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

Chapter Seventeen

The night air was thick with tension as Shadowheart lay restless in his makeshift nest. Despite the exhaustion that weighed heavily on his limbs, sleep eluded him, his mind consumed by thoughts of the accusations that had been leveled against him. How could he prove his innocence when all evidence seemed to point to his guilt?

The memory of Whitestorm's lifeless body flashed before his eyes, sending a shiver down his spine. He had admired the ThunderClan deputy. But then his mind focused on how he would prove to the Clans that he was not the one who had killed Whitestorm, but he could think of nothing. Scourge wouldn't come running in to save him, though he was his father. So that was out of the question.

He heard footsteps approaching and saw a faint shadow with a hint of brown and white patches. Then he could see the she-cat almost clearly. It was Waterlily. He could now smell her sweet scent of herbs. He pricked his ears and watched as she padded up into Leopardstar's den. Mistyfoot sat at the front of his den. She pricked her ears as well, and he could sense a bit of fear as she dipped her head. Did Waterlily show any signs of distrust? His heart began to pound in his chest faster, making him feel uneasy.

"I think it might be good news." Whispered Mistyfoot, shifting her gaze over to Shadowheart for just a mere second.

Shadowheart tensed his muscles. He couldn't help but feel like she was being sarcastic. "Why is that?" he ventured, his voice a whisper as he edged closer to the den entrance.

Mistyfoot remained still, her gaze fixed on some unseen point in the distance, lost in thought. When she finally spoke, her voice was barely more than a murmur. Shadowheart strained his ears to catch every word. "I believe you," her tone was steady. "You are no killer, but Tigerstar is," she finished, with a hint of anger.

Shadowheart's widened his eyes in disbelief. To have someone from another Clan, especially a high-ranking cat like Mistyfoot, vouch for him was beyond what he had hoped for. "Thank you," he murmured, gratitude lacing his words. "But why do you believe me? And why now?"

Mistyfoot's gaze softened, and she turned to meet his eyes. "I've seen enough to know." She replied, her voice firm. "And I've seen how you carry yourself, how you interact with others. You may have a past, but you don't strike me as a cold-blooded killer."

Shadowheart nodded slowly, his heart swelling with gratitude. He did not expect to hear that from a well respected cat. "Thank you." He rasped.

"Don't let the compliment go to your head," she softly hissed, "you're still a prisoner until further notice."

Shadowheart looked down at his paws, not really wanting to hear that kind of thing. Before he could respond, Waterlily padded past Mistyfoot, her head kept low and looking straight ahead.

Shadowheart glanced over at Mistyfoot with concern beaming in his eyes. Mistyfoot followed Shadowheart's gaze, her expression unreadable as she watched Waterlily pass by. Shadowheart could sense the tension radiating from Mistyfoot, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for her.

"That didn't look too promising." Shadowheart mewed softly, his voice barely above a whisper.

Mistyfoot's gaze lingered on Waterlily for a moment longer before she turned back to Shadowheart, her eyes clouded with uncertainty. "I'm not sure," she admitted, her voice tinged with concern. "She hasn't said a word to me." She finished with a slight hiss in her voice, clearly just as annoyed as he was.

Leopardstar approached the den with a sense of admiration. Shadowheart's attention shifted from Waterlily's passing to the clan leader's presence. He straightened up slightly, a mix of wariness and curiosity glowing in his eyes. She sat just a few tail-lengths from Mistyfoot and kept her gaze fixed on her as she spoke. "I'll be calling a meeting here shortly," she rasped, slowly. "You are free to join once I do." Her gaze swept over Mistyfoot and locked onto Shadowheart.

Shadowheart tensed. Leopardstar's gaze made him feel restless, but pride washed over him as he heard her words. "Thank you." He purred, dipping his head.

Leopardstar then trotted off towards the highrock which was surrounded with a small stream of water. She puffed out her chest and stood tall as she said the ancient words before her. "Let all those old enough to swim, gather here to hear to my words."

Shadowheart heard her call and pricked his ears. He had no idea what would come of this. He wanted to be apart of the Clans once more, but it worried him that he would be a prisoner forever. He padded out of the den and looked around, thinking maybe the cats wouldn't accept him, but no one noticed him. All eyes were locked onto Leopardstar. He swiped his gaze over the Clan. RiverClan was smaller than he had expected. He remembered seeing almost every cat at the Gatherings. Only a few he didn't recognize, assuming they were either elders or kits at the time. 

Shadowheart sat in the back, not wanting to cause any trouble. He wrapped his tail over his front paws and watched as Leopardstar began to speak again. "Waterlily has come back with some news from StarClan." Her voice rang through the crowd of cats. Their eyes wide with curiosity. She continued, her gaze stopping on Shadowheart. "Shadowheart was left a rogue because of something he was blamed for." Shadowheart was relieved she didn't spill out all of the details. "But now, he is one of us."

Shadowheart widened his eyes. Did he hear that right? He shook his head to clear it and blinked a few times. All eyes turned to him. He flattened his ears and wanted to bristle his fur in fury, but he kept his cool. "He is one of us." Repeated Leopardstar, with a bit more stern in her mew.

"Shadowheart! Shadowheart!" 

Shadowheart recognized that meow immediately. It was Willowbreeze. He purred and swept his gaze over the clan until he saw her through the crowd of cats. 

"Shadowheart! Shadowheart!" Shouted the RiverClan cats. Willowbreeze being the loudest of all. 

Leopardstar jumped down from the highrock and padded over to Shadowheart. He could feel his whiskers trembling with fear. "Do you promise to stay loyal to RiverClan?" 

Shadowheart met her amber eyes. She showed no signs of doubt, but he guessed it must be custom to make sure he wasn't going to betray them. "I do." He bowed his head. He then wondered if it was like the warrior naming ceremony, but Leopardstar dipped her head, then padded back to the front of the crowd of cats. "One last thing," she rasped, "Firestar is not to know."