Autumnpaw lashed out a paw, triumph flared through him as the squirrel fell limp in his paws. He picked up his catch-one vole, two mice, two sparrows, and the squirrel, and padded towards camp. As soon he emerged from the bramble barrier, all the cats in the clearing was nowhere to be seen. He looked up and saw the clouds were the colour of blood. Autumnpaw dropped his prey at the fresh-kill pile and padded to his den. The other apprentices were already curled up in their nests. Blizzardpaw suddenly snored, and Moosepaw turned over to swat him. Autumnpaw twitched his whiskers in amusement. He carefully stepped over the sleeping To-Survivors and reached his nest. He settled into the soft moss and closed his eyes. 

He opened his eyes to find himself lying on a patch of soft clover. He raised his head and saw a cat beside him, his nose twitching as he sniffed him. Autumn recognized the cat at once. 

"DAD!" Autumnpaw shrieked. He leapt to his paws and pressed his nose against his dead father's. 

"Autumnpaw! I have missed you!" Snowwhisker purred. His eyes sparkled with starlight. 

"But....."Autumnpaw pulled away and stared into their sparkling green depths. "Why did you summon me?"

"I have to discuss with you about something," Snowwhisker whispered. 

"What is it?" the air suddenly felt cold, even if the sun was warming down on his pelt. 

"Your destiny is not to become a warrior." Snowwhisker whispered in his ear. 

"What? I want to be a warrior! I want to be the best warrior in the clan!" Autumnpaw protested. He resisted the urge to yell at his father. 

"It's your destiny.......to become a medicine cat." Dawn slipped over the pale blue sky. Snowwhisker was fading. 

"No, Snowwhisker! Don't go!" Autumnpaw leapt at his fading green eyes. But, he was gone, and he blinked. He was back in the To-Survivor den. Quillpaw and Pinepaw were knelt over him with worried eyes. Autumnpaw looked in his nest and saw that all the moss was shredded, like if he scratched them in his dream. 

"Autumnpaw! Are you okay?" Pinepaw gasped. His green eyes filled with fear. 

"We saw that you were like if you are leaping, and we heard you calling for Snowwhisker."Quillpaw flicked her thick, bushy tail. 

"Yes." Autumnpaw heaved himself to his paws. "I must tell Pantherthroat something." he pushed past the two To-Survivors and padded over to where Pantherthroat, Rippertooth and Blazebranch were sharing tongues. 

Pantherthroat looked up as he neared. "What is it?" she asked. 

"Hi!" Blazebranch dipped his broad head. 

Rippertooth looked at him, his eyes sparkling. "You did well yesterday," he meowed, "you certainly will feed the clan!"

"Thanks!" Autumnpaw purred. He turned to the black she-cat. "I need to talk to you in private."

"Okay." Pantherthroat rose to her paws and headed for the exit. "What is it?" she asked as they reached the thickest part of the forest, where no Survivor would overhear them. 

"I had a dream from my father."Autumnpaw sat down, keeping his gaze on the pile of yellow leaves in front of him. Will Pantherthroat be angry at me for turning to a medicine cat?

"Snowwhisker! Is he alright?" Pantherthroat's eyes lit up. 

"Yes, he's alright. But, he has told me something...... important." Autumnpaw didn't want to use the word 'sad'.

"Really?" Pantherthroat asked.

"I...... have to be......." Autumnpaw could hear his heart pounding against his ribs.

"You have to be what?" Pantherthroat cocked her head to one side, her gaze sharpened with curiosity. 

"I have to be a medicine cat!" Autumnpaw blurted out.

"What!" Pantherthroat jumped up, her fur spiking. "Why?"

"He says that my destiny is supposed to be with Birchswirl."

"Alright then. I will be very sad to lose such a excellent To-Survivor. But if that is what The Tribe Of Endless Hopes want that, I will let you. You have to face your destiny." Pantherthroat's eyes glistened with emotion.

Autumnpaw swallowed. He didn't want Pantherthroat to be so sad. "It's okay! I can watch you everyday from the medicine den!" he encouraged.

"Okay......" Pantherthroat padded out of the thicket. "Let's go tell Omenstar.