Prologue
Night lay upon the FlightClan camp, beams of moonlight slicing through the shadows at the edges of the camp. In the apprentices' den, Foxpaw lay awake, staring at his slightly small wings. He had expected them to change color already! But they were still the same kit–silver. He growled under his breath. Why won't they change? He wailed inwardly, angry.
Suddenly there was a flash of brilliant color so bright Foxpaw had to close his eyes, and when he opened his eyes again, his wings were not the same. Instead of the silver he was used to, they were now a light tawny color streaked with dusky gold.
"Wow." Foxpaw murmured, gazing in awe at his wings. He fluttered them experimentally, and he hovered a couple mouse-lengths off the ground. No, it wasn't a dream. His wings had finally changed! He silently cheered.
He returned to his nest, folding his new tawny wings around him, just as the first rays of the sun topped the mountains in the distance.
Foxpaw's eyes flicked open, bright sunlight hit him in the face. He yowled in surprise and shielded his face. He heard amused purrs coming from the other corner. One of the other apprentices, Skypaw, was staring at him.
"What?" he asked, confused, as she was staring, open–mouthed at him.
"Y–your wings!" she gasped. Foxpaw glanced at his wings, and saw that in the light, they seemed more gold then tawny.
"Ummm…" muttered Foxpaw, as an excuse to leave. Ducking out from under the wide branches of the apprentices' den, he found himself face–to–face with Rainpaw, the only other she–cat apprentice besides Skypaw.
Rainpaw regarded him with her icy gaze. Foxpaw shivered. If there was any cat he didn't want to meet in battle, it would be Rainpaw.
Rainpaw's dark gray fur rippled along her lean muscles, her cloudy blue eyes resting on Foxpaw. Her dark gray–black wings resting at her sides, she inquired of Foxpaw, "What makes you want to leave the den so early in the morning?"
Foxpaw tried to hurriedly compose a good enough story for her, so she would leave him alone. Suddenly Foxpaw felt a tug in his chest, and a wild wind ripped through the camp, nearly knocking Rainpaw over, but merely ruffling Foxpaw's feathers.
"What was that??" A voice called out, and as Rainpaw and Foxpaw turned to look, Skypaw slid out from under the low–hanging branches of their den.
Skypaw repeated, "What was that?"
Rainpaw replied, "It was merely a wind, Skypaw. No need to get all jumpy over a wind." Foxpaw could have sworn he saw the faintest of smiles on her face, but it was gone a moment later.
There was a crashing sound near them, and as the three apprentices whirled around, a dark gray tom with wide golden eyes stumbled through the bracken fronds, and collapsed in front of them.
"Crowpaw!" Skypaw was the first to reach the fallen apprentice. She deftly turned him over, a look of concern crossing her face. "Look…" she whispered, pointing with her paw at one of Crowpaw's wings. It was badly torn and glistening with dark blood.
"It looks like badger," said Rainpaw, staring at the injured apprentice, and the wounds crisscrossing his body.
"If he survives this, I don't see how he could fly with that wing," murmured Skypaw sadly.
"Why are you guys talking like this?!" Foxpaw yowled. "You're acting as if he's already dead!"
The two she–cats stared at him. Finally Rainpaw broke the silence and said flatly, "FlightClan cats have always belonged in the air. If Crowpaw cannot fly, he is as good as dead."
Foxpaw muttered, "I'm gonna find Leopardspots," before racing away, calling for the medicine cat.
"Leopardspots! Leopardspots!" cried Foxpaw. "Please come! It's Crowpaw!"
The tawny–spotted she–cat emerged from her den, carrying a bundle of herbs. Foxpaw flicked his tail at Crowpaw's limp form. Leopardspots questioned, "Where is the rest of the patrol? Featherfire and Shadowsky were with him when they set out on dawn patrol this morning."
Foxpaw shrugged, and Leopardspots meowed, "Find Moonstar! Tell her to track Crowpaw's patrol!"
When Foxpaw didn't move, she hissed, "Now, Foxpaw!"
He dashed to the leader's den, where he found FlightClan's leader, Moonstar, her silver fur gleaming, her silvery–gray wings folded at her sides, calmly eating a vole. She looked up. "Yes? What is it, Foxpaw?"
Foxpaw quickly told the story of the three apprentices finding Crowpaw, to Leopardspots telling him to find Moonstar.
Moonstar nodded, and meowed, "Gather Firestorm, Nightwing, Russetclaw, and Tawnytail. Tell them to come to the Highbranch. I will meet with them shortly."
Foxpaw nodded, and started to depart. Moonstar said, "Oh, and Foxpaw?"
"Hmmm?"
"You and Rainpaw are coming too."
Foxpaw nodded again and raced towards the warriors' den. Rushing in, he spotted Firestorm in the corner. "Firestorm!" he called, breathless from his run across camp. The dark ginger warrior raised his head, his dark wings fluttering. "Foxpaw?" he asked.
He must smell my fear–scent, thought Foxpaw, clearing his throat. "Moonstar wants you, Nightwing, Russetclaw, and Tawnytail by the Highbranch."
Firestorm dipped his head. "Thank you, Foxpaw."
Foxpaw inclined his head slightly, and retreated to the apprentices' den, where he found Rainpaw and Skypaw talking.
Foxpaw heard snippets of their conversation, "…the prophecy……wind……the high moon…… StarClan…it's coming……now is the time……"
"Rainpaw?" asked Foxpaw tentatively. Both the she–cats' heads whipped around. "What?" inquired Rainpaw. "Moonstar wants you…and…is Crowpaw okay?"
"See for yourself. Leopardspots and Sandfur are with him in the medicine cat den."
Sandfur was Crowpaw's mother, undoubtedly she would be very upset; after all, she just lost her other kit, Blackkit, to a hawk earlier on in greenleaf.
Foxpaw thanked Rainpaw for the news, and padded to the medicine cat den, his paws heavy with the thought of the fact that Crowpaw might already be gone…
His hurried pawsteps brought him to the entrance of the medicine cat's den faster then he'd hoped, and slowly, he peered in, his wings fluttering anxiously against his back, as he stepped forward