Chapter three:

Chapter three:

Flowerpaw wandered up the old thunderpath and stopped at the steps of the abandoned twoleg nest. It was cold all of the sudden, and her whiskers felt frozen. She looked up at the nest, wondering what was inside. She saw that the doorway was clear and she could easily climb inside. She followed her instincts, which told her to go inside. As she climbed the steps, she felt her whiskers thaw and she suddenly felt warm all over. It was like she was back in the nursery, next to her mother and her brothers and sisters, only she wasn't and that confused her. She kept walking until she was inside the nest. She saw that all the weeds and plants that had sprouted up out of the ground were gone and there was a fire burning in the wall. The fire didn't spread throughout the nest, but it did crackle and make the nest warm. She turned and saw a twoleg sitting on what looked like a tree stump, but it was shaped weird and it looked soft. In the twoleg's lap was a handsome black tom, dozing while the twoleg rubbed its back and tail.

"A kittypet?" Said Flowerpaw, turning her head. The cat's ears pricked up and turned its head toward Flowerpaw

"Flowerpaw. I've been waiting." Said the tom, which rose from his position to jump off the twoleg's lap. The twoleg took little notice and kept on sitting on the stool.

"How do you know my name?" She asked, taking a step back.

"I am Nightstar. I was the leader of Shadowclan when Firestar was only a warrior. The whole of Starclan has been watching over you." Flowerpaw was confused.

"Nightstar?" She repeated, wary of his being from Shadowclan. She wasn't sure if she could trust him, even though he belonged to Starclan.

"Yes. I am Nightstar. Starclan has chosen you."

"Why me? What have they planned for me? How-"

"Shhh." He silenced her and put his tail over her muzzle. "You'll find out soon enough." The tom faded and so did the area around her. It all turned dark.

Flowerpaw opened her eyes to see the lake in front of her. She was under the Ancient Oak again, and the rain had stopped falling. The ground was wet with dew and she licked some of it off of a chunk of moss attached to a root. It was warm, like it had been before she had fallen asleep-if, in fact, she had fallen asleep. She remembered her dream. She was in the twoleg nest. It felt like a home to her, even though it was a twoleg nest. That black tom-Nightstar- he was telling her that she was chosen. Starclan had chosen her. She didn't have the slightest idea what for. The tom had told her that she would find out what Starclan had planned soon enough. When was that?

Scrambling out of the hole under the tree, she looked around. Everything was familiar again. She could smell the boundary line with Shadowclan nearby-they must've gotten up early to re-mark their territory so that Thunderclan wouldn't try to steal their territory. As if they would, Flowerpaw thought.

Flowerpaw stretched and padded toward the lake. She was thirsty and tired, even though she had gotten a good sleep that night. After lapping up some water, she turned and headed back to camp.

"There you are!" Cried Tallear, alerting the warriors that were on the patrol with him. She had just reached the Old Thunderpath when the cats had emerged from the bushes alongside the path. "We've been looking for you! You've been gone for a day!" He started to scold her, but she just brushed past him. She didn't care what he said. She just needed to know what her dream meant. She wanted to know.

Flowerpaw jogged up the path until she was under the shadow of the Abandoned Twoleg Nest. She looked up at the nest that loomed so high. It made her feel small, but not as small as she felt when she looked up at Silverpelt on a clear night.

"Stop!" Cried her father, who bounded up next to her and grabbed her by the scruff. "You know the rules! There have been twolegs near here! You mustn't go near here!" He dragged her back, her paws scrabbling on air as she tried to run back to the nest. She'd have to wait for Starclan's message to unfold.

When They got back to the camp, the fresh-kill pile was growing. Cats were entering the camp with their mouths stuffed full with mice and voles and plump birds that were making her mouth water. After her little ordeal last night, her stomach growled at her as if to say, 'feed me'.

The patrol led her down the slope into the camp and every cat in the clearing turned to face the group.

Firestar slid out of his den.

"Flowerpaw, why don't you come inside my den and talk to me for a bit?" He asked, motioning with his tail that he needed her to come.

"First can I get a piece of fresh-" Firestar was already inside his den, the lichen swaying from the disturbance of his muscular body. Flowerpaw sighed and followed him in, her tail drooping low when it usually was held high.

"Yes, Firestar?" She asked, her eyes adgusting to the dim light.

"I want you to tell me where you were last night and why you were there. You broke the rules." Flowerpaw dipped her head.

"I am very sorry Firestar. I was following Mudclaw. I got lost when it started to rain and it got dark. I found my way to the Ancient Oak by the lake, so I decided to stay there until it stopped raining. Instead, I fell asleep." Firestar nodded.

"Go on…" He urged.

"Well, I had a dream and then when I woke up I-"

"A dream? What was it about? Do you remember?"

"Uh, yes, I think so. I was walking up towards the Abandoned Twoleg Nest. I saw that the door was open and I went inside."

"You went inside the nest? Really?" Firestar seemed amazed, like he had never heard of a Clan-born cat going inside a twoleg nest. Like he hadn't heard of his kin, Cloudtail.

"Yes. Then, I looked around. It was warm and comfotable inside. It felt like the nursery, being with my mother. I saw a fire in the wall of the nest, but I wasn't scared of the fire. It wasn't spreading and it looked safe. I turned around and saw a twoleg sitting on something that looked a little like a tree stump. On the twoleg's lap was a kittypet."

"You aren't going to become a kittypet, are you?" He interrogated, his head tipping and his eyes glaring into hers.

"No, of course not! It was just a dream! Anyway, I said, 'a kittypet?' and the cat got up and came to me. He said that his name was Nightstar."

"You had a dream from Starclan! Nightstar was the leader of Shadowclan when I was only a-"

"A warrior, I know." She cut him off, eager to keep telling about her dream. "So he told me that Starclan had chosen me and that I would figure out what I would have to do soon enough. Then everything faded and went black." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Firestar nodded and motioned with his tail.

"Why don't you go to Leafpool. She might be able to tell you what it means." He said. He was right. Leafpool had a close connection with Starclan, but not just because she was a medicine cat. She had found the Moonpool and Starclan had shown her where her sister, Squirrelflight, was when she went on the journey to the Sun-Drown place.

So that's what she did. She trotted right up to Leafpool's den and peeked inside. "Leafpool?" She asked. "Are you here?" Then she heard a terrifying screech.

"Hide! Run! Get away from here! Hide the kits!" It was Crowfeather

from Windclan. 'what is he doing here?' Flowerpaw asked herseld. 'He's from Windclan.' Leafpool was behind him, her flank bleeding.

"Where's Jaypaw?" She rasped. Then she dropped to the ground.