Chapter 5

The next morning, Thorncloud awoke to the emptiness of the warriors' den. Despite the fact that nothing in the camp had changed since her trip to Fourtrees, there was a different feeling in the air as she emerged into the clearing.

Looking around, nothing seemed out of place. Rainstar sat under the Highrock, having a morning meal as she watched over the camp. Owlpaw, Twigpaw, and Ivypaw played by the gorse tunnel as they waited for their mentors to join them for training. Barktail watched over her kits by the nursery as they rolled around. Leafkit pinned down her sister Daisykit and Daisykit squealed.

Then Thorncloud spotted Blizzardpelt just inside the entrance to the elders' den, chatting with Pinetail, a blind tom with beautiful brown fur. Her gaze shifted to Copperfur, sharing a chaffinch with Berryleaf. Her shoulders sagged. This early, it would usually be her that Copperfur ate with. He was turned away from her now, and didn't see her as she padded towards the camp exit.

Ivypaw jumped toward her as she approached the tunnel that left the camp. "Thorncloud! Thorncloud!" the little cream-coloured she-cat meowed. "We're being assessed in hunting today!"

"That's wonderful, Ivypaw," Thorncloud said, forcing a smile onto her face as she sat with her tail curled around her paws. "I'm sure you'll make SnowClan proud!"

"Windheart said that if I do well, I'll be a warrior in no time!" she boasted. She ran around in a circle, unable to contain her excitement.

"I know you will - all three of you," Thorncloud said. "Make sure to tell me all about it later, okay?"

"We will!" Oakpaw said.

Nearby, Thorncloud saw Tallfeather emerge from his den. He lit up when he saw her, and padded over. "Good morning, Thorncloud. Good morning, apprentices," he said.

"Hi, Tallfeather," Thorncloud said. Lately it felt as if the wise medicine cat was her only close friend.

"Are you heading out?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," Thorncloud answered. "I haven't anything specific to do today."

"Then I'd be grateful for some help collecting herbs." Tallfeather glanced at the apprentices. "If I can tear you away from these troublemakers for a little while."

"We're not troublemakers!" said Twigpaw, lifting his chin proudly.

"Of course not," Tallfeather said. He looked expectantly at Thorncloud. "Well? What do you say?"

"I'd love to help." Thorncloud stood, stretched her hind legs, and shook her ears. "I'm all ready if you are."

The two made their way through the tunnel, Thorncloud saying goodbye to the apprentices over her shoulder. They climbed the ravine where the camp lay and the young warrior let Tallfeather lead the way to find his supplies.

As they walked, Thorncloud realized they were headed towards Twolegplace. "During leaf-bare, I ran through my supply of catmint because of the greencough breakout," Tallfeather explained when she asked why they were going that way. "There's some in the gardens outside the Twoleg nests. If you're okay venturing that far," he added, casting a glance sideways at her.

Thorncloud nodded. She had never been inside the fences that separated the Twoleg gardens from the forest, but she was curious. She had no idea that Tallfeather had been there before. "Then we'll see if we can find some juniper," the medicine cat continued. "Yarrow would be good, too."

They walked in a heavy silence. Thorncloud kept glancing around, as if expecting to find some sign from StarClan about her dream. Bumblestripe, the RainClan warrior, was on her mind. His shocked face when she spoke the same prophecy that he had dreamed was imprinted on her mind.

"Tallfeather?" she asked suddenly.

"Yes, Thorncloud?"

"Have you ever heard of two cats having the same dream?"

At her words, the medicine cat slowed down, until he finally came to a halt. They were near the Twolegplace now, and the trees were beginning to thin. Thorncloud felt exposed as she stood there, waiting for his reply.

"I have heard of two cats having similar dreams, or hearing the same message from StarClan," Tallfeather said slowly. "Though when this happens, it is usually shared between a leader and their medicine cat." He looked at her thoughtfully. "Is this about your dream from the other night?" Thorncloud nodded. "Are you able to tell me more?"

Thorncloud hesitated. Should she tell him that she spoke with an enemy warrior, who shared the same dream as her? She wasn't sure if she had broken the warrior code. She couldn't get in trouble for just talking to another clan cat, right?

Tallfeather laid down, settling amongst the leaves as he sensed there was a story for him to hear. Thorncloud mimicked his relaxed pose, and tucked her paws underneath her. "I remember more of my dream," she began, and recounted for him the fact that she had been at Highstones. She left out Bumblestripe for now. When she spoke the words of the prophecy, Tallfeather's eyes became distant, as if searching for something very far away.

"You don't know who sent this dream to you?" he asked.

"No," Thorncloud said. "But like I told you before, she smelled familiar."

"A SnowClan cat?"

Thorncloud thought hard. After a moment, she nodded. "Yes, I think so."

"Hm." Tallfeather fell silent again. Thorncloud wasn't sure how long they sat there, Tallfeather staring at something she could not see. Finally, he shifted, and his eyes refocused on her. "Thorncloud, I have told you since your first vivid dream that it isn't common for regular clan cats to receive dreams from StarClan. This dream in particular troubles me. However, if it was a SnowClan scent you recognized, and this was indeed a message from StarClan, I can only assume it was a former SnowClan cat who passed away."

Thorncloud nodded. "But if I knew the cat, I would have been able to know her name from her scent."

"Maybe you didn't know her… but she knew you," Tallfeather said.

Thorncloud's whiskers twitched as her curiosity spiked. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well… You know that your mother died when you were a kit," Tallfeather said slowly. He watched her carefully as he said this. "My first thought would be that it was her you scented in your dream."

Thorncloud lifted her head. "My mother?" she repeated. "You think my mother sent me a message from StarClan?" But then why would Bumblestripe receive the same message from her? she thought.

"It's possible," Tallfeather said. By the way he watched her, Thorncloud wondered if he recognized that there was something she wasn't telling him. "But it's just a thought." He got to his paws and arched his back. "Think on it. If she visits you again, let me know. But Thorncloud, don't let this dream consume you. You're young, and you have many duties within the clan. Those should be your priority."

Thorncloud stood, and twitched her ears irritably. "Do you think my dream isn't important?" she asked, unable to keep her annoyance out of her tone.

"No," Tallfeather said. "But I must admit, if this was something pressing for the clan, why would StarClan not send it to me or Rainstar? After all, we communicate with StarClan more than anyone in the clan." He met her eyes, and in them Thorncloud saw him pleading for her to understand.

This just made Thorncloud more irritated. "Yes, I know you and Rainstar are more important to StarClan then me," she said.

"Thorncloud –"

"Let's go find that catmint," she interrupted, starting off towards Twolegplace again. Now she regretted speaking to Tallfeather. Even if this dream wasn't significant to him, it was to her. She knew she needed to decipher the message, whatever it took.

It didn't matter if Copperfur and Tallfeather and all of SnowClan didn't help her. She had to talk to Bumblestripe again, and the Gathering was too far away to wait.