Clouds, heavy with rain, covered the sky that night, and the unnerving noise of various workfolk monsters rumbled and screeched in the distance, as ominous as ever. All the same, the young housecat was determined to make her way back home, and strode through the trees with feigned confidence.
Suddenly, she picked up the scent of a cat heading her way, and dove into a patch of bracken, shielding herself with the brittle fronds. But as the cat grew closer, she relaxed, recognizing the lithe and slender body coming toward her.
"Leafpaw!" She called. The other cat turned and spotted her, blinking in surprise.
"Cody? What are you doing out here?"
"There's something I need to tell you." Cody scraped at the ground with her paw, not sure how to break the news to her new friend.
Leafpaw stared at her. "What?"
"I'm leaving," Cody mewed simply, deciding to attempt to be blunt. "I'm going home."
Leafpaw looked as if she were about to protest, but then seemed to swallow it back, and stepped forward to touch her nose to Cody's ear-tip.
"This is no life for me, all this death and blood and uncertainty," Cody went on. "I am happy with my housefolk, and they'll be missing me. I never meant to stay this long, but Birchkit needed me and I began to—"
"You began to enjoy the freedom," Leafpaw interrupted, suddenly looking determined.
She wants me to stay… "I guess I did," Cody admitted. "But today I saw just how fragile your freedom is. You have to fight for everything—for your food, even somewhere to shelter." She shook her head apologetically. "I like to know where I will be sleeping every night, and that there will always be food when my belly grows empty. And I like my housefolk. Not all Twolegs are as bad as the ones destroying your home." However, even as she spoke, Cody felt a pang in her heart, as if it were tearing herself in two. Part of her desperately wanted to stay here, but who would she be to burden the Clan cats with another mouth to feed? And how would her housefolk manage without her? In a strange way, she knew they loved her, almost as if she were their own kit. It would break their hearts if she left.
"Would you like me to show you the way through the forest?" Leafpaw offered. "Firestar promised you an escort."
Cody shook her head, pushing back the urge to accept her offer. If she spent any more time with these cats, the urge to stay would overwhelm her. "The woods seem quiet enough," she mewed. "There won't be any monsters about at night. Anyway, you'll need to rest for your journey." She glanced back toward Sunningrocks. "Thank Firestar for me."
Leafpaw pressed her nose sadly against Cody's cheek, who closed her eyes and sighed. Then she straightened up. "I've said good-bye to Birchkit. Ferncloud is eating properly again, and he'll be fine with her now." She tried not to think of how heartbroken Birchkit had been when she'd announced her departure. "But who will I play with when you're gone?", he'd wailed. Cody had assured him that he'd find plenty of other cats to play with in her absence, but was unable to believe herself. In times like this, no cat would be able to spare time to play with a kit.
"Thanks for taking care of me when we were in the Twoleg nest," Leafpaw whispered. "I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you, too. And I'll keep an eye out for Graystripe," Cody promised, remembering the Clan cat that the workfolk had taken. "If I see him, I'll tell him where you've gone and that his Clan is waiting for him."
She leaned forward and drew her tongue over Leafpaw's ear tenderly "Bye, Leafpaw," She murmured. "Good luck."
"Good-bye, Cody."
Cody dipped her head quickly to her friend, and with that, turned and bounded away towards the town, her heart aching. By the time she dared to look back, Leafpaw was gone, and Cody continued on her way home.
Many moons later
"There will be three, kin of your kin, who hold the power of the stars in their paws."
"I don't understand!" Firestar shouted back at the old gray cat, his mind spinning. "I've found two of the cats, but there is no third! There can't be!" He began to pace, stress clouding his mind. "Lionblaze and Jayfeather both possess extraordinary abilities, but I've been observing Hollyleaf for moons and she doesn't seem to hold any power!" His pacing quickened. "And it's not Leafpool, Squirrelflight or Cloudtail…I have no other kin in the Clan!"
"You of all cats should know, Firestar," The old cat replied stiffly. "That it is not just Clanborn cats who can possess a great destiny."
Firestar stopped pacing and stared at him. "What are you saying?" He asked. "that I should look outside my Clan? That's ridiculous! The only kin I have outside the Clan live all the way back near the old forest. You can't possibly be telling me that one of the cats who may save the Clans lives so far from us!"
The old cat said nothing, and simply blinked slowly with pale blue eyes. Then he seemed to fade away into a wisp of air, leaving Firestar alone in his bewilderment.
The red cat woke with a start, frustration swamping him. If the third cat of the prophecy really did live all the way back in the old forest, what was he supposed to do? Send a patrol on a long journey to question every cat they found there? It would take moons, and Firestar wasn't sure the Clans had that much time.
The sound of a cat desperately climbing up to the den caught Firestar's attention, and he looked up to see Leafpool burst into the den, her eyes wide.
"Firestar!" She gasped.
The leader scrambled to his paws and hurried up to her. "Have you had a vision?"
"I dreamt last night. I saw Cody." The pale tabby informed him.
Firestar blinked in surprise. "The kittypet who helped us when the Twolegs were tearing down the forest?"
Leafpool nodded and fixed him with an intense amber gaze. "I think she's the cat you've been looking for. The third cat in the prophecy."
