with your training!” The dream slowly faded and Ebonypaw gradually opened her eyes. All around the edges of the Moonpool, her fellow medicine cats were stirring from their dreams. Blinking away sleep, Ebonypaw gave a small yawn and dragged herself to her paws. When Sagewing had woken up, she padded over to her apprentice. “Good dreams?” she meowed happily. “Great,” answered Ebonypaw, just as cheerful. There had been no warnings of danger or death, and she was a medicine cat apprentice. Life just couldn’t be better for the young black she-cat, but although she didn’t know it, things were soon to change……… *** Back in the ThunderClan camp, Sagewing lay in her den. Her nest was soft, moss and grass with a few feathers. She was exhausted, it was two nights ago that she had been so the Moonpool, but since then she had hardly got any sleep. The camp was deathly silent, but Sagewing shifted constantly in her den, trying to get comfortable. It was well past moonhigh before she finally dozed off, and even then her dreams were far from pleasant. The clearing was bathed in silver starlight. The trees stood, tall and imposing. There was a full moon hovering above the treetops, like a single sightless eye in the night sky. A breeze whipped up from nowhere, sending leaves fluttering like moths in all directions. At first it seemed to be a perfectly normal forest clearing, but then a voice broke the silence. It was cold and high-pitched, sending icy shivers down Sagewing’s spine. “Danger is coming. A fight between the light and the shadow. Darkness will consume the forest, And Night will rule.” Images flashed in front of her: claws glinting, tearing through fur, battles fought, cats laid on the ground with sightless eyes. A choking feeling of panic and fear rose up, and she felt sick. Looking up, she saw a sight that burned itself into her mind: The moon - moments before a shining, white orb – was blood red. A sure omen of death. Sagewing could not move for fear, her heart was racing and her paws were frozen to the earth. The last thing she knew before she woke was hearing a terrible scream of pain that slashed through the night like a claw, and then smelling the unmistakeable bitter scent of death.
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Post by .Swiftclaw. on Sept 30, 2007 10:39:59 GMT -5
Hey, I have 1 karma!!! yay!!! thanx to whoever gave me it!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Post by Heathereh on Oct 1, 2007 19:54:50 GMT -5
This wouldn't be based on The Dark is Rising (fantasy book), would it?
Great job!
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