Prologue

The clearing was washed in a wave of moonlight, and thin blades of grass were coated in silver as they swerved back and forth from the gentle breeze.

The light paw-steps of a cat swished through the stems of the grass and clawed at a small nest that been covered in smooth green leaves. She had a glossy black pelt and sparkling blue eyes. Her gazed looked from where she entered into the tiny clearing surrounded by huge trees and thorn bushes, then back to her nest.

She let out a long sigh and mewed, "I can't believe myself. Through out all the moons, who knew it would come to this…" She glanced down at her swollen belly and crawled into the nest to get ready for her labor.

She looked up at the stars as they glittered faintly, some disappearing among the clouds; StarClan was angry with her. But the she-cat did not blame them.

"I don't deserve to live… This innocent kit does not deserve to go through life with my mistakes!" She yowled into the sky. There was no reply except for the same gentle breeze that tugged at her pelt.

The black queen noticed the stars, one by one, disappearing from the dull gray sky of night. Lifting her voice even higher than before, the cat cried, "StarClan! Please, forget about me, just save this kit… I deserve to die, but not it!"

As if answering her shrill prayers, a silent hiss sounded in the black queen's ear, "Nightsong, you have broken the warrior code and forsaken StarClan… For this, this kit must light her path of the darkness and confusion you laid for her. A star was fallen for the Clans, and the star was lost in darkness…"

Instantly, Nightsong felt an intense surge of pain rip through her body like a fox's deadly claw. But Nightsong knew this pain was punishment, as her cries and yowls blasted through the once silent air. Blood began to spill to the ground and the warm red liquid formed around Nightsong until she lay in a pool of her own blood.

The she-cat began to grown weaker and weaker as she lost more and more blood. But her eyes burst open when she heard a tiny mewl coming from her newborn kit.

Nightsong summoned all of her strength and lifted herself up, blood dripping from her pelt, to see a tiny scrap of silvery-gray fur trying to find its way to Nightsong's belly.

Joy began to sparkle in the black she-cat's blue eyes and she turned to look up at the once gray sky to see that warriors of Silverpelt had appeared once more.

"Thank you, StarClan… For letting me witness my beautiful kit before I die," Nightsong whispered gratefully.

Then, a sudden silent voice in the wind flew into Nightsong's ear and the queen dipped her head humbly and mewed, "If it is your wish, StarClan. I shall name this kit, Silverkit." She then gave the small kit a gentle touch with her nose, and let her head fall to the floor; Nightsong was dead.

A faint rustle in the thorny bushes appeared to be spotted black and white tom with amber eyes. It was Leopardjaw, Nightsong's older brother. He had been searching for her by following her scent to her hideout.

"Nightsong? Where in StarClan's name have you-" But the tom was cut off by the sharp smell of fresh blood, and raced over to where Nightsong lay.

"Oh no! Nightsong!" Leopardjaw tried desperately to prod the black she-cat, but she did not move, so he finally gave up and dipped his head into her pelt and grieved to his dead sister, softly.

But the tom was interrupted by soft mewling and he turned his head to see a small kit trying to get milk from Nightsong, but failing.

"Nightsong's kit…!" Leopardjaw exclaimed. "I wonder… If Nightsong named you, little one?"

Suddenly, the same silent voice whispered into Leopardjaw's ear and he flinched in shock. "Silverkit… Is that it?" Leopardjaw stammered.

He looked down to the tiny creature begging for milk and meowed, "Come, Silverkit. You will die if not taken care of."

The tom dug a grave for his dear sister, Nightsong, then took Silverkit in his powerful jaw and carried it off to ThunderClan.