Facing A Forest of Shadows

Prologue {Edited}

A small group of cats sat, huddled at the bank of a rounded pond. They looked around at each other with apprehension. Surely they had not gathered to exchange good news. The largest of the group, a powerful gray tom, stood to speak.

"But I thought the forest wanted peace! Now you're saying that it will..." Stormsurge's voice trailed off. A similar gray she-cat, named Quickwater, stood a few paces away to answer him.

"Stormsurge, I know you must be confused. We are all confused. But the forest must keep its balance," the gray she-cat warned. She cast her gaze over the others who had assembled and knew that each one was equally disturbed by this news.

"I can see it," an orange and brown she-cat named Lilybloom muttered as she leaned forward to peer into the water. A calico, Spottedrose, sat at her side and stretched her delicate nose forward to stare deeper into its depths.

"What Quickwater says about the forest keeping its balance is true. The trees have fed on the blood of our Clanmates for many generations. Now that its supply has run dry, it will thirst for more," the orange and brown mottled she-cat muttered.

Spottedrose continued to stare into the water. Perhaps she hoped to find an answer in its murky depths. Quickwater dipped her head and turned to whisper something to the cat that sat next to her.

As the group whispered amongst themselves, a vision began to unfold within the ripples in the pond. The hazy figures of cats cowered in the center of the pool, their eyes darted back and forth, their pelts spiked with fear. A furious white storm of snowflakes circled the apparitions, thick enough to shield them from the shadows near the banks of the pond.

The StarClan cats had grown silent, mesmerized by the vision on the face of the water. Time felt suspended as the foggy figures remained behind the comforting wall of white, feathery flakes. Suddenly, the bushes behind the StarClan cats parted and a chestnut brown tabby burst into the open.

He bolted over to the edge of the group and started to push his way through. "I'm not late, am I?" he asked in a rush as he came to stand with the other cats. Small curls of black fog caressed his paws and stretched down to brush the face of the pool.

"It seems you have just barely made it, Mudstar," Lilybloom replied as she stood beside the water. Stormsurge growled from his spot beside the bank, his eyes narrowed as he watched Mudstar.

"How do we know this omen didn't come from the Place of No Stars? I don't see why Mudstar needs to be here," Stormsurge hissed. A few of the other cats huffed in agreement.

Spottedrose pushed through the crowd to Mudstar's side. She raised her tail for silence as she looked at the brown tabby with kind, gentle eyes.

"We can not judge the Dark Forest warriors for their mistakes," she meowed with a glance towards Stormsurge, "Some of them were only following their way of life. They still care for our Clanmates that live in the snow covered territories," she meowed loudly in the hopes that they could all hear her over the brewing storm.

Mudstar bowed his head, "thank you, Spottedrose. Now that StarClan has finally assembled, I feel more at ease."

Spottedrose bent her tail to rest across his back and turned to rest her eyes upon the vision once more. The other StarClan cats had grown quiet, their attention fixed back on the luminous water.

The white storm that surrounded the figures had started to fade. A few of the older StarClan ancients bent together to interpret its meaning. As the white barrier faded, the shadows at the banks of the pond began to surge towards the hazy figures that had been hidden behind it.

The curled shadows flicked forward to touch the frightened figures in the center of the water. One by one, the cat-like blurs distorted and changed forms. Some of them turned to lash out at the figures beside them.

"This looks bad," Mudstar murmured. Spottedrose watched in horror as the figures started to dissolve. Most of the cats turned to speak with their companions closest to them, their voices tinged with dismay.

"What does this mean?"

"Will this be the end of IceClan?"

"How long do we have to warn our Clanmates?"

Lilybloom yowled as she attempted to quiet the clamor around her. "Nothing will be figured out by you all cackling like foxes! We must warn our Clanmates immediately; but warning them of this threat before we've discussed it will only make them afraid."

"What do you think this means Lilybloom?" Spottedrose asked. The she-cat shrugged, she really had no idea.

"Then maybe we should wait, and hope for a clearer sign," Quickwater decided.

"Yes, that is what we will do. If everyone else is satisfied, we shall speak again after we have gathered more information," Lilybloom announced. All of the StarClan cats bowed their heads in agreement before they turned to disappear into the star-studded forest. Mudstar nudged Spottedrose with his muzzle before he turned to leave.

"I'm sure Frostfeather and Pineheart will be alright," Mudstar murmured

"But what about Blizzardstar?" Spottedrose begged.

Mudstar chuckled, "What about Blizzardstar? He can take care of himself."

Spottedrose nodded but still wasn't entirely convinced. She mewed a small farewell as Mudstar trotted back through the black misted trees at the far end of the clearing. This first omen for the StarClan cats would not be easy to decipher, but the survival of IceClan would depend on it.