The Fading Sky

Prologue

Drizzlestorm waded through the misty undergrowth. He would be home soon. Then he could see young Starkit and his beloved Whifefeather. He wondered yet again if they would be disappointed in him, but Drizzlestorm shook off the thought. They were his kin. He shouldn't have a doubt.

A rustle ahead of Drizzlestorm caught his attention. The tangy scent of vole. Instinctively, he dropped into the hunter's crouch. The vole was so tempting. But no, he couldn't hunt it. The vole belonged to NightClan not TalonClan.

The rustling of the vole stopped. He could smell the vole, it was still ther, but he also smelled something else. A NightClan cat.

There was a hiss from behind him. Drizzlestorm whirled around to see Darkpaw. He recognized the brown tabby from Gatherings. He was an apprentice, almost old enough to be a warrior. But the hiss had came from another cat hidden behind Darkpaw.

Pinetail, the deputy of NightClan, slithered out from the bushes. She was Darkpaw's mentor. "Come to steal a few voles, Drizzlestorm?" growled Pinetail. Without waiting for a response, she lunged at Drizzlestorm. He tried to dodge but Drizzlestorm, weak with hunger, was no match for the powerful deputy.

Pinetail raked her claws across Drizzlestorm's belly. The tom screamed in agony. He tightened his grip on Pinetail's shoulders and flung her into a tree. She raced to recover, but Drizzlestorm pounced, with darting speed. Her vision was covered in his fur and Drizzlestorm felt a pang of satisfaction as he buried his claws down her spine.

Suddenly, he felt her jaw snap at the air. Drizzlestorm tumbled back to avoid her fangs. She was too quick. He felt her sharp teeth bite his throat.

Shrieking, Drizzlestorm fell to the ground with an achy thud. His body was covered with streaks of blood and tufts of missing patches of fur. The blood continues to come from his throat wound.

Drizzlestorm was dead.