So sorry for the wait! and this long chappie...the thing is, I had no idea how to start or end it...shoot, I'm getting writer's block! (grr!)

Note to all who start reading my story at this point:

Summary:

Angelwing, the humble Guardian of the Moon tree, has a resonsibility to walk in the dreams of a kit called Gingerkit.

Gingerkit recieves a dream about rogues attacking her camp, transmitted to her by Angelwing. She tries to tell cats, but only Berryleaf the medicine cat believes this is a sign about the future. Gingerkit also turned blind for a moment as she was bending over Coalkit, her sightless denmate.

Her friend Smokepaw becomes Smokecloud, and she is now an apprentice.

Yea, thatz it.XP

Thx so much to all my reviewers! You rock! I apologize if this chappie isn't up to your expectations. blame writer's block.

Pearla

Gingerkit settled into her nest, yawning as she laid her cheek down onto the soft, welcoming bedding. Her first real night in the apprentice den…it was hard to believe that only yesterday she had still been a kit and slept in the same place.

"I'm not a kit anymore…"

Outside, warriors were coming back from patrolling the border: from the sounds of it there was no trouble from rogues, or news about ShadowClan up to there old tricks.

Rosepaw was gently stroking Lilypaw's ear with her tail-tip to make her fall asleep.

"Don't worry if you can't fall asleep yet, Gingerpaw," she assured. "The first nights are always the hardest."

Flowerpaw was talking with Slashpaw, tail waving in excitement, and Starpaw and Blackpaw were grooming each-others' pelts sleepily. Seedpaw was already fast asleep, curled into a fluffy ball of fur, her tail on her nose.

Despite the peace, Gingerpaw did not feel ready sleep. She felt restless, tossing and turning around in the mossy bedding. "I'd better get used to it."

She felt a little lost, a little…lonely. The apprentice den was so-so different! The nursery had warm, milky scents, maybe accompanied by the smell of a fat rabbit that the warriors brought for the queens. There was honeycomb in the nursery, as the kits loved to lick it, and always wool for the nests, with leaves to play with.

The apprentice den smelled colder, more of stale moss and dust. There was the smell of prey, sure, but it was very faint. The walls were stony and chilled, and the wonderful earthy feeling was gone.

"I'll miss sleeping near Mother, and helping Larkwing out with her kits…"

A stab of discomfort stabbed her, and she shook her head, willing her thoughts away.

"I suppose this is what it feels like to be an apprentice." she decided. "You have to let go of all those comforting things; you need to adapt and have more responsibility for the sake of your Clan. Then that's what I'm going to do."

She held her head high, pride filling her heart. She would be the best apprentice any mentor could ask for-any Clan would ask for. She would be the greatest hunter, the greatest tracker, the greatest fighter…and when the time came, the greatest warrior. All for the sake of ThunderClan, the Clan where she and her parents had grown up in.

"Blackpaw, what will my first apprentice duty be?" This question had been nagging the back of her mind. She hoped it wasn't anything boring.

Blackpaw purred, flicking his tail above her head. "It's defiantly not cleaning the elder's pelts, if that's what you think. StarClan knows, you've heard me and the others complaining about it often enough. Sorry about that, you'll have to do it soon, but I think all apprentices either patrol the border or go hunting first."

Gingerpaw breathed a sigh of relief. Thank StarClan.

"I'll try and catch a mouse tomorrow, Blackpaw! They're hardest to catch, right?"

"All prey needs to be tracked first. I'd say the rabbits are hardest to catch: but leave them for WindClan. And Gingerpaw, it's sun-down. It's a time for sleeping, not chatting. Naturally, Flowerpaw proves this wrong."

At the sound of her name, the brown and white she-cat turned her attention to Blackpaw. "What'd you say?"

"If I told you, you'd claw my ears off."

Starpaw looked concerned. "Gingerpaw, if you're having trouble falling asleep, go sleep near your sisters. That always puts me to sleep, but I like it when I'm with Blackpaw."

He winked at her.

Gingerpaw sighed and stepped back into her nest. "That's okay, Starpaw. I'll try on my own."

She tried to think anout what Smokecloud and her would do tomorrow, when she wasn't on duty. Apprentices couldn't train ALL the time...she wondered where Smokecloud was now. Probably sleeping in the warrior's den-

"Hey there," a mew interrupted, and the orange apprentice looked up to see her best friend at the mouth of the chamber.

Well, so much for 'sleeping in the warrior's den'.

"Sorry for intruding," he grinned, happily inviting himself in. "Had to come and keep this troublemaker," he indicated to Gingerpaw, "company on her first night. I remember how hard it was for me to get to bed!"

"You kept us up all night," reminded Rosepaw, affection in her voice.

"Get out of here, you bossy fur ball," snapped Slashpaw, though he looked pleased. 'We don't want old warriors in our den."

Starpaw sighed. "Don't mind my brother, Smokecloud, he's in one of his moods… you were an apprentice two days ago, and as far as I'm concerned, you're still a friend now."

The whole den was filled with apprentice chatter, which died away eventually to mere congratulations and welcomes. They clearly saw Smokecloud as a brother.

Gingerpaw was suddenly too touched for words. He had come to keep her company on her first apprentice night. He cared enough to do it.

Like Greenkit used to do.

"You would've been an apprentice, too," Gingerpaw sighed. "If you didn't join the fifth Clan before you got to enjoy life."

"Thanks," she mewed as the tom settled in near Slashpaw. 'That's kind of you."

"No problem. I'll be right here, next to Slashpaw, if you need me, okay Gingerpaw. Annoying him, of course."

"I swear by StarClan that if you don't let me get some quiet, I'll have your tail tomorrow!" came the fierce hiss.

Gingerpaw caught the gray tom's eye. He flicked his tail towards the bedding. "Go to sleep. You need all your strength for tomorrow."

She heaved a tired sigh and closed her light blue eyes.

It was a while before sleep crashed down on her, like a black wave.

Gingerpaw smelled ThunderClan when she opened her eyes. But it had a strange, rather tangy scent.

"Where…am I?" she asked herself in a hushed voice. She looked around her. Her friends and sisters were no where to be seen.

"I'm in a…set," she thought, "a badger set. But there's no badger here, thank StarClan! Where is everybody? Where's the camp?"

She quietly padded outside the den, and looked to all sides. Sunlight made the early morning dew glitter, and birds were chirping somewhere nearby.

'You're in a dream, Gingerpaw," said a voice, and the apprentice whipped around to find a black cat behind her, gray eyes gleaming. "I've come to help."

"Who are you?" Gingerpaw demanded, bristling. She was not going to show this cat any sign of weakness.

"Dear one, I am not here to hurt you," she shook her head. "I'm here to show you a way to save yourself when the time comes. Look there-" she flicked he tail towards a gray apprentice, padding down the small path. "We have to follow him. Hell lead us to his own camp, here I will tell you what to do."

Bewildered, Gingerpaw trailed after the black she-cat, keeping her eyes on the amber-eyed tom.

"Excuse me, but what did you mean by-"

"Not now. Concentrate."

Gingerpaw shut her mouth. She was shocked.

"I've never walked in dreams with StarClan before. Am I dead?"

"I am not of StarClan, Gingerpaw. And you have yet to lead a long life before you join Star Clan's ranks."

"So, what-"

"Quiet!"

The gray tom Gingerpaw was following looked hauntingly familiar, and as he turned to look back, Gingerpaw let out a gasp of pain, and shut her eyes.

She knew why he was so familiar.

"Wolfclaw," she said softly, and at the sound of that the black she-cat turned around, her gaze understanding.

"Follow your father, Gingerpaw. He will lead us to the old ThunderClan camp."

"Wolfpaw!" a voice called out, and a haughty-looking apprentice appeared and leaped into him. "Where in StarClan have you been?"

"Deputy's apprentice business," the gray tom answered. "Not for you to know, Foxpaw. Get off."

The orange tom growled and removed his paws off his friend. Wolfpaw shook himself. 'Thanks."

"Show-off,' grumbled Foxpaw, and the two toms headed to their camp. "Just because you're Lightfoot's apprentice, too!"

"How's Whiskerfleck?" he asked, choosing to ignore the comment. They padded side-by-side to their camp.

"Better. Berrypaw's looking after her so well-you're sister's one talented cat."

"I know," his purr gave away how proud he was of her. "She was meant to become a medicine cat."

Gingerpaw's heart sang. Was Berryleaf here, too?

They finally got to the edge of the field, and went into through a thicket of brambles. Gingerpaw and the black she-cat followed.

There was the prey-stock pile in the middle of another clearing, and there was a small thistle-barrier covering the nursery. Small shrubs and trees were everywhere, and a couple of berry bushes were nearby.

"Lightfoot!" gasped Gingerpaw, as the golden deputy padded up to his apprenticed and touched noses with him. "Wolfpaw. How was it?"

"Nothing to report. There was RiverClan scent, but it was stale. A fox, too, but it was juts a cub and I drove it off."

Gingerpaw knew what they were talking about; her father had been some sort of a spy.

'Very good. I'll talk to Stormstar about seeing to it that you become a warrior soon."

"Thanks, Lightfoot."

Gingerpaw stared questioningly at the she-cat. 'What's the purpose of this?"

"I brought you here, because you will be here yourself soon enough."

"What do you mean?"

"Gingerpaw...it was I who showed you that dream…your nightmare."

"Y-you?!"

"That's right. It was a dream of the future, dear one. StarClan cannot help save you from this tragedy. All I can tell you is that it will happen, and nothing can be done to prevent it. What I am showing you is where the enemy will bring you, Gingerpaw. I want you to have a good look around and study the escape routes. You need to know how to escape when you are here."

Gingerpaw stood stunned. "You're wrong!" she suddenly spat, her neck fur beginning to rise. 'You're dream told me Smokecloud would die! He WON'T!"

The she-cat opened her mouth to answer before she saw darkness beginning to ebb across the sky.

'I must go, Gingerpaw!" she murmured. "Quickly!" she led her behind the nursery, where a few loose rocks were. "This is an escape route, Gingerpaw! Use it!"

The she-cat returned and fled. Gingerpaw stared back at her.

"Wait! Come back! There's still so much more I have to ask you!"

The she-cat stopped and looked back, eyes sorrowful.

"Why me? Why not Berryleaf, or Snowpaw? Show THEM the signs, because no cat believes me when I tell them about my dreams!"

"Little one," the she-cat sighed, and she began to pad away. 'This is not Berryleaf's future. It is yours."

And with a last flash of a glance, the she-cat disappeared, but her voice echoed around Gingerpaw.

"I am Angelwing, your guardian. I will always walk with you."