PROLOGUE

The moon shone down brightly on the smooth rocks of Thunderclans camp. A large lean cat was perched upon one,gazing up at the bright stars of silverpelt. She could hear the sounds of her sleeping clanmates breathing and stirring in the darkness. The she-cats troubled eyes wandered around the clearing of the camp.  Her eyes stopped at a shape stalking stealthily throught the bushes. She pricked her ears with bristling fur and hissed into the darkness "Who goes there! Show your self now" A male voice let out a mrrow of laughter. "Your always too tense Moonstar."He batted the leaders ear affectionately. "You may be my brother,and the medicine cat" Moonstar spat. "But your still a mousebrained fool. How could I not be more alert after the battle with Shadowclan. They almost wiped out the whole clan!" she stressed.  Starsong looked like he was about to object to being called a mousebrain but thought better of it. "Look,they didn't did they? We are still here,Thunderclan has still survived! With support of Starclan I can heal these cats!"He mewoed. "Starclan......"Moonstar murmured. "Are you looking to them for guidance?" Starsong asked quietly. "It is at times like these we need the reassuring words of our  warrior ancestors to help us."She replied solemnly  

"Why are you up so late anyway Moonstar?"Starsong asked."It's begining to get lighter"he pointed up at the sky where the stars of silverpelt were begining to fade. Suddenly a shooting star flashed past and a wild look suddenly passed his eyes. Moonstar twitched her ears,and said nothing. Starsong gasped for breath suddenly. "It was a message from Starclan"he  breathed. "There will be two,who together can bring destruction to the forest. One with the purest heart and a shining spirit, the other with a cold twisted heart trapped in misery. They will both follow a path to their destiny,but only one shall survive. "He stopped omniously as a clear mewling broke out from the nursery. "My sisters kits"Moonstar said happily. She stopped a serious look spreading across her face. "Shouldn't you be helping her with the delivery!?"she gasped. "It's ok,Moonstar,Feathernose is taking care of her."Starsong meowed calmly. "Your own sister as well!" Moonstar huffed in disgrace ruffling her fur. "Anyway"she mumbled between grooming herself. "What are you doing being up so early?"she questioned. Suddenly a screech pierced the still night and a wailing broke out. "Aahh,interrupted by kits again"Starsong sighed dreamily. "My kit! My kit!" a she-cats voice cried out from the nursery. Moonstar glared at her brother. "Yes,and there is clearly a good reason behind it too!" she spat,lashing her tail side to side as she rushed off into the nursery. "And it looks like we are about to find out!" he replied to himself,following his leader silently.

Moonstar entered the nursery and instantly began to scan the area for a problem. Her eyes met the sleeping bodies of her sister,Daybreak and her two newlyborn kits. One,a pretty blue-gray and the other,also a blue-gray but with white patches. She smiled contently and moved on. The smile on her face vanished at once when she saw how distressed one of the queens was. From out of no where Feathernose appeared. He acknowledged Moonstar with a nod and hurried off to attend to Dawnfur. "You should really help your apprentice Starsong"she remarked sharply. He looked run off his feet. Moonstars brother scowled at her and was about to open his mouth in protest when Dawnfur let out a shriek of anguish. Moonstar whipped her head round in alarm. "Dawnfur! What's the matter?" She asked with wide eyes. "My kit"she wimpered. "Look at her" Moonstar looked at the kit. She couldn't see anything wrong with it. She glanced at Dawnfur with confused eyes. "Look closer!"she snapped. The leader bent down further to the kit and she pulled back immediately. "Starsong.Come here"she commanded. "What now?"Starsong grumbled. He saw all eyes were on the kit and he had a peek for himself. He was shocked at the sight he saw. "Something's not right here"he muttered. The kit was midnight black,with one white paw at the front. The peculiar thing about it was the  ragged tree-shaped shaped marking on it's forehead. It was no oridnary marking. For it had fresh wounds outlining the shape as if a cat had traced it with it's claws. The odd thing was that although it was fresh it was not bleeding.

"Keep that monster away from me!" Starsong screeched. But only Moonstar heard him. "Aren't you going to do something?" said Dawnfur urgently. Starsong closed his eyes. "There's nothing I can do.....to help a kit like that" he added under his breath. He looked across at Daybreaks blue-gray she-kit. She's too young to know or understand anything. He though in distress. But she needs to know that even the smallest oaks can crush the clan.....