The Rise of Stormclan

Prolouge

Prologue

The night was dark, black clouds rolled overhead blocking out the light of the moon and stars.

There in the shadows, a silver tom walked with confidence through the undergrowth, as if he himself was unaware of the crimes he had committed.

He slunk down into the clearing, keeping himself low and hidden as he made his way to the nursery.

The camp guards jerked towards him, just missing his silvery figure as they walked past him to stand near the elders den.

He snuck behind them, bright green eyes scanning the mossy rocks as he began the short climb to the nursery. The rocks glistened with dew-laden moss as he picked his way to small opening in the rock, then with one final glance around he stepped inside.

A black queen met his gaze imedently, and she rose from her nest, swallowing the alarm call in her throat as she met his gaze evenly.

"Silverbird, you have no business here. A rouge like you cant simply-"

He flicked his tail across her mouth.

"Im here to warn you"

"Warn me? why?"

The hair on her neck bristled as her gaze became guarded. Silverbird remained calm, simply flicking his tail in mild annoyance as he studied her form. What had he seen in her? She wasn't one of the gullible house-cats that would take a fancy to him imedently, no, she was a loyal clan cat and that loyalty stood between them. Like an unbreakable wall of thorns that shielded her.

"Im waiting silverbird."

He took his time gazing around, meeting her guarded look with an infuriatingly calm one before he spoke.

"Riverclan-"

She snarled, her eyes burning into his as she lowered herself above the small bundles at her paws, her fur bristling.

"Riverclan, ha!" She spat.

"There nothing but rouges in my eyes! Coming out of the forest whining like house cats, claiming that your from the forest were firestar used to rule thunderclan! As if that group of blood thirsty dogs would ever be worthy to stand against a cat like him in battle!"

She spat the words like venom, baring her teeth at the tom who began to bristle above her.

"Whatever you call them! They know about the kits our kits-" he lowered his head to stare into her eyes directly. burning ice against cold fire.

"-and are coming to kill them"

Her burned look turned to one of fear and distrust as she rose to shelter her kits between her paws, her amber eyes studying him with a flick of her tail.

"And how can i trust you?"

He shrugged, his eyes as cold and face as stone like as ever.

"I have know way to prove it, but its true. Please, Nightshadow, take the kits and run, ill Buy you time-"

She cut him off by turning and scooping the kits into her nest with gentle paws.

"Nightshadow, PLEASE!"

She turned, sensing the desperation in his voice. There it was, the emotion he always lacked, before he didn't give a mouses tail about the kits she loved and cared for. The small silver tabby especially, her and her amber-striped sister that fought so hard for his attention, never to gain anything but harsh words and a snarl in return.

Why did he care now?

She opened her mouth to reply, but the screeching of cats in front of the nursery and harsh battle commands stopped her. In a panic, she stood protectively above her kits, who fearfully scrambled together.

The small silver tabby, with her amber sister just behind her, scrambled forwards to stand just behind her mothers paws, looking at their father.

He stood, looking like a rabbit in a foxes den as he looked between the nurseries entry to the angry queen that stared him down.

Silence cut the air, sharper than any thorn, before Nightshadow broke it. "LEAVE silverbird!"

The silver tabby took a step back, before turning completely and racing into the fray of fighting cats below.

Nightshadow crouched, as if to protect her kits from the shadows that loomed in the silver tabbies wake. Comforting them with soft licks and gentle murmurs, she scooped them into the mossy nest one by one.

Three pairs of eyes glistened in the darkness, they bundled together, the larger of them shielding his to sisters with his black pelt.

Nightshadow scrambled away from her kits, flicking the black one on his head with her tail as she left the nursery yowling a battle cry.

The black kit mewed weakly, his cries gaining strength as he scrambled after his mother, his small black pelt a mere shadow as it faded into the night.

The two remaining sisters stared, wide eyed, as he scrambled into the shadows, his persist mew suddenly turning into a sharp growl as the scrap of black fur encountered a shadow at the entrance to the den.

The two sisters watched, now fearfully, as the tiny black scrap of fur was sliced with cruel claws and left to die at the entrance to the nursery, his blood staining the grey stones and glistening in the pale light of the half-clouded moon.