Poison Chapter 8

"Scourge! Wait up!" Bane cried as he ran after Scourge and his three companions.

"We told you, runt, if you can't keep up to go back," Shadow hissed.

"My legs aren't as long as yours. I can't go fast like you guys."

"Then go home and let us deal with our business," Scourge continued walking.

"Where exactly are we going?" Shadow asked Scourge when Bane was out of hearing range.

"There's someone I have to see," Scourge glanced back at Bane who was still struggling to keep up. "Bane, go home! We haven't gone that far yet, you can manage getting home on your own," Scourge growled. "And don't follow us." Lashing his tail, Scourge shot off into a sprint leaving Bone, Shadow, and Slash to follow.

When Scourge stopped they had nearly traveled the length of thirty monsters. Scourge stood outside a small alley.

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here. Hello, Scourge," a rusty furred she-cat growled.

"Hello, Russet," Scourge nodded curtly. "I'm here to see Boulder."

"Boulder? Why?" Russet growled.

"I have to tell him something that will be of great interest to him," Scourge smirked.

Russet's ears went back as she called her brother.

"What is it Ru-" The gray tom broke off when he saw Scourge and his comrades. "Scourge, what are you doing here?"

"Hello, Boulder. Can we talk?" He flicked his eyes to Russet. "Alone?"

"The gray tom turned to Russet, "I'll be right back."

Boulder followed Scourge a few tail lengths away from the alley and the others.

"Boulder, I need a favor."

"What is it?"

"I need information on someone."

"Who?"

"A forest cat," Scourge's ears went back.

"What?! They're savages! What would you possibly want to know about them?"

"I met one, a few sunrises ago. It was a young tom, almost a kit. He mentioned a cat; Tigerclaw. I want you to find out where he is and what he's doing. Report back to me within two sunrises."

"What's so special about this cat?" Boulder flicked one of his ears.

Scourge's eyes narrowed, "I have a score to settle. Now go!"

"Okay, but I need to tell Russet that I'll be gone for a few sunrises."

Scourge's ears went back, "Fine, but don't tell her where you're going or what you're doing."

Boulder nodded and walked back to the alley. He heard Russet arguing with the Black cat that came with Scourge about something flea-brained.

"Russet," he beckoned his sister over with his tail.

"What is it? What did he say?"

"He wants me to go on a mission for him. I'll be back in two sunrises," Boulder laid his tail on Russet's shoulder.

"What?! Why can't his lazy tail do it?!" Boulder looked away. "At least tell me where you're going."

"I can't tell you."

"Wh-"

"It will be okay, Russet. I'll be back," he licked her head and walked out of the alley, in the direction of the forest.

"Let's go," Scourge meowed after Boulder was out of sight.

"That's it? We came all the way out here for him to walk away?" Slash's tail twitched.

"He knows what he needs to do. Come on."

"Scourge! Where did you send him?" Russet's eyes narrowed hiding the hurt in their depths. Scourge ignored the she-cat as he kept walking. Russet watched the four toms leave. She faced the direction Boulder left in. Lowering her head in defeat, she walked back into the narrow alley.




Boulder crept through the forest, jumping at every noise. Why couldn't he send Bone to do this? This place freaks me out!

"Graystripe! Slow down!"

Boulder stiffened up then quickly crouched under a large thicket of bramble. Peering through the prickly twigs, he saw a gray tom marking a nearby tree. A little ways behind him was an angry, oddly spotted she-cat, a smoky black tom, and another gray tom with scarred ears.

"Graystripe, we're supposed to stay together! I don't know what mouse-brained things you did in ThunderClan, but in RiverClan we don't run off like that!" The golden she-cat snapped.

"Leopardfur, you just want me in your sight so I don't run back to ThunderClan," Graystripe flicked his tail.

"I would love for you to go back to your Clan, but until you wise up, I'm stuck with you. Now, stay with the patrol," Leopardfur growled.

Where am I supposed to find this, Tiger cat?! Boulder lashed his tail making two twigs snap. He looked back at the patrol. They heard me! All four of the forest cats stared in his direction.

"Graystripe, go see what that was," the spotted she-cat growled.

"Why can't Blackclaw or Stonefur do it?"

"Because we wouldn't have ThunderClan spies hanging around," Blackclaw growled.

Graystripe's ears went back as he crept up on the bramble thicket. He crouched down and sprang at the bush. He limped from behind it with thorns running up his right side.

"Why did you jump in the bush if you knew you would end up like that?" Leopardfur sneered.

"I'm just rusty. I'm not used to so few bushes and trees around. I did find a fresh scent back there; it's a rogue, probably just lost," Graystripe growled.

"Let's go back to camp. I'll send another patrol after the rogue," the she-cat led the way up a narrow trail and out of sight.

Boulder let out a sigh of relief from up a nearby tree. He crept down checking, cautiously for any more forest cats. He crept down the trail, staying close to the small bushes nearby. The trees and bushes started to fade to tall grass and mud. He came up on a river. Spotting some stepping stones, he glided across the river. On the other side, the trees and bushes were thick and filled with the sounds of birds and squirrels.

He climbed up the first tree he saw. I'll travel using the tree branches, then I can see them but they can't see me! He curled his tail in amusement. Creeping through the trees, he came to a small clearing.

"Cloudpaw, you're making too much noise! Prey, all the way to WindClan, can hear you," a flame colored tom smiled and rolled his eyes.

"It's hard not to! There are leaves and twigs everyhwere!" A younger, white tom swiped a paw across the sandy ground.

That must be the kit Scourge mentioned. I must be close. Boulder kept moving across the treetops until he reached another clearing. The taller trees seemed to canopy over it, shading it from the sun's heat. He saw a few cats in the clearing; they talked while they ate and cleaned each other.

What a strange place.

"Longtail, you and Darkstripe can clean out the elder's den," a silver-blue she-cat almost growled.

"But that's the apprentice's job!" The darker tom's ears went back.

"Darkstripe, shut your mouth and do what she said. She's still our leader," the light tabby growled staring at the ground infront of his paws.

Darkstripe scoffed and walked away followed by Longtail.

So, the blue she-cat is their leader. So, where's the tiger cat? Boulder climbed down the tree he was in and made his way, quickly, around the outside of the clearing. From the other side of the bushes and trees that guarded it, he could hear the two toms from before argung under a fallen tree.

"Bluestar, that piece of fox dung!" He heard Darkstripe growl.

"It's our own faults this happened. If we hadn't listeded to Tiger-"

"Don't you dare mention his name to me! Next time I see him, I'll rip his eyes out!" Darkstripe slashed up the moss nest in front of him.

"What would that solve? Bluestar still won't trust us ever again, and I don't blame her," he said under his breath and narrowed his eyes. "You need to face that fact."

Boulder's ears perked up when they mentioned the tiger cat.

That's the cat! He ran past the enterence to the clearing until he reached a monsterous Sycamore. He looked around and spotted what looked like a cave. He cautiously approached it. He jumped when an adder hissed at him. Hissing, Boulder swatted at the snake making it retreat into one of the large stones surrounding the cave.

A loud, angry yowl came from behind him. Turning, he saw a massive, brown tabby with blazing, amber eyes.

"Prepare to die, rogue," the tabby spat.

"Wait!" Boulder's cry was ignored as the tabby sprang at him, teeth bared and claws unsheathed.

The two cats rolled around the sandy ground, biting, kicking, and scratching the other. They broke apart and stared at each other, catching their breath.

"Not bad for a rogue," the tabby spat.

"You're not so bad yourself," Boulder scoffed.

"What's your name?"

"Boulder. You?"

"Tigerclaw."

It's him!

"I'm planning an attack on ShadowClan. I plan to take over the Clan, then the rest of the forest. You should join me! Your fighting skill is good, but I can make you great. If you refuse, I'll have to kill you," Tigerclaw smirked.

"I don't know anything about you forest cats! How am I supposed to help you?" Boulder took a step back.

"You're a rogue, right? Get some of your friends to join us," Tigerclaw looked towards the larger clearing. "I have a couple fleas to scratch. Come back here before the next full moon, and don't forget your friends." Tigerclaw walked away, disappearing into the forest.