CHAPTER 8

"Cherrylight! Spruceclaw!" Icepaw cheered. He felt a twinge of jealousy that he was still an apprentice, but shook it off. The new warriors deserved it.

Icepaw padded up to his friends. "Congratulations." he purred.

"Yeah. Now we can boss you around!" Spruceclaw teased.

Icepaw nudged him. "Yeah, right." he mewed. "At least I don't have to sit vigil in leaf-bare!"

Cherrylight puffed out her chest. "I don't care. At least now I can lead patrols, not follow them!" she purred.

Runningkit and Rosekit bounced up to them. "I bet Hailstar will make you two our mentors!" Rosekit said. Icepaw felt a pang of sympathy. Mousekit was in the medicine den with whitecough, but his condition was worsening rapidly. The kits didn't quite understand that their brother might not make it to see newleaf.

"Icepaw!" Dewpelt called."Half-moon tonight. You and your sister are going to see the Moonstone, and Blackfoot said you're both allowed in."

Icepaw purred."Great!"

"Oh, Icepaw, you'll love it!" Cherrylight said. "You go in, and it's all dark, but StarClan guides the way, and you can hear them, and..."

Spruceclaw rolled his eyes, and Icepaw's whiskers twitched. Being a warrior hadn't changed anything about the she-cat. He headed to eat Blackfoot's bitter concoction of traveling herbs, Cherrylight on his tail.

Harsh, cold winds buffeted Icepawand his sister.

"How do BreezeClan cats live like this?" Spottedpaw hissed.

"It's not usually like this." Blackfoot admitted, shaking snow off of his black forepaws.

"I should hope not!" Cloudspot muttered.

They crested a hill, and Icepaw gasped with astonishment. Below and behind them, Icepaw could see all of BreezeClan and DarkClan territory, and beyond.

"Do you see that cave?" Dewpelt asked.

"Yeah."

"That's our destination." Dewpelt mewed.

"In there?" Spottedpaw asked, an edge of fear in her voice.

"It's not that bad." Blackfoot reassured.

"Every apprentice goes at one point or another." Cloudspot agreed.

They bounded down the hill.

I'll be going here again. Icepaw thought proudly. When I come to receive my nine lives as StormClan leader!

Blackfoot led the way into the cave. The already cold air became even chillier, and the cats packed tightly together.

Icepaw tensed when he heard countless cats whisper his name, and brush against him, even though the others were further ahead.

But he remembered what Cherrylight said. Wondering how her vigil was going, he relaxed.

"Here," Blackfoot mewed. The cats stopped, and waited.

Suddenly, the moon shone down from an unseen hole in the roof, and it illuminated a beautiful, dazzling stone.

"Touch it with your nose, ad lie down." Cloudspot explained from beside him. Icepaw obeyed, and flinched when his nose hit the cool surface.

Icepaw's eyes shot open, and he was shocked to see himself in a lush forest. "Whoa!"

"Icepaw." a brown tabby appeared, and reached to touch Icepaw's nose.

Icepaw jerked back. "Who are you?" he asked, staring at the shimmer on the cat's pelt.

"A StarClan cat." the tom responded, looking down.

"Really? What's it like up here?" Icepaw asked.

"Endless hunting, constant warmth." the tom's eyes darkened. "You see everything, but can mostly say nothing."

"What? Mostly?" Icepaw asked.

"Oh, young one, you've much to learn. You have a great destiny planned out for you, but can you manage to hold its weight?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"I must go, " the tom responded, his brown tabby fur fading. "Your sister is here as well, and I need to speak with her."

"Wait!" Icepaw called, but the forest disappeared, and he was thrown into blackness.

Icepaw woke and looked around. The cats were stirring, and soon Spottedpaw awoke. Icepaw could just make out his siter; her eyes were bright.

Dewpelt and Cloudspot soon awoke, followed by a disgruntled Blackfoot. He led them outside.

"That was great!" Spottedpaw burst out. "I met-"

"Shh!" Blackfoot hissed. "You are not supposed to speak of your dream unless the Clan needs to know."

"Oh." Spottedpaw looked down. Her stomach grumbled.

"Are you hungry?" Icepaw teased. "Or is your belly talking for you?"

"We're all hungry." Dewpelt mewed.

"I can catch more fish if you'd like." Spottedpaw suggested, loooking at a frozen lake nearby.

"No, no, that's okay." Blackfoot said.

Icepaw shrugged. "It'll feed us."

"How about we wait and catch some squirrels and mice?"

"Fine," Spottedpaw said dejectedly. Icepaw rubbed against his sister's flank. "I knew no one liked my fish."

"It's okay." Icepaw mewed. "I liked them."

"Icepaw, Spottedpaw, keep up!: Cloudspot called. Icepaw trotted up some, Spottedpaw trailing behind.

"Dewpelt caught us a rabbit."

"Really?" Spottedpaw asked, impressed. Dewpelt nodded.

Icepaw's mouth watered, and they ate quickly.

"Delicious!" Spottedpaw said.

"Best prey I've had since greenleaf!" Cloudspot agreed.

"And that's why BreezeClan refuses to leave." Dewpelt explained proudly, licking his lips.

"They hunt way out here?" Spottedpaw exclaimed.

"Back over that big hill; that's the border." Blackfoot said. "Can we go?"

The cats good, but Dewpelt paused, mouth open. " Dog."

"What?" Cloudspot asked.

Sure enough, a big black brute came lumbering towards them.

"Lead it towards the lake!" Cloudspot yowled. Cloudspot, being the fastest of the cats, sprang away, the dog on her tail. Dewpelt and Icepaw followed it, while Spottedpaw helped Blackfoot haul himself up a tree, soon joining them.

Icepaw's blood rushed in his ears, and he pushed himself forward. At the last moment before hitting the lake, Cloudspot veered away, and the dog tumbled onto the ice, which shattered it, of course.

"Run!" Dewpelt ordered. Icepaw obeyed without question.

He ran by the tree, calling Blackfoot.

He hurtled down the tree, following them. They ran over the hill, and stopped inside an old, dirty barn.

Icepaw looked around warily.

"It's okay." Blackfoot panted. "It's abandoned."

The cats collapsed onto their sides, and Icepaw was grateful for the dry floor.

Eventually, Spottedpaw left, and came back with a mouthful of snow. She dropped it in front of them, and they lapped it up gratefully.

"Thanks." he purred.

After resting some more, Dewpelt stood up. "Let's go, now, in case the dog wants revenge."

Despite their exhaustion, the cats forced themselves to begin the long trek home.