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Description
Frozenfire hopped across the river, one stepping stone at a time. Before her eyes, the stones became clouds and the churning blue water became nothingness. Frozenfire's green eyes stretched wide as she spotted a gathering of starry cats on the other side of the empty space. It was Starclan.
Once on the other bank, the Starclan cats moved out of the way so she could pass, wonder in their eyes. Only one cat did not move, a starry tom that was nearly invisible.
He, unlike the others, did not look like a cat with starlight in its fur, but stars alone: a constellation. Frozenfire thought she was imagining him until he began to speak.
"The flame of the forest has not yet lit," he growled. "I am getting worried, though I know it must be soon. The flame needs a companion, for without air, fire would not exist."
Frozenfire frowned, and the starry cat came closer, resting his head on hers the way a clan leader would do with a new warrior.
"But beware," the cat continued. "Water must not get near you."
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Frozenfire blinked the strange daydream from her eyes, finding herself in the cool shadow of the highstone, Snakesteps by her side. It was days after Lionkit and Beekit had come into the clan, and Dreamstar had just called a clan meeting. Frozenfire had told Snakesteps about how she was fifth-clan, getting the kits from Lightpool, and making the medicine cat promise not to meet her again. It was clear now that Snakesteps was her best friend again.
"Today we welcome three new kits into the clan," purred Dreamstar from his perch on the highstone. "Fawnheart has had her litter at last. She and Orangeblaze have two sons and a daughter: Firekit, Nettlekit, and Whitekit. Before we know it, they'll be ready to have mentors."
"Those will be us!" Snakesteps whispered, and Frozenfire nodded, suddenly excited. Which of the five kits in the nursery would be hers?
"And it is now time to make a new warrior," Dreamstar continued. "Minnowpaw, you have learned much since your incident. Are you ready?" Minnowpaw nodded, but she was bristling.
Frozenfire shivered. Peachkit, Creampaw's littermate, had been murdered the day before she was to have been made an apprentice. No cat knew for sure who had slain the young kit, but all signs pointed to Minnowpaw. That was why Frozenfire had been made a warrior instead of her.
"You still think I'm the one who did it," snarled Minnowpaw. It wasn't a question, and it was answered with silence. "I knew it," sighed the apprentice, getting up and walking not towards the highstone, but in the opposite direction.
Whitewillow, a little silver and white she-cat as well as the mother of Minnowpaw and Snakesteps, rose to her paws, her whiskers quivering with worry.
"Where are you going?" asked the terrified mother.
"Away!" hissed the daughter, and she was gone.
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Frozenfire shared a fish with Snakesteps and Berryfur. Though neither of them got a very large share of the meal, it was wonderful to be sharing with good friends. Fogstorm and Skydance were each chomping down on mice a few pawsteps away.
"Poor Minnowpaw," mewed Berryfur, and Frozenfire could have sworn she saw Snakesteps's tail twitch.
"Well," mewed Frozenfire, thoughtfully chewing her last morsel of fish. "She did kill a kit, and I suppose her name's not Minnowpaw anymore."
Snakesteps, who seemed to have gotten over her moment of anger, purred aloud. "Maybe she's Killer now. Or Horrible or something."
Berryfur, against his will, let out a purr, his mouth still full. Fogstorm flashed him a weird look.
"Is he okay?" the gray tom meowed sarcastically, and Frozenfire purred, shaking her head.
Icedrop charged into camp then, yowling. A little copper-colored cat followed her, it's golden eyes wide and frightened. Immediately, Dreamstar, Foxfur, and newly named Heartsong, ran up to greet them, concern in their eyes.
"Beachclan's ill!" yowled the copper she-cat, terrified. "They've got a strange illness, and I can't get rid of it. You must help me!"
"What are the symptoms?" Foxfur asked hurriedly, already half-turned to his den as if he couldn't wait to get his supplies.
"Who is that cat?" Frozenfire whispered to her friends. No one looked at her but Fogstorm. The others were watching Foxfur.
"That's Redfawn," answered the gray tom. "She's the medicine cat apprentice of Beachclan." Frozenfire nodded gratefully.
"It's a lot like greencough," meowed Redfawn, "But it's worse. More cats are dying from it than from anything I've ever seen."
All cats were silent until Foxfur broke it. "I'll come with you," he said quietly, dipping his head to Dreamstar in farewell.
A dark gray mist seemed to cover the camp as Rainclan reluctantly said goodbye to their medicine cat.
Then it began to rain.

Description
Frozenfire hopped across the river, one stepping stone at a time. Before her eyes, the stones became clouds and the churning blue water became nothingness. Frozenfire's green eyes stretched wide as she spotted a gathering of starry cats on the other side of the empty space. It was Starclan.
Once on the other bank, the Starclan cats moved out of the way so she could pass, wonder in their eyes. Only one cat did not move, a starry tom that was nearly invisible.
He, unlike the others, did not look like a cat with starlight in its fur, but stars alone: a constellation. Frozenfire thought she was imagining him until he began to speak.
"The flame of the forest has not yet lit," he growled. "I am getting worried, though I know it must be soon. The flame needs a companion, for without air, fire would not exist."
Frozenfire frowned, and the starry cat came closer, resting his head on hers the way a clan leader would do with a new warrior.
"But beware," the cat continued. "Water must not get near you."
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Frozenfire blinked the strange daydream from her eyes, finding herself in the cool shadow of the highstone, Snakesteps by her side. It was days after Lionkit and Beekit had come into the clan, and Dreamstar had just called a clan meeting. Frozenfire had told Snakesteps about how she was fifth-clan, getting the kits from Lightpool, and making the medicine cat promise not to meet her again. It was clear now that Snakesteps was her best friend again.
"Today we welcome three new kits into the clan," purred Dreamstar from his perch on the highstone. "Fawnheart has had her litter at last. She and Orangeblaze have two sons and a daughter: Firekit, Nettlekit, and Whitekit. Before we know it, they'll be ready to have mentors."
"Those will be us!" Snakesteps whispered, and Frozenfire nodded, suddenly excited. Which of the five kits in the nursery would be hers?
"And it is now time to make a new warrior," Dreamstar continued. "Minnowpaw, you have learned much since your incident. Are you ready?" Minnowpaw nodded, but she was bristling.
Frozenfire shivered. Peachkit, Creampaw's littermate, had been murdered the day before she was to have been made an apprentice. No cat knew for sure who had slain the young kit, but all signs pointed to Minnowpaw. That was why Frozenfire had been made a warrior instead of her.
"You still think I'm the one who did it," snarled Minnowpaw. It wasn't a question, and it was answered with silence. "I knew it," sighed the apprentice, getting up and walking not towards the highstone, but in the opposite direction.
Whitewillow, a little silver and white she-cat as well as the mother of Minnowpaw and Snakesteps, rose to her paws, her whiskers quivering with worry.
"Where are you going?" asked the terrified mother.
"Away!" hissed the daughter, and she was gone.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Frozenfire shared a fish with Snakesteps and Berryfur. Though neither of them got a very large share of the meal, it was wonderful to be sharing with good friends. Fogstorm and Skydance were each chomping down on mice a few pawsteps away.
"Poor Minnowpaw," mewed Berryfur, and Frozenfire could have sworn she saw Snakesteps's tail twitch.
"Well," mewed Frozenfire, thoughtfully chewing her last morsel of fish. "She did kill a kit, and I suppose her name's not Minnowpaw anymore."
Snakesteps, who seemed to have gotten over her moment of anger, purred aloud. "Maybe she's Killer now. Or Horrible or something."
Berryfur, against his will, let out a purr, his mouth still full. Fogstorm flashed him a weird look.
"Is he okay?" the gray tom meowed sarcastically, and Frozenfire purred, shaking her head.
Icedrop charged into camp then, yowling. A little copper-colored cat followed her, it's golden eyes wide and frightened. Immediately, Dreamstar, Foxfur, and newly named Heartsong, ran up to greet them, concern in their eyes.
"Beachclan's ill!" yowled the copper she-cat, terrified. "They've got a strange illness, and I can't get rid of it. You must help me!"
"What are the symptoms?" Foxfur asked hurriedly, already half-turned to his den as if he couldn't wait to get his supplies.
"Who is that cat?" Frozenfire whispered to her friends. No one looked at her but Fogstorm. The others were watching Foxfur.
"That's Redfawn," answered the gray tom. "She's the medicine cat apprentice of Beachclan." Frozenfire nodded gratefully.
"It's a lot like greencough," meowed Redfawn, "But it's worse. More cats are dying from it than from anything I've ever seen."
All cats were silent until Foxfur broke it. "I'll come with you," he said quietly, dipping his head to Dreamstar in farewell.
A dark gray mist seemed to cover the camp as Rainclan reluctantly said goodbye to their medicine cat.
Then it began to rain.