When Darkness Whispers

Prologue

The full moon reflected off the rippling lake. There was a brown figure, barely visible, sitting on the lake-shore. Why didn't the Clans listen? He asked himself outraged. A light breeze blew the toms thick fur and made him shiver. Leaf-bare is almost here and cats are already stealing prey! He reached out his forepaw and splashed the icy water in front of him.

What was that? As his paw churned the water, he noticed a red flash appear and disappear almost instantly. "Probably just a fish." He mumbled to himself. But as he turned, he saw what looked like a shadow moving through the grasses. The shadow then moved behind a small tree and towards the tom. "Who are you?" The tom asked, unsheathing his claws. The mysterious cat padded out into the moonlight. Great StarClan that cat looks bad! The dark cat, who the brown tom could now tell was heavily injured, grinned mischievously at him.

"My name is Tornthroat." That's an odd name. He thought. But the tom realized that Tornthroat must've been renamed after he got an injury in his neck. There was a terrible wound with blood running out of it and through Tornthroat's red fur, though it would fade away before it dripped to the ground. "What do you want?" The tom asked Tornthroat. Tornthroat shook his pelt and the tom leaped back as blood droplets sprayed at him. But the liquid vanished before it touched his pelt. What?! Tornthroat lifted his gaze to the moon. "I've seen how the other Clans treat you. Your like fox-dung to them." The tom nodded at Tornthroat and listened, interested, as he continued.

"They don't care if you or your Clan starve. They want the land for themselves." Tornthroat muffled a laugh. "That's why I have come up with an idea." The brown tom couldn't resist asking what it was. "Well, what is it." He asked impatiently. Tornthroat took a couple steps closer to the brown tom. "I've spent a long time in......in StarClan," This cat lives in StarClan? He doesn't even have stars in his pelt. The tom thought as he looked at the wounds. I would never want to go to StarClan if I had to keep my wounds! "I've found that a leader can give up a life to a dead cat." What is he getting at? The tom thought suspiciously. "And I've formed a plan. You and me can lead the Clans together! I only need you to give up one of your remaining lives." The brown tom was taken aback.

"You expect me to give up one of my lives to you?" Tornthroat nodded. This could work. A small voice said in the back of his head. This cat can help you. "What's in it for you?" He asked Tornthroat. The wounded cat shook his head slowly and looked up at silverpelt. "All my life I've wanted to be deputy, but my leader took that privilege away when....." he stopped. The brown tom narrowed his eyes. "When what?" Tornthroat put on a revolting face. "When I killed a cat who had broken the warrior code." The brown tom looked at the StarClan cat. "But the cat broke the code! He deserved to die!" Tornthroat turned his head and grinned.

"Yes, but my leader saw differently. I was cast out of my Clan." The brown tom stared at Tornthroat. What kind of leader casts out a cat whose defending the warrior code? "Fine, you can have one of my lives. But if this doesn't work," he snapped as he saw Tornthroat's eyes light up. "Then I won't be giving you a second try." Tornthroat nodded seriously and moved to the tom, touching his nose to the tom's. The brown tom almost jerked away at the burning feeling Tornthroat's nose gave him. This is it. Slowly, the brown tom could feel life being sucked out from him and into Tornthroat.

That doesn't look right. Tornthroat wasn't completely alive. Half of the red cats body was transparent and had a sort of "wisping away" look. But the tom saw that Tornthroat now left paw steps in the mud. When he put his paw in the lake, it rippled. Tornthroat was half alive. "There. That's what you wanted. Now tell me the rest of your plan." The brown tom ordered. Tornthroat grinned and nodded. "All in good time. But now," he said as the leader glared at him. "You must get back to your Clan. They will be wondering where you are." Then Tornthroat stepped behind the tree again and vanished.

This better work. The brown tom thought to himself. Another voice spoke, though it was not the brown tom's. Oh it will. Then the tom made his way to camp.