Prologue
Hawkfrost lay still. Everything was cold. Everything was dark. Slowly he opened his ice coloured eyes, getting to his paws. Looking around, and realisation hit him like a blow from a badgers paw.
"No!" he yowled in horror, he was in the Place Of No Stars! Brambleclaw had killed him! Hawkfrost unsheathed his claws angrily. How could his brother betray him like this? He felt tears fall down his cheek. He'd trusted him, loved him like a brother and he'd choosen to save Firestar over his own kin!
Firestar! he thought angrily One day you stinking Kitty-pet, and I'll kill you for what you've done! Just then he spotted a pool of water, it shimmered like the stars in the night sky. He padded over to the mysterious pool, eyes narrowed so they looked like chips of shining ice in the light. Looking into the pool he saw Brambleclaw talking with Firestar, right next to his dead body. He felt rage course through him. Who did they think they were? Just then Squirrelflight appeared through the bushes, followed by her tabby sister, Leafpool. He felt pure loathing for Squirrelflight, she was the kin of Firestar, and she tried to get in the way of him and Brambleclaw. He knew he should feel the same towards Leafpool but…he just didn't. His heart raced at the thought of the pretty medicine cat. He'd tried to talk about Leafpool with Brambleclaw before but the tabby seemed reluctant to talk about her, and he didn't press it. He'd just thought he might feel threatened by her, after all she could probably sense that he had been meeting with him and Tigerstar, and he knew Brambleclaw wanted no cat to find out.
Coward! he thought. But know seeing the two tabbies talking privately to each other, pelts pressed together in friendship, he couldn't help but think there was more going on between his brother and Leafpool. The thought of it made him growl. But he had no idea why. Then he saw Squirrelflight leave her fathers side and pad over to Brambleclaw, licking him lovingly behind the ear.
You roguish tom! he thought his eyes widening. He watched for Leafpool's reaction but she did nothing, other than pad over to her father to check his wounds. Had he been wrong all along then? But then he saw Leafpool shot a look of longing at the two by the lake, sharing tongues by his dead body. Then he spotted the glint of blue eyes watching them from the bushes.
Ashfur? he wondered. Then they disappeared. He reminded himself to talk to Ashfur in a dream. The gray tom should be congratulated on his skilful way of luring Firestar to his trap. And he also knew he had to help Ashfur get his revenge on Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight as he promised in return for his help. But right now he felt more eager to enter one of Leafpool's dreams. His claws scraped the ground with anticipation at the thought of meeting the tabby she-cat. But would he be able to? He knew StarClan had their eye on this particular medicine cat most of all, though he didn't know why. But as the cats moved away leaving his body, he vowed that he would try, smirking as he noticed that Leafpool was the only cat to look back at him.