The Song of the Warriors
Prologue
The rain drizzled like a heavy mist on Silver's kitten-soft silver fur. Shivering, she sat up and twitched her whiskers, feeling the air around her. Lying back down again, she sighed. Her dream from last night was absolutely amazing! A cat came to her with a brown pelt that seemed to be dull, yet it glowed like stardust. He introduced himself as Mudfur and said that he was there to help Silver.
Silver sighed again, remembering her mother, Hannah, dying from what she called "green-cough", she was so lonely! Thinking back to her dream, she remembered something Mudfur had said, "Silver, don't be afraid! You have a destiny elsewhere." Silver had tried to protest, but Mudfur stopped her. "Yes, yes...I know you are blind! I have followed you from the time you were kitted to the day Hannah escaped from the Two-legs with you to today. Don't you think I know you're blind?!" Silver flinched away from Mudfur's temper. Seeing her fear, Mudfur's eyes softened. "I'm sorry Silver. Come here." Silver obeyed and walked up to the curious cat. Mudfur lay down and the two cats shared tongues like long-lost littermates. Soothed, Silver sat up and smoothed her chest fur. Mudfur continued to speak, "Silver, I will teach you the ways of a medicine cat and the clan-cat life your grandmother spoke of when you were a kit. But I can only teach you if you agree to become a true believer in Star Clan."
Silver blinked up at Mudfur and spoke for the first time in her dream, "Mudfur, I have no life left with my old Two-legs, for my mother is dead and those dogs have taken over the nest. I would be honored to the greatest intensity to become entwined with the ways of Star Clan and the new life of a medicine cat." Mudfur blinked in surprise. He had expected the kit to fight back and stay with her old ways of life, "Well then!" he said, "Since this is your fourth moon, you shall be given a new name: Silverkit!" Silverkit! She blinked in surprise about the power behind the name. "Silverkit, will you promise to learn the ways of Star Clan and follow in the footsteps of generations of medicine cats?" Silverkit nodded eagerly and answered, "I do." As she said those two fateful words, voices of hundreds of cats broke into her consciousness, 'Four there will be, from the four corners of the lake, with the heart, mind, strength, and agility to carry the Clans once again to safety.'
Shaking the dream away, Silverkit stood, regaining her balance from being blind once again. Carefully, she put her paw forwards thinking, The first paw-step of my new life! No...the first paw-step of my destiny.
'Four there will be, from the four corners of the lake, with the heart, mind, strength, and agility to carry the Clans once again to safety.'
________________________________________________________________________Bronzepaw blinked as the sun rose over the Windclan camp marking his third morning as an apprentice. He sighed remembering his last night in the nursery. A strange cat had come to him in his dream saying his name was Tallstar.
Tallstar had said, "Bronzekit, you have a destiny in Windclan. A destiny far greater than even Onestar himself."
"Why are you telling me this?" Bronzekit had asked, "I thought Starclan was supposed to say everything in riddles that only leaders and medicine cats can understand!"
Tallstar chuckled. "That's only partially true! Riddles are shown to us, actually, and we pass them on to those in charge of the mortal clans in danger." Brozekit blinked with understanding. "You should have been born in Riverclan with your brains!" Tallstar commented. Brozekit purred with the praise. "Back to the reason I am here! The sun is rising and I have a message from Starclan. Are you ready to receive?"
Bronzekit nodded slowly, hoping the message was good, not ominous. Tallstar twitched his tail and said in a mysterious voice, (that seemed not to belong to a single cat, but to many harmonious voices) "Four there will be from the four corners of the lake, with the heart, mind, strength, and agility to carry the Clans to safety once again." Then, in his usual voice that was fading with age, he continued, "You are one of those four, tell Onestar this, but no-one else."
Back in the present, Bronzepaw shook his head. He transported Tallstar's message and was made an apprentice the next moon high. Why was this so important? Sure he could balance better than any of the warriors and he can run across the moor without tripping in rabbit holes, but anyone could learn! Bronzepaw thought back to the last part-the heart, mind, strength and agility part. His first Gathering as an apprentice was tonight. Perhaps he'll find the other cats of the prophecy then...
________________________________________________________________________Copperpaw stretched his jaws wide in a yawn. His first night in the Shadowclan apprentice den was destructive. According to Shadowclan tradition, every time a new apprentice is made, the apprentices battle for their favorite sleeping spots. He had, of course, done terribly, but he hadn't lost. His moss was still soft and his nest was still warm, so he couldn't complain. An only child, Copperpaw had many a reason to complain, but he wanted to be a warrior, and warriors don't complain.
"Copperpaw?" Blackstar called. Copperpaw raced out of the apprentice den in front of his clan leader.
"Yes Blackstar?"
"I need you to join the dawn patrol. Tawnypelt was put on the patrol, but she's nearly ready to kit, so would you take her place?" Blackstar's kindness surprised Copperpaw. Usually he was very cranky and, well, cranky! Copperpaw agreed, a warrior accepts any order, no matter what.
During the patrol, Copperpaw's mind unwillingly wandered to last night's dream. It was pitch black, but he seemed to know the way to where-ever he was going, even though he had no idea where. As he neared his unknown destination, mews of cats broke into his consciousness, 'Four there will be from the four corners of the lake, with the heart, mind, strength, and agility to save the Clans once again.' Copperpaw's tail twitched with curiosity. Why him. He wasn't special at all! Choose someone else! he had wanted to cry, but he held back his tongue. This could make him the greatest warrior ever!
Shadowclan camp was in view now so Copperpaw brushed away all thoughts of ambition, but a question arose in his throat like crow food. Could the other four be in Shadowclan?
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Bronzepaw blinked as the sun rose over the Windclan camp marking his third morning as an apprentice. He sighed remembering his last night in the nursery. A strange cat had come to him in his dream saying his name was Tallstar.
Tallstar had said, "Bronzekit, you have a destiny in Windclan. A destiny far greater than even Onestar himself."
"Why are you telling me this?" Bronzekit had asked, "I thought Starclan was supposed to say everything in riddles that only leaders and medicine cats can understand!"
Tallstar chuckled. "That's only partially true! Riddles are shown to us, actually, and we pass them on to those in charge of the mortal clans in danger." Brozekit blinked with understanding. "You should have been born in Riverclan with your brains!" Tallstar commented. Brozekit purred with the praise. "Back to the reason I am here! The sun is rising and I have a message from Starclan. Are you ready to receive?"
Bronzekit nodded slowly, hoping the message was good, not ominous. Tallstar twitched his tail and said in a mysterious voice, (that seemed not to belong to a single cat, but to many harmonious voices) "Four there will be from the four corners of the lake, with the heart, mind, strength, and agility to carry the Clans to safety once again." Then, in his usual voice that was fading with age, he continued, "You are one of those four, tell Onestar this, but no-one else."
Back in the present, Bronzepaw shook his head. He transported Tallstar's message and was made an apprentice the next moon high. Why was this so important? Sure he could balance better than any of the warriors and he can run across the moor without tripping in rabbit holes, but anyone could learn! Bronzepaw thought back to the last part-the heart, mind, strength and agility part. His first Gathering as an apprentice was tonight. Perhaps he'll find the other cats of the prophecy then...
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