Prologue
Soft new-leaf rain fell from the starry sky as a group of cats made their way through the moor. A pure white she-cat led them, thus being her first moon leading the group of cats to a special meeting during the full moon. A brown tom with blue eyes padded beside her.
"Whitestar," the tom began, "What will you tell them of Rabbitstar's death?"
Whitestar flicked her whiskers. "Nothing. They do not need to know of the cause, Woodfur. It will haunt them." she replied, her voice thick with grief at the mention of the former leader.
Rabbitstar, a small light brown tom had led the Clan with peace for many moons. Less than a moon ago, he had caught a sickness like no other; foam would spew out of his mouth and his once calm eyes would turn wild with craze. Whitestar, who was Whiterose at the time, had to kill him herself when he begged her. Her mind began to wander to the past.
"Whiterose...you must lead the Clan," Rabbitstar had rasped. "I can not fight this battle anymore."
"But Patchfur said you would make it!" Whiterose wailed to her dying leader, who's life began to fade from his eyes and were being replaced by something else...was that hatred?
"Dear Whiterose...I guess I was never one of the strong ones." Rabbitstar gasped as his mouth began to foam and his eyes started to bulge. "Do it, kill me now!" he growled as his eyes were fully sparkling with madness.
The cat before her was no longer Rabbitstar, instead, he was a monster. Whiterose prayed to StarClan silently as she leapt at her leader and gripped his neck tight, killing him so he wouldn't suffer any longer. Whiterose stared down at the skinny fragile body in front of her paws.
"Whiterose?" A black tom with white patches addressed the deputy. "What happened?"
"Rabbitstar turned mad, Patchfur. He told me to kill him. He didn't want to take it any longer." Whiterose replied, her eyes brimmed with tears. "Why did this happen to him? Does StarClan hate us?" she asked the medicine cat.
Patchfur shook his head. "It was his time. Now it is time for you to lead WindClan." he laid his tail across her shoulders. "StarClan and Rabbitstar will welcome you."
"Oh, Rabbitstar," Whiterose whispered as she pushed her nose in his pelt, "May StarClan light your path."
Shaking her head, Whitestar pushed through the clearing of Fourtrees as her Clan spread out for the Gathering. ThunderClan's leader, Cloudstar, was sitting on the High-rock with RiverClan's leader, Oakstar.
Whitestar leapt up by the two leaders as her deputy, Woodfur, sat by ThunderClan and RiverClan's deputy, Lionclaw and Heronflight. Oakstar eyed her curiously, his green eyes sparkling. "Where is Rabbitstar?" he asked her.
"Rabbitstar has joined StarClan. I am Whitestar now." she replied, her voice staying steady.
Both leaders bowed their heads. "ThunderClan will miss him. He was a great leader." Cloudstar mewed.
"As will RiverClan." Oakstar replied as he lifted his head to look up at the sky.
"And ShadowClan sends their condolences." a she-cat mewed as she met the other leaders on the High-rock.
"Thank you, all of you." Whitestar replied. "How's hunting in ShadowClan, Poppystar?" she asked the tortoiseshell she-cat.
"Well, thank you." Poppystar sniffed. "Shall we get started?" she questioned.
Without waiting for a reply, Poppystar called, "The Gathering will begin!"
"ShadowClan has had fair hunting since the beginning of new-leaf," Poppystar mewed, her voice strong and loud, "Lizardfang has decided to step down from the deputy position and became an elder. Voletooth takes her place tonight as the new deputy of ShadowClan."
"Lizardfang! Voletooth! Lizardfang! Voletooth!" the cats cried.
Oakstar padded forward, "The river is plentiful since new-leaf has arrived. Birchpool has become a full warrior of RiverClan." Oakstar backed away as he finished.
"Birchpool! Birchpool!" cats congratulated a tabby tom.
"ThunderClan is striving with prey," Cloudstar reported, "And Cardinalfeather has replaced Thorntooth as medicine cat."
Whitestar bowed her head as many cats did to remember Thorntooth. Then, she padded forward. "As many of you have guessed, I am WindClan's leader now. Rabbitstar lost his ninth life a little less than a moon ago. Woodfur stands as my deputy." Whitestar reported.
She watched as many cats bowed their heads and then began to stand up. The Gathering was coming to a close. Leaping off the rock, Whitestar made her way to her Clan.
"It was good to keep quiet about he died." Patchfur told her as she approached.
Whitestar flicked her ears as she looked at the group to make sure she had everyone. There was Duskfall and his mate, Turtletail (honestly she didn't understand why they were together, they fought all of the time!); Deerleap and Brackenheart (Duskfall's brothers); her deputy, Woodfur; her medicine cat, Patchfur; Honeyfur (Brackenheart's mate), Dewfur (Turtletail's sister) and her mate Thornclaw; Snowfur (Duskfall, Deerleap, and Brackenheart's mother; Woodfur is her mate but not the father); and Leafpaw and Maplepaw. Everyone was there.
Nodding her head, she lead her Clan back to camp.
Later that night, Whitestar was looking up at the stars as morning was approaching. She felt a pelt brush beside her. It was cold yet comforting. Whitestar looked at the cat in front of her as he sat. It was Rabbitstar.
"Rabbitstar! I'm so-"
"Peace, Whitestar. We both know you had to do what you must." Rabbitstar interrupted her, his voice low and calm.
"But how can I live knowing that I killed you?" Whitestar questioned, her voice becoming filled with grief.
"Whitestar, there will be two kits born sometime when you are leader. They will face a darkness worse than yours. One will lose hope and faith, one will let grief and hatred enter their soul to swallow them in darkness. You must help them see, especially the one who will lose faith." Rabbitstar warned her.
"Who? When? What will I do?" Whitestar panicked. "What if they will destroy WindClan?!"
Rabbitstar shook his head. "Trust your heart, Whitestar. It will not come to that. But you must prove to your Clan that they must not give up on each other or their faith, or darkness awaits them."
"Oh, Rabbitstar! You should still be leading them!" Whitestar told him, her eyes blazing. "What if I make a mistake?"
Rabbitstar began to fade as morning came. "StarClan will light your path always. You are like a moth frantically trying to avoid the leaf-bare's frost. There is warmth somewhere." he told her as he faded all together.
"A moth? Trying to avoid the frost? But they mostly disappear, either dead or goneā¦" Whitestar whispered.
You are like a moth frantically trying to avoid the leaf-bare's frost. There is warmth somewhere.
