Chapter 1
In the dead of night two cats stalked through the undergrowth with precise precaution, each unaware of the others presence. The moon hung low in the sky, ignoring the clouds that drifted casually by. The bushes rustled and parted to reveal a pale red tabby tom, senses alert for any prey that might be near. His head snapped up at the sudden hiss in the brush opposite him. He dropped into the hunters crouch and leapt into the brush, landing squarely on another cats back. The two wrestled into a small clearing and jumped back to face each other.
"Stonestream!" the intruder exclaimed.
Stonestream let his fur lay flat as he realized it was only a clanmate of his. "Toadfoot! What are you doing here in my dream?"
"I can ask you the same thing," the gray tom said.
They looked around the clearing. It was empty except for them.
"Do you think this is some kind of MoonClan trick?" Stonestream growled, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
Toadfoot shook his head. "They can only enter our dreams, not put us together in one. No, this has to be a message of some sort from StarClan."
"Not from StarClan, my dear warriors," a voice laughed from the shadows, "but from someplace far more powerful."
They looked around as the ground began to shake. The shadow of a large tree emerged from the ground in the middle of the clearing, first as a shadow then taking the form of an actual tree. On the highest branch red eyes shone in the moonlight. The shadowy figure of a cat appeared to own them. The darkness dimmed to reveal the all to familiar form of Wolfstar.
"These are not StarClan hunting grounds," the former WolfClan leader said. "This is the Dark Forest. StarClan do not interfere with my clan anymore."
"Then you have a message for us?" Stonestream asked excitedly.
She nodded and sat straight, obviously waiting for something. A second branch grew from the tree on the side of hers, another shadowy figure taking shape. Yellow eyes matched up to the small brown and tan figure of Earthstar, the former leader of EarthClan. The bushes rustled again to reveal the EarthClan warrior Stormcloud. The gray tom seemed confused about his surroundings.
"Stormcloud," Earthstar called. "Take your place here."
Stormcloud looked up at his former leader, and seeing the two together his lips curved into a smile. He padded over and sat next to the two toms. "You have a message for us?"
Wolfstar nodded. "There Is a prophecy that the three of you are a part of. StarClan themselves had the nerve to cross these borders and speak of this to us. So here it is:"
The two leaders spoke with one voice. "Storms will come, battles will rage, disaster will strike. Tiger, Lion, and Leopard will meet with falling stars."
The three looked at each other in astonishment. When they turned to look up into the tree their leaders had gone.
"Go with the shadows, young warriors," came the raspy voice of Wolfstar.
"We will guide you," Earthstar murmured in their ears.
"On the full moon, you shall all meet on the Gathering Island," Wolfstar whispered.
"Go with the shadows," they whispered together, before their presences faded altogether.
The three cats stood there for a moment, before the scenery faded to a dark forest path. One by one they padded along it, feeling the fur of the dead leaders brush against theirs.
Go with the shadows. . .
The sudden howl of a wolf aroused the WolfClan warriors Toadfoot and Stonestream from their sleep. The nests were lightly lit from the crack in the den wall. They looked around at each other. Their eyes met and they both stood, carefully tiptoeing into the clearing. They sat side by side and looked up t the moon.
"The moon's almost full," Toadfoot commented.
Stonestream nodded. "Who else do you think could be a part of this? Besides us of course, and Stormcloud."
"I'm not sure," Toadfoot replied. "But whoever else is in this with us they must be prepared for anything."
Stonestream nodded.
Go with the shadows. . .
