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

~Hidden In Darkness: Chapter 12~

Russetfire had managed to regulate the patrols so there were no possible ways for anyone to get hurt unless ShadowClan, or the warriors' own stupidity, did something to injure themselves.
However, there was nothing she could do about Tigerfur's absence. She suspected the limit was ordering patrols about while Tigerfur and Fernstar weren't able to. Russetfire doubted they'd listen to her suggestion of a search party.
After all, she didn't get enough credit as it was. She cared not about credit for healing them, but she had hoped that they wouldn't be so snide toward her just because of her former mentor. Crookedfire had bad intentions. Russetfire just had a bad attitude at times.
It was now dusk and Tigerfur still had not returned from his little outing. Russetfire had asked Specklefern to keep an eye on Fernstar while she was gone since she was the only other cat she trusted and who knew the basics of herbs.
Russetfire was now walking alongside Spiraltail and Darkclaw, both of which seemed overly excited and wouldn't stop talking.
Spiraltail and Darkclaw walked further ahead as the three of them, and Firpaw even if they didn't know it, headed toward the Spirit Tree.
"You're sure about this?" Russetfire asked her brother quietly so Spiraltail and Darkclaw wouldn't hear.
"If it saves ThunderClan, yes," Firpaw replied. "I trust Shadedclaw with whatever he's planning. He told me it would be tonight."
Russetfire looked up. It would be around the same time as a Gathering this night, but due to ShadowClan, none of the other Clans had gone to the Gathering Island since Runningstar died.
"Where is Runningstar?" Russetfire asked, curious now.
"We didn't see her enter StarClan..." Firpaw explained. "Some cats, after Half-Sight took over the Lake, have either been dragged to the other side of the dead world or have just... ended up there. That's where Redpelt is, and where Burlytalon might be... It's unsettling to think about..."
"Surely they're still alive though? They can't be dead if they're already dead, right?"
Firpaw glanced at her uncertainly. "When a cat dies in the dead world, they... I like to think they are reincarnated," Firpaw corrected himself quickly. "But most... Most of them don't come back at all."
Does that mean any of us could be reincarnations of our ancestors? Russetfire thought. It didn't make much sense to her. She believed in StarClan, as every other Clan cat did, but she preferred not to dwell on the thoughts and suggestions of reincarnation. It gave her an odd feeling, like a mixture of doubt and disbelief. Grief flooded her as she thought about her dead father and whether or not he may really be gone forever.
"I'm sure Redpelt is fine," Firpaw said in an attempt at reassuring her, but she could sense the doubt creeping into his voice.
"We're here," Spiraltail said, looking over her shoulder at Russetfire. She saw Spiraltail glance briefly in Firpaw's direction and then turned back to the Spirit Tree, stopping just a few tail-lengths in front of it.
"This is dead," Darkclaw observed.
"It's also the only connection to StarClan we may have left," Russetfire reminded her friend. "Aside from wherever the Clans' Refuge is, but I don't quite trust myself to know the location at this time."
Russetfire was still reluctant to find the Clans' Refuge or let her friends lead her there. She wasn't sure if any of the other Clan medicine cats had been affected; had Frozenwind been brainwashed and forced to attack any of her Clanmates? Had Heatherpelt been possessed and forced to attack any of the innocent cats hiding in the Clans' Refuge?
She still wasn't sure about the new RiverClan medicine cat. She'd only briefly heard of her from Ashpelt and Whitestripe from when they went there.
Apparently Pebblesoot, one of the RiverClan survivors, had a certain liking for said medicine cat.
"So what are we supposed to do now?" Darkclaw asked her. "What are we doing here?"
"Medicine cats have a strong connection to StarClan," Russetfire told the two, though she suspected Spiraltail was already aware of what she was planning. "This is the only other way for us to contact StarClan without endangering and injuring any of the other innocents in the Clans' Refuge."
"What do we have to do with this?" Darkclaw asked carefully, as though he was trying not to aggravate Russetfire.
"I found this out before my connection to StarClan was cut off during the first massacre in WindClan," Russetfire explained. "One of the old medicine cats told me that if we could not use the Moonpool, there was another way. The oldest plant in the territory would become a new connection, or a new path, to StarClan when we desperately need it.
"The cat attempting to contact StarClan needs three others to accompany him or her if the connection isn't strong enough or if you need it before moonhigh. One, who would be the cat's kin, one who would be descended from greatness or power, and one that the cat is close to."
"But there are only two of us," Darkclaw pointed out. "Where would we find the third? Wouldn't we need Specklefern?"
Russetfire shot a quick, and hopefully unnoticeable, glance at her dead brother, who said to her, "I think I may be able to help, yes."
"We do have a third," Russetfire admitted. Spiraltail and Darkclaw exchanged confused glances. "Just put your heads on the trunk."
They did so, Firpaw following afterwards on the side opposite Russetfire.
She didn't know if this would work, but even if it didn't, at least she will have tried.
Russetfire placed her head on the tree and exhaled as the cold wind engulfed her.