Chapter 3

Icepaw's POV

Icepaw awoke in a forest and she looked around.

'Where am I?' She asked herself.

Just then a cat, much the same as Stonestar, appeared.

'Hello young Icepaw I am Mistycloud, Stonestar's mother.' She meowed.

'Hello Mistycloud.' Icepaw meowed. 'But how do you know my name?'

'I am a cat of Starclan, you would be surprised by the things I know.' She continued.

'Why have you come?' Icepaw asked.

'I have been sent to give you a prophecy.' Mistycloud meowed. 'Three half clan cats will hold great secrets and power, the power of the stars, they must find their mother and find their power within.'

'Half clan cat?' Icepaw asked. 'From which clan?'

'I can only tell you this, they are in Streamclan and will have different roles, one will be a medicine cat another a great leader and the last a loving mother and Warrior.' She meowed.

'Medicine cat?' Icepaw repeated. 'But Icewhisker doesn't have an apprentice.'

'True Icepaw but things change.' Mistycloud meowed.

Just then Icepaw awoke back in the apprentices den and she looked around. It was almost time for training. She looked over to where Brackenpaw and Silverpaw laid. She smirked and walked out of the den. She saw Birchheart just coming over from the Warriors den.

'Good morning Birchheart!' She greeted.

'Good morning Icepaw you are up early.' Birchheart remarked.

'Yeah.' Icepaw meowed. 'What will we be doing today?'

'Oh first go and wake Whitepaw up.' Birchheart meowed. 'Fallenheart had patrol today and asked me to get him to train with you.'

'Okay Birchheart.' She meowed and went back into the apprentices den.

She went over to Whitepaw who was asleep at the very back of the den and woke him up.

'Aw Icepaw what is it?' He asked.

'Your training with me today now come on Birchheart is waiting!'

Whitepaw got up, stretched and followed Icepaw outside where Birchheart waited. Just then Blossomheart came over, stood beside Birchheart and they smiled at each other.

'I have also asked Blossomheart to help me out today.' He meowed.

'Good morning apprentices.' She greeted.

'Morning Blossomheart.' Whitepaw meowed.

'Anyway today we will be doing some battle practice.' Birchheart meowed.

'Cool!' Icepaw meowed.

'Let's go then.' Whitepaw meowed.

Whitepaw followed Icepaw out of the clearing with the two warriors behind them.

Icepaw crouched down, while Whitepaw crouched on the other side of the clearing.

'Remember to concentrate.' Blossomheart meowed.

'Yes Blossomheart!' Icepaw meowed.

Just then Whitepaw jumped at Icepaw and knocked her to her back.

Icepaw struggled for a moment before pulling back her hide legs and pushing them into Whitepaw's belly. Whitepaw was launched back and fell down onto his back. Icepaw jumped up and crouched back down.

'Very good Icepaw.' Birchheart praised.

Icepaw smiled and forced back on Whitepaw.

Whitepaw slowly rose to his paws and glared at his sister.

'Oh it's on now sis!' He meowed and launched at her.

Icepaw jumped back just before he landed and jumped onto his back.

Whitepaw yowled in pain and struggled around.

Icepaw jumped off his back and smiled.

Whitepaw got up.

'Nice good Icepaw.' Whitepaw meowed.

'Yeah well if you were an enemy warrior you would be crow food by now!' Icepaw boasted.

'Icepaw!' Birchheart hissed. 'No good warrior boasts!'

'You both did do an excellent job though.' Blossomheart replied.

Icepaw sat back down and hung her head down.

'I'm sorry I guess I got carried away in battle…' She meowed.

Whitepaw went over and sat down next to Icepaw.

'Don't worry Icepaw.' He meowed.

Icepaw smiled at her brother, before jumped onto his back and the two apprentices rolled back and forth in the dirt laughing.

'Apprentices.' Blossomheart meowed and then sighed.

'Why don't you take Icepaw and go hunt and I'll practice with Whitepaw.' Birchheart suggested.

'But Icepaw is your apprentice.' Blossomheart meowed.

'It will be good practice for her.' Birchheart replied.

'Oh okay.' She meowed. 'Whitepaw! Icepaw!'

The two apprentices stopped rolling around in the dirt and looked at Blossomheart.

'Icepaw come with me, Birchheart wants me to teach you how to hunt.' Immediately Icepaw jumped up and walked over to Blossomheart.

'I want to teach you some more about battling Whitepaw.' Birchheart meowed.

'Okay Birchheart!' Whitepaw meowed.

Blossomheart turned around and walked away.

'Come on Icepaw!' She meowed.

Icepaw ran after the Pink she-cat and soon caught up. Icepaw noticed that Blossomheart was moving slower than usual and she was panting.

'Blossomheart are you okay?' Icepaw asked.

'Yes why?' Blossomheart asked.

'You are going a bit slower than you usually do and you are panting.' Icepaw meowed.

Blossomheart stopped and licked her stomach embarrassed.

'I'll tell you something but you can't tell Birchheart okay?' She asked.

Icepaw stopped and nodded.

'Icewhisker told me I'm going to have Birchheart's kits.' She meowed.

'Congratulations!' Icepaw squealed. 'But why don't you want Birchheart to know?'

'I'm scared he will get mad at me…' Blossomheart meowed slowly.

Icepaw started to laugh a bit.

'Blossomheart he will be thrilled!' Icepaw meowed.

'You think so?' She asked.

'You bet!' She meowed.

Blossomheart smiled.

'Okay now this is how you crouch okay?'

Blossomheart crouched down and stalked across the forest floor.

'You try!'

Icepaw nodded and crouched down.

'Almost.' Blossomheart meowed. 'Put your weight on your paws.'

Icepaw nodded and tried again.

'Perfect!' Blossomheart meowed.

Icepaw smiled and turned to Blossomheart.

Blossomheart sniffed the air and looked around.

She instantly crouched down and stalked over to it.

She jumped into the covering and came out a few moments later with a vole in her mouth.

'Okay now you try!' She meowed and dropped the vole carefully on the ground.

Icepaw nodded, lifted her head and sniffed the air.

Mouse! She thought and looked around.

Just then a small brown mouse stuck its head out of a bush, before disappearing again a few moments later.

Icepaw dropped into a crouch and slowly stalked over to it.

The mouse stuck up its head and sniffed. It scented Icepaw and started to run away, but Icepaw was faster, she jumped and landed on top of the mouse. She bit its neck and killed it.

'Thank you Starclan for this mouse that will feed my clan.' She meowed, picked up the mouse and went over to Blossomheart who was waiting.

'Good job!' She meowed. 'Did you thank Starclan for its life?'

'Yes I did that was one of the first thing mother taught us as kits.' Icepaw meowed.

Blossomheart smiled.

'Blossomheart?' Icepaw asked.

'Yes Icepaw.'

'How long till you have kitted?' Icepaw asked.

'Just less than a moon.' Blossomheart replied.

'Should you not be in the nursery then?' Icepaw asked. 'And shouldn't have Birchheart seen how big your belly has gotten?'

'Well I should be in the nursery and Birchheart hasn't noticed it yet.' Blossomheart meowed. 'Okay let's go and hunt, meet you back here when I have got some prey!'

Icepaw sighed and turned her attention to prey.

She buried the vole and mouse and ran off into the forest.

She stopped and sniffed.

She turned her head and saw a vole running though the undergrowth.

She crouched down and slowly stalked after it.

She jumped up and the vole sniffed before running off faster into the forest. She skidded to a halt and took off after it.

She got closer and closer and then jumped.

She bit its neck and the vole went limp.

She placed the vole down and sniffed the air again.

She lowered her head and tried to pinpoint a mouse. She crouched down and stalked over to a small bush. She jumped and pushed a mouse to its back and scratched its belly. She picked it up and went over to the vole she had put down. She placed the mouse next to the vole and dug another hole. She placed the prey inside and turned around.

She walked back through the forest with two mice and two vole and was on her way to get the prey her and Blossomheart had got. She stopped and placed the prey down. She dug up a hole and took out the vole and mouse that had been placed their early and looked around. She sniffed and found a cat scent. She looked around and then Blossomheart appeared with a vole and two sparrows.

'Wow you catch all that nice work!' Blossomheart praised and placed her prey down.

'Thanks Blossomheart!' Icepaw meowed.

'Here I'll help carry it.' Blossomheart meowed and picked up and picked up a vole and a mouse plus her prey.

Icepaw picked up the rest of it and together they walked off to camp. Icepaw looked around and smiled.

It's great to be an apprentice! She thought.

Soon they were at the Gorse tunnel and she stopped. Just then a White blur jumped out of a bush and tackled Icepaw down. Icepaw yowled and dropped her prey.

'Whitepaw you great lump get off me!' Icepaw hissed.

'Hey sis!' Whitepaw meowed and got up.

Icepaw followed and saw Birchheart had come out of the bush to and was with Blossomheart.

'Here we will help carry this.' Birch meowed and took a mouse and sparrow from Blossomheart.

Whitepaw picked up a vole and mice and Icepaw picked the rest of it and they walked into camp.

Mistheart came over to them as they entered and stared at the two Warriors.

'Wow did the apprentice catch all that prey?' Mistheart asked.

'No Blossomheart and Icepaw did actually; Whitepaw and I were doing some battle training.' Birchheart meowed.

'Well go and put that on the fresh kill pile and then get something to eat all of you.' The deputy ordered.

Icepaw bowed her head to the deputy and went over to the fresh kill pile. She dropped the mouse onto the pile and took the vole with her over to the apprentices den.

She looked inside and saw no one inside.

Must all still be training. She thought.

She sat outside next to the entrance and took a bit of the vole.

Whitepaw came over a moment later with two mice and ate one.

Just then Silverpaw entered camp with fresh-kill too. She was stopped by Shinyheart for a few moments before going over to the fresh-kill pile.

She dropped her prey and picked up a sparrow. She came over and sat on the other side of Icepaw.

'Hey Silverpaw!' Icepaw greeted. 'What did Shinyheart have you do today?'

'Hunting.' Silverpaw replied.

'Me and Icepaw were doing battle practice.' Whitepaw meowed.

'Cool!' Silverpaw replied. 'Oh Whitepaw, Shinyheart told me to tell you that you and I are going to the gathering tonight.'

'Awww.' Icepaw meowed. 'Too bad I can't go.'

Just then Brackenpaw and Leafpaw came over.

'Hey Silverpaw.' Brackenpaw greeted. 'You going to the gathering tonight?'

Silverpaw nodded.

'So are we.' Leafpaw meowed.

'Awww!' Icepaw meowed after finishing a mouthful of vole. 'Is Spotpaw going?'

Just then Spotpaw came over.

'No sadly not this time.' Spotpaw meowed. 'Looks like it's you and me tonight Icepaw.'

'Well at least I'm not alone.' Icepaw meowed.

'Don't worry sis.' Whitepaw meowed. 'You will most likely be going next time.'

'That's in a moon!' Icepaw whined.

'Don't worry.' Silverpaw meowed. 'I'll tell you all about it, I promise.'

Just then Stonestar yowled and Leafpaw and Whitepaw got up.

'Bye!' Silverpaw meowed and got up with Brackenpaw.

Silverpaw went over and stood beside Brackenpaw, who was behind Stonestar.

Icepaw finished her vole and looked around. Sorrelkit, Graykit, Firekit, Flamekit and Dreamkit were playing outside the nursery while Smallkit, Darkkit, Dustkit, Lightkit and Tinykit watched. Icepaw got up and went over to her other brother and sister as well as her old den mates.

'Hello Sorrelkit, Graykit, Firekit and Flamekit what you playing?' She asked and crouched down.

Just then Dremakit came from behide the nursery with a moss ball.

'We are playing with the moss!' Flamekit exclaimed.

Just then Dustkit jumped up and landed on Icepaw.

'Dustkit!'
Icepaw meowed playfully and then suddenly a pile of kits was on Icepaw. Just then Stripefrost and Bluedream came out of the nursery.

'Graykit, Sorrelkit and Smallkit what are you doing to Icepaw!' Stripefrost hissed and pushed them off Icepaw.

Icepaw got up and the pile of laughing kits were pushed to the ground.

'Don't worry mother they didn't hurt me.' Icepaw meowed.

'Well good but they should know better!' Stripefrost meowed. 'I mean they will be apprentices soon.'

'Yes Stripefrost but remember they are still kits.' Bluedream pointed out and nudged Lightkit to his paws.

Just then Icepaw yawned.

'Well I'm going to go and get some sleep night.' She meowed, licked her brother and sister's cheek, her mother's cheek and went over to the apprentices den.

Spotpaw was curled up at near the back of the den. Icepaw went to the very back and curled up.