I had come back with a bundle of soft moss by the time the sun was at its highest point. Somehow I had missed most of it on my first trek. I assumed it was my high paranoia distracting me. The voices had left me for the amount of time I was concentrating and trying not to worry. I realized I just needed to keep myself occupied.

Laying on the branch, I finally had some spare time to relax. The sun was barely touching my fur but it was still warm where it did brake through the thick branches. 

"Feathertail, whats that smell?" Icepaw's whisper came from the hollowed tree. I opened one eye to see her head poking out of the den. She must be done making our nest and cleaning the tree. 

I sat up, lifting my chin into the air and parting my jaws to take a whiff. Immediately, I got some kind of... raunchy smell. I wasn't sure what it was; no creature had ever smelled like that before. "I'm not sure," I answered in a low voice, scanning through the trees with narrowed eyes. 

"I'll go check it out, stay here," I whispered, climbing down slowly and quietly. My tail was quivering. Heart quickening, the voices came back... 

"It's probably the dead smell of Loudbelly and Frostfur," One snickered. "Maybe they are alive again, but their bodies are rotten?" Another suggested, it's voice deep and raspy. "Maybe it's Crowfeather coming to kill you," A she-cat purred menacingly. "Oh, Feathertail! Let me eat your flesh and we'll be live an eternal life together!" The first one chimed and then the she-cat sneered, "Haha! She can only dream of that!" 

The voices had become more annoying than frightening. "Shut up, will you?" I snapped, landing softly on the ground. They kept going. "We don't do as we're told," The raspy tom hissed. A new voice came, one that sounded like a young tom, "Yeah! Why don't you just go and sob in the tree and wait for Crowfeather, or maybe Hawkpaw, to end your misery?" 

"Maybe you should go back and lie in grief?" The she-cat retorted, letting out a purr. 

"Yeah, and make Icepaw do all the work because you're so lazy!" The young tom mewed and then an almost normal sounding tom spoke, "You act like such a kit, a selfish one too." 

Don't they ever shut up? I looked around, focusing on the world around me. Just ignore them, they'll go away when I don't respond.

I felt the ground tremble and the branches above shake. Could it be The Horror? Getting into a stalking position, I pushed myself forward. The fur along my spine spiked up as my instincts told me to run and hide. The voices had finally shut up, so I took that opportunity to listen as intently as I could. 

A screech rose through the trees just tail-lengths away. I knew it wasn't Icepaw, it was more of a tom's voice. What ever was stomping around beyond the trees was definitely deadly and had attacked one of our enemies. Good for Icepaw and I, but at the same time... just as bad. Once it's done with them, it will be looking for its next meal...

The sound of tearing flesh made me gag, but nothing came out. As I gazed up, I spotted the creature tearing at its prey. It couldn't have been The Horror because it looked almost like a lizard that I had been forced to eat so many times in the muddy, marsh territory Scourge had taken for our "camp". Except this... lizard was massive, possibly five or six cats combined, just to explain the length... It's long tail had small spikes that probably wouldn't do any damage, but as it swung around, I knew it could knock the life out of any cat in its way. The legs looked like thick frog legs, but with dark green scales with occasional light green spots. Its back also had five rows of dull spikes lining from its neck to its tail.

As the monster feasted on its meal, it let out long, raspy groans. My curiosity got the best of me; I leaned in farther to get a better look. It's legs were too short to attack prey that way, so I assumed its mouth must have been its weapon... 

Suddenly, it threw the cat into the air. It wasn't much of a cat anymore. It's pelt and flesh dangled loosely from its bones, and chunks of meat flew around. My eyes widened as I witnessed the size of its jaws. Large, yellow teeth glinted in the shadows. The teeth may have been sharp, but the length of its muzzle was what shocked me. Miraculously, the creature caught the cat in its mouth. Its jaws clamped shut and a shiver rippled down my back as the sound of the cat's bones crunching under the pressure of its mouth echoed through the forest.

Brown fur speckled the ground and instantly I realized Mudclaw was the victim. My ears flattened. It should be Hawkpaw! 

I backed away silently, keeping my eyes fixed on the green monster. As the monster became smaller with distance, I picked up my speed, scrambling away. With a thump, I ran into a thin tree, making the branches quiver and several leaves flutter down. I crouched down and watched through my horrified eyes as the lizard-creature turned around. Blood dripped from its jaws and I held my breath. StarClan, if you can hear me, please save me! 

Relief washed through me like a wave crashing over head as it turned away, back to Mudclaw's torn body. I knew that Mudclaw's scrawny body wouldn't be enough to satisfy the lizard, so I bolted away, leaves and dirt spraying behind me as I dug my claws into the ground to grow traction. With luck, I'll get away without the monster hearing. 

I climbed up the nearest tree with our markings on it and ran from branch to branch carelessly, jumping to the next tree. I almost missed, and I grabbed on for dear life and pulled myself up quickly, bolting with claws sunk in the branch. 

As I neared the den, I was greeted by a cobweb. I let out a squeal of shock, banging into the tree trunk. I clawed desperately at my face to get the sticky silk off my face. Taking a leaf from the branch nearest to me, I got the rest off in a hurry and jumped to the tree with our nest in it. I gasped for air from the rush. "You wouldn't believe what I just witnessed!" I started, and then collapsed into the hollowed tree. I expected the she-cat to perk her head up from the nest, interested through her usual groggy stare, but the little cat wasn't in her nest. Where's Icepaw? 

Breath quickening, I froze. "Please don't tell me she went looking for me while that monster is on the loose!" I whimpered to myself and then hurried out of the den. My heart felt like it had rose into my throat. Without thinking, I leaped down from the tree. I managed to land swiftly on my four paws and immediately I parted my jaws to search for her scent. It was fresh - thank StarClan - and I started to follow it quickly. 

I passed the rock where I had first heard the voices and turned when the steep slope came in front of me, where the Arena ended. Breathing heavily, I dashed after Icepaw's scent. It was stronger now and I started to feel like the invisible weight on my shoulders was disappearing.

I caught sight of her white pelt as she was retracing her paw-prints. "Icepaw!" I yowled, and she looked over at me. A limp crow dangled in her jaws. Icepaw's ears perked up and she seemed surprised to see me. "Where have you been? I came back and nearly died when I noticed you were gone! There's a huge monster on the loose, you cannot be out her on your own!" I hissed as we met.

She rolled her eyes. "You were taking forever so I went out for a hunt. I got that bird for our nest, too!" She mumbled through the bird's feathers. I sighed and shook my head. "That's exactly what happened last time..." I muttered but then let out a purr. "I'm just glad you're okay. I'm worried for you, that's all. That's a great catch, Icepaw. But you need to wait for me to come back to the nest before you leave anywhere. These woods are dangerous." 

Icepaw dipped her head and we hurried along. I had to keep checking over my shoulder, fear itching under my pelt as if something was watching... When we got to the tree, I let her climb up first and I followed after I was sure there were no one following us. The smell of death and crow-food entered my nose as I began to climb. The monster must be nearing. 

I came into the hollowed tree where we would sleep and sat down. "Do not leave this hollow without me anymore," I started. From her nest, she looked up at me. "There is a monster out there, probably triple or more of my size. I saw it eating Mudclaw. It has super large teeth and a huge mouth. If I catch you leaving this nest without me... I will not let you back in." 

Icepaw's ears shot up as I finished, eyes alerted. "What? Why?" Icepaw whimpered. Her eyes were wide with hurt. 

There was a pang in my heart that almost made me regret what I had said. "Because if you have the guts to leave by yourself, then I'll assume you can live and hunt by yourself as well. I cannot keep running after you, it is dangerous out there for the both of us." I mewed with my chin raised. 

To my surprise, the young she-cat took it responsibly. "Very well." Icepaw narrowed her eyes at me and then began taking the feathers off of the bird. I dipped my head and started to help her, taking each feather and carefully lining the nest with black feathers. 

*****

That killed a bit of time that was left on our paws. My belly was satisfyingly full. While Icepaw groomed herself for probably the third time that day, I sighed. Padding out onto the thick branch, I glanced up at the sky. Poison wasn't watching down on the Arena like a hawk for once. What is Crowfeather thinking of now? Is there a battle in Poison's camp? Is Crowfeather trying to calm the cats down? Is any one sticking up for what's right yet? Are there any cats dying, or has there been any deaths at all? Has anyone thought of me or any of us? Do you still love me, Crowfeather? I dream of you every night.

Questions after questions swarmed my head like angry bees protecting their hive. I was dying to know. That's when the voices came back. I closed my eyes and let out another deep sigh. "Out of sight! Out of mind!" An unfamiliar cat purred.

"We'll never find our way back home." A young she-cat whined. "I think she's been here so long, she's going crazy!" The same raspy tom whispered. 

"You're going to die a slow and painful death, like your allies that you left to suffer!" 

"When will this be? I want to watch!" 

Shaking my head, the voices faded away as I glanced at the ground below me. I practically jumped out of my fur. That same long, spiky monster was at the bottom of the tree beside the one I stood on. 

The creature looked up at the trees and I flung myself backwards into the hollow of the tree. I peeked out with my ears flat to my skull and watched him look through the few trees that surrounded ours and then to the tree we had made a nest in. I felt Icepaw come in beside me, her fur brushing against mine.

"What is it, Feathertail?" She murmured, looking down as well. She scrambled back at the sight of the massive beast. "Wh-what is that thing?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

"That's the lizard-thing that devoured Mudclaw." I hissed solemnly, looking over at her and then back to the ground. Icepaw didn't get a chance to answer before I realized it had disappeared. I gasped, "Where'd he go? Icepaw! He's gone, that could be good but it could also be very, very bad." Icepaw remained silent and peeked her head out again.

I yanked her back in by her scruff. "Mouse-brain! What are you thinking? If it sees you, that could mean he'll stay down there until we go down! Stay here, I'll go check it out." I growled, wearily leaving the hollowed tree. So... What exactly is the plan here?

"Your plan is to be a mouse-brain and die!" An elderly she-cat muttered in my ear. It was so familiar it made my fur bristle up.

Ignoring the voice, I looked down and jumped carefully from one branch to the other, looking at the ground in search of the beast. It seemed like it had gone away. I gazed up at the hole we slept in and the branches above it. I knew the monster's short legs wouldn't be able to climb, but it was worth feeling relief anyway. I climbed my way back up to the branch beside out nest and I looked forward. Letting out a gasp, I once again fell backwards into the hollowed tree. A misty cat stood there, its eyes wider than an owls could ever go. There was no distinct color of the cat because it was transparent. 

"Icepaw! We have to go, we can't stay in this part of the woods anymore!" I yowled, grabbing her by the scruff. She refused to budge.

Icepaw unsheathed her claws and dug them into the wood underneath of us. "Let me go! I don't want to run around the woods! The sun is going down!" She squealed and I did as well as we flew out of the hollow. A large howl came from above and I rolled on the ground, away from where Icepaw landed. Both of us landed on our sides. The world around me was spinning and I found myself unable to breathe for a few terrorizing heartbeats. Aching pains pulsed through my body, but I forced myself to ignore it.

It didn't take long for my adrenaline to kick in. Even with a short of breath, I pounded away from the tree. "Come on..." I panted, but I soon noticed no paws steps were thumping beside me.

I halted. Icepaw wasn't coming. Glancing over my shoulder, I noticed she was still on the ground where we had fallen. I pelted toward the small she-cat, faster than I had ever ran before. I nudged her hard, but the she-cat didn't budge. I could see her flank rising and falling, so I knew she was still alive.

"Icepaw!" I screamed through clenched teeth. I looked up at the tree to see the ghost-cat was gone. I could hear large paws thundering closer and closer... "Icepaw! Wake up, wake up! Please, don't do this!" Icepaw's eyes finally blinked open and she tried to look up but my face was in the way.

Nudging her to her paws, I yelled, "Icepaw, you need to run as fast as you can, okay?" She mumbled something I didn't catch. "Okay?" My heart was racing as the trees began to tremble around us.

"Wha-? Run...? From what?" She mumbled, looking around. The she-cat swayed slightly. 

The voices came back. "Just leave her! It'll be better for you, anyway..."  

I ignored it and replied as calmly as I could. "A monster, Icepaw. You need to run with me, can you do that?" As I finished my sentence, the monster let out a raspy growl.

"Yeah, yeah... I'll run." Icepaw mewed and before she could even finish, I was pushing her along. "Come on! Come on, run!" I yowled and she looked at me then over her shoulder. I breathed rapidly, hoping she'd come to her senses and run.

The monster let out another huge rumble, and it burst through the bushes. Its jaws were open, showing a large pink tongue and stained teeth. It's tail lashed as it tore after us. I let out a screech of pure terror, and I could feel - literally feel - Icepaw's scream as well. 

Icepaw seemed to be stuck in shock. "Run!" I screeched at her, shoving her harshly. She shook her head and dashed off, dirt spraying in my face as I tried to keep up with her. "Thank StarClan... I thought I'd have to leave you!" I called after her and she looked over at me briefly, her eyes flooding with unease. 

Branches from small trees and thick bushes whipped my face but I ran harder, pushing my limits. My muscles were burning like fire, my lungs ached and my brain was telling my body to shut down and sleep. I halted, swerving toward west as The Horror came into sight. It let out a screech. 

"Go, go, go!" I yowled at Icepaw. Wolves came into sight and I gasped, turning east and running away. Icepaw's muzzle was touching my nose. 

"We've been surrounded! Head back to the tree!" I yowled at her, and did as I said. I looked over my shoulder to see the wolves, The Horror, and the lizard-monster thundering toward us with hunger in their dark eyes.

Before I could register what was happening, I tripped over a root. Icepaw didn't come to my aid. I rolled into a tree, gasping for air, and opened my eyes to a dizzy world.