Whispers From The Dark

Speckledawn sighed with relief as she settled into her nest for the first time today. She had been insanely busy today, well busier than healers typically were. The first bout of greencough had hit the clan and the three healers were scrambling to gather enough catmint to treat everyone affected. Speckledawn absolutely hated being a healer, seeing as she was forced into the role, but she wasn’t about to let her clanmates die just because she hated her job, that would be stupid. The she-cat had spent all day racing from one part of camp to the other, checking on everyone who needed help. On top of that there were times where she had to go out of camp to gather more catmint from the garden they had made. They didn’t think it’d ever be super useful, but they were extremely grateful for it now. If they didn’t have catmint in their garden they’d have to go out of their territory and go halfway around the lake before they’d even find some. So yeah, today had been a lot for the young she-cat. She was very much looking forward to her time to sleep, seeing as Snowleap, and occasionally Rosewhisker because that cat never seemed to sleep, would be helping their clanmates throughout the night. Speckledawn curled her tail around her and buried her nose in it, slowly closing her eyes as sleep called to her. 

“Speckledawn…” a voice whispered in her ears, causing the young she-cat to jolt awake. Well, not exactly awake, she could tell this was a dream as she was no longer in the healers den. Speckledawn slowly stood to her paws and looked around the strange area, noting that it looked eerily similar to SkyClans forest. The air was filled with fog and little, glowing red flecks. The trees were stripped bare, not a leaf to be found on them, and the grass beneath her paws appeared to be long since dead. “Speckledawn…” the voice whispered again, startling the white and grey molly. 

“Who are you? Where are you? What is this place?” Speckledawn rattled on as she twisted around in every direction, looking for whoever was speaking to her, “I’m not afraid of whoever you are! I know how to fight!” 

“Oh I’m not looking for a fight young one,” the voice said in a louder voice now. Speckledawn turned around to see a strange cat materializing in front of her. She gasped and puffed her tail up in defense, ignoring the fact that the cat had just said they didn’t want to fight. The cat before her was a cream and brown tabby cat, with purple colored eyes staring straight at her. “I just want to have a nice, little chat” 

“Who- who are you?” Speckledawn asked again as she swished her tail slightly. The cat laughed for a moment before smiling at her in an almost loving way. 

“Surely you know who I am, young one,” the cat meowed as they walked closer to Speckledawn, “I’m Swiftfire, and you’re my grandniece” 

Speckledawn’s eyes went wide as the other cat finished speaking. Swiftfire? She was talking to Swiftfire? This couldn’t be real, she had to be having some elaborate dream. Swiftfire was dead, and on top of that she was supposed to be a Dark Forest cat, everyone knew you can’t talk to Dark Forest cats. “But- but you’re a Dark Forest cat!” she said to Swiftfire, voicing her thoughts aloud, “living cats can’t talk to Dark Forest cats? It’s not supposed to be possible!” 

“Who told you that ridiculous lie?” Swiftfire meowed with a short laugh, “that’s the silliest thing I’ve heard! Of course living cats can talk to a Dark Forest cat. It’s not like StarClan is more powerful than us and only they can talk to the living, we’re equals in this afterlife” 

“But…everyone has always told me that you can’t talk to Dark Forest cats” Speckledawn murmured as the realization came to her, “they…they lied to me, didn’t they?” 

“It appears so Speckledawn,” Swiftfire said as she took another step closer to the younger cat, “but, now that you’re here we finally get a chance to speak. I’ve wanted to meet you for the longest time you know. Been watching your progress since you were an apprentice. You’re quite the little fighter aren't you?” 

“I- yeah of course I know how to fight! I was trained as a warrior! Before FoxStar forced me to be a healer instead…” Speckledawn growled out as she flexed her claws. 

“Yes, I know” Swiftfire meowed as she sat in front of Speckledawn, “my brother was a fool to make you do that, you’re not meant to be a healer” Speckledawn smiled slightly at those words, no one had ever told her that FoxStar had made the wrong decision, she was always told that it was just meant to be and she would do well to listen to her leader. “You’re meant to be a warrior Speckledawn, I don’t know why my brother is too foolish to see that. But you know who was supposed to be a healer?” Swiftfire murmured darkly as she curled her tail around her paws. 

“Uh…no?” Speckledawn answered awkwardly, “the only other cats I’ve seen have an interest in healing are Rosewhisker and Snowleap, and they’re already healers” 

“That would be because this cat doesn’t have an outward interest in healing, nor does he know it was the path he was meant to be on” Swiftfire meowed, “you know who it is deep down, you’ve always known. It’s why you’re so mean to him” 

“Owlpatch?” Speckledawn said in both surprise and anger, “he’s meant to be in the role I was forced into!?” The she-cat fluffed up her fur again as she thought about the slightly younger tom. She always knew he wasn’t supposed to be a warrior like the rest of them, something about him had always seemed off. 

“Yes, that was the role StarClan wanted for him” Swiftfire murmured, “but he fails to see that and keeps pretending to be a warrior when that’s not what his skills are good for” The two cats fell silent for few moments before Swiftfire spoke up again, “that’s not why I brought you here though,” she meowed with a smile, “I have a proposition for you” 

“I’m listening,” Speckledawn said with a dark glint in her eyes. Maybe Swiftfire would give her a way to get back at her leader and become a warrior again, she’d do anything to be a warrior again. 

“Train with me,” Swiftfire offered as she stood up, coming to walk around the younger she-cat, “train in the Dark Forest and sharpen your battle skills, and I’ll show you how to get the life you’ve always wanted for yourself” 

Speckledawn casted her gaze down to her paws as she took in Swiftfires words. She desperately wanted to be a warrior again, and she really would do anything to get herself back into that role, but was this the way to do it? She had always wanted to meet Swiftfire, fascinated with the stories surrounding her that she’d heard about since kithood, and she would be very happy to train with the she-cat, but what if her clan found out and punished her or something? Then she’d never get to be a warrior again. Speckledawn dug her claws into the dirt as she came to a conclusion, “I accept your offer” she said darkly. She’d get to be a warrior again one way or another, and if this was the way to do it then she’d gladly train here in the Dark Forest. 

“Excellent” Swiftfire meowed with a sly smile. Speckledawn found herself smiling back before she felt herself start to wake up. As she blinked her eyes open, she found herself eagerly awaiting the next time she’d get to see the older she-cat in her dreams. 

Just you wait FoxStar, I’ll get you to change your mind about me. I’ll be a warrior again soon, just you wait.