Chapter 1 already

Uh, sorry for the long wait. I went to my grandma's house and she doesn't have a computer, and I have a dance camp this week from 1:00 to 6:00…or maybe 12:00 to 5:00. The website says 12:00 to 5:00, but the teacher says 1:00 to 6:00. Ergh! I have no idea. P Here's chapter 1.

CHAPTER 1

"What in the name of StarClan are you doing, Lightpaw?"

Lightpaw glanced up, staring at her identical sister. "Oh, Thrushpaw. I was just practicing a hunter's stalk."

Thrushpaw twitched her whiskers. "It was? It looked like you were making your dirt in a different style."

It had been about a half-moon since the four siblings had been apprenticed. Thrushpaw remembered the day when she found out that Whitewing was mentoring her. She sighed.

"Hey!" Lightpaw cuffed Thrushpaw on the ear with a sheathed paw. "So, how is training coming along?"

"Fine," Thrushpaw muttered. Whitewing was a lousy hunter. She missed a squirrel by a fox-length and didn't even give it a chase! That mousebrain…

Lightpaw smiled. "Mine is well. Thornclaw is really patient with me, but sometimes I get ahead of myself, he says."

Pleased yet jealous that her sister was doing so well, Thrushpaw watched Rosekit and Toadkit tumble out of the nursery. They were so carefree and relaxed. All they had to worry about was who played Firestar and who played Tigerstar in the Leader Fight game. Thrushpaw remembered that game as well as any of her siblings did. She was always chosen as Firestar, and Nightpaw was usually Tigerstar.

"They should become apprentices soon," Lightpaw remarked, breaking Thrushpaw from her memories.

"Uh…" Thrushpaw glanced over at them. They looked about four moons. "Not really. Probably about two more moons."

"Hey, Nightpaw."

Thrushpaw glanced up when Lightpaw greeted their sister. The black she-cat was padding over to them, her green eyes glowing eerily. "What's up?" Lightpaw asked.

Nightpaw shrugged. "What's up with you?"

"Not much. We're just talking about Toadkit and Rosekit, and when they become apprentices."

Nightpaw sat down and began grooming her paw. "Have you guys eaten?"

Thrushpaw and Lightpaw nodded. "I'm about to go to sleep," Thrushpaw meowed. Lightpaw nodded again. "Me too."

"Ashenpaw's already asleep," Nightpaw told them. "I think he's angry that he's the only tom apprentice."

Thrushpaw twitched her whiskers as she thought of the black tom stomping around the den, his amber eyes glowing angrily, his claws tearing into the moss in rage. Like a badger. She stifled a giggle. Ashenpaw was such a mousebrain.

--

"Hello?" Thrushpaw crouched down, her tail wrapped around her paws. "Is anyone there?" A sweet scent floated into her nostrils, and gentle pawsteps followed the scent.

"Greetings, Thrushpaw." The voice finally came. Thrushpaw gazed around wildly, trying to find the voice.

"Thrushpaw."

There it was!

A dappled pelt slipped by between the cracks of the undergrowth and a slender tortoiseshell she-cat padded into the clearing.

"Hello," Thrushpaw meowed slowly.

"Thrushpaw," the she-cat repeated. "I am Spottedleaf, ThunderClan's medicine cat before Leafpool, Cinderpelt, and Yellowfang."

"Cinderpelt?" Thrushpaw echoed. "That's…Cinderpelt is a warrior. You know that, right?"

Spottedleaf sighed and nodded. "That's another story I'm not willing to get into. I need to tell you something, Thrushpaw, and I need you to consider it."

Thrushpaw shivered. "Okay, what is it?"

"There will be the young and helpless, to be saved by the nine from the darkness, the storm, the breeze, and the water…and will arise to great things…"

"Wha…what?" Thrushpaw quavered. "What's that mean? What does it have to do with m-me?"

Spottedleaf was already fading. "Like I said, consider it. Meet at the island on the next new moon, and follow the river…" She completely disappeared.

"Wait! Spottedleaf!" Thrushpaw yowled. She waved her paw in the spot where Spottedleaf once was, making sure she wasn't there. "Now what am I supposed to-"

A hole opened up beneath Thrushpaw, and she slid into a random river right underneath her. Splashing and gurgling, Thrushpaw paddled to the surface, barely keeping her head above the waves. She managed to claw herself onto a small rock that could only fit about half of her body. Something was sucking at her tail and hind paws. She yowled and sank down into the murky water.

"Thrushpaw?"

"What?" Thrushpaw jumped to her paws and glanced around to see Whitewing. "Oh. What?"

"Training. Did you forget?"

"Of course not, Whitewing," Thrushpaw muttered flatly as she followed her mentor out of the apprentices' den.

Whitewing tossed a shrew to Thrushpaw, who caught it in her mouth and began to gnaw on it. "Hurry," Whitewing called.

"Hey, Thrushpaw." Ashenpaw was slumping into the clearing, his amber eyes dull. He sat down next to his sister. "I'm so sleepy. I had the strangest dream last night. It was so weird!"

Thrushpaw's heart jolted. "I did too. What was yours about?" Thrushpaw leaned in as she chewed her shrew thoughtfully.

"Well," Ashenpaw began, shuffling his paws, "it all started with this cat named…Yellowfang. She appeared to me and told me this weird…prophecy, I guess. And she told me to meet at the island at the next new moon. Then she faded and I was suddenly in a river, almost drowning. I mean, I could taste the mud and sand in it, and it was a dream! Weird, right?"

"Oh my StarClan," Thrushpaw murmured. "I had the exact same dream, except with a cat named Spottedleaf."

"Thrushpaw." Ashenpaw's voice lowered even more, and Thrushpaw had to lean in closer to hear him. "Should we go? I mean, are we the only ones out of ThunderClan that are to go?"

"I don't know," Thrushpaw admitted as she buried the shrew bones. "We only have four sunrises until the next new moon."

"Thrushpaw, Ashenpaw, let's go!" Brackenfur called. He was beside his niece, Whitewing (Brightheart is Brackenfur's sister, I believe), and standing at the camp entrance.

"I hope I can stay awake to train," Ashenpaw mumbled as he trudged through the forest. Thrushpaw murmured in agreement and glanced up through the trees. She counted two clouds in the new-leaf sky, promising rain later on in the moon. Thrushpaw sighed and her eyes trailed to her paws. She was so tired…

--

"Has everyone completed their missions?" Crookedstar asked the crowd of medicine cats-Spottedleaf, Cinderpelt, Yellowfang, Mudfur, Brambleberry, Runningnose, Pebbleheart, Thrushpelt, and Mothflight.

"Nightstar," Yellowfang called, "tonight I am to visit Stonepaw, since I took care of Ashenpaw last night."

"Right." Nightstar nodded. "What about every other cat?"

'I did's and 'Yes's echoed the cloudy clearing.

"All right, then," Tallstar meowed. "We now kick into action."

Long chapter, yes. Sorry about that.

xx-Starfall-xx