The she-cat's golden fur fazed my eyes as I began to leap towards her, claws out, she acted like she didn't react fast enough, but at the last second, she twisted out of my way, scoring my face as I flew by, and I crashed head on at a tree. My vision began to fuzz, but I could still hear the harsh cackle of the she cat as she sunk her long wicked claws into my fur.

Prologue

Sparrowflight

Sparrowflight opened her eyes with a start. The Warrior's den light was dim and she saw the soft crescents of her friends. The sun's dim rays of new leaf peeked in, making jagged patterns on her gray striped fur. Her eyes wild as she looked for Redfur. She relaxed as she spotted him, on the other side of the cave, his russet fur ablaze as the sun warmed him full on. She sighed and fell back to sleep. Just a few seconds later, Redfur was awoken and startled all the light-rested cats. A few heads perked up, and several left for morning patrol, grumbling and glaring, but most tried to doze for a bit longer.

It was nearly sunhigh when I actually awoke, I was the last one in the den. A soft voice called me.

"Hey Sparrowflight? Nightstar wants you, me, Redfur, and Wolfpaw to go on a hunt," Cinderfoot said cheerfully. I matched her tone as I realized Redfur was going. Cinderfoot was just newly made a warrior, and excited to bound across anywhere.

"Sure thing!" And with that, I peeked outside. The canopy of leaves around us left abstract jags and scores on the packed dirt. I saw few cats around. The rest were probably sleeping in.

I sided up next to Redfur, he gave me a quick glance and quickly looked away. I indicated to Nightstar with a flick of my ear I wanted to hunt with Redfur. Nightstar acknowledged it with a swift nod.

"Redfur, Sparrowflight, I'd like a word with you two really quick in my den, Cinderfoot, Wolfpaw, you two go on ahead." Cinderfoot and Wolfpaw looked at eachother, and left, fur brushing one another, they were both kin, with very opposite attitudes, but got along fine.

Redfur and I promptly followed Nightstar up into his den, that of which overlooked the clearing. Nightstar sat quaintly to the left of his mossy nest, curling his tail neatly over his paws.

"Now, I know that -" Nightstar's words surprised me. Redfur shot me a worried look.

"Why did you entrust us with this and not Lightstep, your deputy?"

"Because we have dark times ahead us, and Lightstep is in the center of it." He said, a mysterious aura surrounded us, and Nightstar was silent, signaling our departure.