Warriors: Ashfur's Insanity

Chapter 40

Ivypool had had two healthy kits. A flame colored tom named Firekit and a fluffy white she-kit named Fluffykit. 

For some reason, Ashstar thought of Softpaw when he saw Fluffykit. She looked so much like his daughter. 

"Ashstar," A voice echoed in the big fox den. 

Ashstar turned and padded into the light and saw Stoneheart. "Is something wrong?" He asked.

"Kestrelflight is here," Stoneheart meowed.

Ashstar walked past him and padded towards a patch of ferns. 

Kestrelflight stood beside the ferns. Harespring, Ashfoot, and Nightcloud stood around him. 

Kestrelflight blinked at Ashstar. "Not many survived," He meowed. 

Two kits moved from the ferns. The were chasing each other.

"Fernkit, Rabbitkit," Harespring called. "Please sit down," He meowed.

"We were thinking about joining you," Kestrelflight meowed, flicking his tail. "Can we? We have nowhere to go. Our camp was destroyed."

"You can join us," Ashstar meowed. "We were going to move away from this place. We can't stay by the lake," He meowed. He sat down. "The Clans will have to move away from here. ShadowClan has turned on us. Your Clan is destroyed. My Clan has been torn apart. And I'm not sure about RiverClan. They could all be dead," Ashstar meowed. "I know what Russetstar and Crowstar are capable of doing," He growled.

Stoneheart appeared beside him. "Ashstar, I sent out hunting patrols," He meowed.

"Good," Ashstar praised his son. "We're leaving tomorrow."

Stoneheart jumped back. "What? You never told me?" 

"We can't stay here any longer. We'll all die!" Ashstar growled. He lashed his tail. 

Stoneheart blinked at him, sighing. "I guess you're right," He meowed.

"So when the patrols come back, I'll tell them," Ashstar meowed.

"Ok," Stoneheart meowed, padding away.

Kestrelflight looked at Ashstar. "You've had a long day yesterday," He meowed. "Maybe you should rest," He meowed.

"Ok then," Ashstar meowed. Before turning away, a breeze blew across the hill. It carried a strong scent of rain. Ashstar glanced at the distance. He could see the sky darkening up ahead, along with gray clouds rolling in. 

"Looks like it might rain," Ashstar sighed.

Kestrelflight padded into the shelter of ferns. A tree loomed over them.

Ashstar padded into the fox den that he had all for himself. He was used to smelling fox and damp rock every time he woke up.

He curled up in the back of the den where the least light was. He closed his eyes and slowed his breathing. 

Ashstar woke up. He was standing on a hill. Tall grass rose around him all of a sudden. Roots tangled around his paws.

Ashstar yelped in panic as a black hole opened up beneath his paws.

"Help!" Ashstar yowled.

A set of paws covered his mouth. Claws sunk into his lips.

Ashstar couldn't breathe. He closed his eyes, hoping the dream would end.

He felt himself being pulled into the ground. 

"Rest forever!" A voice screamed.

Ashstar opened his eyes again. It was black all around him. He moved his paws. 

A pair of amber eyes opened from the darkness.

"Hello, Ashstar," The cat growled.

"Who are you?" Ashstar asked.

"You really don't remember me?" The voice asked. He stepped from the shadows, a bit a moonlight bathed his gray pelt, turning it silver. It was Wolfpaw.

Ashstar looked up, the sky was black with a huge white moon floating through the clouds. How'd that happen? He turned back to Wolfpaw. "Wolfpaw?"

"It's Wolffang now," The tom corrected him. 

Ashstar gasped. "Why are you here?"

Wolffang's eyes flashed. He stalked over to Ashstar, his tail flicking. "Maybe you should be asking why you are here."

Ashstar growled.

"The Dark forest waits for us," Wolffang meowed. "It's only a matter of time."

"What?" Ashstar hissed.

"The Dark forest will rule everything. Once Russetstar dies, she'll join them. And she'll command a powerful army of cats. She'll be unstoppable!" He laughed.

"What do you mean? The Dark forest can't do that!" Ashstar growled.

"They can," Wolffang purred. His claws flashed in the moonlight. "You want to leave this place. But wherever you go, I'll be there," He growled.

"Are you dead then?" Ashstar asked. 

"I am," Wolffang meowed. "But that doesn't mean I'm not evil," He growled, his ear flicking. "The Dark forest cats are training to kill. They will rise," Wolffang meowed. His pelt grew lighter. Then, it faded.

Ashstar felt horrible. The Dark forest? How could they break into the real world? 

Ashstar then started falling through the darkness. He yelped. 

Ashstar woke up in his nest. The nest was damp. He heard the pounding of rain outside the fox den. Water was trickling into the den. Ashstar scrabbled to his paws and crawled out of the fox den. Dark gray clouds crashed above him. He padded over to where the WindClan survivors were sleeping. They weren't there anymore.

Ashstar turned around. The rain pounded heavier on his pelt. 

"Ashstar! Over here!" A voice called.

Jaywing stood on a far hill, her pelt soaked.

Ashstar ran towards his daughter. 

"It's flooding! We have to leave!" Jaywing yowled. "We must get to high land!" She meowed.

Ashstar scanned the distance, hoping to find something that would be tall.