Leaves rustled as a young white cat slid through a gap between two bushes her jaws wide open to drink in the scent of prey. On this warm night in late green leaf, the forest was full of the scuffles of tiny creatures. Movements twitched endlessly at the edge of her vision,but when she turned her head she could see nothing but thick clumps of fern and bramble, dapple with moonlight,
Sunddenly she stepped out into a wide clearing and gazed around in confusion. She could not remember being in this part of the forest before. Smooth-cropped grass, glowing silver in a cold wash of moonlight, stretched in front of him as a softly rounded rock where another cat was sitting. Starlight sparkled on his fur and his eyes were two small moons.
The young white she-cat's bewilderment increased as she recognized him
"Firestar?" she meowed, her voice shrill with disbelief
She has been a kit when the great leader of Thunderclan- noe Hawkclan has died, over than 4 moons ago, leaping to kill Blackstar and his blood thirsty rouges after him. Like all his clan she had grieved for him and honnored him for the way he had given up his life to save them. She had never thought to see him again, and she realized for the first time that she must be dreaming
"Come closer young apprentice" Firestar meowed "I have a message for you."
Shivering with awe the young white she-cat crept across the shinning stretch of grass until she crouched below the rock and could look up into Firestar's eyes
"I'm listening Firestar." she mewed
" A time of trouble is coming to the forest." he told her "A new prophecy must be fulfilled if the clans are to survive, you have been chosen to meet with three other cats at the new moon, and you must listen what wolf tells you"
"What do you mean the young cat felt a prickle of dread, cold as snowmelt crept down her spine. "What kind of trouble? And how could wolf tell us anything?"
"All will be made clear to you" Firestar replied
Hs voice faded, echoed strangely as if he was speaking from a cavern far beneath the earth. The moonlight also began to grow dim, leaving thick black shadows to creep out of the trees around them
"No wait, Dont go!" the white cat cried out. She led out a terrified yowl, thrashing her paws and tail as darkness rose up and engulfed her. Something poked her in her side and her eyes flew open to see Morningdew, the deputy, standing over hr with one paw raised to prod her again. She was scuffling among the moss in the clearing with golden sunlight leaking through thebranches above her head.
"Wildpaw, you crazy furball!" the deputy meowed, "Whats all this noise about?, You'lle scare off prey fron here to Fourtrees."
"Sorry" Wildpaw sat up and began picking scraps of moss from her light white fur. "I was just dreaming."
"Dreaming!" grunted a new voice
Wildpaw turned her head to see the black warrior Ragetail have himself out of a mossy nest nearby and gave a long stretch. "Honestly you are as bad as Lightstar." Ragetail went on "When he slept in the warriors den he was always muttering and twitching in his sleep. A cat couldn't get a good night sleep for all the prey in the forest"
Wildpaw twitched her ears to hear how disrespectfully the black warrior spoke about his clan leader. Then she reminded herself that this was Ragetail, Lightstars kin and former apprentice, well known for his barbed toungue and ready scorn. His impundent talk didn't stop him form being a loyal wariio to his clan.
Ragetail gave his long furred black coat a shake and slipped out of the apprentices den, flicking the end of his tail at Wildpaw in a freindly way to take the sting out his words as he went by
"Come on, you lot" meowed Morningdew. "Its time you were moving" she picked her way through the moss on the floor den when Runningpaw awaked "Hunitng patrols will be going out soon. Sparrowhisker is organizing them"
"Right" Wildpaw mewed. Her vision of Firestar was fading through his ominous message echoed in her ears. Could it be really be true there was a new prophecy from Starclan? It seemed fairly unlikely. For a start, Wildpaw could not imagine why he would choose to give it to her, of all cats of Hawkclan. Medicine Cats frequently recieved signs fomr Starclan, and Hawkclans leader, Lightstar, had offered an warrior ceromony but when he was an apprentice he was guided in his dreams. But they were not for ordinary warriors. But trying to blame her wild imagination on too much fresh-kill the night before, Wildpaw gave her shoulder a lick and followed Ragetail out through the trailing branches.
The sun was barely up above the hedge of throns that surrounded camp, but the day was already warm. Sunlight lay like honey on the bare earth in the center of the clearing. Eaglepaw the oldest apprentice lay stretched out beside the ferns that shelted the apprentices den sharong toungues with his denmates Frostpaw and Froznpaw.
Ragetail had gone over the nettle patch where the warriors ate and was already gulping down a starling. Wildpaw noticed that the fresh-kill pile was veyr low, as Morningdew said, the Clan neede hunt right away. She wasabout to go and join the black warrior when Eaglepaw sprang up and came bounding across the clearing towards her.
"It's todat!" he exclaimed excidetly
Wildpaw blinked "What is it?"
"Our warrior ceromony!" With this little mrrow of happiness the light brow tom hurled himself at Wildpaw the enexpected attack bowled her over and they wrestled together on the dusty ground just as they used to when they were kits together in the nursery.
Eaglpaws hind paws battered Wildpaw in the belly and she thanked Starclan that his paws was sheathed. There was no doubt that he would make a strong and dangerous warrior, one that every cat would respect.
"All right thats enough Eaglepaw" Wildpaw cuffed Eaglepaw gently over one ear and scrambeled up "If we are going to be warriors soon then you will have to stop acting like a kit"
"A kit?" Eaglepaw meowede indignantly. He sat infront of her his fur sticking up in clumps and covered with dust.
"Me!, Never! I and you have waited a long time for this Wildpaw."
"I know we deserve it"
Eaglepaw had ventured too close to the thunderpath while he was chasing a squirrel in newleaf. A two-leg monster had struck him a glancing blow, injering his shoulder. While he lay in Howlsong's for den for three long , uncomfortable moons, unde rthe gentle care of a medicine cat, his brother and sister, Stormheart and Silverfur, had become warriors. Eaglepaw has been determined to follow them as soon as Howlsong declared him fit enough to begin training again, Wildpaw had watched how hard he had worked with his mentor, Owltail until his shoulder was as good as new. He had never shown any bitterness at bieng forced to train for several moons longer than usual apprenticeship. He really deserved his warior ceremony.
"I've just taken fresh-kill to Aquadream." he meowed to Wildpaw, "Her kits a beautiful! Have you seen them in the nursery yet?
"No not yet" Wildpaw replied. Aquadreams second litter of kits has been only born only the day before.
"Go now" Eaglepaw urged her "You"vejust enough time before we hunt" he sparng up and danced a few steps and sideways as if all her energy had to go somewhere
"How about we sleep?" Wildpaw suggested
"Sure" Eaglepaw meowed and ran for the apprentices den
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