The wind whispered through thick reeds along the side of a smooth-flowing river, the water trickling over small stones. The current was disrupted by a cat stepping into the cool current, her white front paws setting easily over the slick rocks.
She looked around, her bright green eyes curious and glowing, her black-striped silver coat glowing like a whole sky of stars were twined into her short transparent pelt. She crossed the river quietly, her tail tip flicking the water and sending a few droplets plopping farther down the river.
"Let's see what we have," her mew was smooth and young, but deep with the wisdom of many, many moons. She stepped from the water and into the reeds, slipping through them with ease, emerging from the other side and being alighted by the full moon's shine.
She looked up, staring at the powerful Star Streak, the thick pelt of stars lighting the sky. She remembered her mother's stories, of how she bonded with her mate—the silver tabby's father—when they first met.
'Anytime I see the Star Streak, I will remember him; all I can see is his glowing eyes," she had said on dark nights when he was away hunting, or...after.
"Echo?" A voice spoke in front of her, and the she-cat raised her head to see another cat standing in the area she was going towards, a small clearing with a strange swirling pool of mist floating right above the lush grass.
The cat who had spoken was a dark gray tabby she-cat, with powerful broad shoulders and thick muscles. Dovestar, a previous leader of Echo's Clan. "Nice to see you again, it's been awhile." Echo dipped her head and approached the other cat, flicking her gaze to the swirling mist, and she saw what she was coming to look for.
In the mist a smooth image was settling; it was of a thin-bodied white she-cat with black legs, face, and tail, and she had four kits curled against her flank. Two looked just like her, with one a she-cat with white and black, and the second a tom, white and pale gray. The other she-kit was mostly white, but her head and back were a glowing silver, much like Echo's own fur. The last kit, the smallest, was a tom, with jet black fur and long legs that spread out in the moss, his long tail draped over his brother's muzzle.
"I see you are looking in on them as well?" Echo looked over at Dovestar, but the she-cat wasn't speaking. Instead, she was staring at Echo with hard blue eyes, her white chest fur puffed.
"What are you doing here, Echo?" She let a small growl escape her throat. "You only come when a leader dies or to give them lives. And I don't see Acornstar dying with six lives still left!" Her whiskers quivered as she shook out her back fur, trying to force it back down, for it had begun to bristle.
Echo didn't answer, but instead just stared at the she-cat, with light surprise in her green gaze. Then, she turned and looked, not towards the mist, but at a dense forest in the other direction, across the stream.
"Do you remember the stories of me, Dovestar?" she asked softly.
"I don't see what that has to do with any of this!" The dark gray tabby stalked forward and stared challenging into Echo's calm gaze, with slight fear whispering through her own blue eyes.
"Just answer the question," Echo responded softly.
Dovestar let out a soft annoyed growl, then meowed stiffly, "yes, I do."
"Really?" Echo turned to look at her, her eyes still soft and calm and wise. "Then why do you question the actions of the creator of your Clan? The one who made all this possible?" She flicked her tail around the clearing.
Dovestar's eyes flashed. "In those stories, you were never told to be arrogant!"
There was a yowl of anger, deep and powerful, and Dovestar was suddenly barreled over by a flash of brown fur. After a few rolls in the grass, the she-cat was pinned by a muscular dark tom, with yellow eyes glaring.
"Branchstar! Get off!" The she-cat struggled to get free, while Echo just sat and wrapped her tail around her paws.
"How dare you!" the tom hissed, his lips curling. "Echo is not arrogant! She is treated with respect! Don't you ever dare speak like that in front of her!"
"Branchstar, smooth your fur." Echo stood and gave her shoulder a lick, then slowly approached, while the brown tom quickly leaped away.
"I'm sorry, but I can't let any cat speak to you that way, even my own deputy." His eyes focused on Dovestar accusingly. "I thought I trained her better."
"Branchstar." Echo blinked softly, and the tom dropped his gaze and stepped back, licking his chest fur. The silver tabby looked back at the she-cat who was struggling to her paws, her fur on end. "Dovestar, I understand your need to call me arrogant, but now is not the time to act as such."
Dovestar curled her lips but said nothing, so Echo continued.
"I am busy, Dovestar, even in death, and I cannot stop to have pointless conversations. I came because this is important to the Clans, an old enemy is returning." The tabby turned and walked back to the misty image. "He has the right personality for the job, to help us." Her eyes focused on one of the kits curled at their mother's belly
"How can a little kit help?" Dovestar approached, her tone not angry anymore, but curious and slightly worried.
"When the time comes, he won't be a little kit. Hopefully, he will learn everything I can teach him before anything happens. I don't know when they will come, but hopefully not for a while...These kits still have many moons before they can even be apprenticed." Echo sighed and blinked softly.
Both Dovestar and Branchstar were silent, but the brown tom managed to speak in his raspy, broken voice that he had been born with. "What do you mean, 'everything I can teach him'?"
"You will find out when the time is right," Echo responded immediately, without even a hesitation. "He can't start his training until he becomes an apprentice, so hopefully I will have enough time. If not..." The she-cat turned to look at both the cats. "I will have to take matters into my own paws."
And I can't do that if I'm dead, the she-cat added silently. If only she had her own ancestors to pray to for guidance and luck.
Welcome to my book and I hoped you enjoyed the Prologue! Comment what you think and if I made any mistakes. Also, at the end of every chapter, there will be an ATC(Ask the Comments) and you guys can give me your best guesses/answers! I already have the story planned out, but I really want to know what you guys and gals are thinking! And, if you want, ask me some questions, and I'll answer them as soon as I can!
Question: What do you think Echo is planning?
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(Outdated) Warriors: Clouded Skies #1 - The First Storm
Fanfiction*This series is on its fourth book but will no longer be updated as I am doing a heavy rewrite* Each Clan has their own advantages and disadvantages, though it seems one is quite perfect. EchoClan, with many great warriors, many cats training or rea...
