Behind The Mask

Prologue

A small, mysterious tom-cat raced through the forest, a soaked, shivering black bundle in his jaws.
His eyes were wide with fear, and his heart pounded in his chest.
His ears swiveled in alert, hearing the pattering of the raindrops falling onto leaves.He flinched as thunder cracked in the distance, and the poor kitten in his mouth whimpered.

His legs ached for him to stop and slow down, but he didn't.He couldn't.
Or she would find them both.
And Shadow didn't want that.

He kept going, at a pace he knew he shouldn't.He didn't care if he was exhausted, he was going to push himself to his most fullest limits.

He saw a stream drawing nearer, and bunched his muscles slightly in anticipation.Having no time to stop, or even slow down at all, he leapt the river, all four paws off the ground for a frightening amount of time.
He landed heavily, staggering to the side.He regained his balance and sped off again.

He knew where he was going, but he just had to hope that they didn't.
And, that CloudClan would allow him to drop off a kit.

Why get my hopes up? What Clan wants a squealing kitten? Especially if it's a loners kit.

But, there were multiple different Clans.Shadow knew that much.
CloudClan....SeagullClan, was it? He shook his head.He couldn't remember.

Shadow finally started to slow down as he neared familiar trees.Well, he hadn't seen them before, but these were what his friend had described them as looking like.

He swallowed thickly, placing the kit down on a pile of leaves. "Stay here, my little buttercup."he whispered.

She gazed up at him, her eyes round and so, so innocent. "Dada?"she tilted her head.Her tongue stuck out of her mouth slightly.

It was heartbreaking.

"Shade, they will protect you, okay? Stay with CloudClan.Please? For Dada."Shadow nuzzled the top of her head softly.

"Really, Shadow? Are you sure about this?"came a fake-pitying voice.
A russet coloured she-cat slid out of the brush, her fur plastered to her sides.
Her eyes were squinted and sly.

"Cardinal."Shadow stiffened, eyes narrowing.He placed a paw on Shade's back, pulling her under him.

"Oh, what do you think I'll do to your precious bundle of flesh?"she cackled. "Kill it?"

"Shade is not an 'it'!"Shadow growled, pulling his lips back to reveal sharp, gleaming fangs.

"Don't worry, Shadow.I won't hurt the little one."she laughed cruelly.
"But you-"

She suddenly lunged at him, claws unsheathed.Shadow leapt to intercept with her before they squashed Shade.
The two grown cats fought, a mass of claws, fur and howling.
Shade let out a cry, pressing herself into the forest floor as dirt and blood splattered across her chest and face.

Shadow screeched loudly as Cardinal bit down on his tail.
"Monster!"Shadow hissed through gritted teeth, lashing out his claws and catching the she-cat on the side of the head.

"Me? A monster? Never."Cardinal retorted harshly, grabbing Shadow's scruff between her teeth and throwing him a couple fox-lengths away.
He slammed into a skinny maple tree, letting out a shuddering gasp.

"You-you knew what you were d-doing!"Shadow wheezed, forcing himself to stand up, legs shaking.

"Shade, please! I beg you to run!"Shadow wailed, heading for his kit.

Cardinal snarled, pouncing once more on the black furred tom.His eyes widened as she raked her hind claws across his sides, pulling out clumps of his glossy fur. "Poor creature.Has you as a father."

"And you as a mother.Sad isn't it?"Shadow snapped, eyes full of hatred. "I can't believe I once loved you."

"I can.I'm awesome."Cardinal spat, pressing a single claw down on his throat.

"Now,"she smirked. "What's you last wish, love?"
She pressed down on his throat, and Shadow wriggled beneath her.
She held him down firmly.

"Don't....touch Shade!"he gasped, blood oozing slowly out of his throat.
His wounds stung and burned, and his heart was crying.

"Your treasure is safe with me, lovely."she chuckled, throwing her head back to let out an evil cackle.

She brought her paw up, then sliced her claws swiftly along his throat, killing him with ease.
She hoped off his dead corpse, sheathing her claws and fixing her gaze on Shade.

"Sweet darling, do come here to Mama."Cardinal cooed, stepping closer to the trembling youngster.

Shade let out a meow of pure terror, closing her eyes and inching backwards.
"D-Dada..."

"Mama is here.You're safe now."Cardinal slithered her body around Shade like a snake, wrapping tighter and tighter.Her hypnotizing voice making Shade drowsy.
She slipped her tail around the kitten's neck tightly.

Shade immediately was wide awake, wriggling desperately for escape.
"Mama no good! Dada help!"
she wailed, air slowly drifting away from her.

Shade's eyes glazed over, and her tongue stuck further out of her mouth.
"P-please..."

Just as Cardinal was about to give one last squeeze, and suck the life out of Shade, a loud snap echoed around the wood.
Cardinal hissed irritably, untangling herself and shoving Shade under a droopy, leafy plant.

"Stay here, and be silent.Mama will be back in a moment."Cardinal whispered, hurrying into a thorn bush to spy out at the clearing.

For a moment, everything was quite.
Then a silky white she-cat stepped into the clearing, heading straight for the plant Shade was hiding under.

"Yes!"the cat whisper-shouted with joy. "Just the herb I've been looking for!"

Cardinal's blood turned cold as she watched, aware of Shadow's dead corpse only a few fox-lengths away from where the cat stood.

Does she not smell blood? Or death?

"Oh my StarClan! A kitten!"she gasped, her tail arching over her back.
She pushed the leaves out of the way, revealing Shade.

"What happened to you, my sweet?"her mew was distressed and worried.
She scooped the kitten onto her back, and Shade dug loosely into her soft fur, face pressed into the white cat's neck.

She bent down to snap some of the plant off, and then hurried away, tail disappearing through the forestry.

Cardinal growled furiously, beginning to pace the small space of the thorn bush, sharp pricking in her sides.

"You may have escaped me for now, Shade,"she whispered ominously.

"But not for long."