Wolfpaw opened his eyes to find himself in a meadow of flowers, all swaying with the gentle breeze. He lifted his head and looked around, hoping to find Foxkit or Hazelnose. He hadn't seen his kin for a while and he wanted to speak to them again. He opened his mouth to scent the air, but there was only the smell of the flowers that surrounded him.

Is this just a regular dream? Wolfpaw asked himself as he began walking. That's so strange though, ever since I was a kit I've been walking with StarClan in my dreams. Wolfpaw looked around him to just see nothing but vastness of flowers.

The sound of laughter made the apprentice stop and he turned to see two she-kits playing not too far way. One was reddish brown and her eyes were a beautiful blue. The other was grey-blue with the same shade of blue. They tussled for a moment and pushed off, away from Wolfpaw. He wanted to call to them, but something prevented him from doing so. He looked over and saw another kit, a tom, stalking a rat. He was a sinful black and his eyes were a piercing blue. Wolfpaw still didn't go speak to the kit. This one snatched his rat and ran off.

Where was he? Wolfpaw wanted to know why these kits were running around here. Where were the StarClan cats? He padded through the flowers until his paws started getting tired. He sat down and looked around, hoping to see some signs of life.

"Beautiful, is it not?" Wolfpaw spun to see one of the Dark Forest cats. It was the tom that looked just like him with cold amber eyes. His fur was matted and he wore the look of mischief.

"Who are you?" Wolfpaw spun and backed away from the warrior.

"My name is Wolfblood," the tom purred, "I was like you once, I lived in ThunderClan and had everything I could have asked for, a great destiny, many cats who adored me, and a she-cat I would have had. Unfortunately, a warrior in my own Clan killed me and I was forced to go to the Dark Forest, but believe me Wolfpaw I am not evil!"

"But... Dragonwing told me it wasn't safe to talk to you..." Wolfpaw looked down and away from the silver cat before him.

"Dragonwing?" Wolfblood tilted his head. "You mean the ShadowClan warrior? You're really going to trust him over me? A fellow ThunderClan warrior?"

Before Wolfpaw could respond another cat came from nowhere. He was black with green eyes. He carried the scent of ThunderClan on him.

"Don't listen to him, Wolfpaw," the newcomer growled, looking at Wolfblood darkly, "he's a traitor and he'll do anything to get you to the Dark Forest."

"Who are you?" Wolfpaw asked.

"I am Sourtongue, I was a ThunderClan warrior and then elder, I was lucky enough to live long enough to meet Amberheart." the tom explained. "We are also kin and I don't want you speaking to this tom!"

"We're kin?" Wolfpaw wanted to ask more, but Wolfblood let out a vicious growl.

"You're not taking him anywhere!" The silver warrior yowled. "He belongs to the Dark Forest!"

"He's destined to walk with the stars!" Sourtongue turned. "We won't let you take him!"

"Fox dunged fool!" Wolfblood snarled, pouncing in the air and heading for Sourtongue with unsheathed claws.

"Sourtongue, look out!" Wolfpaw stood, his eyes stretched wide in terror.

"What are you going on about now?" Poundpaw mumbled sleepily.

Wolfpaw looked around to see he was back in the apprentice's den with Poundpaw and Meadowpaw. They shuffled in their beds and glared at him through closed eyes.

"I... I'm sorry... I... Just had a bad dream..." Wolfpaw laid down again and wrapped his tail around his paws. He noticed Poppystream leave the nursery and head for the warrior's den, he must have woke the kits and they wanted to see Glaregaze. Guilt came over Wolfpaw. He didn't mean to frighten anyone.

"Wolfpaw!" The apprentice jumped at the sound of Halfmoon's call. "Are you alright?" The white medicine came in and circled him.

"I'm fine... It was just a bad dream..." Wolfpaw looked down.

"What smells like flowers?" Meadowpaw lifted her head.

Wolfpaw's fur lifted. He sniffed and found the scent of the flowers was strong on his pelt. Was it really just a dream?

"Come with me, I'll get you some poppy seeds to help you rest." Halfmoon walked out the den. Letting out a sigh, Wolfpaw got up and followed Halfmoon to the medicine den.

Lightpelt was looking through the shop when Wolfpaw and Halfmoon arrived.

"Look for some poppy seeds for him," Halfmoon told her apprentice, "he's sleeping in here with us until he wakes up, I'll got tell Glaregaze." the she-cat walked out.

"Try to ignore the smells while you rest." Lightpelt instructed with a purr and holding out her paw with the seeds.

"Wait," Wolfpaw looked up to the brown and gray she-cat, "I just have one question; Why me?" The question had burned itself in to Wolfpaw's body that it was beginning to hurt. "Isn't there another cat out there, who could have the same destiny as me?"

"Wolfpaw," Lightpelt sighed, "there are other cats StarClan would pick if it wasn't you... They need someone to help with whatever kind of danger is coming."

"Then can't they choose that cat over me?" Wolfpaw asked, desperate to rid himself of this personal place of no stars.

"Wolfpaw... Understand what you're asking," Lightpelt looked down sadly, "whoever has this destiny is... Is supposed to be kin of a grouchy raccoon... There are only three alive now..."

Wolfpaw didn't understand. What other kin did he have in ThunderClan? Hazelnose and Foxkit were in StarClan and Goosetail didn't resemble anything close to a raccoon.

"Eat the poppy seeds and go to sleep," Lightpelt flicked her tail and holding out the seeds to the confused tom, "you'll discover why you need this destiny and not any cat else... Unless you want to share your pain with them..."

Wolfpaw lowered his ears. He didn't want to share his pain. He just didn't want to get hurt anymore, or loose anyone else. He licked up the seeds and lowered his head.

Kin if a grouchy raccoon... And there are only three alive now...

When Wolfpaw woke up, Glaregaze was sharing a shrew with Poppystream. Featherkit and Snowkit were play-fighting while Frostkit was grooming herself. The dawn patrol walked in to camp with fresh-kill in their jaws. Featherkit, Snowkit, and Frostkit ran over to get some of the prey first. Snaketail proudly had caught a rabbit for Frostkit, while Cavernheart had only caught a mouse. Featherkit snatched a vole away and bolted in to the nursery. Snowkit was about to look for a thrush when she suddenly started to shudder.

"Are you okay?" Brackenfoot asked.

"Yeah, I feel fine," Snowkit looked herself over before letting off another shudder.

Poppystream got up and looked her kit over. The ginger she-kit didn't look sick and the wheather was nice and warm.

"Do you want me to go hunt for a thrush?" Poundpaw asked.

"I'd love a thrush!" Snowkit mewed happily before letting off another shudder. Poppystream picked up her kit and went in to the nursery, followed by Frostkit, who dragged her rabbit with her.

"Wolfpaw," Glaregaze called, "we're going with Poundpaw and Russetclaw, get something to eat before we go!"

Wolfpaw ran to the fresh-kill and grabbed a mouse. He quickly ate it up and ran to the gorse tunnel with Poundpaw, their mentors close behind. Wolfpaw split from the group and looked around for something plump enough to feed the Clan. Hopefully something good for Snowkit. She seemed to be frightened by something.

A squirrel was scurrying around, grabbed a skinny green pine cone and chewing it up, making a mess at it's feet. Wolfpaw lowered himself and eyed the piece of fresh-kill. He pushed off and chased the squirrel a rabbit-length before pouncing and catching it in his jaws, snapping its neck. He gave his thanks and went on with hunting.

As he hunted a different smell was surrounding him. Something that seemed familiar, but he knew he had never smelled it before. He looked around, hoping to find where the smell was coming from. A shadow suddenly passed over him from above. Wolfpaw looked up and saw nothing.

"Wolfpaw!" Poundpaw ran out from the bushes. "Russetclaw saw a hawk fly over! Glaregaze wants us back in camp!"

Wolfpaw quickly went and retrieved his catch with Poundpaw before the two bolted to camp. The brown tom was able to catch a thrush for Snowkit, but the other fresh-kill he caught was small and skinny.

Glaregaze and Russetclaw ran to the leader's den as the kits poked their heads out.

"Poppystream, the bigger cats are back!" Featherkit called. Snowkit saw the thrush and immediately ran over and bit in to it.

"Thank you, Poundpaw!" The ginger and black stripped she-kit mewed happily. She let out another shudder as she ate.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the high ledge!" Adderstar called as he stepped out his den with Hazeleyes, Glaregaze, and Russetclaw. He jumped up on to the high ledge and waited for every cat to gather beneath him. "Russetclaw and Glaregaze have just returned to tell me their is a hawk flying around! Until we are sure it's gone, I only want the biggest cat to leave camp to hunt and set the border markers. Glaregaze, Russetclaw, Twitchwhisker, and Bramblestripe, continue the hunting patrol and when Twitchwhisker returns a border patrol will go!"

The hunting patrol went out the camp while the camp spoke quietly to one another. Wolfpaw sighed and went to lie down outside the apprentice's den. Poundpaw went to sit next to Meadowpaw and Stripeclaw. Adderstar went back to his den with Hazeleyes behind him.

Snowkit was enjoying her thrush while her brother and sister played outside the den. Poppystream watched her kits intensely and glanced up at the sky from time to time. Snowkit would let out a shudder now and again, making Wolfpaw nervous. There seemed to be something wrong with her, but she said she felt fine. Wolfpaw noticed Halfmoon and Lightpelt looking at the kit and whispering to one another.

Wolfpaw was about to ask what was wrong when a shadow flew past him again. He looked up and saw the hawk circling the Clan.

"Hawk!" Wolfpaw yowled. The Clan quickly scrambled to get in to their dens. Stripeclaw guided Poundpaw and Meadowpaw to the warrior's den along with the other warriors. Poppystream dragged her kits inside the nursery, but Snowkit was shuddering out of control. The hawk swooped down toward the frightened kit. "Snowkit!" Wolfpaw shrieked, bolting toward her. The hawk got to her first and flew off with Snowkit in it's talons. Wolfpaw pounced and scratched at the hawks claws, not daring to look down.

"Wolfpaw!" Sparrowwing cried out.

"My kit!" Poppystream wailed.

"Let her go!" Wolfpaw snarled.

"You let go you little rat!" The hawk squawked, shocking Wolfpaw. He then remembered Midnight, the badger, giving him the power to speak to other animals.

"I won't let you take this kit!" Wolfpaw bit down in to the hawks legs, making the bird screech in pain.

"Snowkit! Wolfpaw!" Glaregaze's voice hissed. The dark gray tom pounced on to the hawk and clawed at the bird's claws.

"You're a bunch of fools!" The hawk flapped its wings irritablely. Wolfpaw climbed up to the hawk's back and raked his claws down its brown back. The hawk let out a painful cry before falling from the air to the ground. Snowkit, struggled from the talons as the hawk clung on to her. Glaregaze was busy biting down on its legs to save his daughter. Poundpaw ran over and pried Snowkit out, taking her by the scruff and bolting to the nursery.

Wolfpaw dug his claws in to the birds body and then bit down in to its neck. Fighting for life, the hawk flapped around on the ground, Glaregaze slicing at its chest.

Finally, the struggling ceiced and the hawk went limp. Wolfpaw jumped off and caught his breath, trying to relax his heart. Glaregaze spit out the bird's blood before pelting over to the nursery.

"Halfmoon!" Poundpaw stepped out the nursery. "Help, Snowkit isn't breathing!"