The wind was becoming colder against the cats whiskers. Just after Leafbare, the wind around the lake were still awfully cold and fought it's way through the branches of the forest which still bared leafless, naked branches, yet no snow on the ground. Two cats padded through the forest, one smaller than the other. Their paws silent on the forest floor, making them seem like sentient shadows. But the silence was broken by—
"You...alright?" a tiny mew sounded from the smaller cat who slightly started to move closer to the bigger cat. "Want me to help y—"
"No, keep moving! Or else we're gonna be late!" hissed the bigger one, sending the smaller cat crawling back to his previous position further back. The big cat ignored the apprenice until they padded into a clearing as she decided which way to go now. The big cat was a gray she-cat who bared a violent scar over her right eye. The moonlight hitting her fur made it seem so much more brighter than it actually was. She looked over her gray shoulder and back at the smaller cat who had caught up with her; a scrawny cream tabby tom with wide green eyes.

Jaggedeye looked at her new and first apprentice, who followed her every step: Hollowpaw. He was awfully anxious and sometimes would act in unexplainable ways. That was probably why Swiftstar, their ShadowClan leader, made him a medicine cat apprentice. There would be too much work to make him a warrior with that nature. Not that Hollowpaw seemed to be against that, he hates fighting and chasing after prey every day.
Jaggedeye turned her head away and started walking again. The padding sounds behind her told her that Hollowpaw was still following her.
'There's absolutely nothing to worry about!' growled Jaggedeye to herself, sending a rumble down her throat. She has tried to soothe Hollowpaw before they headed out, but he still seemed as anxious like before, giving Jaggedeye the reason not to try again.

After a few minutes of wandering, Jaggedeye could make out the lake between the space of the trees. As they neared the shore and padded along it into stranger territory she saw the halfbridge. 'Not much further now to the Great Sycamore. Duckpad said we could meet halfway to the Moonpool if we wanted.'
Jaggedeye glanced back at Hollowpaw again. He was still in good speed with her's, but she could make out that he shivered along his legs, tail, and spine, but she did not know if it was from fear or the cold wind that blew across the lake that made him shake with cold. Just a few sunrises ago the lake was still covered with ice, but now all of it was gone.
"We're gonna meet some other medicine cats on the way. So please, try to act somewhat brave." meowed Jaggedeye. Now that she said it out loud that may be too much to ask from Hollowpaw.
The tom blinked as he stared into Jaggedeye's only amber eye. Then he nodded slowly and made an approving sound, or so Jaggedeye hoped.

As agreed, Duckpad and Dustpaw, the ThunderClan medicine cats met them at the Great Sycamore in ThunderClan territory. Both of them greeted Hollowpaw happily, who most likely had taken Jaggedeye's word for granted and acted braver than he actually was. The now four cats continued on their way through the dark forest. Duckpad and Jaggedeye was in the lead while Dustpaw and Hollowpaw were behind them having a chat of their own.
"He's a nightmare. Hollowpaw is hopeless...he can't stand the sight of even a small cut and not only that, he dosen't even know how to bind a wound correctly and how many days have it been since he was made my apprentice? Almost a moon!" explained Jaggedeye quietly, while Duckpad listened to her rant calmly.

"It's fine, Jaggedeye" Duckpad reasured, putting her tail lightly on Jaggedeye's shoulder. "Sure, he seems a bit jumpy for no reason, but he will get better. Dustpaw was a bit like that too, but look at him now; always having a smile while helping his Clan!"
Jaggedeye looked over her shoulder at the two apprentices who was getting along nicely. Dustpaw seemed to be a good impression cause Jaggedeye could make out Hollowpaw sneaking a smile, but it quickly disappeared as he noticed Jaggedeye staring at him again and he looked down on his paws.
"If you say so." mewed Jaggedeye, turning back to Duckpad.

Hollowpaw stopped at the top of the stone hollow with the other medicine cats and took a moment to admire the veiw. Encricled by pale rocks was a small pool with water, perfectlly mirroring the image of Silverpelt above it. Hollowpaw blinked in amazement and he didn't feel how his tail that was always arched lower.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" purred Dustpaw.

"Yeah..." mewed Hollowpaw. He started to make his way down towards the pool with the other medicine cats. A beach of soft stones gave the pool a nice place to lay down on, but they were already occupied with three other cats. They raised their eyes and blinked at them.

"Greetings, Jaggedeye, Duckpad," mewed a jet black tom. He smelled of heather and the moor that stretched behind them, but his fur seemed to be snatched straight from the shadows behind them, except his muzzle that had grown many gray tufts of fur. "And sweet Dustpaw...oh? Who's this?"

"This is Hollowpaw. My apprentice." meowed Jaggedeye, prodding Hollowpaw forward with her tail to the front of the group. "He's not much right now, but he'll get there."
The old black, heather-smelling tom purred and got up from his spot beside the pool. He approched Hollowpaw and gave him a kind sniff.
"Welcome to the Moonpool, young Hollowpaw." the dark tom smiled. "The name is Darkcloud and I'm the medicine cat of WindClan. And the other cats over there are the medicine cats of RiverClan, Meadoweye and Herrenpaw."
Hollowpaw looked over at the other two medicine cats who Jaggedeye and Duckpad had went over to greet. Meadoweye was a white tom and Herrenpaw a tortoiseshell, who each of them gave him a welcoming blink and a nod. They both smelled like fish...
"Thanks," mewed Hollowpaw quietly. "I'm hoping StarClan will accept me..."

Darkcloud let out an amused purr and shook his shoulders. "Don't worry bout' that. StarClan is not one too judge young, innocent apprentices such as yourself."
"Or else, they will eat your tail off!" joked Dustpaw who had stalked up beside Hollowpaw and sat down on the cool grass.
Darkcloud purred in amusement and gave Dustpaw a playful nudge. "So, Swiftstar finally agreed to give Jaggedeye an apprentice. She may act like a sour badger at times, but she'll make you a great medicine cat, trust me."
Hollowpaw nodded softly and looked around. He just noticed that, Darkcloud seemed to be the only cat without an apprentice. "Umm...Do you have an apprentice?" mewed Hollowpaw.

"No, but I had one once." answered Darkcloud calmly. "Her name was Goosefoot. She was the best apprentice I could ask for, but one day many moons ago, she died. Hopefully I will get a new one soon."
"Oh...sorry." meowed Hollowpaw, his tail twitching across the dark grass.

"Don't be, young one." mewed Darkcloud. He still had his bright smile. "I'm sure she wanted no one, not even you, to be sad about her death. If anything, she would be much more sadder than all of us. We would make her think her deah was in vain. No one dies in vain, even when you have done everything to save them."

Hollowpaw stopped to think about what the old tom just said. It stuck with him, making his shoulders droop.
"Thank you. I will remember that." Hollowpaw smiled softly.
Darkcloud let out a loud raspy purr, but before he could talk further with Hollowpaw, Jaggedeye's loud yowl echoed over the Moonpool.
"We need to begin!" She hissed to the three of them. Dustpaw quickly ran around the Moonpool to seat himself with Duckpad. Hollowpaw got up and followed him to Jaggedeye who was already crouched. He crouched beside her.

"So...how does this work?" Hollowpaw asked his mentor, their muzzles close to the clear surface of the Moonpool.
"Either drink a few drops of water or dip your nose. You choose." meowed Jaggedeye. She dipped her nose against the clear surface, sending a few quick ripples across the water. Than she laid her head down over her paws and closed her single eye.
Hollowpaw looked around the Moonpool at the other medicine cats. Most of them was already asleep.
The young tom dipped his nose softly on the surface. Even from his whiskers, he could tell the water was awfully cold. He was happy he didn't drink cause it would just make him colder.
Hollowpaw put his head down on the smooth rock, curling his tail over his nose and closed his eyes slowly and could feel himself falling into a deep sleep.

Hollowpaw's green eyes shot open as if he just fell into the Moonpool that was in front of him a second ago. He franticlly gazed around him, his black pupils growing wide like huge globes in his bright eyes.
He was in what looked like no territory he has ever seen or been in. Where was the other medicine cats? He couldn't smell or see them anywhere. He also expected StarClan to be brighter like the Moonpool and not look so dull and dark.
Instead of a pool something that looked like a wide stream stretched in front of him. It wasen't deep nor shallow and it seemed like it would be clear water in there, but instead it seemed so silent and dead.

Hollowpaw took a few steps forward. With no warning, a harsh, cold wind nearly pushed him off his paws. He closed his eyes and when he opened them again, he was met with a horrible vision.
The water that seemed so dull was no longer its boring self, it had become red and thick from the rocks that was stained with what looked like blood! It was if someone had dragged a dozen dead bodies across them, but the young tom couldn't see any bodies and he was happy he didn't. Hollowpaw quickly backed away, he had to get out of here...he had too wake up!
Just as Hollowpaw turned to escape into the woods behind him he saw something move at the other side of the stream. He stopped and looked over at the sudden movement. The rocks were still painted with blood and now the entire stream that was supposed to be water just seemed like a horrible flood of blood.
'What monster could do this?' Hollowpaw wanted to scream, but that was the only through that rang through his head.

There was a cat there. Hollowpaw couldn't make out the cat's pelt or eye colour cause it was so transparent. He could see the ferns and trees behind the ghostly cat. With a dull expression the cat stared back at Hollowpaw. A few seconds felt like minutes, then the cat spoke with a million voices:

"The flock of a single raven will shead the blood from all Clans, and paint everything with their true loyalty"

Then the trees erupted with no warning with a thousand black birds and Hollowpaw quickly crouched down. Their loud cries echoed over the young cat and Hollowpaw went to cover his ears with his paws to shut their cries out which had an odd sound that reminded Hollowpaw of the words: "Help me, help us!"

"Hollowpaw...Hollowpaw!!"
The medicine cats was circled around the young apprentice, who was spasming and gurgling like he was choking on his own blood. Jaggedeye started to fear for her apprentice...Was StarClan being to hard to him? Can't he take it?
She called out to him again, this time nudging him with her paw franticlly in hope for him to snap out of it. He was still on his side on the cold rock, gurgling, shaking and kicking about.

Then suddenly, Hollowpaw awoke. His eyes shot open and his claws screeched against the rock as he scrambled to get to his paws. He coughed non stop as if he was choking on something. His tail was bushed up like a bush of brambles. Jaggedeye quickly nudged him to lay down again so he could calm down.

"Is...Is he gonna be okay?" asked Dustpaw, his ears dropping on his head as he backed up to give Jaggedeye and Hollowpaw space.
"I don't know, but maybe he saw something..." meowed Duckpad, licking his shoulder. "But whatever it was, it had to be something bad."

By the time Hollowpaw had collected himself, the sun was pushing Silverpelt away, giving the sky a red-pink colour. But he was still laid down, gasping for breath. Jaggedeye tried to ask him of what he had seen, but even if he wanted too he couldn't cause he wasen't even sure himself of what he had seen.

"He won't get better if he stays out here in the cold. I'll take him back to camp." mewed Jaggedeye. "Keep quiet about this to everyone. We don't want to cause panic."
The medicine cats nodded in agreement before Jaggedeye prodded Hollowpaw to his paws and started to walk away from the Moonpool and the other medicine cats who started to head back to their own Clans.
"Goodbye, Hollowpaw." called Dustpaw. "Get better soon..."

Despite of his shivering limbs Hollowpaw was able to push his way through the forest til they arrived to ShadowClan territory where he sat down and took a breather. Jaggedeye stopped as well and tried to make eye contact with her apprentice.
"Please tell me, what did you see?" asked Jaggedeye. "If whatever you saw—"

"I don't know!" whined Hollowpaw. As he relized his sudden tone, he lowered his voice. "I don't know..."

Jaggedeye sighed and started walking again and Hollowpaw followed into the deeper territory of ShadowClan.

They shortly disappeared into the undergrowth, missing to see the pair of menacing amber eyes staring at them with interest.