Chapter 9

Spiralkit waited patiently at the entrance to Nightstar’s den, twitching her ears nervously. She had never had a face-to-face conversation with the ThunderClan leader before. Would it turn out well?

The entrance to the den rustled, and the sleek green-eyed black she-cat slid out. “Spiralkit,” she greeted her, her eyes flashing with surprise. “What are you doing here?”

Spiralkit dug her claws into the ground. Please let her believe me. “It’s Ambercloud,” she began. “She hasn’t been seen since yesterday. We need her right now, for Swirlpaw.” She hesitated, glancing at her leader uncertainly, wondering if she should keep going.

Nightstar frowned, her eyes dark with worry. “Okay,” she murmured. “Go on.”

“I went to look for her.” Spiralkit swallowed hard. “I found her body in the climbing clearing. I’m sorry, Nightstar, I’m afraid our medicine cat has left us.”

Nightstar opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again. “No—no,” she mewed hoarsely. “No.” She dropped to a crouch, staring at the ground. Then she rose to her paws once again and meowed, “Spiralkit, Ambercloud was my daughter. Are you sure? Do you have any proof?”

“I’m so sorry,” Spiralkit mewled. “I can…show you, if you like.” She shuddered at the thought of returning to the clearing again. But I have to, she told herself. For Nightstar.

Nightstar shook herself and gazed down at the camp entrance. “If you’re sure,” she mewed faintly.

“I’m sure,” Spiralkit replied firmly.

Nightstar leaped down the rock path and landed gracefully on the ground. Spiralkit followed her more clumsily, nearly slipping as she neared the bottom. Nightstar grabbed her scruff and swung her down onto the ground. “Thanks,” Spiralkit gasped. She looked toward the thorn tunnel and took a deep breath. “Follow me.”

She led her leader into the forest, then to the climbing clearing, worried about what she might find there. I might be able to convince her that I had a vision, she realized. After all, Ambercloud was her daughter, and she’d probably believe what I tell her.

As they emerged into the clearing, Nightstar broke into a run. She halted beside Ambercloud’s body and pressed her nose into her ginger tabby fur, squeezing her eyes shut.

Spiralkit stood aside awkwardly and let the black she-cat have her moment of grief. I just really hope she’ll help me find a new medicine cat…

Finally Nightstar looked up and padded toward Spiralkit. “Thank you for showing me,” she murmured quietly. “You were very brave to do that. Now…” She trailed off, gazing deep into the forest. “Now we have to find the next medicine cat.” She tore her gaze away and looked back at Spiralkit. “Do you have any ideas who it might be?”

Spiralkit pressed back a shiver. She’s asking me, a kit! “I don’t know,” she answered. “I just know that I definitely don’t want to be one!”

Nightstar smiled and licked her forehead. “That’s all right,” she assured her. “I don’t need you to be one. I’m perfectly fine with you being a warrior!”

“What will we do now?” Spiralkit asked. What can we do now? she thought. There’s nothing left to do but reach for StarClan… She quickly looked up, hoping that StarClan would send her another vision. But the sky remained clear, and the birds kept on singing. Come on! Why did you show me that other vision if you’re not here for me now? she thought irritably. I didn’t even want to see what happened to Ambercloud.

Nightstar beckoned to her with her tail, and Spiralkit scurried over.

 

“Swirlpaw’s not doing great.”

Spiralkit drooped at Leafstem’s unenthusiastic mew. She was sitting in the medicine den with Curlpaw, watching the ShadowClan medicine cat examine Swirlpaw. “Will she get better?” Spiralkit asked anxiously.

The gray tabby she-cat shook her head sadly. “I don’t know yet,” she replied, “but I will do my best.” She padded away into the herb store.

Nightstar poked her head into the den. “How’s it going?”

Curlpaw sighed. “Not very well. All Leafstem’s saying is that she doesn’t know if Swirlpaw will get better or not!” She twitched her tail angrily.

“Be patient, Curlpaw,” Nightstar scolded. “Leafstem’s doing her best. She might end up being the one who heals Swirlpaw completely. You never know.”

“That’s exactly what Leafstem just said,” Curlpaw muttered quietly to Spiralkit.

Spiralkit just nodded. She wasn’t sure why Curlpaw was being so grumpy, but then again, it was her sister who was hurt. I’d probably feel the same way if Crystalkit got injured and no one was sure if she’d get better. “Curlpaw,” she mewed, “why don’t you go ask my father if he has time to train you? It would put your mind off your sister for a while,” she added.

Curlpaw huffed, sweeping her long gray-tipped tail, then nodded. “Fine,” she grumbled, stomping out of the den.

Spiralkit let out a sigh of relief, then realized that Nightstar was by her side now. “I wanted to talk with you,” the black she-cat mewed.

“Sure, Nightstar,” Spiralkit responded as cheerfully as she could. The question What are we going to discuss? was swirling in her head.

Nightstar led her out of the den and into the forest. They stopped at a wide path leading away into the forest. “Twoleg path,” Nightstar murmured, sitting down beside a bush.

Spiralkit crouched down and rolled onto her back, ignoring the rough leaves poking at her fur. “So what are we talking about?”

Nightstar gazed into her eyes for a moment, then shook herself and mewed, “How did you find Ambercloud?”

Spiralkit’s heart beat faster. Please believe me, if you really want to know. “I went into the forest, as you know,” she started, suddenly wondering if she should just lie to her leader. But I can’t. I need to be loyal to her, and if I want to be a good warrior I need to earn her trust. “I looked around to begin with, but then I heard a voice. It told me to go to the climbing clearing, so I did and I found Ambercloud.”

Nightstar narrowed her eyes at her and Spiralkit’s heart skipped a beat, afraid her leader was not going to believe her. But then she meowed calmly, “Are you sure you’re not meant to be a medicine cat?”

Spiralkit gulped. “I’m sure,” she replied. “I told you that already. Maybe StarClan just told me where Ambercloud was because I was brave enough to look.”

Nightstar stared at her in silence for a moment longer, then shrugged. “You are very brave,” she observed. “And I guess you will make a great warrior.” She turned and padded away.

Spiralkit waited several moments as Nightstar’s paw steps faded. I don’t want her to see me. She took a deep breath. I want to investigate. She padded across the Twoleg path, her ears perked straight up, alert for any signs of danger. As soon as she was in the forest again, Spiralkit broke into a run. She skidded to a halt at a small stream, carefully trying making her way closer to it without falling into the cold-looking water.

She gazed into it, wondering if StarClan was even there for her. Am I a medicine cat? she asked silently. Am I a warrior? Please, StarClan, if you’re there, I’m listening. I want to know anything I can. Please answer me…. She closed her eyes and waited for another vision to come.

But it didn’t. Spiralkit opened her eyes again and let out a sigh. She looked up and suddenly saw a pale gray pelt slip away into the trees. Who is that? she wondered. Some other Clan cat? But it didn’t come back again. The forest fell silent.

Spiralkit sighed and curled up beside the water, her eyelids drooping with exhaustion, and fell into blackness.

 

She padded through the forest, thoughts still tugging at her mind. But most of all, burried deep inside her, was grief. Grief for Ambercloud, sadness that clung onto her pelt like a burr. Why, though? Why did Ambercloud have to die? She headed towards camp, ignoring the sensation to look behind her and make sure Spiralkit was following. The little kit didn’t need to be. She was brave and smart and would find her way back on her own.

But even as she headed deeper into the forest, smelling the familiar scents of home, she couldn’t help risking a glance back. Of course, there was no one. So why was she disappointed?

A screech split the air, and she jumped. Was that Spiralkit? Was she in danger? She broke into a run, heading for the place that she had left the silver-and-white tabby.

There was no one there. She looked frantically around, trying to find out where Spiralkit had gone, but at that moment something pierced the back of her neck and she stumbled. She twisted around to see what had done it, but there was nothing there. Maybe it had just been a branch.

She started to take a step to follow Spiralkit’s scent trail, but something hard slammed the back of her head and she fell to the ground with a screech. Something—a cat, she guessed—jumped on her and covered her eyes with its paws.

She started to let out a screech, but teeth pierced her throat, and everything went black.

 

Spiralkit woke with a screech. Nightstar, Nightstar! She scrambled to her paws. I need to get to Nightstar now! She headed up the slope to the Twoleg path, and the stench of blood immediately hit the back of her throat. Nightstar! She looked around and, suddenly, a voice rang in her head, “Cobweb! Cobweb! Find cobweb!”

Spiralkit looked to the right and found a bundle of the sticky white stuff right next to her. She grabbed it in her paw and stumbled over to where Nightstar had been attacked and immediately spotted her body lying on the ground. Thank you, StarClan, Spiralkit called up to the stars.

She stopped at the black she-cat’s side and pressed the cobweb into the bite in her neck. Who did this? she thought with a shiver. Am I next?

Suddenly Nightstar twitched and she opened her eyes with a gasp. “Spiralkit?” she murmured.

“Nightstar,” Spiralkit mewed, “you’re…you’re…” She trailed off, then remembered that Nightstar was leader. “So…this wasn’t your last life?”

“Fortunately, it wasn’t,” Nightstar sighed. The wound on her neck seemed to shrink until there was no more than several smears of blood on her throat. “Well,” she added more quietly, “now if I die again, I won’t be coming back.”

Spiralkit gasped. “You’re on your last life!” Nightstar nodded. “What will we do without you?” Spiralkit whimpered. “Willowbranch won’t understand me as much as you do, and even if she becomes Willowstar, I still won’t respect her as much as I respect you!”

Nightstar licked her cheek reassuringly. “Don’t worry, Spiralkit,” she murmured. “I won’t get killed so easily, not after what just happened. Come,” she added, pulling her closer with her tail.

Spiralkit leaned into the black she-cat, grateful for her warmth. Flowerstem hasn’t done this to me in a long time, she thought sadly. But now Nightstar is here, doing what she should’ve done.

They headed home, and Spiralkit finally felt the worry that she might be a medicine cat lift. Even if I have a connection to StarClan, I’m definitely not destined to be a medicine cat.