Warriors: The Unknown Threat Series Book #1: ShadowClan's Threat

PROLOGUE

PROLOGUE

            The cool night air whispered softly as a large group of cats began to gather around a white cat with jet black paws. Each of the cats were lean and thin, and growing hungrier with every passing day. The fresh-kill pile was unusually small, with only a skinny mouse, three scrawny frogs, and two gaunt thrushes. The kits mewled pitifully, with one crying unhappily, “Milk! Milk!” Even the queens comforting meows couldn’t soothe them.

            A brown tom with sparkling blue eyes padded towards the white cat anxiously. “Blackstar, you haven’t eaten in days! You are starting to look like a pile of bones with skin! Seriously, you must eat, no matter how badly the Clan is starving. The Clan needs its leader, and the last thing we need is for you to die.”

            Blackstar hesitated for a moment, before replying, “The Clan must come first, Littlecloud. I am merely one cat, out of all of these warriors.”

            Littlecloud’s nostrils flared. “You’re our leader!” he exclaimed, a little too loudly. Anxious, questioning murmurs broke out from the group. Quieter, he whispered, “Blackstar, I’m a medicine cat. I know that you’re on your last life. You must eat!” He added nervously, “We need to get more food, Blackstar. ShadowClan won’t survive the approaching leaf-bare without it.”

            Blackstar’s eyes suddenly lit up. “I know exactly where to get more fresh-kill, Littlecloud!”

            Littlecloud looked at him with curiosity and hope. “What has StarClan shown you? Where is there more prey?”

            Blackstar looked at him intensely. “ThunderClan,” he meowed finally.

            “What!?” Littlecloud exclaimed, outraged. He was too angry to control even how loud he spoke. The crowd looked at the medicine cat, frightened and worried. “I don’t believe you, Blackstar! It’s against the warrior code! It can’t be StarClan’s will and you…” the medicine cat broke off as Blackstar silenced Littlecloud by shoving his bushy tail into Littlecloud’s mouth.

            “StarClan’s will is for ShadowClan to survive, and that is what we shall do,” Blackstar whispered stubbornly.

            Then to the crowd, he meowed, “Over the last moon, prey in our territory has become much scarcer than it used to be. ShadowClan is starving.”

            “Tell us something we don’t know,” one of the elders snorted.

            “StarClan wants us to thrive,” Blackstar declared. Littlecloud tried to say something, but all he got was a mouthful of Blackstar’s tail. “I have discovered a way to get more food.”

            Hopeful mews came from the cats. Littlecloud couldn’t speak but he shook his head frantically. “We will hunt in ThunderClan territory,” Blackstar finished.

            A she-cat exclaimed, “No! I won’t do it, even if I have to starve! You mustn’t steal from ThunderClan!”

            “I always knew you were a traitor, Tawnypelt!” Blackstar spat.

            “It’s against the warrior code! That can’t be StarClan’s will!” Tawnypelt hissed.

            “StarClan’s will is not for ShadowClan to starve!”Blackstar growled. His tail raised straight up out of anger, giving Littlecloud the chance to shout, “Cats of ShadowClan! It is against the warrior code to steal prey from other Clans! StarClan doesn’t want us to steal ThunderClan’s prey. We must get prey another…” Blackstar’s tail slapped over his mouth again.

            “Doesn’t the warrior code also say that a leader’s word is the law?” Blackstar sneered to Littlecloud. “We will hunt in ThunderClan’s territory. I will take Rowanclaw and Tigerheart with me tomorrow morning.”           

            ShadowClan’s leader padded towards his den, ignoring Tawnypelt’s protests and Littlecloud’s complaints. He curled up in his nest and quickly fell asleep.