Prologue-
A cream and gold she-cat dipped her nose into a pool of cold starlit water known as the Moonpool. She felt numb all over, her mind spinning blankly. The water was the forest Clans' only contact with StarClan, hence the liquid starshine flavour.
Suddenly her paws hit land. The lush forests and moors of StarClan surrounded the RiverClan medicine cat, and she gazed through blue eyes as the clearing rapidly filled up with cats of all colours.
"Larkwing! Larkwing!" they all chanted. Looking around, Larkwing spotted Mallowstar and Sparkfur, the old leader and deputy of her Clan. She saw a few elders and warriors she recognised, but the scars were gone and they looked as fit as ever.
"Brightleaf…" Larkwing whispered, when a familiar face and white pelt walked up to her.
'Congratulations, my darling," Brightleaf purred, the warmth of a mother sewn into her voice. Her warm blue eyes looked across to Larkwing. "It is my pleasure to welcome you as a full medicine cat of RiverClan. But there isn't always fun in having such a strong connection with StarClan."
"Why-?" Larkwing tried to interrupt, but Brightleaf swept on, the look in her pale blue eyes willed her not to intervene.
"I do have a prophecy you must always be wary of. When peace divides, fight fire with fire." Brightleaf shuddered as she spoke the words. Along with the other cats, she backed away into the ferns. Larkwing was alone.
"When peace divides, fight fire with fire…."
Chapter 1
Lilykit was dreaming. Leaping over bramble tendrils and clumps of bracken, she raced towards the river, the soft gurgling noise becoming clearer with every bound. Breaking free of the trees, Lilykit dashed towards the river.
A vast expanse of rippling water splashed at Lilykit's white and ginger paws. She jabbed a claw at a minnow that flashed by, but was distracted yet again by the friendly and refreshing scents that wound around her.
Lilykit sunk into the grass. I could live like this forever, she thought.
Unexpectedly, something sharp jabbed her from behind.
"Wake up!" it snapped. Lilykit was bleary with sleep, hardly able to see where her paws were.
"Why did you do that, Pebblekit? Kits need their sleep!"
"But I want to play!" came the whining reply. Disturbed as Lilykit felt, she was a kit and the second she woke up she was bouncing with energy.
"Go play with Fishkit and Nightkit!"
"They're boring! Plus, they're four moons old!"
"You can adapt," the other voice said, Lilykit suspected it to be her mother's. But she couldn't care less. Waggling her haunches, Lilykit prepared to pounce at her fluffy target.
"I want to play with- ow!" in an instant, Lilykit had her brother bowled over in her mad dash for the nursery entrance.
Lilykit leaped into the glaring sunlight, and she had to squint in effort to see. Tumbling after her was the fluffy gray pelt of Pebblekit. "I want that carp!" he yowled, scrambling after Lilykit who had already pierced the fish with her teeth.
She had dreamed about catching a fish once- a carp- near the basking rocks. But this tasted even better.
"Hey, Lilykit! Watch out!" Lilykit whipped around and surprise flashed through her fur and she saw Pebblekit flying at her though the corner of her eye. She was carried off her paws and landed with a thump.
"I'll get you for that!" Lilykit screeched, abandoning her juicy meal.
She landed square on top of Pebblekit, who in his vain attempts to struggle free he had concluded that it was not worth trying.
"Ger-off!" he hissed playfully through a mouthful of ginger and white fur.
"Honestly, kits! What is anyone going to eat? You're kicking up a storm!"
"Sorry, Dewsparkle," Lilykit mumbled.
"I should think so! Bring your fish inside, because that is exactly where you are spending the rest of the day." she whisked around and beckoned for her kits to follow her.
"Not fair," Pebblekit grumbled. "It's not like she wasn't ever a kit."
Dragging her fish inside, Lilykit hopped around the protective bramble screen and into the nursery. She inhaled the familiar milky smell of the den, and then sank into her mossy nest, gnawing on her carp. Dewsparkle didn't understand. Lilykit was still full of energy. So, as her mother got in deep conversation with Willowheart, mother of Fishkit and Nightkit, Lilykit crept out of the nursery.