Chapter 5

_“Is she awake?” Berrypelt asked.

“Which ‘she’ are you talking about, Curlstar or Spiralpaw?” Lilyflame snapped.

“Uh…both of them?” Berrypelt replied.

“Please shut up, both of you,” Swirlstem mewed. “I’m trying to focus here.” She was actually just hoping, hoping her sister would wake up. And feeling guilty. Why had she snapped at Spiralpaw like that? Are they going to be okay? she wondered, worry spiraling inside her like leaves let free to swirl in the wind. What if it was my fault? What if I was too slow and didn’t get back in time?

“Swirlstem?” A soft voice came from behind her. She turned around to see Curlstar slowly pushing herself to her paws, her throat healed and her fur sleek and free of blood again.

She came back! Swirlstem leaned forward and touched her nose to her sister’s ear. She really did get nine lives! Not that I didn’t trust her the first time. What am I thinking?

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Swirlstem murmured. She paused for a moment. “You guys lost the battle, didn’t you?”

Curlstar’s head drooped. “Yes. We did.”

Swirlstem nudged her. “Don’t worry. We learned something, didn’t we? Bubble has more cats on her side, and–”

“–we should make a new rule,” Curlstar finished. “From now on, if any cat wants to go out in the forest, they need to take a group of three more cats with them.”

“Four cats might be too less,” Swirlstem pointed out. “The worst case is if Bubble gets even more cats on her side. And that is really likely to happen, if you ask me.”

“Go on,” Curlstar pressed.

Swirlstem glanced at the backup patrol, made of Berrypelt, Lilyflame, Rivertail, and Leafclaw. “Well, four cats could be too less. Maybe a group of seven cats? Or eight?”

“That will be too much if more than eight cats want to go out at once.” There was a spark of confidence in Curlstar’s eyes now. Swirlstem smiled. Just what she had hoped for. “Sorry, but maybe the best way to solve this is to confine everyone to camp unless you join a patrol. A patrol will be made of six to eight cats, and at most two patrols can be out at once. One cat can run back for help if needed, and the others should be enough to hold the rogues off, at least for a bit.”

“What?” came a surprised mew. Spiralpaw had woken up and was leaping to her paws. “We can’t go out on private walks anymore?”

“Yes, unfortunately, for everyone’s safety,” Curlstar answered. “You’re alright!”

Spiralpaw ducked her head. “I guess I was just a little tired.”

“Let’s go back now, everyone,” Swirlstem mewed.

“Yeah, we were waiting forever for you three to stop chattering like blackbirds!” Berrypelt exclaimed. He shot a hurt glance toward Spiralpaw that she missed.

I wonder what’s up with those two, Swirlstem thought as the seven cats started to make their way back to camp. Well, I guess it doesn’t matter. It’s not my job to stick my nose into everyone’s business.

Eventually Curlstar fell in beside her. “I messed that up so bad,” she hissed. “I sent you to get a backup patrol when Spiralpaw didn’t even know any battle moves! I can’t believe I was so stupid!”

“I think you did the right thing,” Swirlstem mewed gently. “The Clan might have not believed Spiralpaw. I mean, she’d already told everyone about a vision she’d had, and some cats still didn’t trust her. But I guess it makes sense. If I were them, I might not believe her either.”

“Did I do the wrong thing, telling everyone about my vision?” Spiralpaw suddenly mewed softly from behind them.

“Of course not!” Swirlstem reassured her. “If you hadn’t told everyone, we wouldn’t have a new leader right now! And the Clan would still be messed up. If you have another vision, come to me or Curlstar. We can help.”

“You mean the deputy and the leader, " Spiralpaw growled.

Swirlstem blinked. “Oh, right. Sorry. I mean as friends–”

She stopped dead at the camp entrance, the rest of the patrol halting behind her. Her gaze was fixed on a shape on the ground. Lying limp on the rocks, eyes dull and clouded and wide open, was Hawkflight.

“Oh, no,” Curlstar whispered. “No, no, no.”

Swirlstem leaned closer to the dark brown tom. “Rogue scent,” she snarled. “Bubble and her cats.”

“No cat in camp noticed?” Spiralpaw whimpered. “Okay, now I know they’re super sneaky.”

Swirlstem couldn’t see her sister because she was in front of her and her gaze was fixed on the dead cat, but she felt her fur brushing hers as Curlstar trembled and probably dug her claws into the ground. “I put him on guard duty.” The ThunderClan leader’s voice was shaky, weak, like a lost kit begging for shelter and food. “I should’ve known. I should’ve been smarter. I should’ve had more cats guarding the camp.”

“And we know now that there are more than just four rogues,” Swirlstem meowed. “At least one other cat must have went straight to the camp instead of fighting us.”

“I’ll put two cats on guard from now on,” Curlstar meowed. “To make the camp more secure.” She glanced around, preparing to make orders.

“You have to be strong for them,” Swirlstem murmured in her ear. “I’ll be right here with you. Go on.”

Curlstar took a deep breath. “Okay. Spiralpaw, go to the medicine den and have Silverstripe and Sunblaze check you for any wounds. After that you can rest and eat, maybe go and see the new kits. Lilyflame, go get Sunclaw. You two are going to guard the camp. Berrypelt, Rivertail, Leafclaw, go spread the news of Hawkflight and get some other warriors to help bury him. He was a brave warrior. He will be remembered.” She signaled everyone to go with a flick of her tail.

As the cats headed into camp, Spiralpaw paused and turned to Curlstar. “I’m sorry to act like a whiny kit, but…do I have to check with the medicine cats?”

“You’re right, you are acting like a whiny kit,” Curlstar scolded her. “And yes, you have to. Go now.”

“But you–”

“I’m fine,” Curlstar interrupted. “I’ll have a talk with Swirlstem, then hold her ceremony, and then I’ll go check.”

Spiralpaw whirled around and stalked off, grumbling, to the medicine den.

“Has the battle done something to her?” Swirlstem meowed. “Because I’ve never seen her that grumpy before.”

“Well, I remember so clearly how you were like after our first battle,” Curlstar teased. “You kept refusing to have Ambercloud look at your wounds and I had to drag you in there!”

“Hey, it was the other way around!” Swirlstem protested. “You refused to be treated and I had to drag you into the medicine den!”

“Okay, fine, you win,” Curlstar purred. “So what about this deputy thing?”

“Right.”

“Would you like to be named deputy of ThunderClan?” Curlstar mewed.

“More important, I’ll be your deputy,” Swirlstem reminded her. “Of course I want to be. I’ll be honored to.” She dipped her head to her sister.

Curlstar’s tail slapped her head. “Stop it, you mouse-brain!” she exclaimed. “You don’t need to act all formal like that! I’m your sister, for StarClan’s sake!”

Swirlstem glanced around. “Hey, look, most of the Clan is already gathered in the clearing. It must be the news of Hawkflight’s death. It’s a great time to–oh.” Curlstar was already bounding across the camp to the Highledge.

“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!”

Swirlstem lifted her head to watch her sister, leader of ThunderClan, her gray-and-white fur shining in the sunlight, her yellow eyes sparkling with confidence and excitement and happiness. They had just experienced a terrible fight, two cats died, and they could finally prove to the Clan Curlstar had been accepted by StarClan and Spiralpaw’s vision was true. You’ve become ThunderClan’s guiding light, Curlstar. I’m so proud of you.