THE FULL MOON HUNG LOW in the sky, shadowed by thin gray clouds left behind from the previous night's storm. Wind swept in from the north, causing an eerie howl to echo in the trees and along the surface of the crystal-clear lake. The air was thick with moisture — suggesting a storm was on the way.

Shadows moved and whispered through the undergrowth surrounding the rippling water, and the silhouettes of many cats emerged into the dull light, paws lightly dabbing the soft sandy surface of the beach.

"The Gathering will be starting soon," one shadow whispered as it padded alongside a slightly larger feline. "Is this the right choice? What if they started without us?"

"I wouldn't put it past them," his companion agreed with a swish of her tail. "Especially considering the events of these last few moons. The Clans are so tense with one another, but our survival has caused them to lift hatred toward us."

The cat at the head of the group swiveled to face the others, green eyes narrowed to slits. "I will have no more of such nonsense talk," she growled, "the Clans have been at each other's throats since leaf-bare began. We are all tense, but even they would not violate a law set by StarClan."

"I'm just worried," a brown tabby cat called from the back, "the other Clans have hated us since the flood began."

"Hate is a strong word," the she-cat meowed, "we were all beside ourselves with worry about the fate of the Clans. If they still hold us against our choices, then that is on them. But I am certain they would not challenge StarClan." She twitched the tip of her tail. "Now come. The full moon will not stay up forever, and this Gathering is long-awaited."

"Yes, Ploverstar."

The gray tabby jumped up onto the fallen tree that acted as a bridge between the territory and the island where the Gathering would be held. Leading the way, she trotted across and then jumped down on the other side, lifting her head to watch as the others followed.

The brown tabby who had been at the rear now came up to her side, looking down at the she-cat. "Are you alright?" He asked.

Ploverstar gave a deep sigh, not looking at him. "This is my first Gathering as leader of ShadowClan."

"I can feel the tension radiating off of you like the rays of the sun." The tom twitched the tip of his tail, keeping pace with her as she began to head to the interior of the island, her Clan following. "I know it must be hard, taking charge only two sunrises after Yarrowstar died."

The she-cat flinched at his words. "She was my mentor and my leader. My whole life, she's been there for me. Watching her drown in the flood . . . I suppose it shattered part of me that I never knew existed. Taking her place, leading her Clan, it won't be easy for me, Volewhisker. I have doubts. What if I'm not the right cat to lead ShadowClan to a better future?"

A purr rumbled deep within his throat as he rested his tail on her shoulder. "Yarrowstar knew what she was doing when she appointed you as her deputy. She chose you in the sight of StarClan. If they granted you nine lives, they must feel the same way."

"But what if they're wrong?" She murmured, halting at the edge of the clearing and gazing downward, where the other four Clans awaited.

Volewhisker slid by her, turning to gaze at her with his amber eyes. "They're not."

Ploverstar took a deep breath before lifting her head and sprinting down the rise that led into the clearing, where the mass of cats turned to face them. She was well aware of her warriors, apprentices, medicine cats, and elders following her in silence, wearing the night like a second pelt as they weaved among the warriors of other Clans.

She padded through the middle of the gathering, Volewhisker at her heels headed for the Great Tree where she could see four other cats perched.

Her deputy took his place at the roots with the second-in-commands of the other Clans, and so the gray tabby gracefully sprang up to sit on a low branch that stretched over the crowd of cats.

"Nice of ShadowClan to finally join us," the sandy-brown leader of WindClan growled, his ears flat against his skull in a show of annoyance . . . or perhaps hostility, even.

ThunderClan's leader, a dark brown she-cat, bared her teeth at the tom before looking over at the newcomer. "Ploverflake." She mewed, fur bristling in surprise. "It's quite a sight to see you. Has something happened to Yarrowstar?"

"That's Ploverstar to you!" A she-cat called up from the crowd, a warrior from ShadowClan.

A few cats bristled at the outburst.

Ploverstar dipped her head to the ThunderClan cat. "What my warrior says is correct, Brownstar." She meowed. "Yarrowstar passed two sunrises ago in the Great Flood. I've taken her place as leader of ShadowClan."

"ThunderClan mourns her loss." Brownstar replied. "Yarrowstar was a great leader." She inclined her head at the gray tabby. "We welcome you among us here, Ploverstar."

RiverClan's leader dipped his head, as did the tom who led SkyClan.

"Thank you, Brownstar," the gray tabby twitched her tail. "And you as well Plumstar, Shorestar."

WindClan's leader, Fieldstar, rolled his eyes. "Can we start this gathering now? I have news to share with the Clans."

The brown tabby leader of ThunderClan swished her tail as she eyed him cautiously. "Very well, then." She turned back to Ploverstar. "Since you are the newest among us tonight, you begin."

ShadowClan's leader forced her body to relax as she gazed out across the crowd of cats before her. "The Great Flood has taken much away from ShadowClan this moon," she began, her voice ringing out. "We lost Yarrowstar, and so I have received my nine lives by the grace of StarClan, and Volewhisker is my deputy."

A few cats rose up their voices in congratulations to the brown tabby tom seated at the base of the tree, who lifted his muzzle in a generous sort of pride.

She waited for the murmurs to fade before speaking again. "The flood took many more lives. Two elders, Berryspring and Swiftfeather, as well as a warrior, Rainfrost, and a young apprentice, Dovepaw. We have also said farewell to our senior medicine cat, Tangledwhisker. All will be remembered in the hearts of ShadowClan for many moons to come." The gray tabby paused. "But, we have room for joy, as well. Our medicine cat apprentice has received the approval of StarClan and earned his full name, Pigeonflower. We welcome him among our Clan as a full medicine cat."

A few murmurs of congratulations lifted up into the silent air.

"And, finally," she raised her voice, "we welcome two new litters of kits. Dandelionberry had a litter last night, and we welcome her little ones, Swankit and Darkkit, to ShadowClan." She paused . "My littermate, Jackdawblossom, on the last night of the flood, gave birth to a litter of four kits. All healthy. Three she-kits and a tom — Kestrelkit, Nightingalekit, Falconkit, and Thrushkit."

Brownstar purred, rising to her paws and nodding to Ploverstar as she took her place, ready to speak.

"It is always a blessing from StarClan to hear of life flourishing within the Clans. ThunderClan welcomes this new blood." She meowed. "We also lost many lives during the flood. My deputy, Risingflower, drowned in the camp trying to save an apprentice. We lost both her and Fawnpaw, tragically, but I have appointed Pinefur as deputy in her place."

Once again, many of the gathered cats cheered for the announcement of a new deputy. Below, Ploverstar made out the shadowy pelt of the warrior who now was the center of attention.

Pinefur was a good choice, ShadowClan's leader considered to herself, blinking once, I remember when she was still a new apprentice. She's grown a lot since then.

Brownstar flicked her tail and sat down, inviting Shorestar to the front with a single nod of her tabby muzzle.

The leader of RiverClan rose up to his paws gracefully, padding forward and scanning the gathering below him. "Our Clan has been recovering from the Great Flood as well," he announced. "We lost one of our pregnant queens, Appleberry, as well as our young medicine cat apprentice, Bloodpaw. We hope that StarClan has welcomed them among their ranks."

Brownstar dipped her head once, and seemed to remain in that stage for a long moment before lifting her head. "Plumstar," her gaze flickered to the tom who led SkyClan, "do you have news to share with the Clans?"

"I have only one announcement for tonight," the fluffy gray tabby responded, lounging upon the branch he had claimed. "Our queen, Longwhisker, has suffered a tragedy. She lost three of her kits in the flood, and her only remaining daughter is very, very sick. We pray to StarClan that Promisekit will make it through."

Fieldstar shot to his paws at once, fur bristling. "Is it any wonder that the flood-born kits are dying?" He demanded, his tail lashing. "This is a sign from StarClan!"

"What are you talking about?" Shorestar flattened his ears with a hiss. "A sign?"

"Yes, a sign. StarClan has spoken to us all." The pale tabby raised his muzzle. "Last sunrise, our medicine cat received a terrible prophecy in his dreams."

An outburst of murmurs rose up, some shocked, others outraged.

"Lightningfur!" WindClan's leader rose his voice above the distressed cries. "Tell them what you saw! What you heard!"

From her perch on the Great Tree, Ploverstar glimpsed a shadow at the back of the clearing, and she watched as a skinny black cat rose slowly to his paws, shaking now that all eyes were focused on him.

He lifted his amber gaze to stare each leader in the eyes. "StarClan have shared a vision with me," he meowed, his gaze so young in the pale moonlight. " 'Life will rise up like a falcon in the wake of death and destruction brought by unseen forces, and a great flock will shadow the Clans like dark clouds. So will begin a storm of feathers that will stain the lake red with the blood of innocence'."

Fieldstar spun around to face the leaders as his medicine cat finished speaking. "This is a message from our warrior ancestors. Life that comes in the wake of this tragedy will doom the Clans. We must act now, before this comes to pass."

"Hold on," Plumstar commanded, staring down the younger leader. "How do you suggest we act upon this? Surely, you can not be inferring that we murder helpless kits."

"Why not?" The sandy tom demanded. "Get rid of them before we develop an attachment. There can be no guilt that way. It's newleaf, meaning there will be more kits to come. What's wrong with exterminating a few if it means saving our Clans?"

Ploverstar snarled, surprising even herself with the sound that cut through the night air. "Would StarClan condone the murder of helpless kits? Have they ever?" The anger burning beneath her pelt had so suddenly risen up that it felt like she was about to burst with rage. "What about the warrior code?"

"She's right." Brownstar agreed. "Kits are precious to all Clans, and the warrior code even states that no kit should be neglected, even if they're from another Clan. It also states that we do not kill unless for self-defense or we are outside of the code."

"These kits will bring danger to the lake." Fieldstar insisted, twitching the tip of his tail in annoyance. "It wasn't an easy choice, but I made it for the good of my Clan."

"You murdered your own kits?" Plumstar spat.

The sandy tom flicked his ears. "I sent out the call that any kit born between the beginning of the flood and now was to be put to death." He meowed. "Five kits died, but they were so young that they didn't even realize it. None of them had opened their eyes."

How can he dismiss this act so easily? Ploverstar was at a loss for words.

"Look at the sky. StarClan is not angry with me." Fieldstar continued.

"They're probably at a loss for what to do with such a horrible excuse for a cat," Shorestar muttered, glaring coldly at the other tom.

Ploverstar stepped forward, closer to the leader of WindClan. "What you have done is an act against StarClan." She growled. "Why they are silent to such treachery is beyond even my understanding, but it is not my place to condemn you. However," her gaze rippled over the gathered cats before returning to the tom before her, "I will not follow your actions. The kits born during the flood will live so long as I hold breath in my body as leader of ShadowClan."

The sandy-brown tom bared his teeth at Ploverstar. "Yarrowstar's wisdom clearly did not pass to you, then." He narrowed his eyes. "It is clear you only wish to allow these kits to live because they are your kin. But remember . . . the safety of the Clan as a whole is greater than the safety of the individuals."

"How can you be so dense?" Brownstar snarled. "The kits are the future of the Clans!"

"And if StarClan truly wanted this slaughter to occur, why haven't the medicine cats of the other Clans received this same warning?" Shorestar commented.

Fieldstar bristled. "Perhaps this time, WindClan found favor and was sent to warn you of all of this danger."

"Perhaps," Plumstar conceded. "Or perhaps they spoke only to you because the danger lay within your Clan and not ours."

"Mousedung!" WindClan's leader drew himself to full height, facing off against the older, wiser leader of SkyClan. "If that were the case, why would we have revealed it to you?"

Ploverstar flattened her ears. "This is getting us nowhere." She growled, looking toward Fieldstar. "I shall let StarClan judge your actions, but ShadowClan will not be the reason innocent kits die. This Gathering is over." With that, she jumped down from the tree and yowled. "ShadowClan, to me!"

All around her, cats melted like shadows to join her, and she suddenly felt her deputy pressed up against her. "You did well," he purred against her ear, "especially for your first time."

The ShadowClan leader looked over her shoulder, up at the four remaining leaders still perched on the tree. "I just hope it's enough." She murmured.

Then, like the essence of the night itself, she raised her tail and plunged into the bushes, letting the shadows swallow her up.