Rosepaw was walking with a skip in her steps. The forest around her was lush green and vibrant with the scents and sounds of new-leaf. There was a fish in her mouth, flopping lightly as it died. She turned a sudden left and came into a clearing in the trees. In the center was a bright red barn made of old, rotting wood and filled with hay. The sun was bright and warm on her shoulders.

She padded into it, like she was still there. She dropped the fish and greeted her father and his friend. She padded over and jumped onto a bale of hay, stretching out and purring at the warmth.. She laid there for a few minutes, until the scent of crow food hit her nose. She flipped back over onto her belly. Where was that scent coming from?

It had to be from inside the barn, it was too strong to not be. She stood and stretched herself one more time before she jumped down and followed the scent. A sudden burst of cold air flew into the barn, the clouds outside were turning to a blackish grey and rain began to beat on the earth.

Rosepaw found herself standing in the corner of the barn. She could smell the crow food scent. This was where it was coming from, but there was noticing there. She faced the corner of the walls, and looked up and down it. There was nothing there. No old birds nest, no fallen eggs, nothing that could cause that scent.

Rosepaw turned around slowly, feeling the presence of someone behind her. At first sight, Rosepaw panicked. She flipped herself around and screeched at the thing behind her. It was a cat, with no fur, no flesh, no muscles. Just the bones and a pair of eyes. Dark amber eyes.

"You know what you have to do." It mewed to her as it stepped forwards slowly. It leaned its face down to hers, almost touching her nose.

It looked into her own eyes deeply, commanding her to listen, to look. She crouched down in fear, and hissed, hoping to almighty Starclan it would just leave her be. She closed her eyes and took a blind swipe, missing entirely. She peaked her eyes open. The dead creature was still leaning down in her face. The rain outside was coming in almost sideways, her fur was almost completely soaked. She felt as though she was freezing to death. Rosepaw screeched again and clawed at it, only for its bones to turn into wisps of dust and vanish.


Rosepaw woke suddenly, feeling as if she was drowning. She pushed her chest up off the ground, coughing and wheezing, waking up the cats around her. The words were still echoing themselves in her eyes, burning her mind. She closed her eyes as Lionpaw padded over silently and rubbed his paw up her spine, going against her fur and making her back tingle.

She stopped after a moment. She sat all the way up. Her breath returned to her and she opened her eyes. Hollypaw and Honeypaw were the only others awake, looking at Rosepaw as if she'd grown a second head. She stood and left he den. She didn't want to explain the nightmares.

It was still night outside. The moon barely halfway up. She'd have to go back to sleep, have to have a new nightmare.

She took a look around. Would Jaypaw be mad if she woke him? She padded over to the medicine den, peaking inside like a spying kit before sneaking in. She found Jaypaw curled up in the back of the medicine den, safely out of harms way. She prodded his side with her paws. He stirred but didn't wake.

She poked him again, with more force until he woke up. He sniffed the air and flicked his ears.

"Rosepaw?" He whispered, "What are you doing?" His voice was tired and sleepy and his eyes weren't entirely open. Rosepaw leaned down and whispered to him, a request for a walk. Jaypaw didn't answer, but got up and walked out with her on his tail.


"Another nightmare?" He mewed as they left the camp together. He stopped and stood still waiting for her to answer.

"Yeah," Rosepaw mewed, "But it was nothing." She began to walk again with Jaypaw following behind her.

"Don't tell me it was nothing." He mewed harshly. "The Dark Forest has some interest in you and I want to know what it is!"

"The Dark Forest is doing this?" Rosepaw mewed in honest awe. Did the Dark forest have powers over her mind? Rosepaw shivered. Did that mean they can control her thoughts?

"Obviously." He mewed. He kept walking, keeping his pace slightly faster than Rosepaws.

"Are you mad at me?" She mewed as they came to the sand at the lake. She panted as Jaypaw finally stopped, and with slight hesitation, he sat down. Rosepaw watched him closely, waiting for him to answer. After waiting for a moment too long, Rosepaw opened her mouth to ask again, but he spoke.

"No," He said, "No, I'm not… I'm just confused is all." He sighed then and laid down, his tail wrapping over his paws. Rosepaw moved closer to him, just close enough for their fur to touch. Her mind wondered to horrible things. He doesn't like me anymore. He thinks I've done something terrible.

Jaypaw could feel the sadness and anger flowing off her pelt. He could practically see the tears. He pushed his cheek against hers and purred gently. He didn't want to her get the wrong idea. He mewed quietly to her.

"Rosepaw," he began as she calmed down a little, "I don't mean about you. I mean about these prophesies. They don't make any sense." He rubbed his cheek to hers again, making sure she felt his heart beat close to her.

Rosepaw took a deep breath, thanking Starclan it wasn't about her. She sniffed and sat up to groom her face, and Jaypaw followed her, he pressed his nose to hers again and walked towards the lake. He stopped only a few kitten steps from the shore. Rosepaw followed him up in panic, fearing he'd accidentally walk too far out and drown.

"You know I fell in the lake one time?" He mewed, a smile crept across his face. "When I was still a warrior apprentice." He stared down at Rosepaw with his blind eyes, as if he could see her perfectly. Rosepaws heart started to beat faster, and her skin felt warm and flush.

He looked a little ashamed for a moment, but he shook it of. "Things don't always go as planned." He mewed, more or less to himself. Rosepaw blinked. Was it to himself, or did he have another reason to say it? She followed once again as he got up and walked back to the tree line.

She remembered her first day in Thunderclan. He didn't seem to really like her, but she grew on him. Was that what he meant? Rosepaw sighed. Couldn't he just say he liked her? Can't he just admit it? Can't I just admit it?


Jaypaw marched confidently back to the camp with Rosepaw by his side. The little she cats thoughts were racing, he could feel them himself. He wanted to go back to sleep at first, but as he padded through the cold, night air, an energy buzzed through his muscles. He felt himself get hyper and excited. He jumped suddenly and tackled Rosepaw to the ground.

She mewed in surprise, but pushed herself around so she was pinning him. She nipped gently at the tip of his nose and hopped off. She turned around and dashed into the brush, Jaypaw followed after, hot on her tail.

Rosepaw peaked back at him, amazed that he could keep pace with her without tripping over anything. She tore her eyes from him, knowing she would be the one tripping if she kept trying to watch him.

Jaypaw suddenly came to a halt in a smallish open patch. Rosepaw skidded as she noticed he'd stopped. He flicked his ears at her and walked over to a patch of thorns. He sniffed at it and looked in Rosepaws direction.

"This is where the Moonpool is." He mewed.

"Here?" Rosepaw mewed as she went to stand beside him. She could see an opening in the thorns, but not much else.

"Go in." He mewed as he pushed her forwards. Rosepaw pushed her way through the thorn bush, albeit reluctant to gain scratches. Her tail fur caught on a branch of thorns and she jerked it forwards, launching herself down the little slope and landing just in front a tiny pool of clear blue water.

She heard Jaypaws mrr of laughter as he padded down beside her. He crouched down and took a lap at the pool of water in front of him.

"Take a drink and then sleep okay?" He mewed as he curled himself up and yawned.

Rosepaw waited a moment, watching as Jaypaw fell quickly asleep. She turned her attention to the Moonpool and stared at it. The water didn't seem much different than the creeks she was used ti drinking from. She leaned down and sniffed it. It didn't smell rancid. She took a quick drink and sat up.

It doesn't even have a taste.

She placed herself beside Jaypaw and curled up.


Jaypaw woke in the DreamForest, noting immediately his companion was not by his side anymore, but the two former medicine cats were. He looked at them with annoyance in his eyes, temporary unblinded and angry.

"Jaypaw, there's something you need to know.." Yellowfang mewed, ignoring the angry in his eyes. "About Rosepaw."


Waking again to a prod on her spine, Rosepaws eyes flew open and she jumped up, knocking her head on Jaypaws. She smiled with embarrassment.

"Sleep well?" He mumbled.

Rosepaw purred and pushed her cheek to Jaypaws, but he pulled away. Rosepaws jaw opened a little, bewildered.

"Where were you last night?" He looked sad. What did he mean? She hadn't been anywhere but there.

"Here?" She mewed. "Sleeping?"

Jaypaw opened his mouth to reply, but he shut it. He motioned for the warrior apprentice to follow him, and together they walked home. He kept looking at Rosepaw in a way that was obvious he needed to say something, but he never did.

He mewed goodbye and touched noses with his friend before slinking off to the medicine den. Rosepaw watched after him for a moment, sadness filling her eyes. She turned and began to march towards her own nest, but was stopped by Graystripe.

"Where were you last night?" He hissed in anger. He stood in front of her, looking down on his apprentice as if she had murdered.

"I went to the Moonpool with Jaypaw!" Rosepaw mewed, slightly afraid. The gray tom towered over her menacingly.

"Really?" He hissed. "That's all?"

"Yes!" Rosepaw back up with her ears flat. What had crawled up his rear?

"So if I get the guard from last night up…" Graystripe began, but a voice behind Rosepaw interrupted.

"I'm already up." It was Dustpelt, the guard from the night, Rosepaw sighed in relief. "What are you scolding my daughter for?"

Rosepaws heart skipped a beat, and a suddenly happiness flew over her, happy to have him consider her family.

"She was out all last night!" Graystripe said, hinting at something. Rosepaw felt her ears perk. What was he getting at?

"Oh Graystripe." Dustpelt mewed without emotion. "I watched her and Jaypaw walk out of camp with each other. But either way, do you really believe your own apprentice would have the audacity to do something so stupid?"

Rosepaw looked back at her mentor, who looked down at her, almost apologetically, but then he turned his eyes back to Dustpelt.

"Then who?" He mewed, but Dustpelt didn't answer. Graystripe sighed after a moment, and turned back to Rosepaw.

"I'm sorry Rosepaw. I shouldn't jump to conclusions. Meet for training at sun high." He turned and padded on the fresh kill pile, examining it carefully before Millie came along and convinced him to split a pigeon.

Rosepaw turned to Dustpelt. He smiled at her and flicked her ear with his tail tip before he too went back to sleep. Rosepaw looked around. No one was looking at her or seemed at all interested, but there were apprentices up. Rosepaw went to greet them.

"What happened last night?" Rosepaw mewed as she took a seat.

"I'm not sure, but the warriors are pretty well pissed." Honeypaw mewed around a yawn. She saw Hollypaw gasp a little at the shock of Honeypaw using such a filthy word, but Rosepaw giggled. It was strange for such a perfect warrior cat to use the language only an elder could get away with, but it thrilled a little part of Rosepaw. She couldn't have used that word and still be as innocent and graceful as Honeypaw.

Rosepaw looked around again, seeing a group of warrior gather around Graystripe. A few of them looked back at Rosepaw, obviously blaming her, but she saw Graystripe and Dustpelt shake their heads no. Rosepaw flicked her eyes in greeting as Lionpaw sat beside her, looking as tired and beaten down as ever. Suddenly the warriors off to the side became interested, with Brambleclaw padding up towards the apprentices.

"Lionpaw," he mewed, "Come with me." The apprentices all shared a look of bewilderment. Could Lionpaw have done something to get the warriors all up in arms? They gathered close together and watched as Lionpaw admitted to something with a nod of his head and was immediately dragged off to the Leaders den.

The warriors dispersed, and Graystripe padded over to Rosepaw.

"Come on kitten," He mewed with a glance at the leaders den, "Let's go ahead and get moving."

Jaypaw had found out something terrible about Rosepaw, but what isit?

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