PROLOGUE

Shade was miserable. For a moon now, he had been on the streets, starving, thirsty, and cold. He managed to survive on the thin mice that crossed his path and the metallic-tinted human water. Most nights were spent crouched in holes or bushes. Sometimes he could squeeze into warm places, since he was barely six moons and still pretty small.

But the worst part were the memories. You see, life hadn't always been this way for Shade. When he was younger, he remembered plump prey, plentiful rain, and a warm place snuggled in between his littermates.

Humans had changed all that, however. A group of them had come and lit a fire in the forest. At first they contained it in a little circle of rocks. Then the wind began to blow, and embers flew. The next thing he knew, the clearing was ablaze.

Mindless with fear, Shade and his family fled from the blaze. As far as he knew, his parents were devoured instantly by the flames. His littermates ran beside him, fear-scent and smoke making them cough as they ran. After a moment, he ran alone. He didn't know what happened to them, and he didn't want to know.

Shade escaped to the human territory, a place of cold, inflammable bricks. For a while, the presence of so many things that couldn't serve as tinder comforted him. But before long, he found himself longing desperately for soft grass underpaw and trees on all sides. The bricks and stone became oppressing and depressing.

In happier times, just a month ago, his mother had told him tales about four clans that lived south of the human territory. On dark, starry nights, she would often spin tales of glory and freedom in the clans, tales about fierce cats ruled only by an honor code. They were wild, but they survived by safety in numbers.

That life had always seemed fun, but hard compared to Shade's, where food was handed to him from his parents and he never had to fight for anything. But now, that life seemed appealing. At the very least, it was better than his current lifestyle.

He turned to the south. The forest was his last hope now.

Dovekit was curled at her mother's side, relaxing sleepily. Her brother and sister, Blackkit and Shadowkit, were play fighting beside them, while her other brother Sparrowkit groomed himself quietly in the corner. Since only one other queen was in the nursery now, and her kits were older, they often had the whole place to themselves.

"Let's play four clans!" Blackkit shouted. "I call WoodClan!"

"You always get WoodClan!" Shadowkit complained. Dovekit was with her- since WoodClan was their own clan, everyone always wanted to be that clan's leader. Blackkit hissed.

Suddenly the other queen, Grayfur, stuck her head in the nursery, momentarily breaking apart what would soon become a full-blown fight between leadership of WoodClan.

"Frosttail, come quickly. Something's happening at the camp entrance!" she said, then vanished, no doubt eager to see the commotion. Grayfur loved gossip.

Frosttail, their mother, rose to her paws. "Stay here, kits," she said, following her friend.

Of course, as soon as she was gone, Blackkit led them stealthily out the nursery. At the camp entrance, a large group of cats were circled around something. Blackkit boldly shoved through to the front of the crowd, gaining some disapproving looks from their elders. Dovekit blushed, but was too curious to retreat.

In the center of the cats was a small black tom, hardly older than she. His fur was matted and he was incredibly thin. His amber eyes were bright with hunger. In short, he was nothing but pathetic.

Birchheart, a warrior, was keeping a close eye on him. Dovekit wondered at that- the tiny tom hardly posed a threat to the clan.

Thornstar pushed his way through the crowd, similar to Blackkit's shoving, except no one shot him dirty looks. Dovekit didn't particularly like Thornstar- he was opinionated, rude, mean, and occasionally just plain unfair. She liked Stonetail, the deputy, much better. Stonetail often had the tough job of explaining Thornstar's ruder actions to the clan.

"What is this, Birchheart?" Thornstar demanded.

"I found this scrap wandering around the forest. He asked to see my leader when I confronted him. I'd think he were a lost kitty pet if he didn't tell me he knew about clans."

Thornstar pierced the young tom with his prickly gaze. "How do you know about clans, kitty pet?"

"I don't know what a kitty pet is," he squeaked out. "But I know about clans from my mother's stories."

"Birchheart, this is clearly a wandering kit whose lost his mommy. Send him on his way."

"Wait!" the tom called out boldly. Thornstar turned his gaze back to him, and he humbled again. "That's just the problem. My name is Shade. My family is dead, and I have no home. I was wondering if…" he took a deep breath. "If maybe I could join your clan."

Thornstar laughed. "Foolish kit. Does this look like the sort of clan that lets in tainted blood? Filth like you is hardly permitted on our borders, not to mention permitted in the clan!" Dovekit found herself angered by Thornstar's 'pure' blood rant.

"In any case," Thornstar said, his voice full of contempt. "You should see yourself. A scrawny tom like you wouldn't survive a day in the warrior life."

Shade raised his eyes. "Please! I have no other home!"

"And you still don't. Be beyond our borders by sunset, or I will give orders to attack." He turned his back and weaved through the crowd and back to his den.

Shade glanced around at the clan cats timidly, backed up slowly, then darted into the forest.

Many cats glanced at each other sadly. Apparently Dovekit wasn't the only one who disapproved.

"Mommy?" Sparrowkit piped up.

"Yes sweetie?" she said softly.

"Why was Thornstar so mean to that little cat?"

"I don't know, love. I just don't know."