The endless howl of the wind echoed accross the moor. Whistlestar shivered in their cosy nest, flicking her ears as a gust of it blew into her den. Mistlebreeze awoke with a start from a terrible nightmare she'd had. She looked around the pitch black medicine den, then spotted the tiny white shape of her apprentice, Wolfpaw. Careful not to wake her up, Mistlebreeze stood up slowly and crept silently out of the den, into the freezing cold clearing. Sandgust blinked open one eye, awoken by the cold.
"Mousedung! When did it get so cold?!" he cursed under his breath before padding out of the warriors' den. He spotted Mistlebreeze and padded over to her.
"Oh, Hey Sandgust!" the tall silver she-cat mewed, turning to look at him with her eager but wise green gaze.
"Hi Mistlebreeze! awake because of the cold too, eh?"
"Well, actually...I had a nightmare," Mistlebreeze admitted, looking over at Whistlestar's den, "I was going to ask them if they were cold too or needed extra moss or-"
"It's hard being medicine cat, isn't it? You have so much responsibility...Helping ill clanmates, training an apprentice, AND taking care of yourself! It must be a real workout!"Sandgust interrupted her, then closed his mouth after realising he had cut her off, "Sorry..."
"It's fine, I was just rambling," Mistlebreeze purred, then started padding towards the leader's den.
"Hmm...We need to tell a medicine cat a prophecy..." Spiritstar, leader of the Night Runners, mewed.
"We could tell each medicine cat apprentice one...But, we can seem like Flutterclanners!" Wolfwail, the deputy, mewed eagerly.
"They'd know we're Night Runners instantly! No, we have to ask...Aha! I know who! Silentwillow!"
"That old bat? Nah, You should ask his brother Void," Wolfwail replied.
"No, Void is leader of the Void Souls"
"He'd fool them"
"Fine...Go get him" Spiritstar growled, watching the cats training below.
"No! You're too slow! Emberpaw put some force into those little legs of yours! SILVERPAW QUIT GROOMING YOURSELF IN THE MIDDLE OF A BATTLE!" Lostfur snarled at the two apprentices. Emberpaw did as he was told and ran straight for Silverpaw at full speed. The silver she-cat dodged his charge and slammed him into a nearby willow tree. Emberpaw snarled and struggled out of her grasp, and in a flash of orange, was on her back. He quickly pinned her before she could escape, and held her there.
"Much better..." Lostfur growled, padding up to them and pushing Emberpaw off, "Though next time, UNSHEATH YOUR CLAWS!" Silverpaw grinned,
"I tried, but he was too fast!"
"'But he was too fast!' YOU'RE BOTH ASPERCLAN CATS! YOU'RE SLOW AS SLUGS!"
"Humph!" Silverpaw glared at her 'mentor', before gazing at her clanmate, "Are you ok, Emberpaw?"
"I'm fine." Emberpaw snarled.
"You two better wake up. It's moonhigh."
Moonhigh, hmm...? Wolfwail better be back with Void. Spiritstar thought, standing up and turning around.
"Here he is!" Wolfwail yelped cheerily, running towards her leader with Void close behind. Void flicked his ears.
"Yup, Here I am. So...I heard you're making a prophecy you want to trick the medicine cat apprentices with?"
"Yea. Here it is!" Spiritstar purred, then whispered in his friend's ear. Void nodded,
"Ok, I'll get right to it!"
Sappaw yawned and rolled onto his back. Blackstream had given him a real workout that day, so now all he wanted to do was sleep. He closed his yellow eyes, and, within seconds, he was asleep.
"Hey there Sappaw," Sappaw opened his eyes and looked around. He was in a vast pine woods with tall slender trunks and fresh green needles. He looked down to see grass swaying in the wind, and to his left a silver, sparkling stream. Where am I...? He thought, then it twigged - He was dreaming.
"Who are you? Is this FlutterClan?" he mewed wearily, gazing up into the purple eyes that looked down at him.
"I am Voidwish, the first warrior to die..." the tall black tom cat mewed, his voice calm and welcoming, "Yes, this is FlutterClan, and I have something important to tell you..." Suddenly the calm blue sky went black, the wind not so calm, the stream beginning to flood. Sappaw gasped, his pupils going thin, as he watched the sudden change of atmosphere. He looked ahead, but the cat that had welcomed him - Voidwish - was nowhere in sight. Then he heard it. The wind. It seemed to screech in his ears, and no matter what he did he could still hear it.
The darkness will dig it's roots deep within, tearing the forest apart.
Then it went black.
Sappaw woke with a start, panting. Sunlight seeped through the ferns that concealed the entrance to the medicine den.
What was that? Was it a prophecy? Sappaw thought, terrified. He had only become medicine cat apprentice a few moons ago, when the clans had been created, and he was still inexperienced. Should I tell Blackstream? No..I can't. She'll be too tired. Sappaw sighed and sat in his nest for a few more heartbeats, thinking over the prophecy he had just received. Eventually, he stood up and padded out of the den to see Hollyshadow organising patrols.
"Hey Hollyshadow!" Sappaw mewed, padding over to her. "Can I take a cat herb collecting with me? Blackstream's still asleep and we're running low on Catmint, Feverfew AND Marigold,"
"Sure thing. HEY RAVENSNARL! STONEPAW! COME HERE!" the deputy meowed, raising her voice over the crowd. Soon enough, the warrior and his apprentice ran towards her.
"Yea?"
"What do you want, Hollyshadow?"
"Can you please go hunting for herbs with Sappaw?" Hollyshadow mewed, and, without waiting for an answer, turned around and continued sorting patrols. Ravensnarl nodded obediently, then turned to the others.
"Sappaw, Stonepaw, ya ready? Let's go."
Hopepaw woke up in a vast meadow. She shrieked eagerly, and ran accross it, the bright, soft grass stroking her fur, bright pink peony and strong-scented lavender swaying in the calm, comforting wind. Then Hopepaw stopped. In front of her was a pure black tom with glimmering purple eyes, just like her own.
"Hello there Hopepaw. Welcome to FlutterClan. I am Voidwish, the first warrior to join the ranks."
"Am I dead?" Hopepaw asked, sitting down.
"No, You are dreaming. And have something to tell you. Promise not to tell anyone?" he replied, gazing at her. Hopepaw nodded, then gasped as the beautiful flowers withered, the fluorescent light faltered and the wind began roaring. It roared and howled in her ears, and Hopepaw clenched her eyes shut. She flattened her ears, but to no avail. She cried for help, but nobody came. She looked up, but Voidwish was gone. She was left, all alone, in the darkness. Then she heard it.
The darkness will poison the clans and flood the stream, tearing the forest apart.