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

~Hidden In Darkness: Chapter 1~

The last thing Russetfire remembered was entering the Winding River camp with Whitestripe and then going to the center of the camp to think after searching the dens.
Now she was in a dark cave. A small white ball of light floated in the air in front of her.
"What in StarClan?" she gasped, sitting up.
The white light ball floated forward slowly. Russetfire heard a strange humming noise coming from it and backed away anxiously.
"You took quite a while to wake up," scoffed a familiar voice from behind. She looked over her shoulder and saw her dead brother, Firpaw.
Russetfire stared disbelievingly at the sight. "Russetwhisker thought you'd never wake up!" Firpaw added, despite his sister's confusion.
"Are you real?" Russetfire said finally. Firpaw nodded enthusiastically. Russetfire looked around. The cave seemed to be quite damp, and she could feel a warm breeze coming from the apparent entrance.
"Russetwhisker wanted me to wait here for you to wake up," Firpaw said. "Do you know where we are?"
"No," Russetfire snorted. "I've only been as far as the Moonpool."
Firpaw looked unimpressed. "Well, anyway, you know that Frostpaw apprentice?"
"Yes, what about her?"
"She's unhappy with being a warrior," Firpaw said with a mischievous grin. "Do you know what that means?"
"She's not," Russetfire said disbelievingly. "She can't be!"
"You're going to get an apprentice!" Firpaw said, trotting around the dark cave.
"How are you still so childish even in death?" Russetfire grumbled.
"We're still technically the same age," Firpaw pointed out. "At least, my living - or dead - body is the same age as you."
Russetfire was silent for a moment, then asked, "Do you know what happened at the Winding River? What happened to Whitestripe?"
"More like what happened to you," Firpaw grunted, sitting on top of the rock behind her. She turned to face him.
"What do you mean?"
"You don't remember attacking Whitestripe?" Firpaw asked curiously.
I attacked my friend? Russetfire thought. I really hope I haven't been exiled.
But Firpaw said Frostpaw's not interested in being a warrior. That means they'd need to keep me long enough to train Frostpaw.
How long would that last, I wonder?
Firpaw frowned, noticing Russetfire's silence. "You're always too busy thinking on the future. Just deal with it as it comes."
Russetfire sighed in frustration. "So how am I speaking to you? I'm not dead, so I must be unconscious?"
"Yep," Firpaw said. "I don't actually know why you can talk to me. Probably sacred and amazingly secretive medicine cat reasons."
"Right," Russetfire said with a half-hearted frown. "So, can you tell me what happened at the Winding River?"
"I can," Firpaw said. He inhaled and began explaining.
"While you were thinking, you were unaware of the presence of the evil spirit lurking up on you, which is understandable. You can't see spirit cats, I think.
"Anyway, she possessed you and made you attack Whitestripe. Then she took your body to this cave and now your spirit is here, talking to me."
"You mentioned Russetwhisker before," Russetfire said. "She's here?"
"Not anymore," her brother replied. "She told me to keep an eye on you until you woke up and to tell you what we knew. At the moment, she's gone off to search for Shadedclaw."
"Her old mentor?"
"Yes. Oh, there's also something strange about the tree."
"What tree?" Russetfire asked.
"Oh, right," Firpaw said, remembering what she didn't. "We're in a cave not far off from the Winding River, but before reaching the Winding River, there is a tree that seems to give everyone the powers they have."
"Everyone? Powers? What are you talking about?"
"Grayfur's line has powers, but only the she-cats can see things. Apparently the males in her line, keeping in mind that the power comes from Rockhopper's family tree, can also see things, but not the same things as she-cats."
"What in the name of StarClan are you even saying?" Russetfire scoffed.
"Well, Ashpelt and Darkclaw have powers. I mean, I doubt they know, but they'll figure it out eventually I suppose. They really are quite slow."
"Could you properly explain the tree please?"
"Fine, fine! So impatient! Now, I heard from one of the old, old Medicine Cats from when we first came to the Lake that he discovered the tree when searching for herbs. Apparently every Medicine Cat knew about it until, one night, at a Gathering, the WindClan leader at the time forbid any future Medicine Cats to show their apprentices this place.
"So eventually, we all forgot about it until Mountainlight, one of our slightly younger, but still old, Medicine Cats and Rockhopper's kin, found the tree again. He took a leaf that was on the ground, thinking it was a useful herb, and made up a poultice with it because his sister was sick."
"I assume that sister was Rockhopper's mother?" Russetfire guessed.
"Yep."
"So Grayfur is Rockhopper's kit, and... Hang on! Then who was Rockhopper's mate?"
"I'm sure one of the older dead cats know, but if they do, they definitely aren't telling me," Firpaw said grumpily. "I think she's another one that went missing."
"Another one? What do you mean?"
"Cats from StarClan have been disappearing or being replaced with Dark Forest cats. Greenstar's still with us!"
"Greenstar?" Russetfire said with a scowl. "As in Buzzardstar's father?" Her dead brother nodded.
Almost every Clan cat in the lake, ShadowClan or not, knew about Buzzardstar and Webstar's father, Greenstar, who had murdered Blackstar and was later exposed after his mate, Hollyheart, killed Shadedclaw. Russetfire and Firpaw had been told the story many times in the nursery.
Russetfire turned around and saw the cave beginning to slowly light up.
"I'll try and give you more information on what's been happening on our side of life, or death, later," Firpaw promised, disappearing in a cloud of mist.