Bloody Claws

PROLOUGE

He gazed into her eyes, lost in the amber depths of them. Through the tension, neither could look away, love raging like a storm in their eyes.
'Why am I thinking like this? I'm dead she's alive. This is the Dark Forest; I can't fall in love with her...'he thought, saddness throbbing.
"...And this is..."Violetslash nudged him in his side.
"Hick-Hickorypelt,"he stammered.
"Nice to meet you, Hick-Hickorypelt," the small kit purred, though it came out as a growl.
He briefly recalled what One-Eye had told him: "I have found a cat who is willing to join us to take over ShadowClan. Her name is Ashkit,"
"Is that the same kit who's mother we killed?"Violetslash had asked.
"Yes,"One-Eye had replied,"And she is perfect. She's already had her first victim,"
Hickorypelt had gasped,"Already?"
"Yes. The ThunderClan warrior Fishripple,"
He was snapped out of the little flashback as One-Eye meowed,"We will start training when you start your warrior training,"
Ashkit began to speak again but, lulled by her raspy voice, he couldn't make out the words. It was as if she was fading into nothingness...wait...she was fading into nothingness!
'It's her waking up!'he thought, alarmed but as he glanced around, he saw his other two companions disappearing.
'It's me!'he thought,'Great EssClan: what's happening to me?'
Hickorypelt's eyes flew open. He was laid in a bed of black, tick-filled moss with One-Eye and Violetslash near him.
It was a dream. He thought. He'd won Ashwing's heart, and she'd become leader of the Dark Forest. He sighed and wished himself back to that time, his heart thumping louder as he realised there was something wrong. Where's Ashwing?
His mate hadn't been the clear, authorative leader he knew since Dandelionshade had died, and his worry for her ran deeper than the scar on her chest.
Hickorypelt clambered up the oak tree that Ashwing often sat on when giving orders or messages, and heard a leaf crack ahead of him.
"Hickorypelt, go to bed,"he heard her growl before he'd reached the dappled shade of her favourite branch.
He hesitated,"What is it?"he whispered after a moment.
"Go to bed,"she repeated her order.
"Why haven't you been...you recently?"
"I said, Go to bed!"Ashwing swung around with unsheathed claws. Relief as well as terror washed through him; Ashwing kept her unquenchable fire.
"I won't hesitate!"she sneered when he did.
Whilst Hickorypelt stiffled his urge to flinch, Ashwing's eyes turned unfocused. She turned away and stared at the bleached sky,"We must destroy the Clans,"she rasped, "Though if we wait much longer, it might not be enough to cleanse me,"
Deeply disturbed, he turned away and climbed back down the tree, flattening his ears to block the sound of his thruming questions.
They continued to chant.
My Schizophrenia? I haven't had this since I died!
As the voices got louder, he realised that it was the same question being repeated. As he glanced around for the source, he saw Violetslash and One-Eye sitting up in their nests.
"Did you find out why she's been acting weird?"One-Eye asked as Violetslash yawned.
The voices stopped as Hickorypelt had a brief flashback.
"No,"he lied,"No, I don't know,"
"Well, if you discover anything, let us know,"
"I will,"he meowed half-heartedly, trying to ignore the unvoiced challenge in his eyes.
He limped over to his nest, his hind leg aching, and settled down, his tail over his nose.
Hickorypelt was still unsettled.
What did she mean by 'It might not be enough to cleanse me'? What's wrong with her?
As questions chased around his head, he found bloody claws and red fangs tearing at him, and the voices started again, talking in suspicious tones.
It's Violetslash and One-Eye...it's Violetslash and One-Eye...
He shuddered as he again remembered Ashwing's words but he was cut off half way through as a black wave tossed him into a sea of sleep.

I'm assuming Dark Forest cats sleep...
Also, Schizophrena is a mental illness of voices in your head that make you do terrible deeds. They drove him into being a Dark Forest member. He accidently passed it onto Dandelionshade through his blood.
Btw EssClan is referring to StarClan but as a Dark Forest cat, StarClan was kinda like a swear word...