Chapter 19

Spiralkit waited at the entrance to the nursery, her tail twitching nervously. Would Silverstripe let her come in?

There’s no point in waiting! she told herself. Just go in and see!

Spiralkit stood up and slipped into the den. This is so stupid. Why’d Nightstar even want me to do this?

“Hi, Spiralkit,” Silverstripe mewed. The WindClan medicine cat was sitting beside Reddawn’s nest, watching the red she-cat’s two kits wriggle around in what looked like a play-fight. “What are you doing here?”

“Nightstar told me to watch the kits with you,” Spiralkit answered nervously. Why am I nervous? she scolded herself. Stop being nervous! It’s only a medicine cat and a queen and her kits!

“That’s nice,” Silverstripe meowed kindly. “Here.” She waved her tail at the space beside her. “You can sit down with me.”

Spiralkit padded over to her and sat down next to the silver tabby she-cat. She watched as the pale ginger tabby–Flamekit, she remembered–hauled himself onto Rubykit.

“I win!” he squeaked. “You’re trapped!”

Rubykit wriggled out from underneath him and scrambled to her paws, panting. “I’m not,” she protested. “I’m fast!” She shot over to Reddawn and snuggled into her mother’s red fur, almost the same shade as her own.

Flamekit sat down and scowled at his sister. “You never want to play,” he complained. “You only want to sleep.”

“She’ll play with you eventually,” Reddawn mewed gently, scooping up the small kit and placing him in the nest beside Rubykit as he protested. “She’s just smaller than you are.”

She’s not telling the whole truth to Flamekit, Spiralkit thought sadly. The truth that his sister might die.

Suddenly Flamekit looked up and met Spiralkit’s eyes. “Who’s that?” he squealed, pressing harder against his mother’s side.

“She’s another kit,” Reddawn explained. “Her name’s Spiralkit. Now be quiet. You sister is trying to sleep.”

“Another kit?” Flamekit echoed, ignoring his mother’s order. “Can I play with her instead?”

Spiralkit let out a tiny mrrow of amusement and Reddawn shook her head. “She’s way older than you are,” the queen meowed. “Spiralkit’s nearly old enough to be apprenticed.”

Flamekit stared at her, his eyes full of disappointment. Suddenly Rubykit nudged her mother. “Can we please play with her?” the tiny kit mewled. “I promise we’ll be good.”

Reddawn sighed. “I suppose.” She turned to Spiralkit. “Be careful with them, will you?”

Spiralkit purred. “Of course.” She took a piece of moss from her own nest and rolled it up into a ball. “Here. Catch!” She threw it softly towards the two kits.

Flamekit leaped up and caught it neatly between his paws as his sister leaped in the same direction and crashed into his hind legs. Flamekit stumbled and slipped, dropping the moss ball. Rubykit dashed forward and caught it.

“You knocked me off my paws!” Flamekit growled.

“I caught it in the end,” Rubykit mewed, her eyes round with confusion.

“Let’s try again,” Spiralkit meowed quickly. “This time whoever gets it first wins.” She didn’t want the kits to get into an argument.

“I accidentally bumped into him!” Rubykit wailed.

“I know,” Spiralkit reassured her gently. “But your brother caught it first.” She glanced at Flamekit, who had turned his head to wash his back.

“Let’s try again,” he squealed eagerly, jumping to his paws. “I bet I’d beat Rubykit this time with this new rule.”

 

Spiralkit crept through the forest, her paws aching from the long journey here. She was going back to the place where Nightstar had lost a life to see what clues she could find.

“I don’t want to go to where Ambercloud died,” she had told her leader at sunset. “I’ve already been there, and…” She’d trailed off, wondering how she could explain the weird feeling to Nightstar.

“Okay, then,” the black she-cat had mewed. “But be careful. Be back by moonhigh, and if you see an owl, run for cover. If you see cats of other Clans creeping through our territory, preparing to attack, run straight back to camp.”

Now, in the darkness of the night, Spiralkit repeated her leader’s directions in her head. She took a deep breath. Almost there.

When she finally reached the small clearing, the sky was completely dark. The forest was eerily silent, and Spiralkit began to wonder if she shouldn’t have come her after all.

No, she told herself firmly. I am not giving up, not when I’m so close to the answer.

She glanced around the clearing, then at the sky. Would StarClan send her another dream? Would they tell her something important, or would they just show her how somebody died?

Just then lightning streaked across the sky, and Spiralkit crouched down, shivering. A few moments later thunder boomed, and the clouds began to drift together in the beginning of a storm.

I’d better be quick.

Spiralkit felt the first drops of rain fall onto her back, then bolted into a bush for shelter. She would hide until the storm was over. So much for being brave.

As the rain began to pound onto the fallen leaves, Spiralkit felt her eyelids drooping. She curled herself into a ball and let sleep come for her.

 

“Spiralkit! Wake up!”

Spiralkit blinked open her eyes at an unfamiliar mew. She stared at the soaked leaves around her and remembered where she was. It was still dark. She poked her head out of the bush. Who had called?

Then she saw it. A pale gray cat was sitting in the middle of the tiny clearing, her tail curled neatly around her paws. She didn’t seem wet at all, and her pelt was sparkling with stars.

StarClan was Spiralkit’s first thought. Then she realized with a jolt this was the same gray pelt she had seen disappear into the trees when she was by the stream the day Nightstar had lost a life.

“Who are you?” she whispered.

The cat blinked at her warmly. “I am you kin,” she replied, her voice as soft as the newleaf breeze. “My name is Heatherfur, and I was Birdclaw’s mate after his love Needleflower died. You’ve heard of me before, haven’t you?”

“Yes,” Spiralkit breathed. I can’t believe a StarClan cat has come down to speak to me! “Why have you come to me?”

“I have an important message for you,” Heatherfur mewed, “but I cannot give it to you until you’re ready to hear it.” Then she started to fade.

“Wait!” Spiralkit called desperately. “Tell me more! How can I get ready?” But the pale gray cat had already faded into the air.