Warriors The Next Chapter: Still Darkness - Book One (Completed)

Chapter Three

"How can you be so sure?" Her voice was almost in a whisper.

"Scourge is my father." He explained.

Whisper widened her eyes in dismay. She took a few steps back and shook her head slowly. "I haven't seen him in many moons." She finally mewed, not able to look him in the eyes.

Shadowheart wanted to comfort her, but stayed where he was. Even though she was his mother, they weren't close enough yet.

"I..." She paused, her eyes still looking down at the ground. "I met him when he was still known as Tiny." She looked back up at him. Her mew was soft and calming as she continued. "We were so young. When I found out that I was having his kits, I not only ran from the nofurs, but from fear."

Shadowheart remembered Scourge had felt the same way. "Do you know where he might be?" His curiosity peaked, thinking they could see one another again.

"If he is still the same as he once was, he would be over there, below the gorge." She flicked her tail opposite of the sun's light.

"Could you take me there?" He didn't want to travel alone.

Whisper hesitated for a moment, then nodded her head. "Of course. But first let's stop inside to get something to eat."

Shadowheart reluctantly nodded his head in agreement. He was hungry, but not hungry enough to eat crowfood. "I'll wait out here." He softly mewed as she headed inside through an open window. She didn't seem to care as she bolted inside without any second thoughts if he was coming with her or not.

Shadowheart waited for what seemed like moons. He thought of hunting himself, but he heard a slight sound of claws coming inside the den walls. He stared at the window that was cracked open just enough for a cat to crawl through. Whisper emerged from the cracked window and shook out her fur once she landed on the wooden deck. "Alright. Let's go." She purred.

Shadowheart and Whisper embarked on a long journey to the gorge. The bustling streets were alive with energy. Shadowheart found himself captivated by the rhythm of the city, though the sounds made him feel uneasy. "Can we go out of the twoleg world?" He asked, hopeful she would say yes.

"If we do, it won't be a straight path." She argued, stopping to look back at him.

Shadowheart thought for a moment before responding. "I am okay with taking a longer path."

Whisper sighed, then nodded her head. "Alright. This way." She veered towards an alley filled with rocks. It hurt his paws as he tried to make his way through. He winced with pain with almost every pawstep. Then he was finally relieved when his paws hit soft grass at the end of the path. Whisper hesitated, looking around, making sure no predators were lurking about.

Shadowheart did the same, knowing his senses would be stronger. He could smell mouse. His mouth watered as he realized he was hungry. He stepped out onto the grass first and followed the scent, his nose a whisker-length from the ground. Whisper watched him with curiosity. She stayed back, wondering if he had caught scent of danger.

As he padded further away, Whisper bolted after him. Catching up to him, she panted hard. "What are you doing?" She finally asked, her voice filled with curiosity.

"Shh." He hissed. "I smell mouse. I'm following the scent trail." He whispered, then immediately went back to sniffing the ground. A patch of snow that still clung to the grass, moved from underneath. Shadowheart stopped abruptly, then went into the hunter's crouch.

Whisper sat down and watched him with amusement. Shadowheart crept forward, his eyes and ears alert. Once he was just a tail-length away, he paused. He pounced and landed awkwardly on the mouse. He caught it just before it could leap away from his reach and he bit down, killing it swiftly.

Whisper wrinkled up her nose from the stench of the dead mouse. "Yuck!" She spat.

Shadowheart looked up at her with surprise. Did not all cats like the smell of mouse?  He picked up the mouse and began to eat it. He licked his lips once he finished, then swiped his paw over his muzzle.

Whisper led the way again, her eyes still filled with amusement. Shadowheart padded after her, his tail held high as he was full for the first time in a while. With leaf-bare finally over, he and Scourge could eat all they wanted.

They trekked on for what seemed like moons and the open field still kept going forever. He tried to look beyond the horizon, but all he could see was just an endless patch of swaying grass. "Are you sure we're going the right way?" He asked, now walking alongside her with the same rhythm as her.

"Yes, once we cross the field, we'll head through some farm lands, and the gorge is just behind it." She explained.

Shadowheart sighed. This journey was going to be longer than he had imagined.

Shadowheart caught a musky scent as they trekked on. He stopped, then lifted his muzzle, and opened his jaws to taste the air. It was a scent he has never smelled before. He wrinkled his nose, then glanced around, cautiously.

Whisper stopped as well. She could smell the same thing. "Fox." She whispered. "Run."

Shadowheart was slightly interested. He's never seen a fox before. He knew they were dangerous, but he wondered if they could outrun it. "Are they fast?" He mewed in between breaths as he followed her through some tall and short grass.

Whisper didn't reply. She was focused on getting them out of the fox's territory, but the fox was too fast and cut them off, baring its teeth. Shadowheart's heart pounded in his chest as the fox's menacing gaze locked onto them.

Without a moment's hesitation, he sprang forward, his lithe body moving with practiced agility as he darted to the left, attempting to outmaneuver the fox. Whisper followed suit, her nimble frame quickly matching his pace as they weaved through the grass, their escape route growing narrower with each passing heartbeat.

The fox was hot on their heels. Shadowheart leaped just in time as jaws snapped behind him. He pushed himself to run faster, his claws digging into the soft earth. He could feel his heart beating faster and thought it would burst if he ran for much longer. He had no idea if he was heading the right way, but he had to keep going.

The fox snapped again. He then heard a shrill high-pitched howl echo around him. He stopped and looked back at the fox. It had Whisper's hind leg in its jaws and dragged her with it.

Shadowheart's muscles tensed as he sprang toward the fox, his body colliding with the creature's side in a desperate attempt to pull it away from Whisper. The fox, caught off guard by Shadowheart's sudden assault, let out a pained yelp, its grip on Whisper loosening slightly.

With fierce determination, Shadowheart pummeled with the fox, his snarls blending with the fox's own ferocious growls as they grappled on the ground. The smell of blood permeated the air, and he felt a surge of panic as Whisper's pained cries filled the space around them. Adrenaline flooded his veins, lending him strength as he fought to protect his mother.

Ignoring the sharp pain radiating from his own wounds, he sank his teeth into the fox's scruff, wrenching it away from Whisper's injured leg. With a fierce tug, he managed to dislodge the fox's grip, allowing Whisper to scramble free and put some distance between them and the enraged creature.

Breathing heavily, Shadowheart faced the fox head-on, his green eyes blazing as he prepared for the next round of the confrontation. The fox, its sleek form now slick with blood, circled him, its fangs bared in a vicious snarl.

Shadowheart hissed then and fluffed out his fur, trying to make himself look bigger. It snarled again. Shadowheart darted then weaved around it, snapping at its legs. The fox jumped in surprise and yelped again. He did it repeatedly until it finally gave up. It bolted the other direction and ran out of sight.

Shadowheart panted hard, his eyes blazing like fire as he watched the fox disappear into the sunlight. Whisper laid helplessly on grass, her sides heaving and struggling to breathe. Shadowheart padded over to her side. He nudged her with his muzzle, trying to help her to her paws.

"Go. Follow the field until you hit the farm lands. When you get to the farms, find someone named Bone. He should be able to help you find the gorge." Whisper coughed and gasped for air as she spoke. Her voice becoming weak with each word.