Warriors | A Prophecy Reborn: Book 4. (Hidden In Darkness)

~Hidden In Darkness: Prologue~

Ferngaze and Dawnstar were dead.
Four moons had passed since everything became clear to the ThunderClan cats.
Now, Minnowsong was Minnowstar of RiverClan and Mintleaf was Mintstar of WindClan.
"She'll die before long," Greenstar remarked scornfully. "My Clan will live. What about yours, Shadedclaw?"
The old Medicine Cat sighed frustratedly. He shouldn't have to put up with the infuriating old ShadowClan leader. Buzzardstar was tolerable and he wasn't actually as bad as his father and brother.
Greenstar, on the other paw... He could've done better in life, and he still had a bit of time to improve before the battle.
"No," Shadedclaw said to himself. "I'm sure it was just a dream."
"You know better than to doubt visions, Shadedclaw," said one of the old WindClan Medicine Cats.
"I didn't realize you were still here, Maplefeather," Shadedclaw said with a smile as she sat next to him.
"Of course," she said. "Where else would I be?"
"Off helping the others search for the forest," Shadedclaw said with a slight shrug.
"The one we'd heard stories of as apprentices? No, they wouldn't let me come," Maplefeather said with a laugh.
There was a short moment of silence, and a thought came to Shadedclaw, one that he hadn't said aloud since Greenstar died.
"If Greenstar is evil, then why did we let him come here?" Shadedclaw said to Maplefeather, looking straight ahead. "His ancestors are in the Dark Forest. My sister is in the Dark Forest. Why not he?"
"I'm only as old as you," Maplefeather said. "I cannot answer the question that has been lingering in our minds for so long."
Shadedclaw huffed. He was still upset with Greenstar constantly complaining about not being able to see his mate. Hollyheart had killed Shadedclaw and, some moons later, she had died giving birth to Buzzardstar and Webstar, one of which was now deceased and had been wrongfully moved to the Dark Forest.
Murderous intentions aside, Shadedclaw had actually liked Hollyheart. She was good friends with his sister, but when Crystalsight died, Hollyheart left behind any trace of her old self. She blamed Shadedclaw for Crystalsight's death.
"Something is troubling you," Maplefeather commented.
"I'm fine," Shadedclaw said with an unintentional grumble. "Russetwhisker is still missing then?" he said in an attempt to change the subject.
"Yes," Maplefeather said. "We've not seen her since our connection to the living has been cut off."
"Perhaps she is the reason we can't communicate with the living Medicine Cats?" asked a curious voice. "Maybe her disappearance has caused our connection to the living to be severed?"
"Greetings, Vinestripe. How long have you been eavesdropping on us?" Shadedclaw asked.
"Long enough to know what bothers you," wheezed the older tom. "I like Russetwhisker. She would've been better had she not trusted Pineear so deeply, but she was a good Medicine Cat. I don't mean to be rude when I offer my previous suggestion."
"Let's just be glad that Silver-Eye is in the Dark Forest now," Maplefeather said with a flick of her tail. "On the topic of Russetwhisker, I don't think you're too far off."
Shadedclaw's ear flicked. Why would two WindClan Medicine Cats care so much about his apprentice?
"We need to find a way to communicate with the living Clans that are working with ThunderClan," Vinestripe said impatiently. "I do remember one way... Shadedclaw, come," he said, turning to the ThunderClan Medicine Cat. "Maplefeather, please fetch Sleekshine and Wolfpoppy from the Clans' Refuge. Tell them to meet us by the Moonpool. And find Flowertail. We need one cat from each Clan."

A moon had passed since the ThunderClan leader had come to the refugees hideout. Minnowsong sat in the camp of the Winding River, thinking.
One thing that troubled him was the death that followed a few days after ThunderClan's departure. He knew they were good cats, but would they really stoop so low as to killing an apprentice?
He knew, even before he and some of the other warriors had found Lightpaw's bedraggled body not far from a stream near the hideout, that it was the water that had killed her. Yellow-Eye, her older sister, was devastated.
And we all thought the massacre was bad, Minnowsong thought. Something is killing us from the inside-out, picking us off one by one with each chance it gets.
He didn't know any way to stop it other than kill whoever was doing it or simply fleeing.
He didn't like to run from a fight.
He looked up at the sound of panting and saw two warriors, Snipjaw and Flaxblossom, running forward.
"Minnowsong!" Flaxblossom said. "Come quickly! It's Ferngaze!"
"Something happened to him on his way to the Moonpool!" Snipjaw added.
Minnowsong followed the she-cats to a flat rock between two trees just in front of the Moonpool.
"Where is he?" Minnowsong asked, looking around. All he could see were trees, rocks, some more trees...
"Look... up," Snipjaw said hesitantly. Minnowsong looked up and saw Ferngaze lying dead on the branch of a tree.

"Us, in danger?" Spidertail argued. This occurred not long after Ferngaze's apparent death, and Russetfire had come the day after Whitestripe's discovery with a mysteriously secretive attitude. "You don't say?"
"Quiet yourself, Spidertail! Now is not the time, you imbecile!" Tigerfur hissed. "Fernstar is planning to take care of it as we speak!"
"He's my brother, not yours, Spidertail," Mossgaze growled.
"Yes, yes, your mother didn't want you so she kept Ferngaze instead, well done, Mossgaze," Spidertail snorted. "You aren't any more important than me. I know my place in this Clan, and it is not to be bombarded by your ridiculous accusations and excuses!"
"You say you know your place in this Clan, yet you act like you're meant to be leader," Beeflower growled. This was the first time Reedtail had ever seen the elder this angry.
"Go back to your mouldy den, Beeflower! We, the warriors without ticks, are talking. Mind your own business!"
He's doing this on purpose! Reedtail thought, enraged. The little skunk!
"You can all say what you want!" Spidertail shouted. "That won't make a difference to how ignorant you've all been! Even if we are in danger, we need to look to those with the numbers to help us defend ourselves!"
"And are you talking about the missing Clans, or Half-Sight and his gang?" Rockhopper replied in a worryingly calm voice.
Spidertail couldn't answer that question.
"And it's rather ironic, really, how you talk about us being ignorant while going on this pointless rant," Rockhopper added in the following silence.
Spidertail was still for a moment. "Be quiet, you old fool," he snarled finally. "You don't deserve to be part of this argument."
"He has every right to be part of it," Willowleaf said quietly, leaving the nursery. "I'm sorry, Spidertail. Once, I would've stuck up for you, but your points are invalid and you're beginning to seek help from Half-Sight, of all cats!"
Spidertail didn't look like he was ready for this. He looked torn between rage, confusion and despair.
"I used to trust you," Willowleaf went on and Spidertail dipped his head shamefully. "I miss the old Spidertail. You've come to be a bitter and resentful warrior, and I've had enough of it."
Spidertail sat down. "That's your answer?" he asked, his head still down.
"Yes. I will not change my mind."
Spidertail scanned the crowd. His gaze lingered for a moment on Reedtail and Tigerfur, but instead, he sighed and unsheathed his claws. "In that case... I give you my answer."
Without hesitation, he leapt toward Beeflower at a frightening speed.

"Six moons," muttered the cat. "Six long moons."
"You think we're nearly ready to start gathering more cats?" asked his daughter.
"Not... quite yet," the tom said. "They will arrive in time."
"Who will?" the she-cat asked.
"The cats who have no place to go. The cats who seek food, warmth and shelter. They'll have a place here."
"Not right here though, right?" asked his daughter, her pale coat gleaming in the moonlight.
"No, not this very spot," he said. "Around here... They will come, but not yet."
"You're being very cryptic about this," the she-cat asked. "Won't you at least tell me?"
He chuckled. Looking up at the full moon, he spotted five bright stars to the left.
Soon, he told himself.
"A battle is on the horizon."