PROLOGUE

"The Gathering's tonight, Ravenstar," meowed a dark gray she-cat. "What are you going to do?"

The she-cat stood in a small enclosure, rock surrounding her on all sides except for one. The one was a tiny tunnel that lead out of the structure.

A black cat lay down beside the she-cat. A horrible cough emitted from the black cat's throat and her sides heaved when the coughing spasms were over. "Cindernose, the Clan needs you," Ravenstar wheezed between her coughs. "My loyal, faithful deputy…. I knew I could…count on you, young one."

Cindernose's eyes shone with emotion as she stared at the she-cat. "No, Ravenstar," she choked. "No, you can't die! This isn't to be m-my responsibility yet!"

Ravenstar smiled weakly. "Cindernose, it's always been your destiny," she coughed. "But I must tell you something StarClan shared with me a couple of moons ago, when Frostcloud's kits were born, Hawk-kit and Stormkit, and Waterlily's still-born and live one, Cougarkit. They said…they said, 'Hawk and cougar will collide, and the storm will guide them. Afterwards, they will quest forth, to the land of the southern winds. When they return, great news they will hold.'" She coughed again as more spasms racked her body. "Promise me that you…you'll take care of RiverClan for me, Cindernose." She placed her forepaw on her deputy's. "Promise me."

Cindernose choked back a cry for help for her dying leader and, more strongly than she would have thought for the moment, "I vow to keep RiverClan as great as you have it."

"Or maybe even better, my deputy," the black cat wheezed. Her barely-held-up head slowly fell to the ground and her flanks still heaved for a moment. Then, they were finally still.

"I can't do anything better than you've done it, Ravenstar," Cindernose murmured, head hung low. She stayed in her leader's den for a few moments, then took the swerving tunnel out of it.

"All cats, gather beneath the Tallrock for a Clan meeting." Her mouth burned with her words, as if they were still only Ravenstar's.

As confused and tired cats padded from their dens and settled, one cat called, "What are you up there for? Where's Ravenstar?"

Cindernose flinched at the elder's words. Robinclaw always had to jump to conclusions and ask questions…. She moaned and her head fell, hanging low. How can I tell these cats that are loyal to Ravenstar that they'll have to be loyal to me now? she wondered, trying not to think it aloud.

"Cats of RiverClan," she began to address them as she raised her head, ignoring the elder's comment, "I have grave news for the Clan. RiverClan…Ravenstar is dead."

Gasps and wails rippled through the gathered cats.

"No!"

"She can't be dead!"

"But I thought she was on only her sixth life!"

"Yes, how did she die so quickly?"

"Silence!" another cat yowled. She stood at the beginning of a long tunnel. Lots of fern curved over to make it almost impenetrable from the top and at the very end of it was a large stone structure. The light ginger she-cat stood, her tail flicking, eyes hard. "Listen to your deputy, RiverClan! Is it so much to ask?"

Another, much smaller cat stood beside her, shaking, the moonlight making her blue-gray pelt look silver. "Is she really dead, Irispetal?" the tiny cat murmured.

The ginger cat's eyes softened. "Bluepaw, listen to your leader," she advised gently. "She'll tell us everything we need to know." Beneath the soft, loving gaze that befell on her apprentice was an unbearable sadness for her leader's passing as she looked up at the gray cat on the Tallrock.

Cindernose nodded her thanks to the ginger cat before continuing. "Ravenstar had fallen victim to greencough, as you all know," she meowed. Her voice sounded so strange, so scratchy…. She shook her head and meowed, "She is now dead, in her den." The new leader decided to not tell them about the prophecy, at least not yet. "After the Gathering, we will return and sit vigil, after I name my new deputy."

Who will my deputy be, anyway? she thought, tail flicking uneasily. But she just meowed, "The cats that will be going are Emberclaw, Swiftshadow, Dusktail, Crystaleye, Robinclaw, Dappleleaf, and Lionclaw. I don't want to take any chances on any rogues or other Clan cats attacking the camp while we're gone." She nodded reassuringly, more to herself than to her new Clan. "Let's go."

"Fairly said, Cinderstar," meowed a voice. Cindernose shivered and turned to face a dark ginger tom. His green eyes shone in the moonlight. "Hopefully we'll have a safe trip, there and back."

Cindernose smiled at the tom. "Hopefully."

Hope it seems interesting to you. . Please review and tell me what you thought of it! Thanks! Stormeh