The full moon shone down on the shallow pool. Four cats were gathered on its edges. A she-cat stepped forward. She dipped a claw in the pool and small ripples were sent forward. She gasped and jumped back in shock. The others looked at her, their pelts shimmering with star-light. "There's a new prophecy…" she whispered. A golden tom stepped forward.
"Well, what's it about, Icestar" he asked impatiently.
"Patience Goldstar, let her breath. Take as long as you as you like, Icestar," said a fluffy gray she-cat. Icestar dipped her head in thanks and cleared her throat "Stars shall die a sun shall rise, and four young paws hold the fate of the Clans in their claws. A blind warrior could tell us what that means: the Clans are in danger! Eclipse will know what the danger is --"
"Why don't we just tell the Clan leaders?" interrupted a dark tabby laying in the shadows of the trees in a mocking voice.
"We don't know what the danger is Maliceheart, you fox-hearted mouse-brain!!" Wolfstar retorted, her fur bristling.
"Brightstar, I was redeemed when I died, remember?" he said unsheathing his claws. Wolfstar readied herself for an attack. --
"STOP!!" Icestar howled, "Don't you see every second we bicker, is a precious second we are wasting. We must four cats to go a journey to find Eclipse." Brightstar and Goldstar glanced at each other. Smiles spread acrossed the old friends' faces.
"So, we each get to choose a cat?" Brightstar asked. "Yes"Wolfstar replied. An image of two cats, curled up sleeping appeared. The dark tabby like Brightstar opened his eyes and licked the fiery ginger she-cat's ear and laid back down.
"Foxpaw and Tigerpaw, My son will be a natural leader just like me" Icestar stifled a mrrow of laughter. Brightstar continued "Foxpaw will keep him in line... these are my and Goldstar's choices"
"Blackpaw, of NightClan" Wolfstar said as the image of a Black she-cat, stalking in the dark appeared in the pool. And a fourth cat, a tabby She-cat with icy eyes just like the Icestar.
"Dawnpaw, Tigerpaw's sister, who knows what diseases the cats will face, they will need a medicine cat." She told them. All of them nodded. The images of the cats disappeared, and the full moon reappeared. "The four must become one if they're to succeed. Tigerpaw, Foxpaw, Blackpaw, and Dawnpaw: all from great legacies, all about to make their own. If they make it to Eclipse alive, the Clans will survive, if not, StarClan will parish with the Clans"…………
Part 14
Stars shall fall…..
Tigerpaw eyes shot open, his tabby pelt bristling. He had had that same dream for over a moon now, and it was it more bizarre each time: this time, he was Face to face with a gray fox, and he could hear his father whispering some thing in his ear, but all he could remember was those words. He felt Foxpaw starting to stir next to him. She had been sleeping next to him since his mother died.
She rose her head, her green eyes sparkling with something Tigerpaw didn't realize. "You're up early" she mewed. She affectionately licked his ear. "Come on, go back to sleep…"
"I can't, I'm on the dawn-patrol with Shadowstream and Braveheart. NightClan have been pressing the Borders, and Blackstar's worried." He licked her briskly and left the apprentices' den underneath a large slab of rock.
ArticClan camp was still quiet. He could see Blackstar moving around in her den beneath the FrostRock, and saw Braveheart, his mentor, and Shadowstream emerging from the Warriors' den underneath a holly bush. He was about to join them when Dawnpaw emerged from the medicine den a she ran over to him.
"There you are, I've been looking for you, I'm coming with you guys on the patrol, Barkwhisker is running low on Marigold, it's near the Stream border next to the twisted tree."
Sure, I was just about to tell them I'm ready." They padded over to the Warriors together and left the camp. The sun was well above the horizon when they reached the twisted tree. The warriors went ahead to check the scent markers while Tigerpaw and Dawnpaw collected the Marigold. Tigerpaw pricked his ears when he heard the swishing of heather on the other side of the Stream. He rounded to it and saw a Full patrol of NightClan warriors. He spotted his Cousins, Blackpaw and Cinderpaw among them
"Why are you so close to our border," hissed Woodclaw.
"Its none of our business as long as they remain on their side of the stream is it?" interrupted Blackpaw. Tigerpaw blinked her thanks. He knew what she meant, and Woodclaw wouldn't defy his leader's daughter. They left, Cinderpaw hissing angrily at Blackpaw for stopping the battle.
Part 15
The full moon floated above Foxpaw's head. Blackstar was leading the way down to the High-Tree for the gathering. The air was thick with the scent of NightClan, who were already in the clearing. She felt her neck fur rising and Tigerpaw obviously noticed
"Calm down, this gathering's bound to go smoothly, nothing big has happened for three moons now…" he brushed up against her. She didn't respond. She was too focused to make sure he didn't see the pretty NightClan warrior, Dovewing, Last gathering she saw Tigerpaw talking to her, and she felt her heart clench. "What's wrong… oh there's Dovewin--"
"Don't talk about her" she cried. Her eyes streaming
"Let All Cats Gather Here For the Moon-High Gathering!" Watchingstar's call sounded. Feeling hot under her fur, Foxpaw slipped off to sit next to her brother, Icy paw. By this time Blackstar was already speaking "-- and we are proud to have two new warriors, Whitestep, and Silverclaw. Cheers rose from ArticCLan, but NightClan stayed silent. Foxpaw began to bristle again; something wasn't right, not at all.
Watchingstar stayed calm for a new leader, and looked straight at Blackstar and said, " we have scented your cats on our territory, Blackstar, and the scent of prey" the accusation was made calmly, but it was clear as StarClan's light.
"we have also scented cats on our territory, it may as well be some rogues passing through, not aware of our borders" she Retorted with equal calmness. It wasn't the same attitude with the cats below. The Clans were yelling insults at each other, Foxpaw even saw Tigerpaw and the newly named Cinderwolf nose to nose, Claws unsheathed. They couldn't fight tonight, StarClan would be angry. Foxpaw peered up and sure enough clouds were covering the moon slowly, no one seemed to notice, not even the leaders who were quietly discussing then Watchingstar howled, "This Gathering Is Over." And the Clans were beginning to break into their patrols and leave the clearing, and suddenly there was angry howling as Cinderwolf leapt at Tigerpaw. Tigerpaw merely moved to one side without looking at Cinderwolf, and left him to crash into the ground. Watchingstar ran over to his Son and dragged him back to the NightCLan cats by his tail. Every cat Stared at Tigerpaw, astonished. He had dodged the attack without even a glance at Cinderwolf. It worried Foxpaw how easily battle moves came to Tigerpaw…
Part 16
Tigerpaw walked through the White forest, the scents of Prey was al he could smell. He fallowed his paws to a rock Cleft in the forest floor. "Brightstar? Moonfeather? Are you there? It's me Tigerpaw." Brightstar came out of the Cleft.
"Your mother is hunting. But you are in time for you battle lesson… I saw how you dodged your cousin at the Gathering. I don't any cat will mess with you for a while. Now practice the move from last night"…
Tigerpaw woke his body aching from the training with his father. He stared at Foxpaw, who was sound asleep. He remembered the way she reacted last night when he mentioned Dovewing…. He shook it off, it was probably nothing. He left the den and Collided with Dawnpaw who was bouncing excitedly. "Tigerpaw, Tigerpaw guess what I had my first Prophecy" she calmed down and became serious. "Go get Foxpaw, Braveheart was sent to Get Blackhawk from NightClan camp…." The sun was above the horizon now. Barkwhisker and the four apprentices and Blackstar sat in her den.
"Now, have any of you had any of you had any strange dreams?" Barkwhisker asked. All the apprentices nodded. They each described their dreams, each involving a fox and a member of StarClan whispering to them, "could you understand anything they said"
"Stars will die" Tigerpaw recited
"A Sun will rise"
"Four young paws"
"Hold the fates of the clans in their claws" they all looked taken back at how the words fit together.
"Well I heard Icestar say fallow the dying warrior" Dawnpaw said
"A shooting star?" wondered Blackhawk out loud.
"It must be!" Foxpaw mewed excitedly. Blackstar took a deep breath, as though stressed…
"It seems that StarClan are sending away our apprentices. I saw a Shooting star last night. It was heading in the direction of the Rising sun…. you must go, it will be important for StarClan to make you journey from us..."
Blackhawk led the way, seeing as she was the oldest. The sun was setting in back of them and Silverpelt was just visible overhead. Tigerpaw watched as his cousin took authority over the apprentices, and kept bossing them around… I guess being the favorite daughter of a leader makes you a little snob after all. They were far from the Clan's territories and were in open moorland, after passing through an endless Two-leg place earlier the finally made it down a dangerous cliff side and on to the springy turf they were on now... they found a dip in the ground with an old badger set (completely deserted for at least two moons according to Foxpaw, and her nose was never wrong) and camped there for the night. When the others were asleep Tigerpaw nudged her awake. She blinked at him. "What"
"I know what's wrong with you, you jealous of Dovewing." He had the realization of that the previous day when they had run into some loner She-cat named summer. When ever Tigerpaw talked to her, Foxpaw would storm off ahead, making a fit, attacking whatever got near her… "I Just want to let you know that you the only cat for me" he licked her more affectionately than he ever had before. She just blushed and went back to sleep Leaving Tigerpaw there awake, alone.
Part 17
"Are you mouse-brained?" Blackhawk yelled. They had caught Foxpaw's brother, Icy paw fallowing them the next morning. "You could have been killed, fallowing us"
"I'm sorry" he mumbled and saw Blackhawks's gaze soften. Was that affection in her eyes? Dawnpaw must have imagined it… it couldn't of been… she shook it off. There was no time for another couple on this journey, Foxpaw and Tigerpaw. The next few days Blackhawk let Tigerpaw, who was starting to become "leader" of their Group. More than once had she caught Icypaw and Blackhawk alone together, sharing tongue the way she some times saw Snowrose and Braveheart doing it. Within a half-moon the had reached a small cleft of rock.
"Fox!" Tigerpaw hissed, and the others began to bristle "smells fresh, but we need some were to shelter, and there's no were else to go"
"Then come join me in here" a rasping voice sounded from the Cleft, and they saw red eyes glaring at then from the shadows of it. A huge Gray fox with tiger stripes emerged from it. "You took long enough; I thought you ignored my message... I am Eclipse……"
Dawnpaw was in a daze. They were all in Eclipse's cave; he was explaining why they had been sent all this way…
"Say that again!" Icypaw said nervously
"I said that the Two-legs are going to destroy your homes, and the Clans must find a new home beyond the Mountains." This news was even more shocking since it was coming from a Fox speaking cat….
"We must leave, thank you for telling us Eclipse…" Blackhawk said.
"May StarClan light your path young ones!!" he called as they ran off into the horizon. They took a different way than they came hoping it would be faster but it turned out much worse………
Part 19
Blackhawk looked over the hill. In the far horizon she could see a small span of woodland. "Think we can make it there before night-fall?" she asked Tigerpaw. He nodded his head slowly. The trek acrossed the moorland was worrying the next time. Blackhawk couldn't get used to running around without cover of trees and heather. The fact that Icypaw stood next to her the whole way eased the fright.
The clouds were a bright-crimson as the sun was setting. Dawnpaw stooped in her tracks, her eyes glazed over. The others stared at her in wonder, but Blackhawk had saw Wolfpaw daze out like this many times: she was receiving a sign from StarClan. Suddenly she shook her head, as if clearing her thoughts. "Innocent Blood will spill over the Lion and Tiger…." She said in a monotone voice. Before any one could say anything, her eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed.
They had difficulty maneuvering her of the grass and into the shadows of the trees before them and lay her down in the roots of a tree. Blackhawk stared at her and Tigerpaw. He was standing over as if she was an important leader. Icypaw nudged her to a tree and lied down with her.
"She'll be okay, come on lets get some sleep, there's a long day ahead of us…" he yawned and rest his head down and fell asleep.
Blackhawk dreamt that night. She was standing on a cliff, when she peered over the edge, she saw nothing but misty clouds. She could hear the distant roars of some animal. She saw a flash of blood-red light and purest Black…..
Her eyes shot open. She could tell Icypaw was awake by his fear-scent. She also picked up the scents of other cats, but not any Clan cat. She could hear them through the trees, they were getting closer. She heard Tigerpaw hiss, she lifted her head and turned to see Tigerpaw and Dawnpaw surrounded by a group of cats, all covered in mud, making them blend it to the woodland's backdrop. A massive tom and a small white she-cat stepped out from the crowd of cats now surrounding the Clan cats.
" What are you doing on Warren territory?" Blackhawk could barely understand what she was saying, for she had a think accent that sounded like running water in a calm stream. None of them answered and the Tom spoke up. "we ask again, what are you doing on the territory of the-Warren-of-Hawk-Flies-No-Skies!"
"We are merely passing through on our way home we did not mean t-" a gasp from the she-cat cut Tigerpaw off. Every one of the Warren cats looked at Blackhawk. Icypaw moved closer to her his pelt bristling.
" you will come back with us, and we will let you rest." Said the she-cat. Tigerpaw and Dawnpaw padded over to Blackhawk and Icypaw. The Warren cats circled the Clan cats and lead them through the Woodland. Suddenly Blackhawk saw that the land dropped away to a huge cliff. She saw the Warren cats in front of her begin to disappear into the ground. Blackhawk stretched her neck to look over the other cats to see a gigantic cavern in the ground. They were led down into it and were brought to the center of the cave. She noticed that there were holes in the walls leading off to the different dens. The white she-cat leaped on top of a pointed rock growing out of the cave floor. Next to her was a old ,frail, tortoise-shell tom.
Part 20
" the Black one has come to us at last!" he rasped and went into a coughing fit. " I am honored to meet you all, I am Warren-leader-of-the-woods and this is Wood-to-be-of-the-sky, my to-be." He told Blackhawk, obviously ignoring the others. " the-Safe-Warren told us you would come, and you have at last. You will be able to Kill Lion-mane"
"this guys a mouse-brain," Icypaw whispered to her, " I say we get out of here!" the Warren-leader this.
"oh no we can't let you leave, Lion-mane will kills us all!" Wood-to-be-of-the-sky said. The Cave-guards surrounded them.
"Let us leave" Tigerpaw commanded. Foxpaw watched as he tried in vain to let the Warren-of-Hawk-Flies-No-Skies to let them leave.
"Not until the Black one saves us from Lion-mane" said Warren-leader. A roar was heard in the came entrance as the mane-less white lion attacked again. They had a plan to escape while he was there but Blackhawk said "no" they had no choice but to fight the lion. Tigerpaw and Icypaw were antagonizing the Lion and led him to the cave's entrance. With a great Yowl, Blackhawk jumped on his back after letting go of the ceiling spikes of the cave, but the spike fell too killing her and Lion-mane.
Part 21
"She didn't need to die" Icypaw moaned. Foxpaw felt sorry for her brother. It was no secret how he felt about the NightClan warrior. But no one could heal this wound. A few days later they reached the forest to see it half destroyed. The Clans were sheltering at the High-Tree. They told them the message from Eclipse.
"this is serious" Watchingstar said his voice hallow. Icypaw had told him about Blackhawk's death, and he obviously was still remembering it… the next day they left. They followed the same path they took to Eclipse. They stopped by the Warren to let Blackstar rest (she was on her last life.) and Icypaw decided to stay with them
" you can't leave us! We all made the journey together, we have to finish it together-"
"Then why isn't Blackhawk with us then! I want to stay here, were I can be close to her spirit besides," he said as Wood-to-be-of-the-sky walked up to him and licked his ear "I won't be lonely"
" should at least give you your warrior name" Blackstar told him.
The Clans and the warren cats gathered in The-Pointed-Stone-Cavern for there ceremonies. "I, Blackstar, leader of ArticClan, ask my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice," her voice rang through the cave, "He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Icypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code?" Icypaw looked around absorbing they looks on his Clanmates faces for the last time.
"I do"
" Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name, from this moment forth you will be known as Icyhawk, StarClan honors your Love and Determination, my you Serve your Clan for many seasons to come…." The cave rang with the cheering of Icyhawk's named. The next day they Climbed over the mountains and settled by Sun-Drown-Place. Blackstar died as soon as they reached their new home, and Sunpelt became leader of ArticClan. She named Braveheart her Deputy , and gave Tigerpaw, and Foxpaw their warrior names: Tigerdawn and Foxheart. Dawnpaw had found Moon-dust, the new sacred place to visit StarClan, and earned her full name, Dawnfeather. Three moons later, Braveheart died from a badger attack, and Tigerdawn was named deputy. Foxheart also gave birth to Tigerdawn's Daughter, Moonkit………..
Part 22
"You have some thing to tell me Blackstar?" Sunstar asked.
"Yes, a Prophecy. One of Tiger, Fox and Badger, will have more power than the moon its self can have. It will be more powerful than the Code it's self"
Sunstar jolted awake…. sHe had been leader for three seasons now and she had never doubted his deputy Tigerdawn… she looked out from her den in the leaves of Tall-Tree. She could see Foxheart emerge from the Nursery, little Moonkit by her side, and Sunstar Feared the one had come at last...