Gamer4 in. If I get this chapter out around the time I start writing it, then this will be a short break. Let's continue.

Disclaimer: Ugh...

Chapter III

The Beginning

Redpaw woke up the next morning and took a quick look around the den. It took him a brief moment to remember what had happened the previous night. For a moment, he thought it all might have been a dream. However, looking over at Longpaw was enough to disprove this: she still bore marks from the previous night's fight. Remembering his own part in the battle, he mentally called himself a mouse-brain for not remembering one of his main questions to Mudfur: if he could tell him what the music after his defeat of the dark forest warrior had been about. "Take a melody..." What did that mean?

Stepping out of the camp, he received more evidence that the fight had really happened: the camp was ravaged by attack. It must be pretty early: there were only a couple other cats out of their dens. He shook his head, trying to clear it. Him, destined to save all of the clans? He couldn't grasp that. He didn't even know how to begin on the task Mudfur had set him. He headed towards the camp entrance, hoping that a little early hunting might help him focus a bit.

He stepped out of camp, trying to avoid the guard, and went out, heading towards the river.

Clearly, he had to decide where to start first. He had to find a way to leave camp without arousing suspicion. If this 'Giegue' was watching the clans, he'd probably be watching for any cats leaving the territory. If he knew what the ultimate goal was, maybe it would help a bit.

Then again, maybe he didn't have to decide that on his own. Mudfur had said there would be three others joining in the journey. Maybe together they would find out what they were supposed to do. So, that would make his first goal finding the others.

The obvious first one to find would be the Windclan she-cat. Not only was she another clan member, thus more likely to help out, but Windclan was also closer than either of the Twolegplaces. Even so, he couldn't just rush over to Windclan territory. Mudfur had told him to be careful, to play it safe. A Riverclan apprentice randomly rushing over to Windclan territory might attract unwanted attention.

"Something wrong, Redpaw?" a voice said behind him. He spun around to find Longpaw.

"No, everything's fine," Redpaw said, trying to think of a time things had been less fine.

"I saw you leaving camp, and I thought you might want company," she said, coming closer. "You know, after last night."

Redpaw couldn't find it in him to push her away: the two of them had been friends since they were kits, and company was very welcome right now. "Yeah, I'd like that," he said. "I was just going to the river to catch some fish."

"I'll come with you," Longpaw replied, not unkindly.

As they travelled through the forest, Redpaw found himself comforted by the familiar sights and sounds, as well as Longpaw's company. He found himself wondering whether or not to tell her about what he'd learned the previous night.

Surprisingly, Longpaw was the first one to bring the night up. "Who do you think attacked us last night?"

"Huh?" Redpaw asked, turning to her. "Oh, I couldn't tell. I couldn't recognize their scent."

"Yeah, neither did I," Longpaw admitted. "I guess it might have been one of the other clans, but somehow, I doubt it."

"What makes you say that?" Redpaw asked, more out of looking for more to talk about than really doubting her.

"Well, none of the other clans threatened everything at the last gathering. We're not a bunch of rogues, we usually offer some amount of warning."

"Yeah, but it has happened before," Redpaw pointed out.

"Do you really think that it was one of the other clans?" Longpaw asked.

"No," Redpaw confessed. He saw a chance to tell Longpaw about Mudfur's message. It would be a relief to have another clan member in on it, aside from whatever Windclan apprentice was supposed to be going with him. "I think I know who it was, though."

"Really?" Longpaw asked, turning towards him. "Who?"

Redpaw took in some breath. She was his friend, he should be honest with her. "A warrior of Starclan came to me in a dream last night."

"Really?" Longpaw asked. Redpaw couldn't tell if she believed him or not. "What did he say?"

"He said that there's a group of rogues coming to the clans. They're uniting with some sort of evil Starclan, and they're all going to try and take us all down."

"Really?" Longpaw asked again. Redpaw wasn't sure, but he thought he detected some skepticism in her voice. "Are you sure that you weren't dreaming?"

"I wasn't dreaming," Redpaw said. "He said that Starclan's known about it for a while, and that they can only be held off by three toms and a she-cat uniting."

"Why would Starclan tell you, instead of Mistystar or Mothwing?"

"Because," Redpaw started, trying to think of a way to say this without sounding like an arrogant mouse-brain, "he said that I'm one of those cats."

"What makes you stand out from all the others?" Longpaw asked, the skepticism a little more prominent now.

"He said that I had some sort of special power, he called it Psi. Apparently, it's some sort of power that only a few cats have. The leader of the rogues has it too."

"And who are the others?"

Redpaw braced himself a bit. "The she-cat is from Windclan, and the toms are a kittypet and a Bloodclan warrior."

The skepticism was out in the open this time. "So, just to be clear, a warrior of Starclan came down to tell you that rogues with special powers were coming with an evil Starclan, and they could only be stopped by two clan apprentices with that power uniting with a kittypet and a Bloodclan warrior?"

"Yeah, that's about it," Redpaw said, hoping that he didn't sound as mouse-brained as he felt.

"Do you have any idea how stupid that sounds?" Longpaw asked, looking at him strangely.

"Unfortunately, yes."

"How can you be sure that it wasn't a dream? Forget that! How can you believe that was real?"

"I just know," Redpaw said, trying not to sound frustrated. "Starclan wouldn't tell me that for nothing!"

"But that's another thing!" Longpaw said, raising her voice a bit. "Even if something that ridiculous happened, don't you think Starclan would have told the leader? Or the medicine cat? Or even one of the senior warriors?"

"They don't have Psi!"

"Yeah, and that Psi stuff," Longpaw continued, a bit of anger entering her voice now. "How can you believe that some cats would have power like that?"

"Because I used it!" Redpaw said, remembering the fight with the cat last night. "That cat that jumped me during the battle last night tried to fake me out. Normally, he would have, but I could read what he was going to do, before he did it!"

"I agree that that says a lot for you being a good warrior, but any good warrior, or even apprentice could do that!"

"This was different!" Redpaw insisted. "I actually saw him performing his attacks before he did them! I was looking at his thoughts! I think it's crazy too, don't think I don't, but I know what Starclan told me to do, and I have to do it!"

Longpaw suddenly seemed cold. "Okay then," she said, walking backward. "If you have to do this so much, then maybe you should just get back on with it then."

"Maybe I should," Redpaw said, though he privately knew he couldn't: he still had to take his time, and try to sneak out.

"Then why don't you?" Longpaw asked. "I'm going back to camp!" With that, she turned and bounded through the trees back towards camp.

Redpaw turned back towards the river and continued that way. If he was honest with himself, he wished that Longpaw could have stayed, and had believed him, but he knew what had happened last night.

Frustrated, he continued his search for prey. His eyes alighted on a bird perched in a tree. It was hopping and chirping from branch to branch. It was unusual for Riverclan cats, and he definitely had no taste for birds, but every bit of fresh-kill counted, even in greenleaf. He began slinking up to the bird, preparing to spring at it. The bird didn't even seem to notice him. He crouched down, ready to jump. There was a second of activity, and then he leapt. In a second, he had the bird pinned down, and was preparing to end its life when something stopped him.

Just as he was about to close his jaws around its throat, he heard a voice. At once, Redpaw felt like he'd known the voice all his life, and like he'd never heard it at all. What the voice said was a single word: Wait.

He jumped up, keeping one paw on the bird, and his eyes darted around the forest. He couldn't find the cat who'd spoken. Suddenly, a different voice entered his head. He closed his eyes, wondering if this was possible. Please, don't let me die!

Redpaw could tell where that voice was coming from, though he could hardly believe it. He turned his head towards the bird he'd just captured. "Did you just... talk?"

I can't die! I just want to go home!

There was no doubt about it, that voice was from the bird. Redpaw wondered if this was part of the Psi that Mudfur had been talking about. "You can talk!" he said, still not sure that he could believe it.

Please don't kill me! the bird said, looking up at him. I just wanted to find my mommy!

Redpaw couldn't believe this. He could talk to things that weren't cats with this Psi. Any doubt he'd had before about that power existing had just vanished. Here he was, talking to a bird. A bird! "Wh- where is your... mommy?" he finally choked out.

She was in the place across the river! the bird whimpered. I was going to her. Please don't kill me!

Redpaw was still for a moment, dumbstruck. This bird was a kit! Or, whatever young birds were called. He knew he shouldn't do anything but continue on with his original plan of taking it back to camp as fresh-kill, but somehow he found that he couldn't. He lifted his paw off of the bird. The bird looked up, amazed. You- you're not going to kill me? it chirped.

"No," Redpaw said, wondering how mouse-brained he was being. Another thought had occurred to him, one even more mouse-brained than just letting the bird go, but it was a young one, and it was in the warrior code, technically. "I'm going to help you find your... mommy," he said, not used to that strange word. "Show me where she was..."

XXXX

This is so mouse-brained! Redpaw mentally repeated to himself for the 9001st time. The bird was on his back, and he was climbing over another tree in Shadowclan territory, looking for said bird's mother. "Is this where she was?" he asked out loud.

Yes, somewhere around here, the bird said, also apparently aware of the situation's oddness.

Suddenly, another chirping came from the trees. A bird hopped down and landed in front of them. That's my child! the bird said. My boy!

Mommy! the bird cried, hopping off of Redpaw's back.

That's a cat, son! They hunt birds!

It saved me! That cat brought me here!

"Glad to," Redpaw muttered. "Great, now I have to-"

Before he could finish his sentence, the mother was continuing. I thought I'd never see you again! Turning towards Redpaw, she said, You saved my boy. Let me sing for you.

"Fine, fine, just hurry, I need to get back to my clan!" Redpaw said. However, he was struck entirely dumb when she sang:

Simple as can be!

Redpaw recognized the music. It was similar to the music that he'd heard upon defeating the warrior from the Dark Forest. "Wh- where did you hear that?" he stammered.

I've known that melody since I was a chick! the bird said. But now we have to go. With this, both birds were gone.

Redpaw turned back towards Riverclan, shaken. That was the second time a melody like that had appeared. What could that mean? Trying to shake it off, he continued back towards camp.

Unfortunately, fate had destined that that wouldn't be the last surprise of that day. Upon arriving back at camp, he heard a cry of distress rising up from it: "Longpaw is missing!"

XXXX

And that is the end of that chapter. I hope that the chapter doesn't seem too "mushy" towards the end, but hey, that's how it was in the game. I promise it will get better later. And to help it get better later, please R&R, preferably with constructive criticism to help achieve said goal where flames wouldn't, Gamer4 out.