Prologue

'I, Cloudfall, medicine cat of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of a medicine cat, and with your help she will server her Clan for many moons.'

Her mentor paused to take a breath. The apprentice is staring at her mentor with barely suppressed excitement and happiness, and the other medicine cats smiled at her expression, each remembering their own ceremony.

'Milkpaw, do you promise to uphold the ways of a medicine cat, to stand apart from rivalry between Clan and Clan and to protect all cats equally, even at the cost of your life?'

'I do,' came the response.

'Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your true name as a medicine cat. Milkpaw, form this moment you will be known as Milkfeather. StarClan honors your compassion and your loyalty, and we welcome you as a full medicine cat of ThunderClan.'

Cloudfall rests his muzzle on the newly named medicine cat's head, and Milkfeather licked her mentor's shoulder respectively. The other cats yowled their approval to StarClan, and Cloudfall purred.

'Congratulations,' mewed Splashtail, RiverClan's medicine cat. 'I wish you a nice dream on your first visit to StarClan as a full medicine cat.'

Milkfeather purred and touched her nose to the magnificent Moonstone, and felt heaviness drop over her.

…

It seems like seasons before Milkfeather opened her blue eyes again. Looking around, she could see that she was on a steep slope, but with mist all around her, she could make out nothing other than the faint screeching of cats nearby.

StarClan, where is this place? wondered Milkfeather, Is this one of your hunting grounds?

She waited a few minutes patiently, then got more and more impatient, then finally decided to investigate herself if no StarClan cats are going to show their face.

As she walked cautiously down the slope, the screeching grew rapidly louder. She gasped as she saw what's going on below – a battle. I should have guessed, thought Milkfeather gloomily. Why are my ancestors showing me this?

She could see that the fighting below was vicious. Cats are fighting to kill. But, she couldn't make out who was fighting who. All she could see was some cats' pelts are almost transparent, while some are as real as if in life, and some are somewhere in between.

Is the dead fighting the living? the cream-and-white she-cat gagged at the thought. StarClan, why?

'It is,' someone growled behind her. She spun around, startled, tail bushing to twice its usual size. Then she relaxed and her fur laid flat again as she recognized who it was.

'Father!' she cried joyfully and touched her muzzle to his. 'I missed you so much!'

'So did I,' answered the tom, his tone softening, 'And so did your mother. We are both so proud of you.'

Milkfeather took a step back and dipped her head. 'I'm glad to hear it.'

'Yes, but you wouldn't be as happy when you learn the message I came to give,' warned the tom. There was no mistaking the rage and regret that burned at the depth of those eyes. 'You must have courage.'

The medicine cat's eyes widened, and alarm flashed in them. Forcing her voice to be stable, she asked, 'What is it?'

When the tom spoke, a voice nothing like his came out from his throat. "Before there is peace, storm clouds shall gather upon the uproar, until it realizes where it truly lies. Flames shall burn bright to wilt the morning bloom, before rain extinguishes the last sparks."

Allegiances

ThunderClan

Leader

Cavestar – dark brown tabby tom

Deputy

Stormfall – dark gray she-cat with white stripes

Med. Cat

Milkfeather – creamy-white she-cat

Apprentice: Maplepaw

Warriors

Lionflight – bright ginger tom with a white paw

Honeystorm – golden she-cat

Brightdapple – white-and-brown she-cat

Stoneclaw – light gray tom

Apprentice: Hollypaw

Cindertail – gray she-cat with a long tail

Ashfall – gray-flecked she-cat

Robinstripe – brown-and-ginger tom

Tigerpelt – golden-brown tabby tom

Sageheart – white she-cat

Leafwhisker – brown tom with white dapples

Adderheart – brown spotted tabby tom

Apprentice: Nightpaw

Ripplefall – silver she-cat

Apprentice: Steampaw

Cloudeye – pale gray tom with sharp green eyes

Alderfrost – brown tabby tom

Eaglebriar – brown she-cat

Queens

Echolight – silvery-gray tabby she-cat

Kits: Fernkit – golden tabby tom

Icykit – white she-kit

Mistkit – light-gray she-kit

Petalfur – tortoiseshell she-cat

Kits: Pepperkit – silver flecked tabby tom

Poppykit – little tortoiseshell she-kit with ginger spots

Apprentices

Maplepaw – gray tabby she-cat

Hollypaw – black she-cat

Nightpaw – black tom with gray stripes

Steampaw – white tom with gray eyes

Elders

Nettlespot – light-gray tom

Owlscreech – brown tabby tom with white spots

Russeteye – ginger she-cat

RiverClan

Leader

Shellstar – white tom with pale gray stripes

Deputy

Bumbletooth – yellow tabby tom with white stripes

Med. Cat

Softberry – soft tortoiseshell she-cat

Warriors

Brackensky – golden-brown tabby tom

Iceclaw – pale gray she-cat

Cedarspot – reddish-brown tabby tom

Apprentice: Mossypaw

Cranefur – white she-cat with black spots

Pebbleflight – small gray spotted tabby she-cat

Petalstripe – cream colored she-cat

Rowanface – brown tom

Bramblepool – brown tabby she-cat

Snowshade – white she-cat

Appledust – tortoiseshell she-cat with dusty pelt

Apprentice: Tinypaw

Otterheart – dark brown she-cat

Littlestream – small gray she-cat

Yellowpelt – bright ginger tom

Piketooth – gray-brown tabby tom

Puddlecloud – silvery-gray she-cat

Minnowfur – dusky-brown tom

Rockleaf – dark gray she-cat with leaf-green eyes

Queens

Ashenpelt– light gray she-cat

Kits: Mallowkit – small white she-kit

Rootkit – dark gray tom

Apprentices

Mossypaw – spotted tortoiseshell she-cat

Tinypaw – undersized spotted brown tabby tom

Elders

Briarwhisker – brown tabby she-cat

Dustclaw – dark brown and gray tom

WindClan

Leader

Dovestar – white she-cat

Deputy

Darkfoot – black tom with a gray paw

Apprentice: Eaglepaw

Med. Cat

Featherfern – long-furred gray tabby she-cat

Apprentice: Dandelionpaw

Warriors

Dewypelt – pale silver tabby tom with white spots

Harewhisker – brown tom

Ivyshine – gray tabby she-cat

Apprentice: Fennelpaw

Sandclaw – dark ginger tom

Thornheart – dark brown tabby tom

Driftwing – small white she-cat

Heroncry – gray-and-white tom

Hickoryeye – gray tabby tom with sharp light blue eyes

Wollydust – black she-cat

Heatherleaf – pale gray she-cat

Lichenfern – gray spotted tabby she-cat

Plumfrost – black she-cat

Brightflower – white-and-ginger she-cat

Raggedtail – spiky-furred ginger tom

Pricklefoot – dark brown tabby tom

Ryenose – golden tom

Queens

Sheepmist – white-and-black she-cat

Kits: Hollykit – black she-kit

Slatekit – light gray she-kit

Squirrelclaw – ginger she-cat

Kits: Tanglekit – dark orange tom

Apprentices

Dandelionpaw – cream-furred she-cat

Eaglepaw – brown tom with white spots

Fennelpaw – pale golden she-cat

Elders

Ferretface – brown-and-white tom

ShadowClan

Leader

Ryestar – golden she-cat

Deputy

Twigpelt – light brown tom

Med. Cat

Barkwing – gray tabby tom

Warriors

Badgerfoot – black-and-white tabby tom

Poppysky – tortoiseshell she-cat

Tawnysky – tortoiseshell-and-ginger she-cat

Apprentice: Lilypaw

Gooseclaw – pure white tom

Burrpelt – messy-furred black tom

Hailsplash – silver-and-white she-cat

Vixenstem – ginger tom with black paws

Toadfly – mottled brown tom

Violetshine – dark gray she-cat with a white tail

Yewdrop – reddish-brown she-cat

Apprentice: Nutpaw

Juniperdust – reddish-brown tabby tom

Mousemist – small gray she-cat

Coppertail – light ginger she-cat

Beechwhisker – speckled golden tom

Chestnutear – brown tom

Irisleaf – blue-gray she-cat

Apprentice: Oakpaw

Queens

Pearbelly – cream-white she-cat

Kits: Olivekit – tortoiseshell she-kit

Shimmerkit – silvery-white she-kit

Larchkit – ginger tabby tom

Apprentices

Lilypaw – white she-cat

Nutpaw – brown tom

Oakpaw – brown tabby tom

Elders

Parsleyfoot – brown tabby tom

Pigeonfeather – gray-and-white she-cat