Snow lay thick on the ground around the group of cats, gathered around the small cave within the hollow's walls. At the front of the group was a long-furred white tom watching the bramble barrier to the nursery with worried green eyes. Beside him sat an elderly wiry gray she-cat with paling yellow eyes, her half blind eyes staring straight ahead. ''How much longer do you think we have to wait?'' he muttered to the elderly cat.

The she-cat blinked her eyes and grinned. ''You always were an impatient one, Featherstar; have I ever told you that patience is a virtue?'' she snickered in her hoarse voice.

Featherstar sent a glower at the she-cat but sighed in response to her advice. ''You… have a point, Frailwhisker,'' he muttered. The she-cat continued to smirk then perked her ears. Featherstar did the same then found what the elder had heard.

Loud squeals and wails emitted from behind the barrier where silence had once been. The barrier rustled as the young black-and-gray medicine cat apprentice poked her head out. ''Congratulations, Featherstar, you're a father to three healthy kits!'' she announced, stepping aside to allow her leader entrance to the nursery.

Featherstar hesitated a moment, his paws trembling with excitement. Taking a deep breath, he padded into the nursery. Fresh scents of milk wafted his muzzle as he passed through, warmth washed over his pelt and the tiny squeals of newborn kits filled his ears. The dark ginger medicine cat was sitting by the nest of the newborn kits and their mother when Featherstar padded carefully to them.

''Featherstar, I'd like to introduce you to your sons and daughter,'' the ginger tom purred, turning to face his leader. Featherstar nodded his thanks to the tom and padded closer to his mate.

A dark blue-gray she-cat sat in the nest, her tail wrapped around three small bundles of fur. Featherstar looked into her eyes with sheer joy; her eyes met his, filled with the same expression. ''I haven't named them yet,'' she purred. ''I wanted to wait for you.''

Featherstar nodded and carefully took a seat beside his mate. ''Which ones are which?'' he asked the medicine cat. The tom glanced up from his herbs and smiled slightly.

''The more gray colored ones are the toms, the paler of grays' the she-kit.''

Featherstar looked down at his kits again and smiled. He could make out the long fur on the largest of the toms and the little she-kit from himself, the white paws on the gray kit of his father's littermates, and the same odd bridle stripes on the little she-kit that reminded him of his mate's father. Though their eyes had still not opened, he got the feeling he had the names picked out.

''How about Snowkit for the larger tabby here? I think it suites him well,'' Featherstar suggested, touching the kit lightly with his tail. The tom-kit squealed at the touch, opening his mouth wide to reveal a bright pink tongue and small teeth. The she-kit huddled closer to the tom, burying her berry nose into his thick pelt.

''I was thinking of naming the gray one Graykit, in honor of your father,'' the queen whispered, gazing at the kits with love. Her green eyes shimmered with multiple different emotions at once. Featherstar hadn't seen this many emotions in her eyes since she became a warrior alongside her littermates.

Featherstar glanced to his little kits and let his eyes wander towards the last, still unnamed, kit; her bridled pelt rippled with soft purrs. Each ripple brought back a faint memory, a memory of a battle between the ShadowClan warriors and RiverClan's own patrol. It had been many moons ago when he had been a young, new warrior; RiverClan had been accused of stealing prey from ShadowClan's territory, the start of a threat to many ShadowClan warriors.

The battle had begun when the ShadowClan battle patrol entered the cover of the mist, hiding in the shadows as they approached. Miststar, the leader at the time and a powerful she-cat told in many stories to date, had led them expertly through the cold vapor. Her pelt seemed to ripple with the mist and slowly, she became a part of the mist. Her whole body seemed to merge with the mist, flowing with her muscles as they began the battle. Featherstar felt the thrill as her claws, laced with the mist, came down against a dark pelted warrior.

Featherstar would always remember that elegant grace his former leader had performed in battle alongside the mist. ''What about Mistkit?'' The words slipped out from his thoughts, filling the room with soft warmth. The warmth reminded him of Miststar's light touch as she rested her nose on his shoulder. Her bright orange eyes showering her clan with her warmth that continued to fill the hearts of every cat in the clan.

His mate nodded at the name. ''I like it; it reminds me of our former leader. She was such a gentle cat, even at the end.''

Outside the nursery, a chill crawled up Frailwhisker's spine, a chill she knew from her days as medicine cat. ''I thought I'd lost the ability to see your kind,'' she whispered, not turning to greet the pale gray she-cat as she approached. Mist and stars shimmered on her pelt as the pale moonlight touched her fur. Her eyes touched the elderly cat hints of amusement touching the orange lightly. ''I guess StarClan is not finished even when you retired.'' Her voice sounded as soft as the river, flowing from pebble to pebble with an innocent grace only found in that single instant.

Frailwhisker turned to the she-cat and smiled lightly. ''You look as healthy as you did when I was first made an apprentice,'' she mused, her hoarse voice hitching with a light sob. ''Seems things never change where you sit, does it?''

The StarClan warrior just smiled as she usually did and nodded. Something flickered in the cat's eyes, something that unsettled Frailwhisker's old bones. ''What? Does StarClan have plans for me?''

The she-cat sighed and nodded lightly. ''They want you to… to keep an eye on the she-kit, trouble is brewing and she is the only chance for our Clan's survival.''

Frailwhisker grumbled a string of curses and looked up towards the half-lit moon. ''I'm getting to old for this, you know that right?''

Again, the she-cat nodded. ''I know, but things aren't right up in StarClan right now. Things have been changing and what happens here effects what happens there.'' She turned her bright eyes towards the frail elder. ''You need to keep a close eye on the kits, a great destiny lies ahead of them.''

Frailwhisker glanced to her old friend as she slowly vanished into mist, her eyes lingering before returning to the moon. ''I swear, Miststar, you still bring me trouble even after you die.''

AN: Alright, I think this prologue turned out pretty well, we met some of the characters and the some more of the cast will be introduced in the next chapter. Please review and favorite to show your support.

Ouka-noir