Warriors: Rising Storm - Book Four (Completed)

Prologue

Waterlily scrambled down the tunnel leading to the Moonstone. It was leaf-bare and the tunnel almost made her slide all the way down. Yellowfang was just behind her and padded much slower, keeping herself steady.

Waterlily waited for the other medicine cats to settle down and touch their noses to the stone. She then did the same and closed her eyes. Starlight swirled around her and she blinked open her eyes. She was standing on top of a large, rocky wall. Was she in StarClan? She searched the clearing beneath her. A large pool of water laid in the middle and she could see tiny specks of stars twinkling around the pool.

She scanned the rocky wall for a way down, but found nothing. She thought of jumping, but knew it would only lead to serious injuries, even if she was in the paws of StarClan.

"Waterlily." Meowed a familiar voice behind her.

"Featherwhisker." She purred, turning around. She greeted him with a slight nod then looked back at the pool of water.

"Come, I know a way down." He mewed, flicking his tail. She followed him down a narrow slope behind her from where she was standing. The rocks formed almost a bridge for them to climb down. She had to jump from rock to rock. Featherwhisker made it look so easy.

As they neared the bottom, he veered around the corner and followed another path leading them around the huge mountain of rocks. It was much clearer and sandier when her paws hit the path. She could now clearly see the cats that had sat near the rippling pool of water.

"Cloudberry." He mewed, as they neared the crowd of cats.

Waterlily remembered the faint smell of the former medicine cat of ThunderClan. He was the medicine cat even before Featherwhisker's mentor, Goosefeather. Goosefeather nosed his way through the crowd and dipped his head. "Waterlily. It's great to finally meet you. I have watched you become a fine medicine cat." He purred.

Waterlily's whiskers trembled, not knowing how to react to this interesting meeting of StarClan. She dipped her head back in respect. "Thanks." She replied, closing her eyes and purring.

Goosefeather kneaded the ground, and waited for a few others to come gather around Featherwhisker and Waterlily. Spottedleaf padded up behind Waterlily and brushed past her pelt. Waterlily widened her eyes and pressed her nose into Spottedleaf's flank. "I've missed you." She confessed.

Spottedleaf purred and sat in between Featherwhisker and Waterlily. Many other cats that Waterlily did not know padded over to greet her. She sat in silence and wrapped her tail over her front paws. She glanced over at Featherwhisker. "Why are all of these cats here?" She mewed, questioning her own thoughts.

"We must discuss something." Featherwhisker replied in a soft whisper.

Waterlily tensed. Was she in trouble with the whole of StarClan? She glanced around, scanning for any other medicine cats. But she was the only live one here. She could smell different Clan scents. Some of them were fishy, which she guessed were from RiverClan.

"We are all just worried about Tigerclaw." Goosefeather finally meowed, piercing through Waterlily's thoughts.

"Is he coming back to take revenge on Fireheart?" Mewed Waterlily, tilting her head to one side.

"We can't be sure." It was another Clan warrior who had spoken. It was a tom from WindClan. His pelt smelled of honey with a tint of herbs. Perhaps he was a medicine cat in WindClan.

"Mothflight is right." Meowed Featherwhisker, stepping forward. "Nothing is for sure right now."

A fluffy white she-cat took a pace forward as well. Her pelt looked like someone had splattered black berries all over her. Her blue eyes glinted in the moonlight. "We still fear that he may be up to something. He seemed far too willing to leave ThunderClan." She explained, twitching her tail impatiently.

Waterlily heard everyone's remarks and took them all to heart. She, too, was worried about Tigerclaw coming back to hurt ThunderClan. Waterlily narrowed her eyes. If he did, she would be ready.

She shook her head to clear it, then decided it was time to ask about the prophecy she was told about Shadowkit. "What does Shadowkit have to do with ThunderClan?" She mewed, looking over at Spottedleaf and Featherwhisker.

The other cats around her began to pad away to the pool of water and disappeared from sight. She turned to watch them leave, then turned her sight back to the two medicine cats.

"Shadowkit?" Spottedleaf blinked in confusion, then exchanged a glance with Featherwhisker. Featherwhisker gave her the unsatisfactory shrug and then they both gazed at Waterlily with round eyes.

Waterlily tensed and shuffled her paws. "But you told me not to fear what I find in the shadows." She looked over at Spottedleaf. She was the one who had told her this. Why was she acting weird?

Spottedleaf tilted her head to the side and blinked in confusion. "That was for Tigerclaw. To not let fear take over you." She confessed.

Waterlily's fur bristled. Why couldn't she have said that? Waterlily thought bitterly. "I had found this black kit hiding in the shadows. That's why I named him Shadowkit." She explained, flattening her fur.

"Shadowkit may not have been apart of any prophecy, but I am guessing that you found him for a reason." Purred Spottedleaf. She rubbed Waterlily's cheek with hers then kneaded her paws on the ground below her.

Featherwhisker was just as confused as Spottedleaf was, but agreed that Waterlily could have found him for a reason, just like he had found her.

Featherwhisker and Spottedleaf dipped their heads and they padded away towards the large pool and left Waterlily alone. She watched them leave in silence.

"Waterlily." Meowed a voice. "Time to wake up."

Waterlily blinked open her eyes and saw Yellowfang standing over her. She scrambled to her paws and followed Yellowfang and the other three medicine cats out of the tunnels in silence. Their pawsteps echoed and bounced off the cave walls. As they reached the top, Waterlily's mind became flooded with anticipation. If Shadowkit wasn't apart of any prophecy that StarClan knew of, why did she find him? Was he actually meant to be found? Then suddenly a dark thought clouded her mind with suspicion and worry. What if Shadowkit is kin with Tigerclaw and he meant for Waterlily to find him as a trap?