Warriors: Fair Skies

Prologue

A chilly leaf-fall breeze swept over the tops of moonlit trees. carried the scent of frost and decaying leaves from the forest and the fields up into a cavern high on a steep cliff face. The half-moon illuminated the slate-colored stone and path that led up to the cave, like a gaping mouth breathing in the crisp air. It stood open wide and faced almost all of Clan territory. Inside, a shallow pool lay in the shape of a giant claw filled with still and transparent water that dripped from a crack high in the ceiling. Next to the pool sat the still silhouette of a cat gazing out over the treetops, his white fur standing out like the moon against the shadowy backdrop of the cavern. From this high up, Sedgepelt could almost imagine seeing MoorClan's camp, full of sleeping cats, well rested and well fed even this late in the season. The old white tom had been here more times in his life than he could count and would normally bring him a deep sense of peace. But as of lately, it seemed as though peace was moons and moons behind him.

His ears pricked as Sedgepelt heard the incoming paw steps of the rest of the medicine cats heading up along the path leading to the large cavern. He braced himself for the disapproving looks that he would inevitably receive throughout the night. At least I'll be asleep for most of this, he thought.

The first cat to enter was a white and tabby tom, followed by two she-cats. The smaller one looked over and flashed Sedgepelt a sympathetic look but stayed near her companion on the opposite side of the large pool.

"How long have you been here?" the other she-cat asked without looking over, her black and white fur standing slightly rigid on the back of her neck as she addressed him.

"Not long before you three arrived," he answered calmly. "I just wanted to take in the views from up here as much as I could. I think not even you could argue with that, Craneheart."

Craneheart just let out a grunt and turned to whisper to her former apprentice. As much as he hated to admit it to himself, Sedgepelt missed being able to relax around the other medicine cats, especially the other FenClan medicine cat Dovefeather. She had been an official medicine cat for some moons now, but she still had an apprentice-like eagerness to learn everything she could from the others. Now she only gave passing glances his way, her eyes glowing with empathy.

The TreeClan medicine cat, Whiterun, stood near the entrance of the cavern. Sedgepelt turned to look at him and noticed a burning and unmoving stare coming from the tom. Not in the mood to start a fight, Sedgepelt just turned around to look out the cavern once again. After what felt like an eternity, the last two cats filed into the cavern carrying the scent of frost and herbs in with them. This time it was the BushClan medicine cats, Splashfur and Cliffpaw.

Splashfur was the first to speak as they entered, "Sorry we're a little late. I wanted to show Cliffpaw some places to find horsetail on the way here." The small white she-cat spoke cheerfully about her apprentice, but Sedgepelt noticed that her gaze never met his. Her story was meant for the other medicine cats, not him. Like I care, he thought. Who really wants to hear you brag about your apprentice all night long?

As the other medicine cats sat sharing their stories about the past

half-moon, Sedgepelt settled down on the opposite side of the pool from the others. He slowly laid down near the water and touched his nose to the edge, eager to get the night over with. Almost at once, he found himself on the edge of a large moorland that stretched out in front of him as far as he could see, and a densely wooded forest behind him. He should normally be visiting StarClan with the other medicine cats, but ever since Stormstar's reign began, the others wouldn't give him so much as a nod of acknowledgment. Sedgepelt knew that they believed he could do something to stop his leader, but he felt in his heart that he was powerless to stop him. Every cat in the territories knew of and feared the dark grey tom, who stood over half a tail length above even the largest of warriors. As of recently, Stormstar had begun a campaign of bloodshed and violence against any clan that so much as raised a whisker to him.