Rising Storm/Prologue

Chapter Summary
Third-person PoV
 * An groan filled with agony echoes through a clearing in a forest. Two cats were there, one of them writhing and the other sitting up. The latter had been a medicine cat for many moons, but is helpless since his medicines would not help his leader, who is suffering the illness that is killing cats throughout the Clan. The medicine cat is pained when he sees his leader convulse and lay still again. The medicine cat sniffs his leader nervously, and knows that he is still alive, but barely, with foul, shallow breathing. The tense silence is broken by the screech of an owl. The medicine cat is even more panicked; owls naturally bring death to the Clans by stealing prey and sometimes even kits. The medicine cat lifts his head to the sky and prays to the stars that the owl is not a bad omen.


 * He looks up but the stars are obscured by branches and leaves. He wonders gravely if their warrior ancestors had abandoned them. Up above, the wind stirs leaves and one beam of light from a star falls onto the medicine cat's frail leader, who takes in a long, steady breath. The medicine cat is relieved, because the stars may be on their side after all. Suddenly, the medicine cat hears voices inside his head, of greatness, wonderful battles, and a greater Clan rising from ashes of the old. After a few moments, a large gray wing covers the opening that brought the glorious star. The cat is panicked and throws himself against the ground as talons rake the den roof. Out of luck, the den is too dense for the owl to break through.


 * The owl then disappears into the night sky. A tom then calls through the den, asking if the medicine cat heard it. The healer steps outside, into the huddle of his brave Clanmates. A mottled warrior is anxious and well as an elder. Another warrior wonders if it took any kits. A silver queen replies that it didn't, but is still worried because she had already lost three of her beloved kits to the ravaging sickness. A tabby warrior enters the camp after burying the cats that were lost. He asks about their leader. The mottled warrior and the queen are frightened and are frantic for their medicine cat.

Major

 * ShadowClan medicine cat

References and Citations

 * The medicine cat is watching and knows the Clan needs to be calmed down, but how, he wonders. Another elder croaks that owls always bring death and ill omens. The mottled warrior and the queen disagree with the elder. The medicine cat admits to his Clan that StarClan spoke to him. The elder and the tabby warrior are the first to ask questions. The queen exclaims that their leader can't die. The medicine cat explains his sign. A high-pitched moan comes from one side of the camp, and a tortoiseshell queen runs towards it. A young warrior asks if it spoke of rain, and the medicine cat says that it was predicting a great new dawn. The silver queen wonders about survival, and the medicine cat promised that they'll rule the forest.