A dusky brown she-cat sat by a pond, her tail swishing through the short reeds. Her fur shimmered brightly, the moon casting a beautiful glow onto her pelt. She bent her head, staring at the pond.

A rustling came from nearby, and from the undergrowth emerged a large white tom, his fur also shining with stars, but not nearly as many as the she-cat.

The dusky cat looked up, blue eyes glistening as she saw the tom. "Snowtalon," she breathed, rushing forward and burying her nose into his thick fur. "You're here. I waited for you. I waited all this time." Her voice was choked in emotion, and the two shared a brief moment, simply standing there together in each others presence.

"I've missed you, Duskflower. The Clan has. The kits, Mintcloud and Stonestep. They have litters now. They grew up to be such good warriors.." Snowtalon rambled on, and Duskflower laughed lightly, the sound a tinkling noise in the still night.

"I know. I know. Don't think I ever missed a precious moment. Mintcloud and Stonestep's ceremony. When they found love and had kittens of their own." Duskflower turned her head to the pond, staring into the calm waters. "I even witnessed your.. your death."

Duskflower took a seat at the pond bank once again, gesturing for Snowtalon to do the same. The tom did as told, pressing against her comfortingly.

"Did it hurt?" Duskflower couldn't help but ask, the image of her mate bleeding to death permanently embedded into her memory.

"The badger attack?" Snowtalon was slightly surprised by this question. It was an odd thing to ask, after all. "No. I lived a good life, and now I'm with you. I wouldn't have gone any other way. It beats rotting as an elder."

Duskflower purred, a faint smile tugging at her muzzle. "Always the same, disrespectful as ever. I'm glad to see you. I am. But we must discuss things," she mewed, her eyes turning from playful and light to a more serious tone, moody and dark. "RiverClan is not safe. StarClan, all four Clans are not safe. But RiverClan will be first. The first to go."

Snowtalon frowned, looking concerned. "But how? Why?"

"There have been visions foreseen. Many visions. Horrible ones, Snowtalon. Our kits, the Clan. It doesn't end well, my dear." She touched a paw to the water, and it rippled, showing many images in the crystal clear water.

"Reedstar will fall. He is a noble leader, and it will be far before his time. But he will go first," Duskflower swallowed. "The river for which we were named for, it will be the end of us all."

Snowtalon narrowed his eyes at the reflections that rippled clearly in the water. "How can this be so? A flood? Surely not, it's coming into leaf-bare. The water will freeze, not overflow. Will the water become tainted with twoleg trash again?"

Duskflower shook her head. "It's worse this time, my dear. Perhaps it was good that you came before this was all going to happen."

"But Duskflower," The snowy tom breathed, "Mintcloud and Stonestep! They have kin of their own. Their children are too young to die. Merely apprentices and kittens."

The she-cat looked regretful, suddenly wishing that she was not the one to deliver the news to her mate. She pushed on, however and ignored Snowtalon's words. "Things are going to get very bad. Just when everything is seemingly better, another event will strike the Clans. It starts with River. Wind will succumb next, Shadow, the third, and Thunder, ever strong, will survive until the very end. And then we begin to fade. All cats deceased will not even have the comfort of walking with StarClan. When StarClan fades, so will we, and remaining cats will be cast to the Dark Forest, regardless of age, history or descent."

Snowtalon's eyes glimmered in concern, and he shuffled his paws. "What could possibly wreck the Clans like that? They are strong, very much so. It would take a great amount of cats to bring them to destruction."

Duskflower shook her head, looking up to the misty sky. "They are not quite cats, my dear. It is a different matter all together. They're... spirits, of a sort. Not even StarClan knows much about them. We had suspicions about the Place of No Stars, but it seems even them are not capable of such a feat."

Snowtalon continued to press forward, not wanting to believe that his beloved home would be in destruction. "Well, surely you can send some special cat, perhaps a prophecy or something?"

"Don't you see, Snowtalon? This is too far out of StarClan's league. They must battle it out for themselves, we have no control over these things," her voice was soft, yet firm. "Although, I suppose I could manage a small warning of sorts. But who will we send it to?"

"The medicine cat, of course!"

Duskflower shook her head for the millionth time that night. "No. She is not the right one. Talented as she is, well.. How about Mintcloud's litter? They are almost apprentices, maybe in about two sunrises? I know that Mistkit has the path of a medicine cat."

"But to burden a kitten? Our kin?" Snowtalon knew his protests sounded petty and pathetic, but he knew he had to at least try.

"It will not be a burden. She is not one with a great destiny, as cruel as it is to say. Mistkit will simply have to deliver a message, the job of a normal medicine cat apprentice."

Snowtalon slowly nodded his consent, and Duskflower smiled, although her expression was still rather grave. "It will be done then. Come now, let us consult with some of the more senior cats around here. Great courses of action will be needed."

RiverClan

Leader - Reedstar - A thin, ruffled light brown tabby tom.

Deputy - Minnowflower - A pretty, white she-cat with a light grey ear.

Medicine Cat - Dappleleaf - Dappled brown and golden she-cat.

Warriors -

Stormstrike - A large dark grey tom with amber eyes.

Lilyfern - Small, white she-cat with a single streak of grey.

Pebblestream - Light blue-grey she-cat. Blue eyes.

Icefur - Pure white she-cat with blue eyes. Deaf.

Fishclaw - Short-furred silver-grey tom with long claws.

Silversplash - Light silver she-cat with a white chest.

Stonestep - Black tom with big grey paws.

Marshthorn - Dark brown tom. Narrow green eyes.

Rainflight - Streaked blue-grey she-cat. Long fur.

Snowfang - White tom with a patch of ginger.

Dovetail - White she-cat with grey patches. Long tail.

Breezetalon - Small, patched white and black cat.

Goldenwhisker - A golden she-cat with darker flecks.

Hawkflame - A handsome dark, ashy grey and brown tom

Darktooth - Pure black tom with amber eyes.

Splashflower - A light white she with splashes of ginger.

Apprentices -

Redpaw - A russet tom with a white chest.

Streampaw - Streaked white and silver she-cat.

Featherpaw - Spotted grey she-cat with a feathery tail.

Dewpaw - A pretty golden and cream she-cat.

Mosspaw - Earthy coloured tom with brown eyes.

Queens -

Roselight (Expecting Stormstrike's kits)

Brightpetal - (Expecting kits, father unknown)

Mintcloud - A light tawny she-cat with dark green eyes. (Mistkit - a striped grey and white she-cat, Hailkit - a streaked silver kit with green eyes. Fathered by Marshthorn)

Elders -

Russetnose - A light russet-coloured tom.

Yellowpelt - A large yellow she-cat.