p style="text-align: center;"emPrologue/em/p
p style="text-align: center;" /p
p style="text-align: left;""No!" Batstar's claws shredded the grass at his feet. His flintlike dark eyes smoldered with fury. "Who is doing this?!" "Batstar, calm down," Hemlockstar soothed him. The two former ShadowClan leaders studied each other for a moment before Clearstar, an ex-leader of RiverClan, stepped forward. "This is all very unfortunate," he murmured, "but we cannot do anything to help." Batstar bared his teeth. "Another dithering old tom!" Lemontail raged. "How aptly named you are," Dragonstar murmured. /p
p style="text-align: left;"Lemontail's pale swamp-green eyes snapped toward the ThunderClan leader, as Batstar tensed and unsheathed his claws. "I'd like to think so," she huffed./p
p style="text-align: left;""I don't see what the big deal is here," Spiritstream murmured. Even Clearstar flinched at his words. "And why not?" asked Lemontail testily. "It must be a rogue. No ShadowClan cat could ever"- he stifled a small cry. Like all other StarClan cats, particularly those from ShadowClan, he was worried, and his conviction that all his Clanmates were innocent was rapidly fading. Thicketstar and Dragonstar exchanged a look, then Thicketstar gave a decisive nod. "Spiritstrream, Platinumleaf, will you leave us for a space?" he asked politely./p
p style="text-align: left;"Spiritstream nodded, eager to leave. "Please figure this out," the medicine cat wailed, his heart breaking for the Clan he so loved. Platinumleaf, meanwhile, blinked with cold displeasure before departing. "She's a strange one," Clearstar commented. "Oh, hush up!" Lemontail snapped. "We must figure this out! Why is the killer concealed from StarClan? Why are we only getting glimpses of the Clans?" "Lemontail," Thicketstar began, "Would you..." Was this rubbing salt in the freshly made wound? "This is a gathering of leaders," he concluded gently, with an edge to his tone. Lemontail's claws hooked into the ground. "I- I was robbed of my chance to become leader!" she spat. "I should have been!"/p
p style="text-align: left;""But you weren't." Thicketstar's patience was draining. He wasn't like Clearstar. He couldn't weave his way through sensitivities and emotions. He could, however, solve problems, and right now, Lemontail was one. "I will not leave!" the sleek yellow-and-white she-cat yowled, her fur lifting along her spine. "Yes!" Batstar hissed, "She won't!" Hemlockstar gave a stout nod of agreement, the sage old leader suddenly defensive. Thicketstar read concern on the faces of Dragonstar and Clearstar, but they didn't dare object to the three ShadowClan cats./p
p style="text-align: left;""Fine," Thicketstar said grudgingly. Lemontail offered no thanks, only giving him a red-hot glare reminding him she would not forget his insult. "We must identify this killer!" she snarled. "Lemontail, I know you're new to StarClan, but you must understand we can't stick our muzzles into the problems of the living, as much as we wish to," Thicketstar said, lashing his tail. Pain flashed across her contorted features, and for a breath, he sympathized. He, too, missed being able to stand with his Clan in the cold of leafbare and in the heat of battle. But he must stay strong- not just for his Clan, but for Lemontail herself./p
p style="text-align: left;""We must send this to three young cats," he declared. "Not set in the ways of the Clans just yet, willing to do what they must." "But our future sight is clouded," Hemlockstar said worriedly. "How shall we decide who?" "Through conversation," Clearstar said politely. He crossed his silver tail across his paws, his natural charisma exuding from him and smoothing ruffled pelts./p
p style="text-align: left;""I suggest Pastelpaw," Lemontail said abruptly. Batstar nodded at his former deputy in agreement. "Huestar's daughter"- for a second both ShadowClan cats' gazes sharpened with pain- "Is a good choice." No objections were made. "It will be done," Clearstar said, "And for the next?" Thicketstar settled onto his haunches with stiff paws, thinking. "A WindClan queen, Plumpuddle, will soon have Quillfall's kits. Skilled warriors, both of them. Perhaps one of their kits will be our savior." "Then we shall wait to select the second cat until their birth," Clearstar decided. Thicketstar was slightly miffed at how he had seized control of the discussion but tolerated it for the sake of the Clans. "I have a suggestion for the third cat," Clearstar said. "Kestrelpaw."/p
p style="text-align: left;"A chorus of blinking met his words. "Kestrelpaw of RiverClan? Very funny," Dragonstar said with a forced chuckle. "I am absolutely serious," said Clearstar. "A daughter of a Dark Forest warrior, hunting for the killer in the Clans! You can't be," Lemontail snapped. Her voice rose towards fury, but Batstar swept a soothing tail along his golden mate's back. "No, we will choose Dragonflypaw instead," he said. "A fine, capable apprentice." "That's two for ShadowClan!" Hemlockstar said in alarm. "Don't we need mixed views?" "ShadowClan is the one in danger. Inside help is valuable," insisted Lemontail. She and Batstar glared at their fellow RiverClan cat until he shrugged and shrank before them./p
p style="text-align: left;""Then it is decided," Thicketstar said. One of Plumpuddle's kits... perfect for his Clan... and two ShadowClan cats, perfect for ShadowClan. The issue could be resolved and his beloved Clans could be save once more./p
p style="text-align: center;".../p
p style="text-align: left;"Alone in the clearing, Clearstar lay down. He had promised to send the messages to the dreaming young cats- but Dragonflypaw would not recieve one. No, he wanted his own canidate, Kestrelpaw, to be selected. His gentle self ached at lying to the others, but he felt he had no choice./p
p style="text-align: center;" /p
p style="text-align: left;""No!" Batstar's claws shredded the grass at his feet. His flintlike dark eyes smoldered with fury. "Who is doing this?!" "Batstar, calm down," Hemlockstar soothed him. The two former ShadowClan leaders studied each other for a moment before Clearstar, an ex-leader of RiverClan, stepped forward. "This is all very unfortunate," he murmured, "but we cannot do anything to help." Batstar bared his teeth. "Another dithering old tom!" Lemontail raged. "How aptly named you are," Dragonstar murmured. /p
p style="text-align: left;"Lemontail's pale swamp-green eyes snapped toward the ThunderClan leader, as Batstar tensed and unsheathed his claws. "I'd like to think so," she huffed./p
p style="text-align: left;""I don't see what the big deal is here," Spiritstream murmured. Even Clearstar flinched at his words. "And why not?" asked Lemontail testily. "It must be a rogue. No ShadowClan cat could ever"- he stifled a small cry. Like all other StarClan cats, particularly those from ShadowClan, he was worried, and his conviction that all his Clanmates were innocent was rapidly fading. Thicketstar and Dragonstar exchanged a look, then Thicketstar gave a decisive nod. "Spiritstrream, Platinumleaf, will you leave us for a space?" he asked politely./p
p style="text-align: left;"Spiritstream nodded, eager to leave. "Please figure this out," the medicine cat wailed, his heart breaking for the Clan he so loved. Platinumleaf, meanwhile, blinked with cold displeasure before departing. "She's a strange one," Clearstar commented. "Oh, hush up!" Lemontail snapped. "We must figure this out! Why is the killer concealed from StarClan? Why are we only getting glimpses of the Clans?" "Lemontail," Thicketstar began, "Would you..." Was this rubbing salt in the freshly made wound? "This is a gathering of leaders," he concluded gently, with an edge to his tone. Lemontail's claws hooked into the ground. "I- I was robbed of my chance to become leader!" she spat. "I should have been!"/p
p style="text-align: left;""But you weren't." Thicketstar's patience was draining. He wasn't like Clearstar. He couldn't weave his way through sensitivities and emotions. He could, however, solve problems, and right now, Lemontail was one. "I will not leave!" the sleek yellow-and-white she-cat yowled, her fur lifting along her spine. "Yes!" Batstar hissed, "She won't!" Hemlockstar gave a stout nod of agreement, the sage old leader suddenly defensive. Thicketstar read concern on the faces of Dragonstar and Clearstar, but they didn't dare object to the three ShadowClan cats./p
p style="text-align: left;""Fine," Thicketstar said grudgingly. Lemontail offered no thanks, only giving him a red-hot glare reminding him she would not forget his insult. "We must identify this killer!" she snarled. "Lemontail, I know you're new to StarClan, but you must understand we can't stick our muzzles into the problems of the living, as much as we wish to," Thicketstar said, lashing his tail. Pain flashed across her contorted features, and for a breath, he sympathized. He, too, missed being able to stand with his Clan in the cold of leafbare and in the heat of battle. But he must stay strong- not just for his Clan, but for Lemontail herself./p
p style="text-align: left;""We must send this to three young cats," he declared. "Not set in the ways of the Clans just yet, willing to do what they must." "But our future sight is clouded," Hemlockstar said worriedly. "How shall we decide who?" "Through conversation," Clearstar said politely. He crossed his silver tail across his paws, his natural charisma exuding from him and smoothing ruffled pelts./p
p style="text-align: left;""I suggest Pastelpaw," Lemontail said abruptly. Batstar nodded at his former deputy in agreement. "Huestar's daughter"- for a second both ShadowClan cats' gazes sharpened with pain- "Is a good choice." No objections were made. "It will be done," Clearstar said, "And for the next?" Thicketstar settled onto his haunches with stiff paws, thinking. "A WindClan queen, Plumpuddle, will soon have Quillfall's kits. Skilled warriors, both of them. Perhaps one of their kits will be our savior." "Then we shall wait to select the second cat until their birth," Clearstar decided. Thicketstar was slightly miffed at how he had seized control of the discussion but tolerated it for the sake of the Clans. "I have a suggestion for the third cat," Clearstar said. "Kestrelpaw."/p
p style="text-align: left;"A chorus of blinking met his words. "Kestrelpaw of RiverClan? Very funny," Dragonstar said with a forced chuckle. "I am absolutely serious," said Clearstar. "A daughter of a Dark Forest warrior, hunting for the killer in the Clans! You can't be," Lemontail snapped. Her voice rose towards fury, but Batstar swept a soothing tail along his golden mate's back. "No, we will choose Dragonflypaw instead," he said. "A fine, capable apprentice." "That's two for ShadowClan!" Hemlockstar said in alarm. "Don't we need mixed views?" "ShadowClan is the one in danger. Inside help is valuable," insisted Lemontail. She and Batstar glared at their fellow RiverClan cat until he shrugged and shrank before them./p
p style="text-align: left;""Then it is decided," Thicketstar said. One of Plumpuddle's kits... perfect for his Clan... and two ShadowClan cats, perfect for ShadowClan. The issue could be resolved and his beloved Clans could be save once more./p
p style="text-align: center;".../p
p style="text-align: left;"Alone in the clearing, Clearstar lay down. He had promised to send the messages to the dreaming young cats- but Dragonflypaw would not recieve one. No, he wanted his own canidate, Kestrelpaw, to be selected. His gentle self ached at lying to the others, but he felt he had no choice./p