Sharptalon rushed forward, extending his claws. He pinned the she-cat to the ground, covering her mouth with his paw. An easy kill. "Shhh, it's ok!" He growled. 

The white she-cat's eyes rounded with fear. 

"I won't hurt you," Sharptalon lied. "I just need you to help me, please."

"W-why?" She asked, her small mew muffled. Stars made her white fur blaze brighter.

"One of my friends is trapped in the Dark Forest and doesn't know how to get out. I don't know how to get him out, and I was hoping you could help me," Sharptalon lied once more. He pulled back, uncovering her mouth.

The white she-cat got to his paws. "Then tell me your name," she meowed. "I was ordered to guard this barrier, and I think if anyone comes through, I should... ask for identification?" She murmured. 

"I'm Sharpscar," Sharptalon lied, lifting his chin. "What's your name? You look young."

"Softpaw," the she-cat meowed.

"Please, will you help me?" Sharptalon meowed.

Softpaw looked thoughtful, her eyes rounding. "If my father is ok with it."

Sharptalon quickly thought of something to make her come with him. "No, I talked to him before. He said it's ok," he lied, forcing his fur to lie still.

"He did?" Softpaw questioned. "He never mentioned a 'Sharpscar' awkwardly coming through the barrier and asking me a question. But I believe you. Ashstar sometimes forgets things," Softpaw mewed, flicking her tail.

"Come this way," Sharptalon mewed, flicking his tail. He padded forward, now at the thick-misted barrier. "Is there an easier way to get through this?" He asked.

"Yes, it's easy. You just walk right through. On StarClan's side, you can pass right through the barrier and the mist doesn't affect you this way. But on the Dark Forest's side, it's hard to pass through," Softpaw explained. "But I guess you know how hard it is anyways, considering you came through there."

"Yeah, it was hard, but it worked," Sharptalon meowed.

They passed through the barrier with no trouble at all, and began to walk through the mist.

Sharptalon felt like he was being watched again. Several cold chills passed through his pelt, and scents surrounded him. The thick, watery-mud smucked beneath his paws. Finally, after what seemed like forever, they were out of the mud and now walking on the rough soil.

"Jeez, how far is your friend?" Softpaw asked.

"A little bit farther," Sharptalon meowed. Do I have to take her all the way back alive? Sharptalon began to slow his pace, letting Softpaw lead.

"What?" Softpaw prompted.

"Sorry, I'm just tired, that's all," Sharptalon lied. The mist surrounded him felt like countless pelts he was rubbing up against. A chilly breeze stirred his fur.

"Do it, now." 

Sharptalon's ears pricked forward as he heard a different voice, a lot more different than the voice he heard from before.

Sharptalon then lunged forward, digging his claws into the white she-cat's pelt.

"Hey, stop!" Softpaw gasped.

Sharptalon clamped his jaws around her neck, sinking his claws into her shoulders and head. He pressed her chin to the ground. She kicked and squirmed under his strong grip, but her struggles got weaker and weaker. Suddenly, Softpaw kicked out, striking Sharptalon's stomach. He was knocked back. 

Softpaw rammed her head into his chest, knocking the breath from him. Blood trickled down her face from the wound on top of her head, staining her fur. She pinned Sharptalon now.

"Foolish apprentice!" Sharptalon yowled, lashing his paw forward. His long, sharp claws struck her throat, clawing out tufts of fur and carving a gash. 

Softpaw's screech was cut off and was muffled by blood bubbling in her mouth. Her eyes widened and she looked at her wound. She glanced back up at Sharptalon, her eyes blazing with sadness. "I-I...only wanted to see my brother," she murmured, her eyes dulling. 

Softpaw collapsed, her body limp. Her dull eyes stared blankly up at the dark sky. Then her spirit faded away, leaving nothing but blood on the ground. 

Sharptalon shook the dirt from his pelt, then felt the ground shake under him. He bristled, looking around him. Suddenly, the mist swirled around him.

A dark shadow appeared in front of Sharptalon, then began to brighten in front of him.

The shadow brightened into the figure of a large dark brown tabby tom with a scarred pelt. His ear had a v-shaped down the tip and his amber eyes shone.

Another shadow appeared beside him, brightening into the figure of spiky-furred tom with dark gray fur and patches of white of his face and shoulders and with amber eyes.

"You've done well," the brown tabby murmured. "You may have heard of me. I am Tigerstar."

The gray tom dipped his head. "And you've probably heard of me too. I am Thistleclaw."

"Who was the voice talking to me?" Sharptalon asked. None of their voices matched what Sharptalon had heard in mist.

"Behind you," the familiar voice replied. 

Sharptalon turned around, locking eyes with a broad-shouldered brown tabby tom with clear green eyes. He had white slash-markings over his front legs. "I am Slash,"  he meowed. "I was the voice you heard while in the mist."

Another figure appeared beside Slash. This tom was large and pale gray with icy-blue eyes. One of his ears was torn. "I am an ancient leader. My name is...."