Breathing Darkness

by OwlThatShadowsMoon

WindClan and ShadowClan are at odds over borders and prey-stealing and war seems imminent. Dawnstar, the leader of ShadowClan, is doing all she can to avoid a battle, but not even she can deny a prophecy from StarClan. A brave warrior and a young medicine cat apprentice must work together to bring peace to the Clans once more...but at what cost?

2. Prologue

Prologue

Scores of cats, their fur glittering in the blackness, arranged themselves before a lithe she-cat, fixing their unified gaze upon her. The softness in their eyes washed over her a sea of calmness.

"Welcome," they said, one voice sounding from many mouths.

The she-cat trembled in awe of the ghostly cats, unsure of what to do. From her left, a commanding white tom separated himself from the group and came to stand in front of the she-cat, his eyes kind and reassuring. When he spoke her name, his voice echoed throughout the emptiness with a hearty rumble. Silence gripped the she-cat as the white tom gently laid his tail on her shoulder and touched his nose to hers.

Intense energy, cold and fierce, pulsed through her as the powerful tom's life charged into her body. There was pain in his memories, pain and despair. But there was also hope, joy, and perseverance.

"With this life, I give you resilience," the white warrior intoned. "May it give you strength in your most desperate hour."

As he pulled away from her, the she-cat staggered, the white energy still crackling through her body. Turning, the powerful warrior once again took his place in the ranks of the shining cats.

One by one, other cats took the white tom's place before the thin she-cat, flooding her veins with new life. A cream and sable she-cat rose and padded toward the newly made Clan leader. Love and trust poured from her eyes as she leaned forward to bestow her ninth life upon her.

"With this life, I give you duty to yourself. Use it when faced with hard decisions. Trust yourself, or no one else will."

The life that pulsed from the ghostly she-cat's nose burned with an icy intensity, full of determination, but also anguish. As the StarClan cat pulled away, the new Clan leader rose to her paws, fighting the fatigue that threatened to drag her to the ground. She held her head high, her eyes brimming with the life experiences she had just shared. StarClan yowled her name as her vision slowly faded into darkness.

I will lead ShadowClan into victory, she thought to herself. I will avenge your death.