There was an eerie silence that wrapped itself around the land. In the faint breeze, the trees' leaves rustled slightly, creating a soft song that whispered in the night. A clear sky showed countless stars under a half-full moon, which dumped a dull light onto the peaceful land.
From the quiet, five cats stepped onto a nearly flat clearing, their pelts sparkling in the moonlight. Their leader, a gray tabby with white patches that spotted her nicely groomed pelt, halted them with a quick sweep of her tail. By her side, a dappled cat sat down, taking a moment to lick at her paws.
With the moon carefully creeping across the sky, the cats felt no need to need to hurry: they had arrived to their destination early. Nobody spoke: there was nothing to say. The urgency of their visit kept them hushed.
Willowmist, the tabby-and-white she-cat, settled down first. Her pale blue gaze scanned the stars, as if an answer laid amongst them. When the bright orbs in the sky glistened in silence, she hissed to herself. Her desperate need for answers left her irritated, and she hoped her ancestors would understand her impatience. Besides, in times like these it was perfectly normal for any cats, even medicine cats, to get a little frustrated.
StarClan, help us. Willowmist shed a small tear before returning her attention to the other medicine cats. Each of them rested in the meadow, their heads in their paws. For a moment, Willowmist hesitated before joining them. Once her eyes were closed, a dreary darkness overcame her.
When she opened her eyes, Willowmist found herself in a beautiful forest. It was greenleaf there, with leaves a bright green and birdsong echoing through the air. Willowmist breathed in the rich scent of mice; in her clan, with leafbare speeding towards them, prey was getting more scarcer. Her nose picked up a welcoming scent, and, when Willowmist opened her eyes, she saw a tan she-cat looking down at her.
"Brawnywing!" The medicine cat cried happily, though her ears drooped when she saw her old mentor's sincere gaze. Deep in her mind, Willowmist knew that the old HoneyClan medicine cat was not here on good terms. Awkwardly, Willowmist sat down, but continued to stare at Brawnywing, urging her to go on.
The birds stopped singing. A tense, sorrowful atmosphere covered the two as Willowmist begun to understand why she was there. Although she was happy to see the old cat again, Willowmist kept her excitement under a more serious emotion. "These are hard times for the clans, Willowmist. However, there is still so much you have yet to hear. Come."
Brawnywing lead her apprentice towards a spring, her yellow eyes dull. Willowmist could hardly see the original sparkle of starlight in her that most other StarClan cats shared. With a beckon of her pale brown tail, Brawnywing told Willowmist to glare into the pool's surface.
"These are hard times for the clans," Brawnywing repeated as Willowmist looked inside. "But a greater threat is still soon to come. You must read the signs, Willowmist. Don't let your guard down, especially with cats you barely know."
Willowmist opened her jaw to ask what she meant, but found herself distracted by the ripple in the water's surface. With a closer eye, Willowmist found herself staring at a pair of cats. One of them was an orange tabby with a paler chest. Even though it was just an image, Willowmist shivered from the blazing anger in the cat's eyes. Right next to him sat a friendlier looking cat, their two-toned eyes filled with kindness. Willowmist found herself trying to tell any similarities to any cat she knew, but to little result.
"Brawnywing, who are these two?"
Brawnywing didn't answer. Instead, she dipped her tail in the water to clear the picture away. Now a lasting memory in her mind, the two cats continued to haunt her. Willowmist turned to ask Brawnywing again, only to find that the old cat had disappeared.
"Brawnywing?"
No reply.
Once Willowmist rested her head against the cold grass, a voice whispered out to her. With ears pricked, the tabby listened in for words, only to find herself flung into a world of black. Think, black water engulfed her, keeping her from swimming up to the surface. Bright dots of light shone through the darkness, but they were cold and far away.
Deafening noises pounded at Willowmist's ear fur, though there was nothing to make any sound. A voice called from above, yet nobody spoke. Willowmist was alone.
"A spirit's song will bring peace," a chilling tone muttered, hardly loud enough for Willowmist to hear. It repeated itself again, this time much louder. Whoever said anything was completely unknown to the HoneyClan medicine cat. "But a patch of fire will end the spirit's song for good."
A spirit's song? Willowmist opened her mouth to ask the being what they meant, but found herself thrust into the waking world. Above her, a ginger she-cat stared down, her green eyes wide. After a while, the other medicine cats began to wake up, and, with a quick nod of dismissal, Willowmist rushed back to her clan.
Upon her return, Willowmist was instantly greeted by many warriors, who dipped their heads respectively before going on with their duties. The morning sun had barely peeped over the horizon, telling Willowmist that the dawn patrol was just about to head out.
With great speed Willowmist searched around the camp before finding her leader resting on his normal perch. Duckstar's thing pelt shimmered in the sunrise, and, as Willowmist approached him, he rotated his ears towards her.
"I suppose you're back with news, are you?" Duckstar asked, and Willowmist nodded. With a sigh, Duckstar ducked into his den before relaxing on his nest. "Did you get anything from StarClan?" With haste, Willowmist told him about the prophecy. "A patch of fire, eh? Sounds threatening. I'll have my patrols keep an eye out."
"That's not all, Duckstar. Brawnywing showed me two cats. I-I think these two may have something to do with the omen." In a quieter tone, almost in a whisper, Willowmist added, "What do you think? Who do you think these two cats are?"
Duckstar though for a second before shrugging. That helps. "If StarClan's right, then I think it'll be better if we didn't act right away."
Willowmist rolled her eyes. "It sounds like you're doubting them." Being sincere, Willowmist added, "StarClan has never been wrong before. Why should they be wrong now?"
"Good point," Duckstar purred in agreement. "But my stance still stays. We'll deal with it when it comes around. There's no use catching a mouse before it's born."
Willowmist nodded and turned tail, heading towards her den. She had more important things to deal with than a silly prophecy at that moment, and she wasn't about to get distracted. Pushing the warning aside, Willowmist hoped Duckstar was right.