Swiftstar, you're right – I'm copying a bit…sigh…but the Nightcloud/Snowfrost thing will be much different from Graystripe/Silverstream. Okay?

Chapter Five

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join me beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!"

I watched as ThunderClan came out of their dens, stretching in the sunlight, and padding eagerly toward me, to see what the meeting was about. I shot a glance at Nightcloud. Even though I had promised to keep his secret, the black warrior was still angry at me for not trusting him.

"Today," I began, my loud, clear mew echoing through the clearing, "two of ThunderClan's newest warriors are ready to accept a mentor." I flicked my tail at Amberfoot's older kits, who eagerly marched forward, both of them she-cats. "I would like Dragonheart to mentor Creekpaw."

The blue-gray kit looked ecstatic at the deputy being her mentor. She hobbled down to touch noses with my friend. I hesitated before adding,

"And Flowerstripe will mentor Rosepaw," I added to the pale ginger she-cat, who gave me a very angry look and jumped off of the Highrock to touch her nose to her mentor.

I had chosen Flowerstripe, the small light gray she-cat for a reason. Flowerstripe was quiet and strict, even though she was a new warrior. I knew that she would raise great apprentices, and Rosepaw was the first one I wanted to choose because the little pale ginger kit was a huge nuisance. I hoped that she could forgive me for the mentor I had chosen, but I supposed in time she would come to see that I had chosen well.

So that's seven apprentices, I thought as I too leapt from the Highrock. That's more than ThunderClan has had in moons! I was feeling very good about my Clan's progress as I moved over to talk with Dragonheart.

"What will we do now?" It was Creekpaw, the little light gray she-cat who was Dragonheart's second apprentice. Her first had been Amberfoot, this apprentice's mother.

Dragonheart was proud of her enthusiasm. "Now," she mewed, "you get to know the apprentices in your den. Tomorrow, I'll take you on a tour of the territory."

Creekpaw nodded, her eyes wide and excited. "Yes, Dragonheart!" she meowed, and rushed over to the apprentices' den.

Dragonheart sighed. "I can't believe I've only had two apprentices," she complained. "You've had three."

"Larchpelt barely counted," I told her. "I only had him for about half a moon. Rainwhisker took over because I had kits, remember?"

"Yes, but you've had Morningcloud, and now Creampaw…"

I shrugged. "Oh well, what does it matter?"

"Anyway," mewed Dragonheart, "let's go and see Spiraltail's kits. I think that one kit with whitecough is doing a bit worse."

"Dovekit?" I asked, my stomach flipping. "Oh…"

I didn't meant to favor, but Dovekit was a nice little kit, not that Blizzardkit wasn't. Dragonheart and I padded over to the nursery, where Morningcloud's kits were sleeping soundly. Spiraltail and her two kits were at the back.

I passed Morningcloud. Like Spiraltail, she had two kits, named Pinekit and Rustkit. They were both younger than my daughter's kits. I spotted Dovekit lying on the ground, her brother, Blizzardkit, making her eat something. I rushed over.

"What is he doing?" I exclaimed, careful not to wake Morningcloud and her kits.

"He's helping her," replied Spiraltail, her eyes shining. "Look." It was true. The things Blizzardkit was making Dovekit eat were poppy seeds.

"He must have seen me use them earlier." It was Leafstorm, entering behind us. "I think we have a future medicine cat."

I blinked. Blizzardkit, a medicine cat? I couldn't remember when ThunderClan had had a tom as a medicine cat. I was incredibly proud of him. I nuzzled my nose against his flank and he mewed softly.

"It's still his decision," Spiraltail reminded me. "He might choose to be a warrior still."

I nodded. "Leafstorm still needs an apprentice," I mewed. "Soon, I'll hope."

The three of us left Spiraltail and Morningcloud and their kits alone, and spent the rest of the day hunting and patrolling.

I was in a field.

A field that was on fire, fire that rose as high as trees around me, sent smoke that made me cough, made shadows that scared me. It was all around me. Everywhere I turned, fire! Where was the exit? Where could I get out? I looked around frantically, but there was nothing.

And then a silhouette of a cat came out from the flames. It was a she-cat, a ginger one. She stared at me with large green eyes and opened her mouth, uttering some words. I couldn't hear her, I tried to hear and lean closer to hear, but she was too far away. She disappeared, and I woke up.

Alone. Inside my den. I was shaking from the nightmare. I cursed bitterly; I had had them ever since I had become leader. Now my dreams had managed to make it to the part when the ginger she-cat would say something. If only I could have heard her…

And who was that cat? She seemed so familiar. Like I had met her somewhere. Maybe that was just because she looked so much like Squirreltail, I finally decided. That was it. I curled up into a ball and fell asleep again.

In the morning, I padded over to the warriors' den. Dragonheart was handing out instructions to the warriors of ThunderClan. I noticed that Nightcloud was not among them. Snowfrost, I thought bitterly. He's gone to see her. Ashenwind walked up to me.

"Nightcloud's gone?" she asked.

I sighed. "Yeah, to WindClan."

Ashenwind growled and unsheathed her claws. "He's such a furball," she snarled. "What a mouse-brain. I can't believe…" She dropped her voice – "…that he's seeing a cat from WindClan!"

"I know," I replied. "No good will probably come of it. But with Graystar – it worked out okay, didn't it? I mean, he got to come back to ThunderClan, too." I felt a terrible stab of fear – what if Nightcloud did end up living in WindClan? All I could do was hope he wasn't that stupid.

I walked over to the apprentices' den as Ashenwind exited the Clan to go on the dawn patrol. Creampaw and Ebonypaw were the only apprentices left.

"Glacierstar," mewed Ebonypaw, dipping his head respectfully, "where is Nightcloud?"

"He is hunting early," I lied. "I'll take you."

"Thank you." The dark gray tom had a strange personality. He was respectful, but I guess only to those who he thought deserved it. He was eager like Creampaw, but not excited all the time like Creekpaw. Like his sister, Mistypaw, he was quiet and kept to himself.

"Cool!" Creampaw leapt to his feet. "Come on, Ebonypaw, Glacierstar is really awesome. You'll learn a lot from her!"

I almost smiled – if I had a mouth. Creampaw often overestimated me, but it still made me proud. He was from one of Powderstripe's litter, and Bramblestar had given Powderstripe Glitterpaw, her daughter, to mentor.

"Come on," I mewed, leading them out of the Clan. We walked all the way toward the river close to RiverClan territory, and I let the apprentices begin to search for prey. I was pleased by the way that Ebonypaw caught a mouse, but when Creampaw tried to catch a thrush, he was still accidently sheathing his claws when he pounced.

"Sorry," mumbled Creampaw, getting this incredibly hurt, guilty look. I sighed. It was so hard to be mad at someone like Creampaw.

"Right." I stopped in front of a Twoleg walkway through the forest. "Do you smell anything? Dogs? Twolegs?"

"No?" Creampaw glanced uncertainly at Ebonypaw, who was already shaking his head.

"Okay," I mewed, swallowing at Creampaw's lack of confidence in his answers. "Do you think it's safe to cross?"

"Yes." This time Ebonypaw answered for Creampaw. I guess he felt a bit sorry for him. Like I said before, Ebonypaw is a strange tom.

"Good," I meowed, and the three of us traversed across the pathway. I guess Nightcloud had been doing a good job on Ebonypaw, but I couldn't help wondering if I'd have to take on both Creampaw and Ebonypaw's training by myself.

I stopped again, this time deeper in the forest. "I think it is time you were assessed," I mewed. Creampaw's eyes widened, but he still looked excited. "It won't affect you much in the future, but do try to do your best." I nodded toward the apprentices – mostly to Creampaw.

"What do we have to do?" asked Ebonypaw, looking unimpressed.

"Just hunt," I replied. "I will be silently watching you. Meet back at the Sandy Hollow when you think you have enough prey."

"Okay!" answered Creampaw enthusiastically. "Here we go!" He leapt into the bushes.

Ebonypaw glanced at me, I think he was fighting the urge to roll his eyes, before lunging into the bushes himself. I gave them a few seconds' head start before creeping into the shrubbery on the forest floor. I picked up Creampaw's scent almost instantly – he was not taking his time; already he had missed several mice. I followed him silently, sniffing out where he was, and stopped dead when I saw him right in front of me.

He was stalking a vole. I was pleased by the way he was stalking – I'll admit it was very good, and his claws were unsheathed. Maybe Creampaw just had stage fright. I watched as he froze suddenly as the vole started to turn his head away from its preening, but still the prey did not notice him. Creampaw suddenly leapt – I winced, it was way too early, he wasn't close enough. I was sure he wouldn't make it, but this vole was a bit stupid because it just stood there as Creampaw lunged and only reacted when he was just about to claw him.

Creampaw buried his prey and went to look for more. Creampaw was hunting find, but he needed to go slower. I wondered about Ebonypaw. I ducked silently away, into the shrubbery, following the dark apprentice's scent. I froze when I spotted him just ahead. The gray tom was just surrounded by places where he had buried his catches, and they were growing quickly. I watched him, very amazed at his skills. He'd be made a warrior in no time, I thought. Ebonypaw was a great, fast hunter. I wondered how he did in battle. Stop it, I thought suddenly. Creampaw is your apprentice. I shook myself bitterly.

Ebonypaw suddenly froze. His fur was actually bristling. But a second later, he was calm again as he looked around. "Glacierstar, I know you're there."

I was astonished. Now he had scented me! I crept out of my hiding spot, shaking leaves from my silver pelt.

"Very, very good, Ebonypaw," I mewed. "That'll probably be the apprentice catch of the day!" Ebonypaw purred with pleasure. "Keep going, remember, I'll see you at the Sandy Hollow."

"Right." Ebonypaw nodded. "I'll be done soon."

I padded back towards the Sandy Hollow, still wondering about Ebonypaw. Was it his natural skills that had made him like that, or was it his mentor, Nightcloud? I tried to remember who his father was, and then it came to me – Ravenfur. Ebonypaw and Mistypaw were the only living descendants of Ravenfur. His mate had been a beautiful light gray she-cat named Mountainwind, who had died because of an accident on a Thunderpath during a territorial fight between ThunderClan and ShadowClan when Ebonypaw and Mistypaw were only two moons old.

I sat down and waited for them at the Sandy Hollow. A few minutes later, both Ebonypaw and Creampaw appeared at the same time. The dark gray apprentice's catch outnumbered Creampaw by quite a few, but my apprentice seemed not to notice. He was looking incredibly proud of himself.

"Very, very good, both of you," I told them. "That'll feed the Clan well. Bring that back to camp and bring some to the elders, will you?"

Both of them nodded, unable to speak because of the fresh-kill they carried in their jaws. I lead them back to camp and watched as Rainwhisker, Sorreltail, and Shrewclaw praised them for their excellent hunting. I just hoped that Shrewclaw, being grumpy because he had retired early because of a very bad leg, wouldn't comment on the fact that Ebonypaw had caught more than Creampaw. Maybe he'd have the sense.

"Glacierstar." It was Leafstorm, padding up behind me. "I have something I want to talk to you about."

"Yes? What is it?" I asked, swallowing nervously. The look in the she-cat's amber eyes was not comforting.

"I had a dream last night," she mewed. I felt a jolt in my stomach. "It was…flames, mostly. It was so terrifying…" My eyes were incredibly wide now. "But then, a voice rang out. It said: 'I killed her.'"

My heart stopped beating.

I suddenly remembered Bramblestar's words, way back at Mothermouth. "The new leadership starts the prophecy. An old enemy will return in a unique form."

An old enemy…fire…the quote…

It couldn't be. Could it?

Not Flamestorm?

Oh, suh-weet! That was so well-written! Aren't the apprentices cute? I thought they were. Chapter five is the best one so far! Please, please review, people!