Prologue- As the Sun Rises

The cold was abating now, shifting to a tolerable and welcome warmth. The tom that paced the cave mouth knew it would not last, and soon the warmth would turn into the blazing heat that seared across the pale sand and beat mercilessly down upon the patrols and hunters. The pale tabby's rough, thick paw pads were calloused, and used to the desert heat. His mind was behind him, in the cool, sheltered tunnels where his mate was being attended to as she birthed their first litter of kits.

They had flirted ceaselessly as apprentices, and as warriors it was only a matter of time before Mousewhisper became a queen. His queen, Spineclaw thought with a proud purr. He loved her endlessly, and couldn't bear the thought of anything going wrong with her kitting. His nervousness is what caused the exasperated medicine cat to send the expectant father out of the nursery.

"Spineclaw," a voice mewed behind him. He turned to see Hollowpelt, a newly pregnant queen, approaching him. Her mate, the former deputy, had died just two days ago, the very day she moved into the nursery.

"What is it?" the tom answered, hurrying to her side. She seemed hesitant to tell him, and this made Spineclaw's somach knot.

"Mousewhisper is fine, and she had three kits..." the black and white queen paused. "Only one survived, however." Spineclaw was torn between grief and relief. His mate was barely past her apprenticeship, so her youth easily could be the cause for the loss of the other kits.

"Oh..."

"One was too small, he lasted only a minute, and the other was... well, he never took a breath. I'm so sorry..."

"There's nothing that could have been done," Spineclaw mewed sadly. "May I see Mousewhisper and our kit?"

"I don't know. I suppose now it's over..." She turned, flicking her tail for the tom to follow, and he fell into step with her. They moved silently through a maze of tunnels, knowing which lead to drop offs and dead ends, and which lead to camp. Patrols went through each pathway, to keep the scents fresh. In the White Desert, there were no friendships among opposing Clans. Each Clan fought for every scrap of food and warred for every tail length of barren sand. Battles frequently ended in death.

Early morning light entered in small gaps in the ceiling, and reflected off the beautiful crystals jutting from the walls and floor, casting a spectrum of colors and light around to guide their way. They reached, at last, their camp, where a patrol was assembling already near the fresh kill pile. Rockfang, the new deputy, bowed his head to the passing cats, but only Hollowpelt was attentive enough to return the greeting. The nursery was located at the back of the camp, in a ring of sharp crystals. There was a special way to slip inside to avoid being scratched and scraped, and it had taken Spineclaw a long time to figure it out. Now, he entered with ease, and immediately went to the side of the spotted queen and her single kit.

A young ginger tabby had a scrap of burlap he found in the sands, and onto it he gently was placing the two dead kits. One was spotted like his mother and surviving sibling, and the other was striped like his father. The other queens, and three older kits gently touched their noses to the tiny bodies.

"Mousewhisper," Spineclaw mewed, nuzzling his mate's soft fur and breathing in her warm, sweet scent.


"I'm so sorry," she meowed quietly, "Only one lived..."
"It's not your fault," he assured her, as he looked to the two kits. He crossed to them, gently pressing his nose to each, spending a moment touching each of his sons, before he returned to Mousewhisper's side. "We still have a kit. That's all that matters." Seeming a little assured, the queen turned and licked the little spotted kit at her side.

"I don't know what to name her, though. I want it to be something that stands out. Something proud and beautiful." Spineclaw leaned down and gently touched his nose to their daughter, and thought of the sun he saw rising.

"Horizonkit," he mewed.

"That's perfect," she replied, and licked his cheek affectionately.

"Alright, alright," the ginger tom interrupted gently. "You can see your kit in the afternoon. We've all had a tiring night, and they need their rest."

"Sunpelt-" the warrior began to argue.

"No, no. You can come with me to bury these two, while your mate and daughter get their sleep." Sunpelt insisted. He took a moment to look at the kit, then flicked his ear and picked up one corner of the burlap in his mouth, and dragged it carefully out of the nursery.

"He's always so short tempered," meowed a large golden queen nearby. "Just yesterday, when I had my kits, he was so fussy. Wouldn't let Whitebone anywhere near the nursery. I've done this three times, and he still won't relax."

"He's been overwhelmed ever since Swiftburn left us for StarClan," Hollowpelt
chimed in, as she settled down on the tightly packed sand. "What that tom needs is a good apprentice to help with the work."

"Maybe Horizonkit," Mousewhisper mused. Spineclaw looked at his mate sharply.

"Of course not. She'll be a warrior, like you and I. Strong, fierce. She'll send Red-RockClan and LightningClan warriors running at the mention of her name," the tom insisted. Mousewhisper and the other queens purred in amusement.

"Of course she will," Hollowpelt humored him, resting her head on her paws.

"Spineclaw!" Sunpelt meowed sharply from outside the den. "Come let them sleep."

"I'll see you soon," Spineclaw promised his mate, licking her between the ears. She nuzzled him, and then he left. Mousewhisper looked down at her daughter.

"Whatever path you walk, my Horizonkit, you'll walk it proudly," she mewed affectionately. "You're named for where the sun rises and sets. You'll shine."