Echopaw had been in big trouble when they got back to camp, just as she had expected. But she didn't think it would've been as bad as it was. Every cat had stared at her as she passed, looking disappointed. Echopaw felt horrible.
Eveningstar was outraged, and Echopaw had hung her head so low during his scolding that it touched the ground. He growled about how she had disobeyed his order that no cat, unless they were a warrior, was to leave camp. Echopaw had become confused that Whisperpaw had been able to leave camp to help pick her up from NightClan, but didn't dare argue with her leader. Eveningstar had confined her to camp until Bronzepelt felt she was ready to train again. And she was solely responsible for taking care of the elders until the next Gathering; Whisperpaw didn't have to help. By saying this, Eveningstar had meant bringing them fresh-kill at dawn and at dusk, switching out their moss, and searching their coats for ticks.
After Eveningstar had declared her punishment, Echopaw had started to walk back toward the apprentices' den, where she felt she should go to be alone in her guilt, but was stopped by Rustypelt. He had told her to follow him, and they sat by the bramble bushes. He had saved his scolding until they reached camp. He growled about how DawnClan was now in debt to NightClan because they saved her life. Rustypelt hissed that because she had been so selfish and irresponsible to run away, now NightClan would expect something back from them.
"Good thing you didn't wash up on DayClan territory!" he had snarled, "They would have healed you up all nice and then asked for some of our territory! If we objected, then they would say that we owe them something, and that they wanted the payment in territory!"
Echopaw had realized he was right, muttered her apology, and started padding slower to the apprentices' den, feeling even more guilty. She now realized why the NightClan cats had been so nice to her. Echopaw sighed and had continued to walk to the apprentices' den, but was stopped yet again by her mentor. He explained how she had disobeyed Eveningstar, the leader, and that she ran away for no reason.
"You can't be upset that you were told you to take care of the elders today. It was your own fault you snapped at Fogtail. Now, because of your foolishness, you've got yourself confined to camp until the next full moon." Bronzepelt muttered, and Echopaw bowed her head, murmuring her apologies over and over again.
Her mother was angry, but mostly relieved. "You worried every cat to death! Imagine how I felt to hear that you had disappeared and that your scent trail had ended by the river. I thought you'd died!" Echopaw had felt even more guilty and horrible after hearing Sparktail saying this.
Echopaw had thought she would never feel happy again. She wondered how the Clans would ever listen to her when she told them the prophecy. Echopaw had felt useless. And now they would never listen to her.
Echopaw had sighed and dragged herself to the apprentices' den, expecting to be stopped and scolded again on her way there, but wasn't. As she stepped in, she saw Whisperpaw lying in her nest. Echopaw braced herself for the storm of anger that would come out of her sister's mouth, but it never came. Instead, her sister was ignoring her, giving no signs that she had even seen Echopaw. Echopaw hung her head low and muttered, "I'm sorry," and curled up into her nest. She had laid there, feeling tired, even though it was only just past sunhigh. She had closed her eyes and fallen asleep, still feeling guilty.
It was now the day after she had received her punishment. She had been woken up at sunrise by Bronzepelt to get started on the elders care. He hadn't sounded angry with her anymore, and Echopaw had realized he thought she got the punishment she deserved. Echopaw had seen no sign of Whisperpaw, and realized she had gone out training again. Eveningstar had announced, because of what the dawn patrol had reported, that apprentices and older kits may leave the camp now only if they were accompanied by a warrior or queen.
Echopaw now sat by the fresh-kill pile, eating a vole. Hailkit came padding up to her, and asked, "Can I join you?"
Echopaw nodded and continued to eat her vole. Hailkit had forgiven Echopaw easily, but her own sister still wasn't talking to her.
"So why did you run away? Don't you like it here?" he asked, looking hurt, but sympathetic.
"I didn't run away; I fell into the river. But nevermind that. What happened when the Clan noticed that I was gone?" she asked, feeling waves of guilt washing over her once more.
"Well, your parents got really worried and Bronzepelt volunteered to lead a patrol to follow your scent. Every cat was really worried. When they found your scent and explained how it had ended at the river, every cat thought you were dead. I was really terrified, like most of the Clan was. Then a NightClan patrol came across one of our patrols and told us that they had found you on their territory by the river, and that you were alive. Every cat was relieved, but then became really angry. The look on Whisperpaw's face made me nearly jump out of my fur. I looked as if she—" he stopped, looking at Echopaw with sadness and apology in his eyes. "Well you're alive and back home, and that's what matters." He flicked Echopaw's ear with his tail and let her finish her vole in peace.
Echopaw felt horrible again. She could imagine how Whisperpaw had felt when she had heard she was missing. She must have been scared to death. Echopaw guessed that after her worry, her first thought was of the prophecy. Whisperpaw must have been completely terrified, because without Echopaw, there weren't Two, and the Clans could be doomed. Echopaw now understood her sister's anger, and she reminded herself to apologize to her sister later, and try to gain Whisperpaw's trust and confidence again.
Echopaw finished her vole, then grabbed a sparrow, a mouse, and a blackbird for the elders. She got up and padded toward the elders' den.
"Echopaw has been acting strange lately, always jumpy," Echopaw heard Fogtail meow, and Echopaw paused at the den entrance.
"Yeah, I wonder what is bothering her?" replied Spruceclaw. "First, she snaps at you like that, and I know Echopaw, that wasn't like her. Then, she runs away and almost gets herself killed."
"Yes, but what I don't understand is why she said that she's so important that the Clans will be destroyed without her," meowed Ferrettail. "Something is really upsetting her, I know it."
"Poor thing," she heard Spruceclaw reply. "I think I'll ask her about it."
"I wouldn't do that if I were you. The way she's been acting, it's like she's keeping some sort of secret," warned Fogtail.
There was a pause and then Ferrettail meowed, "Yeah, I think you're right. It'll just upset her more. She'll just get into more trouble, and she doesn't need that."
"Yeah, but she deserves it, running away like that," Echopaw heard Fogtail reply, "Speaking of her punishment, isn't she supposed to be bringing us some fresh-kill soon? I wonder what's keeping her?"
Echopaw knew she couldn't stand there any longer. After a few moments, she swallowed nervously and stepped into the elders' den. As she walked in, she saw Ferrettail and Fogtail sitting up, pretending they had just woken up. Spruceclaw turned around and meowed, "Hello, Echopaw, thanks for the prey."
Echopaw dropped the mouse, blackbird, and sparrow at the elder's paws and replied, "You're welcome. Need anything else?" She tried to sound as polite as she could, so that the elders wouldn't suspect she had been eavesdropping on their conversation.
"Oh, no, we're all good. Thanks," meowed Ferrettail in the same polite voice.
Echopaw dipped her head and padded out of the den. She saw Whisperpaw returning from training with Gravelpelt, carrying a rabbit in her jaws. Echopaw felt jealousy tingling in her paws. Whisperpaw had already learned how to hunt, and it looked like she was really good if she could manage to catch a rabbit. Whisperpaw was out of camp training, while Echopaw was stuck in camp looking after the elders.
She watched as Whisperpaw padded over to the fresh-kill log and added her catch to the pile. Echopaw was about to go over and congratulate her, when she realized that her sister still wasn't talking to her and would just ignore her again. Echopaw sighed and found herself wandering towards the medicine cats' den.
As Echopaw looked inside the den, she realized that in all the commotion of her punishment, she still hadn't asked the medicine cats about her dream, to see if they had had it too. She peeked inside the den and called, "Yellowpaw? Goldheart?"
Yellowpaw immediately poked her head outside the den and meowed, "Hey Echopaw! Need something?" At least Yellowpaw was happy and talking to her, unlike Whisperpaw.
"Hello, I was wondering if I can come in. I need to ask you something," she replied.
"Sure, we were just organizing the herbs, so try not to step on them," Yellowpaw meowed, then lead the way into the den. She showed Echopaw a spot where she could sit that wasn't near any of the herbs on the floor.
Goldheart looked up as Echopaw was brought into the den. He looked confused. "Hi, Echopaw. Is there something wrong?"
"Uh," Echopaw shuffled her paws on the ground. "Well, I was wondering i-if you had a strange dream a-at the Moonfall the other night," she finished and looked away.
"You know we're not supposed to tell you about anything at the Moonfall," meowed Goldheart sternly but gently, his gaze searching hers.
Echopaw swallowed nervously, "I... I know... but..." she trailed off. Then she thought of something. "I'll be right back." Echopaw got up, and Goldheart watched her, confusion clouding his face.
Echopaw carefully made her way out of the den, not stepping on any herbs. She padded out into the clearing and looked around, but found no sign of who she was looking for.
Finally she found her. Whisperpaw was sitting by the nursery, talking to Cloverkit and Hailkit. Echopaw ran over to her sister.
"Whisperpaw!" she called. Cloverkit and Hailkit looked up, but Whisperpaw showed no signs that any cat had said anything.
This is hopeless, she thought. "Whisperpaw! Please! This is really important!" But her sister still didn't budge. Echopaw sighed and looked up in frustration. She saw a pale gray bird circling across the evening sky. She blinked. It was silver, and was swirling through the sky... whirling through the sky. Whirlheart! "That bird was sure whirl-ing through the sky, right from the heart of StarClan, like a StarClan warrior," she commented meaningfully, directing her words at Whisperpaw. Hailkit and Cloverkit looked at Echopaw in complete confusion.
"What?" asked Hailkit, bewildered.
"But birds don't come from StarClan," meowed Cloverkit slowly.
Echopaw ignored them. She was looking at Whisperpaw, who suddenly looked up at Echopaw, questions in her eyes. Echopaw silently thanked StarClan for the silver bird. Whisperpaw nodded at Echopaw, and Echopaw lead her to the medicine cats' den, leaving Cloverkit and Hailkit looking bewildered.
When they reached the den, Whisperpaw blurted out, "I'm sorry I wasn't talking to you. I just, oh, I don't know! But never mind about that, I'll apologize later. What about Whirlheart and StarClan? What do you know? What—"
"Shh! It's just, I started asking Yellowpaw and Goldheart if they had a strange dream at the Moonfall. He seemed to see that I wasn't just curious; he knew I was hiding something," Echopaw meowed. She took a deep breath and continued, "I think we should tell them, the vision and the prophecy, but not that we're the cats meant to save the Clans."
Whisperpaw nodded. Then she sighed and replied, "Well, okay."
Echopaw lead Whisperpaw into the medicine cats' den, warning her not to step on the herbs. When she saw Yellowpaw and Goldheart, they looked really confused. "What's your sister here for? I thought you were asking me about the Moonfall?"
Echopaw sighed and looked at Whisperpaw. Whisperpaw nodded at her, and Echopaw started, "When Whisperpaw and I were kits, six moons old, we each had a dream, the same one, but separately." She paused. "Well, I was in a forest, and a StarClan warrior came to visit me; her name was Whirlheart."
Goldheart looked bewildered. "Whirlheart?" he asked, "Are you sure?"
"Yeah, why?" Echopaw asked curiously.
"It's just, oh, nevermind," Goldheart meowed. "I'll tell you if it has to do with what you're about to tell me, since we can't say what happened at the Moonfall unless it directly affects our Clan."
Echopaw shared a glance with Whisperpaw, then continued. "Whirlheart told me she had come to show me a vision. I was suddenly transported back to camp, but I was all alone. Then something huge started stomping through the forest toward camp. When it came into view, shadows covered up its body, so I couldn't see it very well. But it had paws bigger than me, claws longer than my tail, and jaws stronger than, like, anything you can imagine. Then.. the Whirlheart said, 'Darkness will veil the sky, but with the whispering voice of two, the forest as one will echo with light'. " Echopaw finished hesitantly and glanced at Whisperpaw.
Goldheart sat in silence, thinking, and Yellowpaw looked scared, her green eyes widened.
Then Goldheart finally spoke, "Well, it means danger is coming, that's for sure. There must have been shadows because when that dark creature that comes, it will cast dark shadows on the forest, just like it said in the beginning of that prophecy. Now," he paused, "the rest of the prophecy, it's a bit confusing. But it had the word 'two' in it, and Whirlheart told me at the Moonfall, 'As snow melts and the forest recovers after long hardship, the Two in your Clan will leave; the mountains will soon be calling them'. Then she left. At first I wondered what she meant by 'the Two', but now I know it must connect with the prophecy you just told me. So, whoever the 'Two' is, they are in this Clan, and they will be leaving next new-leaf."
Echopaw looked at Whisperpaw in amazement. How had Goldheart riddled out the vision so quickly? It had taken Echopaw and Whisperpaw over two moons to figure it out.
Well, Echopaw thought, he is a medicine cat.
Yellowpaw nodded, looking scared. "So, w-what could the d-danger be? And why would the cats who have to save us from the danger leave us?"
"I don't know. StarClan has its reasons," sighed Goldheart. Then he looked up suddenly, realization in his eyes. He stared at Whisperpaw and Echopaw quickly, then looked back at the herbs, and Echopaw could sense his mind was reeling.
"Well, thanks, Goldheart," meowed Echopaw, hoping he hadn't figured out that she and her sister were the cats in the prophecy. Echoose glanced outside and saw the stars glittering in the sky; the sun had already set. "We'd better get to bed."
Goldheart and Yellowpaw nodded and turned back to their herbs as the two apprentices left their den. Echopaw and Whisperpaw padded to the apprentices' den and sat down on their nests.
"Well, based on what Goldheart said, we'll be going to the mountains," muttered Whisperpaw.
"In new-leaf?" Echopaw meowed, "Every cat knows that the weather is still cold in the beginning of new-leaf, and it'll be worse in the mountains! If we do go, we'll probably get trapped in a blizzard! We can't go to the mountains and leave our Clan! Maybe we aren't the cats in the prophecy..."
"We have to be," sighed Whisperpaw, "It fits. No other cat was given the dream, not even the medicine cats."
Echopaw nodded, agreeing. "I guess," she yawned, then laid down in her mossy nest.
Whisperpaw murmured goodnight and laid down in her nest too.
Echopaw lay awake in thought for a while, wondering why she and Whisperpaw should go to the mountains. Would they go by themselves? Echopaw shuddered. Out in the cold snow on the top of the mountains all by themselves? How would they know which way to go? Why would they be going? What was the point?
Echopaw gave up and turned over, deciding to let the events unfold. One day, everything would become clear, and StarClan would help her along the way. She'd let them guide her paw- steps, and then she and Whisperpaw would be able to shape the Clans' destinies one day, as the prophecy had predicted.