(Note: there will be no allegiances because characters will come and go a lot, so it would be hard to keep up.)

PROLOGUE

"We have failed."

Silence filled the cave. The steady dripping of water could be heard, as the frozen spikes of ice on the roof slowly melted. Pools began to form, but no cat took notice. Some paced restlessly, tails lashing, while others dabbed at the water absentmindedly, and others simply lay on the floor, appearing to be asleep, but nowhere near falling into a doze. Wind howled outside like a wolf, and because of this, none of them heard both, but only one.

A snow white tom stood up and faced that cat who had spoken, who was crouched in a niche by the entrance. He had been one of those who had been pacing, along with adding a few claw marks to the rock every now and then.

"It's not the end yet." He told her. His blue eyes flashed. "It doesn't have to be. We can teach them, train them-"

"How could we possibly tell them something like this?!" A black she-cat near the back snarled, interrupting him. "Do you want a repeat of the three? To find out they're slowly crumbling like sand, dragging every cat with them? No, Cloudtail, better to let them slowly starve or die of sickness."

"That doesn't have to happen!" He pressed. One or two cats looked up hopefully, but most seemed to agree with Hollyleaf. "We could teach them to contr-"

"They're monsters, Cloudtail. Once they find out, it will be the end of the clans."

"The end of the clans has already happened, mouse-brain." A brown she cat grumbled in the corner. Hollyleaf glared at her, but said nothing. Another howl ripped through the night, and a gray she-cat stiffened, then relaxed again. Some cats had stood up to stand with Cloudtail, facing Hollyleaf, but no one stood up for her, most of them because they disapproved of the term "monsters." Changing sides in a heartbeat.

"I'm done here." Hollyleaf said at last. "She padded towards the entrance of the cave. "You don't know what you're doing. You can't even think for yourselves. Trying to save what is destined to die-and has already died once."

A long, dark tom with a silver stripe down his back stood from the large dark mass in another area. They were looking uncomfortable, like they had assumed they would not be welcome, and did not go near any of the Starclan cats. "We may not succeed," he hissed at her. "but we can try."

She turned back to him, teeth bared, maddened by grief and hopelessness, the wind tugging at her tail. "Since when have you sided with Starclan, Darkstripe?!" She screeched. "Do you think I'm heartless?! This hurts me too! But I know there is nothing we can so about it." Her voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "Don't dwell on dreams, cat of no soul. Or in them, at that."

She bounded out of the cave, and a moment later, a screech tore across the sky and flew into the cave. "Wolves! Run!" This was followed by a snarling sound, a hiss and a bark, and then cats were bounding from the cave, leaping into the wolves in their fury, slashing with their claws and teeth, until there was none left, for they had all been tossed over the side. The cats let out an echoing cry, telling the skies of their victory. Silence eventually fell. A bright ginger tom stood and looked around, eyes full of worry.

"Hollyleaf?" He called. His voice echoed through the mountains, burrowing under the snow, searching. "Hollyleaf!"

There was no reply.