Unexpected Grief: Fall of the Birds

Chapter 8

I stammer in shock at the medicine cat's words.

"You don't have to answer now. But I would like an answer by sunhigh." Rosethorn meows before padding into her den. Pollenpaw bounds up to me and stares at me with confusion.

"What was that about?" She meows softly

"Rosethorn... She..." I choke out, a tear rolling down my cheek

"Sparrowpaw?" Pollenpaw meows quietly, pressing against my fur sympathetically

"She asked me to be her apprentice..." I meow. She doesn't answer, just stares into the empty apprentices' den.

"No cat's in there. Let's talk in there." I nod in agreement and follow her into our den.

"Well what do you want to do?" Pollenpaw meows, settling down into her nest

"I don't know Pollenpaw!" I wail. She looks at me and giggles "What's so funny?" The cream apprentice laughs even harder and flops down into her nest. After a few heartbeats she sits up and takes a deep breath.

"You're so cute when you're nervous and confused!" I flop down laughing too but instantly sit up with seriousness as I here footsteps. Poolpaw steps in, instantly rolls her eyes and slithers through the side to the den. I send Pollenpaw a confused look but we flop down in laughter again. After a while my stomach starts to hurt and I look up but Pollenpaw is laying down, sleeping away. I shrug, deciding it's not a bad idea and I drift into a nap. I instantly wake up somewhere in the forest, confused as ever. Before I yowl my mother's name, four kits appear in front of me: a golden tabby tom, a fluffy gray tom with black spots, a she-cat who looks exactly like Pollenpaw, and a light gray and cream she-cat.

"Hi. I'm Sparr--," I'm cut off by a new from the golden tabby tom

"Don't do it!" It mews, then fades away quickly, leaving me looking at the second kit

"Please." It whispers before fading away

"Our lives will be terrible." The "mini Pollenpaw" meows, then fades away with a pained look in her eyes when I glance at the last kit

"It doesn't matter much to me but for the sake of the others... Please don't choose the wrong path."

"Which path is wrong?" I wail but I soon realize I'm standing alone. I flop down, tears rolling down my cheek, and go back to sleep.

"Sparrowpaw?" Pollenpaw whispers "What happened?" After a few moments of breathing and thinking, I finally explain the dream. The four kits telling me to pick the right path, everything. She takes a deep breath and releases, letting her soft, beautiful cream fur to sink back.

"Well?" I meow, an impatient tang clinging to my voice like bird on a branch.

"Don't take it, don't be her apprentice." She breaths. I nod and begin to walk out.

"Thank you," I smile to her before we fall into sleep once again.

~~~

I wake up and see little fluffs of snow dancing around the sky. It looks so beautiful against the bare trees and the blue sky. I don't see Rosethorn though, so I walk over to Acornstar's den, she's probably over there helping with the kits. I'm going to tell her today, with my courage finally gathered.

"Sparrowpaw!" A voice cheers with joy from inside the den "Just in time, we're naming the kits and I think you should help, or at least watch!" I step inside the rather large den and see seven kits all fluffed up in a pile, the pure white one with blue eyes sitting, unattentive, by Acornstar and Clouddrop chatting with Rosethorn. I giggle gratefully and sit down with them, watching the kits.