Prologue
The starlit sky twinkled brightly against the pitch-black night, as a black and orange she-cat put a poultice on a white she-cat's wounded shoulder. "Thanks Shadowfire," the white she-cat said, wincing with pain as the poultice sank into her scratch. "Any time, Whitefrost," replied the medicine cat, as she picked up her supply of herbs. That's the last of the wounded cats, thank goodness. Shadowfire headed to the medicine den, her mouth full of herbs, dead tired, her tail drooping behind. She looked up at the night sky, dotted with Starclan warriors. Was this battle really worth it, Starclan? Shadowfire thought, looking up at her ancestors, then back down scanning the camp, littered with wounded warriors, now treated. She went inside the medicine den, a small entrance in a pile of rock, which opened up into a room of stone. Shadowfire walked over to several clefts in the wall and stuffed the herbs inside of them.
"Shadowfire," Shadowfire turned around to see the clan leader, Breezestar, standing in the entrance of the medicine den, "can I have a word with you?" Shadowfire paused with exhaustion, gazing into Breezestar's amber eyes. "Yeah," she replied drowsily and watched as the brown tabby and white she-cat padded into the den and stood in front of Shadowfire. "I know it has been hard the past moon, with Treeclan causing border problems, and Silvercloud leaving us to join Starclan," Breezestar started. Shadowfire flinched with grief, at the mention of her former mentor, Silvercloud, who died in the past moon, due to an unknown disease. "And I know it must be hard for you since you received your full medicine cat name right before her death, but I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing by leading Shadeclan into countless battles, for a little bit more territory," she finished. Shadowfire thought for a second, about what to say.
She hadn't had any signs from Starclan about what to do. "I haven't had any signs from Starclan yet," she begun, "but I'm sure what your doing is for the best, Breezestar," The tabby and white she-cat sat there for a moment, in deep thought. "I suppose you're right..." Breezestar said, looking unsatisfied with the answer she got, "Tell me when you do get a sign from Starclan," she said as she turned around and walked out of the den. Shadowfire just stared blankly after her. Shadowfire eventually sank into her nest of moss and leaves, closed her eyes, and let out a sigh of exhaustion. Please Starclan, give me a sign, she thought as she drifted off to sleep.
Shadowfire woke up to starry ground and glistening trees. I'm in Starclan! Shadowfire thought, relieved. Maybe they'll tell me what to do about the border problems. She spun around to be nose-to-nose to a beautiful, silver she-cat with dark blue eyes. "Silvercloud!" Shadowfire squealed, with shock and happiness as her former mentor stood in front of her. She buried her nose into the Starclan cat's shoulder fur. "I'm so glad to see you," Shadowfire murmured. Silvercloud licked Shadowfire's head, "It's good to see you too." Shadowfire raised her head and looked deep into her former mentor's blue eyes, remembering what she had to ask. "Are we doing the right thing, by fighting with Treeclan to keep a piece of territory, or should we surrender it to them to stop all of this bloodshed," the words just spilled out of her mouth. Silvercloud rested her tail on Shadowfire's shoulder. "You have done so much on your own, yet your still very young," Silvercloud said, with a note of sadness, "I'm sorry I had to leave you so soon."Shadowfire dipped her head in forgiveness, then looked up again waiting for an answer. Silvercloud stared back, until she broke away from her gaze to look at the sky.
"Does your clan believe it's right to fight for your territory?" she asked, her gaze full of wisdom. Shadowfire hesitated for moment before replying, "Yes, I think so." Silvercloud stepped back a pace, "Then it is the right thing to do. You must trust your clanmates and clan leader to do what is best for Shadeclan," Silvercloud replied, as she started to dissolve. "Wait!" Shadowfire threw herself forward, "You can't go yet, I have so much more to ask you about. What about your secret?" Silvercloud's frame, barely visible now, looked at her with a serious, but trusting gaze. "Don't tell a soul until it is time," she said, then disappeared.
Shadowfire woke up to the sound of playful squeals, coming from outside. She got up and shook moss out of her pelt. As she poked her head outside, rays of sunlight pierced her gaze, and she flinched back. When her eyes adjusted to the light, her gaze fell upon two small kits playing in the clearing; one dark gray and the other light brown tabby. "Take that, Treeclan scum!" the brown tabby kit leaped on her sister. The rolled on the ground, play fighting, as a brown tabby she-cat appeared from the entrance of the honey-suckle nursery.
"Dustkit, Stormkit, get back here at once! It's too early to be messing around and you'll wake up everyone," the queen scolded. The two she-kits exchanged a glance before hanging their heads low. "We're sorry, Leafstorm," said Stormkit. Shadowfire watched as the kits disappeared inside the nursery. Leafstorm looked up and met Shadowfire's gaze, and nodded. Shadowfire nodded in return, before Leafstorm disappeared inside the nursery, behind the kits. Shadowfire breathed in the morning air and looked up at the milky dawn sky. Don't worry Silvercloud, your secret will always be safe with me.