A Song of Rogues

Prolouge

By Oddeyes

It was a chilly night under the starry moon as a silver-grey cat with sparkles surrounding her beautiful pelt appeared. "Thank you for coming." She mewed, dipping her head in respect.

A black tom stepped out of the shadows. "As if we had much choice. You insisted it was important, and that we spoke privately. What do you have to say?" He mewed deeply, his voice gruff.

"We have to wait for Leopardheart, she said she would be here."

Just then, an orange-brown she-cat with strange spots covering her pelt jumped gracefully over a smooth rock to join the others in the clearing. "Sorry I'm late." She mewed, giving her belly fur an embarrassed lick. "Anyway, what do you need Silverpatch?"

Silverpatch sighed. "While I was napping by the river, I heard chanting."

"Chanting?" The black tom echoed.

"What did it say?" Leopardheart asked.

"I couldn't hear it from my current resting position. So, I got up and headed towards the source of the sound. It brought me towards the Moonpool."

The black tom raised an eyebrow. "The Moonpool?"

Silverpatch rolled her eyes. "Yes, did I not make that clear enough, Echocave?" She mewed. "It was saying:

'The song will destroy all of StarClan. The neglected, the heartbroken, and the isolated songs will all crush you.'

"But that's not even the shocking part; The Moonpool wasn't just chanting, but it showed me a vision." Silverpatch mewed, curling her tail around her paws.

Leopardhearts eyes widened. "Someone found out how to send prophecies to StarClan? Who?"

Silverpatch sighed. "See, that's the thing. I don't know."

Echocave swished his tail in annoyance. "I think you all are ignoring the main part. What vision did the Moonpool show you?"

Silverpatch closed her eyes as she tried to remember. "It went like this..."

Four cats all stood in a small area circled by dense trees and thick undergrowth.

'Are you sure we are safe here?' A fluffy orange she-cat with orange flecks asked, worry shining in her blue-green eyes.

A black she-cat snorted. 'I know ShadowClan territory like the back of my paw. Quit worrying so much!' The black cat mewed, confidence in her voice. She turned to a gray cat with dark spots. 'Anyway, what did you want to tell us?'

A gray she-cat with blue eyes sighed. 'We can't keep doing this.'

'Doing what?' The black she-cat asked, but it was obvious she knew what the sleek gray-cat meant.

'Meeting. If we want to stay together, we need to leave.'

A black tom who hadn't spoken yet, seemed outraged by this comment. 'It's the middle of leaf-bare! ShadowClan has as many kits and elders as ever, but not enough warriors.' He pointed out.

The fluffy orange cat spoke again. "Yes, but who knows what they would do to us if they realized we were breaking the Warrior Code? What if we met in battle? Would our leaders make us prisoners if we refused to fight for them?" She shuddered. "I remember what it was like being a prisoner, I never want to go back to that."

The black she-cat looked up at the black tom with regretful eyes. "Please come. You were the only cat who understood when Ravenfeather died."

The black tom looked at her, his golden eyes sparkling with shame. "I'm sorry. I can't leave my Clan in a time like this."

She looked down at her paws. "You realize I still have to go."

The tom smiled. "I knew I wouldn't be able to stop you."

The grey cat cleared her throat, and regained control of the group once again. "Let's meet here a dawn. Do not tell any of your Clanmates, no matter how close you are to them." She warned. She cast a sympathetic glance at the black apprentice. "I regret that you can't come, but I understand your intentions. You are a loyal Warrior, and I admire you for that."

The black tom dipped his head in thanks. "I shall cover for you." he said, looking at the she-cat standing next to him. "Shall we get going? Clawstar will become suspicious of us practicing our hunting moves for this long."

The fluffy orange licked her chest in embarrassment. "I still have to catch prey before I return to camp."

"As do I," The gray cat confessed. "So, meet here at dawn?"

The cats nodded, and with that they padded off, all in separate directions.

Echocave shook his head. "This is in the future, yes?"

Silverpatch nodded.

Leopardheart, who had been silent looked up. "We can only hope that the song can stop. Do we know who these cats are? Their Clan?"

Silverpatch shook her head. "I have no idea." Silverpatch looked up. "We best be getting back. If any of you have any idea, let me know."

Echocave and Leopardheart nodded and padded off towards the main area of StarClan.