Cloverpaw's Shadow

Prologue

Severe his ties. Break his concentration. You have one chance. Go now.

Somewhere deep in Finchstar's consciousness, he knew he was dreaming. But the voice was so real, blaring in his mind.

So real, yet all just a dream.

Clover will come, a voice whispered.

He looked around, but all he could see was blinding light.

Fire will rise.

Flames shot up. He ran, but he couldn't escape the burning walls of flame. Flashbacks of when he was an apprentice surfaced in his memory, and he shoved them away. Then he stopped, panting for breath.

No more fire. No more light. Only an inky, midnight black.

The darkness is approaching, and only one thing will stop it.

"Finchstar?"

Finchstar was jolted out of his sleep into a world of noise. He lifted his head, sitting up.

"Needlenose? What's wrong?"

Needlenose stood there, panting. His brindled grey fur was sticking out in all directions. "Firefang and... and Minnowdrop were out hunting. They found a badger." He coughed. "Or rather, the badger found them." He dropped his eyes.

"And?" Finchstar pressed.

"Minnowdrop didn't make it." He whispered after a bit of hesitation.

Finchstar inhaled sharply. "Oh, great Starclan, no!"

Beware of fire, the voice said.

"Finchstar?" Needlenose sounded nervous. "Are you okay?"

Finchstar nodded, trying to conceal his fear. He had to stay calm, for his clan's sake.

"There is one more thing," Needlenose said hesitantly. "Starclan spoke to me."

Finchstar blinked. "What did they say?" He asked, already knowing.

He lowered his voice. "Clover will come, and fire will rise. The darkness is approaching, and only one thing will stop it." He paused.

Finchstar exhaled. "I had the same message." He did not mention the dream that came with it.

Needlenose shuffled his paws. "What do you think it meant?" He asked quietly.

Finchstar grew silent. "I don't know." He said after a while.

"Then lets pray to Starclan for the clan to stay safe."

Finchstar gave him a grave look. "Yes, for I fear there will be more terrors in the days to come."

Needlenose exited the den, and Finchstar sat there in silence, thinking. Clover will come, and fire will rise. The darkness is approaching, and only one thing will stop it.

He shivered, and lay back down, though he knew sleep was a long time coming.

***

A couple of hours earlier

A dark ginger tabby pelt raced across the ground. The cats ears lay flat, and its tail was fluffed out.

"On your right!" A voice yowled.

The ginger tabby glanced to its right, and swerved to avoid the big creature. He sprinted faster, and came to a halt at the edge of the ravine. He stood there panting.

"Firefang," A voice cautioned.

Firefang whipped around. The badger was there, looming over him. He cowered under its beady black stare. It reached out a paw to crush its prey, and Firefang knew this would be the end.

Suddenly a bolt of dark brown tabby fur sent him flying across the clearing. He crashed into a tree, and immediate pain sprouted through him. He sat up, despite the ricocheting agony.

It had been Minnowdrop.

Minnowdrop had shoved him, had taken his place. Firefang let out a cry of alarm.

But it was too late. The massive creatures paw came down on Minnowdrop's frail body. Firefang heard the sickening crunch of bones, and he knew she was dead. "Starclan, no!" He cried. Seething with overwhelming hatred, he flung himself on top of the badger. His claws tore at fur, his teeth ripped at flesh. The badger, beaten, ran off into the woods, flinging Firefang off of its back.

Firefang rushed over to Minnowdrop. "Minnowdrop," he whispered. "Don't leave me." He lay down beside her, and buried his nose in her fur. The warmth was fading.

"Firefang?" A voice inquired.

Firefang looked up. The dawn patrol had come, too late, too late.

"What happened?" Hollycloud asked.

"A badger happened," came Firefang's raspy mew. "It would have gotten me, except that Minnowdrop pushed me out of the way. And now..." He glanced helplessly at the body of dark red-brown fur.

"Oh Firefang," Blizzardclaw whispered. "I'm so sorry."

Firefang burst through the thorn tunnel, dragging Minnowdrop's frail body. He lay it in the clearing, and sat down beside her, refusing to move. Blizzardclaw nodded at him, and headed in the direction of Needlenose's den.

A sudden wail rose up from the nursery. Birdflower came rushing out of the den, skidding to a stop at her sisters body. "What happened?" She demanded.

Firefang turned his head away. He didn't feel like discussing it.

A call echoed around the clearing. "Let all those cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highrock for a clan meeting!"

Firefang watched as the clan gathered. He decided to stay where he was, and looked up at his leader.

"I don't know how else to say this, but a badger has killed Minnowdrop. Her and Firefang were out hunting, when it came out and attacked them. Firefang survived, but Minnowdrop-" He broke off, nodding to the broken body in the center of the clearing.

"We will hold vigil for her," Finchstar went on. "And Frostpetal?" He glanced in the direction of his deputy. "Send out a patrol of the strongest warriors. We need to stop the badger before it hurts anyone else."

He leaped down the Highrock, disappearing back into his den.

Firefang glanced around, feeling eyes on him. He fixed his gaze at a white she-cat lurking in the shadows. He looked around, about to alert the clan, but then the cat vanished into the trees, leaving a trail of stars in its wake.

He closed his eyes. Suddenly, he heard a voice. He sat up, but it seemed to be only in his head. The voice roared in his mind, saying, Beware of Clover, beware of your own fire. Beware of the darkness, beware of your power...