Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors.

Rated: T

Author's Note: Before anyone comments on it, yes, Boulderstrike's name is different than in the books. In the books, his warrior name is Boulderfur, but I forgot (as it is not updated in the most recent Allegiances, I mistakingly gave him a warrior name). To be honest, I like my name more, so he's staying as Boulderstrike. :P

Also, Gorsetail has switched genders in the series maybe four times at this point. It was last listed as a tom, so a tom he is. He did have a litter of kits during The Power of Three, though. Ouch. Oh well!

Chapter 4

"Did it have anything to do with a mission from StarClan?" Hollypaw asked her, her fur bristling with excitement. Is Dovewing the 'bird'?

The gray warrior nodded, her eyes stretched wide with surprise. "Yes. How did you know?"

"Hollypaw had a dream from StarClan as well," Bramblestar meowed, looking thoughtful. "Firestar told her that two fires must meet..."

"That's what he said to me, too!" Dovewing interrupted him with a gasp. "But he said something else, as well. Something I'd forgotten about moons ago."

"What is that?" the ThunderClan leader asked her with a frown.

Dovewing's green eyes shone with awe. "Many moons ago, a StarClan warrior came to me and told me of a prophecy. I forgot about it, until Firestar recited it again last night. He said, 'After the sharp-eyed jay and the roaring lion, peace will come on dove's gentle wing.'"

"Is that linked to the other prophecy?" Squirrelflight wondered. "Or did it have something to do with the prophecy of the Three? Peace has already come to the Clans."

"But not through me," Dovewing meowed. "Firestar was the one who brought peace to the lake. Maybe I need to bring peace to the place we're going on our journey."

Sandstorm was nodding. "You will be travelling far," she warned. "The old forest is a moon's journey away and SkyClan's territory is even farther than that. I still don't think that so many young cats should travel so far without at least another warrior with them."

Hollypaw shuffled her paws. Would Bramblestar agree with Sandstorm? Would he try to keep them from travelling and fulfilling StarClan's prophecy? Worst of all, would he be right to? It would be dangerous. If the apprentices from the other Clans were the same age as her, they would have only just begun their training. Dovewing would be the only fully-trained cat in the patrol.

"Nonetheless, it is StarClan's will," the ThunderClan leader meowed, though his eyes were dark with worry. "Although, they did not protest when two extra cats went on the journey to sun-drown-place." He glanced at Squirrelflight as he spoke. "I think at least the mentors of the apprentices should go with them on the journey."

Squirrelflight narrowed her eyes. "Will the other Clans even agree to this journey? We'll need to send messengers to their camps."

Bramblestar nodded. "You're right. Squirrelflight, will you go with Hollypaw to WindClan and RiverClan? Dovewing can go with Jayfeather to ShadowClan."

Hollypaw knew that sending a medicine cat was unlikely to provoke ShadowClan. No honourable warrior would dare attack a medicine cat!

Squirrelflight nodded. "We'll go right now. We'll have to stay the night in RiverClan, though, if Mistystar will have us."

Bramblestar nodded. "Of course. My StarClan light your path."

"And yours. Follow me, Hollypaw," Squirrelflight mewed, already on her way out of the den.

Hollypaw leaped down the rocks after the ginger she-cat, pausing for a heartbeat to look for her parents. She spotted Cinderheart by the nursery, weaving new branches through it. Hollypaw gave a wave of her tail and Cinderheart padded quickly over.

"Where are you going?" her mother questioned, her blue eyes curious.

"We're going to WindClan and RiverClan!" Hollypaw mewed, kneading the ground with her paws. Squirrelflight had stopped and was looking back patiently.

"WindClan and RiverClan!" Cinderheart looked to the ThunderClan deputy for an answer. "Why?"

Squirrelflight flicked her ears, letting Hollypaw know that she could tell her mother. "Dovewing and I both had a dream from StarClan," she explained. "We're supposed to go on a journey to save SkyClan!"

Cinderheart blinked. "SkyClan's in danger?"

Hollypaw put her head to the side. "Yes. You know about SkyClan?"

"I... It's a long story," her mother murmured. Shaking her head, she meowed, "You're so young for such a big responsibility. StarClan doesn't let our cats have normal lives, do they?"

Squirrelflight purred. "At least we never get bored!" she joked. "We'll be back by sunhigh tomorrow."

Cinderheart touched her muzzle to Hollypaw's head. Her eyes were dark with worry and Hollypaw gave her a quick lick. "Don't worry, Cinderheart. StarClan ordered this mission; they'll make sure that I'm safe."

Her mother dipped her head. "True, they will be watching you closely," she agreed. "All the same, be careful, Hollypaw."

"I will." Hollypaw turned and hurried after Squirrelflight, out of the hollow and into the forest.

Wind flatted her ears to her head and she was forced to narrow her eyes against the pollen being blown into them. Her tail-tip twitching impatiently, she meowed, "Why are we waiting?"

Squirrelflight sat beside her calmly. "We have to wait for a border patrol to escort us to the camp," she explained. "Onestar won't like it if we stroll in uninvited. Be patient."

"Okay." It made sense to her and she folded her paws beneath her, determined to mimic the deputy's composure. If she wanted to be a good warrior, she would have to be patient, as Squirrelflight said. Still, she found it hard to sit and wait while her paws itched to dash across the hills.

"My father is half-WindClan, isn't he?" she mewed.

Squirrelflight nodded. "Yes, Crowfeather was his father."

"Does it show?" Hollypaw asked. "Do Firepaw and I seem a bit like WindClan cats?"

"You are both fast, like your father," Squirrelflight meowed, her voice neutral. "But that is useful for ThunderClan warriors, as well. You are built more like a ThunderClan cat."

"What about Firepaw?"

The dark ginger she-cat hesitated. "He's smaller, like a WindClan cat, but that doesn't matter. You are both ThunderClan cats."

Hollypaw nodded, but had just opened her mouth to ask whether the Clan saw it that way when a new scent hit the roof of her mouth. It was a strong, peaty smell, laden with heather and it seemed close by.

"A WindClan patrol is coming."

Narrowing her eyes, she swept her gaze across the moorland. Where are they? she wondered. Then she spotted a flicker of movement and spotted a group of mottled cats, barely detectable against the shades of the grass. She watched as they ran swiftly across the hill until they had stood across the stream from the ThunderClan cats, not at all out of breath after their run.

The leader of the patrol, a light brown tabby tom, seemed friendly enough as he dipped his head respectfully to Squirrelflight. "Greetings," he meowed. "What are you doing at the border?"

"We'd like to speak with Onestar and Kestralflight," Squirrelflight answered. "Would you escort us, Owlfeather?"

Hollypaw heard a murmur of surprise from the other WindClan cats and pricked her ears. A younger gray and white she-cat whispered to her Clanmate, "Could this be about the prophecy?"

Owlfeather whipped his head around and shot the she-cat a glare. "That is WindClan's business," he growled before turning back to Squirrelflight. "Why do you want to speak with them?" he questioned, his voice sounding less friendly than before.

"Because it is about the prophecy from StarClan," Squirrelflight replied, her green eyes flashing. "Although whether or not it is the same prophecy remains to be seen. It would be helpful if we could speak with your leader and medicine cat about it."

Owlfeather's tail-tip twitched. "Very well. Furzepelt and Leaftail, escort these cats to the camp. Sedgewhisker and I will continue the patrol."

The gray and white she-cat flicked her tail. "Follow us," she meowed, turning to lead the way. Leaftail, a dark tabby tom, waited for Squirrelflight and Hollypaw to leap the stream and begin following Furzepelt before he took the rear. Hollypaw felt tense with anxiety. Would Onestar agree to see them?

Furzepelt lead them swiftly across the moor, although Hollypaw could see her whiskers twitching with annoyance from time to time. Perhaps she and Leaftail would normally run more quickly than they were now and felt impatient with the speed at which ThunderClan cats travelled.

As they crested a large hill, Hollypaw's eyes widened. Below her, many cats were milling about, dropping rabbits on a fresh-kill pile, playing with kits and grooming the elders. Though she looked carefully, Hollypaw couldn't spot any dens. Do WindClan cats sleep in the open? she wondered. How can they stand it when it rains?

She followed Furzepelt as she padded down the hill into the small valley. Several cats raised their heads to stare at them curiously, though most kept going about their business. Still, Hollypaw felt very young and anxious as she padded across the open valley floor.

A small brown tabby tom intercepted them as they crossed the camp. Furzepelt dipped her head to him and meowed, "These cats wanted to speak with you and Kestralflight, Onestar."

So this is Onestar, Hollypaw thought. He's not nearly as big as our warriors.

Onestar blinked at Squirrelflight. "Thank you, Furzepelt, Leaftail," he meowed, dismissing the warriors with a flick of his tail. "Greetings, Squirrelflight. What brings you hear?"

"Something that affects all the Clans," the dark ginger she-cat replied. "May we speak with you and Kestralflight alone?"

Onestar gave a nod and led them over to the base of the opposite hill. Hollypaw blinked with surprise as Onestar stepped through a heather bush and disappeared. Squirrelflight followed him without comment and Hollypaw hurried after and her ears pricked with interest when she found herself in a small, comfortable den in the side of the hill. She sniffed and detected a strong scent of herbs. This must be the medicine den. Of course, the herbs would have to be protected from the damp. I wonder if they dug this cave themselves? she wondered. Like rabbits!

"Kestralflight!" Onestar called. "Squirrelflight and an apprentice from ThunderClan have come with news."

A mottled gray tom padded out of the darkness, his eyes shining with interest. He waved his tail for the ThunderClan cats to seat themselves before mewing, "Blackpaw is out gathering herbs along the RiverClan border. We shouldn't be disturbed."

"Good," Onestar meowed. "Now, what's this about, Squirrelflight? You say it affects all the Clans?"

Squirrelflight nodded. "Hollypaw should tell you," she mewed. "She was the one who had the dream."

Hollypaw's belly clenched with nervousness as she related her dream, very aware of the WindClan cats' eyes on her. When she had finished, Kestralflight jumped to his paws.

"This is the dream that Dawnpaw had! She came to us this morning."

Onestar looked intrigued. "The dream was probably sent to one cat in each Clan," he meowed thoughtfully. "Have you spoken with Blackstar and Mistystar yet?"

Squirrelflight shook her head. "Dovewing is on her way to ShadowClan right now. She also had this dream. We believe she is the 'bird' mentioned in the prophecy."

The WindClan leader's eyes narrowed. "Two ThunderClan cats?" he growled.

"It was StarClan's choice," Squirrelflight pointed out. "Though if you have a problem with it, you are free to send another cat with your own."

Onestar shifted his paws, caught off guard. "I shall," he grunted. He turned to Kestralflight. "Sedgewhisker?"

Kestralflight dipped his head. "Perhaps Crowfeather instead?" he suggested. "He is from the old forest."

The WindClan leader shook his head. "He has a temper that may endanger the patrol," he growled. "He is too unpredictable. Sedgewhisker has experience with travelling and she is more even-tempered."

"As you wish, Onestar. Shall I fetch her?"

Onestar nodded. "We'll speak with her at once." He turned back to Squirrelflight as the medicine cat slipped out of the den. "Are you travelling to RiverClan next?"

"Yes," Squirrelflight answered, rising to her paws. "We should go now, before it gets too late. Thank you, Onestar. Will your cats be ready two days from now?"

"At dawn," Onestar confirmed. "May StarClan light your path."

"And yours, Onestar," Squirrelflight meowed, dipping her head to the WindClan leader. She turned and padded out of the den. Hollypaw dipped her head before scampering after the deputy.

They left the WindClan camp behind and travelled quickly across the moor toward the marsh that Hollypaw could see lay at the foot of the hill. The sun was hot on her pelt with no trees to shade her and she had to narrow her eyes to see through the glare as the sun began to descend. Will we really be staying the night in RiverClan? she wondered. She was worried about what it would be like. Could they trust the RiverClan cats or would one of them have to guard the other while they slept?

A sudden, strong reek of a strange animal made Hollypaw's fur fluff up. Fear shot through her. "Squirrelflight!" she hissed quietly.

Squirrelflight turned her head to look back at her. "It's all right, it's just the horses at the horseplace."

"Horses?"

"Huge animals with paws like stone. They run in a field nearby, but they won't bother us. The Twolegs keep them fenced in."

Hollypaw's flattened her fur. "Why would they live with Twolegs?" she wondered aloud as she caught up to the deputy again.

The dark ginger she-cat shrugged. "Why do kittypets live with Twolegs? Most animals that do are born into that life; they don't know anything different. Although, sometimes wild animals are attracted to a life of ease and chose to live with Twolegs in their nests, as pets. They are well-cared for, although they lose their freedom."

Hollypaw shook her head. "I'd rather be free than have an easy life," she decided.

"You're young," Squirrelflight meowed. "There are cats that have been through too much that are willing to give up their freedom for an easier life, where their safety will be guaranteed. Kittypets also live at least twice as long as wild cats."

The young tabby she-cat's fur prickled. What power these Twolegs had! Could they really be as bad as some of the elders said, when they offered such things to any cat that wanted them? She puzzled over this as the two ThunderClan cats halted at what Hollypaw could smell was the border between WindClan and RiverClan territories.

The sun began to dip lower, turning the sky to fire. Hollypaw watched the reds, oranges and yellows bleed through the wide expanse, wondering about the prophecy. Why had StarClan sent it to her? What did she have to offer that they would choose her of all the young cats in ThunderClan? And Firepaw! Her brother had an even more important task than her: to join together with the fire in SkyClan and save the lost Clan! She felt the heavy paw of destiny press down on her and began to feel breathless, weighted down by her responsibility. Can I really do this? I've only just become an apprentice!

She shook her head, scattering the thoughts like water droplets. I've got to focus on the now, she thought. What I'm doing this moment. Right now, I'm going to see RiverClan!

"A patrol is coming," Squirrelflight meowed. The dark ginger she-cat seemed relaxed, sure of their welcome in the Clan of cats that swam like otters. Hollypaw sat up and tried to look more confident than she felt.

A few heartbeats passed, then she picked up a new smell that had to be the RiverClan patrol. Her nose wrinkled. Yuck! she thought. They stink.

"Be polite," Squirrelflight whispered in her ear, though her whiskers were twitching with amusement.

A moment later, a black tom strolled out of the reeds at the head of a patrol. His blue eyes widened with surprise and he bounded up to them. "Greetings, Squirrelflight," he meowed with a polite nod to the ThunderClan deputy. "What brings you here?"

"Hello, Reedwhisker," Squirrelflight mewed as she returned his nod. "We've come to speak with Mistystar and Willowshine."

Reedwhisker nodded slowly. "I think I know what this is about. Come with me; I'll take you to her." He turned and nodded to another member of the patrol. "You're in charge, Mintfur. I'll see you back in camp."

With that, he trotted away through the marsh, leading them on a course up through the mud and onto higher ground. Hollypaw felt grateful when her paws touched harder ground, glad to be rid of the clinging mud, though she knew she would be travelling this way again soon.

The RiverClan deputy led them to a wide stream and they followed its course along the bank until Hollypaw could hear the crashing of waves ahead. A heartbeat later she saw that the stream ahead broke against an island in the middle and split off to both sides. That must be the RiverClan camp, she thought. It must be very safe.

She hoped they wouldn't have to swim and was relieved when they came upon some stepping-stones that allowed them to cross without getting their paws wet. She wasn't quite ready yet for her first swimming lesson.

The camp was utterly deserted. As they walked through it, they passed dens that were woven out of reeds. Hollypaw stared at them, intrigued. They looked sturdy enough to withstand bad weather, but they seemed awfully light, as if a strong wind could blow them away. All around the camp, shiny stones and shells were stamped into the ground, stuck into walls of dens and scattered about. They certainly have a thing for pretty objects, Hollypaw thought.

Reedwhisker padded over to the base of a tree, where Hollypaw could see a hole among the tangled roots. That must be the leader's den, she thought.

"Mistystar!" Reedwhisker called into the den.

A moment later a lithe blue-gray she-cat padded out, her blue eyes registering surprise at the ThunderClan cats' presence. "Squirrelflight! What brings you here?"

Squirrelflight dipped her head. "A prophecy from StarClan," she meowed. "Willowshine will need to hear this, as well."

Mistystar's ear twitched. "She's not in camp at the moment. She went to the Moonpool this morning to share tongues with StarClan. She must be welcomed by them into her position."

"ThunderClan grieves for Mothwing," the ThunderClan deputy murmured. "She was too young to join StarClan."

Mistystar dipped her head, sorrow darkening her gaze. "I hope she did join our ancestors."

Hollypaw put her head on the side. What did the RiverClan warrior mean?

"She saw for herself that StarClan is real," Squirrelflight meowed. "And she was a noble cat. I think she'll have joined her ancestors."

Mistystar dipped her head. "You're right. Perhaps I shall see her again in dreams." The RiverClan leader blinked, her eyes switching from sorrow to curiosity. "Now, tell me about this prophecy." She turned and beckoned for them to follow her. She led them into her den among the roots of the tree, which Hollypaw found to be cozy and inviting. As she sat down on the packed earth floor, she suddenly began to feel exhaustion weighing on her. Her paws ached as they began to feel the long journey and her head spun with tiredness. Will I even be strong enough for this journey to SkyClan's territory? she wondered despairingly as Squirrelflight told Mistystar of her dream and how it would affect the Clans. Mistystar listened carefully, then meowed, "I see. Are you sure that this affects RiverClan? None of our cats has reported having such a dream."

Hollypaw sat up straight, her eyes widening with shock. She opened her mouth to speak, but Squirrelflight had already meowed, "Perhaps one has dreamed, but not mentioned it?"

The blue-gray warrior's ear twitched. "Maybe. I shall call a Clan meeting once my cats have returned." Rising to her paws, she meowed, "Will you stay the night with us? It is too far for you to travel back to your territory tonight."

"Thank you, Mistystar, we appreciate your hospitality," Squirrelflight meowed, dipping her head to RiverClan leader. Then the three she-cats exited the den and emerged into a bustling camp. Hollypaw fought hard to stop herself from gagging at the stench of warm, fishy breath that billowed around her. The RiverClan cats stared curiously at her and Squirrelflight as they took fish from the pile that had grown while they had shared their story.

Mistystar led them over to the pile, gesturing with her tail for the ThunderClan cats to take some. Hollypaw didn't want to insult the RiverClan cats, so she bent her head to pick up one of the shining silver fish. Immediately her teeth bit into the flesh, the taste flooded her mouth and she gagged. Did Mistystar's whiskers twitch? Hollypaw clamped down hard on the reflex, following her Clanmate across to the bank where they settled down to eat.

The ThunderClan apprentice tore a small chunk out of the fish, chewing it slowly as she tried to adjust to the flavour. After her initial revulsion, she found that it didn't taste too bad; it was just a different sort of taste than what she was used to. She swallowed and winced slightly as it slid down her throat. It would definitely take some getting used to, she thought.

When she had finished, she began to groom herself as around her the RiverClan cats did the same. As the sun dipped below the horizon and the first StarClan warriors appeared in the sky, Mistystar rose to her paws and the quiet mews of the RiverClan cats fell silent.

"Let all cats old enough to swim gather to hear my words!"

The last of the elders, queens and kits slipped out of their dens and sat with their Clanmates as Mistystar related to them the prophecy from StarClan. Hollypaw sat silently, her ears twitching uncomfortably as the RiverClan warriors turned to look at her as their leader spoke. She felt as if she were sitting in a moonbeam and her fur began to feel hot. She was thankful when the warriors looked again to their leader as Mistystar meowed, "Has any cat had this dream or any other from StarClan?"

There was silence, then a gray and white she-cat stepped forward. "Mistystar, Seapaw had a dream."

The cat sitting beside her, a gray tom, bristled. "Palepaw!" he hissed.

Mistystar raised her tail. "Seapaw?"

The gray tom turned to her, his tail drooping. "Yes, I had the dream," he sighed. Hollypaw couldn't understand why he seemed so miserable. Didn't he understand that it was a mission from StarClan? It was probably the most important thing they would ever do!

"Won't it be dangerous?" Seapaw meowed, his ears flat. "A few cats, journeying to StarClan knows where? Alone?"

"StarClan will be with us, Seapaw," Hollypaw meowed, compassion for the scared young apprentice warming her chest. "You can trust them to see us through safely."

The gray tom shook his head slowly, but said nothing. Mistystar, her blue eyes soft with sympathy for Seapaw, meowed, "I would like to send two warriors with the patrol. Troutclaw and Petalfur, will you accompany them?"

Two she-cats stepped forward. One of them, a gray and white she-cat, meowed, "What about my apprentice, Thornpaw? He can't miss training."

Mistystar nodded. "Hollowflight, will you take over Thornpaw's training while Petalfur is away?"

A dark gray tabby tom nodded. "I would be honoured to, Mistystar."

"Petalfur, is this all right with you?" the RiverClan leader asked her.

Petalfur dipped her head. "It is, Mistystar."

"Squirrelflight has informed me that the patrol plans to leave two days from now, at dawn," Mistystar meowed. "Petalfur, Troutclaw, you are not required to fulfill warrior duties while you are preparing for your journey. Rest well and be ready to travel. Squirrelflight and Hollypaw will be staying with us tonight; every cat must make them welcome." With that, Mistystar nodded to her cats and the meeting broke up.

Hollypaw found herself surrounded by RiverClan cats, all clamouring to know more about the prophecy and the journey itself. She felt overwhelmed by both exhaustion and their questions until Squirrelflight called out, "We are tired from our journey. Could some cat please show us to a den?"

Relief passed through Hollypaw as she spotted Reedwhisker making his way through the crowd. "Follow me," he meowed.

Reedwhisker led them to a den near the centre of the camp. Hollypaw curled up into a nest of moss and feathers, her jaws stretching wide in a yawn. She thanked the RiverClan deputy along with Squirrelflight, then laid her head on her paws and closed her eyes. In a matter of moments, she was fast asleep.