Shadowed Dawn - WARRIOR CATS

Prologue

Prologue

Blazefang shifted restlessly from amidst the branches of the Great Oak. He stared dazedly ahead, at where cats from three of the clans mingled with one another, soft chatter and laughter breaking the still night air.

Blazefang couldn't relax, though. His large ginger paws kept shifting. ShadowClan was missing. The air seemed to ring with a sort of premonition, as though cats couldn't help but wonder why the ancient clan was nowhere in sight.

"Does DawnClan know anything of ShadowClan's whereabouts?"

Blazefang nearly jumped at the commanding voice. He glanced up to see Willowstar, CreekClan's leader, sitting erect among the higher branches of the Great Oak. Juniperstar, ValleyClan's new leader, was beside her, ears pricked curiously. Both of them were gazing down at him.

"Why should I know anything about those foxhearts?" Blazefang growled defensively at the rival clans' leaders.

"You're the deputy of the only clan that borders them," Willowstar said mildly, amber eyes narrowing slightly. "We have intel that there were border disputes between your two clans."

"Nothing serious," Blazefang snarled at the shrewd expression on the silver tabby's face. "ShadowClan has a natural—tendency—towards violence, and we had to retaliate, that's all."

We deserved that territory we stole!

Blazefang certainly wasn't about to tell Willowstar or Juniperstar about the true nature of the skirmishes. ShadowClan's ranks were dwindling, while DawnClan's ranks were swelling. Violence was necessary to keep the nasty foxhearts in their place.

"Do they have no dignity?" Juniperstar muttered restlessly from where he lounged on the oak, staring dazedly up at the full moon. "ShadowClan is supposed to be the most ancient clan. They lived here long before we came to settle."

"Ancient, perhaps, but above all else, they are bloodthirsty," a new voice broke into the conversation.

Blazefang glanced up at his leader, Silverstar. The old, bulky silver tabby tom's scars glowed in the moonlight, while his growl made Juniperstar flinch away. Blazefang dipped his head to his clan leader.

"Too right."

Willowstar's eyes narrowed slightly. "I remember a certain group of young apprentices from both clans who cared more about their friends than their separate clans' borders."

Blazefang scowled and turned away. "That was then," he said forcefully. "I was young and stupid. Duskstar is ShadowClan leader now. He isn't my friend; I'd give anything to claw the arrogant foxheart's throat out."

"DawnClan's warriors are loyal, Willowstar," Silverstar rumbled.

Blazefang pushed away his memories with an angry shrug. Duskstar had changed. Now the dark grey tom was a ferocious murderer, barely recognisable as the timid, undersized apprentice Blazefang had once known.

"And then... they were all running away, tails between their legs, whimpering like kits who had lost sight of their mother!"

Blazefang's smile returned as he watched his beloved mate, Thistleheart, talk animatedly with several young ValleyClan and CreekClan warriors below. Her lilac eyes were alight with vigour, and her tail lashed excitedly, as she shared the latest details of ShadowClan's failures.

"Did you use your powers?" A small russet tabby asked curiously.

"Of course we did! Those scrawny warriors couldn't stand it when we set the light of StarClan on them," Thistleheart tutted. "I could never understand why ShadowClan didn't accept the new ways of all cats receiving StarClan's gifts."