It was a moonless night, the kind of night that brought shivers to even the most fearless warrior's spine, the night when the moon was not present amidst the countless gleaming stars. The shadows were thrown long by the weak starshine, and they appeared menacing, holding secrets, whispering with voices of their own.The river was peaceful and still, a sliver of silver against the dark gorge. Its stony cliffs loomed over the sun-baked earth, tall and protecting...yet enclosing and trapping at once. That was the way many cats felt on this moonless night—the cats who dwelled in the gorge who lived by a code of honour, in the ways of the Clan. They were enclosed and trapped. They knew a storm was coming.Seated upon the Skyrock, a lithe tom looked over his home, sharp eyes bright with alertness. He flicked the tip of his tail uneasily as a biting wind ruffled his fur the wrong way, but he didn't attempt to shake it out. He didn't think he could sleep if he tried to. It wasn't cold that chilled him; it was fear.Stay calm, he instructed himself firmly. Stay calm. It won't do you any good to be scared. So what's the point?He continued to furtively examine the shadows. He wished that he wasn't alone. He glanced up at the sky to the glittering stars, as though offering a tribute to his warrior ancestors that prowled the night high above his head. "Please, StarClan," he breathed, his whiskers trembling. "If you can hear me..."Before he could say another word, the shadows moved—fear jumped into his throat, freezing his voice, and the tom was on his paws in a heartbeat."H-hello?" he yowled into the gorge. His fear increased when he received no response.Many heartbeats passed by, unheard, in the sudden silence. They pulsed in the tom's ears. His paws trembled on the Skyrock. Oh, StarClan, why tonight, why this night? The thoughts thrummed as loud as his heart in his mind. The tom lashed his tail, too restless to sit still. Again he checked the dens—the nursery, the elders' hollow, the warriors' den, the dark mouth atop the craggy ledge where his Clan leader slept...Am I just jumping at my own imagination? the tom wondered briefly. He slowly, gingerly, sat back down atop the Skyrock, trying to control the frenzied beating of his heart. Look, it's almost moonhigh...then I can go to my den...get the next sentry...just...try to forget this night.Yet he'd happily serve another sentry duty if it meant he wouldn't do it on his own. I know something bad's going to happen, he groaned inside, but he didn't speak these words aloud. He knew the shadows were unsafe. They were eerie and gave him the shivers, and that always wasn't a good sign. I just know it...don't hurt us, please don't hurt us...