Flamepaw opened an eye. She was laying on the muddy, slimy ground. She heard voices whispering. Flamepaw quickly got to her paws, and creeped over to a scrawny thorn bush. She ducked through a small patch, where there was no thorns, and quietly sat down.

No one would ever see her! She squinted, and made out two tom cats. They reeked of crowfood. Flamepaw struggled not to gag. The mud caked to her paws, making it hard for Flamepaw to stretch her claws.

Flamepaw leaned forward, trying to make out what the two toms were saying.

"Yeah, he should be coming tonight." One tom hissed, lunging to bite his opponent of the shoulder.

The other tom ducked, "He better! Tigerstar is going to have the meeting tonight and he wants everyone there."

Flamepaw's eyes widened. So, this was the Dark Forest. Why else would Tigerstar walk these grounds?

I wonder who they're talking about? He sounds important.

The two toms, obviously done practicing battle moves, began padding towards a blackened river. When they were out of sight, Flamepaw crawled out from the thorns. Her paws were bleeding from stepping on the sharp points.

Flamepaw quickly licked away the blood. She nearly choked as soon as she was done. The stench was overbearing.

I really need to wash!

Flamepaw suddenly realized something. She was dreaming!

If I'm dreaming, then why am I here, again?

Flamepaw let her paws guide her. Not really knowing why she was in this place, she began to look for an entrance to Starclan.

When Bluestar rescued me here as a kit, it was like she just appeared. Maybe I could appear in Starclan!

Flamepaw pushed the idea away. Besides, she needed to wake up! Her clan would would be worried sick when they couldn't find her!

Suddenly, the memories came rushing back. She had been pushed off of the ravine, by Shadowheart!

My own mentor! Wolfstar will have to believe me! She must!

The memory of the fire and the crackling flames played in her mind. Seeing the world rush by, then feeling the intensifying heat. Then everything going black.

I'm not dead. I'm not evil. So, there's a reason why I'm here.

Flamepaw sniffed around, exploring, until she came upon a pool. The pool was filled with murky, brackish water. Flamepaw dipped her paw in. Immediately, the water cleared and Flamepaw could see a reflection in it.

She peered closer. Wait! This isn't a reflection, I'm actually looking at Thunderclan!

Flamepaw could see the shapes of her clan huddled together out in the rain. Flamepaw put her face right next to the water, she had to see what her clan was doing. If they were all safe.

Flamepaw watched as a scene played out before her.

A golden she cat was tracking a dark colored cat. She tracked him without him even noticing a scent. Suddenly, he came to a halt at the top of the ravine.

"Oh Flamepaw, your sister isn't the only one who can keep a secret." He whispered.

Flamepaw leapt back from the pool in surprise. The cat was Shadowheart!

Why was he saying that? What did he mean?

The pool became murky once again, leaving Flamepaw to stare at a brown mud hole.

Flamepaw's heart was beating fast in her chest. Shadowheart had said that Sharppaw wasn't the only one who could keep a secret!

Her sister would never hide anything from her! Once Sharppaw had apologized, the two sisters had acted like, well, sister's again.

Flamepaw cleared her mind once more. She scoured her mind for another memory of Shadowheart. One immediately came to mind.

He said once I'm dead, the prophecy won't come true. So, he definitely was trying to kill me. I'm not worried about that right now, I just want to know, the prophecy. And what does Sharppaw have to do with it?

Flamepaw began to sink her claws into the squishy earth in frustration. Why was everything so difficult? Why did she have to be in a dumb prophecy that Starclan hadn't even told her about yet? Why was her own mentor trying to murder her?

Flamepaw sighed then turned around. A surprise greeted her. A surprise that made her neck fur rise in fear.

A large, dark brown tabby tom grinned, showing his blood stained teeth, "Well, well. What do we have here?"