Author's Note:

I had initially written the first few chapters of this story back in 2021 and was unable to continue due to a traumatic life event that happened around the same time. Moving forward to 2023, my fiance read this story and encouraged me to rewrite it and continue.

This one's for you, George.

Prologue

The first omen was sent to SunClan's medicine cat, Marshwing, while he traveled home from the Starlit Place on a rainy greenleaf morning. He had stumbled across the rotting, headless carcass of a hawk.

Hawkstar of SunClan was killed just days later, struck down by a colony of rogue cats who demanded shelter in the meadow. Lightbelly, of course, should have been next in line to lead the Clan. While the young tom was being led to the Starlit Place he keeled over and died with foamy spit bubbling from his mouth.

The second Clan to receive an omen was ReedClan. Tallflower was gathering herbs by the river when she was blinded by a vision of an empty camp washed away by the water. In her attempt to get away from what she saw, she plunged into the rapids and was swept downstream. She never got the chance to share what she had seen. Her body was discovered by her apprentice and her leader just a while later.

The third omen was different. PineClan's medicine cat, Wrentail, had taken notice of the nighttime sky. When it dawned on her that it was not supposed to be a moonless night, she raced to her leader, coat fluffed with fear.

An emergency Gathering was held the next night under a spotless sky.

"What are we to do?" asked Timberclaw, SunClan's stand-in leader. He raked his claws against the tree bark under his body. "We have no one to guide us. StarClan hasn't spoken a word to Marshwing since Hawkstar and Lightbelly's deaths."

"They haven't spoken to Flaxpaw, either." Minnowstar said as she glanced down at the shivering apprentice. He had not recovered from his shock. Wrentail was sitting next to him on the knobby root where the medicine cats were supposed to be; she swept her tail around his flank and gently groomed the space under his cheek.

When it was Lionstar's turn to speak, Wrentail ducked ever so slightly. His amber eyes met hers and she could feel her pelt bristle.

"My medicine cat was sent an omen just last night," he said. There was a pause of silence after he spoke and Wrentail assumed it was now her turn to speak. However, her voice caught in her throat. She had never spoken during a Gathering. Dozens of eyes stared right into her and burned into her dusty brown pelt.

"Hey," whispered a voice from behind. Birchshadow, PineClan's deputy was seated on the low hanging branch just above her, "you'll be okay."

With shaking confidence the she-cat straightened. "Yes, I was compelled to ask Lionstar to hold this emergency Gathering based on what I saw last night. While I was taking a nighttime stroll, I turned to face the sky. For a few moments I could see nothing but darkness staring back at me. The moon was gone. StarClan was gone."

Hushed murmurs were exchanged among the group. A she-cat's voice rose higher among the crowd. "Isn't it clear that we are on our own now?" the soot-furred warrior stated. The coarse fur along her spine was raised; she stepped forward. "They have taken out cats who have close connections with them. Our voices to StarClan have been severed by the very beings that are meant to protect us!"

"Grackleflight," Minnowstar snapped, abruptly cut off by Timberclaw.

"Let her speak," the tom said.

Grackleflight made her way towards the front of the clearing. When she was at the base of the Old Pine she turned to face the Clans.

"You all heard me right. We are supposed to be faithful to StarClan, but where is StarClan now? Where were they when Hawkstar was taken from us? They let him die and die again under the claws of cats who didn't belong in our meadow." She swiveled her head, glancing at Minnowstar. "And your medicine cat. Such a wasteful death. Pah!"

ReedClan's leader shuffled her paws, unable to find words.

The voices from the crowd grew once more. All attention was on Grackleflight, whose cadence was carried as strong as a leader's now.

"They took my kits from me just a moon after my mate died," Rowanleaf of SunClan hissed. Her claws sank into the ground and raked against the grass.

"StarClan made Yarrowcloud suffer with an infected wound for days before he finally succumbed!" a ReedClan cat cried out.

"We shouldn't be meant to cater to dead cats who can't even keep their own Clans from killing each other." spoke a ginger tom from the group. Wrentail was shocked; Flamewhisker, her own Clanmate, was speaking against StarClan.

"You're right," Grackleflight replied. The warrior turned on her toes and began scaling the Old Pine. She found a vacant branch and stood tall on it, puffing out what little chest fur she had.

"From this moment forward, I denounce StarClan!" she howled.

Wrentail couldn't believe what she was hearing. It wasn't Grackleflight's words, however, that made her heart leap in her chest.

It was that most of the commotion from below was agreement.

Wrentail's tense body fought the nauseous sensation that grew in her belly. In her time as a medicine cat she had never felt such uncertainty. StarClan was meant to guide her. What would she do without them?

She flipped around to watch the leaders. Timberclaw looked away; he had already made up his mind. There was nothing left for him. Minnowstar's eyes shone with anger. She looked as though she would kill Grackleflight right then and there. Lionstar was silent and still. Wrentail could see the tiredness in his face. He suddenly looked the same as an elder; raggedy and bony and weak.

Suddenly, there was a loud explosion. The next thing that Wrentail knew, she was on her side at the bottom of the tree.

Her ears were tight and ringing. Her chest was burning as she reached a paw forward to grab at anything to hoist herself up. The white in her vision sent her into a panic. The smell of smoke began to swirl around her.

As her senses slowly came back, she could begin to make out what was happening. "Fire!" shouted a muffled voice. She couldn't tell where it was coming from. Wrentail tried to reach out a paw again. This time, she brushed against something soft.

"Lionstar!" she yowled, snapping back into reality at last. Lionstar's burned body lay wrapped around a root just near her head. A cry rose within her but the shock was too overwhelming. She stumbled backwards and struck her body against a stone.

All around her the forest was burning. Bright fire blinded her far sight. The heat was growing closer as thick, black smoke curled around the trees.

Wrentail bounded forward, searching and searching for a way out. She was trapped in the clearing. "Help!" she screamed. Other voices called out too. She whipped around and saw through the clouds that bodies from all Clans were scattered and burning.

It was then she began coughing. The choking sensation burned worse than the flames around her did.

A whimper forced its way out of her throat. Wrentail collapsed, having found some temporary relief from the smoke inhalation beneath the canopy. If she had all of her strength she would have dragged herself out of there. But the blood trickling out of her ears overstimulated her and she was certain she had been burned badly. She let her head fall to the side. The voices had stopped. The sound of the fire was louder than anything she had ever heard.

Is this how I die? Where will I go?

Her vision blurred and darkened. All she wished for now was to sleep.

"Wrentail! Oh, thank StarClan!"

Her eyes shot back open. It was Birchshadow.

The tom stood over her. "Get up this instant!" he snapped. She shook awake and lifted her head.

"Wha-?"

"I said 'get up!'" he said once more, this time shoving his muzzle into her belly. Wrentail hissed in pain, but was able to stagger to her feet. "I'm not going to let you die in here like the others. Stick close to me."

He marched into the smoke. Wrentail stood still, unable to comprehend. Birchshadow raced back to her. "Come on! I promise you'll be okay."

Slowly, Wrentail nodded. She followed behind the tom, relying only on her intuition to make sure she was still near him. The hot terrain made her paws heavier. The burn on her leg was sticky. Her body yelled at her to stop for just a moment but she fought the urge as hard as she could.

If it had been some other cat she would have listened to her body and stayed behind.

The limbs above their heads began to groan. "Watch out!" Birchshadow yowled as half of a tree came toppling down. Wrentail threw herself closer to the tom. She felt the warm wind rush from the tree as it struck the ground. She had moved just in time.

"The meadow's just ahead past the river," Birchshadow panted. He grabbed Wrentail by her scruff and half-guided, half-dragged her out of the flames. Here on the side of the water the air was cooler. Fire and water never touched. Fire was afraid of water.

Birchshadow nosed Wrentail's cheek. "Just a little further and then we can rest."

"We can't swim." she coughed. "We'll drown."

He stared at her, then at the burning forest, then at the river ahead. "That's a chance I'm willing to take."

Birchshadow walked towards the river. He put his paws in. "Please, Wrentail. I can't live my life knowing that I left you here."

He was exhausted. Whatever Wrentail's destiny was now was up to her. He had done all he could to keep her safe thus far. She could collapse here on the bank, overcome with shock and covered in wounds and burn to death as the fire ate up the rest of the dry land or she could pray to nothingness and only hope the river was kind enough not to swallow her up.

Birchshadow's face brightened with relief as Wrentail bounded into the water. He touched his nose to her muzzle. "Move your paws like you're running. We'll have crossed soon."

"I trust you, Birchshadow," she murmured.

His eyes glistened. He nodded before he began his tread across the river. Wrentail moved her paws. Soon enough the mud gave way and she no longer had anything she could grip onto. The current moved against her. Waves crashed over her head; she struggled to keep water from rushing down her throat.

"Birch-" she wheezed, cut off by foam forcing its way into her jaws. The sensation was a surprise. So much, in fact, that she was dizzied by it. Wrentail felt her body sink deep beneath the surface.

No! I was so close!

She felt her hindpaws touch pebbles. She kicked her way back up, using all of her strength to break the surface. "Birchshadow!" she screamed. "Help me!" Her front paws flailed uselessly against nothing. She spun around and around in the dark water.

A pair of jaws clamped tightly around her neck. None of her movements were voluntary now. She fell limp in Birchshadow's grip. He pulled her out of the water, dropped her onto the sandy shore, and curled his body around hers.

He licked her pelt, grooming the soot and water from her fur.

"I'm so…tired…" she shivered. She leaned into the warmth in his side.

"Rest," Birchshadow breathed.

Wrentail could no longer feel anything. Everything from her paws to her ear tips were fuzzy. It seemed best to her that she should slip away. And so, she finally decided to do so.

With Birchshadow rhythmically grooming her aching body, Wrentail closed her eyes and allowed the darkness to consume her.