Prologue

The full moon floated in the sky, shedding it's silver light over the Streamclan camp. Deep in the shadows of the nursery two tiny shapes stirred.

"Tigerkit? Is that you?" mewled a tiny white she-kit with pale green eyes gleaming brightly in the shadows.

"Yes it's me, Mintkit." The dark brown tabby she-kit with orange-amber eyes whispered back.

"I can't sleep!" Mintkit complained.

"Neither can I."

"Let's go out!" Mintkit mewled.

"What about Sparrowkit? Should we wake him up? We can't just leave him behind.." Tigerkit whispered.

"Okay we'll bring Sparrowkit, just don't wake Birdsong" Mintkit warned. Birdsong was their mother, a pale, silver-gray she-cat with leaf-green eyes. She's known to be the shyest cat in the clan and everyone was surprised to see her and Sharpflight together. Sharpflight is a dark brown tabby tom with orange-amber eyes – a spitting image of Tigerkit – he was the most arrogant cat in the clan before he saw the real beauty in the shy she-cat. Mintkit and Tigerkit crept along the nursery to Sparrowkit, fortunately, he was near the entrance of the nursery. Tigerkit nudged Sparrowkit.

"Sparrowkit.. Sparrowkit!" She hissed softly.

"Huh wha-?.." Sparrowkit stirred.

"Shh!" Mintkit hissed.

"We're going outside, come on Sparrowkit!" Tigerkit exclaimed.

"Outside? I'm in!" Sparrowkit mewled. Sparrowkit was a lighter brown tabby tom-kit with Birdsong's leaf-green eyes, the only tom in the litter. Tigerkit scampered after her littermates, they were already outside in the moonlight. Sparrowkit looked at something in the distance, Mintkit was staring too, Tigerkit followed their gaze and saw two amber eyes glowing in the fern tunnel entrance.

"Is that a cat?" Mintkit whispered.

"It doesn't smell like one." Sparrowkit concluded. Tigerkit just stared. Suddenly, the red-brown shape darted forward with a loud snarl. It was a fox!

"Run!" Sparrowkit yowled and darted into the nursery. The fox made such a racket that all the cats stirred from their dens. The fox was gaining on Tigerkit, she let out a distressed yowl.

"Birdsong! Sharpflight! Help me!" Smokepaw, a grey tom with darker grey paws and blue eyes darted out and leapt onto the fox without hesitating. Tigerkit was on the floor, the fox had caught her leg and blood was pulsing from the wound. Tigerkit yowled in pain as it stung. She watched in horror as Smokepaw took many hard blows from the fox, he and the fox were bleeding heavily. The fox ran out through the fern tunnel and Smokepaw collapsed. Tigerkit realised in horror that his neck was snapped and his eyes were glazed. Honeyheart, the clan's medicine cat stared with wide eyes, as did all the other cats.

"There's nothing I can do" She meowed sorrowfully "He's already dead."

"It all happened so quickly.." A she-cat meowed.

"He died the death of a warrior." Morningstar stepped forward. "Saving his clanmates." The other cats murmured in agreement and hung their heads.

"What about the fox?" Birdsong fretted.

"It would never survive those wounds." Sharpflight assured her.

"There's a new warrior in Starclan now, and I name him Smokefang. Thank you Sta-..." The words faded as Honeyheart rushed Tigerkit to her den. Tigerkit opened her mouth to say something.

"Shh, Tigerkit, it's okay, I'll fix your leg up." Honeyheart meowed softly.

"Every cat has snuck out of the nursery once." She continued "This isn't your fault, Tigerkit, it's not." She soothed.

No, you're wrong, this is all my fault...