Chapter 5

Pinepaw stood at the top of a hill. “Pinepaw! Pinepaw!” voices called, but he ignored them. He stared down at the cat at the bottom of the hill.

Her golden fur sparkled in the sunlight, her perfect blue eyes glinting as she stared back up at him. But wait, sunlight? Wasn’t it nighttime right now? Hadn’t he and Swirlpaw and Spiralpaw and Skypaw just escaped a dog attack?

Even as he had those thoughts, he couldn’t help wishing he could stay here forever, with Nimblepaw’s gentle gaze. More than anything, he wanted to touch her again, to hear the soft sound of her voice, to be with her.

“Pinepaw.” One voice rang louder than the others.

Suddenly, at the bottom of the hill, Nimblepaw’s fur shifted from golden to white with gray spots. Her beautiful blue eyes became yellow. “Pinepaw!” Snowypaw wailed.

Pinepaw just stared, not sure what to do. He wanted Nimblepaw. He really, really wanted her. But Snowypaw wanted him. He needed to be there for her. Who should I choose? he wailed silently as the cat at the bottom of the hill changed from Snowypaw to Nimblepaw and back again. Suddenly it grew bigger, transforming into the dog who had chased him and his friends. It stared at him hungrily, its pink tongue swishing back and forth over its lips.

Pinepaw fell into blackness.

 

“Pinepaw.”

Pinepaw opened his eyes. He was standing in a grassy clearing with a lush forest on one side. Everything sparkled in the bright sunlight.

Nimblepaw was standing in front of him now, her blue eyes sparkling. Pinepaw’s throat tightened, and he had to force the words out. “Nimblepaw. Oh, Nimblepaw, I missed you so much!”

Nimblepaw’s gaze was soft. “I’ve missed you, too.”

Pinepaw looked around and realized Nimblepaw’s fur was shining with stars. “Is this StarClan?” he breathed.

Nimblepaw smiled. “I have to give you a message, Pinepaw,” she meowed. “Listen. Your time to act will come soon. You will suffer much, but you must stay strong.” She began to fade.

“Wait!” Pinepaw yowled. “Come back! What does that mean! Tell me, Nimblepaw!”

Nimblepaw’s last words were barely audible as the dream faded. “Stay strong, Pinepaw.”

 

Pinepaw blinked open his eyes and gasped in surprise. Spiralpaw’s face was barely a whisker-length from his, concern in her light blue eyes.

“What?” Pinepaw mewed.

“Are you okay?” Spiralpaw asked.

“I’m fine. Why?”

“You were crying out in your sleep.”

Pinepaw frowned. “Was I? What did I say?”

Spiralpaw’s gaze softened. “You said something about Nimblepaw.”

Pinepaw stiffened in his nest. “Yes. I was dreaming about her. So?”

“Do you miss her?” Spiralpaw asked gently. “Did you care about her? Did you love her that much?”

“Yes, yes, and yes,” Pinepaw answered, puzzled. Why are you asking all these questions? It’s not like you really care, do you, Spiralpaw?

Finally Spiralpaw straightened up and slipped out of the bush. Pinepaw scrambled out of his nest, confused. What had that been about? He pushed out of the bush after Spiralpaw.

Outside, the bright morning sunlight slanted through the green trees. Pinepaw stiffened in surprise as he picked up the familiar scent of pine trees. He hadn’t noticed it through the heavy rain yesterday. It made him feel much more at home.

Skypaw and Swirlpaw were padding toward Pinepaw and Spiralpaw, each with two mice dangling from their jaws. Pinepaw was already hot with embarrassment as they dropped the mice at their paws and crouched down to eat.

“I’m sorry I didn’t help hunt,” he mewed. “I guess I overslept…”

Skypaw snorted. “You oversleep all the time,” she complained. When Swirlpaw nudged her sharply, she quickly added, “Okay, okay…it’s fine. I’m happy to hunt for you, Pinepaw.”

Pinepaw’s belly growled with hunger, and he tore a strip off the mouse in front of him. “What I mean is, I’ve barely had any chance to hunt for you since the beginning of the journey. I want to help.”

Spiralpaw purred in amusement. “At least you don’t get stuck in brambles anymore,” she teased. “That’s a big help.”

Pinepaw’s pelt prickled in embarrassment, and he tore at the mouse, trying to hide it. He felt Spiralpaw stiffened beside him and wondered why. What is her problem?

“Pinepaw,” Spiralpaw began hesitantly. “Swirlpaw, Skypaw…I have something to tell you.” Everyone was alert in an instant, turning away from their meal to stare at her.

“What is it?” Swirlpaw pressed gently.

“It’s just…” Spiralpaw trailed off, then swallowed and started again. “It’s just that…I don’t know why, but I can have visions.”

Pinepaw stared at her, puzzled. “What do you mean? Of course you have visions! Your vision was the whole point of this journey!” He was about to add, And I have visions, too! but stopped himself just in time. I can’t be sure that was a vision, he told himself.

Spiralpaw shook her head. “No, I know about that. I mean…I have visions about…death.”

“Death?” Skypaw gasped.

“I can see how cats died.” Spiralpaw’s voice was stronger now, more certain.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Swirlpaw mewed.

Spiralpaw looked at her paws. “I didn’t think the time was right,” she mumbled.

“Whose death have you seen?” Pinepaw demanded.

“Ambercloud’s,” Spiralpaw gasped. “Nightstar’s.” Then she looked straight at Pinepaw. “And I can add another one in,” she breathed, “if you want to.”

Pinepaw just stared at her, puzzled. “W-what do you mean?” he stammered.

Spiralpaw’s voice lowered until only Pinepaw could hear her. “Nimblepaw,” she whispered.

Pinepaw’s throat tightened again at her name, and he just sat there staring for a while, trying to control himself. Spiralpaw can see how Nimblepaw died? He thought for a moment, then replied, “Um, okay.”

Spiralpaw flicked her tail and disappeared into the bushes. Pinepaw exchanged glances with Skypaw. She shrugged, and he slipped into the bushes after Spiralpaw.

The silver-and-white tabby’s eyes shone in the darkness. “Wait a moment,” she breathed, curling up on the ground. Before long, her breathing had slowed and she was asleep.

Pinepaw waited beside her patiently, scratching at the dirt beneath him with his claws. It smelled of the unfamiliar forest around him, and he wrinkled his nose in disgust. I just want to be home.

Suddenly Spiralpaw jumped and scrambled to her paws. Pinepaw couldn’t hold his questions any longer. “What happened?” he blurted. “What did you see? How does your visions work?”

“Nimblepaw didn’t really see her attacker,” Spiralpaw replied quietly. “All she saw was a black-and-ginger paw.”

Pinepaw stiffened, his breath quickening. He knew a cat that had fur like that. He knew a cat that looked cruel enough to kill another cat.

“And,” Spiralpaw continued softly, “to answer your last question, in my visions, I’m the cat I’m dreaming about.”

Pinepaw frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I think the thoughts the cat had thought, I see what they saw, I feel what they felt…” She trailed off and stood up. “Let’s go.” She slid out of the bush.

Pinepaw followed her out, his mind whirling. He needed to talk to Skypaw. He needed to tell her what Spiralpaw had seen. “Skypaw,” he called to her as soon as he was outside.

The blue-gray she-cat padded up to meet him. “What is it?” she asked, her yellow eyes curious.

“I need to talk to you privately,” Pinepaw answered.

Skypaw shrugged and padded into the bush. Pinepaw followed her. He was already sick of the temporary den they had made. “Spiralpaw had a vision about how Nimblepaw died,” Pinepaw mewed. Skypaw stiffened. “She said she saw the black-and-ginger paw of her attacker,” he went on. “Skypaw, tell me…that was Bloodclaw, wasn’t it?”

Skypaw stared at him, her yellow eyes wide with horror. “Yes,” she breathed. “It was Bloodclaw. Pinepaw, we found out that Bloodclaw’s real name is Bubble.”

“Oh, wow,” Pinepaw murmured. “So Bubble is killing cats?”

Skypaw nodded. “Yes, she was killing cats. We drove her out. Let’s go now.” She stalked out of the bush. Pinepaw stumbled after her, trying to take in all that had happened just this small part of the morning.

There’s a murderer near the Clans!