Chapter 10

Trees swayed around her and the fresh scent of prey floated by on the breeze. Blossompaw smiled, feeling strangely content in this serene forest. She shook her head of the happy fog and studied her surroundings. The trees were tall and mighty, much like the ones she had been told were on ThunderClan territory as a small kit, and as she had seen for herself once before.

She frowned, Where am I? She wondered, peering at the unfamiliar terrain. Another cool breeze ruffled her fur, and she lifted her head as it carried a smell she knew. Cat. She swiveled around to face a sleek, beautiful cream colored she-cat with silver swirled in her fur and stars dazzling her pelt. Blossompaw's eyes widened in surprise before she began studying the strange cat's face. The she-cat's radiant green eyes were full of worry and pain.

The pretty she-cat dipped her head towards Blossompaw, "Hello, I am Paledawn."

"I'm Blossompaw." Blossompaw meowed warily.

"I know." Paledawn replied simply.

Blossompaw smiled awkwardly, "If it's not rude, may I ask where I am?"

Paledawn let out a sharp laugh, although her eyes kept their look of pain, "Haven't you already guessed? You're in StarClan, Blossompaw."

Am I dead? Blossompaw panicked silently, looking herself over to see if she had the same stars in her fur that Paledawn had.

As if in reply, Paledawn smiled, "You're not dead." She reassured the worried apprentice, "You are still perfectly alive."

"Then what am I here for?" Blossompaw looked back up to meet Paledawn's green gaze.

"You're here so that I can give you a very important message that you mustn't forget." Paledawn replied, then stuck her nose in Blossompaw's face, "But first you need a good scolding."

Blossompaw recoiled, her face scrunching up into a scowl and she glared at the she-cat's pink nose, "What about?"

"Do you not remember giving an attitude towards Shadedbramble and disrespecting Twigbee? You really should listen to them; they know what is best for you." Paledawn sat back up.

"But they don't! I'm clearly in the right, since you came to me in my dreams! That means I have to be a medicine cat!" Blossompaw retorted.

Paledawn's eyes flickered with sadness for a moment and she shook her head, "Not everything is as it seems." The pretty she-cat meowed quietly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Blossompaw frowned rudely.

"Nothing." Paledawn quickly changed the subject, "You should not have talked to your authority that way. Mark my word, Blossompaw, your punishment may be much greater if you continue on the path you're on."

Blossompaw nodded mutely, thinking carefully about what Paledawn had just told her. I highly doubt it. She thought defiantly.

"Now, for the message! Listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you." The forest seemed to grow quiet, and Paledawn loomed over Blossompaw like one of the other trees in the now less peaceful forest. Paledawn's voice rang out like a million cats were all around Blossompaw, talking all at the same time, "The darkest river will turn the clans. Find the bison in the shadow, the bunny in the wind, the pebble in the river, the shattered thunder, the pond in the sky, and the palest star. Without these six things, there is no hope."

What? Blossompaw's brain felt muddled with all the information. How could she ever remember it all? It was so much, and it made so little sense! She opened her mouth to ask Paledawn to repeat it, but everything was turning into a swirl of color. Blossompaw felt herself get sucked back into the real world.

"Wait!" She cried out, struggling to stay in the forest, to find out if she really was meant to be a medicine cat. To find out what the message meant. She clawed at the grass, trying to cling to StarClan. But it was too late. She was fading, she would never get the chance. Paledawn gave her one last pitiful look before the whole world faded. And Blossompaw was gone.

Blossompaw gasped as her eyelids flew open and bright light filled her vision. She sat up as her surroundings started to clear up and she could see her denmates sleeping peacefully around her. She screeched quietly in frustration. Stupid StarClan! They're so vague; why can't they just tell us what to do, what everything means?

Blossompaw sat up and began tearing the old looking moss of her nest viciously. Her denmates lifted their heads groggily, and watched her with fearful eyes. What do I care if they think I'm crazy? Blossompaw glared back at them. She finally sighed and looked around, a scowl etched into her face, and she couldn't seem to get rid of it. It was early morning, and only the most restless cats would be up.

Blossompaw stood, ignoring the stares of her fellow apprentices, and padded out of the den. She breathed in deeply as she reached the crisp morning air. The camp was calm and cold, and only a few cats lingered in the open. The sun was steadily rising, it's golden light beginning to shine through the thin, bare trees and beginning to slowly warm the camp. Any cat could tell Leaf-bare had almost arrived.

Blossompaw moved towards the fresh-kill pile. Only a sad looking shrew and an old crow sat there. Blossompaw sighed and looked up at the sky, ignoring the tug of hunger in her stomach.

She looked around and spotted Dawnlight padding out of the Warriors' Den. His ginger and cream fur was ruffled and his eyes were still clouded with sleep. She padded over to the deputy briskly.

"Would you like me to go hunting?" Blossompaw asked Dawnlight, trying her best to smile, even though anger still lingered in her mind.

"I'm sorry, Blossompaw, but it's been decided that you have to stay in camp for a moon as your punishment for attacking that RiverClan apprentice." Dawnlight meowed unsympathetically, his frosty blue eyes hard and cold.

Blossompaw's shoulders slumped, "Oh." She meowed disappointedly. She turned away and padded back to the sad looking prey pile and picked up the scrawny shrew. She hunkered down and began tearing at the prey. The flesh was tough and almost frozen, and Blossompaw didn't enjoy it much.

When she had finally finished, almost every cat in the clan was awake. The sound of bustling, busy cats filled the camp, drowning out the silence of the morning. Dawnlight was ordering morning patrols, which earned him a lot of groans and grumbles. Twigbee was among those cats. He spotted Blossompaw and padded over, flicking his tail and nodding to her.

"I don't know if anyone told you, but you'll be confined for the camp for a moon." Twigbee sighed when he reached Blossompaw.

Blossompaw nodded, "Dawnlight told me." The thought of the deputy tom made her scowl.

Twigbee cast a glance towards the ginger and cream tom, "You also have to care for the elders." He looked back at Blossompaw, who groaned in response. A sad smile played on Twigbee's lips, "What did you expect, insulting Shadedbramble of all cats?"

"I don't know, maybe a stern warning?" Blossompaw muttered, swishing her tail irritatedly.

Twigbee laughed, almost the same way Paledawn had when Blossompaw had asked her where she was in her dream. "Good luck to you, Blossompaw. Don't get yourself killed while I'm gone." And with that Twigbee nodded to Blossompaw one last time before turning towards the entrance and padding away with a swish of his tabby patterned tail.

Blossompaw scowled after her mentor as he left. Get myself killed? Very funny. She thought furiously, I'm not that stupid! She huffed and stood up. She took care of the bones of her meal before making her way to the Elders' Den.

As she padded in, Snakepond, a diluted tortoiseshell tom, greeted her with a grunt, "Get over here and get this tick off my tail!"

Blossompaw sighed, "Hold on. I need to get mouse-bile from Nightspirit." She exited the den and muttered to herself, "This is going to be a long day."


Surprise! This chapter in Blossompaw's view, which I had fun doing, was even a surprise to me. I couldn't find any way to do this chapter differently, and it lets me deliver you the prophecy earlier rather than at the end of the book. So enjoy the mystery (I hope I didn't make it too obvious).

About my updates… I don't think I can make much of a schedule for them, so you'll get them when you get them. Since I'm on vacation for two weeks, you'll get them more often than usual. After that, I have no idea. I'll try my best to post at least one chapter every two weeks. Unless plans change, this is how I'm doing it.

I hope you… I say enjoy way too much... luxuriated in this chapter! (Thank you, )

Theoneandonlylonelypotato