Sage's Uncovering

Prologue

"Leafstar, there's trouble."

The SkyClan leader looked up to see Hawkwing burst into her den, amber eyes wide.

"Hawkwing!" Leafstar gasped. "What is it?"

"Rogues," he panted. "They're coming for the camp."

"But surely you could have fought them off with your patrol?"

"No, Leafstar," he meowed, shaking his head. Blood drops spattered on the ground. "I'm afraid we couldn't. We were badly outnumbered."

"I'm coming then." Leafstar jumped to her paws, walking steadily out of her den to confront their uninvited guests. Fidgetflake came up to join Hawkwing behind her.

As soon as they exited her den, all three cats were tackled. Leafstar spotted Hawkwing, his amber eyes bright with pain as a rogue she-cat sliced her claws down his flank.

She whirled around, flinging her back legs into a rogue tom's head, sending him to the ground. She raced over to Fidgetflake, who was pinned down by a bulky white she-cat. Her claws were at his throat when Leafstar hurled herself at the menacingly cruel rogue.

"Leafstar, look out!" Hawkwing yowled.

Leafstar spun around, but only too late. A tom ran at her. She assumed he was the leader of this group of rogues. At first sight, she noticed the blood-stained collar around his neck, which was decorated with dog teeth. Her eyes widened as he rammed her hard in the chest, sending her slamming against the ground, her back taking most of the impact.

She fought back still, just now remembering something she'd been told many moons ago. So these are the BloodClan rogues Firestar was telling me about.

She thrust her forepaws down onto the top of his head, rearing up on her hind legs as she did so. That blow sent the tom staggering. He glared dead at Leafstar.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

Leafstar was shocked that he was asking who she was, when his cats were invading her territory. "My name it Leafstar," she informed the tom, "leader of SkyClan. Now, who are you?"

"I am Adder, leader of BloodClan," he snarled.

Who made dirt in his fresh-kill? she wondered, scorning the tom and his cruel battle tactics.

Adder launched himself at Leafstar again. They wrestled and fought for what seemed like forever until she had him pinned. She knew it was wrong, but it at her be done. She squeezed her eyes shut for a split second, then opened them again.

Adder was staring up at her, his expression unreadable. She lifted her paw and struck down. But before her claws came in contact with his throat, he thrust his jaw up and gripped her neck between his teeth. She froze, attempting to let out a yowl of agony as Adder tore her throat free of its enclosure between her fur and skin.

Leafstar rolled off Adder and onto her side. He yowled for BloodClan to retreat, knowing they had done what they had come to do. Wreck havoc and kill SkyClan's leader. They had already attacked ThunderClan and RiverClan, succeeding in killing their leaders: Mistystar and Bramblestar. Adder had snapped Mistystar's neck, and slit Bramblestar open - from throat to tail base.

"Leafstar!" Fidgetflake rushed over his leader with cobwebs and marigold.

He began pressing cobwebs against her throat to stench the flow of the blood. Leafstar looked up at her medicine cat weakly, holding her to paw to his chest to keep him from helping her. Stop.

She tried speaking, but all that came out was a sickening gurgle of blood bubbling at her throat.

It's too late. StarClan is calling me.

"No.." Fidgetflake mewed, tears swelling in his eyes. "You can't leave."

He looked over his shoulder and yowled, "Falconberry! Get more cobwebs!"

Leafstar's head fell back. She stood up, looking around, she spotted her dead body lying on the ground. Fidgetflake, Hawkwing, Falconberry, and her beloved son, Harrybook, crouched around it.

"It's about time." Leafstar turned to face a cat so familiar that she suddenly felt like he had never been gone. His orange-and-white fur bounced as he bounded towards her.

"Billystorm!" She cried, running up to meet her mate.

"Mother?"

Her and Billystorm glanced back to see Firefern and Stormheart padding up to them.

"Oh, my precious kits," Leafstar mewed.

"Hawkwing!" she meowed. "With this life, I give you understanding. Use it wisely as you witness your Clanmates struggle with variety of troubles."

Leafsat pressed her muzzle against the gray tom's forehead, and he trembled with pain as the new life coursed through his veins. She pulled away from Hawkwing, ready to give the finishing words of his leadership ceremony.

"I hail you my your new name," she announced. "Hawkstar, your old life it no more. You have now received the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan grants you the guardianship of SkyClan. Defend it well, care for young and old, honor your ancestors and the traditions of the warrior code. Live each life with pride and dignity."

"Hawkstar! Hawkstar!"

The other eight cats in the clearing began chanting Hawkstar's new name, and soon Leafstar joined in. She recalled his previous eight lives he'd received as the ceremony ended.

Pebbleshine gave him a life of love.

Echosong gave him a life of justice.

Sharpclaw gave him a life of courage.

Rileypool gave Hawkstar a life of patience.

Cherrytail gave him a life of protection.

Violetshine gave him a life of forgiveness.

Skywatcher have him a life of trust.

And Finleap gave him a life of enduring energy.

"Hawkstar," Leafstar muttered to herself, "leader of SkyClan."

She paused for a moment. "Huh. I like the sound of that."