The Journey Begins

Chapter One
Bolta woke early the next morning. She and Jay had planned and planned about how they were going to do it. Finally they had decided how they were going to find them. First they would go to the lake. Jacob had talked about it often, how he had lived there for a while. He had also mentioned the Clans that lived there. Bolta had told Jay how dangerous their journey would be but the tabby she-cat didn’t listen. Jay was determined to go with her. Bolta stretched and padded out into the hallway. Jay was already waiting by the crack in the wall. Bolta studied the tabby cat. She had grown a lot since the first time they had met. With her still kit-soft grey fur and delicate tabby markings, her clear blue eyes and the black tips of her ears Bolta thought she was most unlike her mother. Not just in looks but in personalities as well. Jay was a trusting cat, a wise cat, despite how young she was, but most of all, Jay was a kind cat. She cared. That was what Bolta liked so much about Jay. Tawny however was a rough cat; she found it hard to trust anybody else and probably would never endanger her life to help Bolta find her missing kits. Of course Tawny would have cared. Just not as much as Jay.

“Are we going then?” Jay asked. Bolta nodded and followed Jay outside. She wished it would rain, that way it would hide their scent trail and the others would never be able to find them. To her greatest surprise, big drops of water began to fall from the sky. Soon it was pouring with rain and the wind had risen. It was almost impossible to see, but that was good. The rain would wash away the evidence that they had ever been there. Bolta wrapped her tail around Jay’s neck so that she didn’t lose her. This was where the journey began... They went at a steady pace down the deserted street and into the forest. They stopped to rest at the same sheltered clearing were Bolta had once lived.

“Right,” Bolta mewed, realising that Jay had never been hunting before. “I’ll teach you the hunter’s crouch first.” Bolta dropped down into a low crouch, her belly brushing the wet leaves and tail just skimming the ground. Jay just stared at the spot where Bolta was. It took a while for Bolta to realise she couldn’t see.

“Let’s try a different way,” she suggested. “Crouch down for me.” Jay crouched. Bolta moved forwards and laid her tail on her back, pressing her closer to the ground. “Make sure your tail doesn’t touch the floor.” Jay lifted her tail up. Bolta nodded. “Now scent the air. See what you can find. I’ll go and try for something further into the forest.” Bolta left Jay crouching to the ground and scenting the air. Closing her eyes, she drew in the familiar forest smells. There was a mouse scuffling in a bramble bush right beside her. She dropped down and stalked forwards. It was an easy catch, the rain had disguised her scent. Bolta decided to catch something else, just in case Jay hadn’t managed. She buried her mouse by the bramble bush. Bolta closed her eyes and let her senses explore the forest. Excitedly, Bolta dropped back into her hunter’s crouch, moving as lightly as possible. She moved quickly through the forest to a small grassy clearing, unsheltered by trees. A small rabbit was nibbling at the rough and springy grass. Bolta moved forwards but the rabbit it heard. It looked around and then ran off. Frustrated, Bolta chased after it for a while. She could see it just ahead, just a few tail-lengths out of reach. Then a grey furry thing leaped out of the trees. Bolta watched in astonishment as Jay leaped perfectly onto the rabbit and killed it with one swift bite.

“Wow!” Bolta meowed, leaping forwards to join Jay. “That was... Brilliant!” Though at the same time Bolta felt a surge of disappointment. If she’d only taken her time she could have caught the rabbit. Now all she had was a mouse.

“Let’s share,” Jay offered. “We won’t need anything else after this.”

“Thanks,” mewed Bolta. Together they carried the rabbit back to the clearing and settled down to eat it. “We should just sleep here. It’s nice and sheltered and we’ve gone far enough for today. I don’t want to tire you.” Jay nodded gratefully and curled up in a tight ball under the shelter of an overhanging branch. Bolta curled up beside her and pretty soon she was asleep as well.

Bolta’s dreams were confused. At first she was staring into a familiar face. He had holly-leaf green eyes and flame-coloured ginger fur. Rory was staring back at her and for a bit they just sat in the moonlit clearing. Then Bolta got to her paws and huge puddles of water began to fall from the sky. Rory ran. Bolta followed but the puddles followed her, leaving a stream of water behind her.

Then the dream changed. She was sitting in the same moonlit clearing but she wasn’t staring at Rory. She was staring at a handsome grey tabby tom with clear jay-blue eyes.

“Bolta,” he meowed. Bolta jumped. How did this cat know her name? “The Dark Forest is rising. They’re breaking through into your world.” Bolta stared at the tom.

“Who are you?” she demanded. “What do you mean?”

“I’m Jayfeather,” he replied. “And I’ve come to help you. There used to be four Clans of wild cats living by the lake; ThunderClan, ShadowClan, RiverClan and WindClan. Now only ThunderClan and ShadowClan remain. They’re dying, Bolta, and you have to help them.” He couldn’t keep the plead out of his voice. Bolta just stared. Jacob had often spoken of the wild Clans he had used to live with. Jayfeather continued. “When a Clan cat dies they go to StarClan. When I lived StarClan made a prophecy. There will be three, kin of your kin that will hold the power of the stars in their paws.”

“How can any cat have the power of stars in their paws?” Bolta wondered. Jayfeather ignored her.

“At first we thought it was me, and my brother and sister; Lionblaze and Hollyleaf,” Jayfeather meowed. “But we were wrong. Hollyleaf wasn’t the third cat. She was crushed in the caves under the lake. Then Dovewing came along and at last we had all of the three. StarClan thought that we could defeat Tigerstar, an evil cat that lived in The Dark Forest. They were wrong. Me, Lionblaze and Dovewing died and the prophecy died with us. Now StarClan have made another prophecy; three will come again, the bright-eyed Jay, the prickly Holly and the brave Bolta. StarClan have made even more powerful cats. Bolta, I need you to take Jay safely to the lake. That is where Holly lives. We need you to defeat The Dark Forest. The fate of the Clans rests in your paws.”

“What do you-?” her question was cut short.

“Bolta!” Jay prodded her side. Bolta felt a wave of annoyance and frustration.

“What?” Bolta demanded.

“I can scent them,” Jay cried. “They’re here! They’re coming! The Dark Forest has broken through into our world!”