PROLOGUE

A half-moon glowed on smooth granite boulders, turning

them silver. The silence was broken only by the ripple of

water from the swift black river and the whisper of trees in

the forest beyond.

There was a stirring in the shadows, and from al around

lithe dark shapes crept stealthily over the rocks.

Unsheathed claws glinted in the moonlight. Wary eyes

flashed like amber. And then, as if on a silent signal, the

creatures leaped at each other, and suddenly the rocks

were alive with wrestling, screeching cats.

At the center of the frenzy of fur and claws, a massive

dark tabby pinned a bracken-colored tom to the ground and

drew up his head triumphantly. “Oakheart! ” the tabby

growled. “How dare you hunt in our territory? The

Sunningrocks belong to ThunderClan! ”

“After tonight, Tigerclaw, this wil be just another

RiverClan hunting ground! ” the bracken-colored tom spat

back.

A warning yowl came from the shore, shril and anxious.

“Look out! More RiverClan warriors are coming! ”

Tigerclaw turned to see sleek wet bodies sliding out of

the water below the rocks. The drenched RiverClan

warriors bounded silently up the shore and hurled

themselves into battle without even stopping to shake the

water from their fur.

The dark tabby glared down at Oakheart. “You may

swim like otters, but you and your warriors do not belong in

this forest! ” He drew back his lips and showed his teeth as

the cat struggled beneath him.

The desperate scream of a ThunderClan she-cat rose

above the clamor. A wiry RiverClan tom had pinned the

brown warrior flat on her bel y. Now he lunged toward her

neck with jaws stil dripping from his swim across the river.

Tigerclaw heard the cry and let go of Oakheart. With a

mighty leap, he knocked the enemy warrior away from the

she-cat. “Quick, Mousefur, run! ” he ordered, before turning

on the RiverClan tom who had threatened her. Mousefur

scrambled to her paws, wincing from a deep gash on her

shoulder, and raced away.

Behind her, Tigerclaw spat with rage as the RiverClan

tom sliced open his nose. Blood blinded him for an instant,

but he lunged forward regardless and sank his teeth into

the hind leg of his enemy. The RiverClan cat squealed and

struggled free.

“Tigerclaw! ” The yowl came from a warrior with a tail as

red as fox fur. “This is useless! There are too many

RiverClan warriors! ”

“No, Redtail. ThunderClan wil never be beaten! ”

Tigerclaw yowled back, leaping to Redtail’s side. “This is

our territory! ” Blood was wel ing around his broad black

muzzle, and he shook his head impatiently, scattering

scarlet drops onto the rocks.

“ThunderClan wil honor your courage, Tigerclaw, but we

cannot afford to lose any more of our warriors, ” Redtail

urged. “Bluestar would never expect her warriors to fight

against these impossible odds. We wil have another

chance to avenge this defeat. ” He met Tigerclaw’s amber-

eyed gaze steadily, then reared away and sprang onto a

boulder at the edge of the trees.

“Retreat, ThunderClan! Retreat! ” he yowled. At once his

warriors squirmed and struggled away from their

opponents. Spitting and snarling, they backed toward

Redtail. For a heartbeat, the RiverClan cats looked

confused. Was this battle so easily won? Then Oakheart

yowled a jubilant cry. As soon as they heard him, the

RiverClan warriors raised their voices and joined their

deputy in caterwauling their victory.

Redtail looked down at his warriors. With a flick of his

tail, he gave the signal and the ThunderClan cats dived

down the far side of the Sunningrocks, then disappeared

into the trees.

Tigerclaw fol owed last. He hesitated at the edge of the

forest and glanced back at the bloodstained battlefield. His

face was grim, his eyes furious slits. Then he leaped after

his Clan into the silent forest.

In a deserted clearing, an old gray she-cat sat alone,

staring up at the clear night sky. Al around her in the

shadows she could hear the breathing and stirrings of

sleeping cats.

A smal tortoiseshel she-cat emerged from a dark

corner, her pawsteps quick and soundless.

The gray cat dipped her head in greeting. “How is

Mousefur? ” she meowed.

“Her wounds are deep, Bluestar, ” answered the

tortoiseshel, settling herself on the night-cool grass. “But

she is young and strong; she wil heal quickly. ”

“And the others? ”

“They wil al recover, too. ”

Bluestar sighed. “We are lucky not to have lost any of our

warriors this time. You are a gifted medicine cat,

Spottedleaf. ” She tilted her head again and studied the

stars. “I am deeply troubled by tonight’s defeat.

ThunderClan has not been beaten in its own territory since I

became leader, ” she murmured. “These are difficult times

for our Clan. The season of newleaf is late, and there have

been fewer kits. ThunderClan needs more warriors if it is to

survive. ”

“But the year is only just beginning, ” Spottedleaf pointed

out calmly. “There wil be more kits when greenleaf comes. ”

The gray cat twitched her broad shoulders. “Perhaps.

But training our young to become warriors takes time. If

ThunderClan is to defend its territory, it must have new

warriors as soon as possible. ”

“Are you asking StarClan for answers? ” meowed

Spottedleaf gently, fol owing Bluestar’s gaze and staring up

at the swath of stars glittering in the dark sky.

“It is at times like this we need the words of ancient

warriors to help us. Has StarClan spoken to you? ” Bluestar

asked.

“Not for some moons, Bluestar. ”

Suddenly a shooting star blazed over the treetops.

Spottedleaf’s tail twitched and the fur along her spine

bristled.

Bluestar’s ears pricked but she remained silent as

Spottedleaf continued to gaze upward.

After a few moments, Spottedleaf lowered her head and

turned to Bluestar. “It was a message from StarClan, ” she

murmured. A distant look came into her eyes. “Fire alone

can save our Clan. ”

“Fire? ” Bluestar echoed. “But fire is feared by al the

Clans! How can it save us? ”

Spottedleaf shook her head. “I do not know, ” she

admitted. “But this is the message StarClan has chosen to

share with me. ”

The ThunderClan leader fixed her clear blue eyes on the

medicine cat. “You have never been wrong before,

Spottedleaf, ” she meowed. “If StarClan has spoken, then it

must be so. Fire wil save our Clan. ”