Welcome to my Nightmare [Private]

[Confuzzled.Lynx]

[ @Foxsnarl @Rani @ChillCat @bmkmb ]

Russetpaw

Talonstone ... was here, and was going to teach her and some other cats to swim. How splendid it all was. The molly moved from the shadows with the prey in her jaws, dropping it in the clearing and slinking over to the white warrior. "Of all places, I wouldn't expect to see you here, but then, I never though that I would appear in this … forest consumed by shadows" Russetpaw greeted the tom, green eyes dull due to the lack of light. It ... was a surprise, but at the same time, the apprentice expected it. Her emotions were hidden, her posture and voice trying to give an unwelcome feeling towards all the others but Talonstone. He had said enough in the Moonlit grove to make her trust him, something she put in others easily.

[Space Cat]

yellowleaf scowled. "well, they more or less killed my parents, so i've been trying to destroy riverclan ever since i got in." she said this very cautiously, not letting too much information slide. "now enough about me. i think i'll go," she meowed, "i have some things to do." she began to get up@Undertaker

[ChillCat]

Kittypet? Ghostflight was Shadowclan! If this was Dawnstar's idea of a joke, her sense of humor needed work. Ghostflight didn't actually know why she was here, but if she was placed here she must have some sort of purpose with Dawnstar. She would lay low and not make anyone angry for now. "Talonstone, there's a pond a little ways away." Noticing Foxpaw was here too, she gave the apprentice a nod. "You too."

@bmkmb @Lynxpaw @Rani @Foxsnarl @Undertaker

[Madelaine]

Ebonyfang awoke in a different place. It didn't look familiar, but he did know what this place was. It was just likes its name. It was a completely dark forest. He wasn't scared of this place instead he kind of liked it here. It was dark and gloomy just like him. Perhaps he should seek someone to help him with his ambition. After a while scents were familiar and he glanced around to see some of his clanmates, including Shrewpaw. Ebonyfang ignored it. Here he didn't have friends. He didn't need them anyway. He glanced around and spotted his leader. It was no shock.

[Middy]

~[Jaggedclaw]~
{@Undertaker}
----------------------------

The dark-furred warrior gave a grunt of acknowledgement when his name was mentioned and wasted no time in standing up and joining his clanmate to sit closer to the ShadowClan leader. His expression was passive yet there was a gleam of interest in his piercing gaze. Neither Dawnstar's words nor the notion that he was going to be evaluated and taught like an apprentice bothered him. If it had been someone less important, however, that would be a completely different story. If she was going to help improve their battling skills, he'd have to be an utter fool to refuse. She was as strong as they come and this was a great chance for him to become a greater asset to his clan. He willing and ready to be one of the cats who'd help bring ShadowClan back to glory.

[Rani]

Bickering, bickering, idiots testing Dawnstars patience (like that wouldn't end in death, morons), cats sucking up to the leader (she didn't seem a cat to care about senseless flattery so it was pointless), aaaaand more bickering.
Ah wait, Dawnstar noticed him. The apprentice only cocked his head at the leader calmly waiting for instructions he was certain would come soon. The leader liked to be obeyed, reasonable, and he was more then content to watch her verbally ripping into the non shadowclan cats until then.

As expected he was soon given orders, the tom hanging back to observe the others in his group before moving. Talonstone again, this would be a good chance to observe and learn about the warrior. The two apprentices Foxpaw and Russetpaw, Foxpaw seemed a strong personality from her sigh and slinking and Russetpaw was more contemplative. Shrikepaw was more interested in Foxpaw personally, but it wasn't like he would act on anything (like a potential chance at friendship) until he had more information. Ghostflight was interesting Dawnstar didn't seem to know him but... This needed more observation.

Finally slipping into the light and into view of the others in the clearing the apprentice silently glided around not bothering to make eye contact with anyone but nodding in acknowledgment at Dawnstar. Meeting up with the group he grinned at them flashing a fanged smile and flicking his tail, impatient to get going.

@bmkmb @Lynxpaw @ChillCat @Foxsnarl @Undertaker

[gs29513]

So this was to be like.........training. It made sense to Shrewpaw, that they should train in this dark forest, so much like night all the time. Besides, they could rest and work at the same time. It didn't seem like they were murdering anyone, so it was going well considering some of the more.........ruthless, confrontational cats in the clans were here. But they were learning to swim, stalk, much more calm things. He had been a bit scared, really completely terrified when he had been brought here, and seen Dawnstar and all the big, scary cats, but now he felt calmer, although still on edge. Hopefully though things weren't as bad as he had first feared, the arrival of Ebonyfang calming him a little. He would be ok, he would be ok. Padding up to Windstrike, the small apprentice mewed I'm ready to go. Hopefully no one in his group had a........problem. @Pepperkins @Slushie @Zesty Mango

[nocturnal]

[ @Foxsnarl @Lynxpaw @ChillCat @Rani ]

The longer they all stood around, the more felines that appeared. They seemed to be attracted to the highest ranking she like bees to the brightest flower. The vast majority of the newcomers were also from the shadows. Unsurprising. It was only natural for those living in darkness to be attuned to the feeling of strength. Nothing else ever guaranteed survival.

He stood idly, not entirely sure why he had been called into the Forest of Death this night. No cat appeared in the realm of darkness without a reason. Witnessing a crowd gather around his leader was interesting, but it was not a reason. Things were always much more complicated than that.

From his past experiences with the land of the forbidden dead, he knew that there was always a trial before fate could be sealed. It was more of tradition than of necessity, he presumed; a way of testing the victim before taking them on. He had gone through those trials twice already. If he hadn't won, he wouldn't still be alive.

Finally, the first round of tasks were assigned. He was leading, it seemed. Quite interesting. Usually, in the woods where red streaked the soil, he was discarded and left for the scavenger birds. Yet, he noted to himself, now the dusky woods were less towering. They were nothing more than a hidden extension of camp. Thus, his rank extended to this special domain.

The Dark Forest was a cruel place. It was the domain of cruel cats. A certain feline would not be pleased to find him wandering around the twisting trees, not because they were aligned with the light, but because they thought that he wasn't bad enough. Although the shadowcat had a strong moral code, his need to prove his worth sometimes overruled that. His instincts followed suit, and besides, they were in the darkest possible corners of the mind. If a cat couldn't stand the pain, then they simply wouldn't be here. He could find a way to be worse. He only needed to find a way that also matched his more observant personality.

When Dawnstar locked eyes with him, as predicted, he didn't shy away. Perhaps he was too busy thinking, wondering how to make this work. His gaze was hard this time, and bolder. Calculating. He had a goal and he would reach it eventually. Preferably before things changed too much. He waited until the leader broke the connection before briskly swinging his head to scan the crowd for those apprentices. Where he would find a body of water, he shelved for a moment.

Spotting the cats came easily. He had seen all of them around before. Most, he had already interacted with to some extent. Russetpaw, was one of them. Gave the molly a spiel on how things worked around here. He wasn't surprised to see that she had gravitated towards the darkness. Shrikepaw, he had certainly heard of. He was one of the ones to keep an eye on. Lastly, Foxpaw. The former outsider, if his memory served him correctly. She likely wouldn't give him any trouble, then.

His slight issue of a training field was resolved when Ghostflight came into play. With the feline being a suspicious dead stranger, it wouldn't be difficult at all to view her as inferior. As the cat spoke, Talonstone flicked an ear balefully and regarded Russetpaw's remark with a subtle look in her direction. He didn't miss Ghostflight's comment to Foxpaw, which were not words that were commonly shared by two strangers. The frosty tom made a mental note to watch for their interactions in the future.

The smallest of the group was the last to approach, yet possibly the most dangerous of the apprentices. He responded to Shrikepaw's tail flick with a flick of his own, then internally grumbled about Ghostflight's directional skills. "A little ways away," incredibly enough, did not explain to him in which direction they were meant to travel.

"Come," he commanded the apprentices stonily, turning in the direction where he recalled trails of wet pawprints being. He saw no point in chiding Ghostflight. If she hadn't sensed that her words had been useless, then she could be useless alongside them.

[Snow Fox]

Seeing who she assumed was Russetpaw Foxpaw headed that way. No reason to wait. As Ghostflight nodded to her however Foxpaw nodded back. Other then that she gave no hint she knew Ghostflight. Reaching Russetpaw and a warrior who must have been Talonstone she flicked her tail. Foxpaw picked another apprentice out who must've been in the group. He'd be Shrikepaw. As Talonstone told them to come she followed. @bmkmb @Lynxpaw @Rani @ChillCat

[Confuzzled.Lynx]

[ @Foxsnarl @Rani @ChillCat @bmkmb ]

Russetpaw

The molly waited for a few moments, glancing at her surroundings before trailing after the others. The ex-loner kept her group in sight, sticking to the shadows. She didn't want to be seen. Didn't want to interact with any cat. And damn, why was she in such a large group? Too many cats for her likings. Russetpaw had come here, but why? She had no opinion of Dawnstar, but maybe she did. Maybe Talonstone did influence her thoughts, and if he did, he influenced her heavily.

So water. Swimming lessons. Wonderful. Just splendid. She had tried to teach herself to swim when she was an outsider, but it didn't go ... as planned. She might of been on the verge of drowning. Possibly not. The fox-like apprentice was nothing but shadows as she lurked in the darkness, following the rest. She could see the wet pawprints that the white tom was following.