The Beginning Prophecy: Firestarter

Prologue

A half-moon sat high in the indigo sky, accompanied only by stars and wisps of thin clouds which slowly drifted in the light breeze. The nearby river splashed as black waters lapped at the rocky shore. The cold light turned the boulders below to silver and illuminated the dark shapes as they crawled over the rocks from the shadows. Their unsheathed claws and eyes flashed bright in the moonlight.

The eerie silence was broken by the sudden screeching of wrestling cats as the creatures flung themselves at one another, drowning out the peace that once inhabited the lands. They stormed over the rocks like a great wave, covering them with a mass of bodies, and a frenzy of claws and fur.

A dark tortoiseshell she-cat lunged at the nearest enemy, a dappled golden tabby warrior reeking of fish, and fastened herself to her back. The other cat staggered to the side at the sudden weight, her wet paws losing their footing on the pebbled earth. 

The tortoiseshell sunk her claws into the opposing she-cat's damp fur and felt them pierce the soft flesh beneath. The tabby thrashed and yowled, attempting to dislodge her attacker to no avail. With a sharp twist, the golden warrior slammed her opponent against one of the great rocks that sat at the heart of the battlefield.

Dazed, the tortoiseshell's claws withdrew from the dappled coat of her enemy who dashed out of range and spun to face her, ready for another attack. "Is that all you got, Spottedleaf? You ThunderClan rats are weaker than I remember." Taunted the wet cat with a triumphant gleam in her amber eyes.

Spottedleaf staggered to her paws, blood roaring in her ears and head throbbing. “Sunningrocks does not belong to you or RiverClan, Leopardfur.” She growled, the other she-cat doubling and dancing in her hazy vision. 

"They will after tonight." Leopardfur sneered confidently and held her head high. 

"More RiverClan warriors!" The shrill yowl of warning came from the shoreline beyond the rocks.

Spottedleaf turned to see a smeared wave of new enemy reinforcements enter the fray, their sleek fur gleaming with river water they hadn't bothered to shake. The warriors of RiverClan bounded silently from the wet darkness and onto the battlefield. 

Leopardfur used the other she-cat's distraction to her advantage and bowled Spottedleaf off her paws, pinning her flat on her back. The tortoiseshell snarled as the RiverClan warrior landed several sharp-clawed blows on her muzzle. She could feel the blood dampening her fur, thick and sticky. She clawed at her enemy’s soft belly with the claws of her hindpaw, but the attacks barely seemed to faze the other warrior. 

The weight was suddenly dragged off with the sound of claws scrabbling against rock. Relief washed away the stone of fear which had settled in Spottedleaf's belly. She shook her head to clear her vision of blood, but the crimson liquid kept spilling from a cut above her eye.

“Get out of here!” Hissed her jet-black clanmate around Leopardfur’s tail which he had pinned between his sharp teeth, icey eyes flashing.

Spottedleaf scrambled to her paws and hobbled away, wincing from her injuries which stung like a hive of wasps. Then she paused. She wasn’t going to flee from a raging battle when she still had enough strength in her limbs to fight. “What about you, Tinyice? I can't leave you to fight Leopardfur alone.”

Tinyice dodged a blow from Leopardfur. “I can handle myself.” He raked his claws across her chest. “And I'm not alone in this battle. ThunderClan's numbers are great; a warrior will come to my aid if necessary. Not to mention you've sustained a head injury that could lead to possibly fatal consequences if you continue to fight. Bluestar would be more understanding if you returned to camp now on your own four paws rather than later on the backs of your mourning clanmates. I certainly will not think any less of you, Spottedleaf.”

Spottedleaf took his words into consideration. Her head throbbed almost unbearably, and the number of cats on the rocks seemed to have doubled in a matter of heartbeats. Some were full of life, others smeared and hazy mirrors of solid bodies. Not even a rough shake of her head could return the scene to normal. She had kin back at camp; her kits were back at camp. I can’t die until I see them earn their warrior names. She reminded herself. With an understanding nod, she raced down the side of Sunningrocks and disappeared into the silent trees.

***

A blue-gray she-cat sat alone with her tail curled over her paws, overlooking an empty clearing. The soft breathing of sleeping cats sounded from the shadows all around. A much calmer scene compared to the distant thunder of yowls.

A white-patched she-cat slipped from a dark corner and bounded up the rock structure on quick and soundless paws.

"How is Spottedleaf?" The blue-gray she-cat meowed with a greeting dip of her head.

"Her wounds are deep and many, Bluestar. The injury she sustained to her head is not as bad as it could've been." Answered the other cat, settling herself on the night-cool stone. "She will heal quickly."

Bluestar nodded. "You are a gifted medicine cat, Mossfall. I trust you will ensure Spottedleaf's full recovery. And the recovery of the others when they return." She tilted her head back to the sky. "ThunderClan has fallen on hard times. Newleaf is late, and there are less kits in the nursery. Our ranks are thin; we need more warriors." 

"The year has just begun." Mossfall calmly pointed out. "Greenleaf will bring more kits."

The blue-gray cat flicked an ear. "Perhaps it will, but training our apprentices to become warriors is no quick task. If we are to defend ourselves and our territory, we need more warriors. ThunderClan has not been in such a predicament since I became leader." 

"Have you been visited by StarClan?" Bluestar asked her medicine cat. 

"Our ancestors have not spoken to me for some moons, Bluestar. I was to meet with them tonight, but, with this promised battle, I did not attend."

The fur along Mossfall's spine suddenly bristled and her tail-tip twitched when a shooting star blazed over the treetops. Her blue eyes rounded, reflecting the white flecks in the night sky above.

Bluestar pricked her ears. It was odd for her medicine cat to look so startled.

A newfound silence overtook the forest for what felt like a lifetime. The distant yowling had died down. No crickets chirped. No owls hooted. Bluestar herself barely dared to breathe, fearful of breaking the sudden serenity.

Mossfall's head lowered and she turned to Bluestar with a distant look clouding her eyes. "Fire alone can save ThunderClan." She murmured.

"Fire?" Echoed Bluestar. "How can fire save us when it leaves nothing but destruction in its wake?"

"I do not know." Mossfall admitted, shaking her head. "But StarClan has chosen to share this message with me."

The leader of ThunderClan fixed her with luminous blue eyes. "StarClan has never been wrong before. If they have spoken of fire saving our Clan, then it must be so."