Warriors: Ashfur's Insanity

Chapter 2

Ashfur knew it was Birchfall's voice. 

"What?!" Another voice yowled.

Ashfur licked his paw. And they're to mouse-brained to know that it was me.

He hurried over to Birchfall, his former apprentice. Ashfur spotted the blind Longtail crouching over Sandstorm's body. 

Brambleclaw padded over to Sandstorm. Grief swelled up in the deputy's eyes.

"Sandstorm!" Leafpool yowled. Leafpool and Squirrelflight ran over to their mother's body. Squirrelflight hissed and glared up at Ashfur. Her eyes were clouded with hatred as if she had something to say the the murderous gray tom.

"Sandstorm!" Firestar yowled. He pushed past his clan-mates and gazed down at Sandstorm. "Oh Sandstorm!" He yowled. 

"What happened!" Mousefur called. Her eyes went dull as she saw Sandstorm's body. She then collapsed on the ground and went limp. Brightheart rushed over to the limp she cat. 

Ashfur remembered when a ShadowClan patrol had killed Cloudtail. Since his death, Brightheart had become a medicine cat, as if she had given up on life. 

After the vigil, Ashfur went over to the medicine cat den. Mousefur was motionless on the ground. "She's dead," Leafpool meowed. "She had a heart-attack."

Mousefur lay on the ground. No blood covered her body. Her eyes were dull as they stared strangely into the sky. It was time for StarClan to take her anyway, Ashfur thought dryly. He padded over to the fresh-kill pile and picked a thrush. He turned it over and its white feather's were black as if fire had burned it. A clear voice whispered in his ears as wind ruffled his fur. Fire turns to ashes and it can kill the clan. Ashfur didn't know what it had meant. StarClan shouldn't be speaking to him. Ashfur hissed. He turned and headed towards the warriors' den. His eyes glowed with happiness when he saw Cinderheart. The beautiful gray she cat was curled up by herself in a moss nest lined with feathers. Ashfur trotted over. He quietly stepped over her and took place in a different moss nest. He remembered how much the dark gray she cat had cared for him. More than Squirrelflight ever had. Ashfur curled up in the mossy nest. His eyes closed and sleep drifted over him.

Ashfur woke up. He wasn't in the moss nest. He wasn't in the warriors' den. The sky was dark and trees touched the sky. There was orange fungus that grew beside the trees. They glowed and they only seemed to be the only source of light. Ashfur padded deeper into the dark forest. Then a gray tom padded towards him. He was gray and patched with white. His amber eyes were slits and they glowed with joy.

"I am proud of you, Ashfur," He meowed. His spiky fur lay still but his ears were flattened against his skull.

"Who are you? Where am I?" Ashfur asked.

The muscular tom bent his head. "This is The Place Of No Stars. Or you may call it The Dark Forest. I am Thistleclaw."

"Greetings, Thistleclaw," Ashfur meowed. He dipped his head in greeting. "So am I not in StarClan?"

"Mouse-brain! Do not speak of StarClan here!" Thistleclaw hissed.

"Well what am I doing here?!" Ashfur growled. His gray fur stood on end.

"I have come to train you. Sent by our loyal leaders Tigerstar and Brokenstar," Thistleclaw meowed. Two huge tabbies stepped out from behind him. Their paws were bleached with blood and their claws were unsheathed.

"Ashfur. I want you to kill all of Firestar's kin. If you do this, I will grant you powers that you could ever dream of!" The tabby meowed.

"Tigerstar, I'm not sure Ashfur will believe you. You've never gave anything to any cat," Thistleclaw hissed.

"Don't listen to my former mentor. Ashfur, you could have anything you ever wanted. Deal?" Tigerstar meowed.

"Deal!" Ashfur meowed.