Willowbounce's Tale

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

    Willowbounce woke on the dirty ground of the Dark Forest yet again. She got to her paws and looked around for Hawkfrost. Her mind danced with thoughts of clawing and stalking and different attack moves Bloodstar had never taught her.
    "Hawkfrost, I'm here!" She called out to him, not seeing him in the clearing. She felt a cold air wisp behind her and she spun around quickly, lashing out with her claws in defense. Just as she predicted, her Dark Forest mentor had appeared behind her and was trying to attack her. She had managed to swipe at his cheek, sending drops of scarlet blood scattering. She spun her back end out of his reach as she turned around to face him.
    "Good evening, Willowbounce. Welcome back." He said, relaxing his stance. Willowbounce dipped her head to him in greeting.
    "Tonight, I have a tom that me and the fellow members of the Dark Forest want to get off our paws. He's too cocky and doesn't know the strengths others possess. So to prove to the fellow cats that you deserve to be among us, we have chosen you to kill him." Hawkfrost said, padding up to her until he was no more than a mouse length away. Willowbounce felt cold ambition swell in her chest, like she had for Direpaw.
    "I will be glad to do so. But I have a question, does Direpaw walk these forests?" She asked her mentor, thinking of the tom.
    "Yes he does. In fact, he's around this area right now. I wouldn't be surprised if you felt as though you were being watched during this." He murmured the last part at the end. Willowbounce nodded. I'm glad that fox hearted cat never made it to Starclan. He never deserved it. She thought.
    "The tom's name is Snowbounce, a similar name to yours. He should be waking up in this clearing any moment and if he doesn't I'll fetch him." Hawkfrost said. She nodded, padding over to where she sat for her training to begin, which was on the right side of the clearing. Willowbounce began to think about her kits. Darkkit and Stormkit, I wish you never to come to this place in all your life. I am here seeking vengeance. You have all your life ahead of you, do not waste it here. I can only hope that Starclan accepts me..even though I have killed and took joy in doing so..but the cats I kill are evil...but, I'm not evil..right? Willowbounce felt anxiety and guilt wash over her like the water at the sun-drown place. I am evil aren't I? Starclan will never take me...She thought in despair. Her gaze flickered up as a pure white tom appeared on the ground on the other side of the clearing. Time to get rid of another evil cat. Might as well keep going for now. She thought, trying desperately to push away her guilt. Unsheathing her claws as Snowbounce stood, she padded forward until she was directly in front of him. The tom was her size, almost a bit smaller. He smells of Windclan. She thought. Typical of a Windclan cat, cocky and thinking they're better than everyone else. Oh am I gonna enjoy this... She thought flexing her huge claws into the soft ground, her guilt washing away as her insanity fell back in. He looked at her, meeting her gaze with challenging eyes.
    "What are you looking at, Snowbounce?" She hissed. The tom snarled and looked past her to Hawkfrost.
    "Am I really going to fight this excuse of a Dark Forest cat? Her fur is clean like a kittypet and she's not even stained with blood!" He hissed at him. Willowbounce raised her brow at him, her gaze not changing. I am in for a treat with this one.. She thought. She padded halfway to the other side of the clearing, readying herself for battle. She narrowed her gaze at him, not really focusing on a certain part of him as to not give away how she would attack.
    "Go!" Hawkfrost yowled. Willowbounce felt a gaze fixate on her as she rushed forward at Snowbounce, who firmly stood his ground. Her claws unsheathed, Willowbounce leaned towards the tom's left side, as if she would run that way. But she had tricked him. Willowbounce waited until she was a tail length away and leaped to his other side, scoring her huge claws deeply into his flank. Snowbounce spun around and tried to snap at her, but was too slow. Willowbounce continued her circle around him and returned to her spot in the middle of the clearing, where she stopped, her gaze sharp and blood fresh on her claws. She watched Snowbounce wince in pain as he favored his whole right side, the large gash she made leaking blood over his white fur.
    "A-Already done! K-Kittypet!" Snowbounce taunted her relentlessly. His voice was pained, he was trying to defend himself through harsh words. Heh, if only you knew who my mentor was..Willowbounce thought as she snarled a smile. Willowbounce wanted to try a move that only long-time Dark Forest cats could do. She looked past Snowbounce to the ground just behind him, focusing on her breathing. Willowbounce seemed to blink and all of a sudden, she was on the spot behind him. I-I did it! She thought. Snowbounce looked confused and scared. Willowbounce got into a stalking position and cleared her throat. Snowbounce turned to face her just as she leapt on him, tackling him to the ground. He hissed at her through gritted teeth, wincing in horrible pain from his gash. Willowbounce sneered at him.
    "Who's the kittypet now, Snowbounce!?" She taunted. She saw him take his raised paw and in a flash slashed her across the cheek. Willowbounce felt a single tear fall from her eye as the slices on her cheek bled. Three cuts, she felt them each individually. Snowbounce sneered at her challengingly. She snarled at him. That was the last mouse tail. She thought. Willowbounce took one of her long claws and drew them over his eye and down to his throat, leaving a deep cut and blinding him halfly. He cried out in terrible pain. Willowbounce didn't wait for him to start lashing out in pain, she lunged down and her jaws met in his throat to where her previous cut ended. She wrenched her head to the side and tore his throat out, his blood quickly pooling out of his wound and spilling onto her paws. She leaped away from his body as he writhed for only a few heartbeats, then went limp. She smiled, her muzzle and large fangs tainted with his blood. She relished the feeling before she began to clean it off.
    "Very well done, Willowbounce." Hawkfrost said padding over to her. Willowbounce flicked one of her ears casually as she vigorously cleaned the blood from her paws, her cheek stinging from her cuts.
    "Here, let me help you with your cut." Hawkfrost murmured as he sat down in front of her, his huge paws basically on top of hers. Hawkfrost gingerly licked at her cheek cuts, washing away the blood. Willowbounce felt weird letting another tom who wasn't Icefoot lick her fur. She felt her ears slightly twist outwards in embarrassment and discomfort. Hawkfrost didn't seem to notice, or if he did he didn't care, because the large tom kept licking her cheek until she felt her wound was fully cleaned and closed.
    "There, it might scar for a little while but it will go away." He said, sitting back only a little, which Willowbounce hated. Please back away Hawkfrost. Was what she wanted to say.
    "I will see you again soon Willowbounce. Goodbye." Hawkfrost said, leaning forward a bit as her vision faded.