Chapter 7

Spiralpaw bounded across the clearing to the nursery, excitement fizzing beneath her paws. She hadn’t seen Rubykit and Flamekit in a long time, and she was going to meet Sparkwing and Moonshine’s kits. She warmed at the thought of seeing new beginnings after a dangerous battle with the rogues. Rubykit and Flamekit must have grown. I can’t wait to see them again!

She paused at the entrance of the den and glanced around camp. Heatherclaw’s patrol of seven cats were already heading out into the forest. Cinderlight, Sunclaw, Blacksky, Berryleaf, Sandstripe, and Goldenpelt had just come back from hunting, and the fresh-kill pile was full, the elders fed.

Well, if there’s nothing else for me to do… Spiralpaw turned toward the nursery.

“Spiralpaw!” someone burst out right when she was about to enter. She sighed and turned around to see Swirlstem running toward her.

“What is it?” she asked the gray-and-white tabby. Now that her friend was deputy, Spiralpaw realized with a pang of sadness, she wouldn’t have that much time with her. Swirlstem would be busy organizing the patrols.

“There’s one more spot on Heatherclaw’s patrol,” Swirlstem meowed. “I want you to go with them and practice your hunting.”

“I was just going to see the kits,” Spiralpaw murmured. “Curlstar told me to!”

“Oh.” There was a hint of embarrassment in Swirlstem’s voice. “Okay. I won’t stop you from seeing them. They’re beautiful. What about going out after that?”

“Sure! Thanks, Swirlstem!” Spiralpaw exclaimed and shot into the nursery before the deputy could say anything else.

Spiralpaw blinked a few times, her eyes still adjusting to the darkness, and glanced around. Moonshine was in her nest with her kits sleeping in the curve of her belly, while Sparkwing and Reddawn were off to the side, watching their kits bounce over each other in a game of mossball.

Moonshine looked up when Spiralpaw entered. “Hi, Spiralpaw,” she mewed warmly. “Here to see the kits?”

“Yeah,” Spiralpaw answered, her pelt burning. She’d never really had any reason to talk to the tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat before. “I see it’s…pretty busy in here.”

“I know,” Sparkwing sighed. “Quailkit and Flickerkit never want to stop playing with Rubykit and Flamekit once they start the game.”

Spiralpaw glanced over at the four kits. Quailkit, the dark gray-and-white tom, seemed to be the biggest of them and was standing on his hind paws, trying to reach the ball. Flickerkit, a dappled gray-and-orange tabby she-kit, was right next to him and was getting whapped in the face with her brother’s fluffy tail. Rubykit, still the smallest of the group, was beside them with her brother Flamekit. The pale ginger kit leaped up and tried to wrestle the moss out of Quailkit’s paws, and the two toms rolled into a ball of flailing limbs and dark gray, white, and pale ginger fur.

Rubykit lifted her head and her orange eyes met Spiralpaw’s. “Hi, Spiralpaw!” she squealed, distracted for a moment.

Spiralpaw cringed as Quailkit and Flamekit rolled onto her, the three of them getting even more tangled up. Flickerkit rolled her eyes and stalked back to her mother, leaving her denmates in a pile with Rubykit and Quailkit on the bottom and Flamekit on top, holding the moss ball triumphantly in his paws.

With a squeal of delight, the pale ginger kit leaped down and scurried across the den to Spiralpaw. “I’m still the best warrior of all of them,” he declared, waving his tail at his denmates. “I always win all of our games.” He glanced at Moonshine’s kits, who were still sleeping. “When are they going to be joining us? We’re going to have even more warriors!”

Spiralpaw purred. “They’re three whole moons younger than you, Flamekit,” she murmured. “Be patient. They’ll play soon.”

“Moonshine said the dark ginger tabby is Emberkit, the pale gray one is Rosekit, and the black one is Shadowkit,” Flamekit mewed. “I want to play with Emberkit.” He puffed out his chest. “He seems the most like me.”

Spiralpaw slapped her tail gently across his face. “You’ll see when they’re ready to play with you,” she scolded him softly. “Don’t make any guesses so early.”

“Yes, Flamekit.”

Spiralpaw nearly jumped as Rubykit’s soft voice came from behind her. She turned around and saw the small red she-kit sitting in her nest behind them. “Don’t judge him by how he looks,” Rubykit mewled.

So quiet and smart for a kit, Spiralpaw observed. Don’t worry, Nightstar. I’m still watching her. Nightstar… Something suddenly flashed in her mind. “Sorry, kits, I have to go,” she meowed, ducking her head in apology. “I’ll visit you again soon.” She quickly slipped out of the den.

Spiralpaw ran across the clearing and shot into the warriors’ den. She grabbed Swirlstem and dragged her out, panting.

“Hey, quit it!” Swirlstem yelped. “What was that for?”

“We have to go into the forest,” Spiralpaw mewed urgently. She didn’t know why she was saying this, but she felt like she had to. There was a bubble of urgency inside her she couldn’t explain, but it was calling her into the forest.

“What–”

Spiralpaw didn’t let her friend finish. She turned and raced toward the camp entrance, knowing Swirlstem would follow her to make sure she was safe.

“Spiralpaw!” Swirlstem called from behind her. “Curlstar said we have to go with a patrol of—Spiralpaw! Wait!”

Spiralpaw heard the gray-and-white tabby’s paw steps behind her and burst through the camp entrance. She continued running once she was out in the forest, ignoring the part of her that was screaming for her to go back in case Bubble was out here. She barely noticed where she was going until she stopped abruptly at a sight she had seen many times before, a sight she’d experienced one of the scariest moments of her life.

The climbing clearing.

Ambercloud’s death had been moons ago, when Spiralpaw had been a kit. Why would something call her here now?

Still breathing heavily, Spiralpaw padded into the clearing and sat down near the middle. She glanced around, wondering what she was waiting for. Another vision? But surely no one died recently…unless it’s from the other Clans.

She blinked, and the next thing she knew, the clearing was filled with heavy, gray mist. She took a deep breath. It feels so…comforting. Like–

“Spiralpaw?”

Spiralpaw jumped up with a startled yelp. Swirlstem was suddenly beside her, gazing around in wonder. “What is this place?” the ThunderClan deputy breathed. “I was just following you to the climbing clearing…”

Spiralpaw didn’t answer her. A dark shadow formed in front of them, coming closer with each heartbeat. Spiralpaw wanted to run away, but her body seemed frozen, unable to move. Swirlstem pressed closer to her. Their breath was the only thing breaking the silence.

“Spiralpaw. Swirlstem,” a warm voice meowed.

Spiralpaw relaxed and straightened up. “Nightstar?” She recognized the sleek black pelt and the leaf-green eyes so well. And yet, when the former ThunderClan leader appeared right in front of her, it was still breathtaking.

“Nightstar,” Swirlstem gasped.

“I called you here to show you something very important,” Nightstar announced.

Spiralpaw flinched in surprise as the mist started swirling around them, engulfing them in gray. As the mist continued to move, she twitched her ears. In the distance, someone was crying in fear. Spiralpaw heard the sound of splashing water, and suddenly they were surrounded by dark water. Someone’s drowning!

Spiralpaw squinted and saw a small, dark shape swirling in the water. A kit! She lurched forward to help, but the water threw her down, and she was sinking into the dark depths. Next to her the shape was curled tightly into a ball, drifting lifelessly.

No! Spiralpaw wanted to scream, but she had no air. Water filled her mouth and ears, and her eyes stung. Her lungs ached and her vision swam. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Swirlstem sinking too, but she had no energy left in her body to help. As she sank deeper and deeper into darkness, Nightstar’s voice rang in her head.

Spiralpaw. Wake up. This is not real.

Spiralpaw’s eyes slammed open, and she gasped for breath, sitting up. She took a moment to come back to her surroundings and realized she was back in the climbing clearing. Hmm. Perfectly dry. It must’ve been a vision. But why would Nightstar show us a vision of drowning? She glanced up at the pale gray sky in confusion.

The sound of coughing dragged Spiralpaw’s gaze back to Swirlstem. The gray-and-white tabby pushed herself to her paws, looking around in confusion. “What happened?” she asked.

“I know just as much as you do,” Spiralpaw mewed.

“That’s not true.”

“What?”

“I said that’s…not true,” Swirlstem mewed slowly, uncertainly.

“Wait, what?” Spiralpaw repeated. “How do you know?”

“I’m not sure,” Swirlstem replied. “I can just…feel it. Maybe it’s my gift from the Crystal Sun! I have the power to tell apart truth and lie, don’t I?” Excitement lit up her yellow eyes.

“But…so…you can tell if it’s true or not, even if I don’t know I’m lying?” Spiralpaw hissed.

Swirlstem shrugged. “I guess?”

Spiralpaw stood up. “Okay, this is weird. Let’s go back to camp and tell your sister what happened.” She turned and headed through the forest back to camp.

Swirlstem followed on her tail. “Good plan.”