Skypaw and Greypaw

Prologue

Prologue

        A beautifully dappled cat padded through the trees, stepping silently with her tiny paws. She opened her jaws to taste the scent that was carried towards her on the breeze. She fluffed out her fur from the icy cold, even though it was only leaf-fall. The forest ground was littered with coloured, crunchy leaves. She quickened her pace, as she needed to be somewhere soon. She wondered briefly if the other cats would be there already, or if they were running late like her. The golden cat paused to make sure that she was alone; the forest was almost too quiet. She carried on, now in a swift sprint. She weaved through the trees and undergrowth, hoping to get to the others before the moon was hidden.

She stopped, panting, at the edge of the trees, and looked up at the land in front of her. It was a cliff, many fox-lengths high. It was where the clan cats met every moon, but this was a special occasion. She gazed up at the four ledges on the side of the cliff face. With a sinking feeling, she noticed that the three other cats were there, but were accompanied by a couple more.

She bounded down the slight slope, into the clearing. One cat had noticed her arrival and murmured something to its companions. Without hesitating, she gave a large leap onto the only bare ledge. “I'm sorry that I am late,” she apologized, blinking her large amber eyes.

“It's quite alright, Speckledwing.” A new voice spoke, a dark tabby tom. She recognized him as Bramblefang.

“Alright, now that we can start . . .” A long- haired she-cat trailed off. Her dark grey pelt shone silver in the moonlight. “Which cats were told? I, Riversong, came with Dawnstar.”

“I was. I am the representative from Frostclan,” Speckledwing spoke up. Stars glittered at her paws, as did the other cats. They were the Clans' warrior ancestors from StarClan. “Will they really try with her?”

“I also was told, as the speaker for ShadeClan,” Bramblefang added. “I brought our old medicine cat, Honeyshade.” A golden tabby sat beside him.

“He sought me out for help,” she meowed softly. “I hope I can.”

“I am for LeafClan,” an orange tabby she- cat spoke sharply. “I'm Dawnstar, from many seasons ago!” she added with a rumbling purr. She was faded more than the rest, as she had been forgotten by many cats. The older you got, the more you faded, until you disappeared completely.

“As for Sunclan, I am- was- the medicine cat,” a dark reddish brown tom meowed. “I am Foxtail.” Speckledwing noticed that his tail was unusually fluffy. “This is Hawkstar, the leader when I was medicine cat. I wanted help with this also.”

“So Dawnstar, Speckledwing, Foxtail, and Bramblefang. A leader, warrior, medicine cat and deputy? Does that mean something?” Riversong commented thoughtfully, tipping her head questioningly to the side.

“Maybe. It could be for different points of view?” Speckledwing pointed out hastily. “But anyway, we need to fix the matter at hand-”

“Fix it? We can't!” Riversong spat suddenly with her hackles raised threateningly.

“Calm down. Maybe we can help her . . .” Dawnstar scolded her medicine cat. “I don't know how. Could we warn her in her dreams?”

“Can I see this cat?” Speckledwing wondered. “Is there water nearby?” Speckledwing saw a puddle on the side of the clearing. “Come on. Don't you want to know what cat has this destiny?”

“Not much of a destiny,” Riversong muttered with her ears flat against her head.

“I agree with Speckledwing; I want to know what cat it is,” Bramblefang declared. He jumped off of the ledge, with Speckledwing right behind him. She heard paw steps farther behind, telling her that the others had the same curiosity. “Foxtail, can you reach the cat?”

“I'll try,” Foxtail promised. The dark ginger tom made his way to the front of the cats and swirled his one paw into the large puddle. It took a moment to get a reaction, “What?” He gasped in astonishment and shook his head darkly.

“What is it?” Bramblefang demanded, flicking his tail impatiently.

“See for yourself!” he invited. Speckledwing crept closer, while the other cats peered around. A small bluish cat was stalking through the undergrowth, hunting, in the vision.

“An apprentice?” Speckledwing questioned.

“That can't be right! It would at least be a warrior?” Dawnstar exclaimed in astonishment. “She won't stand a chance!”

“She's young,” Riversong spoke the obvious, looking sad. Her intense blue eyes brimmed with sorrow. “A life would be wasted if she doesn't pull through.”

“Can't we warn her in her dreams?” Honeyshade hoped. That question had gone unanswered when Dawnstar asked.

“You know we can't under these circumstances. We wouldn't be able to change her future, anyway,” Bramblefang meowed, flexing his claws. He looked almost annoyed.

“She may be an apprentice, but she is from my clan. FrostClan cats are strong and loyal- there is no way she would break the warrior code, no matter who told her. I believe she will realize before it is too late,” Speckledwing meowed defiantly, lifting her chin and standing taller.”

“Are you sure?” Dawnstar demanded.

Speckledwing had a tiny prickle of doubt, but she had to have faith in her distant Clanmate, “Yes, I am. I shall keep an eye on her, and I will report back to you at our next meeting.”

“I suppose. We'll meet here again exactly a moon from now,” Hawkstar proposed.

“That is fine, but we must be going back,” Foxtail agreed, gazing at every cat briefly.

“Next moon then,” Speckledwing promised. The cats padded apart, even though they all had to go back to StarClan. Speckledwing's beautiful pelt prickled with fear and dread at the coming danger. The cats around her also were afraid, but mostly for the fate of a young, promising, FrostClan cat.