[ti]Private[/ti]Watch Your Steps

[M'Lady]

She had gotten much better at finding the murky forest in her dreams. She assumed it had been so difficult the first time because she hadn't been invited, but now with the offer extended by the tom Tanglefur, her sunny dreams shifted into the shadowy pine woods much more easily. She let out a soft breath once she felt the shade cool her dark tabby fur, and looked around with bright fern green eyes. She was back. It always seemed more real to her here than in her other dreams, she assumed it was because this place was real. She could smell the sharp pine, hear the yowls of cats, feel the cool earth beneath her paws. There was no mistaking it, she was really and truly here. 
Tansypaw looked around, sniffing the air, wondering if Tanglefur was nearby. She was near his log, but he was nowhere to be found. Instead of voicing her disappointment, she merely turned back towards the forest. She was determined to find out all she could about this place, if she was to watch out for her brother. He wouldn't listen to her, but he didn't have to know that she was looking out for him. So, Tansypaw voyaged onward, through the trees, holding her head low as she blended in with the dark undergrowth, the only noticeable feature about her being her unearthly eyes, glowing brighter than anything else you'd find in this gloomy place. 
She wondered if she'd meet someone new. 
If they'd be like Tanglefur, menacing and brutally honest, or like Sweetoak, a manipulative liar. 
Were all cats like those two?
Were some different? 
She didn't know, but she certainly wouldn't mind to find out. 

[silverfang218]

Spottedheart was taking a nice stroll through the Dark Forest, as he usually is. His typical soft, kind expression is present as his gaze flickers over his surroundings. While many Dark Forest cats hate being trapped in this limbo, but Spotted rather likes this place. It suits his real personality.

He is quite surprised when his gaze finds the glow of another cat’s eyes, and not just any cat. A living cat. Spotted makes no moves to be stealthy, and the darkness of the forest makes the white roan and spots on his pelt glow, so he is easily seen. He alters his course so he’s approaching the young, living cat. “Why hello, my dear. I must say, I don’t get company here very often. What is your name, my dear? I am Spottedheart.” He purrs with a friendly smile directed towards the newcomer, marveling a bit at the young apprentice that had just stumbled into his paws. Unlike some of the other Dark Forest cats, Spotted doesn’t reach out to the living world very often and has never, in all the moons he’s been here, taken an apprentice. This is, ah, a very intriguing development for him.

He motions for her to come out of hiding and to move closer, thinking that it may be cold here for a living cat. He wouldn’t want this newcomer to freeze, would he? “I won’t hurt you, friend. No need to hide.” While his statement is true for the moment, it is mostly just because he isn’t quite sure what to make of the situation yet. He doesn’t want to attack her because he doesn’t know what exactly is going on yet. Not to mention, he’s never been the best in a straight up fight, as he is only the size of a large apprentice. He has no desire to rush into a fight without a large advantage, and so Tansypaw is safe for now.

[M'Lady]

She tensed when she heard a voice.
It was a soft voice, accompanied by a friendly smile when she looked up to see the cat. He was small, but Tansypaw herself was even smaller, so she remained on her guard. She frowned slightly when he spoke, but did take a few cautious pawsteps closer when he spoke. This was her mission, to learn more about this place and it's inhabitants, she needed to be brave for Finchpaw.
But she wasn't going to take any of this manipulative foxdung from these cats, they wouldn't be able to trick her, not at all. She knew what this place was, she knew that cats went here when they didn't deserve to go to Starclan. This cat must've done something similar.
"Spottedheart," She spoke evenly, quietly. Her voice was timid but her eyes were calculating. She had found the clever cats here to be the most dangerous, proven by Sweetoak.

"M'Tansypaw," She introduced herself, finding no reason not to. She wondered if she could get this cat to help her. She liked Tanglefur, he was very straightforward, but he was very evasive about questions concerning the nature of this place, going only as far as saying it was 'somewhere she didn't want to be'. She wanted more information. Since she'd been born, Tansy thrived off information. If this cat was smart, it would do well to have him on her side. If there even were sides, in this whole thing. She needed him to be fond of her, much like Tanglefur was.

"You must b'clever. If I was m'brother, I would've believed y'were a Starclan cat." She spoke, nothing accusing in her tone but nothing admiring either.

"Can y'tell me abou' this place? No one answers m'questions."

[silverfang218]

Spottedheart’s smile grows a bit as his companion says her name, though he makes a mental note of the strangeness of her speech. “Nice to meet you, Tansypaw.” He purrs. Unfortunately for Tansy, Spotted likes no cats even if it often seems like he loves all; his amber eyes blink in a bit of surprise as she continues to speak, calling him clever and revealing that she does indeed know where she is. Very intriguing indeed. Well, if she is fully aware that Spotted isn’t a StarClan cat, then he sees no reason to pretend.

“My dear, I’m flattered that anyone would think my pelt was so starry, though I don’t claim to be a StarClan cat. I believe it is you who must be the clever one; since you know that this isn’t StarClan, I assume you know where you are then yes?” He purrs, that kind smile never leaving his face. He sits, his tail curling around his paws; it would be difficult to suddenly attack from this position, so he’s hoping that it reassures her that she is indeed safe with him. He figures that it could be beneficial if she isn’t afraid of him.

“Well, if you know where you are, then I assume you already know a bit about the inhabitants of this place. We all did wrong in life and were then rejected by StarClan in death. A few regret their choices but are unable to atone for their actions, while the rest are still just as messed up as in they were in life. Those are the ones you must look out for; some of them are brutal and ruthless, while others are manipulative. But you likely already knew that, right my dear? What exactly would you like to know about this place?” If this Tansypaw wants information, Spottedheart doesn’t see any reason not to give her that information, with only a couple exceptions. All she has to do is ask.

[M'Lady]

Alright, he did seem to be the kind of cat she was looking for after all. Her tensed position suddenly relaxed, and she sat down just as he did. She nodded slightly, when he asked if she knew where she was. Of course she knew. That cat, Sweetoak, told her just as much. Tanglefur mentioned as well. And even if they didn't, Tansypaw wasn't stupid, this was a place of nightmares. If she hadn't recognized it as a place where evil cats go when they die, she would've at least known it was a terrible terrible dream she had ended up in.

She listened silently as he spoke. If Tansypaw was anything, it was a good observer. She watched him as he explained where exactly they were, in much more detail than Tanglefur had. He seemed more eloquent than her other companion, she liked eloquent, it was a lot easier to understand. Though, she didn't know cats who regretted their actions ended up here as well. She was a bit saddened by this. No hope for redemption even if they wished for it desperately, even if guilt tore up their hearts. She wondered which type of cat Spottedheart was, though, now that she thought about it, he was probably the latter. He seemed very at ease in this dark, depressing place.

Then, he asked her what she wanted to know. Tansypaw thought on this. Well, there was a lot she wanted to know, but she'd start off with the question that she thought of when Finchpaw first brought her here with him, on that night. "Why d'cats here lure living cats?" Was it to exact revenge? Was it to finish something that they hadn't been able to when they were alive? Was it just for the sick pleasure of tricking kits that were so naive and looking for attention, they fell for it immediately? She didn't ask these follow up questions, but they burned in her gaze, just as apparent as the one she HAD vocalized.

[silverfang218]

“If I’m completely honest, I’m not entirely sure. I have never felt the need to pull living cats here.” He answers immediately, no beating around the bush; he’s not lying, and there is a bit of wonder in his voice, like he has pondered the same question on multiple occasions. Which he has. “If I had to take a guess, knowing the kinds of cats here, I’d say that some take pleasure in corrupting others while some want to have cats loyal to them in the living clans. There are likely those that simply want to pass on the skills they learned in life, though I would suspect that those cats would also be the ones that desperately regret the choices that brought them to this dark place. I would also imagine that some see it as revenge, though whether they see it as revenge on StarClan or on the living clans would be dependent on the Dark Forest cat you were referring to.”

He pauses a moment to think; this apprentice asked a great question. “Again though, I wouldn’t really know for sure. I suppose that the motives would depend upon the specific cat you were referring to. I don’t know many of the cats down here, never cared to try and speak with most of them. A good portion seem bloodthirsty and not afraid to pick fights. Fights that I would likely lose.” He chuckles softly; his words make it seem like he isn’t bloodthirsty, though that’s not the case. His assessment that most Dark Forest cats would kick his lil furry rear is right on, though. Poor boy just wants to kill some fools, but he’s too small to be strong. Poor baby.

[M'Lady]

She listened to him intently, even going as far to lean forward a bit and prick her ears towards him as he talked. He liked explaining himself, or perhaps he just saw no reason to deny her information, but either way, it was apparent that he had wondered about the same question on multiple occasions. She merely nodded along, taking in what he said in order to compare it to the other two cats she had met thus far. Sweetoak was a bit of a mystery. She didn't know if there was any revenge she sought, but she did certainly seem to take pleasure in tricking her brother, going as far in her charade to even change her name and story. Tanglefur was easier. He didn't seem like a bloodthirsty cat at all, even by Tansy's standards. She deemed him to just be a spirit that wandered, not really fitting in, but not really caring that he didn't. Now Spottedheart, she didn't have much to go on yet at all. But he said he didn't fancy dragging living cats to this forest, and he sounded so confused about the question himself, that she believed him.

At his next words though, Tansypaw let out a snort. "Only 'cause yer small." She told him, fern green eyes unamused as she took in his words and appearance. There wasn't much else stopping him from being that bloodthirsty kind of cat. He belonged here for sure, and since he was so clearly unbothered by this forest, she figured he didn't mind it here either.

She did want to know more about her greatest foe, however. Sweetoak was on her mind from day one.
"Do y'know Sweetoak?" She asked, peering up at the strange cat. He was pretty truthful so far, any information she could get on the she-cat from him was likely to be trustworthy. "She's th'one m'after." Tansypaw explained, with a shrug of her small shoulders.

[silverfang218]

Spottedheart snorted at Tansy’s assessment that his lack of bloodthirstiness was because of his small size. “Well that certainly doesn’t help, no. I suppose I also just don’t like having to defend myself. Besides, I’ve been here a very long time by myself; talking to others just isn’t normal for me anymore, and most other Dark Forest cats aren’t very pleasant to talk with. The cats here are very much a far cry from my fellow warriors in life; I suppose they are all in StarClan by now.” He mused, mostly absentmindedly. While he saw most of his former clanmates as too kind or even weak minded, he had to admit that he enjoyed their company more than any Dark Forest cat that he’s met. While he is far from sane, he sees most of the other Dark Forest cats as brutes or completely out of their minds.

Speaking of completely insane cats, Tansy’s question quickly snaps him back into their conversation. “Sweetoak, hm? She is… well she is one of the crazier cats I’ve met down here. ‘Kitten-murderer’ would describe her actions in life; not only do I believe that she killed her own kittens- accidently or on purpose, I do not know- but she’s killed many others as well. She’s even boasted that she has eaten a kitten before, in front of its mother. Its dying mother- dying because Sweetoak mortally wounded her. I.. would watch yourself around that one, Tansypaw.” Spottedheart is brutal with no morals and many kills to his name, but Sweetoak put even him to shame. While the sickest part of his soul respected her for her deeds, the rest of Spotted finds Sweet’s presence to be… uncomfortable. “Of all of us down here, I’d say Sweetoak deserves to be trapped down here the most. I know she pulled her mate down here to torment him, when he was still alive. Jasperfrost, I think his name was?” He tilts his head to the side. Yes, he thinks that’s right. He is being as truthful as possible, seeing no reason not to be. “I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell Sweetoak where you got that information. As previously mentioned, I am far from the fiercest fighter, and I would rather not die again.” He doesn’t know if Sweet would get angry with him for sharing that information but might as well throw that in there.

“Is she the one who brought you here?” He asks, legitimately curious. He could easily see the demonic she-cat dragging apprentices down here; Tansy mentioned her brother as well. “You and your… ah brother, you said?” Perhaps there is another kitten roaming around here. This is… very interesting to say the least.

[M'Lady]

Contrary to what many would've believed, Tansypaw didn't seem very disturbed by the information that Spottedheart gave her about Sweetoak. She continued to listen intently to his words, ears pricked forward and her eyes shining with pure interest. If anything, the only thing she found awful about the whole Sweetoak situation was that Finchpaw was with her most nights. Honestly, Finchpaw seemed to be the only thing she really truly cared about these days. Tansy was a sweet cat, but nothing made her more determined than protecting her brother in any way that she could.

She nodded at his words.

"I don't plan t' talk t'her, much." Tansy spoke quietly, frowning slightly when he mentioned Finchpaw. "The first time, yes. I was with m'brother, and she told me 'er name was Rosespark." Tansy shook her head incredulously, as if the idea that Sweetoak thought she could lie to her was baffling. "Didn' believe 'er for a second. 'Er eyes give 'er away." She huffed, rolling her eyes. "But I found m'way the second time, and all the times since then." She then sighed when the topic came to Finch. "Yessir, Finchpaw. He's... M'brother is not a ver' bright cat." Tansypaw admit, lashing her short tail in her annoyance. Her poor naive brother, how could he not feel the savage aura that came off that she-cat? It was unbelievable how much he could miss.

"I know I can' do anythin' about Sweetoak, and Finch won' listen t'me. But as long as he's down 'ere, m'gonna be down 'ere. I can a'least watch 'im." She explained, with another shrug of her shoulders. "Find ou' what I can. Learn what I can. Maybe someday I can keep 'im out. 'Till then, m'keep comin' back."

[silverfang218]

“I applaud that decision, my dear.” Spottedheart replies to Tansy’s declaration that she doesn’t plan on being around Sweetoak much. However, it is the story that Tansy tells next that truly catches Spotted’s attention. A young apprentice voluntarily diving into the Dark Forest to protect her brother from a kitten killer? It almost brought a tear to Spottedheart’s eye… or it would have, if he wasn’t a messed up Dark Forest cat himself. Even so, it certainly caught his interest; Spotted is certainly the type of cat to side with someone he finds interesting, or someone who he believes might cause a disruption. This apprentice… this apprentice fits both of those. Besides, he thinks it’s about time someone knocks Sweetoak down a few notches.

He tilts his head to one side, gazing at his companion as if seeing her for the first time. “Finchpaw, hm? I’ll keep an eye out for him; no worries, I mean him no harm either. If you ever need anything, let me know. I might not be a fighter, but I know this place very well. I’ve been here a very long time; I might even know something helpful.” He says with a genuine note in his voice. He means that; he’s interested enough in this young cat to help her. Though, if things go south, he will turn on Tansy in an instant. That is the danger in making allies in the Dark Forest; most cats here value themselves above loyalty.

“Is there anything else you wish to ask me, my dear?”