Summary: After the devastating fire that destroyed ShadowClan territory, all of the Clans are left with a tight bond; but not all mysteries about the Clans have been unraveled. Tinypaw fears her new mentor will destroy her, Skullpaw's loyalties are divided to the limit, and the mystery surrounding Gorsepaw's past stirs torn hearts in ThunderClan and WindClan. New, horrible forces are rising, and the prophecy's prediction just might tear apart the new friendship between the Clans. Hidden love, new beginnings, and lurking shadows threaten every cat that dare crosses their path...
...Welcome, readers, to the second book in my series, "The Dawn's Beginning: Book 2: Lurking Darkness", made from my create-a-cat submissions from the first book. Thus the adventure of Skullpaw, Tinypaw, Moonpaw, and Riverpaw continues as the prophecy is revealed and acknowledged.
Enjoy!
Prologue
A ginger tabby tom prowled through the forest, sniffing the air; his green eyes flashed as he reached an abandoned Twoleg nest, where the sound of voices reached his pricked ears.
"Good evening, Boss," a black and white tom mewed smoothly as the ginger tabby entered the nest; the tabby ignored him and sat down, eyes slit with disgust.
The black and white tom exchanged a nervous glance with a black she-cat and another white tom. "...Boss?" the black and white asked the tabby after a long silence.
"...Have you completed your tasks?" the tabby asked smoothly, examining his unsheathed claws.
"Yes, sir." The black she-cat spoke up. "The Clans have returned to their posts in their territories, Fishsplash has become a mentor to that brat, and Shredder here," she flicked her tail to the black and white tom, "has gathered his recruits of rogues and loners in TwolegPlace."
"Thank you, Joon," the tabby mewed smoothly, and the black she-cat let out a silent sigh of relief.
The white tom piped up, "L-Last moon, you said I would get a task the next time..." he trailed off as the tabby's gaze flicked to him.
"Ah yes," the tabby mewed, as if suddenly remembering, "you are to fetch that rogue wandering ShadowClan territory and bring him to me so I can convince him to join our rebellion." The white tom gulped, as if the tabby had sent him to death; as far as he knew, he probably had.
"Yes, sir." the white tom mewed, too quietly to hear.
"What was that, Benny?" the tabby mewed smoothly, dangerously.
"Y-Yes, sir!" the white tom, Benny, mewed, his voice cracking.
"That's what I thought you said." The tabby meowed sharply. He turned back to Shredder and Joon. "You shall go back to your Twoleg and watch ShadowClan and ThunderClan. All of you, return to me with your reports no later than the new moon. Dismissed." The tabby flicked his tail, and the three cats, Shredder, Benny, and Joon, stood and padded out quickly. Soon, the tabby was alone in the nest, knowing that his plan was falling into to place, step by step.
He stood, his claws scraping the stone beneath him, and bounded out of the Twoleg nest and back into the forest.
Behind him, hidden deep in the shadows, shimmering green eyes opened, and a glint of sharp claws reflected the light of the sunrise that spilled into the den. The eyes gave a small, inaudible chuckle, and closed once more, the shape hidden again in the darkness.
Please review! Alliances up!