Warriors: From Terror to Torture

Prologue

Shadeblossom sat in the nursery, staring at the gray tabby kit. The air around her was filled with the soft puff of breaths that came from the sleeping queens and kits. Shadeblossom found herself doing this a lot. Luckily, none of the queens had ever woken up and caught her. A kit did, once, but Shadeblossom quickly shushed them before they could wake the others.

This was the gray tabby kit's last night in the nursery. Tomorrow, Silentkit would become Silentpaw. Shadeblossom sighed, recalling the vision. It had been moons ago since she had it, sitting in the nursery like this, nose touching the kit. But it had happened, and Shadeblossom knew: Silentkit would end Froststar, and his reign of terror.

It would be bloody. She knew that. But Shadeblossom was going to time it right: now that the fighting was over, Shadeblossom and Russetstar were talking about kits. By the time the fighting starts up again, Silentkit versus Froststar, I'll be tucked away in the nursery. I'll have absolutely nothing to do with it, and Froststar can't blame me for anything.

Or would he try to? Would going into the nursery conveniently at that time seem suspicious? Shadeblossom shook that thought away. That's stupid. Of course he won't seem suspicious. He can't possibly know that I had a vision.

Another thought was nagging at the back of her mind. It had been for awhile. Where exactly had the vision come from?

It definitely wasn't from The Place of No Stars. So was it from StarClan? Shadeblossom was pretty sure she had fallen from their good graces a long time ago. She'd killed. And been okay with it. She was the deputy of the evilest cat alive, next to her own mate Russetstar. Coldrose was Froststar's deputy, and she hadn't been evil, the voice of doubt in her head said. Shadeblossom quickly banished that thought before it could go anywhere. I'm not going to betray Froststar. Coldrose betrayed him, and look where it got her.

That brought her attention back down to Silentkit. My, my, little kit. You have no idea what the future holds for you. Satisfied, Shadeblossom turned and slipped from the nursery. And froze. Standing before her was a thin-furred pale gray she-cat, with eyes the color of the sky on a cloudy day. Stars twinkled in her fur, and she stood tall. Shadeblossom blinked, sure she was hallucinating, but the StarClan she-cat remained. Coldrose tipped her head to one side. "Shadeblossom," she said. "Surprised to see me?" There was a hint of humor in her voice. Humor? Coldrose? Death really has changed her, then.

Shadeblossom found she couldn't speak. Coldrose padded forward, until she was only a mouse-length from her. "You're probably wondering, 'why me?' am I correct?" she asked. Shadeblossom nodded. Coldrose shrugged. "I'm trying to figure that out myself. But you received the vision, so maybe there's some good left in your shriveled, rotting heart filled with oozing black slime like the river of the Dark Forest." Shadeblossom had almost forgotten Coldrose had been part of the Dark Forest.

Normally, Shadeblossom would have clawed someone's face of for saying something like that to her. But for some reason, hearing a murdered cat say it to you hit differently. "Silentkit will stop Froststar," Shadeblossom blurted out. Coldrose smiled.

"Yes, her and her sister both. My kits will finish what I started, and I will guide their paws."

"What will be different this time?" Shadeblossom asked. It was no secret how Coldrose had failed. Along with Ivyclaw, Mossypelt, Honeyflower, and Cherrynose. A sly look spread across Coldrose's face.

"I can't tell you everything, now can I? But you'll see, soon enough," then the starry she-cat faded into nothingness. Shadeblossom was left blinking at empty air.

Soon enough. Shadeblossom shivered, and quickly trotted into her den, nodding at Dirtclaw who was on night duty guarding the camp. For the first in a long time, Shadeblossom felt afraid. For the things she knew about ThunderClan's future, and the things she clearly didn't.