Warriors: The Dark Realm (Complete)

Chapter 6

 As Spottedleaf completely disappeared from view, Bristlefrost felt like her paws were burning. She felt the need to yell out after Spottedleaf, to call the she-cat back and say something, anything to make her come with them. She just couldn't leave her here. But she tried her best to stay quiet. This place is horrible, but I can understand why Spottedleaf wants to stay. She wants to protect this place, and make sure that no evil cat leaves it. I have to respect it.

 "Bristlefrost?" Snowtuft's voice snapped her from her thoughts. "Are you all right?"

 Bristlefrost shook her head repeatedly, as if she was trying to chase off a fly, and looked at him. "Yeah, I'm fine. But how did you and Antpelt find me?"

 "Oh, that's easy." Antpelt looked at her, and his eyes shone with amusement. "We heard your voice."

 "What?" Bristlefrost tilted her head.

 "Yeah! After we realized we were separated, we tried looking for you and heard your voice." Antpelt meowed. "It's actually funny to think about."

 Bristlefrost blinked in confusion. "What do you mean? Although this place is silent when nobody speaks, I can't hear the other cats. How could you two hear me? Perhaps you were just close to me."

 "No, no. We were quite far away from you, actually." Snowtuft intervened. "I think it's because the other cats here have been dead for a long time, and since their voice sounds dull, it also got a little quieter, so it sounds more like a whisper, and we can't really hear them. Spottedleaf's voice was quieter, that's why we didn't hear her, but we heard you, because your voice was louder than hers."

 Bristlefrost's fur spiked in alarm. "Was I yelling?"

 "No, you weren't." Snowtuft looked amused. "You were just talking normally. I remember Mapleshade boasting about killing Spottedleaf after the Great Battle, so she has been dead for a long time. Her voice also got quieter, I'm unsure if it sounds dull though, I couldn't really tell. And since you haven't been here for that long, you still sound normal."

 "Oh, I see." Bristlefrost relaxed, then tilted her head. "But Ashfur, Darktail and Darkstripe haven't been double dead for long, either. Their voices aren't quieter, yet we don't hear them. How does that make sense?"

 Antpelt shrugged. "I mean, I guess since Tigerstar and Hawkfrost have quieter voices and they mostly whisper, Darkstripe also got used to it and whispers so he can fit in, and if he doesn't Tigerstar probably tells him off." He flicked his tail, looking amused.

 Bristlefrost was relieved to see that both Snowtuft and Antpelt seemed to have more emotion than they did when she first met them.

 "Yeah, and Darktail and Ashfur probably whisper, too. They don't have what to yell about, and they're probably just cursing the Clans or something and don't really want to be found out by other cats." Snowtuft meowed. "But that's just what I think."

 "Yeah, you're probably right." Bristlefrost nodded.

 "Anyways, what did Spottedleaf tell you?" Antpelt looked at her. "And why didn't she want to come with us? I was so confused when you said she wanted to stay here."

 "Oh, right." Bristlefrost sat down and quickly explained her conversation with the former ThunderClan medicine cat.

 Snowtuft slowly nodded, and looked away. "I guess it kind of makes sense. I won't understand her decision, but I guess I'll have to respect it. I'd hate to stay here much longer."

 "I suppose she got used to it?" Antpelt guessed. "I kind of accepted this place as well before I met you two, but not enough to want to stay here."

 "Maybe." Bristlefrost shrugged, then let out a sigh. Her heart was aching again at the thought of Spottedleaf, alone in this cold and unwelcoming place, and with all the other evil cats. But she tried to shake the thought of and remember that the medicine cat holds on to a lot of memories to keep her going, and likes messing with the other cats. And, if she thought about it, it did sound funny.