A Spark in the Night, part one: The Spark Ignites

Chapter eighteen

Softcloud found herself in StarClan's forest. Where are they? She scented someone behind her. She turned around. "Shinepaw, when they attacked me, they said they had a 'secret wapon'. What did they mean by that?"

Shinepaw sat down. "That's what we wanted to tell you about." he meowed, sounding much more serious than his playful self. "You need to know something."

"Yes?"

"They are training somewhere dark."

"What does that mean?"

"Somewhere the stars don't shine."

"What?"

Softcloud felt herself waking up. What did he mean? And why does that sound so familiar? She left the den, and saw Gentletouch bringing herbs to the medicine den. She looked up and when she saw Softcloud, she sped up, put the herbs away and approached her. "Last night was the half moon." She meowed.

Softcloud nodded. "It was."

Gentletouch suddenly looked serious. "I saw you in StarClan." she meowed. "I thought you'd died. But there were no stars in your pelt, but you looked as if you'd been there before."

Softcloud realized that she had a chance now to talk about it. "Yes, I have," she mewed. "I have a special connection with StarClan." Seeing Gentletouch's expression, she quickly added, "But they made it clear I should be a warrior."

Gentletouch nodded, and turned around. Softcloud followed her into the den. "Gentletouch," she meowed. "Can you help me figure something out?"

Gentletouch frowned, looking serious again. "What is it?" she asked. Softcloud took a breath. "What is the place where the stars don't shine?" Gentletouch stiffened. "The Dark Forest." she murmured, not intending to answer, just mumbling to herself.

Softcloud's eyes widened. "The place the traitors go after death?"

Gentletouch nodded slowly. "Why do you need to know?

"No reason."

Softcloud, Foxtail, and Strikestone padded out of the camp. Nearby, Heatherpaw was chatting with Shiningpaw. Strikestone's fur was bushed up a little, and Foxtail was walking stiffly. "Are you sure?" asked Foxtail. "The Dark Forest??"

Softcloud nodded. "I have to confront them, but if I show up, they'll ask their ghost-friends to kill me."

Strikestone nodded. "Reasonable," he meowed.

"They're right there." Foxtail suddenly meowed under her breath.

Strikestone's tail was swishing. "3... 2... 1."

The three warriors jumped out of the bush, and Grasswhisker immediately glanced away from Leafclaw, who was eating a large rabbit. "Leafclaw!" she hears Foxtail's outraged meow. "You have to bring that back for the Clan!!"

Leafclaw looked at her. "This is from the pile."

Foxtail glared at him. "You haven't hunted or anything!"

Grasswhisker grinned. "Our clanmates have," he meowed, pushing prey bones towards Foxtail. "And that's all that matters."

Softcloud glared at them. "That's what's expected from cats who train in the Dark Forest."

Leafclaw's eyes widen, and Grasswhisker's jaw drops. "How- how did you..." Leafclaw's mew trailed off, but the toms quickly regained control over themselves.

"So?" asked Grasswhisker. Leafclaw looked at them. "What's wrong with that?" Softcloud glared at them. "You both know exactly what's wrong with it."

Grasswhisker glared back at her. "Besides, we need more training for our... goal," he smirked.

Softcloud slightly narrowed her eyes. "They know." she meowed, pointing with her tail at Strikestone and Foxtail.

Softcloud could tell they were startled. Grasswhisker glared at her. "You just love to make things harder, don't you?" Softcloud frowned. "No, I 'just love' to be alive."

Leafclaw snickered. "Too bad then, huh?"

Strikestone glared at him. "You both are so cruel and awful, it's crazy. But now you are the ones outnumbered."

Leafclaw opened his mouth as if he was about to say something, when Softcloud gave a mock-polite smile. "If you'll excuse me, I have an apprentice with an assessment tomorrow, and she wants some last-minute training."