Eventide

Chapter 3 ||

There was a familiar story that came to mind the moment Sablerose rested a signal paw against the stone hard ground. A tale between two she-cats from long ago... One, though sassy and veracious, was shunned her entire life by the others around her for mere existence. Then one day, a cat took her in and raised her to be what the crowd wanted her to be. Yet, it all came down with one blow and the she-cat was banished. Wishing that she could have a second chance to relive a life that she desired, the gods spotted her struggle and granted her that. But not without a price, the price of a shortened life of thirteen moons.

Meeting a petite little she-cat during that time, the she-cat fell in love with the golden cat. Overhearing the female's past, the two shared a similar one of being resented just because they existed in this world. The golden she-cat played a mask of an innocent and cheerful one, but under the moonlight, her tears would fall nonstop like the quiet river running in the darkened forest. That was where the other one could easily see straight through her attempts of hiding it and told her to face her life. Unbeknownst to her, the golden she-cat also possessed the same ability and saw through her disguise.

Knowing the other cat's struggle, they grew closer and closer together until the brown she-cat made a decision - sacrifice her life to save her love.

The remaining parts of the story were dull and foggy in Sablerose's mind. The rest of the story didn't matter to her. With all the power she had, Sablerose promised to see Finchnose once again with her bright smile gleaming in the sun and her sparrow-colored pelt softly rising up and down in rest. It was without a doubt that the black-furred she-cat did see some similarities between her and the cursed she-cat from long ago. The ending to the story, however... Sablerose was determined to make sure Finchnose would remember the end and it wouldn't be just as lost as the fable of Sparrowtuft and Lightrunner.

Her heart began to increase at each passing step toward the Moon Preist's den. Sneaking by without any cat on either side noticing her was hard enough. Compared to walking into a den, it almost seemed pathetic that she lacked the courage to enter. Paws softly stepped closer, getting lighter and lighter at each load. Sablerose fought her body to not collapse on the ground and pass out. Finchnose was waiting for her and getting into a den was nothing.

But she couldn't help the feeling that a cat was walking across her grave.

Forcing the shiver down her spine to go away and her paws to regain weight, Sablerose walked into the den bravely. Letting her guard down, she took time to examine the den she was forbidden to enter. It replicated the Sun Priest's den quite fondly, with a large nest pushed up against the wall and a flat surface for him to relax on if desired. About five cats could fit inside the den, but the aura Sablerose began to pick up and the way her fur began to rise, no cat had stepped inside for a long time. A shadow shifted in the nest, startling her and almost causing her to trip on her paws.

Arising from the nest like a phantom was a lean figure. Sitting up and rising to its full height, she was thoroughly disappointed that she stood taller than the leader. Yet the confidence she had regained was instantly snatched and drained out of her body when the cat raised his head, revealing the sharpest blue gaze Sablerose had ever laid eyes upon. The Moon Priest sat there, eyes unmoving as if to scan her fully down before blinking. With her eyes now adjusted to the darkness of the den, she saw that his frame was sleek and skinny, fur barely clinging onto the skeleton.

Shadowdusk, she grimly thought, biting her lip.

"You're not from here, are you?" With a voice like glass, those were his first words. Sablerose remained silent, reaching out for the voice she lost. Shadowdusk was patient and stayed where he was, awaiting her response. Forcing her voice to work, she nodded.

"That's correct," she stated.

"Then you must have a good reason," he concluded, still not moving from his position.

Is he trying to mess with me? Sablerose thought, fur beginning to bristle. "Right again, I wanted to ask you something."

"Oh? Why haven't you talked to Lightdawn then?" he challenged, ice seething out of his mouth.

"Simple, he's not lifting a paw to help me and---"

"And what exactly makes you so special that if he doesn't lift a paw to aid you, why should I?" Shadowdusk interfered, causing her to stop. He stepped out of his nest and padded up to her and the only thing that let her know he even made a movement was his blue eyes piercing the darkness. Standing in front of her, she felt his presence begin to intimidate her.

"You're not even from my side," he hissed into her ear.

"Doesn't mean it's going to stop me," she defended quickly, taking a step back. Locking eyes with the Moon Priest, who looked amused at her confidence, she took a deep breath, preparing herself one last time. "I want you to heal Finchnose."

"Why should I? It's not like she's on my side of the Astral Tribe," he countered, not letting his guard down. The only sound Sablerose could hear between the two of them was the soft breath of her and Shadowdusk.

"She's my mate." Shadowdusk's eyes flickered for a brief moment, absorbing the information like a flower in the rain.

"I see, you're in love with her so dearly you'd do anything," he purred, a cruel grin beginning to break the surface of black. "My answer remains no."

"Why not?" she demanded, lashing her tail. "If you don't, you're just as lazy as Lightdawn! Proving to me that both of our leaders do nothing besides sit around and take up space and not giving a single ounce of care for us. I don't see you or that blind bat doing any patrols to help---"

"Unless you pay a price," he interrupted, stopping her outburst. Shadowdusk waited before continuing his proposal. "If you love her that much, you'd be more than happy to take this chance. I can heal her, but what are you going to give me?"

"I---"

"What will it be? Your sight, so you can never see your mate's shining eyes and pelt shimmering in camp? Your hearing, so you can never hear her voice calling you out in the night or the laugh that makes your heart flutter? Your smell, so you can never let her scent flood your nose ever again or smell the fear or joy in her?" Each word gave him more influence over her, rising higher and higher. Sablerose fought to stand her ground.

"What will it be?"

"My life," she answered without a second thought. He stopped instantly, letting his sharp eyes rest upon her. "You heard me. Shorten my life, just like Sparrowtuft, all those moons ago."

He sneered, "Interesting." He pressed a paw on her forehead. Instead of a searing pain entering her body, Sablerose felt a cool, relaxing feeling overcome her. When he stepped back, she felt something new and tried to look at the handiwork.

"You have a moon left, don't waste it." With that, Shadowdusk left her and returned to his nest, resting back into his unmoving figure.

Deep down, Sablerose felt the world rise under her paws. Finchnose was supposed to get better. She'd placed her trust in the Moon Priest, a cat she'd never met until today. She made a note to immediately check her condition to see if the black tom stuck true to his word. Leaving the den, she felt her heart drop to her stomach at the sign above her head. A crescent moon, symbolizing her deal with the Moon Preist. Hiding the fact was going to be a challenge, but that didn't matter to her.

Yet she almost could hear Finchnose's quiet voice whispering in her mind.

"What did you just do, Sablerose?"