Hiddenstep & Dawnghost: Chapter 1

Dawnghost concentrated, letting herself disappear into thin air till only eyes remained. She watched her reflection in a puddle, willing her eyes to disappear as well, but they remained clearly there. In her reflection, the blue sparks danced and she shook her head. There was no use.

She allowed her fur to show, dancing into visibility. Her fur was white but, if you looked carefully (from afar) you might see blue and green sparks dancing about. Her sister, Hiddenstep, on the other hand, was black as night and like shadow. She was deadly and secretive. Mysterious. If you tried to catch her, you would know what it is like to try to hold shadow like a tangible thing.

Black and white; yin and yang. Day and night. Sun and moon. Dawnghost and Hiddenstep. Opposites and yet revolving around each other.

Dawnghost leapt up onto a tree, awaiting her sister's return. Her leap was more like flight, staying airborne a moment longer than anyone should. The sun was beyond the horizon now. The rare moment of invisibility was past.

Hiddenstep could be a whole different kind of invisible. And her power wasn't confined to a few minutes, either - for long hours of the night all you could feel was a menacing presence. She had scared Dawnghost half to death one time when she'd ventured out of the camp on her own. She didn't fade into the air, waver before your eyes like a mirage in the sun. No. Hiddenstep was darkness. She became a creature of the night, and if you were ever in a battle like BloodClan was against the warrior cats, beware. If you were fighting on the behalf of the warrior cats, be thankful you have ThunderClan on your side. Because for those who don't . . . beware. Hiddenstep's eyes were indigo, a rare, unusual colour for a cat. This, of course, made it easy for her to hide her eyes when invisible. Dawnghost's eyes were gold!

Where was she? Dawnghost wondered. Surely she would've escaped. Dark Forest warriors were mighty and very skilled, but you relied on sight so much . . . she always escaped before. How many did she rescue this time? Last time, she led at least one cat each from each of the Clans, and even found one poor, lost soul who was finally able to join its SkyClan ancestors in another sky. But she should have been back by dawn . . .

She watched until ripe morning.
She watched until sunhigh.
She watched until sunset.

Who would believe her when she said that Hiddenstep had went on a mission to the sky of murderers, unloyals, code breakers - and never came back?