As the last rays of sunlight began to peek through the tree branches, Glowingstar leaped onto a large rock used for meetings. She gazed at her clan, that were eating a late dinner, or lazing about on a tree or in the dry grass that hasn't been given water for days. She cleared her throat, about to announce a very important meeting, one that might change Emberclan forever.

At the same time, Falconpaw bounded out of the apprentice den, trying to run away from Foxpaw, another apprentice that had an obvious crush on him. Her long, reddish-brown fur waved in the breeze as she chased after him. Both skidded when they heard the leader yowl, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highrock for a clan meeting!"

They trotted to the large silver boulder that jutted out of the mountain they lived under. Emberclan lay in a small forest just underneath the Snowrocks, what they called the mountain. The dry leaves rustled as the cats came together, waiting for Glowingstar to speak.

"There have not been kits in a few moons," she began. "Creamrose, Sandtail and Sunflower are all nursing their own kits. So I have decided something." With a glint in her eyes, she leered at her clan. "All cats must have a mate by the next moon."

Confused mewls wavered through the cats as they wondered if that was a smart idea. They looked back up at Glowingstar as she continued.

"If you don't have a mate by the next moon, I will..." Glowingstar thought for a moment. "Well, how about I let you figure that out?" she padded back to her den, which was located in a hole inside the mountain behind the Highrock.

Falconpaw and Foxpaw looked at each other nervously.

"What will we do?" Foxpaw meowed. "She didn't say anything about apprentices!"

Falconpaw made a face. "I hope she doesn't mean us, too! I mean, if she did, that would be disgusting! Apprentices having mates?"

"She's gone crazy."

Falconpaw and Foxpaw turned to see Hollypaw, another apprentice with gray tabby fur and bright green eyes.

"Hi, Hollypaw!" Foxpaw mewed. "I wonder what all the warriors are gunna do now? They look like they're panicking. Is a mate really that bad?"

"I don't know," Hollypaw shrugged. "I'm only an apprentice!"

Falconpaw opened his mouth to say something else, when his mentor Hawktalon, a large tom with broad shoulders, padded up to him.

"Hey, Falconpaw!" he meowed. "Wanna go train your hunting?"

Falconpaw looked back at Hollypaw and Foxpaw, then replied. "Sure, Hawktalon! Let's go!"

They both padded out of the camp, their paws making crunching noises against the crisp yellow grass that covered the ground. The trees around them rustled in the wind, their brownish-green leaves crackling noisily. A small noise in the dead leaves made Falconpaw flinch, and he ran in that direction, pouncing on the leaves. Something ran out, and he pounced again, landing on its tail. It was a mouse, struggling to escape Falconpaw's clutches. He bit it, and it quickly died.

"Nicely done, Falconpaw!" Hawktalon meowed, his tail waving back and forth with satisfaction. "You'll be a fine hunter someday!"

"What about a fighter?" The smell radiating off of the mouse was almost too much for Falconpaw to bear, and he shook as he resisted the urge to swallow it whole.

Hawktalon chuckled, "You'll be a good fighter. Even if you aren't, you'll have to fight anyway." He pawed at a dry yellow leaf on the ground.

Sighing, Falconpaw sniffed the for more prey. The heat made the air stuffy and hard to detect anything edible. He set his mouse on the dry ground, his tongue dry and sticky. "I'm thirsty."

"We all are, Falconpaw," Hawktalon meowed. "There's some moss next to this tree. How about we pick up some water from the lake and deliver it to camp?"

"Okay!"

Falconpaw and Hawktalon tore some moss from the tree and trotted to the lake that everybody used for water now. Tideclan was starting to get greedy, and wouldn't share their lake their camp was on.

The two cats padded south, dry moss in their mouth. The hot sun beat down on their fur, making them slow down and squint in its bright rays. The lake that now belonged to Tideclan seemed to taunt them, sparkling and rippling. Falconpaw and Hawktalon kept walking, trying to ignore the dryness in their mouths and the glare of the sunlight. Finally, the lake was out of sight and they reached shade from a small patch of woods.

"Can we stop?" Falconpaw whined. "I'm tiirreed..."

"Quiet," Hawktalon meowed through his moss. "It's not too far now. Warriors don't complain, remember? If-"

"-you complain, you get sent to the Dark Forest and are forced to watch all your friends and kin die, I know, I know," Falconpaw twitched his ears as he remembered the story his mother used to tell him when he was hungry. He put the moss down between his paws, and tried to put some saliva in his mouth to keep it damp. Unsuccessful, he put the moss back into his mouth and stood up. Hawktalon did the same and began to trot out of the woods. Falconpaw followed.

Soon, the sun went down to the other side of the Snowrocks, and the sky began to turn a deep indigo. The air began to get hotter and smelled like crowfood as they got closer to the other lake.

They reached the lake and dipped their paws into the cold, refreshing water...

"OUCH!" Falconpaw yelped dropping his moss on the grass as he leaped out of the lake. "The water's really hot!"

Hawktalon also stepped back, and noticed the water was bubbling and steam was billowing off of the surface. A large dead animal rotted nearby. "Falconpaw..." he meowed nervously.

"Yes?"

"I don't think this is a lake." he meowed as brown liquid squelched below his paws.