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

~Hidden In Darkness: Chapter 7~

"Frostpaw?" Russetfire muttered. She circled the cat for a moment. It was definitely Frostpaw.
"What did you say?" Ashpelt asked curiously, padding over.
"Can't be Frostpaw, she doesn't even know where this place is," Whitestripe remarked. "I doubt she even knows these cats."
"She's older," Reedtail pointed out. "This memory is probably in the future."
"But if it's in the future, how can it be a memory? Wouldn't it be a vision of a sort?"
"I don't quite care exactly what we call it," Reedtail scoffed. "My main concern is that fleabag up there. He seems like the leader of this group of apparent rogues."
"A descendant of Half-Sight, d'you think?" Spiraltail said.
"If he is, we'll probably run into him at some point."
"He can't be one of Half-Sight's descendants," Ashpelt commented while the mangy tom spoke to his followers. "His sons are dead."
"Then who is his daughter?" Reedtail asked.
"Her name was Sleekkit," Whitestripe recalled. "His sons died, but Sleekkit was taken away."
"How do you know that?" Spiraltail asked her sister.
"We came along a singular trace of the spirit's trail on our way back to the Clans' Refuge. The memory it showed us belonged to one of the ShadowClan cats Half-Sight knew."
Russetfire turned to the little golden apprentice, who was whispering to her friend, backing away to talk to the older version of Frostpaw.
"Ashpelt's," Russetfire mumbled to herself. "Ashpelt's apprentice. So if he loses one thing, he'll end up with another..."
Russetfire turned to the black apprentice. A daughter, perhaps? she thought.
She sat for a moment to listen to the mangy tom on the box.
"Eclipse-Eye will be scouting the other cats' territories with Lucifer and Oakreed and their apprentices, Lioness and Salem," he growled. Despite his disgusting matted fur, his voice was actually quite clear. It didn't suit his image at all.
She saw a familiar flash in his yellow eyes and something in her brain clicked. Turning to Ashpelt and Whitestripe, who were arguing with each other, she asked, "Was Sleekkit stolen, or did someone give her away?"
"Her mother died giving birth to the last two," Ashpelt said slowly. He then added, "A rogue offered to look after Sleekkit instead of the ShadowClan queen who had wanted her."
"So Sleekkit was raised away from ShadowClan?" Reedtail said. "That's probably a good thing. How many cats do we know from ShadowClan, aside from the medicine cats, that are actually good?"
"Buzzardstar," Spiraltail listed, "two of the elders, the apprentices and kits are innocent, I'm pretty sure one of the queens hated Webstar-"
"Do you actually know them though? If you know them, you'll remember their names," Reedtail countered.
Spiraltail shook her head hesitantly.
"That's what I thought," Reedtail grumbled impatiently.
"Shh," Whitestripe hissed. "Listen."
Their heads turned to the tom on the box.
"Falcon," said an orange tom with black stripes, "will they not suspect we are coming? Tensions in the Clans are high enough as it is."
"You aren't having second thoughts, are you, Eclipse-Eye?" Falcon hissed. "You know what happened the last time a cat betrayed me."
"I'm not going against you," Eclipse-Eye said with a roll of his eyes. "I'm just stating that they'll be on their guard tonight. They'll be keeping an eye out for you after last time."
"I sent you to spy on the Clans along with Bluegaze, Wolftooth, Leopardtail and Echoclaw, none of which have returned," Falcon said. "Just because you're spying on the main enemy doesn't mean you'll be able double-cross me so easily. Their numbers are decreasing each moon, which means there is a clear opening for us to attack during the next Gathering."
"Our numbers are decreasing as well, Falcon," said the tired black tom from beside his mate. "Despite the apprentices and the kits to come, we're killing ourselves by venturing into the Clans' territories. Eventually, Wolftooth and Leopardtail will be exposed. They've already mentioned that the leaders they're pretending to serve are suspicious of them."
"I tell you now that history will not repeat itself!" Falcon hissed. "Keep your unhelpful thoughts to yourself."
"You can't speak to him like that," Frostpaw said with a frown. Falcon sharply turned his spiteful gaze on Frostpaw, who shrugged and replied with, "Well, just because you lead us doesn't mean you have the right to treat us poorly. You seem to forget that I was there during your great-grandfather's reign in what was formerly known as ShadowClan. I know almost all of the horrors he forced into other cats' minds, and I know at least a great half of the pain he inflicted upon those weaker than him."
"I-" Falcon hesitated. Apparently Frostpaw had hit a nerve. Surely she couldn't be talking about Webstar? Was Webstar not old? And even if he wasn't, who was his mate? Hopefully she wasn't as bitter as the shameful ShadowClan leader.
"She has a wound," Ashpelt observed. "On her left leg."
Russetfire looked at Frostpaw's leg. It had an awful scar, an indication that she had been in a dangerous battle before now.
Wait, Russetfire thought suddenly. Is that what Firpaw meant by her eventually becoming my apprentice? Does she get attacked?
"Yes, perhaps," Falcon said with hatred. "And I must also have forgotten that you must be so much wiser after spending so much time with that pathetic Clan of yours. After being their most trusted advisor, after being put through such torment."
"Medicine cat," Frostpaw corrected bluntly.
"Whatever. Just because you may be older than me doesn't make you the leader of this group. You are a spy. You are my spy, and if you ever decide a good time to attempt to betray me, I will prove you wrong on the spot."
Russetfire felt a cold wind zoom past her and the blue light appeared, spiraling around her and her friends. In the blink of an eye, she was standing in front of the Spirit Tree again.