The Prophecy
A house cat walks into the forest, and a prophecy of fire begins to come true.
The Prophecies Begin is the first arc of the Warriors series, six novels published in 2003 and 2004 and at first known simply as Warriors: Into the Wild, Fire and Ice, Forest of Secrets, Rising Storm, A Dangerous Path and The Darkest Hour. It follows the house cat Rusty, who joins ThunderClan, one of four Clans of wild cats in the forest beside his home, and rises from apprentice to leader under the names Firepaw, Fireheart and Firestar. Its villain is the ThunderClan deputy Tigerclaw, later Tigerstar. The arc opens with a prophecy from StarClan to the medicine cat Spottedleaf: 'Fire alone can save our Clan.'
Quick Facts
- Book titles
- Into the Wild
- Fire and Ice
- Forest of Secrets
- Rising Storm
- A Dangerous Path
- and The Darkest Hour
Lore & Background
In Into the Wild, Rusty becomes Firepaw, befriends Graypaw and Ravenpaw, learns that Tigerclaw murdered the deputy Redtail, and earns his warrior name by bringing back kits stolen by ShadowClan. In Fire and Ice, Fireheart and Graystripe bring the exiled WindClan home, Graystripe falls in love with Silverstream of RiverClan, and a trap Tigerclaw sets for Bluestar cripples the apprentice Cinderpaw. In Forest of Secrets, Silverstream dies bearing Graystripe's kits, Tigerclaw attacks Bluestar and is exiled, and Fireheart becomes deputy.
In Rising Storm, Bluestar loses her trust in her Clan, a fire destroys the camp, and Tigerstar emerges as leader of ShadowClan. In A Dangerous Path he turns a pack of dogs on ThunderClan, and Bluestar dies saving Fireheart. In The Darkest Hour, Firestar receives his nine lives, Tigerstar tries to merge the Clans as TigerClan and brings in BloodClan, whose leader Scourge kills him; the four Clans unite as LionClan, and Firestar kills Scourge.
Reader's Guide
Books in order: Into the Wild (2003), Fire and Ice (2003), Forest of Secrets (2003), Rising Storm (2004), A Dangerous Path (2004), The Darkest Hour (2004). Authors: Kate Cary and Cherith Baldry, writing as Erin Hunter from storylines by Victoria Holmes. Themes named for the arc: forbidden love, nature versus nurture, and characters who mix good and evil. The next arc is The New Prophecy, which begins a year later with Midnight.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the protagonist of The Prophecy?
Rusty, a house cat, is the central character; he joins ThunderClan as the apprentice Firepaw, becomes the warrior Fireheart and ends the arc as its leader, Firestar. His journey from a domesticated cat to a full warrior forms the emotional backbone of all six books.
Who is the main antagonist in The Prophecy?
Tigerclaw, ThunderClan's deputy, serves as the arc's primary villain, secretly plotting to seize control of the Clans and betray his own kin. He is exiled from ThunderClan, becomes leader of ShadowClan as Tigerstar, and is killed by Scourge, the leader of BloodClan.
What are the six books in The Prophecy in order?
The arc runs from Into the Wild through Fire and Ice, Forest of Secrets, Rising Storm and A Dangerous Path to The Darkest Hour. Each book advances Rusty's integration into ThunderClan while the larger prophecy crisis escalates.
How does The Prophecy arc end?
In the final book, The Darkest Hour, Firestar becomes leader of ThunderClan, Scourge kills Tigerstar, and the four Clans join forces to defeat BloodClan. With BloodClan scattered, the four Clans become independent once more.
More in Series Arcs & Timeline
Elsewhere in Warrior Cats
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