Prologue

The clearing was dappled with splashes of moonlight. Overgrown heather and wild grass sprouted in the fine dirt, growing in clumps until reaching the wide border surrounding the space. A black sky hovered over the moor, letting wispy fog and clouds drift over the almost-full moon as it climbed higher into the sky on its silver path.

There were no stars that night.

Cats, some black as the night above, some white as the clouds obscuring it, and others with ranging pelts, fought viciously in a battle. There were piercing yowls of war, screeches of pain, and hisses of victory, echoing slightly in the fields. Two Clans, locked in a tussle of bitterness and hatred, until one leader would signal defeat.

In the thick of the battle, a large, golden tomcat wrestled a wiry brown warrior off a frightened white she-cat with pretty green eyes.

"Go, Doveflight!" he ordered, scratching the brown cat's soft underbelly with freshly sharpened claws. The other cat screeched and bolted, ears laid back in fear of this strong leader. Doveflight flicked her dusty tail, nodded, and leapt into a fight.

The gold cat turned to survey his losses. WindClan was a fast, strong Clan, but they were no match for these aggressors. Distracted momentarily, he was knocked off his paws by a sleek, black cat and pinned firmly to the ground.

"Hello, Falconstar," the she-cat growled, swiping an claw ferociously across his face. Falconstar blinked, blood masking his vision. One sweep of his amber eyes, however, let him clearly see the fierce black cat with bitter green eyes and crooked tail.

"Jaggedfeather?" he gasped.

Two kits pounced on each other in the WindClan nursery. One, a larger, bracken tom, was quickly bowled over by the other, a small black she-cat. She dug her paws into the soft sand and growled playfully. "Get out of my camp, you ShadowClan invader!"

Snowstorm gently scolded her. "Now, Jaggedkit. Play gently with Falconkit."

"Kits will be kits," purred the other mother, Ashflower.

Jaggedkit rolled over Falconkit, and settled in a sitting position. "It's okay, Mother," she mewed, licking Falconkit's ear. "We would never hurt each other."

"Promise," Falconkit added, flicking his tail over Jaggedkit's shoulder, who nodded fervently in agreement.

The wiry black she-cat clawed his vulnerable underbelly, knocking the breath out of Falconstar. "I am not Jaggedfeather anymore," she hissed. "I am the leader of NightClan; I have become Jaggedstar."

"And StarClan has seen it fit to grant you nine lives?" Falconstar choked, unable to admit to himself that this angry, half-mad she-cat was his old friend.

"There are others than StarClan…there are others than the Moonpool," Jaggedstar scoffed. "Fools like you still choose to believe in them, however…"

She struck a harsh blow to his face, raking sharp claws through his ear. "I choose otherwise. Perhaps it is not the life of a warrior that you know, but do you remember the stories of the Tribe of the mountains? Pity their way didn't work for them in the long run, but I will be stronger."

"Are you still upset about Doveflight?" cried Falconstar, struggling beneath Jaggedstar's strong hold. He was still shocked about the change of his friend.

"What do I care about her anymore?" Jaggedstar snorted. She nodded her chin to the left of them. Falconstar followed her pleased gaze and saw, to his horror, the life bleeding out of the white she-cat.

"Doveflight!" Falconstar felt a surge of rage and disbelief shock him, and it gave him the strength he needed to forget the past and counterattack. He leapt up, out of Jaggedstar's grip, and pounced with open jaws and unsheathed claws.

"These kits have reached the age of six moons, and are ready for their apprentice names and mentors," announced Stormstar, the grey leader of WindClan. Jaggedkit and Falconkit waved their tails in excitement.

"Reedtail, you are ready to have an apprentice," Stormstar turned his face to gaze at the young warrior. "You will be mentor to Falconpaw."

Falconpaw quivered with fright and anticipation, and stepped forward to touch noses with his mentor. Jaggedkit stared at them with wide eyes full of awe and wonder.

"My deputy, Cloudheart, is now ready to be a mentor again now that Reedtail has received his warrior name. Cloudheart, you will mentor Jaggedpaw."

Trying to act dignified, the newly named Jaggedpaw stepped forward to touch noses with the black and white spotted tom. She raised her tail and twitched it in exhilaration. An apprentice, at last!

"Falconpaw! Jaggedpaw! Falconpaw! Jaggedpaw!" the Clan greeted them warmly. The three other apprentices, Yellowpaw, Dovepaw, and Snakepaw licked their ears as the crescent moon floated above.

Falconstar felt his teeth connect in Jaggedstar's flank. She turned and raked her claws along the side of his face once more, making already deep wounds deeper. He yowled in pain, letting go.

She snarled, bowling him over onto his back. This time, however, he was momentarily stunned. He clawed her belly and struggled to attack higher.

Jaggedstar reared back, attempting to gather momentum, but Falconstar wiggled out of her reach just as she plummeted back down to the dust.

He leapt onto her back. He bit down at the scruff of her neck and clawed her spine. Jaggedstar shook him, trying to loosen his grip. Falconstar stumbled, but kept clawing at her. Black tufts of fur fell onto the ground, stained slightly with blood.

Jaggedstar reared back once more, causing Falconstar to drop onto the ground. She turned and bit his spine, clawing at his legs. Falconstar scrambled to get free of the piercing pain on his back, to counterattack. "What is all this about?"

"Oh, you know, Falconstar," Jaggedstar growled, swiping her claws at his throat. Blood splattered onto the dust.

Falconstar shook his head and hunched his shoulders. He realized he did know.

He just didn't want to.

"Falconpaw?"

Falconpaw looked up from the mouse he was eating. The sun was just into the sky, and he could see the dark shape of the cat who was talking to him, see the glint of green eyes. "Hi, Jaggedpaw. What's up?"

"Do you want to go hunting with Cloudheart and me?" she asked.

He swallowed the last bit of mouse and got to his paws. "Sorry…I already promised Dovepaw. Maybe next time?"

"Maybe." But Falconpaw had already turned away, and he didn't see the gloomy droop of Jaggedpaw's tail, the misery in her eyes, and the irritation in her step as she searched for her mentor, rejected for the fifth time that moon for Falconpaw to hunt, or eat with, or practice fighting with Dovepaw.

Jaggedstar craned her neck and hissed into Falconstar's tawny ear. "Do you remember this move?" She spun quickly and tripped the lunging Falconstar. Then she leaped over him to bite down onto his sprawled-out leg at the bending point.

They both heard and felt the crack. Falconstar struggled to his paws, wincing in fresh pain as his paw dragged awkwardly behind him. He collapsed, and Jaggedstar pounced. She bit the tender space between his ears, blood spilling down his face.

Falconstar flailed, struggling to break free. But he had a useless paw now, and was definitely weakened.

"Do you remember this one?" he howled back to Jaggedstar. He turned onto his belly, bucked his good leg back, and threw her off. It lacked the drive and power it would have taken if his other leg wasn't broken, but she was tossed a fox-length or so away.

Jaggedstar shook her head free of the dust, but Falconstar lunged forward and clawed her face. She screamed as her nose split and blood splattered the dirt at her feet.

"My Clan, these three apprentices have trained well in the warrior code and are now ready to become warriors themselves." Cloudstar gazed at his apprentice, Falconpaw, and Dovepaw. He sat up, the new leader of WindClan.

"Falconpaw, you have been trained well by Reedtail. You shall now be known as Falconwing.

"Dovepaw, you as well have had an excellent apprenticeship under Roseflower. You will now be called Doveflight."

Cloudstar finally turned his warm amber gaze onto his apprentice. "Jaggedpaw, you have been a wonderful apprentice. I am proud to have been called your mentor. From this moment, you are hereby known as Jaggedfeather. The three of you must sit silent vigil tonight in honour of the traditions set by the warrior code."

"Falconwing! Doveflight! Jaggedfeather!" the Clan shouted. The three cats sat by the edge of the camp opening, but Jaggedfeather jealously noticed that Falconwing and Doveflight sat close, and looked at each other with shining eyes.

Falconstar battered Jaggedstar's face with his paws, anger and betrayal openly shown in his face. "Why did you have Doveflight killed?"

"The warriors of NightClan do not ask permission in battle about who to kill and who not to," Jaggedstar smirked. She kicked Falconstar's stomach brutally, the glint in her eyes making it obvious that she had had something to do with the death of Doveflight despite her words.

"You liar. That's why you started this Clan, you turned your back onto the warrior traditions – because of your jealousy?" growled Falconstar. He reared back, about to deliver a crushing blow.

Jaggedstar lithely slipped out of place and pounced onto his back when he plummeted to the ground. She bit his scruff and kicked his back. Falconstar jumped, trying the trick that she had done earlier to shake him off. But Jaggedstar stepped lively, eventually rolling off and springing to her paws.

"You idiot. Doveflight wasn't the reason. It was only the start."

The cats circled each other, crouched, warily. Suddenly, Falconstar leapt out across the circle, just hate in his eyes. He accepted it; this was Jaggedstar.

The real Jaggedstar.

Jaggedfeather couldn't sleep. If she turned one way, she was forced to look at Falconwing and Doveflight, curled up close to each other. If she turned the other, the harsh moonlight bit her eyes. Finally, she stood, and, careful not to awake any of the other warriors, stepped out of the den.

The moon lit the open camp brightly. A summer breeze stirred the air and made the heather on the edge of the moor whisper. Crickets chirped, responding to the wind. The night song enveloped Jaggedfeather in a blanket of serenity.

A groan of pain sounded from the medicine cat's den. Jaggedfeather twitched her ears in sympathy. The deputy, Swiftriver, had been dangerously wounded in a battle against ThunderClan. RiverClan had arrived to help, but too late. ThunderClan had won the strip of moor opposite the river. By the sound of it, Swiftriver wasn't getting better.

"Swiftriver?" the medicine cat, Heatherpelt, murmured in alarm. "Here, I'll mash up some more poultice of…"

"Stop it, Heatherpelt. All the herbs in the world won't save me now, and you and I both know it," croaked the old tom. "Come, there is something I must tell you."

Heart thumping with excitement and wonder, Jaggedfeather stealthily snuck closer to the den to hear. She knew that she shouldn't be here, but she couldn't help it.

"I know that Cloudstar is thinking of appointing Falconwing as deputy. Heatherpelt, you must stop him. The right deputy for the Clan is Jaggedfeather."

Jaggedfeather's heart stopped.

"I know that I am not the leader, and it is none of my business, but I believe this strongly. If Stormstar was still alive, it is what he would have wanted as well. You must tell Cloudstar, Heatherpelt. Jaggedfeather is…"

But the tom broke into a fit of coughing, breathed heavily, and then…silence.

There was stillness in the night, then, that was only broken by Jaggedfeather's breaths. Swiftriver wanted her to be the deputy? Why?

The ferns at the head of the medicine cat's den swished, and Jaggedfeather hurridly stepped closer to the warrior's den, but it was too late. Heatherpelt stepped out, her blue eyes drenched in grief and wonder.

Heatherpelt dipped her head, and caught sight of Jaggedfeather. She opened her mouth to create an excuse for being there, but Heatherpelt just nodded, and continued to walk to Cloudstar's den.

Teeth connected in spine, and Jaggedstar screamed again. The sound only blended into the howls of battle around them.

Falconstar let his guard slip for just a moment to scan the immediate area around him, and what he saw was not good. WindClan was a strong Clan, but NightClan was…crushing them. Blood was splattering the dust covering the clearing, and dead cats littered the ground. There were just so many NightClan warriors, and so many ones of WindClan lying dead or wounded. WindClan was strong, but the fact was that there were not many.

They were outnumbered, and Falconstar was facing likely destruction of his Clan.

Jaggedstar saw his attention fall, and used it to her advantage. She bit his throat, and he staggered backwards after her following kick. Falconstar dropped, motionless.

Jaggedstar took her position for attack. She knew that he was not all dead, just loosing a life. But she also knew that since this one was lost, there was just one more life left that Falconstar had, a life that she planned to take when he awoke…

"Cats of WindClan, I bring news of sorrow. Our deputy, Swiftriver, has died in the night." Cloudstar paused while wails of grief filled the air. " But as is custom, I must appoint a new deputy. I say these words before the body of Swiftriver, so that his spirit may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of WindClan shall be…"

Jaggedfeather tensed.

"…Falconwing!"

The Clan mewed congratulations, crowding around Falconwing. The last thing Jaggedfeather glimpsed was him and Doveflight rubbing noses in an overly affectionate way. She scowled, and saw Heatherpelt staring up at Cloudstar in horror. She whipped her ginger head around to stare at Jaggedfeather.

"Jaggedfeather… I swear, I told him!" Heatherpelt shook her head in shock and fear. "Please, please forgive me."

"It's alright, Heatherpelt." Jaggedfeather swallowed the lie, and stared sightlessly at the ground. Then she coldly raised her head to glare at Cloudstar, then at Swiftriver's tired body that was ready for vigil. She was rather sure that, despite her former mentor's words, his spirit would not approve.

Falconstar stirred. He twitched his ears, and sat up. He blinked, and turned.

Jaggedstar swept a powerful paw at him, knocking him off his paws once more. His bad leg kicked out underneath him, and Falconstar rolled his eyes in pain. But he refused to shout out, and he lunged at Jaggedstar.

She lithely kicked him out once more across from her. They crouched, and he sprang. Jaggedstar bit his ear as he passed, ripping it. Falconstar turned, clawing once more at her face. She clawed back, feeling wounds that StarClan had freshly healed reopen, felt blood running down the back of her black paws.

Falconstar howled now, letting all his anger and hate out. He kicked her neck, and she dropped. The force wasn't hard enough to let her loose a life, though, and she reveled in the knowledge that she had all her lives and he only had one.

"You think that I feel anything?" Falconstar spat. He bit her back again, and she swept claws once more over his face. "All those years are gone, behind me now. You betrayed me! I hate you!"

Jaggedstar laughed bitterly. "All those years are behind me as well," she smirked, and bowled him over onto his back again, but with the strength fueled by anger, jealousy, and the exhilaration that revenge always accompanied.

"You're leaving?"

Falconstar stared curiously at his old friend. Jaggedfeather lingered on the border separating WindClan from ThunderClan.

"I can't take it, Falconstar!" She pawed the ground in anger. "Why pick her to be your deputy? She's so empty headed. And why did you banish Heatherclaw? She did nothing against you!"

"What do you have against Doveflight, Jaggedfeather?" Falconstar's voice was cold. He was completely changed from the kit that Jaggedfeather had been so close to. "And Heatherpelt was speaking out against me. Do you think that I was going to allow her to stay, especially after she changed her name without my authority or permission?"

"You didn't have to banish her," Jaggedfeather spat.

"Anyway, where will you go, if you leave?" Falconstar raised his chin with arrogance. His tone wasn't worried; it was challenging.

Jaggedfeather climbed up a rock, and turned to glare with hatred at Falconstar. "I'll find Heatherclaw, maybe. Maybe I won't. But I can't stay here."

She began climbing up. "This is not the WindClan that I was born to."

There was no mercy in either Jaggedstar's face. Falconstar looked up, almost pleadingly, but she was ice. She struck a killing blow to him, letting everything go.

Falconstar's eyes bulged, and then glazed over. He twitched momentarily, but his movements soon ceased, and he was still.

Jaggedstar sprang away without another look. She bounded through the battle in search of her deputy. She spotted Heatherclaw locked in a fight with a white WindClan cat. Jaggedstar killed the tom without a thought and turned to her ginger deputy. "I have killed Falconstar," she said. "Let's go."

She bounded off, and Heatherclaw raised her eyes to NightClan. "Retreat!"

The cats wiggled away from the warriors they had been fighting, slipped away across the clearing. They sprang across the moor, all running home on paws of victory.

For a moment, the WindClan cats were confused. Was this a battle won? But there were so many losses. A tabby she-cat with her head drooped in exhaustion turned away and saw her dead leader.

"Falconstar!" she shouted to her Clan. "Falconstar is dead!"

A mournful caterwaul arose among the beaten Clan. Doveflight, their deputy, had died as well. What would they do? Who would choose the next leader and deputy? They lowered their bruised heads and grieved, not only for their dead leader, but for all the many WindClan cats that joined the legions of StarClan that night.