The Darkness and Silence Pervade [Open to ShadowClan]

[Petrichor]

Cloudfrost awoke in the warrior's den to a quiet ShadowClan. Not that this was unusual, of course. It seemed that every cat in ShadowClan had just seemingly given up on having a normal life. The medicine cats were still active, even if Littlepaw kept going places without telling anyone. The she-cat didn't like other cats in general, but even she got lonely sometimes. Rolling out of her nest, Cloudfrost stepped out into the main chamber, listening to the silence. The deafening silence. She wondered, briefly, if she had gone deaf, when a warrior behind her suddenly snored. Cloudfrost sighed. Compared to the apathy of her Clanmates lately, she would much rather be deaf and not know how quiet everything had been lately -- the darkness all around her and the silence in her head was driving her crazy. Her own thoughts echoed in her skull, and a whisper right then would feel like a scream. Since no cat seemed to care much about anything, Cloudfrost took a mole from the fresh-kill pile, devoured it in a few bites, and began licking the mats out of her fur. She would go out to hunt or patrol later... she wanted to talk to a cat, see what was going on with their lives. It didn't matter who they were, from kits to elders to medicine cats. She needed to talk to someone. Anyone. And she would wait right in the main chamber until someone bothered to be in a speaking mood, if that happened at all. I have overestimated my Clan, Cloudfrost thought to herself, licking a particularly tangled mat out of her fur. I shall have to fight harder than ever to prove to every cat, including ourselves, that our power is truly great.

[Maggles]

Shadepaw lashed her tail in anger. Stupid Molefoot hadn't taught her anything. She was tired of being afraid of other clans. It was time for a revolt! She had somehow managed to come back with a live shrew in her jaws. In the darkness, Hawksong's blue eyes glared at her from across the clearing. Spotting the shrew in her jaws, Hawksong yowled across the clearing. "Give me your prey, kit!" With the shrew still in her mouth, Shadepaw sprung for the mangled she-cat. The one who was Thornfoot's, her dad's, new mate. Shadepaw used the move Frostbite had taught her the night before. She dove under the larger cat's belly, twisted around, and hooked her claws on her stepmother's ankles. Once she felt the tendons, she swiped her claws back, tearing the tendons in half. With great speed, she bolted out from underneath the thick furred cat before she collapsed on her. Hawksong collapsed with and angry hiss laced with pain. She would be with the medicine cat for a few moons at least. Shadepaw sat a few tail lengths away. With one paw on the still live shrew, the she-cat slowly drug a claw along the prey's back, exposing the spine. The helpless creature let out a squeal. Little did she know, but another cat was nearby, perhaps watching her.

OOC: All plot relations for Shadepaw are NPC until adopted.

[Petrichor]

The ShadowClan warrior watched as Shadepaw barged into ShadowClan, a shrew in her jaws. Her father's mate asked for a shrew, and the apprentice replied by ripping her legs apart. Cloudfrost flicked her tail in annoyance -- if ShadowClan were truly to become strong, they shouldn't rip themselves apart -- but she could admire the apprentice's... enthusiasm. The grey tabby stood up and padded over as Shadepaw ripped apart the shrew she was carrying, which was apparently still alive, as it squealed when the apprentice began to skin it. The warrior stood behind the apprentice for a bit before deciding to just get on with it. "Hello," The warrior murmured, sinking onto the floor, her tail curling in front of her. Her posture was stiff -- she was still a warrior and was not going to let an apprentice look down upon her. "I've seen you around. Shadepaw, correct?" Before the apprentice could reply, Cloudfrost continued. "I saw you over there. You ripped that poor cat's tendons open. She's going to be in the medicine den for weeks." Cloudfrost paused for a second, looking stern and angry for a second before smiling. "Nice work. "I wasn't nearly that talented as an apprentice, and I must admit your penchant for... unique problem-solving is quite interesting to me. I find that we might get along rather well." Cloudfrost stopped her conversation now, mentally preparing herself in case the apprentice decided that she truly was going to be a psychopath today and attacked the silver warrior... in which case the older sadist would gladly reciprocate.

[Maggles]

She stopped skinning the shrew and looked at the warrior who addressed her. "Yeah, I'm Shadepaw." Her tail lashed. "That cat I just crippled? My stupid stepmother. Pathetic mange pelt." Shadepaw prepared herself for yet another scolding but the other cat, Cloudfrost, looked... happy. "Why, thank you! I made that move up myself." She puffed her chest out a little bit at the warrior's praise. "Yes, we will get along quite well." Shadepaw beamed. Maybe this cat will join her in her quest to rise Shadowclan to the top? She would ask this cat later. Beside the grey she-cat, the outline of Frostbite stood beside her, smiling and nodding.

[Petrichor]

Cloudfrost let out a relieved sighed internally as the apprentice decided not to begin a fight, and rather start conversation. The warrior politely listened as Shadepaw spoke, taking special attention to the mention of "her stupid stepmother." Cloudfrost would have to find out more about that relationship later and see whether or not that particular cat would be beneficial or hindering to the Clan's future ascension to the top. The apprentice had created that fighting technique on her own? Cloudfrost had to admit that was impressive for an apprentice. Yes, Shadepaw would be a valuable ally. They couldn't speak of things that needed to be spoken of in the middle of camp, however -- that would be too dangerous... for now, at least. Soon, such talk would be welcomed. "I must commend you for managing to create such a move on your own," Cloudfrost praised. This was a rare thing, and soon the apprentice would find out that compliments was not something the grey tabby handed out easily. "There is much potential inside of you, but in our Clan's current state, I fear it will go unrewarded. I believe you and I might be able to fix that... But now is not the time for such words. Come, let us talk elsewhere, lest other cats hear our conversation and become suspicious." Cloudfrost would wait for a reply this time. She didn't quite want to turn her back on Shadepaw quite yet. Trust was something to be earned, not given out like presents at leaf-bare.

[Maggles]

"It was rather easy to come up with it, really." She stopped herself before she spilt the beans. No cat must know that she is training with Dark Forest cats. No one."I agree. Let us go elsewhere to discuss such matters." A sharp smell of blood drew her attention back to the shrew at her paws. The creature was dead. It had bled out. The scarlet had turned her claws and her paws as red as a deathberry. That should be her warrior name. DeathBerry. Looking to the older cat, Shadepaw could hardly wait to begin planning.

[Petrichor]

Cloudfrost flicked an ear up in interest as Shadepaw began to speak, but quickly stifled whatever she was about to say. The apprentice had a secret. The warrior was interested in knowing what said secret was, to make a cat so powerful, but she would not push the secret out. She was not that type of cat. The warrior watched as Shadepaw seemed to debate something in her mind before turning back. The white-and-gray tabby smiled as the apprentice expressed excitement at getting to speak with another cat who wished not to harm her. Cloudfrost could sympathize with that. "Let's be off to the tunnels. Camp is certainly not the place to be speaking of sensitive subjects, where others may be listening in." A snore interrupted the last bit of Cloudfrost's sentence, and her ears flattened as she cast an annoyed glance at the source of the noise before moving on. The warrior ushered the apprentice forward so the two would walk side to side -- they already had much in common, but Cloudfrost wished not to have her tendons ripped out. Trust was still something to be earned. As the two left the gate (and the hearing range of their Clanmates), Cloudfrost began to monologue.   "It's a shame, isn't it? Our claws our so strong, our night vision so perceptive, and yet every cat in the forest seems to think ShadowClan inferior." Before the apprentice could reply, Cloudfrost continued. "I'm glad you aren't like the rest of our Clan. So apathetic and sniveling. It seems sometimes as if we're asking for the other Clans to step all over us." Cloudfrost paused for a second, looking over her shoulder to ask a question, one that would either secure or break the new acquaintanceship of the ShadosClan cats. "Have you ever desired to show the other Clans our superiority? To prove to them and our less courageous Clanmates that we have the power and potential to rule over them all? Have you ever dreamed that?"

[Maggles]

Shadepaw eagerly followed Cloudfrost out of the camp. "Yes, they don't reward us for our talents." The apprentice beamed at the older cat's question. "As a matter of fact, yes. All the time." She dug her claws into the ground as if it was an enemy's pelt. Then, a thought endered her head. Molefoot needs to go. If Cloudfrost is my mentor, she will teach me everything she knows. Before the thick furred she cat could respond, Shadepaw spoke up. "I will be happy to join you in your quest to raise Shadowclan to the top."

[Petrichor]

Cloudfrost visibly perked up a bit as Shadepaw admitted to feeling the same way the older cat did, and Cloudfrost did not miss the apprentice's claws digging into the earth's floor. The gray tabby twisted around and sat in front of Shadepaw, now wishing to speak eye-to-eye. "I could not be happier in that you wish to join me in my quest, Shadepaw. So few cats share your ambition and sentiment... if only I could spread that around." If only she were my apprentice, Cloudfrost thought to herself before standing back up and continuing to speak. "But before we get on with that, I'd like to see more of your combat abilities. I know of a single badger who makes her home at the far end of our territory... I don't suppose you would mind battling it with me, would you?" Cloudfrost's subconscious pulled her mouth into somewhat of a sadistic smirk. Not towards Shadepaw, but the prospect of another cat witnessing her mutilate another animal without being reprimanded for it. "I won't tell if you won't."

[Petrichor]

Bump

[Maggles]

The same sadistic grin crossed Shadepaw's face. "I couldn't be happier. Let's go paint the ground red." Her eyes glowed. "Oh trust em. I won't be telling." A slight chuckle escaped her lips. Oh, this was going to be a fun little outing indeed.

OOC: meh, crappy post

[Petrichor]

Cloudfrost smiled as the apprentice shared her sentiment. Without another word, the warrior led the way through the tunnels, finally arriving at the den she had spoken of previously, where the badger lay, sleeping. The she-cat paused for a moment, contemplating her options. She looked at Shadepaw and made a "be quiet" motion, and slowly stalked towards the poor, unwitting badger. Her claws ready, Cloudfrost slowly lowered her claw to hover over the sleeping animal's pelt, drifting over it until she seemed satisfied with where her paw was. And then she struck. It wasn't a normal slash, like normal cats would do -- Cloudfrost nonchalantly hooked her claws on the badger's fur, barely pricking her flesh, and began to peel. The intense, slow pain woke the creature up, and it attempted to twist around to defend itself, but Cloudfrost was quick to jump on the badger's back where its fangs and claws couldn't reach her, and continued slowly skinning it. "You may join in whenever you wish." Cloudfrost's voice was much too nonchalant for the heinous, disgusting act she was committing. Any cat with functional eyes and ears could see she was enjoying what she was doing.  "The badger is much too occupied trying to buck me off her back to resist."

[Maggles]

Shdepaw obeyed the older cat's orders and waited for her time to strike. After Cloudfrost had clawed her way to the animal's back, that's when Shadepaw made her move. She bit down on the underside of the creature's neck to hold it while she skinned. She dragged her claws slowly down the creature's neck fur, emitting a bat-like laugh, that was muffled by a mouthful of skin and fur, when the creature's blood flowed over her paws and arms. The salty smell and the warmth gave her comfort. She hooked her claws like she was getting ready to dig out a paw full of dirt, but instead started digging out chunks of badger flesh, each about the size of her paw. Her pelt became splattered with the scarlet horror. It was still warm when the red rain started falling.