Silverpaw stretched a flicked her ears. She yawned hugely and sat up, looking around the apprentices den. A moon after the Gathering, Amberpaw had told Moonstar she wanted to be the medicine cat apprentice. The ceremony was three days before the next Gathering, and Frostfoot was happier than anyone has ever seen him. Amberpaw excelled, and now, a moon after the beginning of her new apprenticeship, she had almost memorized all of the herbs and was respected around the clan. Birdflight had her kits a quarter moon ago, naming the two toms Mudkit and Sparrowkit and the two she-cats Flowerkit and Tinykit. It seemed like it had been forever since Silverpaw, Brightpaw, and Crystalpaw had gone to the beautiful forest in their dreams and recived the prophecy from Rising Moon and Ocean Breeze. But it hadn't been forever.

Silverpaw stood up and padded out of the den.

No cats were in sight. Silverpaw was hit by a gust of wind that nearly swept her off her feet. She looked up at the sky to see huge raindrops falling from the dark sky . The trees whipped back and forth and wind howled.

Suddenly Silverpaw heard a cracking sound from behind her. A tall tree behind her fell straight towad Silverpaw. She yowled, and suddenly the image changed.

Silverpaw was in the clearing. The clan was awake. She turned and saw Brightpaw cowering near the fresh-kill pile, and Crystalpaw looking around with wide eyes in the middle of the path up the High Rock. Moonstar stepped out of his den and looked at Crystalpaw, confused, before telling her to get down. The three apprentices seemed to snap out of their trance and Crystalpaw, Brightpaw and Silverpaw headed over to the fresh-kill pile.

"What was that?" Crystalpaw asked, wide - eyed. Brightpaw stared at her." You saw that too?" Brightpaw squeaked.

"Yeah." She replied. "I saw a huge rainy storm and Silverpaw almost being crushed by a tree."

Brightpaw then turned to Silverpaw. "Did you see it?"

Silverpaw nodded. "Yes." All three cats' fur fluffed up slightly. Silverpaw glanced around. Frostfoot suddenly burst from his den, running straight towards Moonstar. It was the fastest Silverpaw had ever seen the old medicine cat move.

"Frostfoot saw it!" Crystalpaw exclaimed. "He'll take care of it. We don't have to worry about anything."

But her voice was full of uncertainty. And when she looked at Brightpaw, her friend's eyes were full of disbelief. Somehow, Silverpaw didn't think that Frostfoot would help them at all.

...

Silverpaw snuck through the forest. She smelled it. She saw it too. The blackbird was right in front of her. A couple more pawsteps. Silverpaw lept. The blackbird flapped, but Silverpaw managed to catch it's wing and pulled the bird to the ground before swiftly killing it.

"Well done." Ferns parted, and Flameclaw padded out. "It wasn't very clean though."

"But she caught it!" Nightshadow and Brightpaw joined Silverpaw and her mentor.

"I didn't catch a blackbird on my own until last moon!"

"Somehow I doubt that." Flameclaw told his brother with a glare that Silverpaw didn't understand.

She scuffed the ground with her paws.

"Ummm...don't we have to meet Whitepaw and Crystalpaw and their mentors at the training hollow?" Silverpaw mumbled, attempting to stop the two brothers from quarreling in the middle of training...again.

Flameclaw straightened.
"Right. Nightshadow, go fetch your apprentice." He said, flicking his tail.

Nightshadow glowered for a moment, but then his eyes widened and he began scampering away.

"Mouse dung! Brightpaw! Brightpaw, where'd you run off to?"

Silverpaw stared up at Flameclaw with wide eyes. He seemed more like a senior warrior or a leader rather than a young warrior who was dealing with his first apprentice! His brother was much less mature and seemed like he was always relaxed. Silverpaw liked them both, but she was glad that Flameclaw was chosen as her mentor.

Flameclaw turned to Silverpaw with exitement in his eyes.

"Do you want to have a competition?" He asked.

Silverpaw blinked.

"Huh?"

Flameclaw purred.

"A competition." He repeated.
"Here, bury your prey, we can come back for it later. Nightshadow is coming back right now.
Nightshadow! Brightpaw, you too!" He called to the two approaching cats.

Nightshadow and Brightpaw trotted over to Flameclaw and Silverpaw.

"We're going to have a competition." Flameclaw announced when the four cats were facing each other.

Nightshadow's ears perked up, and Brightpaw quivered with excitement.

"A competition? Like, fighting or something?" She asked.

Flameclaw purred. "Not exactly but...kind of. It's more of a...game. Here's what's going to happen..."

***

"Ready?" Applefrost asked, standing next to Birdflight. The old tom had retired to the elder's den during the span of the last two moons, giving him plenty of time to help the warriors, medicine cats, apprentices, and queens. Flameclaw had interrupted Applefrost and Birdflight's walk through the forest to aid the apprentices in the competition.

The line of apprentices and mentors tensed up in anticipation. Flameclaw had somehow gathered all of the cats to create a larger, more exciting game. Or so he said. All Silverpaw heard was: I don't want to have to deal with a bunch of apprentices complaining about not being part of this competition.

"Ready..." Applefrost said once more. Silverpaw tensed.

"Go!" All the cats scattered, racing through the forest from the edge of the mossy training clearing. Silverpaw pounded after Flameclaw, her only teammate for this race.

The goal was to run all the way to the Twoleg fence in the territory, but making sure to catch at least two pieces of prey in the meantime. But...if your prey was stolen...

Flameclaw glanced at Silverpaw.

"To the forest?" He asked.

Silverpaw nodded.

"To the forest."