Prologue
Moonlight was seeping over the ThunderClan camp. A pair of cats crouched in the shadows of a fern, gazing at one another in forbidden love and longing.
One of the cats was a handsome brown tom with white paws and burning green eyes. He was Rootpaw, a healer apprentice destined to forever read the signs of StarClan and commune with the long dead ancestors of the forest. The she-cat with him was a slender golden brown she-cat with bright amber eyes. She was destined to someday be a warrior or queen and raise kits for ThunderClan.
Rootpaw was forbidden to love and have kits but his heart screamed at the injustice of his life. All cats had emotions, even healers. Amberpaw had brought out the emotion he feared most, love.
"We can't do this" Rootpaw murmured.
"But Rootpaw" Amberpaw protested. "No one will know if I mother kits to you, the father is my secret."
"No" Rootpaw meowed, flicking her with his tail. "We're clanmates. If I was a normal cat that would be enough, you know that. But I chose the life of StarClan and now I must live with the choice."
"But it's not fair" Amberpaw complained softly. "I love you too much."
Suddenly Rootpaw stiffened, his ears flicking toward the nursery. Rushing past Amberpaw he leapt behind the den. Amberpaw heard a terrified yowl followed by wails of distress and worry.
Amberpaw ran behind the den and saw three cats running out of the nursery, the queens Nightcloud, Rainpelt and Frostfoot. Amberpaw bounded ahead of them and gasped.
Rootpaw was wrestling with a fox that had tried to enter camp. The fox bit down on his throat and Rootpaw lost his grip, thrown into a tree. The fox leapt up and ran.
"Rootpaw!" Amberpaw yowled, running to him. Lying beside the dieing apprentice were two white kits, Cloudkit and Snowkit, blood turning their fur red.
"Another…another is coming" Rootpaw whispered with effort. "Don't give up on my Amberpaw…another is coming. Storms will break and blood will rain…a new storm will come and wash away the blood of the old and raise the new."
"Rootpaw don't say that" Amberpaw meowed, trembling as the queens skidded to a halt beside her. "Greyfoot! Greyfoot where are you!"
Rootpaw's torn throat continued gushing blood and his flanks labored with the effort of drawing breath.
When Greyfoot arrived with the clan, it was too late. Rootpaw was dead and the kits were frolicking beside him in StarClan. Rainpelt wailed in grief for her lost kits and Amberpaw wailed silently for her lost love.