The moon shone faintly among the stars, highlighting the night with silver shadows. Below lay land carved by a great river, snaking into the illuminated woods covered in a light fog. Oak and birch trees stood proud amongst their willow neighbors, clearly outnumbered by the thin-branched trees. Leaves swayed in the breeze above a medium-sized clearing framed by the swaying boughs.
Leaping through the willows was a small white tom, with three horizontal stripes across his back. Gathering his haunches, he leapt once more, causing the thin branch to sway slightly more than the others. Sitting in a branch above him, face upturned to the stars, sat another cat. Her fur shone a soft light brown in the moonlight.
"Brookestar," he whispered, jumping beside the brown one. Startled, her eyes opened, flashing wildly before recognizing the voice of her deputy.
Brookestar nodded, flicking her tail at the other. "Swiftpelt."
"How did you get up here?" Swiftpelt questioned, waving his tail to keep his small frame in balance. "No offense, but you aren't as light as I am."
Her head turned to one side, and Brookestar's eyes glittered mischievously. "I have my ways, shorty. I can balance on my paws, you know." Swiftpelt huffed at the term, feigning pain at the 'insult'.
Shaking his head, the tom recalled why he had followed Brookestar up here in the first place. Looking around, he murmured, "You fear for the Clan as well, I presume."
The leader looked startled by the sudden question, and then sighed. "I guess there is no sense hiding it. Ivyflight's message is yet to be understood, and the Clan has grown weak. I…I do not think we can make it safely through Leafbare," she admitted, closing her leaf-colored eyes. Her deputy stepped closer, sending a tremor through the branch once more.
"Brookestar…." He began, scrounging for words. "We are warriors, right and true. Do you doubt MistClan's strength, wit, and will? If you do," he added, a slight glare hidden in his deep brown eyes. Brookestar stared at him, her mind subconsciously tracing the black eyespot over his right eye.
"I do not doubt the Clan…" she said finally. Looking back at the stars, she added, "I doubt our abilities to hold together, and vanquish a foe we cannot overcome." With despair dancing behind leaves, the brown cat finished. "MistClan numbers too few, Swiftpelt."
"Do not fear for your Clan, as they will prevail," a new cat called softly from the willow's roots. "Remember this; Mist may appear frail and weak, dispersing with the wind and heat. But it will always return, stronger than before."
Gazing downwards, both leader and deputy made out the fragile form of Ivyflight, the aged medicine cat. Her apprentice, Rainpaw, had apparently allowed her out of bed while he slept.
Brookestar leapt from the high branch, slowing her decent by half-climbing down the trails of leaves. Swiftpelt followed closely.
"Ivyflight, you should be resting. The clan will need you more than ever with Leafbare approaching," Brookestar muttered, lightly guiding the elder cat back to the medicine den.
"After Rainpaw's training is finished, there will be no need of me. And that day draws ever closer with the passing moons."
"Don't say that, Ivyflight! The clan will always appreciate your knowledge." Swiftpelt meowed with a glance at his leader. If this was the way Ivyflight was thinking, then StarClan knows what the rest of the clan was like without them around!
Passing the tangle of branches that was the nursery, Ivyflight stopped. From the ragged entrance, the blue-grey flank of Greycloud rose and fell, curled around a sole kit. Said kit was curled near her body, breathing gently. Her fur was slightly darker than Greycloud's, and her ears, chest & belly fur, back right paw, and tail tip were colored a shimmering black.
Ivyflight's eyes opened wide, white showing around her irises. Her whole body froze as she gazed upon the kit, jaw gaping lightly. When she spoke, her voice was smoothed, free of the rasp that came with age.
"The unknown child shall lead forth a new dawn within the shadows. The feather shall fall freely, but do not despair, for the wind shall guide it to safety."
The message delivered, the ancient medicine cat nearly crumpled to the ground, and leaned heavily on Brookestar. Her consciousness fading, the medicine cat whispered words inaudible before finally fainting. Together, the leader and deputy carried her back to the medicine cats' den, placing her back into her nest of reeds and willow boughs.
Not a word passed between the two cats, but words rung clearly in their heads.
The unknown child shall lead forth a new dawn within the shadows. The feather shall fall freely, but do now despair, for the wind shall guide it to safety.
?; MistClan may make it through Leafbare, but how far beyond that?
Dawn; I don't know. Who keeps track of moons these days, unless you're a kit waiting to be apprenticed?
?; Good point.
Dawn; Hey peeps! Yes, I'm a warriors fan too. Read and owns the whole series, this one does. ^^ Next chapter brings us to the present day, and introduced the main cast of cats introduced before this prologue! So….no Ivyflight after this. Sorry.
?; It was rated 'T' for a reason, you know.
Dawn; That's for blood, not death, F- I mean ?.
?; Whatever, Dawn.
Dawn; *sighs* My head's still spinning from that video where Pewdiepie and Cry read a Pewdiecry.. ..
Dawn; Ah well. R&R Peeps!