Prologue

The night was cold, the air still with tension of a waiting storm. Leaf-bare's hungry cruelty had drained the trees of their luck leaves and left the branches as bare skeletons. The territory of the sleeping clan was nothing but a field of craggy branches reaching to the stars that flittered with warmth a mockery.

As the claw of a moon rose higher towards its peak, yellow clouds rolled over the stars and released their heavy assaults of snow. Slowly it lightened to a drift and the winds whispered gently through the now wet, icicle-coated branches and limbs.

Two figures, cats, came fighting through the white carpeted undergrowth. Both heavy in build and large in size, they silently made their way to a large, hollowed sycamore, obviously the largest around. Both toms carried little bundles of fur in their maws.

The larger of the two, a grey tom, fur slightly green in tone, padded forward, placing his bundle down under the tree.

He looked back to his russet and auburn companion with emotionless eyes, "Watch the kits while I check to see if it is still safe." The other tom nodded, the bundle in his mouth flopping back and forth. Tiny paws batted at the invisible creatures in the kit's sleep.

"Thank you, Bloodstrike." He meowed quickly before entering the gape in the sycamore's smoothly scaled bark.

Several heartbearts passed, the only sounds of the falling snow and the two kits's dreaming shuffles.

The grey tom poked his head out, and picked up the kit he had placed earlier. "It is safe." he meowed through the scruff of fur in his mouth. He turned back into the darkness, the tom known as Bloodstrike following with the other kit in tooth.

When they were both inside, Bloodstrike took notice that the other tom had created a make shift nest for the kits. Both tom-cats placed their burdens down, the bigger ending up sprawled out on her smaller sister.

The grey tom looked at the kits with a shine in his eyes; emotions of pride, pain and decision clashing in his emerald gaze.

"Treefur," Bloodstrike started softly, "We have to go, before the snow stops. Those herbs won't hide our scent forever; neither will they keep the kits sleeping forever."

Treefur sighed, "I know…" he took a breath, "Just… Just let me say goodbye."

"Are you," Bloodstrike began hesitantly, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

There was silence. Treefur kept his eyes on his kits; mind wandering, more heartbeats passed, and precious time leaking away to the night.

"Yes."

Bloodstrike looked to his former mentor, admiration and pity blurring in his yellow eyes.

"This is for the best," he whispered, trying to convince himself as well as the russet tom, "Their lives will be better here. The tribe will never find them. And nor will Bloodstar. They can live here without torment." The grey warrior looked up to his empathetic friend. "Besides," he closed his eyes, "They look too much like her. Sparrowwing will take care of them. I know it."

Bloodstrike sighed with a nod at the sad truths.

Treefur leaned his head down and touched his massive muzzle to both she-kits heads. "Good luck, my little warriors, he whispered, "Star Clan blesses you, and may you remember," looked to both of the kits, in order of the names he spoke, "I love you, Eaglekit, Mistkit…"

Dawn kissed the forest territory of Storm Clan, making bare branches shift from the eerie gloom to an orange-dappled cheery mood. The sun leeched through the clouds of the passing storm, bleeding them with a cream and gold spectrum. Where the tom-cats had left paw prints there was nothing dimples, looking like the regular dips and weaves of the brush under the snow.

A patrol of four cats came through the forest, unknowingly crossing the invisible path of precious visitors.

At the head of the group was a small, delicate she-cat. Her ears were a fiery ginger, as were her paws, tail, and bits of her muzzle. Her pelt was cream where her fur was not the color of flame. The she-cat's keen blue eyes watched the surroundings for the signs of unwanted movement. Behind her were two toms and another she-cat. The first tom was a slim, sleek black tom with grey rings on his tail and green eyes. The second was a grey and silver tabby tom with eye so bright, that, they looked silver, although they were really just a light blue. The she-cat bringing up the rear was white with black blotches of fur. Her coat was long and silky, complimenting her vibrant grass green eyes.

They came to a halt at a towering maple that's branches twisted into intricate bends and nooks.

The lead she-cat glanced at her patrol. "Alright," she began, "we should split up here." The cat flicked her ginger ear. "Sparrowwing and I shall go to the sycamore grove along Spirit Clan border. Nightcloud, you and Grassblade go to Sunny Rocks along Ocean Clan territory."

"Are we all clear?"

The cats spoke in unison, "Yes, Shiningstar."

As Shiningstar and Sparrowwing made their way towards the sycamore grove, they listened carefully. The woodlands were silent with the usual leaf-bare chill.

Sparrowwing suddenly stopped, ears perked.

Shiningstar looked at him, "What do you hear?"

Sparrowwing frowned, "I think I hear…" he paused, "Kits."

Shiningstar paused. There was silence then….

"They are scared…" she whispered. "We must hurry." She set to a trot after the noise, Sparrowwing not far behind her.

Mewls led the two of them farther into the grove of sycamores, bringing them closer to the Spirit Clan border. Soon they came to the Great Sycamore, the most gargantuan tree any cat had ever seen. It towered like a guardian, the twisted roots and crooked bushes seemingly protecting the noise that came from inside. Sparrowwing was the first to creep closer to the gaping black mouth in the tree. He slunk forward and poked his head inside. His whole body jumped as a hissing noise erupted from inside.

"Shiningstar!" he gasped as he whirled his white, tensed body around. "You won't believe it. There are kits in there!"

Shiningstar padded forward swiftly through the undergrowth. "Impo….ssible…." she said slowly as she fully entered the den. Before her were two kits, a larger and a smaller one of similar appearances. The only difference was color and size. The larger one was a pale golden color with large, grey paws and a lighter grey tail. Her sister was pale white with grey-blue patches.

They could have been beautiful kits if not due to their terrified faces. The white kit's fierce amber eyes burning confused and protective terror. The she-kit had her puffed up her white and blue-grey fur, set in a position to protect her sibling. She spat at Shiningstar, tiny, needle like-teeth bared at the two cats, Sparrowwing having just entered.

"My Star Clan," the flame-point leader whispered. A glimmer of warmth glowed in her blue eyes. The Storm Clan Leader was a mother herself, three new kits sitting in the nursery at camp, almost old enough to be apprentices.

"Shhh, little ones," Shiningstar meowed softly to the tow she-kits, "We won't hurt you."

The small kit hissed more, "I don't trust you!" she narrowed her large amber eyes, "My Daddy will be back soon. He will come back and, and-"

Shiningstar blinked sympathetically. "There are no strangers in my territory aside from your sister and you. I patrolled it myself."

The kit shook her head desperately, "NO! Liar!" her small voice cracked in rage and sorrow, "LIAR! Dad wouldn't leave us, He-he wouldn't..! He promised He…" she nearly broke down from the tears streaking down her dirty little face. Her sister padded forward from her position behind the little kit and let her sister collapse into her side, hazel and green eyes watering up as well.

"What is she is right." She mewed softly, "Where do we do now?"

What Shiningstar said next surprised all.

"Live in Storm Clan."

There is a wrap!

I know, it is a little dramatic, especially since it is only the prologue, but, you know, their lives before Storm Clan were pretty crappy… Who could blame her? Ugh, it took me forever to get off my butt and do this… Dang, I can be such a procrastinator at times.

I know cats can cry, I have seen my cat do it, but, you know, just not an EMOTIONAL kind of cry….So, screw that part of reality. X3

So, um, this is just the beginning, read and review please, I would like to know what I can do better and stuff, and how I did.

The next chapter will be up as soon as I can get my lazy butt up to do it… *UGH I AM RANTING! BYE!* (duck tapes mouth shut)