Applepaw looked up. A gentle pale grey paw was hovering above her head. The she-cat blinked as she spotted Applepaw looking at her. She mewed quietly "Hello Applepaw. Are you any better? "

Applepaw nodded shakily and mewed "Paleleaf... why am I here?" Paleleaf shook her grey head, green eyes looking gently at Applepaw. She meowed "You fainted. " and returned to sorting herbs.

Applepaw blinked in shook and muttered "But... the cat... the message..." Paleleaf whirled around , regal emerald eyes wide. She hissed "What did you say?" Applepaw stuttered "Erm... a cat gave me a message."

Paleleaf tilted her head in shook and looked at Applepaw. Her usually gentle mew was deathly calm. She growled "What message? "

Applepaw backed away and mewed "Errm... find the Thunder. "

Paleleaf's gaze hardened and she muttered "By the spirits..."

Tilting her head, Applepaw mewed "What? What is it?" Her mew was frightened , hesitated.

Paleleaf murmered "Applepaw. Keep this quiet. Go back to the apprentices den- I need to speak to Ashstar."

Applepaw was left in bewilderment as Paleleaf bussuled out the den. She blinked in fear. What did her dream mean? What could 'Find the Thunder mean?'

She blinked in alarm as a tortoiseshell paw appeared on hers. A voice whispered in her ear, softly as a wind drifting through leaf-bare trees. "You are not alone. "

She leaped back, and fled the den. Jumping into the apprentices den, Applepaw shook. Why were mysterious cats following her? She wasn't special. She was a normal cat. Normal parents, normal clan , normal family. She'd never done anything remarkable in her life. Why was she getting messages?