Warriors- Rise of the Guardians

Chapter 8

~Kougar

Chapter 8

Tigerstar let out a haughty chuckle as he met the eyes of the large, white cat.

"So Yakon," He sneered at the white furred cat, "What brings you here? Think you can defeat me?" Tigerstar was not the least bit daunted. Yakon sneered back. "Think I cannot? In your dreams, soulless piece of shit." Tigerstar snarled furiously at his blatant show of disrespect, but he did not comment.

"What do you want?" Tigerstar growled instead. Yakon let out a snort of humorless laughter. "You don't know?" Yakon smirked. His dark, beady eyes felt like they were glaring straight into Tigerstar's soul, if he even had one. Tigerstar grunted and relaxed his tense muscles as he sat down and sighed. "This is stupid. Just tell me what you want and leave." Yakon let out a roar of triumph. 

"I will not leave until you accept my request."

"Then tell me."

"I want you to release Knightmare and capture Kougar."   

Tigerstar's head snapped up to face Yakon, his face paling with sudden fear. What? Snarling, Tigerstar stalked towards Yakon and curled his lips to reveal sharp, yellow fangs. "Are you crazy, Yakon? I knew you were evil but this? This is just-" Yakon sniffed, "I knew it. You were always cowardly, Tigerstar. No wonder Mother banished you."

"It isn't my fault!" Tigerstar snarled, almost blurting out the truth to his distrusting brother. "You even changed your name," Yakon observed with displeasure. The evil had won then. But I captured Knightmare in the end. Kougar was my savior. I will never hurt her in any way. Yakon was glaring at him with such a fierce stare that Tigerstar had to avoid his eyes. 

"Kougar is a coward too. She is on my side now, you know. I told her that she will regret it if she disobeys me. Guess what? She-" Tigerstar cut him off with a sharp growl. "Rejected you. Shut your jaws, Yakon. I will never succumb to the evil like you and your minions did. You are the true cowards. Now get out, leave, and never come back."

Tigerstar summoned his daemons as he padded back to his home, and they chased his brother out. 

I never want to see him again.

--

Thunderpaw was still up in her tree. Not knowing where to go, she curled up in a high branch which she was sure was able to support her weight, then relaxed and fell into a restless sleep. 

--

Thunderpaw wasn't exactly sure what woke her; a sound perhaps, or the sliver of light previously filtered through the leaves being momentarily blocked, or maybe it was simply an instinct for survival that dragged her from sleep. Whatever caused it, she was alert and tense when she blinked her eyes open and spotted the dark shape above her. Someone stood on the branch above her, a huge, white cat. 

It loomed over her like death.

The thought had barely formed in her mind when the huge shape flashed out a paw, claws unsheathed. Recognizing the action from her warrior training, Thunderpaw ducked instinctively, and reared back on her hind paws for a counter attack. She forgot, for a moment, that she was not on the ground. Perched precariously on the edge of the branch, Thunderpaw managed a clumsy swipe and fell backward.

 "Four will rise in a sea of red, the wolf will cry, a guardian will fall. Thunder will strike and fire will burn. Dread the darkness as the waters churn."

The wind whispered mysteriously into her ear as she tumbled down, down to the dark abyss below. Whispers swam in her mind, speaking unintelligible words as she shook her head and yowled. She couldn't even hear it, her thoughts and words drowning in the onslaught of whispers, roars and snarls. 

"No!" Thunderpaw let out a shriek as she landed on the ground below. She was confused, and could swear that there was no abyss below the branch when she climbed that tree. She dusted herself off, fur bristling with terror as she raised her hackles aggressively. The horrible noise stopped. Snarling at the dark space, she swiped out a paw and yelped as it met with flesh. Warm, wet blood clung to her claws as she growled and retreated. 

It was dark. Too dark. 

She couldn't see a thing. Not even her own paws. 

"Are you scared now, Thunder?"

The voice, deep and menacing, resounded throughout the once silent place. Icy chills crawled up Thunderpaw's spine. It was like a dark, moonless cage; a prison to trap her in. She could feel her heartbeat thudding so wildly she could feel it down to her trembling legs. She continued the low growl in her throat. Oh, Firepaw, where are you?

"Do you ever wonder, Thunder, where Blue is?" 

Her growl stopped, stuck in her throat as her heart constricted. Blue?

"Where is he?" Fury and longing was punctuated in each word, and Thunder reached out to claw at the darkness again. Damn this! She couldn't see, couldn't touch, and couldn't smell a thing. "What have you done to him?" If Blue was hurt... Great Starclan, the flea-pelt who did it would be dog food. 

"Oh, nowhere you would like to go. He's safe, with Tigerstar. But Rock? I wouldn't say the same thing about him."

He's safe...with Tigerstar?

"Are you flea-brained? Tigerstar is a monster! The monster, to be exact. How can Blue be safe?" 

"Tigerstar's my brother. Trust me or think he's dead. It's not my problem."

"He has a brother?!"

The voice continued as if Thunderpaw had not spoken.

 "Anyway, I called you down here-"

"Wait! Where's 'down here'?"

"It's my land, of course. I rule the cats here. The dead and the living will bow down to me. Soon."

"Are you flea-brained?" Thunderpaw repeated, her brain not comprehending what exactly was going on. Her mind wad still stuck on the words 'he's safe'. 

"Shut your jaws, Thunderpaw," the cat snarled furiously. 

"Who are you anyway?"

"I'm Yakon the Great. You have been identified as a threat to me, and today I shall kill you together with your brothers."

Thunderpaw snarled in defiance. "Never! You will have to kill me first!" Thunderpaw's fur was bristling so wildly that she looked fluffed up twice her size. The cat was undaunted.

"You can't protect them from here, Thunderpaw. But you will walk with me, through the dark forest."

Thunderpaw growled lowly in her throat. What was he up to?

"You can't make me," She sneered, hackles raised.

"Oh, but I can," The voice softened until it was a mere whisper. 

And Thunderpaw felt the ground below her crumbling away.