Warriors: The Chosen Warrior: The Betrayal (Book 3)

Chapter 3

Chapter 2 (it says Chapter 3 in Microsoft Word but oh whale)

Edit from futurish past Cheese: see last chapter's AN if you haven't to find the answer to the riddle above *thumbs up*

It felt like a heartbeat later when something prodded Leafsong in the side.  She opened her eyes to thorn bushes surrounded her in a small clearing.  There were pine needles and oak leaves mixed in with each other on the forest floor.  Leafsong looked up at the sky—no stars, moon, or sun shone, making her shiver with fear.

Where am I? She thought confusingly.  What is this place?

She pushed through one of the thorn bushes, wincing as it scraped her sides.  On the other side, tall pine and oak trees loomed up into the dark sky.  Leafsong padded aimlessly through the scary unfamiliar forest, forcing herself not to panic.  She jumped as high as the trees as she heard a low growl behind her.

"Leafsong, I didn't expect to see you here."

She turned around quickly.  Her fur bristled and she instinctively crouched, ready to attack, as she recognized the cat.  "Hawkfrost!" she gasped.  Leafsong cowered there, frozen in shock and fear.

The dark tabby tom stood there with narrowed eyes and a slight smile.  "What are you doing in a place like this?"

Leafsong stayed frozen in her position, wary around the cat who tried to kill her.  "I-I don't know," she responded slowly.  "The last thing I remember is sleeping in the medicine den before I came here."

Hawkfrost opened his mouth to say something, but got interrupted when a brown she-cat with a white belly came through some bracken.

"Hawkfrost!" she snapped at him.  "What do you think you're doing?  I called her here.  She's mine."

Hawkfrost growled and leaped at the she-cat, claws extended.  The newcomer seemed to expect that, because she leapt during the same heartbeat as him.  She easily pinned him to the ground, which surprised Leafsong, because Hawkfrost looked like he had a lot more muscle than his opponent.

"I repeat she's mine, Hawkfrost!" she spat into his face.  She got off of him, allowing him to get up.  "Now go," she flicked her tail as a signal to leave.  "Don't bother us again, or you'll wish you never have."

As the brown she-cat gave Hawkfrost a final glare, he turned and stomped away, whipping his tail angrily.  When he disappeared behind a large tree trunk, the she-cat turned to Leafsong.

"Sorry about that," she sighed.  "I couldn't find you in this never ending forest!"  She sat down and wrapped her tail neatly around her paws.  "Greetings, Leafsong.  My name is Owlheart.  First of all, do you have any questions?"  She muttered to herself, "Living cats always have questions."

Leafsong began slowly, "Are you a StarClan cat?  Is this StarClan?"

Unexpectedly, Owlheart hissed and scraped Leafsong's cheek with her claws.  "Don't you ever say that word here!"

Leafsong's eyes widened with surprise and fear.  "Then if you're not from Star—"

Owlheart screeched and threw herself at Leafsong, sending her flying until she hit a tree, sending the breath out of her.  Owlheart padded up to her and put her claws on top of Leafsong neck.  "Then if I'm not from where?" she growled.

"Th-then if you're not from... the pl-place where my an-ancestors live," she stammered.  "Where do y-you live?"

Owlheart leaned down, not moving her paw, to whisper in her ear, "Have you ever heard of the Dark Forest?  You're in it right now, she-kit."

"No!" Leafsong yowled.  The gentle point on her neck began to fade, along with her surroundings.  She opened her eyes to the medicine den.  Her nest was ruined—scraps of mass and bracken were spread all over the floor and on her pelt.  Leafsong's sides were scratched a little, and blood was running down her cheek, and lightly down her neck.  My injuries affect me in the waking world!

"Leafsong!"  Leafpool emerged from the storage cave with some herbs.  "What in StarClan's name happened to you?" she mumbled around the medicines.

"Err..."  Leafsong thought quickly.  "I had a dream about fighting.  I must have scratched myself."

At least half of that is true.

The medicine cat examined the wounds.  She placed cobwebs on Leafsong's cheek and neck and chewed up some dock leaves for her sides.

"I don't know when you will leave!" Leafpool exclaimed when she was done.  "You're always getting hurt.  Now, you should rest for a bit longer—and don't get hurt anymore!"