Unbroken Echos: A Shadow in Destiny (Book 1)

~ Prologue ~

Brown golden and red leafs were scattered across the earth floor, the wind seeming to whistle through the leafless trees and across the territory. It was a unexpected chilly morning, and wails of fury could be heard, making birds fly away in fright.

"Exile him!" A voice burst out.

"No, slash his throat! He deserves death!" Another voice echoed.

Yowls of challenging protests ranged across the clearing.

"Silence!"

As if the whole Clan disappeared in an instant, everything went silent. A cream tabby with green eyes sat on a thick tree branch, staring down at all the gathered cats, a ginger tabby cat with yellow eyes in the center, surrounded by the others with threatening glares.

"Pikeflame," the cream tabby meowed. "What happened to Myrtlesong?"

The ginger tabby looked up at the cream tabby with saddened eyes, his tail lashing from side to side. "I've told you before, Spikestar! I found his body near one of the borders! I swear on Starclan I didn't kill him!"

"I saw you!" A small smoky black cat growled. "I saw you leaning over his body with an evil grin!"

Spikestar looked back and fourth to each cat, his heart beating uncomfortably. "Pikeflame, is it true that Larchfern saw you with Myrtlesong's body?"

Pikeflame stood there emotionless before looking back up at Spikestar with dull eyes. "Yes, Spikestar. She was there."

"Of course she was! Troutstem, Runningstep, Myrtlesong, and Larchfern went on a patrol!" A brown tabby cat meowed from across the clearing.

Spikestar eye's narrowed, looking down at Pikeflame with a fierce glare then before. "I believe that explains it all. . ." He meowed in a low voice. "Pikeflame, I sentence you to exile," the leader announced. "Leave StemClan territory now before I command them to chase you out!"

Pikeflame's fur bristled, his head whipping around to look around him. Cats bared their teeth at him as he looked at them. "Spikestar, there must be a mistake! Please don't--" he cut off as a heavy weight pounced onto him.

A yowl of pain shrieked out of Pikeflame's mouth as Redwind bit down on his ears and ripped somewhat of it off. Pikeflame kicked Redwind off as he went straight for her tail, scoring his claws across, fur flying off her tail.

"Stop!" Spikestar shouted as Pikeflame shot up and wriggled his way through a thick bush and into the trees. "Follow him to make sure he stays off our territory!" Spikestar meowed after a few heartbeats.

Three cats followed behind him growling irritability. Spikestar looked across the clearing with saddened eyes again, taking a deep breath before speaking once more. "Cats of StemClan! I say these words before StarClan, that the spirits of our ancestors may hear and approve my choice. Redwind will be StemClan's new deputy."

Yowls of appreciation scattered across the whole camp, some even bowing before Redwind in thanks of her being chosen as deputy.

Redwind stepped forward and dipped her head before padding towards the medicine cats' den to patch up her wounds.

. . .

Fawnberry laid in a mossy nest breathing calmly, her tail curled around her three kits. Movement caught her eye and she looked up from her kits, squinting her eyes to see the figure. Oh, it's Gorsespring! she thought happily.

"Good evening, Fawnberry," meowed Gorsespring with a smile. "How are the kit's?"

"As good as they can get," she meowed, chuckling.

"Speaking of your kit's. . . There's something I have to tell you."

"What it is?"

Gorsespring fiddled with the dirt before clearing her throat. She looked sorta . . . Nervous. What was on her mind? "StarClan foretold me a prophecy a moon ago or two. Since your the only queen in the Clan at the moment. . . I think one of your kit's will bring great danger to us all."

"What? One of mine?" Fawnberry meowed in confusion. "There's no way, Gorsespring. I'm sorry, but I think StarClan is wrong."

"I knew you would say that. . ." Gorsespring meowed. "StarClan refers to the kit as a she."

Fawnberry glanced down at her daugher with confusion and pain in her eyes. "Beekit?" she meowed. "Are you sure?"

"I'm afraid so, Fawnberry." Gorsespring meowed. "I'm sorry. That's all I had to tell you.

Fawnberry stared into Gorsespring's eyes. She uncovered her tail away from her daughter, looking at her and than back at Gorsespring again.

"May I suggest a plan of action?" A voice behind Gorsespring said, making her jump. The other medicine cat, Darkshine, padded into the den, looking around before settling himself beside Fawnberry.

Fawnberry looked towards Darkshine with a shine in her eyes, but quickly brushed it off. "I don't mind a plan of action." She meowed at last.

Darkshine turned his head to face Fawnberry's stare, quickly clearing his throat before speaking. "One of us can bring Beekit over to one of the other Clans."

"What?" Gorsespring replied, surprised. "We are not abandoning a single kit to a different Clan!"

Darkshine whipped his gaze back towards Gorsespring, his ears pinning to his head. "Would you rather get rid of an another danger in the Clan like Pikeflame?" he paused for a moment to look at Fawnberry. "I'm sorry about Pikeflame, Fawnberry."

"It's fine." Fawnberry responded coldly. She lowered her head onto her paws.

Darkshine stared at her for a couple of heartbeats before continuing. "Or do you want to feel safe without a potential danger waiting to happen?"

Fawnberry and Gorsespring both looked at eachother with unsure expressions. Gorsespring moved closer to the both of them before speaking. "If we're doing the right thing as StarClan foretold, I will bring her over to to one of the nearest Clan's nearby our territory."

Fawnberry raised her head again and looked down at Beekit, inching her neck forward to lick her on the forehead. "I will always be with you, Beekit. In the wind, in the trees, in the water," she then added, "and in your heart."

As Gorsespring bent forward to grab Beekit by the scruff, Darkshine stood up and flicked his tail in command for Gorsespring to follow him. Fawnberry gave Beekit one last look before curling up in a ball beside her two kits.

Gorsespring followed Darkshine out of the nursey and wriggled her way through the thick entrance bush and up the thicket tunnel, trying to keep Beekit from falling out of her grip as she made they padded through the forest, leaped across the stream, and made it to the nearest border, where LinnClan's territory was up ahead.

"Good luck," meowed Darkshine before he padded back towards the camp.

Gorsespring made her way through the dense forests of LinnClan's territory, up a few hills that were indented by clear streams flowing past into a larger river up ahead. Her ears pricked at the noises of birds flying above her, wishing to stop for a moment to hunt, but she couldn't. She had to do this. It was for the sake for her Clan.

Gorsespring finally made through the territory and stopped to glance up at the large, ancient oak tree that was surrounded by thickets of tall grass and bushes, a stream weaving into the center of the camp. She took a deep breath before leaping onto a fallen tree at the entrance and glided down into the camp, Beekit mewing gently as Gorsespring held onto her scruff.