He had another dream that night.

He opened his eyes to a forest, instead of the familiar field. It seemed as though he were all alone, but looking to his sides, he saw multiple cats, nearly enough for a whole clan. But the only ones he recognized were his clan medicine cats and leader. The cats were assembled in a battle line, as if they were waiting for an attack. No cat dared to move. Then Sootpaw heard pawsteps. Thrumming against the earth, getting louder and louder as they came. Then, cats just pelted through the trees, running as fast as they could. Some were yowling, other stopped and calling out names. One of the few who had stopped Sootpaw recognized as his brother Flashpaw. He was yelling a name.

"Sootfur! Sootfur where are you!"

Sootpaw had no clue why he was using that name. Was this in the future?

The other cats had begun huddling together, trying to stay out of the way of the fleeing cats. When all of them had passed and the forest had become quiet again, a starry silver cat stepped in front of him. Addressing all cats who stood before her, she said, "You will have to wade through blood to win this war." Then she disappeared.

Why does StarClan feel so keen on telling him this? He wasn't special. He wasn't important. The cats around his began to fade, and he looked down at his own paws to see they were becoming see-through. He looked around and tried to scream for help, but StarClan was gone.

Instead, he was in his nest, still screaming. Snowpaw and Mousepaw were huddled around him, with worried looks on their faces. He leaped out of his nest and scrambled out of the apprentices den. He scurried over to the leaders den and scratched on the side of the rock. There was no answer. He decided to not wait any longer and plunged into the large hole.

Clawstar, Greeneyes and Oatwhisker were sitting in a semi-circle on the ground farrest from the entrance. They all lofted their heads in his direction and Clawstar's eyes widened.

"Sootpaw, good. You're awake. We were just discussing something that happened while we slept. Do you have anything to say about the subject at paw?"

Sootpaw shook his head so violently that he was sure he heard his brain get knocked off its stand.

He padded over to the three larger cats and completed the circle.

"But I do have to tell you all something," he paused to make sure every cat was listening to him. "That wasn't the first time someone has told me that. Once before, when I was visiting StarClan, a white cat came to me and gave me that very message."

His clanmates looked surprised to hear this. But that didn't stop the black apprentice from continuing.

"I didn't know what to think about it at the time, so I didn't say anything, but I think I know what it means now."

Clawstar lifted his head once more. "Explain."

Sootpaw wrapped his tail around his front paws and took a deep breath.

"Well, the first time I was told this, I really was wading through blood. So maybe the water will turn red and thick and, to get away from something or someone we will need to cross the river."

He ended his lecture with a puff of his chest. He had really just solved a mystery!

Clawstar pondered the idea for a moment, then turned to his accomplices and they nodded slowly.

Clawstar stood up rather abruptly and stretched his legs.

"Well then. I will talk to the cats that were with us about it and see what we find."

Sootpaw cocked his head to the side in confusion. Clawstar noticed and answered his unsaid question.

"The cats with us were clan leaders and medicine cats. The only one who wasn't either would be you."

Sootpaw shifted his weight onto his hind paws and staggered out of the den.

Why was StarClan targeting him? Why not some other apprentice like Snowpaw? She was tough. She would be able to handle this.