The Explanation

Fallowheart left the nursery and took a deep breath. Cats bustled around the clearing. Whenever one of them bumped into her, they would give her a curious look. Fallowheart knew it was because they wanted to know who her mate was, but she kept tight-lipped.

She approached Tawnymist and asked, "Have you seen Pinestar?"

"The last I heard, he was on his way over to PikeClan territory," the black she-cat responded.

Without replying, Fallowheart raced away, bounding over the Grassy Field, until she had come to the edge of PikeClan territory. She saw Pinestar and Treestar talking in urgent whispers. She crept towards them, her ears pricked to see if she could pick up bits of their conversation.

Treestar was saying, "...last we saw him, he was running towards PoplarClan territory. That was several sunrises ago." He glared at Pinestar suspiciously. "Do YOU have something to do with his dissapearance?"

Pinestar growled angrily. "Well, I can tell you right now that I never saw Snaketail ANYWHERE on PoplarClan territory. Does that answer your question?"

"How do we know you didn't hold him prisoner?" Treestar snarled menancingly.

"Prisoner!? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" Suddenly Pinestar lifted his head. "Fallowheart?" he murmured confusedly.

Treestar looked confused.

"I think I smell my sister..." Pinestar muttered.

Fallowheart dashed away from where the two Clan leaders stood, her heart thumping wildly in her chest.

Snaketail's MISSING? she thought. Oh, no...this is NOT good...

She found shelter beneath a large boulder and rested there, her head on her paws as she thought.

If Snaketail was the snake in the prophecy, and he was missing, who knew what havoc he could do...Fallowheart drifted off to sleep.

~~~

Suddenly, she found herself in a mossy clearing. Tall poplars grew on either side of her.

There was a rustling in the bushes. Fallowheart readied her claws, then called, "W-Who's there?"

A long-furred, cream-colored tom stepped out in front of her.

"Basil!" she cried happily. "My brother...I haven't seen you in so long...since...since..."

"Since I was killed by dogs," Basil finished for her. They touched noses, Fallowheart's eyes shining with sadness.

After a few long heartbeats, Basil stepped back and fixed Fallowheart with a steady gaze. "You are a cat of the prophecy. You hold the power of the pelt of silver in your grasp."

"I-I know."

"But you are in more danger than the rest of the propheciesed cats. The snake itself has direct relations to you, and it will use you to try and gain power over all cats in both Clans."

Fallowheart gasped. The gray tom that she was formerly in love with had turned into a hissing adder in a matter of seconds in her mind.

"The snake may be one cat, but he will gather more to help him. You must stop him," Basil continued. "Once the snake is killed, the rest will be taken care of."

Basil gazed at her grimly. "The other cats of the prophecy have gotten this same message from different StarClan cats they know and love. It is up to all of you, combined, to stop the snake..." Basil began to fade.

Fallowheart watched him go, her slender frame trembling with apprehension. She lay down on the moist ground and closed her eyes...

~~~

Fallowheart awoke with a start underneath the boulder. She blinked sleep out of her eyes and decided to go back to camp.

As she reached the clearing, she heard alarmed yowls echoing through the trees. She quickened her pace and saw cats running wildly everywhere. Pinestar was standing on the Stonepile, trying to get his Clan's attention.

Fallowheart ran up to him and caterwauled, "What happened?"

Pinestar noticed her, and his green eyes flashed for a moment before he said, "Murkclaw reported a fox attack. Where were you?!"

Before Fallowheart could respond, several streaks of red burst into the clearing, snarling and swinging their large, narrow heads around to survey the camp.

Foxes.

((COMMENT BELOW TO FIGHT THE FOXES))

**Pinestar**