Flamepaw widened her eyes open. She saw grass sway in front of her as she heaved herself up. She swiveled her head around, studying her surroundings. She pricked her ears as she heard paws padding toward her.
Her eyes lit up with grief, happiness and regret as Thornspots padded out of the trees beside her. He smiled his eyes unreadable.
"Thornspots!" She gasped happily, taking a step closer, only to be stopped by his questionable gaze.
"It is nice to see you, but I was meant to come and ask you something." He mewed seriously. Flamepaw opened her mouth hurt, but nodded.
"What is it?" She asked, still eager to talk to him. He looked her dead in the eyes.
"Can you make a promise, and hold it for the rest of your life?" His eyes filled with curiosity.
"Well, if it was for a good reason, yes I would." She replied cautiously. Thornspots nodded.
"Will you promise to never harm another cat, even if it was for your clan?" He tilted his head. Flamepaw tilted her head confusingly.
"Uh, I don't know why you want me to make this promise." Her voice shook. Thornspots paused for a moment, before finally replying.
"It's for me." Flamepaw's eyes widened, her eyes clouded with confusion.
"Well, I guess I can keep that promise, if it was for you." She mewed softly. She looked up to see Thornspots glaring at her.
"The prophecy has been set." He announced. Flamepaw tilted her head confusingly.
"What?" she asked. Flamepaw started to get dizzy, the world around her darkening.
"A promise can make a cat stronger, or the weight of a pledge that is broken will corrupt and crumble a cat's soul." Thornspots mewed before Flamepaw felt darkness surround her once more.
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Flamepaw startled awake, the dawn light pouring into the den and onto her face. She shook her head vigorously. She had no idea what had just happened. She remembered the prophecy though. It was clearer than anything, as well as the promise she had made.
She had a sickening thought that she would regret making the promise. She felt Ashpaw lift his head next to her.
"Are you ok?" He asked, his deep blue eyes clouded with worry. She looked from him to Tidalpaw, her sister.
"Come on, I need to tell you and Tidalpaw something." She rasped. She jumped over to her sister, prodding her in the side with her paw. Tidalpaw lifted her head up and mewed sleepily.
"What?" She tilted her head.
"Come on, follow me and Ashpaw." She whispered to her as she headed out of the den. Fog filled the clearing and swirled around her paws. She shivered at the cold of dawn. She led the two other apprentices out of camp and into a bramble thicket. It was big enough for the three as they crawled in.
"What is this about?" Ashpaw grunted as he tucked his paws underneath his chest.
"I had a" she paused to look for a word. "-dream." She finished. Tidalpaw sighed with exhaustion.
"We all have dreams!" She snapped. Flamepaw looked at her.
"Thornspots was in it. He made me make a promise then said a prophecy has been set. I have no idea what he meant!" She shook her head confusingly.
"What was the promise, and the prophecy?" Ashpaw looked curiously and intently at Flamepaw.
"I-I made the promise to never hurt another cat, even if it was for my clan. And the prophecy was, a promise can make a cat stronger, or the weight of a pledge that is broken will corrupt and crumble a cat's soul." She shivered as she repeated word for word what Thornspots had said.
"You should have never made that promise!" Tidalpaw gasped.
"He said it was for him! He was my best friend! I had to make the promise!" She argued.
"He's only an elder." Ashpaw mewed
"He was always there when I was a kit!" A tear fell down Flamepaw's face as she remembered the sweet and kind elder.
"Maybe StarClan sent him to tell you that because they knew he was close to you." Tidalpaw suggested.
"Maybe, but it just doesn't make sense!" Flamepaw wined.
"What doesn't?" A deep growl sounded from outside the bush. Flamepaw crawled out to see Eagleclaw.
"A-A game." Flamepaw gulped. Eagleclaw was the meanest trainer in camp. Everyone knew that.
"Get back to camp!" She growled at the three. They all together padded back into the camp clearing. Flamepaw turned around to see that Eagleclaw was glaring at her. She quickly broke his gaze, turning around.
Why is she looking at me like that? Flamepaw wondered as she joined the other apprentice's gossip group.