A Vision of Shadows #1: The Apprentice's Quest

Chapter 3

Eyes flying open, Alderpaw leapt to his paws and stood panting in the apprentice's den. His fur was fluffed out, smelling of sweat from his nightmare but showing no signs of the wounds he had received. The young tom sat down with a thump, trying to recover his breath and smoothing down his pelt with rhythmic strokes of his tongue.

The dark ginger cat felt his heart pounding in his chest, sending shivers up his spine. He stared at the bright den entrance and tried to steady his breathing, numb with shock and disbelief. Had he really seen what he thought he had?

It all came rushing back to him in a heartbeat: Mapleshade, the vision, and the StarClan cats. Alderpaw shook his head slowly, still bewildered. Had it all been true?

They warned me specifically, he thought, but that doesn't mean I can't share it. It seemed impossible to carry the burden alone. Alderpaw gave his pelt a shake to clear his mind and decided that, of all cats, the medicine cats would need to know. After all, they were the ones who usually received these kinds of things.

The shaken apprentice swallowed and got to his paws once more, heading outside on unsteady legs. He tried to stop trembling as he blinked in the sunlight and turned to see Molewhisker coming towards him.

Immediately Alderpaw ducked his head, reminded of his mentor's discussion with the Clan leader. The brown-and-cream warrior greeted him with a nod, blinking sympathetically. "Bramblestar would like to speak with you."

Alderpaw flattened his ears. He knew what that meant: he was in trouble. Instead he tried to ignore the guilt that churned in his stomach and looked to the older tom. "May I speak with Jayfeather first? I'll be quick," he added, not wanting to make Molewhisker wary of his intentions.

The warrior peered at him for a moment through narrowed eyes, obviously suspicious. Alderpaw was starting to think he'd say no until Molewhisker sighed, "Fine."

"Thank you!" The apprentice dipped his head in respect and gratitude and padded past him, feeling slightly relieved he wouldn't have to face his father just yet. As he walked, he saw Bumblestripe crouched near the fresh-kill pile, waving hello to him with his tail, and returned the gesture. But underneath his casual demeanor, Alderpaw's thoughts were whirling in his head.

Why had StarClan spoken to him and not the medicine cats? Did it mean they didn't want Jayfeather and Leafpool to know? Or was it something else that Alderpaw had suspected. . . that he received his visions because he was a medicine cat, or, at least, supposed to be.

Head filled with confusion, he sighed and thought about the sight Mapleshade had shown him. He shuddered, hoping beyond hope that it hadn't been real. If darkness was coming to the Clans, Alderpaw wasn't sure if he was the cat to stop it.

Besides, the Clan had faced so much death already. The apprentice thought of the Great Battle many moons ago, where the Dark Forest fought against the Clans and StarClan. How, after so much time of peace, could the Clans be plunged into danger once more?

Alderpaw's eyes were drawn to the large branch that was propped beneath the Highledge: the Stick of the Fallen, that marked the cats who had died in the Great Battle. At first, it seemed still, but the next moment the air seemed to shimmer around it. Alderpaw narrowed his eyes and felt his heart leap as he saw a cat-- young, with stars in her soft fur-- sit tranquilly next to the stick with her tail wrapped around its base. Though her fur was golden-brown, she looked a bit like Lilyheart in her slender stature.

The young she-cat gazed at Alderpaw for a few heartbeats, and though his eyes darted in both directions, no other cat seemed to notice her. When he glanced back, she was gone, as if the StarClan cat had never been.