Leaf had been in camp for a while speaking with Clover, and she'd noticed Horizon acting strange from the moment she spoke to her. She didn't seem very different, aside from how she was acting, she was just...being strange.
"Are you alright?" Leaf asked, twitching an ear. Horizon blinked at her. "What?"
"Are you alright?" Leaf repeated. "You keep speaking in the same tone."
"Oh?" Horizon blinked. "That's...strange."
"Maybe you should speak with Tiny." Leaf advised.
Horizon looked away. "I might." She meowed. Leaf didn't think she sounded like she would actually consider it, but she had small mercies.
"Help! Help!" Leaf jumped to see Stone running into camp. "On patrol, we found strange big rose vines in the territory! They grabbed Stag and Lion, I don't think they can breathe!" He puffed.
Leaf noticed Horizon tense slightly, but she could question her about it later. She rushed over to Stone. "Show me."
Leaf followed Stone back out into the territory, where she gasped in shock. Several gigantic rose vines had spread through the forest, wrapping around trunks and stones and all sorts of things. Leaf was careful not to touch any of them. The thorns weren't too big, but they looked like they'd hurt.
Leaf's heart sank when Stone showed her where Stag and Lion where stuck. Lion was struggling fiercely and Stag had went limp. Leaf watched in horror as the vine dropped her once she'd died.
"Maybe stop struggling?" Stone suggested. "I'm not sure what else we can do!"
Lion stopped struggling, but it only squeezed him tighter. He let out a wheezing cough.
"Hold on, father, we'll get you out!" Leaf looked around. She spotted a branch and threw it at the vine, but it didn't stop at all. Leaf watched in horror as her father's eyes slowly closed and he went limp. The vine dropped him snd Leaf stepped back in case it lashed out. "Where...where is all this coming from?"
"The Shadow Forest, I think." Stone mewed. "If you look into it, you can see vines just like these ones."
"But how would they be able to get out?" Leaf sighed. "Why now?" She'd been doing so well!
"I could tell Horizon, if you'd like." Stone mewed gently. He had been Lion's brother and was Leaf and Horizon's uncle. Leaf nodded. "Let's go back. Watch where you tread, Stone, we can't lose you, too."
