PROLOGUE
The RiverClan camp was quiet at night, but it was never silent. Warriors turned over in their nests, rustling the leaves and shells built into the walls. Tanglethorn cleared his throat just as consistently as the tides when he was standing guard, as he was tonight. Spottedkit and Pinekit mewed in the Nursery. Dapplepaw, Featherpaw, and Littlepaw were all still up, talking to each other in the apprentices' den. The gentle ripple of the river ran under everything else, calming the cats that had always called the marsh home.
And there was Salmontail, sitting a silent vigil for the fourth night in a row. It took a great effort for her to hold her head up, but she did so, staring up to the stars, waiting for a sign. Her white fur shone in the moonlight, leaving the red points on her face, paws, and tail shrouded in darkness.
Eelface should have had so much time left! Salmontail thought, huffing. She waved her tail when Tanglethorn looked to her, dismissing his curiosity. But, StarClan always has a purpose…
She shook her head, bowing it. No matter what StarClan's purpose is, taking a cat before their time will never be fair.
Salmontail suddenly felt cold. Her fur bushed out, standing all the way on end. She glanced to Tanglethorn, but his fur was sleek as ever. She shivered and looked back to the stars. A tingle shot down her spine at the same time a falling star made its way across the sky.
A StarClan warrior!
The falling star slowed as it reached the ground, then swerved to hover just above the river. Salmontail bit her lip. She didn't want to leave the camp alone, but this was clearly medicine cat business.
It won't hurt anything, just go!
She slipped silently into the river and paddled across confidently when the star shot away towards the lake. The water slid off her fur on the other side just as it did off of a fish's scales. She was glad for her thick fur; She didn't have to shake her pelt and alert Tanglethorn.
The star now hovered over the lake, illuminating the rocky shore. Salmontail had to lift her paws high away from the ground with every step. This was the densest, stickiest part of the marshland on RiverClan's territory, and Salmontail worried about the noise that it was making.
Salmontail took a deep breath when she finally made it out of the marshland. The lake was expansive, and she had to squint in the daylight to see ThunderClan's territory in the dense trees on the other shore. Now, the only sources of light were the dim crescent moon and the star. It let off a cold, blue light. When she had left camp, it had been dark, but now, as she stepped paw onto the shore, the star flared. Salmontail narrowed her eyes against the blinding light, and rubbed them with one paw.
When she looked again, the star was still shining brightly, but less so. Its light was reflected perfectly in the still lake, and spread across the pebbled beach to where Salmontail stood. The shadows it made of the willow trees were sharp, even though the light itself was diffuse.
"Salmontail," a voice whispered. Salmontail stepped closer to the star, eyes wide. It was a molly's voice, and one she hadn't heard in some time.
The star suddenly burst apart, scattering fragments across the lake's surface. Salmontail dropped into a crouch, tucking her head under her chest, but the star only felt cold. A ruffle of fur brushed her ear, and when she looked back, a starry molly stood next to her, smiling. She was a very small cat, standing a mouse-tail shorter than Salmontail, but she was beautiful, with long, tabby blue-gray fur, a stump tail, and beautiful green eyes that illuminated just as the star had. Salmontail could see the ripples in the lake through the molly's pelt.
"Perchwhisker!" Salmontail exclaimed. "Oh, it's so good to see you again. I tried to save Otterpaw, Eelface and I both did, but-"
"Shh," Perchwhisker said, brushing her pelt against Salmontail's. "It's no matter. Otterpaw and Eelface are both happy in StarClan. I've come to see you for a much more pressing matter."
Salmontail's dark blue eyes widened. "A prophecy?"
"Yes," Perchwhisker chuckled. "Tell Kestrelfeather that he should have Lionfur's second-born for an apprentice, for she'll be one of the most powerful cats in the forest."
"He'll be thrilled," Salmontail whispered. "He's never had an apprentice."
"I know." Perchwhisker took a deep breath, looking up into Salmontail's eyes. "There will be great struggles ahead. There will be four of the forest, one of each Clan, and only they shall cleanse the disease."
"Prophecies," Salmontail spat. "Why don't you just tell me what I should do!?"
"Even StarClan doesn't know what every prophecy means, Salmontail."
Perchwhisker turned, and color suddenly broke over the horizon. The light in the starry cat's pelt seemed to fade, leaving only the new sunlight for Salmontail. She was glad for the warmth on her pelt and closed her eyes to enjoy it.
When she opened them, Perchwhisker was gone.