Chapter 3

Badger! Gingerpaw turned and saw the huge black and white animal staring down at Icepaw.

"Icepaw run!" Gingerpaw hurled into the badger's stomach.

Icepaw backed away and headed back down toward ThunderClan territory. Gingerpaw ran after her.

"We have to tell Brackenstar." Icepaw mewed.

"But then he'd know we skipped training to go to the Moonpool." Gingerpaw mewed.

"Who cares!" Icepaw hissed.

"I do! Brackenstar might let it affect our warrior ceremony."

"Gingerpaw, we aren't even seven moons. Our warrior ceremony is not for many moons."

Gingerpaw rolled her eyes as she ran further into ThunderClan territory.

Starheart and Shadowtail ran into them.

"Uh-oh," Icepaw hissed. Shadowtail was her mentor and Starheart was Gingerpaw's.

"Where have you been? Amberfoot had Cloudtail send out search patrols for you!"

Starheart looked at them anxiously through her one eye.

"We're sorry, Starheart." Icepaw mewed.

"Gingerpaw, come with me." Starheart mewed.

"But what about the -" Gingerpaw started.

"I'll tell Brackenstar about the badgers."

"Badgers?" Starheart stared nervously.

"Uh-huh," Gingerpaw mewed.

"Shadowtail, bring her back to camp." Starheart mewed.

Shadowtail nodded and flicked his tail for Icepaw to follow.

"Gingerpaw, where were you?" Starheart questioned her apprentice.

"I was at the Moonpool."

"Why?" Starheart stared curiously at Gingerpaw.

"I had a dream. A starry black she-cat was there." Gingerpaw mewed as she thought of her dream.

Starheart stared wide-eyed at Gingerpaw. "Did she have icy-blue eyes and rings around her tail?"

Gingerpaw nodded, "Do you know who it could be?"

"Moonstream," Starheart stared at the stars slowly appearing in Silverpelt. "She was my daughter."

Gingerpaw stared at her mentor's face. She suddenly looked so sad, Moonstream must have died. "I'm sorry,"

Starheart looked back at Gingerpaw, "What else?"

"Well, you were there." Gingerpaw went on. "I was there as a kit, drowning in the Moonpool."

"And I saved you and brought you to Amberfoot and Dewspot. Right?"

Gingerpaw nodded. "How did you know?"

"It happened." Starheart mewed as she thought back to the day she found Gingerpaw as a kit.

"It did! I'm not from ThunderClan?"

Starheart padded off, leaving Gingerpaw to think of what Starheart just told her.