Dark Shadows by Chocolatemeerkat (epub e ink reader .TXT) 📕

season." Owlclaw explained. Blazestrike had just about figured out something. "Moonsky was involed in a prophecy while Wolfstar was alive, and when she died in an attack she was in Petalflight's litter!" He meowed. "You were her old mate!" Owlclaw went silent. Another elder came up to Blazestrike. "You are correct. I am Petalflight, Moonwing's closest friend. When she said that she was running away to find adventure, I was heartbroken. I thought I would never see her again until she came along with the rouges. I thank you for looking after my daughter and my friend, but why is she with the rouges?"
"She was kidnapped." Blazestrike sighed sadly. "You see, our camp was set on fire during an invasion, and our youngest son was killed. Darkmystery, my rival, blamed me for the death."
"What a horrible cat!" Petalflight explained. "He should be exiled!"
"I don't understand why, but Snowstar knows all his tricks, but she has not exiled him. I suspect he'll be kicked out of the clan when he tries to return." A little apprentice then came in, yawning. "Mysterystar said that you can stay here for the night, it is too dark and dangerous to travel through these woods." She said. Blazestrike thanked the elders and padded out.
"Nice cat, isn't he?" Petalflight meowed to Owlclaw.
"I suppose he's ok, but his friend seems a little suspicious." Owlclaw mumbled.

Blazestrike woke up, startled. He was in a forest, surrounded by nothing but trees. A call for help could be heard, a she-cat's cry. The warrior got up and followed the sound, keeping his ears pricked. He came to a bush. He could see fur. White fur. "Who's there?" He shouted. A small she-cat appeared from the bush, coughing. Her fur was covered in blood and somehow, she seemed familar. She was calling for someone. Blazestrike padded up to the she-cat. She was sobbing. "Go away, this is no place for young warriors." She begged. "You'll die."
"I'm not young." Blazestrike corrected. "I'm actually quite strong. I have been in so many battles and surivied." The she-cat turned to face him. "You seem a little familar. Proberly a friend." She said. Blazestrike gazed at the cat. She was very familar, but then it hit him. "Moonsky!" He cried joyfully. "Remember me?"
"Hmmm, ah yes, you are Lizardeye, aren't you?" Moonsky asked. Blazestrike's heart sank. His own mate had forgotten him! "No, I'm Blazestrike, your mate!" He meowed.
"Back away from her, rouge." A voice from the shadows growled. A tom padded out. It was Darkmystery, Blazestrike's old rival. "Well, well, well, we meet yet again." Darkmystery hissed. "And I assure you that you listen to the she-cat. I would leave now before someone gets hurt." Blazestrike lashed his tail angrily and spat. "I'm her mate." Moonsky glared at Blazestrike with her gentle blue eyes, but no longer gentle. "What kind of mate are you if you didn't come back for me?" She meowed angrily.
"I was coming!" Blazestrike protested. "I travelled for atleast a season to find you!"
"And you left the kits?" Moonsky was furious. "Oh, my poor little kits, having you as a father. Leave now, Darkmystery's my mate, I want you out of my life!" Darkmystery sat down with a yawn and glared at Blazestrike. "Go on then. Go find another mate, or are you going to live lonely?" Blazestrike turned away, but he looked back, his eyes blazing. "I will return, I can promise you of that. You aren't going to get away with this, Darkmystery. I have friends, you don't."
"Repeat that." Darkmystery meowed cooly, glancing at Moonsky. Blazestrike yowled loudly in sorrow. It was hopeless!

"Blazestrike? Hello?" Blazestrike groaned loudly and opened his eyes. Deerleap and Bluesong were beside him, sighing in relief. "You were yowling in your sleep." Deerleap explained. "Nightmare?" Blazestrike nodded and Deerleap glanced outside. "We'd better go, come on." As they came out, Lionfang greeted them. "Bluesong, I have sent Poppypaw on a hunting patrol to collect herbs. You can stay here." He meowed. The deputy turned to Deerleap. "Duckfoot asked me to tell you that you need to do some hunting, but you don't have to do it now. Blazestrike, stay here. Maybe you could tell the elders stories or wonder around. Stay close though, rouges might strike." Blazestrike deicded to go for a walk. Swiftlegs then dashed up to him with a small shrew in his jaws. "Where's Bluesong?"
"Medicine den." Blazestrike mumbled, walking away. Swiftlegs had seemed a bit too fond of the medicine cat, it drove him mad. Whilst walking along, Blazestrike heard screaming kits nearby. He swiftly ran through the forest and towards a small clearing. Here, 2 little kits were high up in a tree, a fox waiting for them to come down so it could eat. Blazestrike pictured the fox attack Moonsky had told him about, where she had died. He shook his head and charged at the fox. It snarled and whipped it's head round. Blazestrike then realised it wasn't a fox. It was a rouge! Angrily, Blazestrike pounced onto it and pinned it down. "Who are you?" He snapped.
"Ember, a rouge who happens to be a queen." The rouge mumbled. "I'm also hungry."
"Why did you try to kill those kits?" Blazestrike growled, lashing his tail.
"I haven't eaten a proper meal for 2 days." Ember replied. "I got lost in this forest because my clan ran off and left me."
"Which clan are you?"
"DarkClan. Used to be loner, now savage rouge." Blazestrike loosened his grip. "Have you got a white she-cat prisoner?"
"Yes. Our leader is going to mate her when they reach new territory." Ember explained. Blazestrike pictured poor Moonsky, with Darkmystery mounting her. He then got up, allowing Ember to move. "I'm going to offer you a deal. If you take me and some of my clan to the prisoner, I will get you some food and not leave you scarred."
"Ok, I accept, but my clan won't like me doing it." Ember walked around Blazestrike, sniffing the air. "SnowClan. Should have known by your strong body."
"Proud to be." Blazestrike mewed kindly. "I'm Blazestrike, SnowClan warrior. The she-cat is my mate." Ember sighed sadly. "I'm very sorry to hear that. I will help you, I know where they are going. Gather up your friends and meet me back here, but please remember the prey. I won't hurt those kits, I will take them in as I killed their mother."
"You are very kind, thank you." Blazestrike mewed, padding off into the bushes.

Half an hour later, Blazestrike and the others had returned with plenty of prey. Ember was very thankful, as you might have guessed.
"Where's Swiftlegs?" Falconsong asked.
"He's staying with his girlfriend." Streampaw replied coldly. Ember just laughed and stood up, stronger. "Again, thank you for the prey. It was very nice of you to give up your prey for a worthless lump of bones."
"If you are helping us find Moonsky, it's the best way of saying thank you." Deerleap explained, sniggering. "Prey is the medicine." Blazestrike purred in amusement. Owlpaw just sighed. He didn't trust Ember one bit.
"Come along, youngsters. We must get going now, we can't wait for your friend to turn up. If we don't go now, we'll be too late." Ember meowed, flicking her tail in the direction of a mountain. "We will head up here, and hopefully we will find DarkClan." The cats walked through the forest, keeping a close eye out for DarkClan cats or anything else that looked threatening. Blazestrike wasn't afraid, but he noticed that Deerleap was shaking and limping beside him. "Need some help?"
"No, I'm fine." Deerleap said quickly.
"You don't look it." Blazestrike replied.
"Blazestrike, I'm in perfect health." The she-cat inisted, sounding angry. "Just please, leave me alone." Lizardeye gave a low growl in his throat. "Do I need to teach the pair of you respect again?" Blazestrike shook his head quickly and then whispered in Deerleap's ear. "No way am I listening to that pile of mousedung lecturing us on respect." He mumbled. Deerleap giggled quietly. "You are still bad, Blazestrike. No one dares to insult the all-mighty Lizardeye, being the oldest senior warrior."
"Then why hasn't her retired to the elder's den?" Blazestrike whispered back. Deerleap couldn't stop laughing. Duckfoot turned around and sighed. "You will atrract attention by acting like fools." She replied in a harsh tone. Blazestrike muttered some very rude names to call Duckfoot and Deerleap burst out laughing again. Lizardeye pounced onto Deerleap and growled. "I think you need to stay away from Blazestrike. Go to the front with Ember and behave." He hissed. Deerleap got up and joined Ember, who was being very silent. Owlpaw glared at Blazestrike, but then turned back to talk to Streampaw.

2 hours later, the little group of travellers finally reached the mountain. It was very steep and slippery, as it was raining. Owlpaw whinned when he saw the huge mountain climbing the sky. "I'm not going up there!" Ember turned around and sighed. "As the weather is against us," She mewed. "only the strongest cats will make the journey with me up the mountain. Duckfoot, choose come cats."
"Deerleap, Blazestrike, Falconsong and Lizardeye. I'll stay here with the apprentices and meet you back here." Duckfoot replied. Ember nudged her adopted kits over to Duckfoot. "Look after them too."
"Wait a minute." Lizardeye sat beside Duckfoot. "Darkmystery's your son. You have to stop him. I'll stay here with the apprentices and kits." Duckfoot got up and joined the other cats on their climb up the mountain. Rain poured down and thunder shook the sky, along with lighting flashing on and off like a camera taking photos. Blazestrike shivered in the cold air. He had never seen a storm like this before. Deerleap limped beside him still. "Sorry about earlier, I have had no sleep and while I was out hunting, some badger attacked me and scarred my leg really bad."
"Did you see Bluesong about it?" Blazestrike asked.
"No. Didn't want to, her and Swiftlegs were talking as usual." Deerleap meowed, sticking her head up. Ember then stopped suddenly and sniffed the air. "They are close." She replied in a weak voice. "Keep up." The cats continued on, despite the horrible weather conditions. Falconsong then slipped. "Ouch! Mouse dung!" She growled angrily, getting up. Duckfoot nudged her up to her paws and helped her up the steep mountain. A strong scent of DarkClan was in the air, near a small ledge not too far away. Bravely, the cats climbed up and hid behind a large rock in the cave. Darkmystery was adressing the cats in his loud voice. "So, I will remain Darkmystery instead of Darkstar, because I have no belief in StarClan what so ever. Adder will be deputy, Viper as medcine cat and Ash as her apprentice." He annoced. The cruel cat turned to a large tom. "Blood, get the prisoner. Her time has come." The cat nodded and went over into a dark corner. The tom grabbed a white thing by the scuff and dragged it out. "She's been putting up a real fight, Darkmystery, she'll make a excellent mate. A born fighter." He explained. Darkmystery snarled. "You're not having her, she's mine." Blazestrike signalled and the hiding cats ran from the hiding spot, hissing and snarling. "Let her go."
"Blazestrike!" Moonsky cried out in joy. "It's you!" Darkmystery turned to her. "Shut up. I'm dealing with this." He growled before turning to face Blazestrike. "I thought I forbid you to show your face." He said.
"Well, I believe that you are not the leader and never will be. You can't tell me what to do, hedgehog." Blazestrike sniggered, remembering the first fight when Darkmystery was thrown into a thorn bush. Darkmystery wasn't impressed by the joke. "Do you really think that you and your puny friends