PROLOGUE
"Here, this place will do." a bracken-colored cat spoke as he sat by an oak tree on the near side of a small river.
"Why here? My paws are soaked!" said another cat as she sat next to the bracken-colored one.
"Because, its loud here and no cat for miles will here us!" snapped a ginger she-cat with a white underbelly and paws. As the three cats all sat in a half-circle, they waited for the last member to arrive.
"Hello?" said a gray cat as he appeared from a large patch of reeds that curled over the flowing teal-blue water.
"Yes, we are all here Graycloud. Come and join us before the Clans wonder what has become of us." The ginger she-cat spoke as the gray cat sat next to her.
"Lets get this over with" said the highly annoyed cat.
And with that all four cats bent their heads into a small pool the flooded astray from the river. Only letting the tiny tufts of fur on their ears gently graze the water's crisp surface. Before long the pool of water had gone clear reveling a... cat? "Who is this?" said the gray cat.
The cat that appeared in the water had ginger fur with dark black markings, green eyes, and was a male tabby cat. "He's not from a clan. He's a rouge!" shouted the bracken-colored cat.
"Why has Starclan sent us a rouge as the gifted warrior? He's not even a warrior!" snarled the annoyed cat with her fur standing on end.
The ginger she-cat sighed "Starclan will give us answers if its in our good will. As far as we know this is the cat of the new prophecy."
"everyone" started the gray cat. "Meet here at the next gathering and hopefully Starclan has sent us answers by the new moon."
CHAPTER ONE
The air was dry, for it had not rained in many moons. The sunlight peaked through the leaves of trees and hit the grassy ground making odd shapes appear to dance on the forest floor. The once green ferns, that stood tall, were now a gold color and drooped over the grass, fried from the hot sun that drained the forest's energy from it's roots. Niclon, a ginger tabby with dark markings rose from his paws, after a long nights rest had been restricted by his thoughts. He was happy the sun had risen upon his ban of rouge cats. His "clan" if he had that to put it that way. Niclon smiled as he looked over to his his mate, Mara, a light brown she-cat with bright green eyes and white underbelly with white paws. She was resting with her den mates, in the nursery of course. The nursery was where all the queens, or cats expecting or nursing kits spent their days. While the other cats had specific jobs to help the clan, some queens, some apprentices, and some warriors. The warriors were the cats that helped protect the clan and help gather food for the queens and the medicine cat who were to busy curing or caring for kits to hunt for themselves.
Niclon made his way over to Mara but was stopped by Vimmy, a loyal warrior with dark brown fur, and was also deputy. "I've taken a hunting patrol to make sure this is a safe place to stay." said Vimmy.
"Is it safe here?" Niclon asked, his fur standing on end, curious for the safety of his, soon to be born, kits.
Vimmy sighed "no, the patrol and I ran into clan cats. Jenna has been injured and Rowin as well."
"Those clan cats have no right to attack us!" Niclon grumbled.
"I know" Vimmy hung his head and sighed.
"Inform the rest of our cats that we will be moving soon." Niclon sighed as Vimmy nodded.
What Vimmy had said echoed in Niclon's mind as he continued his way to Mara. Mara was still resting when Niclon arrived at her. Niclon looked at the other queens that shared Mara's den. The two other queens were- Zinnia, a gray she-cat with dark black stripes, the other was Blue, a pale blue-tinted she-cat. Zinnia's kits, Aster and Silver, were already apprentices. She just preferred to stay with her duties as a queen, by helping newcomers, like Mara. Blue's kits, Hinto and Juliet, were still kits in the nursery, but her third kit, Kiba, was an apprentice along with Zinnia's kits.
"Mara? Mara my dear, please wake up?" Niclon spoke with a voice like silk, trying not to wake the other queens.
Her eyes fluttered open with his words, "Yes my love?" Mara spoke just as soft.
"I'm glad to see you're awake." Niclon smiled down at her. "However" Niclon sighed, "we must get moving..."
Mara's eyes widened, "what...?" Her fur stood on end, "but why?"
It pained Niclon to look in Mara's bright eyes as they died into smoke, frightened by the thought of moving again. "It's not safe here anymore, the clan cats have found us." Niclon sighed.
Mara was saddened by Niclon 's words. "I can't believe this" she sniffeled.
By that time, Zinnia and Blue had awoken to the sound of Mara's tears. They had comforted Mara and had fallen back asleep. As the rest of the cats followed their lead, to bed of course. Niclon had done the same, by Mara's side, where he felt the gentle caress of his kits from Mara's stomach onto his side.