Chapter 2

"A Wide Eyed Owl."

3/6/17 - 3/7/17 - 3/8/17

"Are you serious? She has a short tail?"

Swiftpaw nods, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

"It was disgusting! I mean, no respecting cat would have a tail as short as hers."

Owlpaw swallows his frog. "Nobody can help how their born, Swiftpaw."

"Says you! We're the perfect cats."

Owlpaw rolls his eyes bids his brother goodbye and leaves for his mentor, Patchflower, who is put on patrol to hunt. Owlpaw sticks close to Patchflower. He tries to ignore the strange voices from his dreams two nights ago.

"Beware the ancient enemy of cats, Owlpaw." "Run, Owlpaw! Run, before she gets you!"

Honestly, what does that even mean? I must've eaten a bad newt…

"Owlpaw!"

The light brown tom looks at Patchflower in alarm. "What?"

"You just let that lizard run past you!"

Owlpaw's ears flushed as the hunting patrol snickers at his embarrassment.

"This is the third time you've been distracted, and until you snap out of it you can go back and clear out the elder's nests."

Owlpaw reluctantly nods and pads away as the other cats watch him go. His anger rises in his throat.

Patchflower didn't have to do that in front of everyone. What is she trying to prove to me, or them?

The entirety of ShadowClan seems to have a problem with Owlpaw. He knew as a kit that they didn't seem to like him for his lithe shape and his momentary daydreaming.

But it was always because of one thing: Nobody knew who Owlpaw's father was.

Splashpelt never disclosed who her mate is, to this day she never mentions him. She never even told Owlpaw or his littermates, Swiftpaw and Mosspaw.

"Why are you even thinking about it? You're my kits, that's all it matters."

Mosspaw and Swiftpaw accepts Splashpelt's reply, but Owlpaw didn't. He sees it as an excuse, although he never presses his mother for the truth, it bugs him when cats like Dewpaw and Patchflower point that out.

Owlpaw pads inside of the elder's den and approaches Harewhisker and Waspsting.

"Do your nests need cleaning?"

Waspsting grunts. "Dewpaw already cleaned mine out, Harewhisker's nest, too. Did Patchflower send you back?"

"... Yes."

"Young cats these days. If you were my apprentice I would've smacked you until you stopped this daydreaming nonsense!"

"I think Patchflower is the problem." Harewhisker sniffs. "That cat's standards are set up too high, like she's perfect. I don't know why Heatherstar didn't give Owlpaw to a more experienced warrior."

"It's Heatherstar's word, that's how the warrior code goes."

Owlpaw suddenly becomes uncomfortable with being inside the den.

"I'll just go now…"

"Goodbye, Owlpaw." Waspsting said. "And don't be too hard on Patchflower!"

Owlpaw leaves with a sarcastic remark he refuses to say out loud. He approaches the fresh kill pile and prepares to take a bite out of a frog-

"Snow of the rose…"

Owlpaw stops and looks around for the source of the voice.

"Snow of the rose and night of the falcon, spider woven in web of lies, a restless owl and towering beech. All must go to the mountain and fight the ancient enemy of cats or risk the fall of the Clans forever."

Owlpaw bristles his fur with horror. "Who is this…?"

"Move, Owlpaw!" The said apprentice is pushed aside by Dewpaw as the dark grey tom snatched up a lizard.

"Don't just take up the food for yourself!" Dewpaw flicks his tail and pads away. Owlpaw grunts as he gets back up.

What did that voice mean?

Owlpaw feels even more confused than before. He notices a shadow over his left and sees Kestrelwing.

"Welcome back, Owlpaw. On another one of your daydreams?"

The ShadowClan medicine cat's tone wasn't mocking, and Owlpaw knows that Kestrelwing wouldn't be intentionally mean to him. In fact, maybe the mottled brown tabby can help him with his promise.

"Kestrelwing, you can interpret messages, right?"

"... I'm a medicine cat. That's almost my job."

Owlpaw coughs and asks to go inside the medicine cat den. Kestrelwing and Owlpaw settle in the den before the apprentice spoke up again.

"I've been hearing voices in my head… Not, like, a crazy cat. But it started out in my dreams, and now it's speaking to me when I'm awake."

Kestrelwing stares at Owlpaw with curiosity and nods for him to continue.

"Since the dream I've been trying to find out what they meant. That's why Patchflower sent me back here, because I got too distracted."

"Do you still remember what the voice said?"

"Yes. It was 'Snow of the rose and night of the falcon, spider woven in web of lies, a restless owl and a towering beech. All must go to the mountain and fight the ancient enemy of cats or risk the fall of the Clans forever'."

Kestrelwing blinks and takes a long breath.

"That sounds like a prophecy, Owlpaw. But why would StarClan send it to an apprentice…?"

Owlpaw's eyes grow wide and stands up. "What does it mean?"

"I'm not entirely sure." Kestrelwing replies honestly. "One part with a restless owl is obviously you, since you're the only cat with the name Owl… Although."

Owlpaw nods vigorously.

"I have heard of a cat in ThunderClan named Snowkit, so she might be part of it, and I recall Sootdust asking for medicine for a new apprentice named Beechpaw."

"You think they could be-?"

"Owlpaw!"

The light brown tom hisses with annoyance when he hears Patchflower's voice. First she's tired of him, and now she wants him.

What is this she cat's problem?

Kestrelwing whispers to him. "We cannot share what we've discussed. And until StarClan sends you another sign, don't mention this to anyone."