Dark Horses...

[[t]Wilted Ros[e]]

The NightMare was always been an interesting concept. Imagine a horse, as black as night, entering your thoughts and spoiling your dreams.
Odd, but true, as it had happened to Pigeonstar many times.

"Riverpaw!"
The white tom jerked awake, breathing fast as if he'd been chased. He looked around with wild eyes, before retracting his claws and calming. "Riverpaw..." Quieter this time, he whispered the name.
Getting up and shaking himself to rid his mind of the images of blood, Pigeonstar wondered if he'd ever be free from the death of his old apprentice.
Probably...not. He sighed, striding into the light. Misty shadows released him, the sun blinding them to loosen their grip.
Slightly happier now, the leader walked over to the freshkill pile, staring at it, but not taking a piece.
It had been a long time since a NightMare visited him. A very, very long time...

[Holly]

Jasmineheart slept soundly until, there it was again: that soft, but now cold, wind. She wondered when someone would patch up the nursery. It was still warm though, but she didn't want to take a chance with Mountainpelt's only offspring. The kits were sleeping, but Sparklekit was moving around. After a while she finally came to a peace when she started to suckle. Jasmineheart licked her and then closed her eyes.

Pumaheart lay in the Warriors Den, dreaming....
Pumaheart was sitting in a valley full of grass. She knew it was just the valley beneath the cliffs in GrassClan's Territory. She had been there time and time again, but in her dreams it seemed more... More peaceful. She stretched, and Pumaheart suddenly realized that... She was young. She was full of energy. She ran at full speed all over the valley, but came to a stop when she saw a dark shadow. A dark shadow slowly climbing down from the cliffs and slithering over the valley. It was coming for her. She heard a laughing. Pumaheart froze as she recognized it. No... she thought. It can't be him... Then she heard the sound of battle. Then Pumaheart heard a voice... A peaceful voice that said,"I love you, my mother." The shadows were coming closer, and the sounds of battle went on. Pumaheart heard the deathly laughing of the voice she knew all too well. She heard a screech-
Pumaheart jolted awake, wildly looking in every direction of the den. Her breathing gently slowed as she told herself that it had been only a dream; and a bad one at that. Pumaheart got up and headed for the fresh kill pile. She picked a rabbit and sat down to eat. Thoughts from her dream ran through her head about her dream. Was it a prophecy of some kind? No, it couldn't be. But it had to be a sign of something, she thought.

[[t]Wilted Ros[e]]

"This is not going to be a good day," Pigeonstar concluded, feeling a creeping stone-cold shadow edge around the lightening camp, first moving from the nursery, then to the Elder's den. Cautiously, he went to investigate, hoping he wouldn't wake anyone still asleep.

He poked his head around the nursery corner, and flinching away at first from the sharp image in his brain of a certain young she-cat, whispered in, "Jasmineheart? Everything okay?"

(He'll check on Pumaheart after this, so she won't be left out. =3)

[Holly]

Jasmineheart opened her eyes. "Yes, everything's fine. I just wish someone would fix that hole," she mewed flicking her nose towards the few small holes in the wall.

Pumaheart shivered, and not from the cold. She thought of the memories. Of him... And of the kinder voice that was in her dream. Her son. She was amazed at how she was very much related to both evil and good cats. She wondered what he was doing. He must be doing something up in DemonClan, she thought. Wait a minute... What would he be doing... He was always known for being mischevious... He could be planning something... Pumaheart thought of her son, and how he had been fighting against him in an unseen battle. She was sure he was in StarClan. He had always been the kindest kit and the kindest apprentice and the kindest warrior there ever was. She sighed. His death had been a mistake. A terrible mistake. But there was the reminder that he had left behind...

[[t]Wilted Ros[e]]

"I'll get a warrior to fix that right away," he replied, frowning at the holes. "Well...I'm going to see if anyone else is awake, okay?" He slowly backed out of the area, then turned towards the warriors den.
"Pumaheart," he greeted, slightly surprised that she, too, had woken. Is it coincidence? Both of them seem shaken, and I was Visited tonight... "Anything wrong?"

[Holly]

Pumaheart sighed. "It's just that, well, I had a dream that was very nice in the beginning, but then I heard.... I heard the sounds of battle and-" Pumaheart paused for a moment, knowing that Pigeonstar had no idea of her son and him. "Two voices I know by heart."

(Keep questioning her!)

[[t]Wilted Ros[e]]

The leader stiffened. "A battle and two unforgettable voices..." He was certain, now, that Pumaheart, too, had been woken by the unnatural thing called the Night Mare. "Is there something...your heart is trying to tell you?"

[Holly]

Pumaheart shook her head, though not to say no. She froze for a few moments, as if a statue. "It's just... Him... And my... my..." Pumaheart started breathing faster and faster, taking in short, quick breaths. She felt unstable, and felt like she was going to burst with sadness and tears. "And, he..."

[[t]Wilted Ros[e]]

"Would you like me to get someone?" he asked quietly, a shiver running down his spine as his warrior nearly had a panic attack. He almost went closer to her, to comfort her...but something held him back.

[Holly]

Pumaheart caught herself. "No, I'm fine. It's just that he.... And what he did..."

[[t]Wilted Ros[e]]

Pigeonstar's back twitched now, and he ran through a list of names in his mind. A few stood out, but he couldn't make a particular connection to Pumaheart.
"If this is upsetting you, I won't press any further...But Pumaheart...I would like to know, in case their's anything I could do."

[Holly]

(There's more to this...)


Pumaheart slowed her breathing a bit and sat down. She had never told anyone about it before. How two very different cats were connected to her. "Well... Well..." Pumaheart paused for a moment. She could tell him. He should know. She took a deep breath; she was relaxed now. "Well. I had a son once. He was my only kit I ever had. I treasured him so, and he became to be the best warrior I ever knew. He died just recently." She paused again, taking in a breath. "His name was Mountainpelt."

[[t]Wilted Ros[e]]

Pigeonstar blinked slowly as her words registered. "Oh, StarClan..." he muttered, closing his eyes. " would never have guessed..."
He supposed this would have happened while he was in exile, or that time he left shortly before becoming leader. It was hard to say, as he couldn't keep track of ages very well in his mind.)

(He's older that Pumaheart. I find that oddly funny...)

[Holly]

(Yes...)


Pumaheart looked up at him. "There's more...." She closed her eyes for a moment. Then opened them again. Then she raised her mouth to Pigeonstar's ear and whispered,"Witheredstar."

[[t]Wilted Ros[e]]

He shuddered, and flinched away from her. "What possible connection could you have with a cat like him?" The name still rattled his thoughts, lingering there, with its evil master, the actual, horrible cat that lived several generations ago.

[Holly]

"He's my great, great, great, great, great, etc. grandfather. When I was younger, he would come to me in dreams and talk of ways to make me leader. He made plans of making me the best warrior. If I didn't do as he said, he would torture me. He would fight me until he had me pinned to the ground, an inch away from death. They were just dreams, but in the morning I could still feel where his claws had touched me and where his teeth had bitten into. I couldn't see any scars, so the Medicine Cat didn't know what to do. But in my dreams I saw them. So maybe it was possible that he could have killed me, and that to everyone else it would just look like I died in my sleep.... A few times he lowered his jaws to my neck, but he stopped and whispered something into my ear instead, like,'You better shape up,' or,'Watch it.' " Pumaheart closed her eyes.

[[t]Wilted Ros[e]]

Pigeonstar was silent, stunned by what he had heard. "That's...just..." He couldn't think of a word strong enough to describe his horror. Vile? Despicable? Garish? They could not compare. "I'm sorry," was what he finally did say. He was sorry--sorry she'd had to suffer under this curse for so long. Alone in her struggle...
"Did Mountainpelt know? Of his ancestors, I mean..."

[Holly]

"Witheredstar came to him when he was an apprentice. He was actually just too nice for him. Of course he tortured him like he did to me, but that didn't change anything. Mountainpelt wouldn't budge. His name really paid off, for you can't move a mountain either." She sighed and looked up at Pigeonstar. She jumped back suddenly when she saw Witheredstar instead of her leader. He had that evil smile spread across his face. Then she blinked and he was replaced with the concerned face of Pigeonstar.

[[t]Wilted Ros[e]]

Pigeonstar settled down, mind processing what he'd heard all tonight.
"Oh." He remembered something, quite suddenly, and looked almost apologetic as he returned his gaze to Pumaheart. "I know tonight has been...hard. But would you mind fixing up the nursery? Maybe not now, as everyone's asleep...but perhaps later in the day?" The leader paused, then added, "Working usually takes my mind off of...things."

[Holly]

"Yes, I would." And with that Pumaheart padded out of camp...

Pumaheart came back with a mouthfull of grasses. She settled down by the nursery wall that needed fixing and, one by one, patched up the holes. When the holes were done she just noticed that she had forgot breakfast. Well, it was about time for lunch now. She padded over to the freshkill pile and picked out a field mouse. She ate it slowly.