Warriors: Bitter Water / Book 1

~ Prologue ~

 Kestrel opened her eyes, she wasn't in the horseplace anymore, the only thing she could see was a thick, pale-gray fog surrounding her. There was a faint scent of prey in the air as well as the scent of cats -- not ordinary cats, forest cats -- but she couldn't see none, suddenly, she saw a figure of a ginger tom with green eyes and a fire-colored pelt staring at her, there was a gleam of hesitation in his eyes that she couldn't explain "Hello..?" she said, then, some heartbeats later she slowly approached the ginger cat, to her surprise, the ginger tom flicked his tail and answered "Greetings," his voice was polite, but there was a hint of anxiety, Kestrel stared blankly at the ginger tom, am I dreaming? she tough but before she could take the next breath the tom spoke again "There will be a cat, not only one, who will save the cats who live by the lake from the danger that swims faster than fish" Kestrel shivered, why is he saying me that? WHY IS HE SAYING ME THAT?  It sounded important, it felt important. She now realized that she was still staring at the tom and that maybe she could really ask him those questions, she was thinking what she could ask the tom but he was starting to fade into the gray fog, she stared at the cat wide-eyed and spilled out the question she was going to ask "Who are you?" she spat -- maybe it would help to know his name, maybe someone knew him, maybe someone had the same dream -- "Firestar" the tom answered, she saw a faint flash of amusement in his eyes, but Kestrel was more intrigued with his answer, Fire-star? What an odd name... but before Kestrel could ask him another question he vanished into thin air and she woke up.

 Pride and Bullfrog were sleeping peacefully in the amount of fern, what a weird dream... as Kestrel leaved the horseplace to take a walk, she stopped as she spotted the lake, she wondered what Firestar meant when he said 'the cats who live by the lake', like, did he meant she, Pride and Bullfrog? Or did he meant the forest cats? Or both?

 Kestrel was going back to the horseplace when she spotted a bunch of the forest cats crossing the dead tree that led to the island, "Why does every moon they go to that island?" She asked herself out loud, Kestrel always asked that, she was curious of what the forest cats did there, probably because there's more prey, sometimes she would catch a mouse or two but she had already seen they hunting rabbits and even birds. Another thing she found interesting in the forest cats was that they fought, like, not playing fight, they actually fought to death and she had already seen so many bad injuries in those cats that she was starting to think they had some kind of Nofur who treated their wounds. Suddenly, with a shiver, she remembered Firestar's figure, he was strong, had scars and an odd name! does that means he was a forest cat? Kestrel paused for a heartbeat. Of course! How hadn't I realized that earlier? Strong, has scars, odd name... She had just spoke to a forest cat! And he said to her something that sounded -- felt -- important. But now what? He gave you wise words, She stopped, Wait she thought, the way he told it... it had a name... she remembered Pride talking to her about it...

She thought for a moment while she trotted back to the horseplace, suddenly she remembered the word she had been searching for "It was a prophecy" she whispered "IT WAS A PROPHECY!" she yowled, but then shut her mouth as Bullfrog opened his eyes and stared her with a stern look "Sorry" she whispered and curled up in the fern nest.

 I won't fail Firestar, you can trust me.