Sandclan's Destiny Book 3: Blackout

Chapter 10: Dream of a Nightmare

Dustkit winked open her eyes, not at all surprised to find herself in the same dark, drear world she finds herself in every night. The kit maneuvered away from the thorns that threatened to poke her face, and searched for her friend Pondkit. The wide-eyed kit was waiting to announce her next orders:

"I want you to recognize the cats this time. Pelt, voice, eyes, anything to help you remember. Watch them, and listen closely." The kit mewed, her blue eyes rippling like the pond in SandClan territory.

Dustkit felt a connection with this cat, but she figured it had to do with encountering her so much. But often, the SandClan kit glared into those eyes. There was something familiar about them. Dustkit felt an urge to befriend this cat, so she mewed, "Who are you? Why are you here? And I don't mean your name, I know you're Pondkit." she grinned.

Pondkit kept staring into Dustkit's eyes, "We must hurry. What do you mean, who am I? I'm an age-old kit, but once in StarClan I played too close to the border and passed on through to the Darkforest, and got lost. Forever." she blinked, "And my real name is Torrentkit, but that's not important. Call me Pondkit. I hope this answered your question?" and she seemed unphased in sharing her past, her countenance as calm as her eyes. Dustkit was then gestured away, and the kit went about her nightly duties.

She slid up to her regular spot, dodging the thorns. She wondered how nobody has found her yet, but that was not an important thought to have. She focused herself to study the cats' pelts, eyes, and voices.

"Icedrift, stop trying to twist cats' necks! You parsimonious rat in a warrior's guise!" A foreign voice called. On further inspection, Dustkit recognized him to a the tom she has seen before. She knew him as the 'mean one', the one who seemed the most visibly and obnoxiously loyal to Wolfstar. She knew his name as well, and was proud as the cat he spoke to confirmed it.

"Skullcrush, you shut it. If a cat is weak enough to kill in training, won't Wolfstar be thankful I terminate them?" She snickered, "Plus he'll thank me, just for being stronger." Dustkit saw her white pelt and memorized it, yet it was covered in blood. She was a lean cat and her muscular arms were around an apprentice's neck. Dustkit memorized the white pelt with the name Icedrift, and the title of 'scary one.'

"Let go of Leanpaw, now. He can't breath with you holding him like that." Skullcrush resembled Cougarfang in pelt and eye colour, and that was how Dustkit would mostly remember him. His tail lashed as he stepped near Icedrift.

"And why should I? Don't you want to impress your leader both in the Darkforest and in VenomClan?" Icedrift cooed, only tightening her grip on 'Leanpaw', or as Dustkit also knew him as, 'the scared apprentice', causing his eyes to bulge like saucers from his shocked face.

VenomClan. They're the bad ones, because Bigstar said so.

"I'm a senior warrior, and much older than you believe it or not." His claws raised and he struck Icedrift's muzzle so fiercely she released her grip on the apprentice before scrambling back, blood rushing from her maw. She glared up at Skullcrush with something in her eyes.

Leanpaw, the black tom with swimming green eyes, gasped and fell with his paws holding his throat. He made noises that Dustpaw really didn't like. She swallowed, thankful for her ability to breath, and crouched even lower until her belly grazed the dark grass.

Icedrift dashed a paw over her maw to smear off the blood, "Fine. But the Scarstar supporters may be harmed, right? But not anyone else? Only the weak? How do we test the 'strong' then? I was on night patrol, I was not here. I would not know" She defended herself suddenly, her tone jibing and sarcastic, although hints of genuine intent was hiding beneath the infliction of her voice that dictated otherwise.