"Acornfall!" Dreamcloud screeched, "Don't leave me!"
Dreamcloud jolted awake to her horror. Recalling her dreadful nightmare, she found herself with Acornfall's dead body.
Dreamcloud poked her head out of the warriors' den, and searched desperately for Acornfall's handsome reddish brown face.
To her relief, she found him choosing prey for the elders.
"Thank StarClan he's okay!" Dreamcloud whispered to herself, "It was nothing but a stupid dream."
"Besides," Dreamcloud thought to herself, "Acornfall is an intelligent and strong cat, Who could ever defeat him?"
Dreamcloud found a cold feeling of dread in her heart. "If a group of cats are against him he'll have no chance to win and he could die!" Dreamcloud thought.
Dreamcloud shook her head vainly, trying to get rid of the thought, while walking out of the warriors'den.
"You're letting yourself get carried away because of the stupid dream!" Dreamcloud scolded herself, "If it does happen anyway, I will protect him and fight for him with all my heart!"
Love for her mate filled Dreamcloud's heart. The thought of her mate being safe and with her is so awesome!
Dreamcloud smiled. Her mate, her kits, her mother, father, sister, nephew, nieces, and her sister had grandkits! The Clan, el-
"A stinky badger in our territory! We must drive her out at once!" squeaked a little voice.
Dreamcloud turned to see Snowfall's kits bounding toward her.
Whitekit pounced onto Dreamcloud's back.
"What do I do, my fine leader, Whitekit?" chirped Icekit.
"Icekit, my loyal warrior, you will rake the badger's muzzle!" Whitekit yowled.
Icekit scratched Dreamcloud's face, while Whitekit dug his tiny thorn sharp claws into Dreamcloud's back.
"You warriors are too fierce for me!" Dreamcloud growled, pretending to swing Whitekit off of her and lash out at Icekit.
The kits squealed with delight, and Whitekit clung tighter to her.
"Whitekit and Icekit! Stop disturbing Dreamcloud! She has warrior duties to do!" scolded Snowfall, "Say sorry to her."
"Sorry," mumbled Whitekit and Icekit.
"Don't do that again," Snowfall meowed. Then her gaze softened. "Come on you two," she told them, "Do you want to play moss ball?"
"Yes!" they chorused, their ears perking.
"I'll race you Icekit, and I'll win, because I'm so fast!" boasted Whitekit.
"In your dreams, Whitekit," Icekit retorted.
The kits scampered back to the nursery.
The clan deputy, Stormcloud padded forward and sat down, his tail curled neatly around his paws.
"Dreamcloud," he acknowledged Dreamcloud with a nod of his head.
Then, he froze.
"Dreamcloud, why are you here right now?" he asked.
Dreamcloud felt confused.
"I'm a ThunderClan cat, right?" Dreamcloud answered, puzzled.
"I told you to go on the dawn patrol yesterday at sunset,"Stormcloud told her gently.
"Oh right! The dawn patrol, I forgot!" exclaimed Dreamcloud, "I'm sorry for being such a mouse-brain!
"It's okay Dreamcloud," meowed Stormcloud, twitching his tail tip in amusement. "I'll have you go on the dawn patrol tomorrow."
"Okay," Dreamcloud meowed.
Just at that moment, Flywhisker and her patrol stormed into the camp, fur bristling and their eyes full of fury.
"ShadowClan stole our prey again!" Flywhisker yowled, trembling with rage, "Plus, they insulted us and swore to get revenge on us for the scar we gave Rabbitstep! We must prepare for battle, and Alderheart and Rosebreeze need to prepare herbs!"
Eyes gleamed and yowls of approval rose from the ThunderClan warriors who were listening.
Dreamcloud stared at her. Was she serious? She would avoid war if she could, but it was true...
"Let it be settled then," meowed Lilystar, springing onto Highledge, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath Highledge for a clan meeting!
