Chapter 3

Bramblestar ran through the forest, trying to get to the moonpool as fast as he could. I need to save the five clans. Finally, he bounded up to the moonpool. He hadn't been here since he received his nine lives moons and moons ago. After taking a moment to catch his breath, he laid down and touched his nose to the cold water in the pool. He waited and waited for a dream, but nothing came. It seemed like forever until he left the pool.

It was dark, and empty. Starclan was not here and neither were any of the clans. Bramblestar hesitantly opened his eyes and saw green twoleg pelts set up all around the Thunderclan camp. They were all throughout the territory. Bramblestar continued to the lake, where there were more water monsters than he had ever seen buzzing on the lake surface. He climbed a tree to the very top. For as far as he could see of Thunderclan territory, there was only green pelts, twolegs, and fires. Fires? Bramblestar panicked. He saw no cats anywhere. He waited there for Starclan for what seemed like forever. The night started to come out and the forest got dark. He hear twolegs loudly yowling and fires crackling. He looked up and saw a black sky. Silverpelt was nowhere to be seen. It was the most terrifying sigh Bramblestar had ever seen. Starclan had left the lake. He waited for an ancestor's voice but heard none. He was terrifyingly alone. All five clans were no longer here. They had no life here anymore. Five had become none.

Bramblestar awoke, panick shook him. He came to a grave realization. Starclan wasn't here anymore. Starclan had deserted them and left them with a strange prophecy that he didn't understand. Thunderclan was alone. He was alone. Bramblestar hurtled through the forest, carrying a message too urgent to wait. He arrived in camp, a wild look in his eyes.

"Jayfeather! Where's Jayfeather?" He yowled into the camp, needing his medicine cat right away.

"What's all this racket?" Dustpelt groggily stepped out of the elder's den from an afternoon nap. He was taken aback when he saw Bramblestar standing there. Jayfeather emerged from his den.

"Jayfeather! We need to talk!" Bramblestar led the blind medicine cat into the woods. Once he was far enough from camp, he stopped.

"Starclan has left the lake! Oh it's so terrible! We're alone. They're gone."

"Starclan…is gone?" Jayfeather mewed, panic swimming in his blind eyes.

"Yes! I dreamt that I was in camp but there were green pelts all over the place! No cats anywhere! I climbed the sky oak and waited for night. The sky was black. There was no silver pelt. No cat spoke to me. I was alone." Bramblestar explained his dream, his voice shaking.

"Without our warrior ancestors, what is the warrior code? And without the code, what are we? A bunch of rogues? Bramblestar, how are we going to ever find them again?"

"I don't know. But we have to. We may have to go over the mountains. But can we really spare the cats to go?"

"Well you tell me. You're the leader here. I think we have to. It's our duty." Jayfeather pointed out. Bramblestar dipped his head, then awkwardly remember Jayfeather couldn't see.

"Thank you. I will have to decide what cats to send. If this involves all the clans, shouldn't they be involved too? Jayfeather, I want you to do something for me. Can you walk in the dreams of the other medicine cats and spread the message? See if they've had any dreams?"

"Of course." Jayfeather responded, although he didn't seem to enjoy the idea of walking in dreams. The two powerful cats padded back to camp, a secret weighing down their shoulders that no one else in the camp would be able to know about. Bramblestar decided to visit Squirrelflight, that would surely cheer him up. As soon as he entered the nursery, it struck him how large she was becoming.

"Bramblestar." Squirrelflight's warm mew seemed somewhat distracted.

"Hi." He brushed his snout against Squirrelflight's flank. They shared tongues and gossiped over clan news for what seemed like a very short time.

"Er, Bramblestar? Do you think it's time for Dewpaw, Snowpaw, and Amberpaw's final assessment? They've been training hard for many moons now." Bumblestripe had poked his head into the nursery. Bramblestar had forgotten about the assessment. He had been wanting to perform it days ago, but the prophecy had distracted him.

"Oh yes of course it's time for them. Go take them on their assessment." Bumblestripe dipped his head and went to gather the apprentices. When Brightheart's three kits became warriors, there would be no apprentices until another moon when Frost kit would be made a 'paw. Then there would be Squirrelflight's kits. Warmth filled Bramblestar when he thought of the stubborn ginger she-cat. Four tumbling kits that would be his. His own kits. And it's about time.

"I have to go organize some patrols. Bye." He left the nursery and stood in the middle of camp. All of the warriors were in camp, except for Cherrytail, Bumblestripe, and Whitewing, who were out for their apprentices' final assessment.

"Dovewing, take a hunting patrol near the Shadowclan border and Thornclaw, take one near the Windclan border. You choose your cats. Cloudtail, Lilypool, Seedpelt, and Brackenfur, take the dusk patrol. Sorreltail, Leafpool, Hazeltail, and I will be on the dawn patrol." When he finished, the cats in charge of the hunting patrols began to collect cats to take with them. When the two patrols set off, he decided that it would be nice to bring some fresh kill to the elders, as the apprentices were not here. He fetched a mouse, a water vole, and a blackbird and carried them to the den. Bramblestar dropped them in the middle of the den.

"Hello, Dustpelt. Sandstorm, Graystripe." He greeted them warmly as they each took their pick.

"Where's the apprentices? Don't you have better things to do?" Dustpelt questioned his leader.

"They're out on their assessment, soon we won't have any apprentices, so us warriors are going to have to get used to apprentice duties." He said with a mrrow of amusement.

"That makes sense. It'll be a while before Squirrelflight's kits become apprentices and Frostkit will need some help." Graystripe mewed as he ripped into the blackbird he chose.

"So is there anything you need? Mouse bile, new moss?" Bramblestar asked, feeling like an apprentice.

"No, I think we're alright. Thank you, Bramblestar." Sandstorm said as she selected the mouse, leaving Graystripe the water vole. Bramblestar dipped his head to the elders and left their den. He spotted the three apprentices padding into camp, their jaws full of fresh-kill. It will be a good new leaf. If we survive long enough. He exchanged a quick nod with Bumblestripe to confirm they did well and it was time for their warrior names. Bramblestar clambered up to the high ledge.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the high ledge for a clan meeting!" he yowled. Cats began to emerge from their dens, and the two hunting patrols returned, dropping a good amount of fresh kill onto the pile.

"Starclan look upon these three apprentices. They have trained hard to learn the ways of your noble code and to defend and protect their clan at all costs. Dewpaw, from this day forward you will be known as Dewpelt. Snowpaw, from this day forward you will be known as Snowfall. Amberpaw, from this day forward you will be known as Amberfur. We welcome you as full warriors of Thunderclan."

"Dewpelt! Snowfall! Amberfur!" Thunderclan chanted. Brightheart and Cloudtail looked up at their kits proudly. Bramblestar dipped his head to the new warriors and scrambled off the high ledge. Did Starclan even hear the ceremony? Did they even know anything was happening? At sunrise he would know whether Thunderclan was in this alone or whether other clans were involved too. Most of the cats started to retire to their dens, the quarry emptied quickly. Bramblestar padded into his den and let sleep overcome him.