Chapter 13

                                    

                                          
Chapter 13
                          

                          
Blackfeather woke up with a start, his heart pounding. His dreams had been filled with sharp claws and teeth, and his own claws, killing mercilessly. Eyes wide, he glanced around. I’m in another dream, he thought.
                          
“Greetings, my son,” he heard. Whirling around, he made out an orange and white she-cat. She was taller than Emberpaw, and Blackfeather recognized Flameheat.
                          
He opened his mouth to greet her, but she cut him off. “I’ve come alone to warn you,” she began. “Emberpaw may have just done something good for you, but the battle she is leading to keep the Clans the same will end the Clans.”
                          
Blackfeather cleared his throat as Flameheat stared at him intently. “Do you think you could be a bit clearer for once?” He retorted.
                          
Flameheat let out a hiss and launched herself at him. He moved and dodged, ready for the attack, but she spun and hit him in the side, knocking him down. Her claws sunk into his flank, tearing out a patch of fur. He growled and kicked out at her, striking her stomach repeatedly until she let go and rolled off.
                          
“You’re not ready to defend ShadowClan, you coward,” she hissed. “Even with powers, you are weak.”
                          
“Powers, huh,” he grunted. Emberpaw had tried to explain it to him, and he had hardly believed her. Now that his mother was speaking of it, he wondered whether to believe it or not.
                          
“Look, Blackfeather, now is no time for fooling around. Shadepaw is going to ask you to help him with discarding the warrior code, and I know that this decision will provide the Clans a longer life than Emberpaw’s plan to oppose his.”
                          
“How will leaving the code as it is destroy the Clans? They’ve thrived under it for many seasons.”
                          
“It’s a new dawn, son. The code makes us weak, and there are many threats still to come to the Clans, whether it’s in your lifetime or not. Emberpaw will have many cats behind her, but she will ruin Shadepaw’s plan from the inside out if you don’t help stop her.”
                          
“How do you know?” Blackfeather mewed, desperate for answers. The last time he’d trusted her, she seemed to be wrong. Emberpaw wasn’t dangerous, not intentionally.
                          
“I’m a StarClan cat. If you don’t believe me, I believe someone else can change your mind.”
                          
The she-cat began to walk away. Blackfeather hissed and followed after her. He stopped as the trees began to die out, and the ones that stood were bare.
                          
“Flameheat,” he started. “Where are we going?”
                          
“You’ll see.”
                          
He walked in silence.
                          
“Now before I take you to see this cat, do you even know the prophecy?”
                          
“What prophecy?”
                          
“It doesn’t matter. The prophecy is wrong,” Flameheat meowed. Blackfeather felt a twinge of uneasiness. Prophecies are never wrong.
                          
“Hello, Flameheat,” Blackfeather heard. He looked up from his paws and saw a huge tabby tom. His amber eyes were dim and his claws were flexing in the dirt.
                          
“Hello, Tigerstar. This is my son, Blackfeather.”
                          
Blackfeather lashed his tail as Tigerstar’s claws traced the borderline in the dirt before him. “Nice to meet you,” Tigerstar’s voice rumbled. His eyes brightened as he looked up. Blackfeather felt sick as he stood. “Flameheat has told you practically everything we know just yet. But no matter what, trust your brother. RiverClan will become your ally.”