CHAPTER 9

"But…you have to come!" Ashenpaw's eyes were pleading and his tail twitched nervously. He lay in his nest while the rain poured down outside.

Thrushpaw licked her paw and swiped it over her face. "I don't have to do anything I don't want to do," she argued defiantly. "Why are you so intent on doing this? It's just a stupid dream. It doesn't mean anything."

Ashenpaw bristled. "Yes, it does! If it's a prophecy from StarClan, it more than definitely means something! You just don't want to make the journey! You're just lazy!" Ashenpaw spat out the last word as if he were saying "dirt".

"What journey?" Lightpaw stepped into the apprentices' den, her fur sopping wet. Thrushpaw jumped with a start, her heart pounding. "Lightpaw! What are you doing here? I thought you were out training with Thornclaw."

"I was supposed to be," Lightpaw muttered bitterly, "but he never came. He told Sorreltail, Nightpaw, and me to go ahead and just have a few mock fights at the training hollow while he finished eating and sharing tongues with Hollytail. Well, guess what? It started raining, so we came back and I saw him coming out of the forest with Hollytail as if he'd been there all along!"

Ashenpaw twitched his nose. "Strange. I wonder what they were doing."

"So what journey were you guys talking about?" Lightpaw asked.

Thrushpaw and Ashenpaw exchanged glances. "Um…nothing. We mean…uh…" Ashenpaw stuttered. Thrushpaw thought quickly to back his brother up. "We were talking about a weird dream that I had." They couldn't let any cat know about the prophetic dream they'd had.

"Are you sure?" Lightpaw looked suspicious, and Thrushpaw swallowed and nodded. Lightpaw shrugged. "Fine." She sighed and rolled onto her side, stretching out in her mossy nest. "I've got nothing to do. Stupid rain. Stupid Thornclaw."

"He's not-" Ashenpaw started to protest, but Thrushpaw swiped her tail over his mouth. "Let's go somewhere and talk about this dumb dream we had," she whispered, "and I'll decide if I'm going or not."

Ducking their heads in the rain, the two siblings darted out from the apprentices' den and made their way to the edge of the stone wall that surrounded the camp. "Look, what's so important about this dream?" Thrushpaw demanded. "What if it's just a dream that means nothing? When and if we even do go to the island, there will be no cat there. It's just a dream. It's not from StarClan."

Ashenpaw hissed. "It doesn't hurt to try!"

"We'll get in huge trouble with Firestar if we go; don't you see that?"

"We'll get in trouble with StarClan if we don't go!"

"StarClan can't do anything to us!"

Ashenpaw gasped and Thrushpaw flicked her ears in annoyance. Why was her brother making such a huge deal over one silly dream? "I'm not going," she muttered defiantly, turning away from the black tom.

"Fine." Ashenpaw let his fur lie flat. "Ignore StarClan, for all I care! But when the apprentices of the other Clans think of you as a weak, lazy hedgehog, don't come crying to me nor StarClan."

Thrushpaw stopped in her tracks. Was Ashenpaw right? Her brother continued, "And I'll look like the hero when I return, because I made it all the way to where I was destined to go and back safely. You'll look like a weak coward."

Thrushpaw spun around, her golden-brown-striped fur prickling. He is right! She thought, hot with fury at her own hotheadedness. "Okay, okay! You win! I'll go," she cried.

Before Ashenpaw could say anything, a thin wail split the rhythmic pattering of the rain on the ground and echoed amongst the rock walls. Thrushpaw bristled and, hackles raised, raced back into the clearing, where cats were streaming groggily out of their dens in confusion. "What was that?" Hazelwhisker demanded. "Is there an ambush?"

Leafpool dashed out of her den, followed by Jaypaw, her eyes wide. Daisy bounded out of the nursery and meowed frantically, "Brook's kits are coming!"

Stormfur gasped and leapt towards the nursery to make sure his mate was all right. "Stay out," Jaypaw mewed sternly but calmly as Leafpool fetched some herbs from her den.

Firestar soon appeared out of his den, his ears swiveling. "What is happening?"

Cinderpelt glanced at her leader. "Brook is having her kits!" She sounded very excited. Graystripe just hissed playfully. "So I'm going to be a grandfather?"

"I hope Brook and her kits will be all right," Ashenpaw murmured, padding over to the other apprentices. Icepaw nodded. "I'm sure they'll be fine."

Thrushpaw headed back into the apprentices' den, cold from the rain splattering against her fur, and lay down in her warm nest. Nightpaw was there too, asleep. How can she sleep through all this noise? Thrushpaw wondered, resting her chin on her paws. She sighed. Am I really going to go on a journey to the island tonight? What are Ashenpaw and I supposed to save, anyway? I'm so confused. StarClan, give me some answers here. Please.

"How many?" Excited voices outside the den startled Thrushpaw out of her thoughts. She scrambled to her paws and headed out of the den. "She's had three kits-two toms and a she-cat," Jaypaw replied. The blind gray medicine cat was standing outside of the nursery, guarding it from any cats that should try to get in. "Stormfur, you can go ahead and come in."

The dark gray tom pushed his way through the crowd of ThunderClan cats and entered the nursery, his tail tip disappearing behind a bramble. Thrushpaw could hear the mewling of the tiny newborn kits and her heart expanded. I hope I can have kits someday…

"I want to see the kits!" Lightpaw complained, bouncing a bit, apparently not being bothered by the hardened rain. Ashenpaw led her into the apprentices' den. "Come on. Let's not get wet."

Thrushpaw was about to follow them when she heard a voice meow, "Thrushpaw!" She turned to see Spiderleg hurrying towards her, followed by Honeywhisker and Berrytail. "Evening patrol."

Thrushpaw held in a groan as she followed the warriors through the thorn tunnel and out of the camp. Spiderleg was at the head of the patrol, followed by Honeywhisker and Thrushpaw, and Berrytail padded alone at the rear.

"How come you're not walking with Berrytail?" Thrushpaw jeered, half wondering and half amused. Honeywhisker shrugged. "I realized that he's definitely not worth it. But…I know who the right tom is for me."

"Who?" Thrushpaw asked, her mind reeling with names of toms without mates. "Birchfall? Lionclaw?"

Honeywhisker shook her head. "You'll see. Just wait. We're planning on having kits."

Ooooh, who could this mysterious tom be? I know! Well…that was chapter 9, as you can see. ._. I hope you enjoyed it. Adios!

xx-Starfall-xx