Warrior Cats Fanfiction: Whispers of the Shadows Book 2 Breaking Winds

Prologue

The leader's rock trembled slightly as a dark brown she-cat padded up. The RiverClan cats looked up at their new leader, and some flicked their tails unappreciatively. I am your leader! Ivy thought. You respect me, and only me!

"Let all cats old enough to swim gather in the clearing," Ivy announced, sneering at the traditional words. Dozens of battle-weary cats clustered together at the base of the rock, quieting instantly. 

"Cats of RiverClan," she purred. "We are here to celebrate a new age!" No one spoke. Ivy frowned, and unsheathed her claws, glaring at the crowd below. Half-hearted yowls of approval sounded, and faded. Ivy wasn't impressed, but she moved on.

"I am your leader, Ivy. I will not have any deputy, but I will be doing what a deputy once did." She redirected her stare at Aspencloud. "We will keep Aspencloud as a medicine cat, but you will need to tell me everything that you know or find out about StarClan. Everything. Understand?" Aspencloud dipped her head, but Ivy noticed her flattening her ears. Stupid medicine cat.

"The other clans do not need to know of me or my leadership over this clan. Minnowtail will go to the gatherings as Minnowstar, and you will pretend that the war ended when we gave a large portion of our territory to ShadowClan, and that we are now friendly with them. Understand?" Ivy glared expectantly at the rest of RiverClan. The crowd muttered their consent. Ivy turned to Minnowtail. "So, who is going to be your 'deputy'?"

Minnowtail flicked her tail sadly, her eyes brimming with the loss of both her mate and Clan that was once her own. "Tanglebrook, you have-"

"We have no time for emotional speeches, dear Minnowtail. So is your deputy going to be Tanglebrook?" Ivy didn't give her anytime to respond. "Okay. You two and Aspencloud meet me in my den after this. I don't believe there is anything else." Ivy promptly turned around and started padding away, but she froze.

Whirling around, she started speaking. "Oh, and I nearly forgot," she said with mock innocence. "Bring her in, please!" Two ShadowClan cats dragged in a bloody clump of fur.

"What are you going to do now?" The cat hissed. "You've hurt my clan enough. You've hurt my daughters, killed my mate. What else do you want?" Ivy leapt of off the boulder and smiled at her sickeningly.

"Right now?" She cackled, her body racking from the maniacal sounds coming out of her mouth. "Your life." Her eyes flashed, before in an instant, Softwing's head hung at an unnatural angle.

Dead.

"What is your point in this bloodshed?" Aspencloud stepped forward, snarling. Ivy turned to her and cocked her head.

"Why, isn't it obvious?" She gestured at the crumpled form of Softwing with her tail. "I'm showing you what will happen if you go against me." Aspencloud shrunk back, hatred burning in her eyes.

What, am I getting to you? Ivy thought. Well, better angry than happy, right?

"I have one last thing to say," Ivy stared at the clan. "The two traitors to RiverClan are to be killed on sight," she unsheathed her claws, and scraped the ground. The new 'deputy', Tanglebrook, hung his head and flattened his ears.

"Or else, well, you know what's going to happen." Murmurs of protest simmered down to silence.

"On that happy note, this meeting is over," the cats scrambled out of the clearing. Ivy turned and started walking towards her den. "Come on, don't just stand there. Well, unless-"

"We're coming!" Minnowtail called.

"Don't interrupt me!" Ivy snarled.

The three cats dipped their heads. "Yes, Ivy."

Ivy purred in satisfaction. So this is what it is like to be a leader, she mused. This is what it's like to be in power.

I like it.