Chapter 1

It was a bright, sunny day in the StarClan hunting grounds, and two cats were sharing tongues as they listened underneath a towering pine. Pine needles littered the ground where a small excited black and white cat with a striped, badger-like face was telling the two older cats a story.

"And then I said, Wow! But I bet you can't catch another! But he said, bet I can! Then we ran together to Fourtrees and then I caught a squirrel! It was a great catch, even Talonpaw thought so! I was stalking it really quietly through a bramble bush, but then suddenly a bird flew away and scared it. It ran really fast towards a really big tree, but I was faster! I leaped out of that bush in a flash and pounced on it just as it was about to scamper away into the tree. It was so exciting!" He finished enthusiastically.

"Wow, Badgerfang. I'm impressed. Did Talonpaw catch another thrush in the end?" the dark grey and white she-cat asked admiringly as she stretched her long, sleek legs.

"Yes, Badgerfang, so tell. Did he?" the other cat inquired. She was a dark ginger cat with brown legs and ears, one of which was torn from a previous battle.

"No, he didn't! I was so surprised! For once, Talonpaw didn't catch anything! But I bet you would of Amberleaf. You're a great hunter!" Badgerfang praised the ginger she-cat.

"Thank you Badgerfang. But you should hunt with some of the other cats in the clan. Then you'll see that I'm not the only skilled hunter in StarClan," Amberleaf told him modestly. "Anyway, you'd better be getting back to the camp. It's almost dark, and I'm sure Talonpaw and Volepaw would love to play with you before we eat tonight," she said as she rose to her paws.

"Ok Amberleaf. See you later!" Badgerfang called happily as he ran towards the camp.

Amberleaf shook her head at his quickly receding tail. "Hollyflower, how do you put up with these young cats every day?" She asked the other cat who had risen from a long, luxurious stretch and was now standing and watching the spot where the young warrior had disappeared. "They're so tiresome," Amberleaf sighed.

"Well, you're pretty good with those apprentices as well, you know. I think old age has softened your tongue," Hollyflower teased. She walked past her friend and flicked her long tail against her flank. "In fact, I think age has softened you!" Hollyflower commented cheekily.

"What! I'll get you for that!" Amberleaf growled as she pounced on her companions back. "Ha!" She yelled triumphantly as Hollyflower collapsed under her weight.

"Oh, get off me you great lump!" Hollyflower's muffled voice cried from beneath Amberleaf's ginger fur.

"Nope! I think I'll just stay – hey!" She yelped as Hollyflower wriggled around and hooked her legs underneath her captor. In a second, she was thrown off and winded, lying prone on her back, at the mercy of her very ruffled, pine needle covered prisoner.

"I told you to get off!" Hollyflower harrumphed. "Come on now," she called over her shoulder to her recovering companion. "I want to talk to Cedarstar before we share tongues."

Hollyflower and Amberleaf were walking side by side through the towering trees, their paws falling silently on the pine needles as they talked. "I wonder what the others caught today?" Amberleaf pondered as she flicked a cold of dirt out of her claws. "Because I'm really in the mood for a nice plump thrush after that story. I would also like to check on Flametail before I go to my nest tonight. He was looking really worried for some reason this morning. He was mumbling something about a curse on the stars and some sort of enemy. Olivenose was trying to console him when I left to come and see Badgerfang."

Hollyflower smiled thoughtfully. "Yes, Badgerfang. He is really shaping up and becoming a real warrior. Flintfang is a very good teacher, and he is very proud of him, even if he is a bit kit-like for a warrior sometimes. But I suppose that's not his fault…" With that, Hollyflower walked on ahead, seemingly lost in thought.

"Hollyflower, Hollyflower!" the two cats heard as they squeezed through the bramble entrance of camp, only to meet with a camp full of chaos. Badgerfang ran up with a small brown apprentice, both panting excitedly. "Hollyflower, Amberleaf! SkyClan is here!"

"What!" Amberleaf exclaimed. She immediately leaped forwards to follow the steady stream of fur that was flashing by, towards the unused leader's den. Hollyflower watched as Volepaw excitedly squeaks that he's going to find Talonpaw and Mosspaw and races off as well. As Amberleaf neared the den, she caught a glimpse of yellow blocking the entrance to the den. She shouldered her way through the jostling flanks of the other cats. Eventually, she managed to snake her way to the front of the crowd.

Before her stood a pale tabby tom. At his shoulder crouched a tall, dark grey tom, with thick, matted fur and huge pale blue eyes.

"Micah and Skywatcher," the skinny elder beside Amberleaf breathed in awe. "SkyClan's ancestors have arrived!"

Amberleaf narrowed her eyes. "What are they doing here, and without warning at that?" She muttered to herself. "This can only mean trouble…" She took a deep breath and walked out of the whispering crowd, towards the SkyClan cats. As she came forward, all eyes turned to watch her, and the crowd stilled.

"Skywatcher. My name is Amberleaf. Why are you here?" Skywatcher turned so he was staring at her with his deep, piercing eyes.

"We are here to ask for your help. SkyClan is in terrible danger."

Suddenly, a flash of ginger fur burst from the crowd. Flametail stood rigidly in front of Amberleaf, a panicked, glazed look in his eyes. Even when Olivenose worked her way out of the crowd to the front of the other cats and called to him he didn't falter. He stared fixedly at the StarClan cats as he started speaking.

"A forgotten enemy shall invade the land,

They shall curse the stars through a sleight of hand;

The noble shall reign unto this day,

When the sun and moon their minds shall sway."

As soon as he finished speaking he collapsed onto his stomach, his legs splayed out around him. Olivenose was with him in a second and after making sure he was still breathing, she called, "Sagewhisker! Come and help me, please. Quickly!" Sagewhisker raced out of the medicine den where she had been sorting herbs with Yellowfang. "Help me get onto my back," Olivenose said hurriedly as she crouched down beside him. "I'll take him to a nest in the medicine den. "Sagewhisker nosed her muzzle under Flametail's body and heaved him onto Olivenose's back. Olivenose staggered under his weight but tottered towards the medicine den with Sagewhisker supporting him, Yellowfang watching attentively from the medicine den's entrance.

Every cat that had witnessed the strange scene stood stunned and confused, waiting for someone to explain what had just happened.

"So…" Micah said slowly. "Does that happen often around here?"

"No," Amberleaf answered cautiously as she watched the SkyClan cats through narrowed eyes. "No, it doesn't."

The black elder who had spoken earlier crept forwards distrustfully and addressed the shocked SkyClan cats. "What horrors have you brought in your wake?"