Amber dashed after the mouse as fast as she could. Just as she was about to pounce, it ducked through a gap between two hay stacks. Thinking quickly, Amber jumped up onto the hay and waited for a second. The mouse stuck its little nose out, and eventually exited the space. "Watch this!" Amber whispered to Coal, who was sitting a few tail-lengths away.
She jumped down from the bale, landing perfectly on the mouse's back. She heard a small crack, but just to be sure it was dead, she bit its neck. It stopped twitching, and Amber brought it to Coal.
"Yum! Thanks Amber." Coal waited for her to sit before they tucked into the mouse. "It's pretty chilly outside. Catnip says it's going to snow."
"That'd be cool. I've never seen snow before."
"Yes you have!" Catnip padded over to them from his nest.
"Oh, hey Catnip. I didn't see you there." Amber mewed between bites.
"What do you mean she's seen snow before?" Coal inquired.
"Oh, well, when these two youngsters were born, it was snowin' mighty hard. I had to carry them back to the barn in a blizzard, you see, and it snowed for days on end. It was still snowing by the time Smokey and Amber opened their wee eyes. But it had finished the day after that." He yawned.
"Then that must've been about twelve moons ago!" Amber squeaked. "Woah, I'm old! Not quite as old as you, though." She joked, nudging Catnip.
"Watch it! I may be old, but I can still take you down!" The old cat joked back.
"Since we are all so old, can we finally go to the forest? It's the one place you've told us not to go to." Coal mewed.
Catnip's smile faded. "Certainly not! I've told you young 'uns not to go there for a reason! There's wild cats- cars who could claw your ears off! I don't want to see any of you getting hurt."
"S-sorry. It was just a suggestion...." Coal flattened his ears and got up, going over to his nest, careful not to dsturb Smokey, who was sleeping in the nest beside him.
Those cats must be really dangerous, if it made Catnip so mad. I wonder why....

Amber woke up shivering when a cold sharp breeze bit her face. Snow had finally fallen, and now wouldn't stop. She saw Coal shiver in his nest beside her. Poor scrap. He looks so small and helpless when he's shivering....
It was odd. Every time Amber looked at Coal, or even thought of him, she felt hot under her pelt and her mouth felt dry. What was wrong with her? Was it.... love? Am I really in love with Coal? No, of course not.
She rolled over, covering her ears and pushing thoughts of the handsome black tom out of her mind. Once again, she drifted off to sleep.

Amber's eyes fluttered open. She looked around to find herself in a wide meadow, surrounded by tall grass and large pink flowers. "Um, hello? Anyone there? Where am I?" She turned, looking for anyone who could help her. Suddenly, a small shape appeared on the horizon. It came towards her at a rather high speed, and soon Amber could make out the shape of a russet tom. He pelted toward her, and slowed just as he approached her.
"Hello, Amber." The tom spoke, his voice smooth and calming. His pelt seemed to be full of stars.
"Wh-Who are you? Where am I?"
He raised his tail for silence. "I am Foxstar. You never knew me, Amber. I was your father once."
"M-my father? I'm afraid I don't understand.... are you dead?" He didn't look dead. In fact, he looked quite healthy.
"I was leader of IvyClan many moons ago. Though I doubt you know of the warrior Clans."
Amber simply shook her head. How was this possible? Her dead father talking to her within a dream? And he was a Clan cat!
A sudden thought struck her. "Did you ever meet Catnip?"
Foxstar hesitated. "Yes. I did meet him. He never cared for me, being your mother's father. He blamed me for her death."
"So why are you here?" A chill went down her spine.
"I have a message. I warning, if you will, from StarClan."
"StarClan?" Amber tilted her head.
"The dead ancestors of the Clan cats. I am one of them, after all."
"So, what's the message?"
"I need you to know that whatever happens, not to be afraid or discouraged. 'What was once small, will soon grow. Though beware of the falling snow.'"

Amber woke with a gasp, her dream fresh on her mind. The sun had begun to rise, and when she looked, Amber saw that Coal was gone. Smokey was sitting in his nest, grooming his thick gray and white fur. He looked up when he noticed Amber was awake. "Oh, hello Amber! Er," he looked around, searching for the right words, "Coal wanted me to tell you to meet him behind the barn. I don't really know what's happening." His gaze drifted around  before resuming his grooming.
Behind the barn? What does he want?