Heatherkit was dreaming.
"Heatherkit," a voice called. The kit opened her eyes and looked up. A beautiful queen with strangely familiar blue-gray fur sat beside her.
"Who are you?" asked the kit. "And why do you have stars in your fur?"
"I am a warrior of DreamClan," said the queen. "You are dreaming. Come. I have something important to show you." Heatherkit obediently followed the queen out of the nursery, through the camp, and into the forest.
"Wow," said Heatherkit, studying her surroundings. "I've never been out of camp before."
The DreamClan queen purred. "Come now, Heatherkit. We don't have much time, and a lot of ground to cover."
Frost crunched underneath Heatherkit's paws as she trotted along. How Heatherkit could see strange trees in the distance. They had very long trunks and all the leaves were bunched up at the top instead of having needles around most of the tree. As she watched, the territory around the odd trees grew dark. The darkness, like liquid shadows, began spreading across the ground, rushing toward Heatherkit and her guide. Heatherkit felt cold dread seeping into her heart.
"Look to the sky," the starry queen murmured. Heatherkit looked up into the sparkling heavens. One star was especially bright. Heatherkit realized it was growing -- no, it was falling! The star was falling toward the forest!
Heatherkit had to squint against the white brightness as the star approached. The wind roared, and Heatherkit dug her claws into the ground to keep from being blown off balance. She realized that as the star grew closer, the shadows that had been creeping across the forest floor were being burned away.
When the last of the shadows was gone, the wind stopped, and Heatherkit realized that she was back in her nest in the PineClan nursery. All the other cats were asleep. The DreamClan queen's voice rang in her ears: "DreamClan is always with you, Heatherkit. Remember what you have seen. Remember...."
It was now evening, and Heatherkit was watching her siblings wrestle with Applekit and Goldenkit.
"Heatherkit," said Whitefeather, beckoning the kit closer with her tail.
"Yes, Whitefeather?" asked Heatherkit.
"What is wrong? Why don't you want to play with the other kits?" Heatherkit could see concern in her mother's eyes. The truth was that her dream had been bugging her, and she hadn't felt like playing with Skykit, Frostkit, and the others.
"I'm just tired," she lied, instantly feeling guilty. She didn't like to lie – especially to her mother – but she also didn't feel that the dream was something to be shared. It was personal; meant only for her.
"Are you feeling sick?" asked Whitefeather, the gentle concern in her eyes changing to fearful worry. Heatherkit knew that it was dangerous for kits to catch an illness, especially in such cold weather where healing herbs were in short supply.
"I'm fine," said Heatherkit.
"Maybe you should see Blossomfur anyway," decided Whitefeather. Despite Heatherkit's protests, the queen grabbed the kit by the scruff and carried her out into camp. About halfway across the clearing, Frostkit began calling for Whitefeather. With a sigh, the white cat set Heatherkit down.
"I'd better go see what the trouble is," she said. "You go to the medicine cat's den, all right? It's that one, over there. Do you see it? Good. Tell Blossomfur that you haven't been feeling well, and that I'll be right there, okay?" Heatherkit nodded and her mother left. She padded across the clearing and stopped outside of the medicine cat's den. Suddenly, she was very nervous. Heatherkit listened and realized she could hear voices inside the den. It seemed that Blossomfur and Forestpelt were talking.
"Blossomfur, I've had a strange dream," the younger cat was saying.
"Really? When?"
"Last night," Forestpelt said. Heatherkit stiffened. That was when she had seen the fallen star in her own dream! "It was a prophecy from DreamClan."
"Please tell me," Blossomfur said.
"It was – it was Mothflight," Forestpelt said. "She gave me the prophecy."
Both cats were silent for a moment. Heatherkit remembered that Blossomfur and Daisyheart – Forestpelt's mother – were both sisters of Mothflight.
"Go on," Blossomfur finally said, her voice full of emotion.
"She told me this: 'Seven strong warriors, brave and true, will rid the forest of blood forever'. Do you have any idea what that could mean? 'Seven strong warriors' ... 'rid the forest of blood forever'... do you think it has anything to do with the rogues? Will these seven warriors defeat them and, by stopping the fighting, rid the forest of blood?"
"I don't know, Forestpelt," Blossomfur sighed.
"Why must DreamClan's prophecies be so vague?" cursed Forestpelt.
Just then, Heatherkit heard a yowl from nearby. Smokefang was emerging from the alleyway between Blossomfur's den and Windystar's den, eyes wide with shock. Blossomfur and Forestpelt rushed out of their den, not noticing Heatherkit.
"It's the loner, Doom!" Smokefang gasped. "He's gone!" The Clan, which had gathered to see what the fuss was about, yowled in shock and horror.
"The evil, fox-hearted sneak!"
"How did he escape?"
"He'll kill us all!"
A loud yowl cut across the panicked voices. All the cats turned to face Windystar as he approached.
"What is going on here?" he asked. "And where is Slashpaw?"
Leafpaw looked at Rosepaw.. "This is it," she said.
It was a few days after the disappearance of Slashpaw and Doom. The territory had been searched far and wide, but there was no sign of the two cats. Some cats were nothing but relieved that the two cats were gone. Others who had been close to Slashpaw were devastated.
Today was the warrior ceremony for Leafpaw and her sister. The whole Clan was gathering under Star Rock. Whitefeather was inside the nursery watching over Willowfur's new kits – Mousekit, Tanglekit, and Wolfkit – so that Willowfur could watch her daughters become warriors.
"Rosepaw, Leafpaw," said Windystar, "please join me on Star Rock." The sisters, nudged forward by their father, got to their paws and padded through the crowd of PineClan cats. They leaped gracefully onto Star Rock.
The Clan leader raised his dark green eyes to the sky above. "I, Windystar, leader of PineClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these two apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn." Then his gaze rested upon the apprentices. "Leafpaw, Rosepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your lives?" Leafpaw's heart pounded as she responded.
"I do." She tried to put all of her loyalty and conviction into these two simple words.
"I do," said Rosepaw, her blue eyes shining as bright as the sun.
"Then by the powers of DreamClan I give you your warrior names: Leafpaw, from this moment you will be known as Leafwhisper. DreamClan honors your bravery and your courage, and we welcome you as a full warrior of PineClan." Windystar rested his muzzle upon Leafwhisper's head, and she gave his shoulder a quick lick. She then leapt down lightly and rejoined the rest of the Clan.
"Rosepaw," Windystar continued, "from this moment you will be known as Roseheart. DreamClan honors your caring nature and your loyalty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of PineClan." Windystar lowered his muzzle to rest it upon the new warrior's head as he had done with Leafwhisper, and Roseheart licked his shoulder respectfully.
"Leafwhisper! Roseheart! Leafwhisper! Roseheart!" the Clan cried. Leafwhisper's heart felt like it would burst. She was full of love for her Clanmates, and so grateful for the respect that she could see in their eyes.
"I'm so proud of you two," purred Whitespot when Roseheart came to join her sister.
"Warriors!" Willowfur exclaimed as she approached. "Just think! My girls are warriors!"
"Leafwhisper." The new warrior turned at the sound of her new name. Her former mentor, Marshpelt, had walked up behind her.
"Is it time for the initiation?" she asked.
"Yes," said the brown warrior. "Come. Roseheart, you too."
The sisters followed Marshpelt to where Sunstorm was waiting near the entrance. Leafwhisper reviewed what she knew about the initiation in her head as they traveled through the forest. She knew that after the warrior ceremony (held at dusk), the new warrior's mentor was to bring her to the initiation site (in PineClan's case, a large tree stump near the Gathering hollow). The new warrior was to sit on the stump until dawn and keep watch over the territory.
"There it is," Sunstorm said, gesturing to a stump with his tail.
"Now remember, Leafwhisper, Roseheart," said Marshpelt with a stern look at the two, "absolutely no talking until dawn." With that, the huge brown tom melted into the shadows.
Leafwhisper followed her sister to the tree stump. She leaped on top of it and sat down next to Roseheart.
"Good luck," Sunstorm meowed before following Marshpelt into the darkness.
A cool breeze tugged at Leafwhisper's fur. Her heart was content as she scanned the trees. She and her sister were finally warriors of PineClan.