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

~Hidden In Darkness: Chapter 15~

Darkclaw turned around, spotting Firpaw, Russetfire and Spiraltail.
Firpaw had a dark look on his face. Spiraltail was the first to ask, "What happened?"
"Cats!" Darkclaw growled. "Dark Forest cats! It was that grey kittypet that Coldpaw spotted near the camp!"
Stupid Fluffy, the flea-bitten furball! Russetfire had heard of Spiraltail's encounters with kittypets. Fluffy's sister, Spots, had wandered into ThunderClan territory and, many moons later, Spiraltail, Reedtail and Ashpelt had come across the kittypet again.
Fluffy died after Coldpaw alerted a group of the ThunderClan warriors about the kittypet and a few other rogues spying on ThunderClan's camp.
"Do herbs grow in the Dark Forest by any chance?" Russetfire asked Firpaw, rushing to Darkclaw's side to inspect his wounds.
"No herbs grow here," Firpaw explained. "There are a few herbs elsewhere, further off in StarClan's territory."
"Find me some and be fast!"
Firpaw ran off, disappearing in a blur of red-brown fur and mist.
There should be spiders around here, right? "Spiraltail," she said, turning to Darkclaw's sister, "find me some cobwebs."
Spiraltail ran off while Russetfire checked his flank. Blood was streaming from it and reddening his brown tabby pelt. It could be cleaned if she managed to find moss and water and something to stop an infection entering the wound.
She moved to his hind leg. "Can you move your leg?" she asked him. Darkclaw groaned at the attempt and shook his head. "Keep still and wait for Firpaw and Spiraltail to get back," she ordered. "Do you know where Fluffy got you?"
"She slashed my side and pushed me over onto some sharp stones," Darkclaw explained through gritted teeth. "I heard something snap!"
Russetfire suspected he meant his leg, but at the same time, Spiraltail bounded across the dark clearing and ran toward Russetfire and Darkclaw with a large stick in her jaws, covered with cobwebs.
To her right, she spotted Firpaw dashing forward with a mouthful of leaves and a wad of moss. "Find some water," Russetfire told Firpaw. "Spiraltail, make sure there are no Dark Forest cats around here."
Spiraltail sauntered away and patrolled up ahead while Russetfire got to work, mending or patching up what she could as Firpaw returned with the wet moss a moment later.
"Are you able to stand?" Russetfire asked Darkclaw once she'd sorted out his leg and flank.
Darkclaw pushed himself up only to stagger and fall back down again. He let out a pained groan.
"He won't be able to move for a while," snarled a voice from the shadows.
Blue eyes glinted in the growing darkness. Spiraltail backed away from the surrounding trees. Russetfire could barely see out of the forest at this point. The darkness engulfed the forest. Firpaw snarled at the voice and crept closer to Russetfire and Spiraltail.
"You're no real medicine cat, Russetfire," the voice snarled. "You were made a medicine cat far too young. And you can't truly have mastered everything a medicine cat needs to be able to be even considered a medicine cat."
Rage burned inside Russetfire. She knew she was made a medicine cat early. She had been scolded for it before, and other cats didn't believe in her abilities. They wanted an old, wise medicine cat. To everyone else, it didn't matter who it was as long as they were old enough to be deemed a medicine cat.
Don't get angry! Firpaw demanded silently. That's what this cat wants! She wants you to think you're not good enough!
She's not wrong though, Russetfire thought, partially with resentment. Nobody acknowledges or respects my position because I was made a medicine cat early and because of my mentor! And even when they do, they complain about it later!
Small cuts can turn into large problems if you do nothing about it, Firpaw reminded her calmly.
"He is only saying that because he is your brother!" the Dark Forest cat snarled. "Don't listen to him! None of what he says will be completely truthful!"
Spiraltail stared at the glittering blue eyes curiously. "This cat is familiar," she mumbled.
The blue eyes' pupils went round for a moment, but returned to the same hostile slits they were before.
Not another one of Spiraltail's kin, Russetfire thought bitterly.
"You will all die here, no matter what you do or where you look," the blue-eyed cat hissed.
Suddenly, Spiraltail let out a gasp. "You're from my dream!"
The blue eyes narrowed. "Don't believe everything you see," the cat told them. "And that one," she said, a dark brown tail flicking toward Darkclaw. "Others won't think twice before killing him."
The dead brown she-cat dashed off through the forest. The darkness had gone with her.
"We need to leave before the other cats from the Dark Forest arrive," Firpaw warned. "Follow me!"
"Darkclaw can't walk!" Russetfire reminded her older, deceased brother.
"He can't stay here!" Firpaw insisted. "If we don't get you three out of here, you're all going to die. That's not what's meant to happen."
The last part of his statement came out in a mere whisper. We've all got different destinies, she thought. He's trying to change Darkclaw's.
"Spiraltail, help me lift him up!" Russetfire urged. Spiraltail and Firpaw rushed to Russetfire's side and carefully lifted Darkclaw and carried him toward the Spirit Tree.
Halfway out of the Dark Forest, whispering voices followed.
Something gripped Russetfire's tail and dragged her back, making her drop Darkclaw.
Spiraltail and Firpaw were dragged away as well.
Darkclaw scrambled to his paws, lifting his hind leg with a struggle. He took a swipe at the ghost cats surrounding him.
They're after him, Firpaw!
I can't do anything here! Firpaw growled silently. I hate to say it, but I don't think he'll live.
He will if we get to him! Russetfire insisted. She struggled away from the ghost cats, but they dragged her back again. "Let me go, you ancient worms!"
She didn't know how she knew, but she did. She somehow recognized the sharp, talon-like claws of the ShadowClan leader before Buzzardstar.
Greenstar swiped at Darkclaw as he tried to fight back. The dead ShadowClan leader snarled and swiped him around the ear, cutting it.
Russetfire struggled away from the ghosts, but Greenstar was already biting and slashing at Darkclaw.
I'm sorry, Russetfire! We need to leave now! Firpaw insisted.
Spiraltail hesitated before following Firpaw, looking back at her younger brother with despair in her yellow eyes.
"Run!" Darkclaw told them.
Firpaw and the two living she-cats ran, their pace quickening when they heard snarling behind them.
"The Tree!" Russetfire said as the cats left the Dark Forest.
Greenstar broke through the barrier between StarClan's territory and the Dark Forest.
Spiraltail, Russetfire and Firpaw ran into the portal the Tree had opened when they came nearer. Greenstar was left scratching at the bark behind them as the two she-cats were thrown to the ground with a thud.
They were back in front of the Spirit Tree, and Darkclaw was gone.