Prologue Part One: 'Flight of the Robin'
~Leaftail's Point of View~
"I have to go on this journey, Graystar. I can't ignore StarClan's messages especially when it's something that could be critical to the future of not just WindClan, but ThunderClan, ShadowClan, and RiverClan as well." I plead with the gray and white tabby tomcat, my fur bristling as I recall the dream that I had just experienced.
Graystar narrows his dull green eyes, his ancient age showing with each movement as he roams around his bramble den. I was afraid that he was going to lose another of his nine lives to his age soon… There wasn't anything I could do about it.
"You want to travel from the Lake to the Sundrown Place in the beginning of new-leaf because of one little dream of a badger that hasn't been seen in almost a hundred seasons? On top of that, you're telling me this only moments after you went through this dream? Are you sure it wasn't just a dream?" He probes, obviously not believing much of what I said.
"I can tell the difference between a normal dream and an omen. I didn't become a Medicine Cat for nothing." I counter, impatient.
"Could you at least explain the dream to me in more detail?" The shaggy tom murmers.
I take a breath. "I was in a forest that I couldn't recognize. It was colder than it is here and it was at night, and most of the trees where taller than in ThunderClan territory. There wasn't a single living thing.. Not even birds, or squirrels, or mice, or anything.. So I wandered around for a few minutes until I came across a large pool of water that reflected moonlight like the Moonpool."
"Continue." He commands when I pause.
"I watched my reflection in the pool, then suddenly someone pushed me into it. When I recovered and got to the surface, I saw a calico she-cat standing on the shore with glowing red eyes that had pushed me in. Then she fades away into nothingness and gets replaced by a huge badger who watched me for a few heartbeats, then she said, 'The maple leaf can be blown away by the beating wings of a robin.'…" I stop there, running out of air.
I stand still as he processes my depiction of the dream, alarmed by his lengthened silence. I finally speak up. "Only Midnight can speak cat. I think I should go to her home."
"Why do you think that?" He asks.
"If I don't, then I might be dooming the Clans to something horrible… I really don't want to risk that." I try my best to justify it. "At least it won't be that cold.. And there won't be much snow."
"I'll allow it. But only because I trust your judgement." He concludes, slowly nodding. "Just pray that you're right. Don't break that trust."
"Thank you! I won't let you down." I smile gratefully, turning to exit his den.
"One more thing!" He calls to me as I stood just outside. "Take your brother with you."
"I shall. We'll leave just before dawn." I nod.
I step into the clearing, ignoring the mud that started to stain my fur as rain poured down in the middle of the camp. My Clanmates were all huddled in their dens as it was the middle of the night and it was far too cold and damp to be outside. Even the guards were called off because I advised that they would get sick in this weather.
We should make dens for the guards.. I mentally noted that so that I could suggest it to Rainfeather before my journey.
I cross the clearing and make my way into the Warriors den, searching for the cat that Graystar had chosen to accompany me. I spot him in one of the many nests and make my way towards him, trying my best to not disturb any of the Warriors sleeping in their nests.
The ginger and black tom groans as I prod his shoulder with one of my forepaws, trying to wake him. "Go away, I'm not on guard duty." He mumbles.
"This is a bit more important than guard duty, Orioleflight. We're going to the Sundrown Place." I whisper to him. He opens his eyes and looks up at me, surprised.
"The Sundrown Place?"
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Allegiance: 'WindClan'
WindClan Leader:
Graystar, old long-furred gray and white tabby tomcat with white whiskers. Bright green eyes.
WindClan Deputy:
Rainfeather, short-furred blue-gray she-cat with brown stripes down her sides. Amber eyes.
WindClan Medicine Cat:
Leaftail, short-furred light brown she-cat with white paws and tail. Amber eyes.
WindClan Warriors:
Orioleflight, short-furred orange and brown tomcat with half black half orange face. Sky blue eyes.
Oliveleaf, short-furred calico she-cat. Unusual blue and green eyes (Mentor to Houndpaw).
Rabbithop, short-furred dusty gray she-cat with a short tail. Amber eyes (Mentor to Stormpaw).
Henwhisker, long-furred wiry brown she-cat with white forepaws. Yellow eyes (Mentor to Puddlepaw).
Chestnutfoot, long-furred light brown tabby tomcat. Amber eyes.
Horsepelt, short-furred slim russet tomcat with a darker back. Green eyes.
Buzzardeye, long-furred white she-cat. Piercing yellow eyes (Mentor to Shiverpaw).
Chivefeather, short-furred light gray tomcat with darker splotches. Pale blue eyes.
Petaltail, short-furred dusky brown she-cat and light brown tail tip. Green eyes.
Hickorysong, short-furred brown dappled tabby she-cat. Hazel eyes.
Frostwhisper, long-furred white and silver tabby tomcat. Dark blue eyes.
Wolfstorm, long-furred dark brown and black tabby tomcat. Dark brown eyes.
WindClan Apprentices:
Puddlepaw, long-furred brown tomcat with a white underbelly and paws. Amber eyes.
Stormpaw, short-furred gray and white tabby tomcat. Amber eyes.
Houndpaw, short-furred black and white patched she-cat. Copper eyes.
Shiverpaw, short-furred grey and white speckled she-cat with dark paws. Turqoise eyes.
WindClan Queens:
Redspirit, short-furred tall red she-cat with darker paws. Amber eyes (Mother to Ashkit and Ravenkit. Pale gray and tuxedo black tomcats with identical brown eyes).
WindClan Elders:
Badgerheart, long-furred black tabby tom with a lean build. Dark amber eyes (Oldest Warrior in the Clan).
Speckleblaze, short-furred gray and black mottled she-cat. Green eyes.
Cats Outside the Clans:
Robin, short-furred tan she-cat with brown spots and a cream underbelly. Rusty Spotted Cat. Brown eyes.
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Prologue Part Two: 'Flight of the Robin'
~Robin's Point of View~
"You're lucky that many animals here respect you, otherwise you would've been crowfood a long time ago." The tod growls, creeping around me in a circle as I confronted him for raiding a beaver dam. He had killed a pair of infant beavers for food.
Stupid fox! Doesn't he realize those beavers will go after him?
"For your own sake, you should get out of the forest for a while. Those beavers are mad and they won't stop until they hunt you down." I murmer, undetered by his huge size compared to my own.
You see, I am what's called a Rusty Spotted Cat. We were the smallest of the various species of cat, and often no bigger than a rabbit. I was the only example of my kind in the forest and I was often made fun of and underestimated because of it. I couldn't even hunt prey larger than a mouse or a vole due to my size.
"They couldn't catch a turtle if they wanted to!" He jeers, shouting upstream of the creek that we were on the shore of; towards the small beaver dam that he had escaped from. "They got lucky that I couldn't take my catch with me!"
I roll my eyes. "If you think they're so slow, then why don't you go back there and make fun of them for it?"
"Maybe I will." He scoffs then trots off, looking over his shoulder. "Bye, midget!"
Bye, moron. I smirk as he disappears unto the undergrowth. He's going to regret that. I let out an exasperated groan and start off down the shore, listening to the young tod as he stumbles through brambles and other messy foilage.
I always liked how my paws created tracks in the mud. I could often confuse other predators that I was a rabbit and I could scare them. That is, if they didn't try to kill me first… I learned my lesson after I did that to a bobcat who ended up taking a chunk out of my shoulder.
I prick my ears when I hear a loud shriek, signalling to me that the fox already encountered the beavers.
"Get away from me, vermin!" I hear his fear stricken voice as he gets jumped by them, completely unprepared for their attack.
Every time…
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I stare down at the pool, unamused by my bored expressions and my bland brown eyes. I wasn't sure how I got here, but at the moment I didn't care.
"Robin." I spin around when I voice whispers my name near my ear.
My mother stood before me, her eyes no longer dull and lifeless from when I last saw her. I got separated from my family after humans captured us… We were all starved to death and I was the only one that was able to escape. I knew my father had died, but I did not know if my mother and my siblings had died too.
"Mom?" I gape, unsure of how to react to her appearance. She didn't look frail and bony anymore.. She looked well fed and healthy. Her brown eyes shown in the moonlight. "You're alive?"
"I cannot answer that. I am only here with a warning." She murmers to me, her voice soft and motherly. "When the maple leaf falls, you must fly."
"What is that supposed to mean? I don't have wings." I echo, confused. But as I replied, her form was already starting to fade.
"We love you. Never forget us…" She purrs, her eyes glowing as her body disappears.
"Wait! Where are you? I want to find you!" I shout, losing my cool and standing on end. But she was gone.
Then, everything when dark.
What the- I woke up in my nest, my fur sticking out in every place and with a painful headache. I was back in my hollowed out den, keeping out of the rainfall.
I'm all alone now… Aren't I?
