An illness has wiped out most of RainClan, killing both the deputy and leader. No kits or elders survived and those that managed to overcome the sickness are drained of energy with every passing day, charged with the impossible task of feeding the clan.
Mysteriously, senior warrior Icefire has escaped the deadly clutches of the incurable sickness and stands as the only cat left strong enough to lead RainClan...

So... This is the prequel to Ice in the Stars. And I have decided to keep updating and working on it due to public demand. However, this is now the main fanfic I'm working on, so don't expect regular updates on Ice in the Stars.

Chapter 1:

The shrill warning call of a bird split the morning air, leaving a faint echo in the otherwise silent forest. Thick gray clouds covered the early morning sun. Tall trees swayed in the gentle breeze, carrying with it the sharp smell of rain. The clouds on the horizon had a dull pinkness that gave away the beginning of dawn.

A low howl echoed across the deathly quiet forest. Icestar pricked her ears. "Wolves." She breathed, careful not to disturb the still air.

Light pawsteps sounded behind the RainClan leader, and she quickly moved her eyes away from the forest. "Nice morning."

Icestar identified the voice as her deputy, Goldenshade.

"Rain is on it's way." She replied.

Goldenshade turned to face her. "The forest needs rain." He replied.

Icestar fixed her ice blue gaze back on the slowly growing dawn light. "We will get plenty of rain."

"How do you know?" He asked, shaking his head a little. "Another drought right after this one could be deadly."

Icestar pondered the word. Deadly. It could be described as any thing from death to simply an unlucky hunt. Without turning to face him she replied calmly. "Leaf-bare is almost upon us, we will get plenty of rain, if not snow."

"Then build the clan fast Icestar. We are running out of time. After recovering from the disease, we cannot survive an outbreak of greencough. Graystorm is pressured enough as it is." Goldenshade looked up at Icestar, trying to meet her eyes.

"We will pull through." Icestar's shoulder muscled tensed as if an unseen enemy were challenging her. "We always have. RainClan will not falter in our darkest hour as we have before. Not while I'm leader."

Goldenshade narrowed his eyes. "Brave words, Icestar. But it is not the other clans we should fear, it's leaf-bare. Most of our cats are too weak from the sickness to even drag themselves out of their nests. The others are quickly tiring after long days of doubled patrols and constant watches. Only Lionwing, Thunderflight, Hailfoot, Duststripe, Tawnywing, myself, you, Stripepaw, Sneezepaw, and Redblossom remain fit enough to care for the clan." Icestar curled her lip at the mention of Redblossom.

"What about Bumbletail?" Icestar demanded. Icestar refused to let the clan's only expecting queen die. Icestar had begun to hunt for Lionwing's mate in the two moons since her leadership began.

"She's fine. In fact, she's the only cat in the clan that can expect to be full-fed every day." Goldenshade looked out into the clearing, where several warriors had begun to gather into a hunting patrol and the dawn patrol. They all looked tired and skinny, tails dragged in the dirt as they faced the day full of hard work.

The clan really needs a day off. Nodding to Goldenshade, she padded over to the small group of warriors. "Duststripe and Redblossom, come with me." Redblossom's head shot up, surprise flickering in her eyes. Scanning the small group, she choked back a gasp as she got a hard look of the warriors. Gaunt faced and skinny, their tails twitched back and forth nervously and their dull eyes stared back at Icestar dully or wandered around the clearing.

"Stripepaw, go with Hailfoot and weave extra leaves into the elders' den and nursery. Sneezepaw, go and collect as much moss, fern, and vine as you can from now to sunhigh." Icestar ordered, flicking her tail to the pile of broad, flat, waxy leaves in a neat pile by the warriors' den. They quietly dipped their heads to her and padded away.

"Tawnywing, Lionwing, Goldenshade, Thunderflight. Patrol the NightClan border." Icestar had turned to leave when a voice called her back.

"But Icestar, That leaves only a warrior, a medicine cat, and two apprentices in camp. With a bunch of sick cats to care for." Icestar turned back to the speaker.

"I can't afford to waste a warrior with guarding the camp entrance. Hailfoot isn't deaf!" She snapped at the patrol, unsure which cat had defied her.

Icestar growled, "Come on!" Icestar raced out the entrance to camp, desperate to escape the clan.

Icestar crouched down and quietly pulled herself forward, motioning for her patrol to do the same. Two RedClan cats stood several tail lengths inside the border. One seemed to be stalking prey, and the other sat with it's back to the patrol, ears pricked. Fool! It doesn't even know that we're here! She thought.

Icestar gathered power in her haunches and threw herself forward yowling, "Prey stealers!" She grabbed the cat on lookout and shoved him into the ground. She placed a paw on his chest and hissed in his face. "How dare you?"

The warrior gazed up at her smugly. "With RainClan damaged by the illness you can't defend your borders very well, now can you, Icestar?"

"Leave now! You can go out the easy way, or the hard way!" She spat, fur bristling. "Either way, I'll give you some scratches to show your cowardly clan."

"Now that's not very nice." The cat tilted it's head to the side and looked up at Icestar.

Wait, I don't recognize this warrior. "Who are you?" Icestar snarled. The intruder was a white tom with brown patches and green eyes. He was a fairly large tom, and muscles rippled under his pelt.

The cat grinned. "I am Frostpaw of RedClan."

Icestar stared at him in disbelief. "You're an apprentice!"

"No, I'm a warrior." Frostpaw replied.

"Then why don't you have your warrior name?" Duststripe asked. He had the other RedClan cat pinned, and nearby, Redblossom stood with a rabbit.

A confused expression appeared on the apprentice's face. "Foxfrost told me I was a warrior." Icestar was disgusted.

She hauled him to his paws and shoved him back over the border. "Whatever. Tell Foxfrost to teach you clan boundaries RedClan!" She sneered. Duststripe shoved the other cat over too, a sleek black she-cat with gray eyes.

Icestar snorted and picked up the hunting patrol's earlier catches and returned to camp.

I hope that Rise of the Rain helps you better understand the character of Icestar considering her personality is hard to grasp.

Flames welcome, people telling me what I did wrong can help me get it right in later chapters.

~Icestar0921