Warriors: The Dark Realm (Complete)

Chapter 5

 Bristlefrost's heart was racing.

 No!

 "Snowtuft!" Bristlefrost yowled as loud as she could. "Antpelt! Can anyone hear me?"

 No response.

 Bristlefrost's eyes widened. She unsheathed her claws and sheathed them back immediately. She felt cold. She looked around, hoping to see a glimpse of white or brown fur.

 But there was nothing. Just an endless pitch of blackness.

 Bristlefrost was about to yowl out again, but she stopped herself just in time. Snowtuft and Antpelt aren't the only cats here, there's many others, and who knows what cat would hear me. I have to calm down. Panicking won't help anyone.

 Bristlefrost closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

 Then, she saw Ashfur again.

 She flinched and opened her eyes, backing off. But she realized Ashfur wasn't actually there, her mind just portrayed him in front of her.

 She lowered her head. She wasn't expecting to see Ashfur again, especially not so soon after her death. And seeing him again really shook her.

 She took another deep breath and looked around. Well, I better get moving if I want to try and find Snowtuft and Antpelt. Hopefully I'll find them soon. I've been hanging out with them for so long, this place feels even creepier by myself.

 The silence was so loud - she couldn't explain it. She felt like there were eyes everywhere in the darkness, watching her and judging her silently. She could hear her own heartbeat; her own breathing.

 Bristlefrost's fur spiked with anxiety, but she tried her best to relax. She took a deep breath and began walking forward, calling out Snowtuft's and Antpelt's names every so often. But nobody responded, and it felt as if the air grew thicker around her. She began to tremble.

 I'll never find them again.

 She was about to give up and sit down, when she saw something flash in front of her.

 Bristlefrost quickly raised her head and looked around. "Snowtuft? Antpelt?" She whispered.

 Suddenly, she froze. She felt like she was being stared at. She slowly turned around.

 Two amber eyes were looking at her.

 Bristlefrost flinched. She was about to turn around and run away, but she stopped just in time.

 Wait, those eyes.. they aren't dull and cold, like Tigerstar's and Hawkfrost's were. In fact, they seem.. warm.

 Bristlefrost felt comforted by them. She slowly approached the cat in front of her. "Hello?"

 The black mist parted and revealed a small dark tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat. Her warm, amber eyes were studying her. Her black-tipped, gold-and-brown-striped tabby tail was resting on her white paws.

 The she-cat's pink nose was twitching. "You smell like ThunderClan."

 Bristlefrost slowly nodded. "I used to be a ThunderClan cat. Who are you?"

 The she-cat looked at her. "My name is Spottedleaf, I used to be ThunderClan's medicine cat a long time ago."

 Spottedleaf! The name rang a bell. She remembered hearing stories of the brave ThunderClan medicine cat who first died while defending Frostfur's kits from Clawface, a ShadowClan warrior, and then died for a second time during the Great Battle, killed by Mapleshade while defending Sandstorm.