On The Rise [Private]

[Rizo]

Out for a stroll in the dark trees, the pale glow of mosses and fungus caused the mist that clung the ground to glow, disturbed only by the bright white paws of the brawny tom. His shambling gait left a swirling trail through the fog behind him, like a boat through water. His copper eyes flashed as he approached the destination he had set out for, a little dark pool of thick water in a small clearing among the tall, dark pines.
The chocolate coated tom made his way up to the pool and gently dabbed the surface of the water with a forepaw, causing ripples to cast across the surface. Soon, his target would be asleep, and he would pull her dream to this clearing, one of the few places in the Dark Forest that wasn't completely covered in slimy mosses and strange mushrooms.
Come then, small one. Let your dreams bring yoy to me.
With a smile, Dusktalon sat and waited for the arrival of the little calico she-cat.

( @TheNyanCatMinecart )

[TheNyanCatMinecart]

~ TULIPPAW OF WINDCLAN ~

Something sticky was seeping into Tulippaw's belly fur. Ew! Her eyes flew open, flashing vibrant green in the shadows, and she was greeted by darkness. Panic immediately began to sink claws into her heart. What was going on? Where was she? She leaped to her paws, and they pressed into the sticky earth. She cried out in alarm and looked down. The ground was bare, unprotected by any grass. And - oh, the horror! Her belly and paws felt slimy and unclean despite not being muddy. A wave of nausea rolled over her. This'll take moons to get out of my fur! And that wasn't even mentioning the taste. Surely it would be disgusting. Trembling with fear and revulsion, Tulippaw lifted her head and found that her eyes were adjusting to the darkness. Tall, straight dark trees - pines? - rose up on all sides, and their greasy gray trunks seemed to go on forever. She craned her neck back, but their tops were lost in the black sky.

The darkness wasn't the only thing clotting her vision. Thick gray fog rolled on all sides, and sometimes, it was hard to breathe. Whenever she did - especially when she had to take deep breaths - a horrible stench clogged her nose and mouth, making her gag. It was choking and revolting, a scent that spoke of rot, decay, emptiness, and blood. Her beautiful fur, which was usually kept so sleek, felt damp and heavy in the thick air, and it was bristling. There was a glint of white amid the dark ground as her claws slid out. "What is this place?" she cried out, her head snapping from side to side. "Where am I? Is anybody there?!"

Tulippaw thought she saw a flicker of something in the shadows. She jumped and spun toward it, but there was nothing there. Every hair on her pelt quivered, and the stench of fear-scent was strong, but surely it was not as horrid as the other scents of this place. Why was she here? Was she dreaming? That had to be it, but a beautiful, perfect, clean cat like her would never dream of something like this. And it almost felt too real to be a dream. Her thoughts had distracted her, and her panic had made her blind, but as she desperately tried to figure out what in StarClan's name was going on, she was aware of eyes boring into her back.

The beautiful apprentice spun around, her elegantly long tail flashing like a long piece of grass blowing in a strong gale, and froze on the spot. A tom was standing there, right by a pool of water so dark that its surface was black. But Tulippaw was hardly focused on the water. For a moment, she thought the cat was Hawkblaze. They both had coarse dark brown fur and heavier builds, and there were plenty of other similarities that she could detect but not name. Yet there were many differences, too. This cat was much wider and brawnier than her wayward mentor, and his fur was richer and darker. He was a tabby, but the stripes were broken up. And whereas Hawkblaze had no other markings and amber eyes, this cat had a white throat, chest, and paws, and a copper gaze that seemed... expectant? Not to mention the smile on his face, which unsettled Tulippaw greatly.

"Who are you?" she demanded, trying to sound fierce. But her feminine voice was shaky, and there was no doubt that she was scared as well as indignant. "Get me out of here and leave me alone!" All she wanted to do was wake up and be back in her extra-soft nest, imagining a perfect, just world where every cat in WindClan groomed their fur, had proper manners, and thought Tulippaw was the best. But somehow, she was stuck in this dreadful place with this creepy cat whose presence felt real for reasons she could not explain. If she was dreaming, surely he was fake? Maybe Hawkblaze's stories of his terrible father were putting bad dreams into her head. Yeah, that had to be it. I bet none of the other apprentices have mentors who ruin their dreams! she thought unhappily, her claws touching but not digging into the gross, slimy ground.

@Rizo

[Rizo]

~ Dusktalon | @TheNyanCatMinecart ~

Ah good, she was here. Rising to his paws, the dark tabby dipped his head in respect to the calico.
"A rare treat to be in the presence of such a stunning, magnificent cat. What a glorious, beautiful pelt, so well kept and clean. I'm so sorry that you have to deal with the atrocity that is this place," he consoled, deep, gravely voice dripping with as much honey-sweetness as he could muster. Slowly, he began to pad forward, copper eyes fixed on Tulippaw.
"I've been hoping to meet you for quite some time, actually. I've seen the things you've had to go through, the awful situations that that disgrace of a cat, Hawkblaze, put you through. Truly, no cat so perfect and splendid should have to go through such wretched things," he added, laying on as much praise as he could. This would only work if she decided she liked him, or that he was right. But would his efforts pay off?
He padded forward slowly, trying to keep the glowing shrubbery from shining any light on his pale neck scar that ran deep around the back of his neck. Luckily it blended rather well with his stark white throat, but he didn't want to give her that clue to his identity just yet.

[TheNyanCatMinecart]

~ TULIPPAW OF WINDCLAN ~

Tulippaw stared at the Hawkblaze-looking cat as he stood up and... dipped his head to her? She was scared and confused, not to mention disgusted. Her underbelly was uncomfortably sticky, the mist was making her pelt damp, and she could hardly breathe. It was so dark, too. So perhaps that was why the respect glimmering in his copper eyes was even more visible. Respect? The beautiful calico apprentice tried to comprehend what was even happening. She had to be dreaming, right? Yes, that had to be it, though she could hardly believe that her mind could conjure up such a gruesome landscape. It feels so real... and it doesn't make sense. Tulippaw felt a flash of determination. You know what? I'm not going to let myself be scared. I'll treat it like a dream because that's what it must be. The small, dainty she-cat stood up taller and faced the much heftier, stronger cat.

Her eyes widened upon hearing his words. He... he was complimenting her. Complimenting her in a way she hadn't been complimented in a long time. Why was she surprised? She deserved to be complimented like that. Everyone should say things like that to her. Yet Tulippaw had gotten used to sucking it up for the sake of being popular in her wonderful but odd-minded Clan. Now this cat, this tom who dwelled in this freaky place which she thought must be a dream, was saying the things she was supposed to be hearing. A smile spread across Tulippaw's face, and she batted her eyelashes, pleased and flattered. "Why, thank you!" she purred. "Of course I look the best. And of course I don't deserve to be in such a horrid, disgusting, foul place. You don't, either, if you're willing to say such true and wonderful things to me." Her voice was sweeter than the flower-scent that clung to her pelt, smoother and richer than honey.

If this was a dream, had her mind created this cat to give her the attention she'd been missing? Perhaps he looked like Hawkblaze because her brain was going off of him. Of course, he wasn't nearly as flattering as this gentletom, but the mind could do odd things in dreams. Oh! As she thought of Hawkblaze, the tom mentioned him. The dark broken tabby was telling her that Hawkblaze was a disgrace, that he'd put her through horrible things. Tulippaw couldn't help but nod... but not too emphatically. She would've agreed in a heartbeat when she'd first had him, but now? He wasn't so bad. But she was caught up in the praise now that she'd gotten a taste of what she'd been missing for so long. Perhaps Hawkblaze and the other WindClan cats should've been better, she thought. The world would be perfect if everyone were like this cat.

"I don't deserve such dreadful things," Tulippaw agreed, going to follow him. She wasn't afraid despite how awful this place was; after all, it was a dream. A good one with a very unfortunate environment, but she couldn't get hurt here. As she walked, she got to see the place more clearly. There was sickly glowing fungi on the places they walked, and although it was not pleasant, at least it gave off some light. Her lip curled at the sticky ground - even though this was a dream, she'd have to give herself a thorough washing. And, with the light and her eyes adjusting, she could see the tom more clearly. Fog seemed to wreathe around him - unrelated to the already thick clinging fog - and, it was hard to notice, but... he was a little... see-through? It's just a dream, she reminded herself. Tulippaw's pride and happiness chased away the feeling of unease she felt.

She was curious about this cat, though. He might just be a figment of her imagination, but it felt so real, and she wondered how much character her brain had given him. There was the underlying curiosity of whether or not he was real, maybe something more than a dream, but she decided to just go with the flow - and ask him something, curious as to how he would answer. "What's your name?" Tulippaw inquired, focusing her attention on him.

@Rizo

[Rizo]

~ Dusktalon | @TheNyanCatMinecart ~

A welcoming smile spread over his face as he heard the reply. It was working.
"While I appreciate the sentiment, I'm afraid I am trapped here. I agree with you that I don't deserve it, but this is how things are," he sighed with mild resentment. He paused in his movements as she began to move closer, keeping his front to her. He dipped his head once more.
"Ah, please forgive my rudeness. You see, I had hoped to invite you to a more... clean area of this place, but I cannot control where my invitation brings others," he explained, tilting his head in a friendly manner.
So far so good, she seemed to be receptive of his flattery. He would need to be well in her good graces in order to sway her view of him away from the blasphemy that his son had spat.
"Before I give you my name, should we make our way to somewhere drier? As awful as this place can be, there are a few sanctuaries," he questioned, motioning with his tail for Tulippaw to come walk beside him.
"After all, appearances can be deceiving."

[TheNyanCatMinecart]

~ TULIPPAW OF WINDCLAN ~

Tulippaw felt a pang of shock and pity as the chocolate-brown tabby told her that he was trapped here. Oh, the poor thing! How could he possibly bear it? She would rather die than be stuck in such a desolate, bleak, disgusting place. Maybe he's stuck here because this is my dreamscape? That had to be it. He couldn't leave because he was a part of Tulippaw's mind, but somehow he was... sentient? It was a little confusing, but it was starting to make sense. She slowed and stopped walking as he paused and turned toward her. It was hard to believe that he was average-sized - he was so brawny, he looked as if he should be much bigger. A pleased smile crossed her face as he apologized to her. Of course he should apologize. A cat as beautiful, dainty, and well-mannered as her did not deserve to go to such a dreadful place. But he didn't deserve it, either, so Tulippaw couldn't help but forgive him and even feel sympathy. At least it's not me, she thought, reassured. As much as I like him, I'm looking forward to going back to the WindClan camp.

The calico she-cat was about to speak, but the smoke-wreathed tom beat her to it. A drier place! Relief and excitement thrilled through her at the thought. Her paws were uncomfortably sticky, as was her belly fur from her unpleasant arrival. "Yes, please!" she exclaimed, pulling up beside him as he motioned to her. "Anything would be better than here. Do any of these sanctuaries have more light? My eyes hurt from squinting all the time!" she complained. It was true: it was dark here, and although her eyes had adjusted, she still had to squint to see clearly enough. Appearances can be deceiving. What in StarClan's name did that mean? Hawkblaze had said something similar during training. This cat seemed to have a bit in common with her mentor despite not liking him, which was weird. But Tulippaw brushed it off. He was referring to this awful place having some better spots, that's all. Although that doesn't stop me from not liking it.

Now that the broken tabby had fallen silent, Tulippaw could say what she had wanted to say earlier. "I wish I could free you," she meowed disdainfully. "You clearly shouldn't be in a place such as this one." Tipping her head back to look into his copper eyes, she continued, "You're sentient, but this place can't be more than a figment of my imagination, right? It's a dreamscape of sorts. Maybe I could dream you out of here?" Tulippaw knew she was dreaming, so perhaps she'd be able to "lucid dream," a concept she'd heard of before. If she lucid dreamed, they could get out of this revolting place, and the gentletom would be free! He'd be so grateful to me and admire me even more! she thought excitedly. I need as much popularity and attention as I can get. Imagine how impressed my Clanmates would be! But would they believe her? It was such a strange, foreign concept. She doubted any cat had had experiences like this before. Frustration began to rise within her, but she forced it down, keeping her winning smile on as always. It's alright. I can tell my close friends. They wouldn't think I'm a featherbrain. And at least I get the treatment I deserve here! My Clanmates could never understand.

And that was alright with her. This was Tulippaw's special place, where she could create sentient cats who would treat her like the high-ranking, perfect cat she was. With time, she'd get her Clanmates to treat her likewise. But a part of her knew that they were different. They didn't take as kindly to her correct ideals of what was right and what was wrong. Tulippaw could become popular and loved, but it would be impossible to get everyone to treat her perfectly. So, this place was even better. She was only getting what she deserved here, which would fuel her strength and confidence while in the living world, she'd have to make many sacrifices and continue to work hard and show everyone how fantastic she was.

@Rizo

[Rizo]

~ Dusktalon | @TheNyanCatMinecart ~

As he padded along, the dark tabby let a wave of satisfaction wash over his pelt. The ploy had worked, she was fully invested in the conversation and feeling sympathy for him. Her perception could not be tainted by the revelation of his identity. She wanted to free him! Perfection.
Leading her along to a small rise, one of the drier locales in the place, he let a small murr of disappointment escape his throat at the request of more light.
"I apologize, dear Tulippaw, this is about as bright as it gets here," he sighed, actual longing for sunlight sending a short pulse through his mind. It had been so long since he had seen the sun. Instead, he made his way to a short, flat rock atop the rise, wide enough to hold them both. He leapt atop it and turned to the calico, patting the empty spot next to him with his tail, all the while listening to her words.
So she thought this was a dream? Intriguing. Surely Hawkblaze hadn't taught her about the places cats went in the afterlife, right? After all, Hawkblaze himself barely believed, the naïve fool. Instead he inclined his head at the question.
"While you are in fact dreaming, this place is not a simply dream-scape. Only a place that you may visit while asleep. I, too, wish you could free me. However I don't think such a thing is possible. At least not yet. I certainly haven't been able to find a way out," the brawny dark warrior admitted, his copper eyes flitting around the place for a moment. He had been here so long it was hard to imagine other places anymore. With the kindest smile he could muster, he turned his attention to the apprentice once more.
"Ah, but I have yet to answer your questions, yes? Forgive me," he added with a dip of his head.
"This place is known as the Dark Forest. My name is Dusktalon."

[TheNyanCatMinecart]

~ TULIPPAW OF WINDCLAN ~

Tulippaw continued to follow the wide, hefty tom without question, her eyes round and sparkling like twin green skies full of stars. She was eager to get to a nicer place. Not that there could be anything nice in this barren, desolate landscape. But he had said there were some sanctuaries, and she trusted him. How could she not trust such a kind cat who gave her the praise she deserved? Besides, this was a dream. It wasn't like he could hurt her. That doesn't mean I don't want to get out of here, though. As if to enforce her thought, one of Tulippaw's dainty calico paws pressed into a particularly slimy patch of ground. She squealed in shock and disgust, jumping back as her fur bushed. Ew, ew, ew! Quickly and instinctively, she ran her pretty pink tongue over the paw. A horrible taste greeted her. It took everything in her power not to gag and spit the foul, slimy mud out. After all, she couldn't look improper or disgusting, not with this cat around. He was already pulling ahead. Tulippaw promptly put her paw down once it was clean enough - although she doubted she'd be able to get rid of the slimy feeling and the decayed taste - and hurried to catch up with her shambling companion.

By then, they had reached a small rise. Tulippaw hopped from dry patch to dry patch of ground in an effort to not have a traumatic experience like that again until she could place her paws on the slope. A sigh of relief escaped her. Unlike the rest of this miserable place, it was dry. How in StarClan's name can he live here? I'd rather die! Maybe the sanctuaries made things a little less horrible. Tulippaw certainly preferred this place from the rest of the slimy forest she'd had to walk through. But that didn't mean she liked it. Oh, well. I guess this is the price I must pay to be treated the way I deserve. Why did everything have some sort of downside? Live in WindClan, the best of the four, but have many Clanmates who didn't act proper. Meet friends who were well-educated and have them all die or disappear. Have a cat who was nice and praised her properly, only to be able to meet him in this wretched place.

Have a family, only for them to mysteriously vanish.

Tulippaw's attention was drawn back to the chocolate-brown tom as he made a noise. Her long tail drooped with disappointment at the words that followed. There was no adequate light here. Nothing to warm her unpleasantly damp fur, clumped by the oppressive mist that thankfully wasn't as thick up here. Speaking of which, she'd have to give herself a thorough grooming. She could not let anyone see her like this - especially not this gentletom, who had offered such kind words. At the invitation to sit beside him at the top of the rise, Tulippaw gladly took it, hopping onto the rock and settling there. And Great StarClan, it was cold! She started with surprise, then hesitantly placed one soft-padded paw on the smooth, dark surface. It was as if the ice of leaf-bare was seeping into her fur and skin wherever it touched the rock. Does everything here have to be horrible? she wondered disdainfully. She resettled herself beside him and began to groom her fur with rhythmic, thorough licks.

Making sure her pelt was pristine was second nature, so Tulippaw was able to pay full attention to the broken tabby tom without worrying about not being thorough enough. So, she was dreaming. Of course she was. How else would she have gone from her comfortable nest in the WindClan apprentices' den to this decaying forest? But wait... what? The beautiful calico she-cat paused in her grooming and stared at him, attempting to sort out his confusing words. It was more than a dreamscape, but she could only visit it while she was asleep? She blinked. Then it dawned on her. Was he saying that this place existed even when she was awake, and she could only visit it while she was asleep? It was a weird thought... but when she considered it, it made sense. It explained why he was sentient. It also explained why he was trapped - and technically, she was, too, because she wouldn't be able to leave until she woke up. But he can't wake up. Well, sucked to be him. Although Tulippaw couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy. Such a well-mannered cat - one who treated someone as beautiful and perfect as her properly , which most of her Clan failed to do - did not deserve this prison!

But what was this prison? Why was he trapped here? The small, slender apprentice glanced around the dark forest and observed the too-tall, barren trees, the clinging fog, the darkness. Here and there were patches of sickly glowing fungi which offered some light; other patches were growing around here, too, which was why it wasn't as dark as the rest of the place. It was also easier to see up here without anything obscuring her vision. Turning to the brawny tom who had led her here, Tulippaw felt herself relax as she saw his kind smile. She might not be able to do anything about his being trapped here, but she could soak up his praise and listen to what he had to say. Imagine how jealous everyone would be when she told them about him, a cat she met in her dreams and who gave her super-secret knowledge! They'd be so impressed. And maybe they'd start treating her properly, too. Her mind buzzed excitedly at the thought.

Even more excitement coursed through her as her companion promised to answer her questions. He must be referring to the ones from before! Tulippaw sat up straight, her ears pricked. All of her attention was on him. Who is he? What is this place, really? The questions swarmed in her mind like a hiveful of bees, and she gazed up at him eagerly, her vivid green eyes sparkling as they had before. Her curiosity was overflowing.

It was as if she'd been hit across the face with an unsheathed paw.

At first, Tulippaw could only stare in shock as everything froze. She did not understand what he had just said. That can't be right. But she could not deny the words that had come out of his mouth.

This is the Dark Forest. The Place of No Stars.

Slowly, with dread building inside of her, she glanced at the sky. It was more visible here, on the rise. Up and up she looked until she spotted the black gaps between the bare branches. No moon. No stars. It was as empty as an upturned leaf in the middle of a drought. Tulippaw began to tremble uncontrollably. I don't belong here. What am I doing here?! She remembered what her father had told her about the Place of No Stars. Her mother had refused to utter a word about it, and for good reason. It was a horrible place where only the worst cats went, the ones who had been too evil to make it into StarClan. The foul taste of the mud seemed to weigh her tongue down, and her paws felt as sticky as if she'd coated them with honey.

That wasn't even the worst part.

The cat standing before her was none other than Dusktalon. No wonder why he looked so much like Hawkblaze. Her mentor's story of him flooded back into her mind, of how he had murdered his siblings and been executed by Twilightstar for it. Tulippaw felt sick. He'd been so... nice to her. So kind. Nothing like the cold, harsh, heartless murderer Hawkblaze had described. He was a good warrior, but a horrible cat. Was that what that meant? Any good warrior would praise Tulippaw, but that didn't stop Dusktalon from being an evil kit-killer. She would've been flattered by her ability to charm a Dark Forest cat if she hadn't been so horrified. Her head spun, her heart pounded, and only one thought repeated in her head: Get out. Get out. Get out.

Tulippaw hadn't realized that she'd risen to her paws and begun to slowly back up. Now she sprang away from him, her fur fluffing out so she looked twice her size, and got into the battle stance Hawkblaze had taught her not too long ago. Her gleaming claws unsheathed and sank into the muddy ground as her white-spotted tail lashed behind her. "Get away from me!" she snarled, though her voice was high-pitched and not all that threatening. More than anything, it was distressed and demanding. "Get me out of here! A beautiful, loyal, perfect, StarClan-worshipping cat such as me does not deserve to be in the Place of No Stars!" Why was he looking at her so kindly? "Hawkblaze told me everything about you. You killed kits and disgraced WindClan! GET AWAY FROM ME, MURDERER!"

@Rizo

[Rizo]

~Dusktalon~

Well, that was certainly one of the reactions he had anticipated. Putting on his most sorrowful expression, Dusktalon slowly shook his head.
"I see my son has already told you his lies," he sighed, maintaining his posture. He made no effort to move, no adjustment to his pose except to blink his copper eyes sadly. Tilting his head slightly, he watched the calico shy away.
"Tulippaw, I have no intention of harming you. I invited you here to right a wrong. In truth, not all the cats who end up here deserve such a fate. The tale you have been told of my actions is false," he continued, watching the apprentice.
Would she stay to hear his tale? After all, he had been nothing but kind and welcoming to the young cat, playing to her vanity as much as he could. Secretly the act disgusted him, but if he was to ever discover a way out of this place, he would perform his role to perfection.
"My kits, Hawkblaze's siblings, most of them were born with a horrible sickness, a plague that would have caused them immense pain throughout their lives. They would never have been able to become warriors," he groveled, casting his gaze down to his white paws. Letting the despair he had summoned fill his voice, the chocolate striped tom continued.
"I spared my kits from a life of pain and misery, and for it I was murdered and denied a peaceful afterlife. I am not the only cat here to have been wronged in such a way. The truth of the stories here, they deserve to be heard."
Raising his eyes once more to fix upon the she-cat, he gave her an imploring look, willing her to hear his words. The façade he put on was as flawless as he had performed in life. He truly believed that he had been wronged, although the tale he spun was his own truth. Would the young cat believe him?

@TheNyanCatMinecart

[TheNyanCatMinecart]

~ TULIPPAW OF WINDCLAN ~

Tulippaw remembered when she had gone out on a hunting patrol with Nightheart. The black she-cat had driven some rabbits out of their burrows, and as they'd thundered toward her, their massive, pounding paws had been the only thing she could hear. That was how her heart sounded now. It slammed against her ribcage, creating a thump thump thump sound that seemed to echo through her entire body. The blood roared in her ears, and black spots were beginning to appear in front of her. Was she going to faint? Being in the presence of such a horrible, terrifying cat in a revolting place such as this - an evil, ugly place where the vile were banished and trapped - was too much for a beautiful, lovely, gentle cat like her. She was too perfect for this! But the words Hawkblaze had said on their first outing echoed through her head, albeit altered by time: Your enemy won't recognize how fantastic you are, Tulippaw. They'll use it to their advantage. They'll try to make you suffer. Something like that. Anyway, Tulippaw wasn't going to let her vision go black. Not with Dusktalon here. What if he killed her? It's a dream. Surely he can't hurt me. But what if he could?

No matter. Tulippaw had to be strong. Her ears pinned back against her head, and her claws glinted in the faint light cast by the sickly glowing fungi. Her eyes were narrowed, her teeth bared, her tail lashing. She was prepared to attack him if he got any closer. Desperately, she ran through the basic battle moves Hawkblaze had taught her in her head. How could she best respond if he attacked her? He was so wide and brawny; it was intimidating, to say the least. He could crush her without much effort. But Tulippaw's small - but not too small - size and delicate, slender frame would make it easier for her to dodge him while he'd be slowed down. She felt more confident now that she knew what to do. Yet that didn't stop her from being terrified: her heart still pounded like the rhythmic drum of a rabbit's paws, and she could smell the fear-scent that rolled off of her in waves.

She couldn't have anticipated Dusktalon's reaction. She had expected him to fall upon her with claws and teeth bared or to try and make her reject StarClan. Tulippaw had mentally - and physically - prepared herself for both of those things. But Dusktalon was looking at her... sorrowfully? He looked sad, almost, not making a move toward her. Hawkblaze's lies? Tulippaw's eyes unnarrowed, widening as she stared at him. What had Hawkblaze lied about? Or is he the one lying? After all, he was a badger-hearted kit-murderer who lived in the Dark Forest. She would trust Hawkblaze over him any day. But she wasn't sure what he was meowing about, and her curiosity was too much. She had to understand what he meant by "his son's lies."

Any credibility he might've had was thrown out of the den when he tried to tell her that not everyone who was sent to the Place of No Stars was supposed to be there. But that didn't make sense! Everyone who was banished deserved it. Why else would they be there? If they were good, they would've made it into StarClan. StarClan wouldn't place a guilty cat in this dreadful place! Yet prickles of doubt and tickling questions plagued her mind. So, all Tulippaw could do was listen silently, her fur still bristling but not as bushed out as it had been before.

Hawkblaze's siblings were sick? A pair of eyelids, one black and the other orange, slowly closed over her rich green eyes before lifting once more in a flash of shock. He never mentioned that. They were so sick, they couldn't have become warriors, and they would've spent a lifetime suffering. But... She swallowed thickly. What in StarClan's name was she supposed to believe? Could she even pray to StarClan in this rancid, dark, foggy forest? Would they hear her? She sucked in a breath. Would she go to the Place of No Stars if they found out she had been here? Of course not! Dusktalon brought me here, and there was nothing I could do about that. But why were things so confusing? A moment ago, she wouldn't have believed a word that came out of his mouth. Now...

Dusktalon had been so kind to her. Kind and full of compliments, making the dainty calico she-cat feel as if she was cared about. No one in WindClan, save for her friends and disappointingly few admirers, made sure she felt good with constant compliments and praise. They didn't treat her properly, the way they should treat her. Especially after I lost my family. Pain clutched Tulippaw's heart, harsher and rawer than it had before. And most of my friends. Nope, they'd expected her to move on, just like that. They'd expected her to work and train as if nothing had happened. As if she wasn't the most beautiful and perfect cat they had ever laid eyes on. But Dusktalon understood. He was nice to her. He complimented her.

Of course, killing kits would get anyone kicked to the Place of No Stars. But what if his words were true? What if Hawkblaze's siblings had been sick, so Dusktalon had killed them to spare their lives from being horrible? Twilightstar might've misunderstood and killed him. StarClan wouldn't have forgiven him, either, so that's why he was here. Twilightstar's wise, but I don't blame her for killing him. But had he deserved it? Then there was the matter of Hawkblaze. The chocolate-brown broken tabby was making it sound as if her mentor had deliberately lied to her. Would he do something like that? Tulippaw felt her fur begin to lie flat; her body stopped trembling, and her gaze was far-off and distant as thoughts, so many thoughts, flooded her mind like a stream of mice that had been driven out of their nest.

He wouldn't lie to me. He might not fully appreciate me, but he cares about my education, as any normal mentor should. But did he really? She remembered the story he'd told her about SkyClan, the fifth Clan. As if that wasn't a load of fox dung. There had always been four Clans. But Dusktalon told him that. Tulippaw shook her head to clear it, but it did anything but clear. Hawkblaze's father's words had brought back every negative memory she'd had of her mentor ever since he was first appointed.

He'd made her trudge through the mud.

He hadn't cared about how beautiful and perfect she was.

He hardly seemed to appreciate her or her efforts, always full of negative comments and continually criticizing her for not knowing things she couldn't know because she hadn't been taught them.

What if he was lying to make his father look bad? Or perhaps he'd misunderstood and just seen Dusktalon as a murderer killing off his siblings, not knowing his true intentions.

Then Tulippaw's mind flashed to their most recent interactions and training sessions.

Hawkblaze's approving amber eyes, careful and proper corrections, and critical - but not rude - comments as he made sure she did things right.

His praise as she did well and the patience he'd gained with her.

The way Tulippaw felt almost comfortable with him, certainly more comfortable than she'd been on their first outing.

How she felt as if her education was in good paws.

Hawkblaze might not be perfect in his treatment of her, but was any cat? No. Except for her family, friends, and Dusktalon, but Tulippaw understood now.

Her mentor wasn't a fool. He wasn't a liar, either. Any misinformation he'd given to her - such as the SkyClan thing - had been fed to him by his father. If his siblings had been sick and killed off because of it, he would've mentioned it. And how could she forget the odd way he'd acted when he spoke of Dusktalon? He'd seemed... haunted. Distant. Were those the right words? Tulippaw's eyes had shut for a long time as she thought things over about her mentor, but now they flew open and fixed on Dusktalon with harsh resolution. How he interpreted it, she didn't know, but she took a step forward and faced him with her head held high and her chest puffed out.

"A good warrior, but a bad cat." It makes sense now.

"I don't know if you're lying about the kits being sick or not," the beautiful calico admitted. "But it doesn't matter whether they were or weren't or if you were 'saving' them. Did you not give the medicine cat a chance? Did you not explain to whoever your mate was? And if StarClan knew why you did what you did... well, I don't blame them for sending you here, but surely they would've heard you out if you were really helping them? As for Hawkblaze..." Tulippaw stalked up to him, fearless - mostly, as her heart was tremoring like a thin blade of grass caught in a gale. "He would not lie to me. Not on purpose. He's a smart cat who cares about my education, and he would've understood what was going on. And if he didn't? I'll ask him myself once I wake up." Shoving her face as close to Dusktalon's as she could, she continued, "He might not be as charming as you, but he's a good cat. He'll just need to learn to appreciate me fully, just like the rest of WindClan. But he's not bad, not like you. I will never trust the word of a Dark Forest cat." Her eyes smoldered like vibrant green fires, and although she looked confident on the outside, she was shaking within. How would Dusktalon react? Would he hurt her? How much of what he said was true? But Tulippaw was certain in her opinions on Dusktalon and Hawkblaze - mostly. How proud would her Clanmates be of her if she told them about this encounter? I stood up to none other than Dusktalon! But all the same, and quite shockingly, Tulippaw wondered if this was the type of thing to brag about. Would they believe her? Would she seem... silly and, well, she didn't know the word, but it was something not good. But she had to tell someone... right? She had already threatened to mention this to Hawkblaze. It wasn't like Dusktalon could stop her - and he couldn't hurt her, either. This was a dream.

@Rizo