The Last Gift



The Last Gift by Mistyjaw

(that's my warrior name Clove)

 1

The stars above the forest began to spin, like a hawk circling the skies, ready to swoop down for the kill. Jayfeather snapped his head up, his sightless eyes opening. He shook his head.

Suddenly, the ground began to spin beneath his paws. He grunted and collapsed onto his side. Three cats with stars in their fur appeared before his eyes, spinning.

“Jayfeather!” They called. “Revenge will come! Dovewing, Lionblaze..and you…will all suffer under this cat unless…”

The image of a white kit suddenly appeared. Her image burst apart and he saw Poppyfrost run into the clearing wailing for a kit. Something scored its claws through Poppyfrost’s flank. She shrieked and scurried away.

“Come,” a voice said.

The voice sounded vaguely familiar, yet Jayfeather was sure he’d never heard it before. Unsheathing his claws, he stepped towards where he’d heard the voice. A claw sliced him, fangs tore his back, and the strange voice growled, “You’ll have to do better than that, half-clan filth!”

Jayfeather whirled around, but his attacker vanished in the bushes.

“Come out and fight!” he snarled, trying to sound as brave as he could.

“You wish,” the voice sneered softly from the shadows.

Jayfeather was sure he’d heard the voice before.

“You shouldn’t be proud,” the voice hissed. “You should want to die! You know you want revenge, like me. And you can get it here.”

“Who – who are you?” Jayfeather mewed, taking a pace back.

“Pretending like you don’t know?” the voice mocked. “Think, Jayfeather.”

Jayfeather thought for a minute.

Suddenly he felt horrible pain. He couldn’t see the cat who had just ripped its claws through his pelt. Blood poured out of the wounds.

“Caught off-guard, Jayfeather?” the voice asked menacingly.

Jayfeather whipped around to reply, but claws sank into is neck.

“Ack!” he struggled for breath and batted the mysterious cat away.

“Fighting like a helpless kit? Here’s how to fight! Let mercy not stand in the way of revenge!”

Jayfeather’s eyes stretched wide with terror as claws sank into the back of his neck.

“No,” he choked.

“Oh yes,” the voice crooned. “Yes. Yes.”

And Jayfeather began to fall into a swirl of red and black as the cat kicked him in the mouth.

“Jayfeather!” a cat yowled “Jayfeather! Jayfeather!”

1

Jayfeather jumped up, forgetting his dream, but fell back down as a sharp pain in his side made him collapse.

Pepperpaw, his dusky-brown apprentice stared at his wounds.

“You need me to fix those up for you?” Pepperpaw asked eagerly, hurrying over to the store of cobwebs.

With a grunt, the grey medicine cat scrambled to his paws. However much he was injured, he had a job – whatever Berrynose was calling to him about.

He barely made it to the queen’s den. Pepperpaw hurried over, carrying herbs.

“Eat,” Jayfeather commanded Poppyfrost, the tortoiseshell queen licked up a poppy seed and some borage.

“The first one’s coming,” Jayfeather announced, trying to keep his injured side away from Poppyfrost. Best not to let her ask questions about him when she had more important things to worry about – mainly her kits.

A grey she cat and a black tom fell out at the same time. They were both tiny. Jayfeather nipped both sacs, then gave one kit each to Berrynose and Pepperpaw.

“Lick them,” he instructed.

Licking them would keep the kits warm while their mother couldn’t give them warmth.

Berrynose didn’t need to be told twice. He covered the grey kit he had been given with slow, gentle licks. A third kit, a blue she-cat, fell out. Jayfeather neatly nipped the sac and handed the kit to Leafpool, who just happened to be walking by the nursery at that moment. They shared a glance. Jayfeather stared deep into her memory. Her sorting herbs. Then her and Crowfeather side by side. Last, Hollyleaf yelling her secret to all the clans at a Gathering. Hollyleaf needn’t have bothered killing Ashfur if she was only going to tell all the clans herself. He had been a great warrior. What a terrible waste.

The kit began to squeal. Jayfeather tore his eyes away from Leafpool’s to stare at the shivering kit. Without uttering a word, he handed the kit to Leafpool who had begun to lick instantly.

“The last one’s coming,” he announced to Poppyfrost, his mouth feeling dry.

At last, a white she-cat popped out.

Jayfeather began to lick her. Her jaws opened and she let out a tiny mew.

Berrynose stopped licking at the sound of the kit’s mew.

“What are you doing to her?” he raged.

“N-nothing!” Jayfeather protested.

Berrynose bent down, continuing to lick his own kit, but keeping an eye on Jayfeather.

“Hi Jayfeather!”

A cheerful voice came from behind him. He turned.

“How are the new kits?”

Cherrypaw, an eleven-moon-old apprentice looked down at her new siblings.

“Er, fine,” Jayfeather mumbled around the female kit’s fur.

“Can I bring Molepaw?” she asked. “And Sorreltail? She’ll want to see her new grandkits. What about Cinderheart? She deserves to come, doesn’t she? What about Brackenfur? And Can I bring Brambleclaw? Firestar? Sandstorm? Mousefur? Dust – ”

“All right!” he growled, annoyed. “Just don’t bring the whole camp in to look at them!”

“I won’t!” Cherrypaw promised as she rushed back through the trees yelling, “Molepaw! Brackenfur!”

Jayfeather rolled his eyes. Typical.

Brightheart walked forward. Her swollen belly had worked its way back to normal after having her four new kits – Dawnkit, Willowkit, Wolfkit, and Sunnykit, a white she-cat with light ginger splotches. They were all very healthy, and they were already four moons old. Jayfeather insisted on checking them, though.

“It’s for your own good,” he told Sunnykit as she spat out some tansy he’d given her with a protest of, “Yucky stuff!”

“If you eat the yucky stuff, you won’t get greencough like Hazelkit and Snakekit,” he’d told Sunnykit. Hazelkit and Snakekit, Brightheart’s two kits before this litter, had died of greencough. At least Brightheart’s got Sunnykit to look after so she doesn’t have time to think about Hazelkit and Snakekit,”  he thought, casting a glance at the mischievous cat with the white-and-ginger fur. Sunnykit always seemed to be getting into trouble, thinking up games. The first time, Willowkit had almost died when Sunnykit persuaded her siblings to climb a tree. Luckily, Willowkit had only gone about a paw-length off the ground, so she didn’t have a long way to fall.

Jayfeather had thought he had almost caught on to the kits’ games when he caught them “sorting herbs” in his den. It took him about two days to put the herbs back in their proper piles, but he noticed some juniper berries, and a week later, found a purple stain on the floor of his den.

Then he heard Sunnykit meow, “Do I have to eat it all?”

He turned his sightless eyes on her.

“Just eat them,” he said, trying to sound as calm as he could.

Sunnykit opened her mouth to protest, then thought better of it, licking up the herbs. She ate them all, but kept her eyes shut and her nose wrinkled, as if eating herbs was an agony. Jayfeather sighed. The sooner Sunnykit had a mentor, the better.

Briarlight’s front paws pulled her towards him. “Hey Jayfeather,” she smiled. Her kits, Driftpaw, a long-furred white tom, and Floatpaw, a pale ginger she-cat, both had mentors, but Briarlight liked to stay in the nursery, telling kits stories.

“Hello, Poppyfrost, can I see the – ”

A rumble cut her off.

“Earthquake!” Daisy screamed.

“Not an earthquake!” Molepaw stuck his head in the den. “It’s just us.”

He sniffed. “Boy, does it stink in here!”

Jayfeather, however, was not interested by the bad smell, but in something Molepaw had said earlier.

“What do you mean by ‘just us’,” he asked.

“Come see!” Molepaw said brightly, guiding him forward. Jayfeather sniffed the air. The scents of too many cats drifted towards him. Not only the kits’ kin.

“Just about how many cats did you invite to see the kits?!” he shouted at Molepaw.

“O-only…” Molepaw’s voice trailed off.

“Only the whole camp?!” Jayfeather stuck his head out the entrance to the nursery.

“ANY CAT WHO IS NOT THE KIN OF THESE KITS MAY LEAVE – NOW!” he yelled.

Silence fell upon the camp, then some grumbles of disappointment came from the crowd.

“Sorreltail, Cinderheart, Molepaw, Brackenfur! Can you all hear me? Come in and see the kits! And you, too, Cherrypaw!” he added to the ginger she cat who looked like she was on the verge of protesting, but closed her mouth as she was picked to come see the kits.

Jayfeather walked back into the den and a yowl came from Poppyfrost. “Poppyfrost!” he yelled. “What’s wrong?”

2

Cinderheart rushed in the den to see her sister.

“What happened?” she demanded, her voice choked with fear. She was the only one who’d dared come close to Poppyfrost. The other cats all looked stunned. “What are you waiting for?” Cinderheart knocked a paw into Jayfeather’s head. “Fetch thyme! Poppy seed! She needs to rest! Feel her ears – see if she’s got a fever! Come on! Feverfew!” she yowled to the cats, not sure how the herbs came to her. But her only thought was Poppyfrost.

“Jayfeather!” she screamed, ‘Can you hear me or are you deaf as well as blind? Thyme! Poppy seed! Come on!”

Pepperpaw jumped up and ran toward the den.

 Cinderheart sent silent thanks to StarClan.

Turning to her sister, she asked in a calm but firm voice, “What did you see?”

Poppyfrost looked speechless, but she managed a few words.

“She’s back! The leaves! I can tell!”

“What leaves?” Cinderheart asked.

Poppyfrost’s tail twitched.

“The leaves? With the red – the blood. So much.”

“It’s OK, just rest,” Cinderheart gulped. “You don’t want to roll on any of your k-kits.”

Her voice quavered and she shut her mouth instantly. She wasn’t going to let Poppyfrost see how scared she was, not with Poppyfrost’s kits. They were probably scared and confused enough. Their eyes weren’t open, but they could still hear. Cinderheart shot a glance at the kits to check if they were OK.

The kits were still suckling, content as can be.

“Holly leaves,” Poppyfrost choked.

Cinderheart shuddered.

“Will she be all right?” Berrynose demanded.

“She’ll be fine,” Jayfeather growled, nudging Cinderheart aside as Pepperpaw laid the herbs at his feet.

The white kit mewed for milk. Her mother had jostled her and her littermates and she was trying to get back to the warmth of Poppyfrost.

Jayfeather looked angrily at Berrynose as the male cat leaned over his mate.

“Can’t you see I’m working here?” he snapped at the cream tom, fury pulsing from his pelt. Poppyfrost wailed again.

Cinderheart hovered at the back of the den, trying to see what Jayfeather was doing. She saw him stuffing her mouth with thyme and poppy seed.

“Borage,” she muttered under her breath. All that shock could make Poppyfrost unable to feed the kits.

Poppyfrost chewed the foul herbs, and Cinderheart sent a silent prayer to StarClan.

“Oh, please don’t let me lose Poppyfrost like I lost Honeyfern and Molepaw,” she said, speaking softly.

She thought one of the starry warriors might have answered her. She listened for a long time, but only hearing Poppyfrost crunching the herbs. Finally she turned away, deciding that she had heard nothing.

Hollyleaf furiously paced around the dark forest, growling to herself. It was she who was the third, not Dovewing!

They’ve forgotten about me,  she thought bitterly. ''Dovewing, Jayfeather and Lionblaze are the only cats they all think about. It used to be me. Well, if they think they can forget about me now that I’m dead, they’re wrong. I  will get what I want – revenge! Revenge on Dovewing! She’s not the third.  I am! And they’ll know it when I come back. It can be done. I was supposed to be the third! ''

She began to run. She knew she had to be reborn as a cat to rejoin ThunderClan. The only cat who hd ever been reborn was Cinderpelt – and that was because she had a destiny to fulfill. Well, Hollyleaf knew she had a destiny to fulfill, too. She needed to show everyone that she was the third.

If one of the three died, Hollyleaf knew she’d be decided as the actual third, like it was meant to be. She wouldn’t set paw on her brothers because they didn’t need to be harmed. She only needed to kill Dovewing, the cat who was thought to be the third. She only needed to make one space. A space for her.

First, she would need a power. She thought long and hard, then decided that she should convince everyone that her power was wisdom. She was smart – one of the smartest cats in the Clan when she had been alive. Surely that would earn her a reputation for being the third. Smiling to herself, she bean to work out how she was going to become reborn. She didn’t know who was to give birth to her, but it had to be kin of Firestar. She was already kin of Firestar, but if she was not reborn to Firestar’s kin, no one

would believe she was the third.

3

Winterkit licked her pelt, watching snow fall outside the nursery. She was three moons old, but still not allowed to go out in the snowstorm. For now, she was stuck inside with only a moss ball to play with. She wasn’t allowed to tackle her brother and sisters, and all of Brightheart’s kits had been apprenticed. She wished they’d been born at the same time as her. Sunnykit – Sunnypaw now – had been her best friend. She was always up for an adventure, and even sneaked Winterkit out of the nursery, saying that their white pelts would camouflage them against the snow. A glossy green leaf was on the floor. It was a holly leaf – she knew it was. She touched it. It felt smooth and solid. She tossed it into the air, delighted as it floated gently back to the floor of the den. She began to stroke it and sniff it. She liked it.

“Winterkit!”

Winterkit threw down the leaves. What now? She thought as she bounded across the den.

“Jayfeather wants to check you?”

Winterkit obediently abandoned the holly leaf and trotted to her mother, who was waiting with a pile of herbs.

“Eat up,” Poppyfrost smiled.

She’d always dreaded the day she would have to eat them.

Winterkit had heard Sunnypaw’s stories about the herbs. They “tasted like wet fur mixed with frogs and pond slime” to Sunnypaw.

The herbs were terrible, exactly how Sunnypaw had described them. Each leaf, each flower petal made Winterkit feel like throwing up. With an effort, she swallowed the concoction of tansy and other strengthening herbs which Winterkit didn’t know the name for.

Winterkit swiped her tongue around her lips, making sure that all the herbs had been swallowed. Then she walked over to play with the leaf some more. The leaf was cold to the touch. Then suddenly it was so hot, Winterkit let go of it and threw it to the ground in shock.

She felt another prescence beside her, not any of her siblings or her mother. The cat smelled like ThunderClan. Her glossy coat was pitch-black, and she smiled gently at Winterkit, though her emerald green eyes looked as if there was a deep, dark secret this cat was hiding.

“Wh-what do you want?” Winterkit asked, a bit frightened.

Then she shook her head. This cat was from ThunderClan! Of course there was no reason to be scared of her!

The strange cat let out a deep purr. She spoke gently, though Winterkit could sense darkness in her tone. Something about this cat was dangerous.

“Greetings, Winterkit,” she said. “I am Hollyleaf. I used to be one of ThunderClan’s warriors. But this is not a Clan I am proud of.”

“What do you mean?” Winterkit asked the black cat.

“I mean I am betrayed,” Hollyleaf replied, many moons of sadness and anger showing in her eyes. “My mother was a medicine cat, and my father was Crowfeather of WindClan. They both broke the warrior code, my sweet kit. They broke the most precious thing to me. Another cat, Squirrelflight, pretended she was our mother. Her mate, Brambleclaw, didn’t even know. She told us it was to protect her sister. They destroyed the warrior code.”

Hollyleaf looked on for a moment, then the sadness vanished from her green gaze.

“I am not a coward!” she spat. “I wanted the whole Clan to know the truth! All the Clans to know about how ThunderClan – no, how I was betrayed! So I told them, told them all at a Gathering!”

“Y-you must have been very brave to go up in front of all those cats,” Winterkit stammered. “But I thought only Clan leaders could speak at – ”

“Oh, what did it matter?” Hollyleaf hissed. “The code was already shattered! And what was I supposed to do, let all the cats live in a world of lies? Thanks to me, they all know the truth! It might have been worse if I hadn’t stepped up to speak! If I hadn’t done that, ThunderClan would have gotten so tangled up in lies the truth would be a fatal blow! As if it already isn’t,” she added. “I gave up my life when the truth came out.”

Winterkit stared at Hollleaf.

“You’re so brave!” she managed.

“Thank you, my young kit,” Hollyleaf purred, fanning her nose with her tail.

“But… why have you come?” Winterkit asked.

“It appears that I need help, Winterkit,” Hollyleaf began. “I want to rise again. I want revenge on my mother and father, who shattered the code, the most important part of my life. Revenge on Squirrelflight, who lied to keep Leafpool’s secret safe! Well, I say some secrets are better unkept – and did you think I was going to keep this secret when Leafpool ruined my life? Lastly, I want revenge on Dovewing. She’s not the third! I am! I am Hollyleaf, Jayfeather and Lionblaze’s own sister! And she’s made them forget all about me. I need to make sure they remember! I am the third cat in the prophecy!”

“What prophecy?” Winterkit asked.

“The prophecy that was given to Firestar. ‘There will be three, kin of your kin, who hold the power of the stars in their paws’,” Hollyleaf recited. “I am the third, along with my brothers.”

“But how will the prophecy be completed if you’re dead?” Winterkit asked.

“I need your help,” Hollyleaf replied simply. “I need you to tell me how to be reborn.”

“Reborn?” Winterkit’s voice quavered.

“Yes. It can be done, I just need to know how,” Hollyleaf mused.

“But – ”

Hollyleaf purred.

“Cinderpelt,” she mewed, “has been reborn.”

Winterkit had heard stories about the old medicine cat, who had died to save Sorreltail when Sorreltail was giving birth.

“She came back,” Hollyleaf said. “She needed to fulfill a destiny. And so do I – I have a destiny! I need to complete the prophecy! Dovewing has no power, for it is I!”

She turned away from Winterkit, hissing.

“You will help me,” Hollyleaf whispered.

“Of course I will!” Winterkit said, afraid of what Hollyleaf might do to her if she refused.

Hollyleaf’s growl changed to a deep purr.

“Good.”

She ran off through the trees, leaving Winterkit alone to ponder over her decision to help Hollyleaf.

Winterkit wondered if she was doing the right thing. Hollyleaf seemed to know that she was the third cat in the prophecy, but right now, everyone thought Dovewing was.

Winterkit shivered as a cold wind smelling of holly leaves rattled the trees to make a terrifying sound. As the branches moaned and swayed, a the wind seemed to whisper in Winterkit’s ear.

“Winterkit, I will get what I want,” it howled. “You will stand by me. And I will kill if I must.”

Winterkit, frightened, shot towards the nursery.

“My my, dear,” Poppyfrost laughed. “Are we afraid of something?”

Winterkit stood in the entrance, gasping.

“Where were you?” Berrynose growled. “We all thought you were on the floor playing with the leaf and Daisy noticed you were gone! We sent out patrols everywhere! Look what you’ve done, upsetting – ”

“Now, Berrynose.”

Brambleclaw had just entered the den.

“You were just the same when you were a kit. Remember?”

Berrynose looked slightly embarrassed.

“Berrynose was – ”

“Oh, he was an explorer,” Brambleclaw chuckled. “I remember that one time when he was a kit, he went clear out to the ShadowClan border. Stormfur, Brook, and I had to rescue him from a fox trap!”

“Squirrelflight helped,” Berrynose muttered.

The smile melted off Brambleclaw’s face.

“Yes, well…”

He turned and walked out of the den, is tail down, his ears flattened.

Berrynose padded over to lie down next to Poppyfrost. Within minutes, he was snoring.

Nightkit, Winterkit’s brother, walked over.

“Where’d you go?” he asked.

Winterkit wanted to tell him, but she didn’t want to answer any questions. She was also afraid that Hollyleaf would get mad at her if she told the young black tom.

“It’s a secret,” she delared.

Nightkit sighed.

“Please can you tell me?” he begged.

Winterkit stared into his wide yellow eyes, pleading with her to let him in on the big secret.

“Okay,” she gave in. “I – I wanted to catch some prey, so I went out into the woods.”

“The patrols didn’t catch you?”

Nightkit sounded impressed.

“I – my coat blended in with the snow,” Winterkit said.

Lying to her brother was terrible, but she knew she had to keep Hollyleaf’s secret safe.

She remembered Hollyleaf saying, ‘Some secrets are left unkept.’ This was one secret that had to be kept though.

Even though nobody would believe her, she had a feeling that if she told her secret, Hollyleaf would be furious.

In fact, she could almost hear a voice right next to her ear, and smelled the farmiliar black cat she had visited.

“Good, Winterkit,” Hollyleaf purred, her voice wrapping around Winterkit. “As I’ve said, some secrets are better unkept. This secret is one that should never be told – at least not until I get what I want … my revenge.”

Winterkit’s paws felt frozen to the ground as Hollyleaf continued, “Revenge is so sweet, isn’t it? I will avenge my death, kill Dovewing, and show ThunderClan who the prophecy is really about.”

4

Jayfeather ran a paw over the scratches on Firestar’s pelt. The ShadowClan warrior, Tawnypelt, had done her best to rip his side open.

The battle had happened 2 days ago, when a whole ThunderClan patrol, including Firestar, Brambleclaw, Sandstorm, and Whitewing, had accidentally set their scent markers inside the ShadowClan territory, thus resulting in a battle. ShadowClan had defeated ThunderClan, but only when Olivenose ran back to the camp to get reinforcements.

“Tawnypelt!” Firestarr spat.

“Rest,” Jayfeather replied.

Firestar hissed at him and rolled over while Jayfeather pressed marigold to the wounds.

If the Clan had had Lionblaze help them, ShadowClan would have been defeated, however Lionblaze was on a border patrol with WindClan.

Jayfeather growled. He had to pay his half – moon visit to the Moonpool tonight.

“Brightheart!” he called.

The ginger-and-white she-cat padded up to him.

“Do you think you could help me while I go to the Moonpool?” he asked.

Brightheart looked around.

“I don’t know,” she replied. “Maybe Leafpool could help me whie you go to the Moonpool.”

Jayfeather flicked his ears, annoyed at his mother’s name.

“Right,” he grunted, finding it unable to look at Brightheart.

Brightheart turned and began to pat marigold onto Sandstorm’s wound. Jayfeather looked at her dress the wounds and felt he was leaving the injured cats in good paws.

“Where were you?”

An annoyed voice from up ahead made Jayfeather quicken his pace towards the Moonpool. Willowshine, the RiverClan medicine cat’s apprentice, poked her gray tabby head out of the ferns. Jayfeather could sense impatience pulsing from her, as well as three others.

Littlecloud of ShadowClan and Kestrelwing, WindClan’s medicine cat, both were slightly annoyed, as Jayfeather walked up to them.

There was another cat that had never been to the Moonpool.

“Ah – Jayfeather.”

Littlecloud introduced the new cat.

“This is Mousepaw, my apprentice. You’ll see him a lot here.”

Jayfeather dipped his head in greeting, sensing Mousepaw do the same. The two straightened just as quickly and Kestrelwing began to walk to the Moonpool.

Jayfeather, Littlecloud, Willowshine and Mousepaw followed him, until they reached the edge of the pool. Jayfeather bent his gray head and lapped the smooth surface of the water. The water was boiling hot, and as he thought his tongue would burn, the water would turn ice cold, then as he swallowed, he was hurled into pitch black.

A figure of a cat slunk towards him.

It had stars in its fur, and he recognized it as Honeyfern.

“Hello, Jayfeather,” she told him smoothly.

“H-hi,” Jayfeather said.

“Come,” Honeyfern urged. “There is something you need to be told.”

Jayfeather followed her down a sloping path through a forest, and finally into a clearing. Three cats were already there. Jayfeather, being able to see in his dreams, noted Bluestar’s blue pelt streaked with gray. He recognized a grumpy face wreathed in tangled dark fur. The third cat was of RiverClan, yet she smelled like ThunderClan. Her light silver pelt looked stunning in the starlight.

“Jayfeather!” Yellowfang hissed. “What took you?”

“I had to care for injured warriors,” Jayfeather mumbled.

“And that is perfectly fine, Yellowfang,” Bluestar pointed out.

“We can’t tell you everything,” Honeyfern assured him.

“But we can tell you a little bit.”

The silver cat jumped down to touch noses.

“You’ll have to figure out the rest yourself,” Bluestar assured him.

Yellowfang cleared her throat.

“There will be three, kin of your kin, who hold the power of the stars in their paws,” she told Jayfeather. “Skywatcher gave your leader that prophecy. The prophecy is about you, your brother Lionblaze, and your cousin Dovepaw, not necessarily in that order. However, we fear for the three. We sense something dark in their future. We sense that one of the three will be badly injured, even killed by a dark force that is becoming reborn.”

“What?”

Jayfeather was so confused he couldn’t think of any questions to ask.

“We ask you to guard Dovewing,” the silver cat told him.

Jayfeather stared at her. How could he, a blind medicine cat, protect Dovewing?

“She’d be much better off with Lionblaze protecting her,” he replied.

“But we want you to protect her!” Yellowfang growled.

“We need you to take her to the Moonpool next time you visit,” Honeyfern said.

“But she’s not a medicine cat!” Jayfeather protested.

“we need you to take her here,” Bluestar sighed. “We have an urgent message to tell her. Your gifts are only good if you use them wisely.”

“Okay,” Jayfeaher replied.

“That’s not the message. We need to tell her that only one cat can save her from her death.”

“Who?”

“We do not know,” Bluetar said. “Even StarClan cannot see everything. But we know that this cat is a cat unlike any other.”

“She is strong and healthy, but I can see dark clouds over her future. Evil lies in the way of peace, and only when the evil is vanquished may the three be able to make one choice. To believe or to not believe.”

Bluestar’s image exploded as an echo rang in Jayfeather’s ears.

''To believe or to not believe. ''

Jayfeather felt his mind stretch. All of a sudden, he was in Mousepaw’s dream. The light brown tom was chasing a mouse across a field.Al of a sudden, another cat jumped out of the shadows and killed the mouse in one swift bite.

“Hello, little one.”

A ragged cat steped into the field, displaying the mouse at his feet.

“I am Runningnose, a former medicine cat of ShadowClan.”

“Hello,” Mousepaw said, scrambling up.

Runningnose purred.

“I see that your Clan has been sick with greecough,” he told Mousepaw. “The best place to find catmint is just along the ThunderClan border. There is plenty of it there. If ThunderClan have taken it all, there is some catmint growing by the halfbridge. The halfbridge belongs to ShadowClan, does it not?”

He paused, then continued, “make sure Blackstar sends out plenty of hunting patrols. There are plenty of mice and voles by a pond. It is far away from your camp, close to the lakeshore.”

Jayfeather wanted to hear more, but a tail swept over his mouth. He began to panic.

“This is not your dream, Jayfeather. You have no right to be here.”

“But – ”

“Listen to me, Jayfeather,” Bluestar told him sternly, “If you cannot learn to control your powers, well, StarClan gave you your powers. And StarClan can take them away just as easily.”

Jayfeather nodded, but as he did, he suddenly found himself in a dark forest.

Jayfeather gasped. He could see all sorts of cats training against Dark Forest warriors. He spotted Tigerheart fighting Brokenstar and Tigerstar showing Minnowtail a new move. Then he saw something that made his heart stand still. A thin black cat had her tail curled around her legs. She and Hawkfrost were talking to Ivypool.

Ivypool nodded. Her chest swelled as Hawkfrost praised her, and her eyes shone with admiration at the two skilled cats.

“I will most definetly stand with you!” she promised the two cats.

Jayfeather had the feeling she wasn’t lying.

“How about we prractice that move again?” the black cat suggested. “You weren’t fast enough on it.”

Jayfeather’s blood turned to ice as Ivypool said three words.

“Sure thing, Hollyleaf.”

Jayfeather stared at the black she-cat, unable to believe it was his sister. Hollyleaf was a Place-of-no-Stars member. That meant that in the final battle, he would have to stand against her.

Terrified, he opened his eyes to find the Moonpool in front of him, its surface smooth and untouched. Without waiting for the others, he rn as fast as he could. If Hollyleaf was really in the Dark Forest, Firestar would need to know!

5

Jayfeather barged into the camp, his eyes wild.

“Firestar!” he panted.

A grey-and-white shape shot out of the warriors’ den and rushed over to Firestar’s den.

Jayfeather looked up as Mousewhisker walked forward with Firestar behind him.

“Thanks,” Jayfeather mewed quickly to Mousewhisker. “But…I think I need to talk to Firestar in private.”

Mousewhisker dipped his head and began to pad back to the warriors’ den.

Jayfeather turned to face his leader.

“Well?”

Firestar was beginning to look impatiant. Jayfeather could tell he wanted to go back to sleep.

Jayfeather knew he wasn’t supposed to tell any cat about his dreams at the Moonpool, but this was a matter of life and death. He needed to tell his leader.

“You remember Hollyleaf,” he began. “Well, I – she’s in the Dark Forest!”

“What?”

Firestar looked stunned.

“That’s not the point,” Jayfeather replied. “The point is, Hollyleaf and Hawkfrost are training Ivypool! And Ivypool…looked as if she would stand with the cats of the Dark Forest! She admires them! She seems to like them…”

His voice trailed off.

“So we’ll have two sisters for the Clan to fight,” Firestar mused. “Yes. I see an alliance forming. Fighting Hollyleaf will be a weakness to both you and Lionblaze, as I assume neither of you want to fight your own sister. Fighting Ivypool will be a terrible blow to Dovewing, as you know how attached they are. If Ivypool ends up fighting Dovewing, I’m sure Dovewing will hesitate to hurt her sister. Ivypool, on the other hand, who is being trained by the Dark Forest warriors, will kill on every command. It seems that The Dark Forest are becoming unstoppable, even by the three. The Dark Forest cats are recruiting the Three’s kin. That will give them so much power over the Three. Maybe it will make the Three want to come over to their side.”

“But I’d never come over to the Dark Forest!” Jayfeather protested.

“Would you not?” Firestar suggested.

A horrible thought struck Jayfeather. He realized he really would  have to fight Hollyleaf.

Snap out of it! he told himself sharply.

“Of course I’ll fight against her! She’s a Dark Forest cat!”

He wasn’t sure that he could keep the promise.

Outside Firestar’s den, cats were beginning to wake.

“You’ better go,” Firestar told the blind tom.

“Right,” Jayfeather grunted. He left the den.

The camp was full of light.

Brambleclaw was organizing patrols. He stopped when he saw Jayfeather, then carried on.

Jayfeather walked to his den. His pads ached from running from the Moonpool, and he thought a few twigs and stones had scratched them.

He’d check them once he had a decent sleep.

“Jayfeather?”

Brightheart’s mew sounded from far behind him.

“Can I go now?” she asked, voice full of anxiety.

“Can you stay for a little while?” he croaked. “It’s just – I didn’t sleep very well last night.”

He curled up in his nest and was asleep within minutes.

He opened his eyes. He felt a surge of strength. Was this what it was like to be a warior? He could see the entire forest stretching beneath his paws. Then he looked behind him.

“Hello, Jayfeather.”

Three cats were sitting behind him. He smelled Bluestar, Yellowfang, and Honeyfern.

“Bluestar!” he gasped. “What’s going on?”

Bluestar sighed.

“I know not the whole future, but a small part of it. Remember, I told you the dark forces were rising.”

“Yes…”

“Well, they’ve been collecting cats. Bringing them to the dark side. I can name a StarClan cat – Flametail. I’m still not sure if he was taken against his will, but…there are many living cats training in the Dark Forest. You would know about Ivypool. Then there’s Tigerheart, Minnowtail, Breezepelt – that’s at least one cat from every Clan. Tigerheart will fight against his own sister, Dawnpelt. Minnowtail will be fighting her brother Pebblefoot, and Tumblekit, who lies with us in StarClan. Tumblekit will not stand a chance, though. Breezepelt does not have siblings in his Clan, but you are his half-sibling, and so is Lionblaze. His mother and father will fight against him. And his great ancestor. Windstar.”

Jayfeather flicked his ear at the ancient founder’s name.

“Er, so, what must I do?”

“You must show Ivypool that she is wrong.”

“But we already tried that! And it didn’t work!”

But the StarClan cats faded away faster than he could blink.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

“Can you ever give yourself a proper washing?”

Poppyfrost and Berrynose walked up to their kit and began too lick her so fiercely she thought her fur would come off.

“But I’m fine!”

Winterkit could hear her littermate, Nightkit, batting Cinderheart away.

“But – I’m – supposed – to – lick – you!” Cinderheart protested.

“Cedarkit!”

Firestar called Winterkit’s sister to the rock. The gray she-kit was trembling.

“Cedarkit is six moons old! It is time for her to become an apprentice. From now on, she will be known as Cedarpaw and Brambleclaw will be her mentor!”

Firestar called Nightkit to the rock.

“He shall from now on be called Nightpaw, and Bumblestripe will be his mentor!”

Next Firestar called Puddlekit to the rock. Puddlekit’s blue-gray pelt quivered.

“Puddlepaw, your mentor will be Cloudtail.”

Finally, Winterkit was called to the rock. She looked out at the whole Clan.

“Winterkit, it has come the time to make you an apprentice. From this day on, you shall be known to the Clan as Winterpaw.

Blossomfall, you have completed training with Hazeltail and are ready for an apprentice. Pass on everything you learned to Winterpaw, in hopes that she will become a great warrior.”

Firestar called two senior apprentices forward.

“Applepaw and Mallowpaw have been trained well by Brackenfur and Mousewhisker. It is time for them to become warriors. I ask StarClan to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the warrior code, and I commend Applepaw and Moallowpaw to you in their turn.

Applepaw, do you promise to uphold the code and protect and defend the Clan at the costof your life?”

“I do,” the tortoiseshell tom replied.

“Then you will from now on be known as Applesplash.”

Firestar made Mallowpaw Mallownose, and the Clan cheered the new warriors and apprentices.

“Cedarpaw! Nightpaw! Puddlepaw! Winterpaw! Applesplash! Mallownose!”

Winterpaw looked on, eyes brimming with amazement. She was finally an apprentice!

Suddenly, she felt something slide next to her.

“You did well, little one.”

“Thanks, Hollyleaf.”

“I have come to ask you a question.”

“What is it?”

“Winterpaw!”

Winterpaw turned. Sunnypaw bounded up to her. With a quick hiss, Hollyleaf’s image shattered.

“Congratulations!” Sunnypaw panted. “Now we’re going to share a den!”

“Cool,” Winterpaw remarked.

“Come on! I made you a nest!”

Winterkit allowed herself to be pulled to the apprentice’s den.

Inside there were eight feather lined nests. Nightpaw and Cedarpaw had chosen the nests in the back of the den. Puddlepaw flopped down in a nest beside Wolfpaw, Sunnykit’s brother.

Winterkit selected a nest between Sunnypaw’s and Nightpaw’s.

“Good night, Winterpaw,” Sunnykit mumured.

Winterpaw clsed her eyes, but she didn’t fall asleep as easily as she’d hoped she would. Instead she stayed awake listening to the cound of the leaves rustling and the other apprentices snoring. When at last sleep overcame her, she plunged into darkness.

“A great achievement, little one,” a farmiliar voice said.

Hollyleaf walked out from behind a bush.

“Thanks,” Winterpaw mewed, not knowing what to say.

“I’ve never had an apprentice,” Hollyleaf mused.

Winterkit was unsure where this was going and decided to remain silent.

“Your mentor in the living world is Blossomfall, but if you won’t protest, I will be your mentor in the Dark Forest. You will come here every night and train here with me. Don’t worry, you’ll see some friends. Ivypool’s here too! And I’ll introduce you to lots of new cats.”

Winterkit wanted to protest, then thought better of it. If Ivypool, her own Clanmate, was here, this place was ceartinly safe.

“Unsure?”

Hollyleaf’s sugar-sweet voice cut through Winterpaw’s thoughts.

“Don’t worry, Winterpaw. We only want you to become better at fighting and hunting. What more could you ask for? All cats want the Clan to respect them. What better way to earn respect than to train alongside us, only giving the best for your Clan. We can make you the most powerful warrior in your Clan.”

Winterkit listened, dumbstruck. Her mouth hung open, her eyes staring at Hollyleaf with delight.

“Oh Hollyleaf!Can you really do that?”

“Of course I can!” Hollyleaf assured the small white cat. “We’ll start training tomorrow night.”

7

Ivypool stared in disgust at Dovewing. The gray warrior was practically bathing in popularity.

Ivypool felt as if she was standing in a blizzard. She shivered. Her sister – her own sister was leaving her in the cold.

They used to be inseperable. But now…

“It’s all her fault! Fox heart.”

Ivypool spat out the insult, to no cat in particular. She knew it wasn’t her sister’s fault, but even so…

If she and that stupid medicine cat don’t stop snooping around, I swear…

Her sister knew everything about the Dark Forest, even though Ivypool had never told her. Ivypool now felt left out, shocked, and cold. She didn’t have special powers like Dovewing. She wished she  could go looking in Dovewing’s private buisness. Then maybe her her sister would know how it felt.

“Hawkfrost, help me,” she pleaded.

A twig snapped behind her. Ivypool jumped, then relaxed. A farmiliar gray shape padded toward her.

“Hey Cinderheart,” Ivypool sighed.

Cinderheart sat down next to her.

“I think I know how it feels,” she explained to Ivypool.

“How what feels?”

“How being left-out feels. Some of the warrriors don’t like me very much. Berrynose is always telling me that I know too much about herbs to be a warrior. And Lionblaze, Jayfeather, and Leafpool always look at me like they know something about me, but they won’t tell me. Anyway, I feel hurt when they do that. I think they’re hiding a secret about me.”

“Lucky you! Everyone knows my  secret!”

Ivypool didn’t mean for the words to come out so bitterly.

“Sorry,” she apologized. “It’s just that – Jayfeather can look in my thoughts whenever he wants to. It’s creepy, and mean. My thoughts are my own. PRIVATE .”

She said the last word very loudly.

“I try not to worry about it.”

Tears flashed in the young warrior’s gaze. “I just wish somebody would understand.”

“I think I understand,” Cinderheart replied. “Cats have never looked at Poppyfrost the same way they look at me.”

Ivypool dipped her head, understanding every word of what Cinderheart said.

“Cats look at Dovewing like she’s amazing, and then at me ike I’m just any other cat. I wasn’t born with special powers! It’s not fair!” she wailed.

“What special powers?” Cinderheart asked suspiciously.

“Dovewing was born with the ability to hear things far away – and smell and see them, I guess, too. Jayfeather has the special power to walk in any cat’s dreams.”

“And Lionblaze can never be hurt in battle,” Cinderheart chimed in. “He told me when I wanted to be mates.”

“Well, I think they’re all selfish!”

Ivypool’s voice was cold. “The three only think about themselves. When me and Dovewing were kits, we couldn’t be separated. But as soon as she was an apprentice – or as soon as she found out she was the Third…she started ignoring me and thinking more about herself. And Lionblaze and Jayfeather. I think Hollyleaf understands.”

Cinderheart stiffened. “Who?”

“She’s in the Dark Forest,” Ivypool told Cinderheart. “She says she feels like her brothers abandoned her – forgot about her – because of Dovewing.”

“The Dark Forest?” Cinderheart looked shocked.

Ivypool slapped her tail over her mouth.

“I mean StarClan,” she muttered.

Cinderheart still looked suspicious.

“She was talking to me about the Dark Forest,” Ivypool lied. “She came to me in a dream.”

“But why you?” Cinderheart asked. “Why not a medicine cat?”

“I dunno. Maybe because she feels the same, left out, lonely.”

Ivypool slid off the log.

“Maybe she just didn’t want to talk to Jayfeather. Y’know, because of Dovewing? I guess she needed somebody to talk to. An’ I have the same feelings too, sometimes.”

Cinderheart nodded.

“Anyway, I’m not one of the Three. It must have been easier for her to talk to me, y’know. I’m just a normal cat like her. I don’t have any special powers – wish I did,” she added bitterly. “It would make things a whole lot easier. Maybe if someone actually paid attention to me instead of always mooning over Dovewing.

She started to walk back through the ferns, leaving Cinderheart alone. Her silver-and-white tail swished angrily. It was all Dovewing’s fault! No. It was all her powers’ fault! If she hadn’t been born with this stupid power, if Hollyleaf had been the Third, maybe Dovewing and Ivypool wouldn’t argue as much. Ivypool longed for the days she and Dovewing were kits. There wasn’t a care in her life! Now she didn’t know if she did care anymore.

















Ivypool lay down in the warriors’ den, fuming. Dovewing slid in next to her.

“Hi, Ivypool,” she mewed.

“Oh, just shut up!” Ivypool snapped.

Dovewing’s eyes narrowed.

“WHAT did you just say?”

“I said, ‘shut up’!” Ivypool hissed.

“How dare –”

“ – I? Dovewing, I’m tired of living in a shadow! Can’t you see that? You get all the attention and you barely notice me anymore.”

Ivypool jumped to her paws.

“YOU DON’T EVEN CARE ANYMORE!” she yowled. “All you care about is Lionblaze, Jayfeather, and yourself. And that stupid, STUPID PROPHECY!”

She ran out of the den, eager to get as far away from Dovewing as she could.

Finally, she stood underneath a shady tree, looking out at the white snow. She wished it would all pile on top of her so that she couldn’t be noticed.

Finally, she curled up and fell into a deep sleep.

In her dream, she saw Hawkfrost and Hollyleaf waiting for her.

“The battle will come soon,” Hollyleaf fussed.

“We’ve taught them a ton of battle moves,” Hawkfrost replied. “And we have allied ourselves with cats from all four Clans. A wise move on our  part.”

“Hello Hollyleaf.”

Ivypool walked into the clearing. Hollyleaf looked up, then relaxed as she saw Ivypool.

“Hello, Ivypool. Come in. You’re just in time for our practice.”

Hawkfrost sliced at her fur, then turned, his claws stained with blood. Ivypool neatly jumped over him and scored her claws down his flank. He yowled, then whipped around, almost throwing her off of him. Her claws dug deeper into his flesh. He shrieked. She shashed up and rolled onto the black grass, then jumped up and kicked him. He was ready, though. One quick slash and he had her pinned to the ground, blood trickling from a cut on her side.

“Ow!”

She staggered up. Hawkfrost looked like he could still slash ten cats without getting hurt. He growled.

“You need to do better than that! Kill if you need –”

“But the warrior code –”

“ – Was shattered after my parents gave birth to me,” Hollyleaf joined in.

“Oh.”

“Don’t let the code stand in the way,” Hollyleaf told her. “I was foolish enough to do that. It was once the most important thing. Now it is nothing. You can’t choose your parents, Ivypool. You can’t think for them, convince them to do what you think is right. But if you know their secrets, don’t be afraid to spill them.” Ivypool listened, stunned, by the black cat’s wisdom.

“Anyway,” Hawkfrost growled, “let’s try that again! Grip them around the throat and snap swiftly and sharply at their ears.”

“Right.”

“Don’t forget to use other techniques.”

“OK,” Ivypool said.

She leaped at the direction Hawkfrost wanted to jump aside. Her claws sank into his ears and she sliced mercilessly. He growled and tried to throw her again, but she gripped him more tightly, letting her unsheathed claws run through his pelt. He finally slumped on the ground.

Ivypool backed off.

“D-did I kill him?” she asked nervously.

The brown body flung itself on top of her.

“Always watch out for the ‘play dead’ trick.”

Ivypool sat up and licked her ruffled fur. Her shoulder was bleeding.

She opened her eyes.

She was lying under a tree. Night was falling. She got up and stretched, forgetting about her injured shoulder. She moaned and fell back to the ground in pain.

“She’s here!”

Berrynose crashed through the bushes.

“Great StarClan, what happened to her?” Lionblaze asked.

“Oh Ivypool!”

Dovewing began to lick Ivypool.

Ivypool mustered all her strength and feebly snapped at her sister.

“What’s with her shoulder?”

Nightpaw, a new apprentice, pushed his way up from the back of the crowd.

“Get out of here! All of you!”

A gray shape grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and hauled her away.

Once in the shelter of the medicine den, Ivypool opened her eyes.

“Hi Jayfeather,” she croaked, lifting her head.

“What happened?”

The medicine cat’s voice was stern. Ivypool realized she would have to lie.

“Got attacked by a fox…”

“And it didn’t occur to you to run back to the Clan for help?”

Ivypool ignored the medicine cat’s irritable question.

8

Firestar entered the den.

“Jayfeather.”

He bowed his head as he adressed the medicine cat.

“There is a Gathering tonight – but somehow I’ve re-opened my shoulder wound. Will you fix it for me?”

Jayfeather smacked his Clan leader across the nose, then pointed his tail at the young tortoiseshell medicine cat apprentice.

“Oh! Sorry,” Pepperpaw yelped, dropping his herbs and hurrying over to Firestar.

Jayfeather nodded as the brown tom whisked his Clan leader away.

Jayfeather looked down at Ivypool. Suspicion pulsed from her pelt. She smelled strange, like a combination of dirt and trees and blood.

He’d smelled it before.

“You’ve been in the Dark Forest!” Jayfeather concluded.

Behind him, Pepperpaw called, “Dark Forest?”

Ignoring his apprentice, Jayfeather leaned close to Ivypool.

“I have NOT been in the Dark Forest!” she protested. In her weak state, there was strength in her voice.

“Yes, you have!”

Jayfeather growled at her so fiercely she shied away.

Pepperpaw appeare at Jayfeather’s shoulder.

“Get out!”

Jayfeather was becomin impatient.

“You said I was a spy!”

Jayfeather bit back a retort, knowing this was true.

He sighed, losing his anger.

“All right.”

He began to dress her wounds more slowly now.

“Do you know who’s going to the Gathering?” Iypool asked.

Jayfeather thought.

“No,” he said finally.

He stopped patting the cobwebs.

Suddenly, a cold wind swept into the den. Cherrypaw burst in.

“Help!”

“What?”

Jayfeather whirled to face her.

“Willowpaw is badly injured,” Cherrypaw gasped, “and Berrynose is dead.”

9

Winterkit rushed out of the den to see what was wrong.

“I’m sorry!”

Cherrypaw buried her nose in her paws.

“Molepaw and I were on hunting patrol and then – ”

Pepperpaw, the brown medicine cat apprentice dragged her away.

Cloudtail rushed to the center of the clearing. Finally, he threw his head back and yowled in grief.

“No! Not her!”

Firestar pushed his way to the front of the crowd.

“What has happened?” he demanded.

“Dead!”

Cloudtail’s voice rang out in the silence.

“What?”

Firestar ran to the dead kit.

“Oh no…”

Winterkit pushed her way to the front of the crowd, and touched her nose to the dead apprentices fur.

Suddenly, the silver cat began to stir. She floate an inch off the ground. Then, her body erupted into yellow sparks.

Every cat stepped back as a tiny kit emerged from the center. It was silver. It was Willowpaw.

Shocked yowls sounded throughout the clan.

“How –?”

Cloudtail seemed lost for words.

“There is still a cat we need to bury,” Firestar said briskly.

Cloudtail hung his head.

“Yes, Firestar.”

Firestar touched his nose to Berrynose’s pelt.

“May StarClan guide his path,” Firestar murmured.

Finally the cats stepped away from Berrynose.

Winterkit looked at Nightkit. His expression was unreadable as he turned his dark head towards the apprentice’s den.

Winterpaw licked her paw. She looked around for Sunnypaw.

“What’s going on?”

Sunnypaw’s fur was on end.

“She just – I don’t –”

“Move!”

Winterpaw recognized the voice of Pepperpaw. The light brown apprentice picked up Willowpaw by her scruff.

Looking at Sunnypaw, she murmured, “We can talk over there.

In the safety of a hollow log, The two apprentices sat side by side.

“Did she really – how…”

“Shhh!”

Winterpaw looked around, afraid to be heard.

“I really don’t know what happened. All I know is – ”

“Winterpaw!” Sunnypaw’s whisper whas excited. “Do you know what this means for ThunderClan?”

“I – no,” Winterpaw replied.

Sunnypaw jumped up.

“It means that you can heal any cat! ThunderClan will be untouchable! You can take cats back from StarClan! Imagine – ”

Winterpaw’s head spun. Was Sunnypaw right?

“She must have been still alive… I might have roused her,” Winterpaw mused, hoping to cling to the last thread of hope she had.

Sunnypaw shook her head, the patches of ginger on it glittering.

“No. She was dead. Or real close to dying anyway. She wouldn’t spring up that fast if she were dead – or dying,” she added.

Winterpaw shook her head.

“I just don’t get it! I couldn’t save Berrynose!”

“Maybe that’s because he was dead,” Sunnypaw suggested. “Maybe you can only revive them if they’re dying…just not dead.”

Sunnypaw peeped outside the den. She turned her blue eyes back on Winterpaw’s amber ones.

Winterpaw looked away, lost in thought about Sunnypaw’s words.

Finally, she floated into dreamless sleep, Sunnypaw and Willowpaw haunting.

She opened her eyes.

She was standing in a clearing, surrounded by dark trees.

She could smell Hollyleaf, accompanied by two cats she did not know.

“Hello, Winterpaw.”

Winterpaw stepped back.

A dark head peered around through the trees.

At last, the cat stepped forward. He was a massive dark brown tabby with powerful shoulders. Scars criss-crossed his pelt, and she could see a deep scar on his muzzle. His ear was split into a deep vee-shape, and his claws were long and hooked, bigger than Winterpaw’s bigger than any cat in ThunderClan.

Two more cats followed in his wake. There was a cat beside Hollyleaf who looked slightly similar to the giant dark brown tabby. He was brown and thickset, but his eyes were ice blue, and his claws were smaller. He had a white splash on his chest. His ears were whole, but he had a jagged scar on his throat. Winterpaw looked away from him.

“Hello, Winterpaw,” the big tabby said again. “I am Tigerstar. This is my son Hawkfrost,” he introduced, gesturing to the tom beside him.

“And you know me,” Hollyleaf assured.

Winterpaw’s gaze was fixed on Tigerstar.

Thoughts whirled around in her mind.

“Enough talk,” Hawkfrost mewed.

Tigerstar dipped his head.

“We would like to know how you gave Willowpaw new life,” he meowed.

“What?”

“She was dead. And you gave her new life.”

Tigerstar looked impatient.

He sighed.

“She was in StarClan and you revived her. How? Once a cat is in StarClan, it’s there for good. Unless it crosses over here. You’ve heard of Flametail no doubt? The poor cat lies in the Dark Forest now. But you took Willowpaw away from StarClan. You can give us new life! The battle skills Hollyleaf has taught you! We could teach them to the whole Clan. We will be three new warriors! Just what the Clan could want. And Ivypool adores Hawkfrost,” he added.

Hawkfrost stepped forward.

“If Ivypool and I have kits,” he growled, “That means even more cats for the Clan.”

“We could make ThunderClan the most powerful Clan that resides by the lake!” Tigerstar finished. “New hunting and fighting techniques! And more kits. More cats.”

“Surely the queens would be attracted by my striking good looks,” Hawkfrost chimed in.

“Quiet!” Tigerstar ordered. “Well, Winterkit? Your choice.”

“I – I – ”

Winterkit felt as if she were choking.

“I will,” she managed finally.

Hollyleaf stepped up.

“Me first.”

Winterkit touched her nose to the black cat’s fur.

Nothing happened.

“What’s happening?” Hollyleaf screamed.

She floated off the ground and twisted.

“Don’t worry,” Winterpaw yelled.

Hollyleaf exploded.

Sparks shot from her body. Winterpaw looked. She wasn’t there.

Hawkfrost looked edgy.

“D-don’t worry.”

Winterpaw did her best to control her shaking voice.

She touched her nose to Hawkfrost’s pelt.

Then she turned to Tigerstar.

He waited until she touched hernose to him. Suddenly, he burst into white-hot flames. The heat was so intense, it almost burned Winterpaw’s long fur.

She gulped and awoke.

10

Two moons had passed since Winterpaw became an apprentice.

Willowpaw had been moved back to the nursery, as she was a tiny kit now.

Sunnypaw looked at her strangely.

“Are you all right?”

Winterpaw looked up.

“Oh – yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.”

“If you’re wondering, there’s a Gathering tonight,” Sunnypaw told her. “Nightpaw’s going, and so am I. What about you?”

“I imagine so.”

“Great!”

The young cat bounded away.

Winterpaw sat down. She blinked at the snow that was beginning to melt. All around her, slush caked the grass.

Winterpaw sniffed the air, detecting mouse. She slunk through the trees and finally found it, gnawing on a stalk of grass.

She pounced, then brought the tiny creature out of the ferns.

As she carried it back to the camp, she wondered how she had revived Willowpaw. Surely she had no special powers.

She dragged her feet as Firestar announced the cats who were going to the Gathering.

“Me, Nightpaw, Sunnypaw, Cloudtail,” she mumbled under her breath, already knowing who Firestar would pick. Sunnypaw had listened at the leader’s den, then spilled to Winterpaw.

A ginger and white body slammed into her. She yowled in shock.

“Sorry!”

Sunnypaw looked shocked. “I’m so sorry!”

“It’s OK,” Winterpaw sighed with relief. “What did you want?”

Sunnypaw looked startled. I – I was looking for you,” she replied.

Winterpaw licked herself.

“What about me?” she shot.

Sunnypaw looked hurt.

“S-sorry…”

She turned away and went to find Nightpaw. Winterpaw’s anger melted.

She shouldn’t be angry at her friend.

Sunnypaw was washing Nightpaw. “Sunnypaw, I’m s-sorry.”

Sunnypaw looked up.

“Winterpaw!”

“I need to talk to you.”

The two apprentices huddled beneath a bush.

“What?”

“I have d-dreams.”

“About what?”

“Cats. They train me in my sleep. They like me. And they train me in a dark forest, Sunnypaw. And I get better. They’ve been visiting me since I was a kit. And I want you to come with me. Please?”

Sunnypaw shrugged.

“It sounds all right.”

“But, tell me if I did the right thing!” Winterpaw wailed. “I gave them new life. A blak she-cat, and two big toms. I gave them new life. They told me they could teach the Clan and make ThunderClan the strongest Clan by the lake!”

“Sweet!”

Sunnypaw looked delighted.

“You think I did the right thing?”

“Oh, absolutely!”

Winterpaw looked relieved.

“So will you train with me tonight?”

“Sure.”

 hkh

The Gathering was eventful. Winterpaw and Sunnypaw came back to the ThunderClan camp.

“How was it?”

A kit’s head popped out of the nursery.

“Great, Willowpa – I mean, Willowkit.”

The kit shrieked.

“C’mon,” Sunnypaw told her. “Let’s go to this Dark Forest thing.”

As they settled down, Winterpaw closed her eyes.

She woke up in a forest. A ginger shape moved beside her.

“Amazing!” Sunnypaw gasped.

A cat stepped out of the shadows.

“FIRE!”

“THE CAMP IS ON FIRE!”

Winterpaw’s and Sunnypaw’s eyes flew open.

With Nightpaw close behind, they evacuated the den.

11

“This is bad!” Sunnypaw yowled.

The fire blazed over the treetops. The forest was catching on fire fast. Where should they go?

“Every cat to the lake!” Winterpaw yowled.

The three were surrounded by a circle of fire.

The managed to see the queens running to safety.

Sunnypaw yowled to Poppyfrost, “MOVE!”

A burning branch fell from above Poppyfrost’s head. She jumped aside just in time.

“Winterpaw, Nightpaw!” she cried.

“We’ll – be – fine!” Nightpaw choked.

Nightpaw jumped through the flames.

“Come on! If you do it fast enough, it doesn’t hurt!”

Winterpaw jumped.

“No! Winterpaw! Don’t leave me!”

Sunnypaw looked terrified. The flames were reflected in her wide green eyes.

“Just jump!” Winterpaw screeched.

“No! No!” Sunnypaw wailed.

“Do it!”

Nightpaw added his voice.

Winterpaw saw a dark shape move through the fire.

Sunnypaw was burned, but alive. She gasped and coughed.

Suddenly, a kit cried from the camp.

She was surrounded by flames.

“Help!”

It was Willowkit.

“You guys go back,” Winterpaw told them. “NO WAY!” they both told her.

“We’re coming with you,” Nightpaw said.

“If you need help, one of us could get another warrior,” Sunnypaw reasoned.

“And what if you get hurt in the fire?” Nightpaw asked. “Somebody will still need to get the kit.”

“We’re wasting time!” Winterpaw yowled.

The three of them bolted. Winterpaw dived into the fire. Flames rose around her, charring her tail. She scooped the kit up and jumped out the fire.

“Where’s Sunnypaw?” she choked.

“Getting honey!” Nightpaw sounded as if he could barely breathe.

“Go to the water!” she told Nightpaw.

Sunnypaw emerged from the medicine den and ran to the lake. Winterpaw followed.

When they reached the water’s surface, Sunnypaw put down the honey. The four of them licked it. Winterpaw’s throat stopped burning. She could breathe again. She splashed into the water, letting it cool her down.

Some of the other cats settled down. Brightheart’s and Poppyfrost’s eyes brimmed with pride.

Cloudtail licked their heads.

“Thank you,” he murmured.

Sunnypaw looked at Winterpaw, her eyes calm.

The three apprentices found a hollow log near the lake to sleep in. Nightpaw rested his chin on Winterpw’s back. Sunnypaw licked Winterpaw between the ears before allowing Winterpaw to rest her head on Sunnypaw’s.

Another cat squeezed in. Winterpaw opened one eye to see Willowkit snuggling down beside them.

Winterpaw smiled.

Witerpaw didn’t dream of the Dark Forest tonight. She was almost glad she didn’t.

She was awoken from a dream of being a warrior by Firestar’s yowl.

“Yesterday is a day we will not forget for a long time,” he told the cats. “Sunnypaw!”

The thickset she-cat stepped forward.

“Sunnypaw, you showed great bravery yesterday,” Firestar told her. “Do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend your Clan at the cost of your life?”

Sunnypaw’s eyes shone. She looked as if she had never been burned. Winterpaw thought she could see light glowing around the apprentice.

“I do!”

“Then from now on, until otherwise, you shall be known as Sunnystep.”

Winterpaw cheered the loudest.

“Nightpaw!” Firestar boomed.

Sunnystep smiled.

“This apprentice is everything ThunderClan could want. He’s smart, brave, and quick thinking. Nightpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend your Clan at the cost of your life?”

“I do.”

“Then from now in, you shall be known as Nightberry.”

The crowd of cats below echoed, “NIGHTBERRY!”

Nightberry went to stand beside Sunnystep, who knocked him over and licked him from ears to tail tip.

“Stop!” he laughed.

“WINTERPAW!” Firestar called.

The cats went silent.

“Come, Winterpaw.”

Winterpaw obeyed.

“This is an apprentice unlike any other,” Firestar said. “Winterpaw has bravery, amazing fighting skills and a sharp mind. Winterpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend your Clan with your life until your dying day?”

Silence.

“I do.”

“Then from now on, you shall be known as Wintermask.”

The cats echoed her new name. She let the voices wash over her.

Firestar jumped down from the rock. Sunnystep ran to Wintermask and licked her fiercely.

The two of them walked by the lakeshore and stationed themselves next to each other for their vigil. Nightberry joined them, his black pelt making him invisible against the dark trees.

Wintermask lied down in the grass.

Her eyes were open.

12

“Ow.”

Wintermask sat up and licked her side. Her vigil was over.

“What is it?”

“Sunnypaw?”

The warrior smiled.

“Sunnystep ,” she corrected.

“Sorry.”

Wintermask pulled the thorn in her pelt.

Nightberry yawned.

“Your vigils are over,” Firestar told them.

“Thank you,” Wintermask replied, bowing her head respectfully.

Sunnystep and Nightberry began to talk.

Wintermask joined them.

“Oh… Wintermask, this is kind of private. Sorry!” Sunnystep told her.

A little hurt, Wintermask backed away.

The others went laughing away. Wintermask looked away – right into the eyes of Bumblestripe.

“S-sorry,” she said, backing off.

“It’s all right.”

Their eyes locked.

Wintermask hung her head.

“Do you want to come back to camp with me?” Bumblestripe asked. “We can share a mouse…”

“Sure.”

She walked back to camp with Bumblestripe behind her, selecting a fat mouse from the fresh kill pile. Not far off, she spotted Nightberry and Sunnystep sharing a vole. She turned her back on them and took a bite of mouse.

When at last they had finished the mouse, Bumblestripe walked over to the warriors’ den.

“Sleep with me,” he called.

“Sure,” Wintermask sighed.

She sat down and licked her white pelt before snuggling next to Bumblestripe.

She dreamed of Sunnystep and Nightberry. Sunnystep had four tiny kits beside her. She licked the orange one, then the black one, then the two brown striped ones.

“Beautiful, aren’t they?”

Nightberry padded up to sit next to Sunnystep.

A kit pounced on his tail.

Paws lashed at his nose as the kits jumped up and down on him.

Nightberry and Sunnystep laughed.

“Emberkit must have inherited it from your patches,” Nightberry told Sunnystep.

Wintermask assumed Emberkit was the tiny ginger kit.

“And Hollykit surely got her black coat from yours,” Sunnystep told him, flicking her tail across his nose.

Hollykit?

Wintermask’s mind raced.

It had worked.

“Wintermask? Wintermask!”

She turned, startled at Brackenfur’s voice. What was he doing in her dream.

“Wintermask!”

Her head snapped up as she returned to consciousness.

Brackenfur stood over her.

“Patrol!”

“Sorry.”

Wintermask jumped up and raced outside, blinking in the light.

Yawning, she followed Brackenfur, Cloudtail, Leafpool, Lionblaze, and Dovewing away from the camp into the woods.

The patrol strode across the clearing, a hard-won trip of grass…Wintermask had heard the stories.

“ShadowClan scent! Everywhere!”

Brackenfur alerted his patrol.

“They must be trying to steal back the clearing!” Lionblaze reasoned. “They’ve bathed it in ShadowClan scent!”

“That’s because you’re in ShadowClan territorry!” hissed a voice behind them.

Blackstar, Crowfrost, Pinepaw, Rowanclaw, and Ivytail stepped out from behind a pine tree. Wintermask tensed. She could smell the presence of more ShadowClan cats, as if every tree hid a warrior or an apprentice. She swallowed and pushed the thought away, already feeling sick. Her first patrol as a warrior and she’d strayed onto another Clan’s territorry.

Blackstar let out a growl.

“Does ThunderClan ever care about boundaries?”

“But what can we expect from the KittypetClan?” Ivytail yowled.

Wintermask unsheathed her claws, then reminded herself she was in another Clan’s territory. She wouldn’t attack them.

“Does ThunderClan think they can do whatever they please? Do they think since they won back the clearing they can take any territory they want? Doesn’t Firestar teach you the warrior code? Or does he just let you go wherever you want? Well, it’s time Firestar was taught a lesson about crossing boundaries! He doesn’t want us to cross his boundaries, yet he feels it is right to let his warriors cross ours.”

“But we – ” Dovewing began.

“Silence!” Blackstar spat at the young warrior. “Maybe the clearing is too much for ThunderClan. They’re not used to having this much territorry. Maybe we should take it back!”

“There have been plenty of times when ShadowClan has strayed too far across their territorry,” Lionblaze reminded the white leader.

“That’s not the problem now,” Crowfrost snarled. “Enough about the past! What are you waiting for?”

He sprang at Brackenfur, not waiting for his leader’s command. The two cats tussled, then Blackstar yowled.

“ATTACK!”

The ShadowClan cats leapt into the clearing. Ivytail knocked Wintermask over. Wintermask nipped at her leg. Ivytail yelped and fell off. Nearby, she spied Blackstar and Dovewing. The ShadowClan leader scored his claws down the warrior’s side. Dovewing retaliated by ripping his shoulder. Blackstar winced in pain but didn’t lose his grip on Dovewing.

Lioblaze leapt onto Blackstar, knocking him off Dovewing. Blackstar yowled and shoved Lionblaze against a tree. Lionblaze lay there, sides heaving, spattered in blood. Blackstar’s and Dovewing’s.

Wintermask saw Crowfrost and Brackenfur. Crowfrost’s fur was matted with blood. Brackenfur’s ear was torn, and his tail had lost a chunk of fur.

She turned just in time to see Pinepaw barreling toward her. Before she knew it, the apprentice had leapt on her.

“Ha! You’re hardly more than an apprentice!” the black cat screeched. “How can you be a warrior?”

Wintermask flailed her claws.

“I bet I have more experience than you!” Pinepaw teased, knocking her head.

Dizzy from the clout, Wintermask raced off.

“ThunderClan, retreat!”

She heard Cloudtail’s yowl and sighed. She didn’t want ShadowClan to think they had won, but they were clearly outnumbered.

Blacstar stepped back, triumph lighting his smug gaze.

“This isn’t over,” Cloudtail growled.

“Well, you’ve retreated,” Rowanclaw sneered. “It looks to me like ShadowClan has this victory.”

“And anyway, ThunderClan results to killing cats,” he added, glaring at Lionblaze. “That’s not the warrior code.”

Wintermsk stared at Lionblaze and mouthed, “Killing?!”

Blackstar glowered down at them all.

“Now get off our territory,” he snapped in a rage.

The ThunderClan cats backed off, eyes still facing the other Clan’s patrol.

Wintermask decided to go back to camp.

Brackenfur and Lionblaze looked throughly ashamed.

“Well,what’s happened?”

Firestar emerged, flanked by Brambleclaw and Graystripe.

“We were attacked by a ShadowClan patrol,” Cloudtail grunted.

“Were they on our territory?”

The patrol didn’t answer.

Dovewing muttered, “No.”

Firestar gave them a questioning glance.

Willowkit bounded out of the nursery, eyes wide in surprise.

“I’m gonna be an apprentice!” she gloated.

“You smell yucky!” she added, sniffing Lionblaze.

“Just had a fight with ShadowClan,” he muttered.

Wintermask sighed and sat sown on a rock to begin cleaning herself.

“Hey.”

It was Nightberry.

“What’s up?”

“Um…”

He looked a little nervous, stopping her from prying.

“Um, me and, um, Sunnystep are, uhhhh…mates…”

“Really? Congratulations,” Wintermask sighed.

“Oh, I’ll um, go…”

“Sorry. No, that’s great,” Wintermask replied,eyes dull.

Nightberry sighed.

“I’ll just go.”

He rushed off.