Icewillow's Greed

Chapter 10

ART BY N1MBA5AC0R3! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeQ0ntVSkRkpScB-93ijQpw

Icewillow's eyes slowly flutter open. Her whole body aches, and her vision is fuzzy. 

Where am I...? 

She weakly lifts herself into a sitting position, and looks around. All nature is dark red, and not a star is in sight in the sky; just the moon. 

She takes a deep breath, but is cut off by a rattling cough erupting from her lungs. Black sludge escapes her mouth and splatters onto the red grass. 

Her eyes widen in horror. 

WHAT IS THAT?? 

She quickly holds her paw up to her mouth, wiping the sludge from it. She examines it, worried. As she looks at it, she feels a stinging pain in the side of her head. She reaches up and rubs it, only to stop as her paw touches damped fur, soaked with blood. 

WHAT THE- 

She quickly rushes over to the nearest river, flowing with similar black sludge rather than water. Just barely able to see herself in the reflection, she makes out a large gash on the side of her head. 

"So, you finally made it..."

Icewillow hears a raspy voice behind her, and quickly swivels around to face it.

"Who are you??"

Standing before her is an old black and white she cat with gray paws. She has giant bags underneath her dull, brown eyes  and a deep wound in her belly, her blood running down her body and dripping onto the ground below.

"Why did I expect you to know me..? I died long before you were a twinkle in your mother's eye." She huffs and approaches her. "I'm Skunkstripe, and I'm your grandmother."

"My grandmother..?" Icewillow squints. "How do I know it's really you? I never got the names of my grandparents... They could be anyone."

"I'm your father's mother. He inherited his black fur from me. As did you, my dear..." She exposes her toothy grin. "I'm not sure what else I can give you besides my word, though... So you'll just have to trust me."

Icewillow looks her up and down.

I mean, she DOES look a lot like my father. But.. I'm not going to instantly believe someone I just met in a brand new place.

"Listen, what do you want from me?" She sighs and glares at the old she cat.

"Nothing... I just want to welcome you here. You'll be quite a deal for all the residing cats, see."

"Where is 'here?' StarClan?"

"Oh, dear... You know very well that you aren't making it to StarClan."

Icewillow looks away. No matter how much she wanted to deny it, Skunkstripe was right.

"This is the dark forest, isn't it.."

"No need to worry, sweetheart..." Skunkstripe puts her paw to Icewillow's cheek. Startled, she jerks away.

"Why are you so cold??"

"You should find Bengal Fang, Icewillow. He should be your final target, and then you'll get all the love and praise you deserved in life. Kill him, and you gain his power."

"You're talking about those red marks on his face, aren't you?"

"But of course! It's a one in every hundred moons opportunity, and you happened to die on the perfect night. The dark forest wants YOU, my granddaughter. With those markings, you'll get to travel to the living world and take control of the bodies of the mentally weak. You can share your power with who you wish as well. Whether they be living.. or dead. You may not trust what I'm saying, but I wouldn't lie to my own kin. Kill Bengal Fang and see for yourself."