Chapter 20

Skypaw padded out of camp with Shadowleap. “We’re hunting today,” her mentor announced. “Let’s try for birds.”

Skypaw felt her belly tighten. She had never been good at hunting birds. Why did it have to be right now?

“Don’t look so worried,” Shadowleap purred. “I’ll teach you a different method than last time. This time, we’ll climb a tree.”

Skypaw’s breath caught in her throat. “Isn’t that a bit dangerous?” she stammered uncertainly.

“Don’t worry,” Shadowleap murmured. “You’ll be fine, and I’ll be watching.” She flicked her tail at the tree next to them. “There’s a bird in the tree next to this one. Climb up.”

Skypaw sighed and clawed her way up the trunk. Shadowleap motioned for her to leap onto a branch stretching out toward the next tree, and Skypaw pushed off with her hind paws and landed precisely onto it.

“SkyClan cats are known for leaping,” Shadowleap called.

Yes, I know, Skypaw thought bitterly. Known for leaping too high and nearly getting killed when they’re supposed to leap far, and then their ThunderClan friend saves them. So heroic.

“Do you see the bird?” Shadowleap asked. Skypaw glanced at the next tree and nodded. “Leap to the next tree, and then pounce on the bird.”

Skypaw took a deep breath, fixing her gaze on the branch of the other tree. I can do it! She bunched her muscles, then leaped.

For a moment Skypaw thought she would miss it. Then her paws hit the branch, and she clung onto it with her claws for a heartbeat, then raced forward and leaped for the bird.

Skypaw’s heart pounded with terror as she caught the bird in mid-air. She quickly gripped it hard in her jaws to focus on the landing, ignoring the bird’s frantic flapping wings. Landing precisely on a lower branch, she killed the bird with a bite and slid down the tree.

“You did it!” Shadowleap purred, bounding over to her. “Let’s take that back to camp.”

 

Skypaw blinked open her eyes and found herself on sitting on a tree branch. Heart pounding, she looked around. But all there was to see was thick, gray mist. Is this a dream? she wondered.

“Skypaw.”

Skypaw turned her head and realized her mother was sitting on the branch next to hers. “Bladepelt!” she breathed, her mind swirling with memories.

“You’ve reached the end of one journey,” Bladepelt murmured, “but a whole new dawn is rising. You must stay strong and do everything in your power to make sure the Clans stay stable.”

Skypaw dipped her head. “I will,” she promised.

When she looked up, the striped black she-cat’s gaze had softened. “It’s rare to have time to talk with you properly,” she whispered, “but now is the time we have agreed on.”

“We? Who’s we?” Skypaw asked eagerly.

“StarClan,” Bladepelt answered. “Now, Skypaw, do you have any questions?”

“Yes!” Skypaw blurted. “How are you doing in StarClan? Are you reunited with our father?”

“Yes,” Bladepelt purred. “We are together again. But I will always be watching over you and Cloudpaw.”

Skypaw felt warmed by her mother’s words. “Is Bubble going to keep being a threat?” She couldn’t hold back the question.

Bladepelt’s eyes flashed, and her fur started bristling. “Bubble will always be a threat,” she growled. “Until you stop her once and for all, at least.”

Skypaw lifted her chin, filled with new determination. “Okay, then, Bladepelt,” she mewed as her mother began to fade. “I will stop her.”

 

Spiralpaw padded eagerly out of camp. She couldn’t explain why she felt so excited despite the horror of Willowbranch’s death. I guess it’s because I get to be with Cinderlight again, she thought. And I get to start training again.

“Okay, Spiralpaw,” her mentor mewed, halting just outside of camp. “We’re going to do a small test, to see how well you’re doing, since you’ve been away on a journey for more than a moon. Tell me,” Cinderlight added, her voice sharpening, “did you rely on the other cats for food when you were out there, or did you hunt by yourself?”

“I hunted by myself most of the time,” Spiralpaw answered truthfully.

Cinderlight nodded. “Good. Now start your hunt, and I’ll be watching you. This is just like an assessment,” she explained, “but I’m only going to see how well you’ve been doing.”

Spiralpaw nodded, eager to show her mentor all that she had learned. “I was very happy when I caught my first mouse,” she told her.

“Good,” Cinderlight purred. “I’m sure you’ll do very well. You can hunt until sunhigh, and then meet me here again.”

Spiralpaw nodded and sniffed the air, catching the scent of mouse. She followed it in a hunting crouch until she spotted the small creature sticking its head into a bush, unaware of her.

Making sure she was downwind, Spiralpaw began creeping forward. She pounced and killed the mouse with a bite. This is going to go well, she thought happily as she started to bury her catch.

 

By sunhigh, Spiralpaw had caught another mouse, a squirrel, and two voles. She padded happily back toward camp, carrying her prey.

Cinderlight slipped out of a bush in front of her, her green eyes sparkling. “Very good, Spiralpaw,” she mewed. “You’re probably ready for a hunting assessment!”

Spiralpaw felt like she was glowing, then realized there was amusement in her mentor’s eyes. She was only joking, she thought, disappointed. Though I probably am ready for my assessment! I’ve been through so much already. But I guess I still need to learn more battle moves…

Cinderlight flicked her tail over her apprentice’s ears. “Come on!” she meowed. “Don’t stand there all day! Let’s get your prey back to camp.”

As Spiralpaw pushed her way through the thorn barrier, her sister came bounding up to her. “Spiralpaw!” Crystalpaw yowled. “You’ve brought back so much prey!”

“Spiralpaw’s turning into a fine hunter,” Cinderlight told her proudly. She turned to Spiralpaw. “Put those on the fresh-kill pile, then get something for the elders, and then you can rest. We’ll do some battle training at dusk to get you caught up.”

Spiralpaw dipped her head and trotted over to the fresh-kill pile, her pelt tingling with excitement. I’m already halfway to becoming a warrior!

 

Spiralpaw blinked open her eyes as a paw poked her side. Crystalpaw was awake in her nest next to her. “What?” Spiralpaw hissed. “I was just about to fall asleep.”

“I was only going to congratulate you,” Crystalpaw mewed, her tone edged with annoyance. “No need to get all grumpy.”

“Oh…Thanks,” Spiralpaw murmured. “I’m glad I’m back with you. I hope we can get our warrior names the same time.”

Crystalpaw rolled her eyes. “From the events that happened today, I think you’re going to become a warrior at sunrise the next day!”

Spiralpaw forced out a faint purr of laughter. “No, I’ll wait for you,” she assured her sister. “Will you wait for me, if you complete training first?”

Crystalpaw nudged her with her nose. “Of course I will, mouse-brain,” she yawned.

“You should go to sleep,” Spiralpaw told her.

“Yeah, you too,” Crystalpaw grunted, wrapping her tail across her nose. “See you in the morning.”

Spiralpaw closed her eyes. The next time she opened them, she was sitting in a grassy meadow. Mist covered the trees around it. She gasped in surprise as she saw the cat sitting calmly in front of her. “Heatherfur!”

The pale gray she-cat nodded. “Spiralpaw,” she greeted. “Come with me.” She began padding into the mist.

Spiralpaw hurried after her, afraid to lose sight of her ancestor. To her surprise, as the two cats walked into it, the mist began to part to reveal a winding path that led to a small pool. Spiralpaw followed as Heatherfur padded along it and halted next to the pool.

“Look into it,” the StarClan cat murmured.

Spiralpaw looked down. At first all she could see was the clear, shimmering water. Then it began to change until she was looking down at a meadow. “That’s the meadow we passed on our journey!” Spiralpaw gasped.

Heatherfur just nodded. “Keep watching,” she murmured.

Spiralpaw watched as the image zoomed in, getting bigger and bigger until it homed on a sleek, muscular black cat sitting in the center of the meadow. Spiralpaw was even more surprised. “That’s the black cat we met on our way back!” she exclaimed.

Heatherfur nodded again. “Be careful,” she warned. “Your paths will meet. You will see her again, but be cautious. She carries an important secret that should be known to all the Clans.”

Spiralpaw shivered. That sounds so ominous. “But who is she?” she asked Heatherfur. “Is she important? Is she an enemy?”

The pale gray cat did not answer her questions, just stared at the image in the pool. “Be careful, Spiralpaw,” she mewed again. “It is clear, very clear, that your paths will meet, soon, but when you are ready.”

Heatherfur lifted her head to the clear blue sky. “When you are the shining star of ThunderClan.”