Warriors The Next Chapter: Still Darkness - Book One (Completed)

Chapter Six

Waterlily padded lightly through the open field leading to the Moonstone. The soft glow of the half-moon above lighted her path as she made her way down. She could hear mumbles from the other medicine cats as she neared Mothermouth.

"New-leaf has brought us many blessings." Meowed Mudfur as Waterlily approached them.

"Hi, Waterlily." Littlecloud looked over at Waterlily and purred softly.

Waterlily kept silent but dipped her head in acknowledgment. She didn't feel like talking. Especially about what has happened since the Gathering. She worried about Firestar becoming sick in the mind like Bluestar had when she lost her trust in her clanmates.

"Anything new with you?" It was Barkface who spoke, looking at Waterlily with curiosity and wondering why she was so distant.

Waterlily found herself lost in thought and shook her head as if to clear it when she heard Barkface talking to her. "Since Whitestorm's death? Nothing." She rasped, her voice almost sounding cold.

"I am truly sorry. I know it couldn't have been easy." He admitted.

"Let's go inside before we lose the moonlight." She growled softly as she led the way down into the dark tunnel. The others agreed and followed her in silence. Waterlily laid down and watched as the others settled near her, before touching her nose to the cold, stone walls.

She opened her eyes in the world of StarClan. Barkface stood beside her. She glanced over to the other side of her and Mudfur padded up to them. Littlecloud then doing the same. Waterlily looked back ahead when she heard a soft voice call out to them.

"Darkness is gathering on the horizon," the she-cat intoned, her voice echoing through the cosmic expanse. "A force has been set into motion, a collision of destinies that will determine the future of the forest. There will come a time when the threads of fate will be tangled, and choices will weigh heavy upon the hearts of those you love."

Waterlily felt a chill settle over her, knowing that the she-cat's words carried the weight of truth.

"The path ahead is treacherous, and the past will haunt the present." She murmured, her gaze penetrating each medicine cat's soul. "Beware the deeds of those who bear secrets that may unravel the form of your Clans. The battle lines will blur, and a lone figure will rise, entangled in the echoes of the past, destined to confront a legacy that he must reckon with."

Waterlily's breath caught in her throat as the gravity of her words settled over her. She exchanged glances with the others, wondering if they understood what the old she-cat was talking about.

"Thank you for telling us this, Brambleberry." Meowed Mudfur.

Waterlily turned back to Brambleberry. She knew that she was a medicine cat from how she smelled, but she did not recognize her. She guessed that she was from RiverClan from her fishy scent. The others didn't seem to know who she was either, except Mudfur.

Brambleberry dipped her head then padded off into the distance. Waterlily couldn't look at the others in the eyes. She knew who it could be, and it made her shutter inside. She lowered in her head as if she felt ashamed of her silence. Mudfur dipped his head adue, then laid his tail over Waterlily's flank.

"We will get through this." He murmured, then led the way through the tunnel. Waterlily sighed, then followed behind. She trotted into the dawn light. It was tinted with an orange hue across the sky. 

"Should we meet about this once we figure out some information?" Mudfur meowed just before Littlecloud was about to head back to camp. 

"What do you mean?" Hissed Barkface. "We can't just go about it like it's gossip and expect us to spill it out to one another." 

Mudfur sat down and narrowed his head. "That is not what I meant." 

Waterlily rolled her eyes and sat across Barkface and held his gaze for a short moment before she spoke. "Let's just agree to meet again in a quarter moon and see if anyone has heard anything about what Brambleberry told us." 

Barkface kept her gaze for another moment, then finally dipped his head in agreement. "Very well." Then he headed up the small hill leading to his camp. Littlecloud dipped his head as well and padded away toward ShadowClan. Mudfur and Waterlily then followed suit in silence. Waterlily couldn't shake the feeling of thinking it was Shadowheart that was the victim of StarClans' prophecies. Even though she knew that he was when he killed Whitestorm. 

She was so lost in thought that she almost trekked into ShadowClan territory. She halted and saw Littlecloud hunched behind a boulder. "I thought you were some rogue coming to attack me!" He hissed.

Waterlily widened her eyes in alarm and blinked a few times in confusion. "Could you not smell my scent?" She replied with a cold hiss.

"I'm sorry. You just scared me is all." He meowed more calmly.

Waterlily relaxed her muscles and she was suddenly more aware of how her emotions were impacting her personality. "No, I should be sorry. I've been so caught up with Shadowheart killing Whitestorm thing, that it has made me just too angry to care."

"What, who's Shadowheart?" Littlecloud shook his head as if something about him made himself feel uneasy.

"He was Sandstorm's apprentice. The kit I... took in." She tilted her to the side as if answering that was pointless.

"StarClan said something about a dark figure." He began pacing the green grass, back and forth.

"She said that a lone figure will rise, yes." She confirmed his statement was correct.

"Do you believe it could be Shadowheart that is the one they're speaking of?" His breath began to deepen and he stopped and looked over at Waterlily.

Waterlily was speechless. She wanted to defend him, but couldn't find the right words. She nodded her head in acceptance and softly sighed. "I fear you are right."