The Lost Prophecy: Book 3: Hidden Shadows

Prologue and Allegiances

Welcome!

Well... it's been a while. What can I say. Did not mean to take a year to get this out but here is Hidden Shadows.

To those of you not familiar with the series, The Lost Prophecy is an AU in which Firestar never joined ThunderClan, centering on Ravenpaw. There have already been some major divergences is books 1 and 2 so I recommend reading those first.

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The clearing, which less than a moon before had been scattered with fallen leaves, was blanketed in snow. A dark tabby tom pushed his way through the icy surroundings. A large rock rose up out of the ground, and in a shadowed crevice was a lichen covered cave entrance. The tom's massive shoulders tensed as his gaze found the cave, but he did not hesitate before he slipped inside.

His eyes narrowed at the sight of a dark gray she-cat. "Bluestar." The dark brown tabby dipped his head.

"Tigerclaw, how is the Clan holding up?" Bluestar meowed, wasting no time on pleasantries.

Tigerclaw flicked his ears; it was the only sign of his irritation. "Well enough. I've ordered every border patrol to hunt on the way back to camp."

"Good." Bluestar frowned. She seemed to notice Tigerclaw's annoyance, but did not comment on it. "With Mousefur and Runningwind injured, every cat will need to contribute to hunting and patrolling. Has any cat checked the RiverClan border lately?"

"I sent Longtail and Dustpelt at around sunhigh. They should be back anytime now."

Bluestar nodded to herself. "What about ShadowClan?"

"I led a patrol myself," meowed Tigerclaw.

"When was this?"

"After dawn."

Eyes clouding, Bluestar turned her head. "Send another at dusk."

"There is no need. All was quiet." Tigerclaw twitched his whiskers. A plan had formed in his mind during a recent day. He needed to be the cat to confront Brokenstar's rogues- if other cats met them first, Tigerclaw might lose his chance.

"All the same, I would like a patrol sent there to be sure. See to it."

Bluestar nodded, dismissing him, and Tigerclaw returned the gesture, frustration making his pelt twitch. Flicking his tail, he padded out into the camp. As Tigerclaw plowed a path through the snow with his broad shoulders, he glanced back at Bluestar. The she-cat was curling up in her nest, completely unaware that her time as leader was approaching its end.

The mouse-brained coward. She was much too soft, much too reluctant to fight. Her cowardliness was the single thing stopping ThunderClan from being the greatest and most powerful in the forest, and yet she still insisted on striving for peace.

Tigerclaw knew though, that ThunderClan needed to make a stand if it was to rise above the rest, and Bluestar was too much of a pacifist to make that decision. That was why ThunderClan needed a new and better leader.

The only cat he could think of who was more cowardly than Bluestar was his own apprentice, Ravenwing- the mouse-heart had barely managed to earn a warrior name. Other complications surrounding Ravenwing aside, Tigerclaw was at least glad that the tom's lack of ability had not lessened Tigerclaw's own status within the Clan. The cat was like a tiny thorn in Tigerclaw's side, barely there, but noticeable enough to want to remove it before it caused an infection.

No cat would believe Ravenwing anyway, if he suddenly decided to reveal what he had seen, but Tigerclaw figured he might need to take care of the problem at some point. Ravenwing had already avoided defeat a few times with whiskers to spare. Surely if Tigerclaw wanted to get rid of Ravenwing, the tom wouldn't be so lucky again.