Prologue

The sun was going down, setting deep shadows
through the trees. A small breeze ruffled the
leaves and flew through thunderclan camp. An orange
tom ran to the nursery with water for his mate.
“Cinderheart?” The orange tom slid into the
nursery. “Are you there?”
“Yes my love, I’m here.” A grey she- cat was huddled
in the corner. “Lionblaze you look worried, what’s
wrong?”
“The kits are coming soon.” Lionblaze shivered.
“Are you sure-” The grey she-cat cut him off.
“I’m fine. The pains have just-oh!” Cinderheart hissed
through clenched teeth. “Get Jayfeather!” Lionblaze sped to the
medicine den. “Jayfeather!” The grey tom looked
alarmed. “Cinderheart’s kitting!” “Let me get my herbs.” The grey tom calmed. “Go
comfort her. The last thing we need is a scared
and lonely queen.” Lionblaze trotted back to the
nursery.
Why does everyone Think I’m a total mouse-
brain? Lionblaze let out a frustrated hiss.
It’s fine. Every cat worries about their mate and kits.
Lionblaze slipped into the nursery.
“The kits are coming! Now!” Cinderheart was panting.
Jayfeather’s eyes widened as he crawled in. Jayfeather
walked over and gently put his paw on her flank.
“This may hurt but try stay calm.” The medicine cat’s soft
voice soothed Cinderheart. The grey she-cat whimpered as
the first kit slid out.
“How many more?” Cinderheart seemed to relax
when Jayfeather said two. Her body tightened as
1






the next kit slid out. “One more to come.”
Jayfeather was tense, his mind only focused on
one thing. Cinderheart gasped the last kit slid out and
she gently guided them to her belly to suckle.
“They’re beautiful.” Lionblaze touched noses with his
mate. “They will be fine warriors one day.”
“This is Moonkit.” Cinderheart gestured to a tabby
orange she-cat. “This is Stonekit and Sagekit.”
Lionblaze glanced at Stonekit, a dark brown tom
and Sagekit, a small pale grey tom. Lionblaze
laid down and curled his tail around his mate
and kits.
Lionblaze heard Firestar’s voice ring in his
ears as he drifted to sleep. They will be strong
warriors. One may even lead they’re clan
one day.


“Lionblaze… Lionblaze… wake up. It’s me, Firestar.”
“Wha’… oh, Firestar!” Lionblaze looked confused.
“Why am I here? What do you need to tell me?”
“I don’t need to tell you anything. But there is
something you need to know.”
“What is it?” He was eager to find out.
“I already told you. You just need to figure it out.”
“How? Firestar, please!” Lionblaze started to
beg but the small ginger tom was already starting
to fade. Lionblaze awoke to Cinderheart and the
kits gentle snore.
Lionblaze hissed in frustration. Firestar has
been so tricky since he died for the clans.
All the clans. Lionblaze woke just in time
for the dawn patrol and he decided he should
go.
“Lionblaze, take Icewing, Bumblestripe and
Dovewing on a hunting patrol.” Squirrelflight, the
clan deputy usually arranges the patrols.
Lionblaze opened his mouth and tasted the air.
“Let’s go to the lake.” Lionblaze had wanted to
go to the lake since three sunrises ago. “Lionblaze?”
Dovewing had startled him and her eyes
widened as he swung his head backwards and
showed his expression.
“W-what’s wrong Lionblaze?” Dovewing
was still a bit shocked. Lionblaze let out a
long sigh and answered.
“Firestar visited my dreams last night and told



me there’s something I need to know.”
“Firestar visited your dreams?” Dovewing had
a puzzled look on her face. “Why not Jayfeather’s
dreams? He’s a medicine cat.”
“I don’t know why he didn’t choose Jayfeather”
“But does Jayfefather know about Firestar?”
“I don’t know!” Lionblaze flashed back. “I don’t
know. Let’s just hunt now.” Lionblaze tasted the
air and dropped into a hunting crouch when he
spotted a squirrel.
He stalked toward it and pounced. The squirrel
tried to run but he slammed his paws over it
and quickly gave it the killing bite.
“Nice catch.” Bumblestripe walked over and
congratulated him as he gave the squirrel a sniff.
“Let’s go back to camp.” Everyone had caught
something and he wanted to see Jayfeather.



“Jayfeather, I have to talk to you.” Lionblaze
whispered to his littermate as he slipped into
the medicine den.
“What now?” The medicine cat’s tone was
annoyed.
“Will you please take this seriously for once?”
Jayfeather sighed and answered. “Fine. What
do you want to ask me?”
“Last night Firestar visited my dreams.”
Jayfeather trailed off into Lionblaze’s memory.
The sun was hot in the sky. Jayfeather saw
Lionblaze and Firestar in a shady clearing.
“What do you need to tell me?” Lionblaze
started talking and then got a puzzled look
on his face.
Firestar isn’t telling him everything. Jayfeather
realized only Starclan has answers. Then
Lionblaze is here for answers… But I don’t
have any. I only know as much as he does…
Maybe less. Jayfeather slipped out of Lionblaze’s
thoughts and sighed. “I suppose your looking for
answers?”
“Yes… what do you know?”
“Well, really… I actually don’t know anything”
Jayfeather heard Lionblaze’s tail droop.
“O-okay… well I’ll leave then.”
“Good-bye Lionblaze.” Jayfeather starred forward
before turning around and starting to sort his herbs.
3





Lionblaze looked around and walked to the fresh-kill
pile. “Let me in!” Lionblaze herd excited squeaks
coming from the nursery. “I’ll get you if you don’t let
me in! I’m the biggest!” He expected that was Moonkit.
She is the biggest kit and so far the strongest too.
“Eeek!” He heard Stonekit’s loud yelp as his littermate
tackled him in a flurry of paws and tails. He rushed to
the nursery with food for his mate and kits.
“You brought squirrel!” The kits hopped off of each-
other and ran to Lionblaze “Share with your mother”
He said as he gave the squirrel to his kits.
He touched noses with his mate as the kits jumped
around and fought about who got the most.
“Hello Lionblaze,” Cinderheart purred “how was your
hunting trip?”
“We made a good catch… for leaf-fall.” Lionblaze
purred as Cinderheart scooped her kits closer to
her flank. “You must share, little-ones.”
“But I want it!”
“All of you get some Sagekit, not just you.”
“Listen to your mother kits.” Lionblaze hushed
his kits.
“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey
gather beneath the Highrock for a clan meeting.”
“I must go” Lionblaze nuzzled his mate before
turning to leave.
“Don’t be a mouse-brain, I’m coming too.”
Cinderheart purred as she jumped up and slid out
past Lionblaze.
“Can we come?” Moonkit asked just as he was
leaving. “Please?”
“Alright, but be calm.”
“Yay! Let’s go!” Moonkit dashed out, into the
clearing.
“Cats of Thunderclan, it is time we welcomed
four new warriors into the clan.” As Bramblestar
spoke the kits wiggled with excitement.
“Who’s becoming a warrior?” Sagekit’s tail
flicked with curiosity.
“Probably Seedpaw and Lilypaw. Molepaw
and Cherrypaw too.”
“Molepaw, Cherrypaw, Seedpaw and Lilylpaw,
come forward.
All four apprentices walked forward slowly as their
tails flicked with anticipation.
4





“Molepaw, you have completed your six moons of
training and deserve your warrior name. From this day
on, you shall be known as Moleclaw, Starclan honors
your kindness and bravery.” Bramblestar bent to
touch his muzzle to Moleclaw’s head and Moleclaw gave
his shoulder a lick, then backed away to sit with the other
warriors.
It was nearly moonhigh by the time he named all four
of the new warriors Moleclaw, Cherrytail, Seedfur and
Lilycloud.
“As you know, you must sit vigil and guard the camp
together for one night,” he said, and then with a hint of
humor in his voice he added, “And now you can wake
each-other if they fall asleep.”
5






















Chapter 1

Stonekit’s dare rung in Moonkit’s ears, “I bet you
can’t get out of camp and catch a mouse, without being
spotted!”
“I’ll show him!” Moonkit muttered under her breath.
She remembered when Smokepaw and Cloudpaw
were arguing about who caught more prey at the
abandoned twolegplace, two sunrises ago.
“I can find my way there.” She reassured herself,
then added smugly, “I bet Stonekit nor Sagekit could find
the way there.” She hopped on, following the faint scent
of the two apprentices, and before long, she found
herself in the clearing, where Jayfeather, Thunderclan’s
medicine cat, grew his herbs.
She opened her mouth and tasted the air, just as she
had seen her clanmates do many times before.
“Squirrel, I think.” She murmured as she detected prey.
Moonkit spotted the squirrel nibbling on an acorn a few
rabbit hops away. She quickly dropped into a crouch,
that actually wasn’t to bad for a first try, and leaped.
She caught the squirrel in her jaw, before it could go
anywhere and turned around with a look of pure
triumph, only to look at a huge brown tabby with angry
amber eyes.
“What are you doing in Thunderclan territory? I don’t
recognize your smell, but you are stinky.”
The brown tabby let out a low growl, then his gaze
softened. “My name is Rock,” Rock said in a kind tone,
then asked, “What’s yours?”
“My name is Moonkit.”
“So you’re a clan cat?”
“Yep, what about you?” Moonkit said in an ecxited
voice.



“Clan cats like you would call me a loner or rouge,
depending on what they think of me. Will you take me
to your camp?”
“Sure, Let’s go!”



“Moonkit, where have you been? And who is this?”
“This is Rock, and I’ve just been out hunting.”
As Moonkit dropped her prey on the fresh kill-pile,
she heard anxious murmurs coming from her clanmates.
“All cats old enough to catch they’re own fresh-kill,
gather beneath the high-ledge for a clan meeting.”
Bramblestar’s voice rung out across the clearing, and
Moonkit went to sit with her mother, Cinderheart.
She turned around and gave her brother a smart smirk,
then turned around. I wonder what’s happening? She thought.
“We have a loner, who has come to our camp.” As he spoke
more small meows came from the clan.
“We shall give him a choice, join the clan, or leave.”
Bramblestar’s gaze flew from cat, to cat. “If he chooses to stay,
we will give him three sunrises, then he will give his final answer.”
“What do you choose, stay, or leave?”
Moonkit’s ears twitched with curiosity and hope.
“I wish to stay.”
“Then do you wish to start your apprentice training now?”
“I would be honored to start my apprentice training now.”
“Fine, from this day on you shall be known as Rockpaw,
Lionblaze you shall be Rockpaw’s mentor, share with him
your strength and loyalty.”
As soon as Bramblestar finished speaking Cinderheart,
Dovewing, Moonkit and the other cats yowled the new
apprentice’s name, “Rockpaw, Rockpaw, Rockpaw!”
Just as the cats started to shuffle away, Bramblestar
spoke, “We have one more thing to discuss.” All the cats
looked at Moonkit as they moved back. “One of our kits
snuck out today…” Bramblestar started, “But two more were
born.” Almost every cat was murmuring, or exchanging glances,
until suddenly, the entire place went silent, as they relized what
had happened.
“Daisy gave birth to three kits this afternoon.” He started,
“Spiderleg is the father.” Spiderleg and Daisy were mates once,
but Spiderleg was uncomfortable with having kits so they left each other.
He must have changed his mind about having kits.
“As you know, these kits were expected two moons from now.”
Many cats mewled in sadness, “Three kits were born, and one died.”
Moonkit mourned her clanmate as much as the rest of the clan.
“But two lived, and are healthy, Blossomkit, and Skykit.
This death did not need to happen and we shall mourn
deeply. We shall pray to starclan and hope the rest of our
kits are safe.” As he walked away from the high-ledge,
Moonkit jumped up and started walking towards the
nursery, when Bramblestar called her.
“Moonkit, you did a fine job at catching this squirrel…
you are a natural hunter. Especially in leaf-fall, you shall
soon receive your apprentice name.Your father will be
proud.” He said, then picked up the squirrel and left,
towards his den.
Moonkit turned and went to see her new denmates.
By the time she got there, Skykit was already on top of
Blossomkit, pinning her down.
“Now kits, don’t play to hard. Skykit, don’t bully your
sister!” Daisy scolded, when Blossomkit yowled, due to
Skykit’s unseathed claws.
“Oops,” Skykit crouched, then said, “Sorry.”
Moonkit decided she’d meet them in the morning, for it
was getting late, and she was tired. She thought of the
stories her father told about Firestar, Thunderclan’s former
leader, and she swore to herself, by the name of Starclan,
that she heard him whisper, “There will be four, just like
before, that will save the clans from great danger.”

e e e

Lionblaze… Come on, wake up.” Lionblaze was again,
curled in his nest, when he heard Firestar’s voice.
“Why do I always have to end up with you calling me,
every time I get in my nest?” He said, and surprised himself
at how hostile his voice sounded.
“Would you rather not hear what I have to say?” Firestar
sounded offended. “It is important you know.”
“Sorry. So what is it?”
“A prophecy, that’s what it is. Would you like to hear?”
“Not really, but I’ll listen.”
“Then, here it is… There will be four, just like before,
that will save the clans from great danger. And one of them
are your kin.”
He was just about to ask another question, when he woke
up in his nest.
I’m going to Jayfeather, again. Lionblaze told himself
silently, Why does Starclan always talk in riddles?
There’s only one thing I can do… See if he knows about this.
And which one is my kin? It has to be one of my kits.
As he trotted to the medicine den, he heard something, that
sounded like some one he knew. Then, just as he walked into the
medicine den, he saw it. Jayfeather was on the ground, lying in
a pool of blood.



“No, no, no…” At first Lionblaze was silent, then he broke
into a fit and started yowling with misery. “No! Jayfeather,
please be alright! You can’t die now! What happened to him?
Who did this?” He was furious, he needed to find out who did
this.
“I don’t know… I woke up and he was on the ground, more
gashes appearing every second.” The medicine cat apprentice,
Briarlight, was gasping for air. “I don’t know what to do… He is
in the paws of Starclan now.”
“Please don’t leave me! Starclan help us!” Lionblaze
yowled, as a blinding light filled the den.
“Your right, I must help you.” Yellowfang, Thunderclan’s
former medicine cat appeared, “It is not his time to die.”
She shuffled around the den, gathering herbs for his
brother’s wounds. She soon had a small bundle in her jaws,
and began rubbing the pulp into his blood soaked fur.
“He will be fine, but keep treating it, just in case it gets
infected.” She said quietly, and disappeared from sight.
When Lionblaze walked into the clearing, he noticed every
nervous gaze was on him.
He didn’t care… He was to tired to care, so he walked strait
to the warriors den, laid down, and went to sleep.

e e e

Moonkit woke early three sunrises after the accident.
I wonder if I actually heard Firestar speak to me, or was I
just imagining it? Moonkit was confused, she didn’t get it.
It made no sense, how could Starclan
expect a kit, who is only four moons, could understand a prophecy
that probably had nothing to do with them?
Then Moonkit realized that there was something more,
Starclan would never tell her anything, if she had nothing to do
with it.
Even if she wasn’t part of the prophecy, she could help the cats
who are! She wanted to help, but she knew she couldn’t just blurt it
out in front of every cat in the clan. She would have to be careful,
and she knew it. She would have to be quiet for now.














Chapter 2

“Moonkit, Stonekit, and Sagekit come forward.”
Moonkit couldn’t believe it, she was going to be an
apprentice! With Stonekit, Sagekit, and Rockpaw too!
Her ears and tail were twitching so much she couldn’t
believe it! This felt like a dream, yet it felt so real and it
was real!
This is amazing! I can’t wait until I’m a warrior!
“Moonkit, from this day on, until you receive your
warrior name, you shall be known as Moonpaw.”
Bramblestar was naming her first! “Squirrelflight,
you will be Moonpaw’s mentor.
Soon her, and her brothers were all apprentices,
and they were eager to start training.
Well, I guess if they can’t take us now, I’ll go do something
useful. Moonpaw thought. I can go check the elders for ticks!
Yuck! But I guess I should, it would make them a bit happier…
possibly. But just as Moonpaw started towards the medicine den,
she heard her mentor, Sqiurrelflight, call her.
“Moonpaw, I would like to start right away, hurry please.”
She was so excited, she raced after her mentor right away,
and soon they were gone.
“So, what are we doing?” Moonpaw was so excited she felt as
light as the air. “Hunting? Fighting? Learning how to set scent
markers?”
“Calm down little one, I’ll tell you but first, you must be quiet.”
Moonpaw instantly went silent and waited for Squirrelflight to give
orders. “Now I think we should tsart with hunting, is that alright
with you?”
Moonpaw was so excited she didn’t care, and she accidently
spoke her thoughts aloud. “I can’t believe I’m an apprentice!
I’l catch prey, mark borders, fight in battles, everything! This…
This…” She was about to go on when she noticed Squirrelflight
Looking at her, whiskers twitching with amusement.



“Come, let’s go.” Squirrelflight still looked as if she were about
to burst out laughing and never stop. “We’ll go to the lake. Sound
good?” Moonpaw dipped her head in agreement. She would go to
the lake.



Blossomkit woke to a paw prodding in her in the side. She grunted
and rolled over, she did not want to get up.
“Come on, Blossomkit, let’s go see Moonpaw.” Skykit was always
harassing her to get going, for most of the time she could ignore her,
and go her own pace, until it got really annoying. Then she had to listen.
“Oh, Skykit, let her rest, your sister needs her sleep.” Daisy, their
mother, always let her sleep when she wanted to. Yeah, Skykit, let me
sleep, she thought. Then another thought popped up in her mind.
Maybe I should get up, it’s about time. I am five moons, so I should go
see the apprentices den! She wriggled away from her mother and
jumped out of the nursery behind Skykit.