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

Chapter Nineteen

Silverpaw gulped down the bitter herbs and clawed the sides of her nest. Even though her head pounded horribly, she itched to be out fighting.

"Can I go to the battle?" she asked again. Aspencloud looked up from Curlfeather, who had been dragged to the camp by Iceleap. The brown she-cat had been sliced in the belly, and had to be forced into camp by her clanmate. She had wanted to keep fighting, even if it killed her.

Me too! I want to fight for my clan, Silverpaw thought.

"You can go into the clearing," the orange medicine cat meowed, flicking her tail. "But no farther."

"Great StarClan's kits, I feel like a kit," Silverpaw murmured. She padded to the empty clearing, her paws unsteady. Her head spun from where it had been knocked against the rocks in the river.

Silverpaw tasted the air, hoping to scent her sister, coming home after winning the battle. But there were no scents that penetrated the night. She could hear the battle, though. When Iceleap dropped Curlfeather off, she had reported that the RiverClan warriors were scattered, and had been pushed back to the fatherest river. Now it was chaos, with small patrols of RiverClan attacking clumps of ShadowClan warriors.

A screech ripped the air, tearing Silverpaw's concentration in two. Emberstar sprang out of his den, eyes fierce like a younger cat. When he saw no enemies, he shook his head and glanced back to the medicine den.

"Aspencloud," he called. The she-cat came out of her den, scraps of bloody moss sticking to her pelt. "I have to go and fight."

Aspencloud opened her mouth, but Emberstar silenced her with a flick of his ears. "All of my warriors are out there, fighting for their lives. As their leader, I should be fighting tooth and claw with them."

The medicine cat focused on something behind Emberstar, something that Silverpaw couldn't see.

"Very well," she murmured. "If StarClan wills it."

Emberstar dipped his head to both she-cats, and raced out of the camp. Silverpaw watched him, shivering as another loud yowl rang in the air. There were cats dying out there, and she wondered if any— RiverClan or ShadowClan— would die in battle.

Will I never see Dawnpaw again? She thought, paws prickling with fear. She wanted to race out behind Emberstar and fight alongside her sister, protected Dawnpaw from ShadowClan claws. I can protect her, I'm a better fighter than she.

Aspencloud sat beside the silver apprentice. Silverpaw jumped slightly, then stared into the medicine cat's dreamy blue eyes.

"How's Curlfeather?" Silverpaw asked.

"She'll survive," meowed Aspencloud. Her tone was dark as she continued. "I know that you want to fight, Silverpaw, but in battle you are reckless. You charge in and that is why you get hurt. You have to be careful. The prophecy does not allow mistakes."

The prophecy. Silverpaw had not thought of it in many days. She stared at the Silverpelt, twinkling far above them. "What is the prophecy?" she asked. "I need to know."

Aspencloud stood. "I told you before. You do not need to know until it is time. When it is, I will tell you. But not before."

As the orange medicine cat padded back to check on Curlfeather, Silverpaw glared at the stars, her warrior ancestors.

"Is the prophecy about the war against ShadowClan?" she meowed to the empty air. "Is RiverClan in trouble?" The silver stars gave no sign that they had heard her. "Answer me!" Silverpaw hissed. What was the use of StarClan and their cryptic prophecies if they couldn't even answer them fully? "StarClan, tell me what to do!"

They were still glittering coldly above her.

"Please?" Now Silverpaw's mew was a whimper. She flattened her ears against more screeches that rung in the air. "I don't know what to do. I'm scared."

"Don't be scared," whispered a voice. Silverpaw looked around, trying to locate the source.

"Aspencloud is right. StarClan cannot give you the prophecy. You and Dawnpaw are not ready."

"But how do I prepare for what's coming?" Silverpaw meowed.

The whisper faltered, and for a moment she thought that it was going away. Then it said one word.

"Herbs. Learn your herbs."

"Why?" Whispered Silverpaw. She stood on her paws, tipping her muzzle to the stars. "Why do I have to learn herbs?"

There was no answer.

"Cobwebs for bleeding, marigold for infection, and poppy seeds for pain," recited Silverpaw, jabbing her paw in each of the pile. "And... that's all I remember."

"Very good," Aspencloud said. She leaned closer to the warrior apprentice. "I'm not going to ask why you are learning about herbs. But don't mention it to any other cat, okay? I'm not supposed to share my remedies with anyone but my apprentice."

Silverpaw nodded, and sank onto her haunches. She lifted a paw to softly rub at the healing wound on her forehead.

"Aspencloud, does StarClan know the future?"

The medicine cat looked up in the juniper bush's branches. "They can see glimpses, that's all."

"Something bad is coming, right?" Silverpaw looked at Aspencloud's face, waiting for a reaction.

Aspencloud was taken aback. She hesitated, then looked into the green eyes of the apprentice.

"Something looms in the shadows— and StarClan doesn't even know how to fight it."