Warriors: Black Rain

Prologue

       The white tom sat silently on the moon-lit grass. Fresh dew wet his fur, but he stayed perfectly still, fixated on the starry sky above. He could see Silverpelt clearly.

       "Nothing tonight," he called, letting out a low sigh. Despite the rising levels of tension within his clan and his attempts to seek guidance, Starclan had been quiet. Too quiet. Neither the leader nor his medicine cat had been able to make any kind of connection to their starry ancestors at all for moons now. With a flick of his tail, the white tom signaled to the she-cat hiding in the nearby bramble to emerge. Her light fur snagged on the branches around her but she remained silent, afraid to interrupt her leaders focus.

       "Shall we head back to camp, then?" She mewed after a long period of silence. The tom turned away from her.

       "Yes, I suppose that would be best. But..." He looked back up at the sky for a moment. The she-cat stared into his icy gaze.

       "Snowstar, it is late... you need to rest."

      Snowstar flashed a look towards his deputy, her orange tail twitching in surprise as he spoke, "These are dark times for our clan, Suntail. What I need is answers." The words spilled out of his mouth with a sharp tone. Shutting his tired eyes, Snowstar let out a shaky breath. "Come, we should start heading back to camp; we are nearing Mistclan territory." Suntail hesitated for a moment before walking forward, brushing against the elder leaders side in support.

      "Do not worry, Snowstar. I'm sure Starclan will show us their message soon enough." The white tom solemnly nodded, feeling hopeless, standing to follow his deputy back home when he felt a sudden jolt - white heat flashed behind his eyes in a fiery explosion. Visions of blood-stained pelts and the stench of death surrounded him, causing him to stagger and thrash wildly. The wails of cats in pain stretched out ahead of him, filling his senses, overwhelming his every thought. Through the panicked haze, however, the silhouette of a young cat stood out against a red stained sky. Dark shadows surrounded them, lunging, leading the unknown cat straight over a sheer cliff. Just as their body disappeared beyond his vision, the voices of many cats boomed in Snowstar's ears, screaming,  

     "BLOOD OR CLAN."

      The vision faded, leaving Snowstar gasping for breath, shaking against the ground. Suntail padded him franticly, brushing against his pelt, her eyes wide and ears pressed flat with shock.

      "Snowstar, what's happening? Speak to me!"

      He slowly raised his head, blinking, as his thoughts began to clear. Gulping, he staggered to his paws, using her as support to stand. A cold breeze blew around the two as he gazed off in the distance, the stench of death still surrounding his senses.

      "Starclan has spoken..."