Chapter 5#
          The tom's words seem to echo around the forest surrounding the patrol. An eerie and shocked silence filled the air, sending chills up Darkhearts black spine and shudders down his strong legs. Next to him, Riversong broke the silence with a strangled sob, and the dark tabby gave her a sympathetic glance. The she-cat's father had been killed by a coyote when she was just a kit, and it was rumored that Riversong had a strong fear of them.
          Blackleaf gave a shiver, than straightened himself up and flicked his tail as a signal to continue. He looked confident on the outside, his head raised and eyes intent on the predator's trail. But a glance into his eyes confirmed Dakrheart's thoughts.
He's as fearful as the rest of us.           The scent got stronger and stronger, and the paw prints became more and more clear. Soon they were trotting swiftly through the forest, following a path that a one-eyed wolf could see. The patrol continued onward, stopping only when they reached something
horrible.          And that horrible thing was the coyote den.
          Darkheart had heard stories of the savage creatures. As he peered into the darkness of the cave that loomed before the patrol, he re-heard them told in his head; cats killed while hunting out alone, mauled to death, said that a coyote killed them. Kits who snuck out of camp, stolen and eaten by the hungry predators. A coyote would even consider a full-grown warrior for a meal if it gt it's chance. They were dangerous to the forest and clans, and had to be driven out immediately for the safety of warriors.
          "I'm going in." Blackleaf's loud whisper snapped Darkheart back to reality. Behind him, he heard Riversong give a horrified gasp of alarm.
          "Are you mousebrained? You'll be eaten alive!" The gray she-cat exclaimed. Darkheart couldn't help but agree with her.
          The black tom sighed. "Look," he explained, "We can't go back empty handed. What are we suppose to say to Shadeforest when we get back? That we found a coyote den but did nothing about it? She'd have our pelts for nest lining!"
          Blackleaf ignored Riversong's mutter of "At least we'd be alive," and turn to Darkheart. "If I'm not out in thirty heartbeats, get back up and save yourselves." Without waiting for a response, he stalked up to the den entrance. Throwing one last look over his shoulder, he gave a brave nod to Riversong, stepped into the cave, and darkness swallowed him whole.
          The duo waited in the quiet forest, where not even a chirp of a bird disturbed the still air. Darkheart barely heard Riversong counting the heartbeats under her breath.
          "Stupid tom," the tabby muttered, "He just had to be a hero....now he's getting himself killed on SMS mousebrained mission his cocky mind thought up..."
          Darkheart went quiet again, but remained tense, ready to spring up if Blackleaf needed his help. He faintly heard the gray she-cat beside him counting. "26...27...28-"
          Riversong was cut off by the sounds of high-pitched yowls and excited snarling. Out of the darkness, Blackleaf shout out like a magpie from a burning nest, his green eyes alight with terror. Behind him came the sound of barking, and the dreaded predator ran out in chase. Riversong and Darkheart took one look at the coyote and bolted after Blackleaf.
          "You idiot!" Riversong berated Blackleaf as they ran, "Now it can find out scent trail and track us back to camp! I should never have allowed you-"
          Darkheart slapped his tail across her mouth. "Save your breath for running. Scold the adventurous kit later."
          The roar of the rapids was getting louder and louder; they had almost made it to the stepping stones. But the coyote was closing the gap between them fast, and Darkheart wasn't sure they were going to make it. Then, the roaring drowned out even the coyote's panting breath, and the patrol burst onto the river bank.
          "Come on!" Blackleaf yowled over the rapids. The lithe tom was already on the first stepping stone, trying to cross as quickly as the slippery rocks would allow him. As soon as he could, Darkheart leaped onto the first stone, trying to grip the stones with his claws. Knowing Rversong was still on the bank, he gave a brave jump of faith, hoping he would land on the next stone. With a thump, he landed on all fours. The foote had about caught up to Riversong now, and Darkherat had to be quicker. He crossed to the next one.
          "Move!" Riversong screeched. Darkheart glanced behind to see that Riversong was waiting for him to move, the coyote right behind her. Knowing his clan mates life was on the line, Darkheart had no time to think.
          He jumped blindly to the next stone.
          The clumsy leap had him land awkwardly. His paws slipped right out from underneath him on the slick stone surface, sending Darkheart's back legs into the water. Desperately, he tried to gain a paw hold with his claws unsheathed, but there wears nothing to grip on the smooth surface. The icy claws of fear gripped the young warrior, and his paws started to slip. Darkheart felt horror as he lost his grip.
          Foaming and bubbling waves sent him crashing backwards, tumbling and thrown every which way. His lungs screamed for air, and he desperately tried to swim to the surface; but which was was the surface? The tabby's churning paws slowed down, and Darkheart felt black creeping over his vision.
          The last thing he saw was blue and white, before darkness covered his vision.
]Chapter 6#
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          Darkness was the only thing in sight. Nothing. Complete black eternity stretched before him. He felt himself standing alone in this cold, bleak world. Where nothing was below him, nothing above him, and where he was in a place of subconscious nothingness. Not even the most negligible sound could be heard.
          Silence.
          The young tom looked down at his paws, and gave an inaudible gasp of surprise. For instead of seeing his normal furry dark tabby legs, he saw naught but the crude while outline of himself. He lifted one paw to touch teh other, but felt nothing but cold emptiness.
What has happened to me? In any other case, the tom would have jumped in surprise as his own thought echoed loudly outside his head. What was this place, where he felt nothing, he
was nothing, and no sound was heard but for your own thoughts echoing aloud? Was he in StarClan? Or was this some sort of a Dark Forest, where cats who have spilled more blood than a waterfall spills water go after life?
But I have done nothing wrong.          "Hello?" The tom tried to call out, but no noise came from his outlined throat. After pausing for a moment, he closed his eyes, and thought,
Hello?           The thought echoed around him, but after waiting for several heartbeats, he heard no response. He tried walking, but after a few fox-lengths, he realized it was useless. It seemed he was padding in place in this endless dark void.
          But strange as it was, he felt the blackness comforting in an eerie way. He felt no pain, he felt as if a weight was lifted off his shoulders, a burden he did not know he was carrying. It so seemed he was not haunted anymore, that he may be
happy here. Maybe he should stay here. Never know want or pain again.
         
That cannot be/ A strange voice echoed around the tom.
You must return.         
Why? His own thought challenged back,
I am happy here. The world does not need me. They can do without me.         
No! The voice was so angry and loud, it shocked the tom nearly off his feet. Who was this voice? What did it want with him?
          Suddenly, the world turned from pitch black to the brightest white, making the tom flinch at the suddenly change. When he opened his eyes, he was not a white outline anymore. He was a black one. And he was not alone. In front of him, no more than a fox-length away, was a beautiful silver she-cat. She spoke, but not as a thought anymore, but as a voice.
          "Young one, it is not your time."
          "I want to go back to the black...." The tom trailed off when he realized how stupid it sounded. But the silver she-cat blinked at him softly.
          "The Ripernecurl is a dangerous place. It is a place of blackness, seemingly comforting, when it is as dangerous as a coyote. It makes you never want to leave. You would never wake up."
          "Why would I want to? There is nothing important back at home." The tom stated angrily.
          "I fear it has already set within you. You do not remember do you? Look within yourself, young one, not the void. Remember what happened!" She watched Darkheart struggle with his memories. "Concentrate."
          Suddenly it all came back to him.
          The patrol.
          The coyote.
          The cold of the river.
She flicked her tail to silence him as he opened his mouth. "The world dearly needs you. You are the Renskallius, the one committed to end the great evil in this Niseaso, this era of grief and despair. For many seasons, from leaf-bare, to green-leaf, cats have waited for one like you to come. Ever since this malice began."
          [/i]What does she mean? What is a Renskallius, and what is a Niesaso? What malice does she talk of?[/i]
          "It is your time, Selcose Remino. Keep it away from those you love -your clan. Beware-"
          "Wait!" The tom interrupted her, "What is a Renskallious? My name is not Srelcose, or whatever it is you said! What evil? Tell me!"
          The silver she-cat lifted her chin. "Beware the..." She trailed off. Her eyes windened, and suddenly, there was a flash of black light. She disappeared. The world turned black once more.
          He stood in the middle of the same dark void of nothingness. Remembering what the she-cat had said, he stayed on his toes.
          But unlike last time, now he wasn't alone. He saw cat in front of him, a wicked look in it's eyes. It raised one paw, claws extended. It was then he realized he could see blood,
red blood, dripping from it's claws. "
Well well. It's nice to finally see you outside the world from which you come from. It's such a pity you can't go back."
          The tom's eyes widened as those claws reached for his throat....
          "
Darkheart!"
*           *          *
          Darkheart awoke to the sound of his friend's voice, and Foxpaw's concerned eyes looking at his own amber ones. The red apprentice immediatley yelped aloud, "Goldenleaf!
Goldenleaf! He's awake!"
          In his hazy fog of waking from the black void, he barely noticed the sleek golden form of his kin busying herself with caring for him. Darkheart weakly pawed his throat, where he could have sworn he felt the cat's claws brush before he awoke. Any longer and....well, he didn't want to think about it. He groggily lifted his head, but the medicine cat pushed him back down gently.
          "You need to rest." She told him, pawing together some herbs. Darkheart caught a draft of the bitter-sweet scent. Burnet. And that musky scent must be cob nut.
          "You fell into one of those deep-sleeps that can last a long time. Last time that happened, poor Rippletalon never came out..." She bade him to eat the burnet and . "Good for headaches and strength," she told him. It wasn't until Goldenleaf removed the old bandage on his head that he realized he had a enourmous headache. She made a quick poultice of cob nut ointment and daisy leaf, and applied it to Darkheart's head after soaking it in cold water from moss.
          "The pain." the young tom croaked in complaint. Goldenleaf nodded and swiftly went into her store, only to return shortly with what seemed to be dandelion leaf. "It can kill the pain. I don't want to give you poppy seeds, it's too risky."
          Darkheart chewed it obdiently, feeling the pain numb as he listened to the medicine cat chatter to herself. "You weren't very peaceful while sleeping, oh no. You were tossing and turning, you seemed to be having an enternal nighmare. If I hadn't put that catchweed on your poultice, it would have fallen off dozens of times..."
          "Can I see him yet?" Foxpaw asked quietly from the entrance.
          Goldenleaf hesitated, them gave in. "Oh alright, but make it quick. I must go wake Shadeforest, and tell her you've waken." She padded off, her feathery tail waving.
          Foxpaw sighed with relief. "I guess you want to know what happened?" He asked his best friend. Darkheart nodded eagerly, then regretted the movement when it made his headache worse. "Well, according to Blackleaf, you fell into the river-"
          Darkheart rolled his eyes. "Yes, I figured that much out." He began drinking mosswater from the soaked bundle by his nest.
Foxfang chatted right over him; "-and right over the waterfall! We think you hit a rock on the way down, that's how you got knocked out..."
          Darkheart spluttered and coughed on the water he was drinking. "
I fell over the waterfall?"
          Foxpaw nodded as if this were completely normal. "Ho yus. Straight over, a-tumbling you go. 'Course, nobody saw you actually go over, but we can imagine it! Anyways, miraculously you survived, we still don't know how you managed that, patrol found you on the riverbank; you're a living legend, haha. How'd you do it?"
          But Darkheart didn't answer. He sat up, ear twitching.
          "Darkheart?" Foxfang asked uneasily.
          His friend motioned him to be silent, and pointed toward the other part of the den. Voices could be heard, talking low and urgently. Goldenleaf.
          And Shadeforest.
          It sounded important, the medicine cat sounding worried and fearful, the leader's voice angry.
          Both apprentices strained their ears and eavesdropped on the conversation. And what they heard astounded them.