Prologue:
Silverpelt glowed brightly overhead in the dark sky as the night wore on, a gentle breeze swept silently throughout the camp of StormClan; a hushed silence, unnerving to even the bravest cat, hung over the old quarry as sleek bodies slid from the safety of the bramble dens – the cats gathering beneath an overhanging ledge. Upon the ledge, silhouetted by the faint glow of the moon, stood a dark ginger she-cat, Hollystar; the ginger she-cat's blue eyes surveyed the gathering cats, waiting for the last cat to merge within the crowd. Many unblinking eyes stared up at the regal-looking she-cat, waiting; soft, uneasy murmurs reached Hollystar's ears and she sighed heavily, the burden of the untold prophecy weighing heavy in her heart.
Like a hawk circling, ever circling, the prophecy repeated its ominous message:
"First birth of Greenleaf lies the destiny of an apprentice
Kelp that is silver and with the eyes of ivy
To the outer fringes she must go
Three others will await
Two who were not chosen will appear
Four now six will travel on to find what is lost
Tragedy will rear its ugly head
And hearts will lie heavy with grief upon return…"
Shuddering, Hollystar was brought back to reality; the cats below looked expectantly up at their leader and she cleared her throat, padding to the edge. "Cats of StormClan!" she yowled, the murmurs instantly dying away into the forbidding silence once again, "StarClan has sent me a prophecy - a prophecy that the Clan must know of that carries a heavy consequence!" Cries of fear and shock arose from the crowd of cats below, a few pressing themselves together in search of comfort.
"Silence!" yowled a new voice from within the crowd causing heads to turn to face a blue-gray tom, "Let Hollystar speak!"
"Thank you, Wavefur." Hollystar mewed, directing the attention back to herself. "The prophecy StarClan has spoken to me is this: First birth of Greenleaf lies the destiny of an apprentice, Kelp that is silver and with the eyes of ivy, To the outer fringes she must go, Three others will await, Two who were not chosen will appear, Four now six will travel on to find what is lost, Tragedy will rear its ugly head, And hearts will lie heavy with grief upon return…" Yet again, wails of fear rung out in the night at the prophesized death of a member. Who would it be?
"Hollystar! No one will die! There isn't any cat within the Clan who has the name Kelp and is silver with ivy colored eyes!" contradicted cat, his words bringing murmurs of reassurance to the cats. At that, Hollystar realized that what this cat spoke of was true; nodding a silent thanks to the tom, the she-cat was about to speak when a blood-curling screech of pain rang out from the Nursery. A white form could be seen weaving her way through the crowd, disappearing into the Nursery. Pearlpetal would take care of the kitting she-cat that lay within.
The cats, eager to hear news of the latest arrivals, sat in suspenseful silence. The stars of Silverpelt twinkled in the night sky and the silvery orb cast its radiant glow upon the Clan. Long moments what seemed like nine lives dragged on before Pearlpetal emerged from the Nursery, her yellow eyes flashing anxiously. Beckoning to Hollystar with the tip of her tail, Pearlpetal padded away from the crowd to converse.
"What is the matter, Pearlpetal? Did the kitting go well?"
"The kitting went well, Hollystar…But what disturbs me is what Ivyfoot has named one of her kits. She was asleep during the Clan meeting, Lilypad confirmed it." Pearlpetal explained, watching Hollystar gaze at her, puzzled. "Hollystar, Ivyfoot has named one of her kits…Kelpkit."
Hollystar gasped and looked fearfully to the Nursery. "Certainly this Kelpkit is not the same Kelp that the prophecy mentioned. StarClan showed me an image of a single silver cat, surrounded by three others, though, all their faces where hidden by a shroud of red mist."
Pearlpetal's face grew ashen and she mewed weakly. "Hollystar…Kelpkit is silver…"
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Author's Note: Hope you all enjoyed the Prologue! I should have Chapter One up soon! Please read and review!
