Prologue

A cream colored she-cat raced over to a red pelted she-cat standing on a big rock, with many cats surrounding her. "Didn't I tell you not to climb the highstone?! What if you got hurt?" Rang the cream cat's voice through the camp. "Relax Berrywhisker, I'm fine. I won't get hurt." The other cat replied. "You are fine when I say you are fine. Now go back to your den and let Applepelt share the news." Berrywhisker's soft voice turned bitter. "Fine, you win this time Berrywhisker, but don't think that this means I won't continue my duties as clan leader." "Why yes Redstar, you can continue your duties, but don't do anything too harsh. We wouldn't want your kits to be injured. The more healthy kits in this clan, the better." Berrywhisker said. "Just remember that the kits could come any day now. You still have to pick a queen to take care of the kits, you can't stay in the nursery all day, you have duties to attend." "Yes, Berrywhisker..." Redstar sighed in response.

Redstar turned back to the cats below the rock and yoweled, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highrock for a clan meeting." Her voice was loud and clear, and as soon as the cats heard her, they started leaving their dens and gathering around the rock. "I have some great news for you all. I have talked with Fawnfoot, and we have agreed that Brightpaw is ready to be a warrior." Redstar walked down the highstone, and stopped in front of Brightpaw. "I, Redstar, leader of Sunclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn." Redstar looked down at the apprentice sitting in front of her. "Brightpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?" "I do," she purred looking up at Redstar with determination glowing in her bright blue eyes. "Then by the powers of Starclan I give you your warrior name. Brightpaw, from this moment you will be known as Brightdawn. Starclan honors you for your loyalty and strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior in Sunclan." Redstar rested her muzzle on Brightdawn, and Brightdawn licked her shoulder. The rest of the clan mates started calling Brightdawn's name and congratulating her.

Just as the cats started leaving, Redstar yowled in pain, and her mate, a tortoiseshell tom, rushed to her side and cried out "Berrywhisker! Help!!" Berrywhisker rushed out of her den and went over to Redstar. In a couple of heartbeats, she had started yowling out orders for every cat. "Badgerpelt and Bloodclaw carry Redstar to the nursery, Birdsong go to my den and grab the herbs Redstar needs, you should remember them from Lilyshade. Applepelt and Graystorm, get the kits and queens out of the nursery, and get everyone to calm down. That's it now move!". Cats were running all around camp, some trying to see what was happening, while others were following Berrywhisker's orders. "What can I do?" Redstar's mate mewed quickly at the medicine cat, when she was going to the nursery. "All you can do for now, is to pray to Starclan that Redstar and your kits will be healthy." The sharpness in Berrywhisker's voice caught him off guard.``Yes Berrywhisker.." he mewed quietly, with disappointment in his voice. Just as he was turning around to leave he heard the cream she-cats voice, "Raventail, I promise you, she will be okay. I won't let her lose any one of her nine lives." "Thank you Berrywhisker." He mewed gratefully, trotting away going back to the warrior den. Tonight everyone would get a good night's sleep, according to tradition Brightdawn would watch over the camp tonight.

The kits were born. Berrywhisker padded over to Redstar and asked "What will you name them?", "The white and brown one will be Leafkit, the cream colored kit will be Rockkit, the red pelted kit will be Swiftkit, and the black kit will be Shadowkit." Redstar mewed happily. "Is Swiftkit ok? His breathing seems very shallow, and he seems cold." Redstar mewed anxiously. "No!" Berrywhisker screeched, and took the kit from Redstar. "What happened?!" Redstar asked nervously. Instead of replying, Berrywhisker started licking the kits fur the wrong way to warm it up, and gave it to Redstar. "Do what I was doing." She mewed urgently to the red pelted she-cat, and then in a couple of heartbeats she was out of the nursery heading for her den. When Berrywhisker returned, she had some herbs with her. "Feed this to the kit." She said to Redstar, and with no questions Redstar gave the herbs to the kit. "I think Swiftkit will be okay, but I will stay here to watch over him." Berrywhisker said to Redstar. "Berrywhisker, what happened?" She questioned the medicine cat. "Swiftkit is weaker than kits usually are, there is a pretty big chance he will go to Starclan this Leafbare." Berrywhisker mewed in response, sadness in her voice. Grief struck Redstar as she looked down at Swiftkit, curled up at her paws. "But-but there must be something we can do!" Anger struck Redstars voice. "I'm sorry Redstar, all we can do, is hope that Swiftkit will grow stronger on this moon." Berrywhisker's reply hit Redstar hard, as her kit could die.