Chapter Three

No! This couldn't be happening. But sure enough, as she opened her eyes, the sky was blood red. Even the sun, rising above the golden line that was the horizon, was a bleeding red. She groaned. Aspensun had told her. They either waited for a sign from StarClan, or until the skies were blood red. As StarClan had said. And now her worst nightmare was becoming reality. She had no idea where to go. What to do.

But all of a sudden, she was running. Gasping. As if a monster were chasing them. She could scent three other cats around her. And each cat was from a different Clan. But she had no idea who the cats were. The four ran fast. Faster than any normal cat. Faster than the wind. They pounded over rolling dunes of sand. Through a thicket of trees. And into wasted fields they went. And past that. Past the Twoleg nest into a Twoleg camp. They stopped in a dark pathway between to Twoleg nests and then a yowl rang eerily around the empty Twoleg camp.

"Moonpaw!" Came the familiar voice.

Before she knew what was happening, she was being jostled awake by a silver paw. Bright sunlight hit her eyes. She sat up quickly, her breathing quick and shallow. What had happened? Then she remembered. It was only a dream.

"Moonpaw!" Came the voice again, as Mistypaw came into Moonpaw's view. "What happened? Are you okay? You were fidgeting as much as a kit who wants to stay outside!"

"I'm fine," Moonpaw replied, somewhat blankly, more to calm herself than to reassure Mistypaw. "It was just a dream."

"Okay," Mistypaw answered uncertainly. "C'mon, we have to get moving before Silvermoon takes our fur off."

Moonpaw nodded her agreement and followed Mistypaw. Her paws were sore and weary, and she felt as if she had just run across the vast spread of Silverpelt. Her mind drifted back to the dream. It was a dream, wasn't it? It couldn't have been a message from StarClan.

"Moonpaw?" Mistypaw's mew broke through to Moonpaw.

"Huh?" Moonpaw instinctively replied.

"Moonpaw, what's up with you?" Mistypaw rolled her eyes. "I just asked you if you want to go hunting or practice our fighting skills! Silvermoon told us that we could take a break."

"Uh… hunting," Moonpaw blurted out without knowing what she was saying.

"Okay, let's go then," Mistypaw sighed. The she-cat bounded over to Silvermoon and said something before coming back to Moonpaw.

The two padded out of camp and into the forest. By some silent agreement, they headed toward Reflecting Waters. They managed to make a small catch and brought it back to camp.

-

A shadow loomed behind her, blocking out the sun. Gasping in terror, she tried to run. Her legs moved, but she couldn't go forward. She was stuck in place. A yowl escaped her, but a swift paw muffled it up. She tried to claw whatever monster was trying to take her, but she could never hit it.

She was lifted up by the scruff of her neck off the ground and the monster started moving forward. "Help!" She cried, but no sound left her. "Just kill me already!" She hissed to the monster, but still, no voice could escape her. She felt as if something was stuffed in her mouth, keeping her from speaking.

"Help! Help!" Finally, some sound managed to come out. But it was soft and muffled. She was sure no one could hear it.

"Shush Moonpaw," A soft voice floated to her ears.

She finally opened her eyes for real. And saw that there was no monster taking her. It was merely Silvermoon, Seastar, and Aspensun. Silvermoon was carrying her and Seastar had blocked her from making any sound with his tail.

"Why?" She asked hoarsely. They were nearing Aspensun's den.

And then, she saw why. The sun had just started edging up. And the sky… the sky was red. Blood red. Not the usual pink and reddish-pink mixed in with other colors. No. It was red. Blood red. Just like in the prophecy. Her worst nightmare was becoming reality. And this time, it wasn't a dream.

"No," She moaned. She closed her eyes, hoping that whens he opened them again, she'd find out that it was really just a dream.

But when she opened them, she only saw the sky. "No…" The moan dragged on, as if it'd never stop until the day she joined StarClan.

"Shush Moonpaw," Silvermoon repeated. "We're almost there."

"Put me down," Moonpaw complained. "I can walk. I'm not a kit anymore!"

Despite Moonpaw's complaints, Silvermoon didn't set the apprentice down. They entered Aspensun's clearing and then set Moonpaw down. Two almost identical shapes slid out of the shadows and stood guard by the entrance, just in case Moonpaw decided to make a dash for it. Moonpaw recognized Iceheart and Stormcloud. Her father and her older brother.

"Do you know why you're here?" Aspensun asked.

"'Cause the skies' red," Moonpaw answered, bored.

"Yes, as the prophecy said. You must be on your way. StarClan has told me that they will guide you. That we are not to aide you in any way," Aspensun continued. "But they allowed me to supply with these herbs and with the knowledge of knowing what herbs do what." The she-cat pushed a piling of herbs wrapped in a leaf toward Moonpaw, and proceeded to go down a list of herbs that Moonpaw might find important on her journey. "And that is all that I can give you."

"Thank you Aspensun," Moonpaw meowed respectfully. Under the medicine cat's piercing gaze, she managed down the bitter tasting herbs.

"That should quell your hunger for a while," Aspensun explained. "We are to bring you as far as the Shadowed Sands. And then you'll have to fend for yourself."

Moonpaw nodded. Silvermoon, Seastar, Iceheart, and Stormcloud stood up, and then arranged in a guarding formation around Moonpaw. They hurried silently out of camp and into the woods.. They soon reached the Shadowed Sands. Where the forest joined with the shore. The Shadowed Sands were always cold, forever shadowed by the trees.

Moonpaw touched noses with each cat, saying good-bye, before they watched her bounding out onto the Fields of Sand, and soon she was no more than a speck on the horizon.

(A/N: I'm not writing this for my amusement... Review please! Well... maybe I AM. But still...)