Duskrose rose yawned. She opened her eyes, and she saw an empty den beside her. Stormleaf was still asleep in it, but Otterdawn...

"Otterdawn!" Duskrose gasped. Stormleaf woke up with a grunt. His fur turned spiky when he saw the empty nest. He didn't say anything. He jumped up and dashed outside, his gaze wild and frenzy. 

Suddenly a familiar scent touched her nose. She looked outside, and she saw the brown she-cat with tan flecks standing at the camp entrance, looking tired but alert, her purple eyes unwavering. 

"My deputy!" Dawnstar raced across the camp, butting Otterdawn in the shoulder. "Where were you last night?" Then her gaze flitted to the night guard, Cloudsplash. "Didn't you see her?"

"Sorry, Dawnstar," Cloudsplash coughed. "It was so dark, I couldn't see - "

"But you still could have saw movement!" Dawnstar growled, then shook her head. "Ugh, I'll get over this later." Then she glanced at Otterdawn. "We need to talk."

Duskrose sighed, but Dawnstar's call jolted her. "And you, Duskrose, and Cricketpaw!" Duskrose froze. Why did Dawnstar want to see Duskrose and Cricketpaw?

Cricketpaw bounded over, standing next to Duskrose. "Are we in trouble?" Her whiskers quivered. Cricketpaw looked so small standing next to her, but Cricketpaw would be an excellent warrior one day. Well, they had to pass this day of "punishment" first.

Duskrose cautiously followed Dawnstar and Otterdawn up the scattered stones, climbing onto a high rock. The high rock's surface was flat, at one end there was a shaded canopy of trees. That was where the leader's den was supposed to be. 

Duskrose pushed her way through the fern leaves of the leader's den. There was a big space. There was big cracks in the rocks for plenty of sunlight to beam through, though the end was shaded. In the shaded corner, there was a small pool that Dawnstar used to consult with StarClan. A leafy nest filled with feathers was next to the pool. 

"Welcome to the leaders den. Please make yourself comfortable," Dawnstar meowed, She settled into her nest and started, "You must be wondering why I called you two in here. Last night, I received a message from StarClan."

Cricketpaw and Duskrose shared a nervous glance, and Otterdawn looked sick to the stomach. 

"They gave me a prophecy," Dawnstar mewed. Otterdawn gasped. Duskrose shifted her paws uncomfortably, and Cricketpaw looked at the ceiling.

"Twolegs come and predators too, wreck the forest to its roots. To three cats the dawn shall rise, the other cats shall dozen some tries. Agree or disagree the cats will choose, the stars will follow in a sky of hues."

Otterdawn jumped to her paws. "Dawnstar, I was missing this morning, because last night I couldn't fall asleep. It was as if the stars were calling me." Dawnstar raised an eyebrow. "So I got up and went for a little walk. I ended up near the lake, and..."

"And what?" Cricketpaw bounced up and down. 

"Brightclaw appeared," Otterdawn murmured, her voice cracking on the word 'Brightclaw'.

"Who's Brightclaw?" Cricketpaw asked. Duskrose looked at the small cat. Brightclaw used to be her mentor...

"My mentor," Duskrose meowed, startling Cricketpaw. "She died by defending the camp from badgers. She was really brave... She is in my heart forever. She's also Otterdawn's mother." 

"She told me the exact same prophecy!" Otterdawn gasped. "It's like... I'm one of the prophecy. But what does 'to three cats the dawn shall rise'? 

"So there will be three cats..." Dawnstar looked thoughtful. Suddenly her eyes brightened up. "I get it!"

"What does it mean?" Duskrose asked, aware that Cricketpaw was being left out a bit. "Like, the "the dawn will rise" part?"

Dawnstar smiled. "It means that the clans have to leave the forest! But if the other clans don't want to leave, it will be up to three cats to convince them to leave!"

"Which three cats?" Otterdawn pressed,

"I had a vision. Ravenflight is my best friend, and she told me: the hissing otter and the flying cricket, the power of freedom and the coming dusk. So I thought it could be you three who would be in the prophecy." 

"But what is the proof?" Duskrose murmured. "Do we get powers? Convincing words?" That would mean that they would be the chosen ones! But would the chosen ones get powers? 

"I don't know," Dawnstar whispered. "StarClan said that you guys would have to find out yourselves."

"But will we have to face the other clans!" Duskrose blurted. She didn't like JungleClan, sure, and how would they be able to convince JungleClan? 

"You will try to convince MistClan tomorrow at Dawn," Dawnstar murmured, and she dismissed them.  

Duskrose grit her teeth in frustration. Dawnstar didn't even answer her question! Plus, she had to go to MistClan tomorrow. Even though Owlstar seemed nice, his clan might not be.