Ravenpaw stood up, wobbly on her paws after the strange dream. Her pads stung when she took a step, so she lifted one up to examine it. Too her surprise, her paw was singed! Frantically she checked every paw. all of them were slightly singed, as if she had stepped on warm ashes.
How could this have happened? Ravenpaw wondered. Then she remembered, The dream! When the voices inside my head started to scream, it felt like I was on fire... And then the necklace-
Ravenpaw lifted one black paw, scooping the raven's claw up and holding it in front of her. The ivy vines had definitely grown tighter around her neck, so she couldn't take it of anymore. And she wasn't able to bite through either! Had the dream really had so much impact on the real world? The thought was baffling.
As Ravenpaw looked around again she realized the landscape had changed. Instead of lying between the bushes, she was no standing in a vast field with long, wavy, golden grass. A wind had picked up too, almost flattening the grass and ruffling her fur. On her flank, she felt the wind pierce all the way down to her skin. Ravenpaw twisted around and saw that her fur had been colored white and dark gray into the shape of a circle, split in the middle with a line that shaped each half into a droplet. The white half had a gray cat head shape in it, the dark gray had a white one.
What is this? Two cats? Looking closer she saw that one had a claw necklace just like hers, the black cat. It's me! But if that's me... Whose the second cat?
Ravenpaw looked around, but saw no other cat. Then she scented the air. A faint trace of a tom cat lay in the air, and Ravenpaw was eager to follow it.
"Maybe I won't have to be alone any more!" She mewed hopefully to herself. She bounded away, stopping to scent the air and change direction every once in a while. The scent led her towards the center of the field, and grew stronger as she approached. It started to mingle with the smell of prey, as if the tom had just hunted. Some rustling in the grass next to her made Ravenpaw jump, but it was only a lone rat scurrying away from her.
I hope there aren't many of them. The black she-cat thought. I remember the stories the elders used to tell about how big packs of rats would attack cats and kill them.
Ravenpaw hardly wanted to go that way! If she was to die, it would be fighting a dog, or a fox, or even a badger! So she kept going, away from the rat but still following the trail. The sun had reached the highest point now, and despite the wind there were no clouds so the warm rays burned her back.
A group of swallows flitted overhead, too lazy to catch and insects right now. After swooping around for a while the small birds disappeared to rest again. Seeing the birds had reminded Ravenpaw about how hungry she was, and realized that she hadn't eaten since the day before. Leaving the scent trail just a little bit, Ravenpaw sought out a mouse. There were plenty in this field, so Ravenpaw was pleased she didn't have to stray far from her destination.
Creeping up silently she waited to pounce, but the wind suddenly changed direction and the mouse ran.
"Mouse dung!" she hissed and started to race after it. But it was too late and the mouse had gone. Tail flicking in frustration she turned and walked back to the main trail. She scented the air for another mouse, but it seemed like all the prey had gone after she scared the first one. Ravenpaw sighed and started to look for the tom again.
She hadn't walked far when the grass stalks rustled again. Ravenpaw stopped, curious, and watched in surprise as a sleek tom padded out. He was tall, but probably around her age. His dappled, nut brown fur faded slowly into white on his chest and muzzle, and his ears had long tufts. The tom had cheery amber eyes and he looked at her with amusement.
