Prologue
"The master wants to see you." whispered a she-cat into my ear. Before I could reply to the trooper she disappeared into a cloud of smoke. My eyes drifted over the dense forest. The branches were as twisted as ever so no light could shadow the forest floor. I picked up my prey, a diseased looking rat, before heading off in the direction of camp. All of my life I had been taught not to venture off from the camp without another cat because many cats would get confused and lost in the territory only to meet another feline that would kill them without a thought. Although I have never traveled so far off to get lost. The trees would often move just so that the warriors could not meet up again. I have never fallen for their tricks and movements because of my heightened sense of smell. My whiskers trembled as they noticed the shift in the dead pine trees. I smirked at this and smelled for my group. They should not be too far out.
I padded in the direction that had their odor came from and ran. In my group we only took one precaution, but otherwise we were feral and spiteful towards each other. We only shared the common trait in seeking revenge and of course causing havoc for the rest of the world. When I caught sight of the society I slowed down to a walk. No one needed to know I was in a hurry to receive my message from the master. "So you are back." A she-cat appeared next to me. Her face was narrow and triangle shaped which made her quite lovely to look at, but her eyes spoke of another story. She might be beautiful, but she was just as much as a back stabber as the rest of the group. I said nothing to her. "He's waiting for you and so is everyone else. He made everyone come back so this must be your mission." The silver tabby she-cat purred with a grin. "I knew I decided rightly with you as my mate. When you rise, so do I." My whiskers twitched at hearing her use the word mate. She did not show this much affection without knowing what was going on.
"Really now, Ashriver? If I remember correctly I claimed you as mine only three moons ago during the full moon. You had no decision in the matter." I mused with a grin. Her hazel eyes went blank for a second, most likely recalling the night we became mated. "That's what you think. I could have allowed any one of the other toms to have me, but I fought them off for quite a while before you came along." She hissed lashing her tail. Ashriver was about five moons older than myself so I could give her credit for that much. "All right then, love." I paused and faced her. Her body stopped as if following my every move and met my eyes. We might have been mates, but we were not like what mated pairs should be. Most couples barely spoke to each other during the moon, but we fought every day just to get the one up on each other. Many toms warned me against Ashriver because she was a spitfire she-cat. She did not take foxdung from anyone which made me attracted to her. I needed a mate who would stand up for herself when I left on missions. The leader had always had a special interest in me so I knew he would let me be one of the ones to go on missions.
"Hey, mousebrain," I heard the sound of Stoneclaw, a massive grey tom as he peered outside of the camp walls. I broke eye contact with my mate to stare at the trooper ahead of us. "The master demands your attention now rather than later." His grey claws raked the moss in warning. He did not notice the silver tabby luckily. I rolled my eyes at the trooper and padded into the camp without further delay. Ashriver followed about five foxlengths behind me. We could not be so close during the day or the troopers would think we were planning a mutiny. Like I stated before mated pairs were not as connected as I was with Ashriver. My leader was standing on the calling stone. "Ah, so you have decided to join us." The tabby mewed in greeting, his eyes burning with distaste. He was an impatient leader and for that he could wait. I padded to the base of the stone as slow as I could manage. "You have been given an assignment from the group in our quest to destroy the clans. Trooper, you will enter the clans as a loner, earn their trust, and they will allow you to be part of the clan. I will contact you once you have done that." The leader mewed. He was direct and to the point. My mentor stepped forward, his eyes stone cold as they glared at me waiting for me to accept the position.
I looked between my mentor and leader before nodding. They had trained me since birth to fight and hunt against those who were not in favor of the ways and customs of the Old. "I will do this for you." I bowed my head low before I heard his voice. "Good, then you may leave." He purred and stood straight up upon his perch. I rise and turned my back on the other two before I heard the other one growl. "I must warn you though. Do anything in your power to get this done. Everything depends on you now. You are the only one they will not suspect. But if she sees you at anytime your cover will be destroyed." My mentor hissed. Again I shook my head in agreement. "She will not see me. I can make sure of that." I mewed looking back at my trainer. At this point my leader left us to talk.
"Things have fallen through many times before. We cannot afford a mistake from a cat like you, especially you. I trained you myself for many moons and if you fail that means I fail. Our leader will not accept another failure from me or I might be punished severely." He said. I glared at him. He believed me to be a failure of his so soon? Well, he would soon learn I would overcome their defeats and replace them with my victories. Besides, why he is talking to me about his worries? I was told that weakness stems from troublesome thoughts. "Well, that is your problem." I mewed coldly to the large tom. I was not the product of a mistake, not the sin that everyone said I was. My claws lingered in the moss for a moment before I felt the gentle shake of my mentor. I looked up to see him grinning and laughter making him rock. "So you have grown up, little one." His smug face made me want to hurl.
Before I could realize what I did, I felt the blood trail down my right front paw. In front of me was a clawed face. The marks went from his left ear down to his chin and all he did was grin. "Conserve that for another time. I cannot harm you before a mission as our leader's code says." He spoke, malice residing off to the side for the moment. Yes, I could finish this once I got back from the mission although that might be moons. I could not permit his grin leave my mind until then. that slug, sly look coaxing me into wrath. "Quite right, you elder. See you in a few moons to finish this." I growled, letting my tail pat his shoulder before trotting away and into the forest. I could get lost this time and end up near the clans. I grinned in amusement. These next few moons were going to be intriguing to say the least.
A silver she-cat followed me for a short time before I chose to recognize her. "Ashriver, I did not ask you to follow me." I said pausing in mid step. My ally walked out of the shadows and straight to me instead of turning tail. "Like I would listen to you." She snorted in response. "Anyway, how does he expect you to enter as a loner? I know that you are special to our leader, but even you cannot be any powerful as him." The she-trooper explained. "Exactly, I am part of the stars." I mewed. She tilted her head in questioning. "What does that even mean? You must have gone bonkers in three minutes." She retorted. "Ask around the camp, queen." I ordered her before feeling her claws rake across my face. "Don't insult me, you half-clanner." Ashriver spat at me. I growled at her for both the cut on my face and for the fact that she called in a half clan weakling. Without thinking I tackled the she-cat and had her pinned to the ground in a second.
"Just as I am part of the Place of No Stars, I am also part of the prophecy with stars. Mark my words, Ashriver, if you ever call me a half clan feline again I will pound you into the ground and make it so you are the door mat to the camp." I hissed. Her hazel hues widened at the mention of Starclan before realizing who I was and what I was capable of. Like my mother I had the power of the stars in my paws. Suddenly I felt the she-cat relax under the pressure I placed on her chest. "Ah, then you are part of their group. I see now that we cannot be allies." She mused and wriggled under me. I let her escape so we could talk like average warriors. "Is it always two-sided with you, Ashriver? I thought you had a mind. Just because they are my kin does not mean I am a part of their crowd." I pinned my ears down at what I gotten into when I claimed Ashriver as mine.
"They will take anyone was has a power, Ashriver, not just there kin, so they could just as easily replace me." This part I whispered in her ears. "And because of that reason you will have to be my eyes and ears during these next few moons. Brackenclaw's kits will be born soon and if the master is able to recruit one of them then my place here will be challenged by that kit. You must make sure it goes to Starclan." Ashriver slowly shook her head. "And what exactly will I get from doing that, oh high alpha?" She questioned. Like a good little girl she was, she was always in this for the good of her. I grinned at her. "You are my mate, why should you expect anymore?" I asked. Hazel eyes narrowed on me before raising her right eye in a sort of questioning manner. "You make me laugh, but you should know by now that I did not fight off other toms to get you as my mate just to be your mate. I want more." Her last sentence was laced with venom.
"And you should know that I am not as kind as cats think. You will receive what you get, Ashriver or nothing at all. Do this task and I will consider a higher position for you." I wrinkled my nose at this. "I doubt that." the silver tabby mewed. Her slim body curved around mine, her tail rested near my nose and her mouth next to my ear. "Promise me that I will become your second in command and will take the kit to Starclan myself." She whispered in a seductive voice. I tilted my head away from her tender face and touched noses with her. "I do not make commitments I do not intend to keep, my dear." I mewed. "Hmmm, then it seems we are at a cross roads. Well, then when the time comes for us to decide I can only hope that we get what we deserve." She purred and padded away, leaving me alone. Once she was out of ear shot I sighed. Perhaps I should have listened to the other toms when they warned me about her. But on the other hand I knew that she would follow my instructions without fail.
Now I could go on with what I intended to always do. Plunge into the clans and take them for all they had.