Warrior Cats Fanfiction: Whispers of the Shadows Book 1 Rivers Descending

Prologue

A thin layer of mist rose from the pool, binding the cats in the depths of the cave. One stepped forward, stars twinkling in her fur and eyes. Another cat stepped beside her, his long black and white tail stretching above him. The she-cat touched the pool softly with her nose until the mist dissolved from the cave. A distorted image appeared in the pool, the image of the RiverClan nursery.

"Good," said the tom," It's finallyhappening."

"And not a moment too soon," the she-cat said, not taking her eyes off the pool. "The Dark Forest knows that there is a prophecy to stop Lighteye."

Suddenly two voices it erupted the two cats. Arguing came from outside of the cave, and the she-cat turned to the entrance.

"Will you two quiet down? There's a kitting going on right now!" Two more cats entered the cave, their heads bent bashfully.

"So it's started?" said Tawnypelt in a hushed whisper.

Her companion, a small tom with blue eyes snorted. "Of course it has! Mistystar would't be this excited if it wasn't."

"Hush, Jayfeather," said the black and white tom. "We must be ready. As soon as this is over, we will be able to give Aspencloud the prophecy."

"I don't see why I had to be the representative from ThunderClan," Jayfeather muttered. "Yellowfang could have done it just as well as me."

"Jayfeather!" The other three cats hissed.

"Watch and keep your muzzle shut," said Mistystar, staring down at the pool. The other three cats sat down beside her, all staring at the kitting in RiverClan. Inside of the RiverClan nursery, an orange she-cat with silky fur sheathed and unsheathed her claws in pain. The medicine cat, Aspencloud, bent over the she-cat, running one paw against her flank.

"It's okay," Aspencloud murmured. "You're doing fine, Softwing." Softwing suddenly let out a screech of pain as her body shuddered in her nest. A brown tom with white paws dashed into the nursery.

"I heard something!" he mewed," Are the kits here yet?"

Aspencloud glared at him. "No, you fish-brain! Can't you tell?"

The tom's eyes were suddenly filled with fear. "Is something wrong?"

Aspencloud breathed in deeply as Softwing screeched again. "The first one's a large kit. That's all." She bent over Softwing, and a moment later, as her body convulsed even harder, a bundle slid slowly into the nest. Aspencloud bent over and nipped at the sack that held the kit, and it tumbled into the reeds and grasses of the nest.

The StarClan cats looked at each other, and Mistystar started purring. "Yes!" she said. "The first kit is born!"

"That kit is going to save us?" Jayfeather scoffed.

"Jayfeather!" gasped the black and white cat. "You were weaker and smaller than this kit here, and I should know. I was there."

"Hush!" said Mistystar. "The next kit is here." Softwing grunted, but with less pain this time. A second bundle slid into the nest, and Aspencloud nipped it open. The smaller kit had silver fur, which glinted from the green-leaf light inside the nursery.

"Ferntail!" said Aspencloud, nudging the kits to Softwing's belly," You have two she-kits. I'm done here." Aspencloud turned to Ferntail. "Call me if you need anything." The tom nodded, not taking his eyes off of the two kits. The StarClan cats nodded to one another.

"It's time," said Tawnypelt. She leaned down into the pool until her whiskers grazed the surface.

"Aspencloud," she said. The image of Aspencloud leaving the nursery faltered, and she looked around. "Aspencloud," Tawnypelt repeated. "We come with a message of StarClan. The shadows are lengthening."

"And the final storm approaches." The black and white tom said. He nudged Jayfeather next to him.

Jayfeather leaned down and spoke tonelessly." The one hope that the Clans have."

"Is the forgotten lineage of the mist," Mistystar said, her whiskers trembling. "Remember this, Aspencloud, for StarClan can see something coming to the clans, something that they may not survive."

"The Dark Forest?" whispered Aspencloud," Is that it?"

"Much more than that," said Tawnypelt. "There is so much more."

Then, a swath of dark pelts rose from behind the StarClan cats. And as the StarClan cats glittered with stars, the pelts of these cats were inky black, the color of death. With a series of ferocious hisses, the Dark Forest cats fell upon the StarClan cats, holding onto them until nothing remained.