"Hey, Frogpaw! Get up, Darkstripe wants you," meowed Graypaw, prodding me with a paw.

I jerked, awaking with a start. After rubbing my eyes with a paw, I turned to glare at Graypaw, noticing it was still dark out.

"Why does he want me this early?" I asked, blinking. "It's not even dawn yet!"

"You'll have to ask Darkstripe," Graypaw shrugged.

I sighed, standing up and giving my body a long, hard stretch, before padding out of the apprentice den. Looking up at the sky, I noticed that it was still night time, but there was a lot of clouds covering the stars. Was this a sign by Starclan, signaling their disapproval of the coming battle? I wasn't a medicine cat, so I couldn't say for sure.

Darkstripe was waking for me at the Highrock, and I noticed Whitestorm and Redtail were standing there with him.

"Well, Frogpaw, you took your sweet time getting up," meowed Darkstripe with a glare when he noticed me.

"Sorry," I replied. "I wasn't expecting to be awake so early."

"Nevermind that," He stated, indicating me to come closer with his tail. "Spottedleaf needs to collect herbs, and will need help carrying them back. You will go along with Sandpaw and Dustpaw to help her."

"You will be going along the border with Twoleg place," said Redtail, staring down at me with an inscrutable expression. "It will be your job to protect Spottedleaf while she is gathering herbs."

"I've been an apprentice for less than two days," I protested. "I don't even know how to fight yet!"

"Perhaps, but Sandpaw and Dustpaw do," Whitestorm pointed out. "If you do encounter an enemy warrior, it will be your job to guard Spottedleaf while Sandpaw and Dustpaw engage the enemy."

"Oh. Ok, I can do that," I nodded, before frowning. "What about the fox?"

"Don't worry about that," meowed Darkstripe. "Redtail has already sent a team of warriors to chase it out."

Redtail and Whitestorm padded off without saying anything else. I noticed that they walked over to the gorse tunnel, where Tigerclaw and Mousefur had just arrived back at camp.

"Where are Sandpaw and Dustpaw, anyway?" I asked, turning my attention back to Darkstripe.

"In the medicine den with Spottedleaf," he meowed dismissively. "You should get going there too."

I nodded, standing up to make my way to the medicine den, before Darkstripe stopped me.

"Wait, one last thing I forgot to tell you yesterday," He meowed, turning me around with his paw, before giving me a serious look. "Whatever happens, however our time as mentor and apprentice goes, I just have one standing order."

"Yes?" I asked, looking at him curiously.

"Don't embarrass me, and don't embarrass the clan," He meowed in a warning tone. "So long as you don't do that, we'll get along fine."

I blinked, surprised. That honestly wasn't what I expected. I was expecting an order like 'obey every order I give you' or 'worship Tigerclaw, for he is god' or something like that.

"Very well," I replied, nodding.

"Good," He nodded back. "Now go."

I didn't need anymore word than that, and padded over the medicine den. As Darkstripe said, Dustpaw and Sandpaw were already there. They seemed to be waiting while Spottedleaf tallied up all the herbs she needed.

"-and we're gonna need some more marigold for infection.." she was muttering under her breath when I walked up.

I had never been to this part of the camp before. It was a small grassy clearing surrounded by ferns. Near the back of the clearing was a great rock that had been split down the middle, large enough for a few cats to make their den inside of it, with some extra room for herb storage.

"Hey Sandpaw, Dustpaw," I mewed when I trotted up.

"Why are you here?" asked Sandpaw with a scrunched up nose.

"Redtail sent me," I mewed diffidently. "I'm supposed to help you with carrying herbs."

"Carrying herbs should be a job for you younger apprentices," Dustpaw mewed with a contemptuous look. "I don't understand why Redtail wont let us fight in the battle. How am I going to become a warrior if he doesn't trust me?"

"I don't think any Apprentice is made a Warrior after just one moon of training," I pointed out. "You just have to be patient."

"Wise words for an apprentice," meowed Spottedleaf, who had emerged from the den, before turning to Dustpaw. "You will get your chance to prove yourself, Dustpaw. Don't worry."

"Yes, Spottedleaf," Dustpaw mewed despondently.

"Everyone here?" Spottedleaf asked, looking around at us. "Yes? Alright, lets go."

Without another word, she dashed off, with us following in her wake.

OO\SCENE-BREAK-/OO

Surprisingly, the herb collection mission went off without a hitch, and when we got back to camp, I was carrying a stick covered in cobwebs in my mouth, while the other three had bundles of herbs in theirs.

After dumping the load back at the medicine den (Spottedleaf thanked us profusely), all I wanted to do was just go back to bed and sleep the coming day away. By Sandpaw's yawn and Dustpaw's slight stagger, I could tell they wanted to do the same. Thankfully it was still nighttime when we got back, but I noticed that the clouds had grown thicker. Was it going to rain? Had the battle taken place yet?

When I emerged from the frond tunnel that led to the medicine den, I was surprised to see that what seemed like every warrior was in the camp, sitting in front of the Highrock, which Bluestar was sitting close to. It seemed that she was about to call a meeting for the whole clan.

"Good, your back," meowed Bluestar when she spotted us. "With the herbs you have gathered, I know that Spottedleaf will be prepared for any injury tonight."

"Thank you, Bluestar," I replied, sitting down.

Without another word, Bluestar turned and leapt up to sit on the Highrock. "Let all those cats old enough to catch their own pray join here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting."

It almost didn't seem necessary for her to make the call, for almost every cat was already there, but Graypaw and Ravenpaw arrived from the apprentice den, and Tigerclaw and Mousefur arrived from the Warriors den. Spottedleaf arrived as well.

"You all know what tonight is about," Bluestar began. "Riverclan has staked a claim on Sunning Rocks, but tonight, we take it back!"

As if to punctuate her words, lightning suddenly flashed across the sky, and it started raining.

"Riverclan has devoted most of their Warriors to this offensive," Bluestar continued, undeterred. "So we must respond in kind. All of the apprentices will remain behind, as well as Longtail, Runningwind, and Darkstripe. Everyone else, you all know what we are fighting for. Sunning Rocks is ours, and Riverclan has no right to it!"

With those words, a great cheer rose up, and Bluestar leapt from the Highrock, running toward the gorse tunnel that led out of camp.

"Follow me!" She cried, and there was a great rush as almost every warrior followed her out of camp.

A moment later, the camp was almost empty, aside from the apprentices, and the warriors that had been left behind. And Spottedleaf.

As a cat, I hated rain. It drenched my fur and made my whiskers droop in a way that felt irritating. When I had been a child as a human, a rainy day meant I didn't have to feel guilty about staying inside to play video games all day. As an adult, it was a bit more annoying, as it meant I couldn't go anywhere, as I didn't have a car.

But as a cat? It was the worst, most annoying thing I had to put up with, made even worst by the fact that it was only just dawn in late Leafbare, so before long I was shivering the morning away.

"I suppose you three should go and get some rest in the apprentice den," meowed Darkstripe, who was standing nearby. He seemed unaffected by the rain and the chill. "We will wake you up if we need reinforcement."

"Thank Starclan," mewed a sleepy Sandpaw, who was shivering in the chilly rain next to me. "I was afraid I'd have to stand here in the cold rain all morning!"

Dustpaw just nodded, too stiff from the cold.

And so, the three of us stumbled over to the apprentice den, where it was a bit dryer, and we settled into a cold, fitful sleep, bundling up close to each other to conserve heat.

OO\SCENE-BREAK/OO

It was a stillness in the air that woke me up what seemed like an hour later. The rain had stopped, and when I emerged from the apprentice den to look up at the sky, I noticed that the rain clouds had broken up, with blue sky appearing between them, getting brighter every moment.

Dawn had come and gone, so I walked over to where a narrow shaft of sunlight hit the ground. The sun warmed me up immensely. I looked around the camp, checking to see if any warriors had come back from the battle, but it seemed that the battle was still going on. Runningwind, Longtail, and Darkstripe were sharing tongues at the base of the Highrock in a pool of sunlight, and it seemed that none of them had noticed me.

I lowered my head to drink from a pool of rain water that had formed on the ground after the rain, and angled my head towards the gorse tunnel, where returning warriors would appear when the battle was over.

Willowpelt was the first to return. After her kits had become apprentices, she had decided to return to service as a warrior, but perhaps her skills were a bit rusty, as I noticed that her ear was mangled and she had a gash on her left shoulder.

Willowpelt immediately went over to Spottedleaf's den when she arrived. I suspected she hadn't noticed me.

Whitestorm and Mousefur arrived next. They seemed relatively unharmed, but Whitestorm was limping, his hind paw had a bit of blood on it, and Mousefur was supporting him on that side. They too went straight for the medicine den.

Redtail bounded into the camp next, and he went straight to the Highrock, speaking to the three Warriors there. They got up, and Darkstripe padded over to me.

"Frogpaw, we're heading out to assist with the retreat," He meowed stiffly. "Wake up the other apprentices, and the queens as well. Tell the them to be on high alert for enemy warriors."

"Does that mean we lost?" I asked pensively.

"Redtail didn't say," Darkstripe replied shortly, padding off without another word.

I shrugged, and walked off to enact his orders.

The apprentices were difficult to wake up, as they were all still very tired. Of the five of us, only Graypaw and Ravenpaw didn't look dead on their feet. Sandpaw was so exhausted that she didn't even spare a snarky comment as they walked out of the den.

While they wandered off to sit next to the Highrock, I went over to the Queens den. It was only Frostfur, Brindleface, and Goldenflower left in the Queens den.

When I entered the den, Frostfur looked up sleepily. "Oh, hello Frogpaw, back already?"

"Not at all," I said calmly, stifling a yawn. "Redtail wants everyone up and on the alert for enemy warriors."

"Oh dear," said Goldenflower from nearby, looking at me with concern. "I take it that the battle didn't go well, then?"

"He didn't say," I said stiffly.

"Thank you, Frogpaw," said Brindleface crisply, her eyes blinking from sleep. "You've done your duty. Now get out."

I didn't need anymore warning than that.

After I emerged from the queens den, I noticed that more of the warriors had returned. Bluestar was back, and she was talking to Redtail and Lionheart near the Highrock. A moment later, Darkstripe and Longtail emerged from the gorse tunnel and padded over to Bluestar. The other apprentices were sitting nearby.

I wanted to get closer, to hear was Bluestar was staying, but she robbed me of that chance, for the next moment she turned and leapt up to the Highrock.

"Let all those cats old enough to catch their own pray join here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting," she called.

It didn't take long for everyone to arrive, as almost everyone was already there. I looked at Bluestar, wondering what she would say. It was pretty clear that Thunderclan had lost the battle. I wondered what Bluestar would have to say about that.

"Tigerclaw is dead."

Shock rippled through the clan at the news, but perhaps no one was more shocked than I. Tigerclaw was basically the one who caused everything that happened to happen in the original story. Well, almost everything, Brokenstar and Scourge had done some stuff, but Tigerclaw was really the true antagonist of the story.

And he was dead.

"Tigerclaw died bravely confronting Crookedstar himself," Bluestar was saying. "Unfortunately, Crookedstar proved himself his match, but lost a life in the process."

A moment later, I noticed Runningwind pulling Tigerclaw's body into the camp through the gorse tunnel, before dropping him near the base of the Highrock, the other cats giving way to him.

After Runningwind dropped Tigerclaw's body, several members of the clan stepped forward to lick the dark brown tabby cats dusty fur, purring hushed words as they groomed him one last time.

I stood still where I was, shock still running though my system. Tigerclaw was dead. What did that mean for the future of the clan? The future of the forest?

"Ravenpaw will be sad," mewled Graypaw from behind me.

"Yeah," I muttered quietly. "Bluestar will have give him another mentor, I wonder who it will be?"

"Maybe Longtail," Graypaw replied. "He hasn't had an apprentice yet."

"He only completed his training a month ago," I meowed curiously. "You honestly think he's ready?"

"I don't think Runningwind wants an apprentice," Gray replied with a yawn. "And Mousefur… I don't think she has the right temperament for one."

I yawned myself, stood up, and gave my body a good stretch. "Maybe Bluestar will train him."

Graypaw stood up himself. "I doubt it, she usually only trains the kits of deputies."

"So Redtail's kits then," I replied, following him into the apprentice den. We were still rather tired after all.

"Yeah," Graypaw replied as we settled in to sleep. I was still somewhat tired, so I fell asleep almost as soon as my laid my head down to rest.

What seemed like but a moment later, I woke up, as suddenly and quickly as if someone had splashed water on me. The first thing I noticed was that I no longer appeared to be resting on a soft bed made of moss, but instead I was curled up on what felt like loosely packed earth and gravel.

I opened my eyes and looked around in shock; instead of being greeted with the sight of the interior of the apprentices den, I appeared to be in a sandy hallow in the side of a ravine. Getting up and walking out farther into the ravine, I looked around, trying to get a sense of where I was.

As I spied what looked like a large rock jutting out of the ground with a tree broken over it, I realized with a start that it was the Highrock, the one that Bluestar would jump onto to call meetings from.

I was still in the Thunderclan camp. And it looked like in the time between I had gone to sleep, and the time I had woken up, someone had come along and utterly wrecked and ruined it. Almost all of the vegetation was gone, as if a twoleg had come through with with a weed-eater and cut it all down, leaving the sides of the sandy ravine bare and lifeless, the nursery, the warriors den, the apprentices den, the elders tree… all gone.

The only part of the camp that seemed to remain intact was the medicine cat's den, but that made sense, as it was just a crack in a large stone.

My ears twiched… I couldn't have been asleep that long, could I have? I didn't think I could have slept through something like that…

I started when suddenly, a cat emerged from the medicine cat's den. The cat was rather large and plump, with shaggy, speckled-gray fur. He had frazzled whiskers, a matted tail, and watery pale blue eyes.

I stared at him with wide eyes as he made his way over to me.

"Worry not, young one," He meowed in a soft, almost whispery voice. "You are dreaming."

"Dreaming?" I replied hoarsely, looking around again. "If that's the case, what an awful dream!"

The cat chucked. "Indeed."

"Who are you?" I asked, before realizing I was being rude. "I mean, sorry… you're a cat from Starclan, right? If this is a dream?"

"Yes, you're correct, young one, Starclan has sent me to visit you," The can replied with a purr. "I am Goosefeather, a former medicine cat of your clan. I've come to give you a warning."

"Goosefeather? Why does that sound familiar?" I asked, before racking my brains, trying to remember where I had heard that name before.

A moment later, I remembered. "Wait, weren't you that cat who was seeing all the dead cats?"

"Yes," Goosefeather replied, before giving me a considering look. "Though I don't recall ever informing anyone else in the clan about that particular talent of mine."

Shit! Did I really just blurt that out loud? I could feel a tense ball of dread form in my stomach, and I wondered how on earth I was going to explain how I knew that-

"Calm down, young one, you have nothing to fear from me," I heard Goosefeather meow, and a moment later I realized I had bared my teeth and risen my hackles at him, while simultaneously taking several steps backwards, as if I was getting ready to flee.

For several moments, I just looked at him, unsure of how to react. I had basically just admitted that, somehow, I knew things that I shouldn't, but I wasn't sure how to explain how I knew these things.

Oh, I read about you in a novella.

What's a novella? What's reading?

Oh, a novella is like a short book…

What's a book?

um-

"Come with me, young one," Goosefeather meowed, interrupting my train of thought. He turned and made to leave the ravine.

Broken out of my reverie, I made to fallow him. "Where are we going?"

"To Fourtrees," Goosefeather replied over his shoulder. "Or rather, to what remains of it."

"Why?"

Goosefeather looked at me as we ran. "Because, young one, we have much to discuss."