A Vision of Shadows #1: The Apprentice's Quest

Chapter 2

A screech ripped the air, and suddenly Alderpaw felt the wind knocked out of him as the cat slammed into him with such force that he staggered away, eyes round with surprise. Desperately the tom tried to flee, but claws hooked into his pelt and pulled him back once more.

Alderpaw let out an agonized yowl as pain lanced up his spine, causing his heart to pound with fear. Before he knew it, a crushing weight pinned him to the ground and the apprentice felt as if his ribs would crack. Gulping for breath that would not come, the tom felt his mind begin to spiral into darkness. The immense pressure on his chest would not yield, and his vision began to grow dark around the edges.

Muffled snarling reached his ears, sounding very far away. In one last effort, Alderpaw kicked out with his legs and felt his paws sink into his attacker's belly. With a shriek, the weight vanished and the tom immediately sucked in all the air he could, his ribcage sore and shuddering. Clumsy with panic, he thrashed around in the peaty soil and tried to find purchase.

Before he could get to his feet, fangs sunk into his scruff and Alderpaw hissed in pain. The attacker heaved him up with its jaws still clamped around his neck, making it feel as if a thousand snakes were all biting in the same spot. Alderpaw wildly lashed out, clawing and kicking with every limb he could use. He felt his paw connect with a nose, and instantly felt the warm gush of blood spread through his fur.

The stranger backed up with a growl, and Alderpaw finally managed to scramble to his paws, his tail stiff and his pelt bristling. He stared in horror as a shadowy figure circled him, amber eyes still flashing in the dark. Biting back a whimper of terror, he tried to look fierce by baring his fangs.

Heaving for breath, Alderpaw whirled around to face his enemy. "Leave me alone!" he snapped, but his voice squeaked like a kit. Every part of his body seemed to be on fire, and his mind swam with confusion and fear. What did this cat want from him?

There was a pause in which he tensed, ready to fight, but to his surprise a mrrow of laughter rang through the rotting trees. The cat stepped out of the darkness, and he saw that her fur was a dull tortoiseshell that looked strangely faded, as if it were gradually blending into the background. More alarming was the twisted smile on her face.

"I'm impressed," the strange cat meowed silkily, sitting down daintily and licking a paw. "I didn't expect a cat like you could fight."

"Wh- what do you mean?" Alderpaw shot back in an attempt to sound tough. The she-cat obviously didn't fall for his ploy, because her whiskers twitched in amusement. Instead she stared at him calculatingly, and Alderpaw refused to look away even though he was trying hard not to wail like a kit. Still locking eyes, he turned his head to lick the bite at his scruff that throbbed like a bee sting.

Eventually, the shadowy cat responded, though she did not answer his question. "My name is Mapleshade," she purred. "I'm sure you've heard of me before."

Alderpaw's blood seemed to freeze at her words. He remembered the time when his mother Squirrelflight told him of an evil cat who sought vengeance over the Clans, and was prepared to maim and kill for it. He backed away, ears flattening to his head.

"G- get away from me!" he squealed, not bothering to act unafraid. His mind whirled with thoughts. Why of all cats did it have to be this one who decided to attack him? What did she have against him, anyways, and why was he even here?

Because if the cat in front of him really was Mapleshade, then that meant that Alderpaw was in the Dark Forest, which was the very last place he ever wanted to be.

The murderous cat rose and padded closer, causing Alderpaw to flinch. She grinned maniacally, looking very pleased at his terror, and purred. "Scared?" she drawled. "You should be. Because every tale you've heard about the Place of No Stars is true. Yes, we kill cats for fun. Yes, we were rejected from StarClan. Yes, we fought against the Clans and killed enough cats to fill the lake with blood. I can assure you, its every bit as scary and evil as you heard from your petty nursery tales."