Prologue
Cold leafbare wind pierced through the forest as the moon rose. The first snowfall had finally arrived, bringing with it the warning that every creature had been dreading. Mice scurried to their burrows to keep warm. Birds fled to escape the bitingly cold leafbare. Prey was scarce once more.
It was like this every leafbare for the predators that stayed behind. Life in the forest was hard because leafbare killed any prey they could find. Every creature was on the brink of war by the end of leafbare just to survive.
SunClan cats were used to this struggle. Or at least they thought they were.
Risingpaw raised his head as he looked at the dark sky. It was clear, but the bright full moon blocked out any of his warrior ancestors. And when he did manage to see the stars the trees would block their view from any prying eyes.
"It's different." The black and white tom flinched when he recognized Fernclaw's voice. The creamy brown she-cat was standing on one of the boulders as she waited for orders. "This leafbare is going to be the hardest," she murmured.
"What do you mean?" Risingpaw looked at Fernclaw in confusion.
"The prey isn't going to return," the medicine cat murmured. "I can feel it... StarClan is trying to tell us that it is time to leave."
"Leave?" Echopaw, Risingpaw's sister, demanded. He glanced at the gray and white she-cat in surprise when she bounded to his side. "Fernclaw must have bees in her brains. We've lived in the forest for generations!"
Fernclaw shot them both a wary look before sighing in frustration. How foolish these young cats were to believe such nonsense.
She remembered the story her mentor once told her. SunClan once lived near a great forest, better than this one. But the Clans were forced to move seasons upon seasons ago. SunClan had gotten separated during the journey, and moved into this forest.
With a flick of her tail Fernclaw jumped off the boulder and landed between Echopaw and Risingpaw. Both apprentices jumped out of the way when she shoved her way through. Floodstar needed to hear this news, as much as he wouldn't want to.
The two apprentices bounded after her, flicking snow off of their ears as it fell from the trees. Fernclaw picked up the pace until they reached the camp.
Camp was located between two dead oak trees that were covered in ivy. Fernclaw made a note that they needed to be clawed off before the end of leafbare. Ivy took over if it wasn't taken care of properly. She had seen Twoleg nests destroyed by the plant a few moons ago. In the middle of the camp was a large clearing with dens that surrounded it. Tall, ancient looking trees wrapped around the den, providing some protection from the fierce winds that would often hit them.
Floodstar, a pale gray-blue tom with streaks of black along his tail, sat alone while the rest of the Clan huddled together for the Gathering. His blue eyes narrowed when he spotted Fernclaw approaching him. Risingpaw and Echopaw bounded after their Clanmates when they realized how late they were.
"Floodstar, I must speak with you," Fernclaw meowed when she approached her leader. Floodstar's tail flicked with annoyance when she stared at him calmly. "This is urgent," she added in a lower voice. She didn't want the Clan to panic, but judging from the way Risingpaw and Echopaw were speaking she didn't need to whisper.
"Did you receive a prophecy from StarClan?" he asked when he finally looked at her.
"No, worse, I received an omen," she replied with a dip of her head. "Or a warning. I'm not sure how to name it." Floodstar waited for her to continue. "The forest is going to get worse. The prey isn't going to return. We are going to starve if we do not leave."
Annoyance gleamed within Floodstar's eyes once more. "We have survived this long for generations," he hissed. "And we shall continue doing so."
"Floodstar-" He cut her off with a wave of his tail.
"Enough! As your leader I suggest that you remember your place in this Clan, medicine cat," he sneered.
Disappointment clawed at Fernclaw's heart as she dipped her head in response. There was nothing she could do to convince him. But she wouldn't let her Clan suffer because of a foolish leader's choice. She would do something to help her Clanmates, even if it meant going behind everything she was taught.
StarClan, if there's any chance I can contact the other Clans, if they are still alive, please help me, she begged silently.
As she made her way to her den, she felt a strong pull at her fur. Fernclaw looked around in surprise and realized that this was StarClan's way of communicating with her. She felt her stomach lurch when she thought of everything she had been through to get this far.
With a sigh of relief, she approached her nest and circled it before laying down. The Gathering was of little importance to her. All that mattered was keeping the Clan safe, even if it meant giving her own life. Sleep came quickly for her, and those were her final thoughts before she was approached by StarClan.
. . .
Life would go on, forever and always. Nothing would change that. Ashcloud sat in his den, pondering over what had happened these past few moons.
Silverstar's death, Berryfur's death and a few other cats that had died. He knew that he shouldn't blame himself, but somehow it felt like the responsibility of the Clan's safety weighed down on his shoulders. Redstar had lost a life after the battle due to an open wound that he didn't know about. Now the MoonClan leader had only two lives left.
With his tail wrapped neatly around his paws, Ashcloud looked around thoughtfully. Perhaps he wasn't meant to know how many would die under his care as their medicine cat. It was StarClan's choice to call for new Clanmates. He was just the messenger as far as he was concerned.
"Ashcloud!" The medicine cat froze when he heard a voice echoing throughout the cave. It was easy to hear someone when their voices bounced off the cave walls. Ashcloud slowly stood up when he realized that this wasn't the cave he normally slept in. It took him a few heartbeats to recognize that this was part of StarClan's hunting grounds. "Welcome, Ashcloud." The medicine cat tilted his head to one side when he recognized Hawkclaw's voice.
The golden brown tabby was sitting at the entrance of the cave Ashcloud had been sleeping in. Curiosity coursed through Ashcloud when Hawkclaw bounded out of the cave. He knew that it was reckless to rush blindly into the unknown. But he trusted StarClan with his life.
Hawkclaw had led him to what looked like a large forest surrounded by ancient looking trees. But what bothered Ashcloud was that the trees weren't covered in leaves. He barely remembered that it was leafbare until he spotted patches of snow covering the ground.
"Where are we?" Ashcloud asked when Hawkclaw stopped near a half-broken boulder. The golden brown tabby's head inclined towards the holly bushes in the distance.
"This is a different part of StarClan's territory," Hawkclaw explained. "This is where the ancestors of SunClan reside."
"SunClan?" Ashcloud echoed. He looked around warily, suddenly nervous.
Why does this sound familiar? he wondered. His heart nearly skipped a beat when the holly bushes began to tremble. Out of the bushes came a lithe looking creamy brown she-cat with dark blue eyes. He took a step back and wondered just who this stranger was.
"Who are you?" His fur bristled when he looked at the stranger, whose own fur was bristling slightly.
"This is the answer StarClan have for me?" she demanded angrily.
"My name is Ashcloud, and I am the medicine cat of MoonClan," Ashcloud meowed defensively. The she-cat blinked in surprise before looking away.
"My name is Fernclaw. I am SunClan's medicine cat." Her response sent thrills of shock through Ashcloud. It sounded like a Clan name, and SunClan was a Clan just like his!
"How exactly do you have a Clan name?" he asked.
"How do you have a Clan name?" Fernclaw countered.
His ears flattened in embarrassment before he ducked his head. "Erm, right... why are we here?" he looked back at Hawkclaw, whose tail flicked in amusement.
"You are here because she asked for help," he explained to Ashcloud. His eyes were on Fernclaw, who simply glared in response. "SunClan is going to face dark times. The forest they survive off of is dying. Only by leaving will they survive the hardship that they will face."
"How can I be of assistance?" Ashcloud asked.
"A journey must be made. A journey that will test the courage of your Clanmates beyond everything they know. Three must become four before the valley falls into chaos once more." Hawkclaw's words had become distant as he looked between Ashcloud and Fernclaw.
That sounded more like a prophecy than a speech. Ashcloud looked at Fernclaw, whose own eyes were narrowed in confusion. Hawkclaw was beginning to face already. Ashcloud found himself back in the cave where he had fallen asleep and blinked in disbelief.
Why is StarClan always so cryptic? he wondered with a shake of his head. Either way he knew that no good was going to come out of this. SunClan would need to be found before the Clans fell into chaos once again.
AN: Okay, so I'm feeling slightly generous tonight... Anyways, this is the sequel to Legacy of Rain. It will come in two points of views, one from the Clans in the valley and another from SunClan's point of view. I'm not going to give any hints as to who the main character for SunClan is, but you've already met them :) Also, please let me know what you thought of this prologue!
