After a great drought destroyed much of ForestClan, warriors are low and they fear for their survival. But the cousins Silverpaw and Stonepaw are determined to become warrSiors, no matter what it takes.
Silverpaw shuddered as the cold Moonstone pressed against his nose. He was scared to death in this underground cavern with no light where it was freezing cold and damp. He gritted his teeth, trying not to shiver.
"Silverpaw!" mewed Moonbeam. "I didn't say to press your nose to the Moonstone just yet." She flicked her tail. "Observe your surroundings. What do you see?"
I see that I'm freezing cold and hungry right now. "Um . . . So the Moonstone is right here . . . I can't really see anything else because it's too dark . . . Ooo, there's a hole in the roof, so there'll be moonlight . . ." He drifted off. Moonbeam was watching him with a peculiar look on her face.
"Just wait." She smiled.
So Silverpaw waited. He really did! Think about Stonepaw. She must be super jealous that she has to wait and wait for us to be done without seeing the Moonstone. You'll have quite a story tell! He added sarcastically.
What he saw next made him eat those words. A huge flash of light arrived, making him leap backward in surprise. It shone brightly in his eyes and he began to feel light-headed. He instinctively unsheathed his claws and felt a pang of pain as he hit stone. The light was swallowing him, he thought his saw giant cats, leaping forward in dazzling jumps. They prowled around him stalking him.
There was a voice whispering in his ear.
Silverpaw began to slip. His body felt too heavy for him to support it . . .
It was over in a flash. Moonbeam padded up to him, shocked.
"Are you okay?"
He rolled over and opened his eyes. The light was gone. "There was a cat . . ."
"What?" Moonbeam asked in confusion.
"A cat . . ." He mewed. "Lots of them. They were stalking me. And then I heard a voice . . ."
"You WHAT?" Moonbeam was standing over him with a look of concern. "Silverpaw, this isn't normal. Most apprentices don't feel that way on their first visit to the Moonstone." She picked him up and propped him on his feet. "You can touch your nose to the Moonstone now."
Silverpaw didn't want to admit that he was too scared. He slowly took a pawstep forward. Tingling, he gently touched his nose to the cold stone. It swallowed him. He could hear water rushing in his ears, and then he sunk.
. . .
Silverpaw opened his eyes. He was lying in the cool grass. Stars twinkled above and a waterfall poured beside him. He got to his feet. This isn't the first time I've had a magical dream, he thought.
Padding softly through the grass, he gazed around. There were pine trees all around him, with dashes of frost on their branches. A flash of gray appeared to his right. He stiffened. It was a cat.
"W-who's that?" he mewed, trembling.
The pine trees parted and a sleek gray cat with golden eyes padded out. He looked at Silverpaw in surprise.
"Silverpaw!" He mewed, hurrying over. "It's nice to meet you."
"H-how do you know my name?" Silverpaw whispered, frightened.
"I've been watching you. Also, Dragontaste told me about his meeting with you."
"Ooooooooookaaaaaaaaaaaaay."
"Why are you so creeped out?"
"I don't really know." Silverpaw lowered his head in embarrassment.
"Oh, come on, Silverpaw, you're hiding something."
Silverpaw gulped. "Well it's just . . ." He shifted on his paws. "Isn't it weird that StarClan is always watching you?"
The gray tom snorted. "I used to think that too, when I was and apprentice. I see some of my blood runs in you."
"We're kin?" Silverpaw asked, surprised. He had never heard of this cat before.
"Oh yes," The tom responded. "I'm Bluestar's father." He puffed out his chest proudly. Suddenly he froze. "I gotta go!" He cried, and fell through the grass.
Silverpaw screamed and jumped backwards. Stunned, he raced after the tom. It was a weird feeling, sinking through the grass. He landed with a thud in a new area, this one dry and rocky. Silverpaw sat up, blinking at the bright sunlight. He got to his feet and saw the gray tom running away in the distance. Silverpaw decided not to bother him. He's probably got some important StarClan business to attend to.
Instead, he closed his eyes.
. . .
Moonbeam was prodding him in the shoulder. "It's time to go."
Silverpaw streched, arching his back and parting his jaws in a huge yawn. Then he scrambled to his paws and trotted after Moonbeam down the tunnel. He felt full of energy.
They reached where Rivereye was waiting with Wishpaw and Barkpaw.
"Where is Stonepaw?" asked Moonbeam. She tensed.
"She probably went home early with Firefly and Summerpaw." responded Rivereye.
Moonbeam sighed with relief and relaxed. "Let's get going, then."
So they climbed down from Mothermouth and back to the Thunderpath. The yucky smell hung in the air.
"On the count of three, " mewed Moonbeam. "One, two, three."
Silverpaw sprung into action pounding his paws against the stone. Dust flew in the air, blinding him. He could hear the roar of a monster in the distance. Gritting his teeth, he continued to run. Suddenly the was a roar. Another monster was coming down the other side of the Thunderpath. He shrieked in fear and darted across the end of the path.
He collapsed, panting on the other side.
"Wishpaw!" Firefly's mew sounded from behind. There was a pounding of paws and and Rivereye emerged from the dust, Wishpaw gripped tightly in his jaws. Next Moonbeam and Barkpaw came panting.
"Where's Firefly?" he gasped.
"I don't know!" Cried Rivereye. "She went back to get Wishpaw, but I have him now!"
"I'm fine." Croaked a voice from the dust. Firefly padded out, pelt caked with mud and dirt. She walked up to them. "Let's get moving."
They continued the trip in silence.
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