Chapter 22

Skypaw waited at the entrance to Breezestar’s den. She had asked for a meeting with the SkyClan leader. But what should I say? she wondered.

“Skypaw?” Breezestar poked her head out of her den. “Are you ready?”

Skypaw nodded and followed the black-and-gray she-cat inside. Breezestar sat down next to her nest and stared expectantly at Skypaw. “Well?”

Skypaw took a deep breath. I have to tell her. “Last night I –” She broke off, then started again. “Last night I overheard Bloodclaw talking to Shadowleap. I found out that…I found out that Shadowleap and Rockheart are littermates with Bloodclaw, and Bloodclaw’s real name is Bubble. I think Shadowleap and Rockheart should explain their whole story to the Clan.” She glanced at Breezestar.

The leader had listened with a thoughtful expression. She flicked her tail and nodded. “You’re right, Skypaw. They have to tell us the truth. I’ll organize a meeting tomorrow morning. Go back to sleep now.”

Skypaw dipped her head and murmured thanks, then backed out of the den and headed back to her own den.

 

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

Skypaw scrambled out of the den at Breezestar’s mew, blinking away sleep. It was time!

The Clan gathered around the rock, and Skypaw made her way to where Shadowleap was standing beside Rockheart. “Did you tell her?” Shadowleap hissed nervously.

Skypaw nodded. “I’m sorry, but they have to know.”

“Last night Skypaw told me something about Shadowleap and Rockheart,” Breezestar mewed. She beckoned the two warriors with her tail. “Shadowleap, Rockheart, come stand on the Tallrock and tell us the truth.”

Trembling with fear, the two littermates leaped up onto the rock and faced the Clan. Skypaw saw them exchange a nervous glance.

“Skypaw overheard me and…Bloodclaw talking last night,” Shadowleap started hesitantly. “And…well, there are a few things you don’t know about me and Rockheart yet.”

“Bloodclaw is our sister,” Rockheart announced shakily, and the Clan gasped with surprise.

“But why?” Rainleaf, a senior warrior, yowled.

“Do any of you remember Fireclaw?” Shadowleap asked.

Leafheart’s eyes widened in surprise. “Yes. She was a great warrior.”

“Fireclaw fell in love with a rogue named Black,” Rockheart explained. “Because of that, Breezestar exiled her. Fireclaw went out for her mate, and gave birth to three kits. Bubble, Shadow, and I. Shadow and I, who was Rock then, came back to the Clans, but our sister, Bubble – Bloodclaw, now – refused. She said she wanted revenge for what SkyClan did to Fireclaw.”

“And she’s come back now,” SkyClan’s deputy, Palestripe, murmured.

Shadowleap and Rockheart nodded.

“So let’s exile her, too!” Riverleap yowled.

“Exile her!” Sunleaf echoed.

“Exile her!”

The whole Clan was yowling now. Skypaw pressed against Cloudpaw. “What do you think Breezestar will do?” she whispered.

“We’re about to find out,” Cloudpaw mewed, looking up and Breezestar, who was standing on top of the Tallrock now. Shadowleap and Rockheart had returned to their spots.

“Someone tell Blood – Bubble – to get out of here,” the SkyClan leader meowed. “Escort her to the border.” She glanced at the assembled cats. “Darkfur and Stormsky can do it,” she added.

The two warriors bounded to the nursery.

“Meanwhile –” Breezestar started.

A cat burst into camp. The gathered Clan turned to look at it. She was a gray-and-white tabby, her yellow eyes shining in alarm. Skypaw gasped.

“Swirlpaw!” she called. “What are you doing here?”

Swirlpaw looked at Breezestar. “I have an important message –”

“Can’t it wait?” Breezestar interrupted.

“No!” Swirlpaw mewed urgently before Breezestar could say more. “It’s important.”

Breezestar’s eyes narrowed. “Did Nightstar really send you, an apprentice?”

“StarClan sent me,” Swirlpaw mewed hotly, “so can I please deliver it now?”

“Okay,” Breezestar replied, flicking her tail. “Come –”

“No!” Swirlpaw yowled again. For some reason she looked straight at Skypaw. “I need to send it to Skypaw.”

Breezestar glared at her. “Skypaw? She’s an apprentice, you –”

“I know!” Swirlpaw yowled. She raced over to Skypaw and bumped her side. “Come on, Skypaw! This is urgent! We don’t have any more time to waste!”

Startled, Skypaw led the ThunderClan apprentice to the nursery and sat down. “What is it?” she asked nervously.

“StarClan sent a message to Spiralpaw,” Swirlpaw announced breathlessly.

“Spiralpaw – you mean Spiralkit? She’s an apprentice now?”

“Yes!” Swirlpaw growled. “Now shut up. No more questions until the end. StarClan sent a message to Spiralpaw, and they said she needed to head toward the setting sun and find the Crystal Sun before the second full moon from today, or else all will be lost. They told her these were the cats who were going with her: me, you, and a ShadowClan cat called Pinepaw. Spiralpaw’s going to ShadowClan to get him now.”

Skypaw took a deep breath, considering what Swirlpaw had just told her.

“You need to come,” Swirlpaw mewed. “It’s urgent. And it sounds like a terrible consequence if we don’t do it.”

Skypaw thought for a moment, then nodded. She would do anything she could for SkyClan. Especially go on a dangerous mission to save everyone before everything fell. “Okay,” she mewed. “I’m ready.”