Prologue
Wide diamond blue eyes reflected the light of the moon in the night. The near full white orb floated so far away, yet the tom felt he could almost reach out and touch it. Removing his eyes from the moon for a moment, he stretched, wincing at the pain in his neck. It reminded him of how alive he felt. Today had been the second time the young leader had lost a life. The first had been foolish, slipping into the frozen stream and drowning. Lucky for him, his warriors would not give up on him and drug him from the streambed, saving his other lives. Then, it had made him feel wretched. Even after StarClan's healing powers, he'd soon caught green-cough and nearly lost another life. But he was lucky. Battling a group of rogues had reminded him of that. It had been another foolish mistake, a momentary lapse turned fatal. But the rogues did not have their ancestors on their side, and they were soon driven from the territory.
Still, the blue-eyed tom sighed. His Clan was still so small. His warriors had nearly been matched in numbers to the group of rogues. He was lucky to have as many apprentices and kits in his Clan as it was, but a pawful of warriors had left a moon ago, claiming they were unsafe and doomed in the Clan.
"Up so late?" the tom jumped. A skinny black cat sat beside his leader, curling his tail over his paws. His shredded ears hung in ribbons aside his head.
"I know you died, but what can possibly be troubling you after the way Longwhisker reacted?" the black cat's whiskers twitched and in response the leader flattened his ears, his skin growing hot under his fur.
"I lost a life, I didn't die. And how do you know... er, what Longwhisker did after the battle?" the leader replied awkwardly. He forced himself to stare up at the moon even as his brother snickered at him.
"I didn't. I just meant the way she was fretting over you, earlier. But now I know." he purred.
"Shut up, Strathfang." the tom hissed, "If you really wanted to know what's worrying me, it's the Clan. I never thought it was even possible, but our numbers have dwindled since father was leader." Strathfang nodded, looking up with his brother, thoughtful.
"Well, in all honesty, it was bound to happen. Did you ever think your words were as soothing as Cliffstar's? And anyways, you're leader now, Thunderstar. By law, shouldn't you be able to, you know... make the Clan do whatever you want?" he queried suggestively. Thunderstar was about to scold his brother again, when he stopped mid-breathe. It might not be the exact way he'd go about it, but maybe Strathfang was onto something.
"There may just be truth to what you say, brother." he replied. The black tom twitched his tattered ears in surprise.
"You can't be serious! I was just joking-that's barbaric and cruel.." he muttered uncomfortably. Thunderstar rolled his eyes.
"That's not really what I mean. None of the young warriors seem to have any interest in one another. No interest in the Clan means they'll look for that outside the Clan. It already has, in fact. Whomever Flamepaw's father is, he's not a ValleyClan warrior." Strathfang remained silent, "More cats will leave. It will destroy the Clan. I can't rightly explain it, now, but I can show you, if you trust me." A bit awkwardly, Thunderstar drug his eyes away from the moon and looked his kin in the face. Looking, now, he was reminded of just how different they were. Black shrouded the amber eyes of his brother, while his own blue eyes were wreathed in stripes and splashes of white. It was hard at times to believe they had the same mother, let alone father. Shadows of worry haunted those amber eyes, but he nodded.
"How exactly can you.. show me?" he queried, his tone veiling anxiety.
Thunderstar rolled his eyes and smirked, "At Duckpaw's warrior ceremony."
