Prologue

The moon shone down on a clearing, bathing the entire WindClan camp in an eerie silver light. Several cats were gathered together in small clumps, murmuring in hushed voices, the air thick with tension.

A rustling noise came from the medicine cat den and several cats turned around, their ears pricked and their fur bristling. A lean, light brown tabby shape exited the den, her amber eyes glinting in the moonlight. She padded towards a massive, tall, jagged boulder and leaped onto it in one swift, graceful movement, then stared upon her Clan.

"Nightfeather has successfully kitted," the she-cat mewed, a mixture of regret, sorrow, and sadness in her tone. "She has given birth to a tom and a she-kit. I hope they'll make fine warriors in the future."

"Warriors?" a stone-gray tom mewed, his sharp yellow eyes narrowing disbelievingly. "Hazelstar, you don't actually plan to keep these kits?"

Hazelstar turned to him, her amber eyes blazing at him as if he suggested abandoning the warrior code. "What else would I do with them?" she hissed, glaring at him.

"Leave Nightfeather and her kits on the Thunderpath!" a pale ginger she-cat yowled. ThunderClan has always been soft on loners and rogues. They can take them in. Those… traitors won't be any use to us!"

Hazelstar's eyes flashed briefly. "Nightfeather has betrayed the warrior and medicine cat code," Hazelstar growled. "She will not go unpunished. However, I do not believe her kits did anything wrong, and they will grow up to be fine warriors."

"And to have the other Clans question WindClan's honour?" a fiery ginger tom growled. "ThunderClan is notorious for having all kinds of rogues and kittypets in their ranks. I agree with Brackentail. Those kits will be nothing but trouble."

Hazelstar shook her head, her amber eyes narrowed angrily as if she was regretting something. She then nodded towards a long-limbed, smoky-gray tom that was sitting beside the rock, his yellow eyes half-closed.

"Duskfeather?" the she-cat mewed. At the mention of his name, the tom looked up, his ears pricked and alert. "What do you think?"

Duskfeather flicked his tail and stood to his paws. "I believe kits are a precious gift from StarClan. Since we are the closest of all the Clans to them, I believe they would be angry if we hurt or put a kit in danger," his eyes darkened suddenly as he looked at Nightfeather. "However, Nightfeather broke the medicine cat code. She should be punished."

Several cats seemed to see his logic, and murmured agreement.

"Then it is decided," Hazelstar mewed, scanning over the crowd of cats. "The kits shall stay and grow up in WindClan. Nightfeather, do you have anything to say in your defense?"

The jet-black she-cat, who was crouched miserably in the centre of the camp, flicked her tail but said nothing, her amber eyes dull.

"Very well," Hazelstar meowed. "Then you are no longer a medicine cat of WindClan."

"I'll escort her to the border," Duskfeather mewed, getting to his paws. The she-cat suddenly turned around and exploding, her amber eyes narrowed in a mixture of anger, sadness, and regret. "I know the way myself!" she spat before bounding away, disappearing in a clump of tall grass. The WindClan deputy narrowed his eyes, but said nothing.

"StarClan knows she was a gifted medicine cat," Hazelstar meowed, closing her eyes. "I'm saddened to see a loss of such talent."

She turned to Flamenose and Sageclaw, two respected senior warriors. "Make sure she gets to the border," she sighed, flicking her tail. She then narrowed her eyes at them, fixing them with an intense glare. "And if she stays, warn her off with words, not claws."

Flamenose nodded and trotted to the camp entrance, with Sageclaw following close behind. "I wish to speak with Duskfeather and Moletail now," the WindClan leader flicked her tail to them and leaped down, disappearing into her den.

…

The moon shone down upon the moor, illuminating a night-black she-cat that padded through her former territory, her tail dragging behind her and her amber eyes dull.

She suddenly stopped and sniffed the air, then turned around, her eyes blazing with fury. "I don't need an escort!" she hissed ferociously, before whipping around and speeding away. The grass parted to reveal two warriors, their eyes narrowed and their claws digging into the earth. They exchanged a glance before padding back towards the direction of which they came.

The she-cat slowed to a trot as she neared the Thunderpath, which served as a border in between WindClan and ShadowClan. She collapsed, panting. She was exhausted by her kitting, and barely had time to say farewell to her kits.

I'm so sorry, my little ones, she thought, closing her eyes. She had barely even had time to name them. She gave birth to a small black-and-white tom-kit, whom she named Skykit, and a tiny, frail black she-kit, whom she named Hollykit. Hollykit could barely suckle, and was extremely weak. She may not survive another night, she recalled Moletail, her former mentor's, words.

She sighed as she realized everything she gave up in order to be with Ravenflight, a ThunderClan warrior. Respect, her Clan position, and worst of all, she gave up her kits.

Shaking her head, she quickly crossed the Thunderpath and ventured into ShadowClan territory. As she padded deeper and deeper into the tall pine forest, a pair of amber eyes glinted from the shadows, and before she knew it, a dark brown tabby tom leaped out from the trees and had sunk his teeth into her scruff, shaking her from side to side.

Letting out a startled yowl, Nightfeather mustered all the courage and strength she could and raked the tom's belly. She recognized this cat! She frequently saw him at gatherings, and he was usually less than friendly.

All the sadness and regret within her suddenly melted into an uncontrollable rage, and she realized she was no longer in control of herself. Blinded by fury, she raked her claws down his side and leaped at him, sinking her teeth in his neck. The deputy let out a soundless yowl and sunk to the ground, dead.

Nightfeather stood, horrified, over the motionless body, a pool of crimson started forming underneath him.

"Oakclaw!" a terrified yowl echoed through the woods. Nightfeather looked up, trembling, to see a pure white she-cat staring, her green eyes wide. "Why?" the she-cat sobbed, bounding towards the ShadowClan deputy and burying her face in his fur. Nightfeather couldn't move.

The she-cat looked up, and Nightfeather suddenly realized that her belly was bulging sideways. Moons upon moons of training as a medicine cat told her that this she-cat was expecting kits. "Go," she rasped. "Please… just go."

Nightfeather gasped with shock, turned around, and ran.

So I hope you guys enjoyed the story so far! A new chapter will be coming sometime this week. Thanks!

-aT_Alpha