Chapter 13

Spiralpaw turned in her nest again. For some reason, she kept thinking she heard shrieks in the distance. Cold fear pierced through her so hard she couldn’t sleep. Is it Bubble? Is another Clan being attacked? Should I help? Are we all doomed?

“Psst! Spiralpaw!” A soft hiss came from beside her. Crystalpaw was staring at her, her green eyes curious. “Why are you still awake?”

Spiralpaw shrugged, suddenly annoyed at her sister. She didn’t need to stuff her nose into everyone’s business! “Why are you still awake?” she asked, ignoring the question.

“Because you’re the one tossing around,” Crystalpaw whispered.

Spiralpaw turned away from her and closed her eyes. Stop it! Just go to sleep already!

“Sssssso,” Crystalpaw meowed. “We found the kits and you’ve been to your first Gathering. I noticed you and Berrypelt looking at each other when you said good night.” Spiralpaw imagined her eyes sparkling mischievously.

“Shut up,” she growled, her eyes still closed.

“I won’t,” Crystalpaw responded indignantly. “I know you two have something for each other and it’s so fun to watch.”

“Well, if you want it to be that way, I’ll watch you every moment of the day and tease you for just being friends with some cat, too!” Spiralpaw shot back.

Crystalpaw snorted. “No, more than friends,” she insisted. “And I don’t have anyone like that for me!”

Spiralpaw opened her eyes and turned back to face her. “Look, Crystalpaw. This is normal. If no one falls in love with anyone, there won’t be kits, and there won’t be new warriors. End of discussion.”

Crystalpaw purred. “Does that mean you are falling for Berrypelt?”

“Hey!” Spiralpaw reached out and cuffed her sister gently behind the ears. “Definitely not!”

“Definitely are!” Crystalpaw teased.

Spiralpaw exhaled deeply. “Well…do you want someone like that?”

“Like what?”

“A mate,” Spiralpaw replied. “And kits.”

Crystalpaw looked thoughtful for a moment. “Um…not really. I just want to be a loyal warrior. Besides, there are enough cats in ThunderClan to last us moons! Do you want a mate and kits?”

“Maybe. But that doesn’t mean I won’t be a loyal warrior.”

“I know,” Crystalpaw murmured sleepily.

“You should get some rest,” Spiralpaw told her. “I’m sorry for waking you up.”

Her sister let out a murmur of acknowledgement and closed her eyes. Spiralpaw sighed and clawed at her nest. Will I ever have a normal life?

That thought stayed with her as she tried to fall asleep, but with no success. Soon, though, she managed to drift into a light sleep, but something instantly woke her up. Spiralpaw sat up and glanced around. Crystalpaw was still sleeping beside her, the rise and fall of her chest steady and slow.

Suddenly memories came flashing back to Spiralpaw. Going out in the forest with a sleek black she-cat, talking with her, joy rushing through her body, walking away from her, trying to save her life, promising to watch over the kits…pale gray fur flashing in front of her, excitement and anxiety fizzing at her paws as she was ordered to do something very, very important, walking through thick gray mist, that gray pelt leading her, guiding her, along the right path…

And Spiralpaw knew what she had to do. She couldn’t sleep anyway, so why not? I’m going to the Moonpool!

 

 

Spiralpaw gasped as she climbed over yet another hill. In her head, she’d imagined an easy and successful journey, but now exhaustion was tugging at her pelt, and she remembered she’d just been to the Gathering. She knew the way to the Moonpool—she’d been there before, accompanying Curlstar—but she was still worried about getting lost, with no one to help her.

She paused at the bottom of the hill, panting. Every part of her body was urging her to curl up and sleep—It’s going to be much easier to fall asleep now, she thought wryly—but she couldn’t give up now, not when she was so close. She could sleep at the Moonpool.

The Moonpool hollow lay in front of her, and Spiralpaw felt as if it were calling to her. She tried to scramble up the slope, but her paws were stiff and numb from the cold. When she finally reached the top, she half ran, half fell down the spiral path leading to the pool, relief spreading through her.

Spiralpaw promptly collapsed next to the water and closed her eyes, breathing heavily. She calmed her thoughts and drifted into blackness…

The next thing she knew, she was standing in a sunny meadow. She realized it resembled the one they had passed on the journey to the Crystal Sun, with long, yellow-green grass, but this one was much bigger. It stretched out in every direction until Spiralpaw couldn’t see the end of it.

“Spiralpaw.”

A sleek black she-cat with leaf-green eyes was standing in front of her, gazing at her warmly. Joy flooded through Spiralpaw—but this wasn’t the pelt she had wanted to see.

“Where’s Heatherfur?” she asked.

Nightstar dipped her head. “You will be able to see her, after I give you this message.”

“Okay,” Spiralpaw meowed. “What is it?”

Nightstar looked at her directly in the eye. “Who do you know of that Bubble has killed?”

Spiralpaw shivered. She didn’t like that question. She thought for a moment. “Well…Ambercloud, Violetblaze, Nimblepaw,” she mewed. “You, Curlstar, and Willowbranch, and also Hawkflight…” She trailed off. That was a lot of cats. Had she missed any?

“Yes,” Nightstar replied. “Also Bladepelt, Skypaw and Cloudpaw’s mother, Mousetail, Pinepaw’s mentor, Goldenfur, one of SkyClan’s elders, and one of Breezestar’s lives.” She looked at Spiralpaw sharply. “Very recently.”

Spiralpaw blinked. “Oh. When?”

“Tonight.”

Spiralpaw’s breath caught in her throat. “Oh…” Is that what the shrieking was?

“Bubble will take many more lives if she is not defeated,” Nightstar hissed. “Remember—you have to do whatever it takes to save the Clans, even if it means killing a cat.” Spiralpaw shuddered. “You, Pinepaw, Swirlstem, and Skypaw are the Clans’ only hope…”

Spiralpaw fell into blackness again.

 

 

“Greetings, Spiralpaw.”

The first thing Spiralpaw saw was pale gray fur. She scrambled to her paws and glanced around. She and Heatherfur were standing in ThunderClan’s oak forest, though sunlight poured in through gaps in the branches, so it definitely wasn’t nighttime, so this was definitely StarClan.

“Hello, Heatherfur.” Spiralpaw dipped her head to the StarClan she-cat. “I wanted to ask you something. A few somethings, actually.”

Heatherfur flicked her tail. “Go on.”

Spiralpaw lifted her head to meet her blue eyes. “What—how—will we save the Clans with our powers? And you told me about that mysterious black cat we met on the journey—you said that our paths will cross. When?”

“You will know when the time comes,” Heatherfur replied, which was not helpful at all. “You will know how to use your powers, your courage and your strength, to help your Clan however you can.”

“What if I’m not ready?”

“You will be ready,” Heatherfur assured her, her eyes blazing. “I promise.” She swept her tail across the grass. “That black cat—the secret she carries—will come to you when you are ready. You must learn patience, little one. It will get you farther than you think.”

Spiralpaw’s paws itched with frustration, but she nodded to Heatherfur’s fading shape. When I am ready.