Bluekit pricked her ears. “What sort of signs?”
Goosefeather shrugged. “The clouds, for example.”
Bluekit scrunched her eyes and looked up. The bright blue sky was encircled by trees and flecked with soft white clouds scudding fast overhead.
Goosefeather cleared his throat. “I can tell just by looking that StarClan sees kits hurrying toward becoming ’paws.”
A mottled tabby tom, padding by, glanced sideways at the medicine cat.
Goosefeather nodded at the tom. “Hello, Adderfang.”
“Another prophecy?” Adderfang meowed archly.
Bluekit blinked at the warrior. Didn’t he believe in prophecies?
Snowkit could hardly keep her paws still. “Kits becoming ’paws? Does that mean us?”
“It might,” Goosefeather meowed.
Adderfang snorted as he padded away.
Bluekit tilted her head. “How do you know StarClan means the message for you and not some other Clan?”
“It comes with experience.” Goosefeather turned his muzzle toward the fern tunnel. “Do you want to see the medicine den?”
Bluekit plucked at the ground. “Oh, yes, please!” It was the one part of the camp she hadn’t seen yet.
“Moonflower!” Pinestar called to the queen.
“Coming!” Moonflower glanced around uncertainly at Goosefeather. “Can you manage these two by yourself for a moment?”
We don’t need managing! Bluekit thought indignantly.
“Of course,” Goosefeather meowed.
As Moonflower headed away to join Stormtail and Pinestar, Goosefeather led Bluekit and Snowkit through the cool green tunnel of ferns and into a grassy clearing with a small pool at one edge. The tang of herbs filled the air, and the grass was specked with stray bits of leaves that Bluekit didn’t recognize. Ferns closed in on every side except for one where a tall rock stood, split down the middle by a crack wide enough for a cat to make its den inside.
A croaking mew called from an opening in the ferns.
“Smallear is recovering from an adder bite,” Goosefeather explained as he padded toward the patient hidden inside the soft green walls. “Luckily it was a small adder, but it’ll be another day or two before the poison’s out of his system.” He disappeared through the ferns. “I won’t be long.”
“Come on,” Snowkit whispered, shaking a loose piece of leaf from her paw. “Let’s look inside that rock.”
Bluekit hesitated. Stormtail had just told her not to explore places she didn’t belong.
“It’s okay,” Snowkit encouraged. “Goosefeather asked us to come and see his den.”
Bluekit glanced at the quivering stalks where the medicine cat had disappeared. “I guess.” She trotted after Snowkit to the dark opening in the rock.
“I’ll go first.” Snowkit’s white pelt was swallowed by shadow as she disappeared into the den. Bluekit followed, blinking against the sudden darkness. Pungent odors instantly filled her nose and mouth.
“Look at all these herbs!” Snowkit squeaked.
Bluekit stretched her eyes wide, adjusting to the dim light filtering from the entrance, until she saw Snowkit sniffing among the piles of leaves and seeds along the wall of the den.
Snowkit pawed out a dark green leaf. “I wonder what this is for?”
Bluekit sniffed at it gingerly, wrinkling her nose at the sour smell.
“Bet you wouldn’t eat it,” Snowkit goaded.
Bluekit stepped back, blinking.
“Scaredy-mouse!”
“I’m not a scaredy-mouse!” Anything but that…“Okay, I’ll eat it!” Leaning down, she bit into the leaf. It felt furry on her tongue and tasted so bitter it made her gag. Spitting it out, she licked her paws, trying to rub off the taste. “That’s disgusting!”
Snowkit snorted with laughter.
“Okay, smarty-paws! Your turn.” Crossly, Bluekit brushed her paw across a pile of tiny black seeds, sending them spilling across the den floor. “Try one of those.”
“Okay!” Snowkit ducked her head and lapped up two of the seeds, swallowed them, then licked her lips. “Delicious!” she announced, her eyes shining.
“What are you two doing?” Moonflower’s screech made both kits jump. The queen grabbed Bluekit by the scruff and tossed her into the grassy clearing. She dragged Snowkit out after her.
“Did you eat anything in there?” Moonflower demanded, her eyes wild with panic.
Bluekit stared back at her, words sticking in her throat.
“Did you?” Moonflower growled.
“I—I spat mine out,” Bluekit stammered. She glanced nervously at Snowkit as Moonflower’s gaze swung toward her sister.
“What about you?”
Snowkit stared at her paws. “I swallowed something,” she mumbled.
“Goosefeather!”
The medicine cat poked his head out of Smallear’s nest. “What?”
“The kits were in your den, and Snowkit has swallowed something!”
Goosefeather blinked. He hopped out from the fern nest and hurried across the grass.
“Find out what it was!” Moonflower spat. But Goosefeather was already in his den. He rushed out a moment later.
“It looks like they’ve been at the poppy seeds,” he meowed. Bluekit hung her head. She should never have dared Snowkit.
“How many did you swallow?” Goosefeather urged, his eyes round and dark.
“Two,” Snowkit mewed in a very small voice.
Goosefeather sat down with a sigh. “She’ll be fine,” he breathed. “It’ll just make her sleep.”
“Just make her sleep?” Moonflower’s pelt was bristling. “Are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure,” Goosefeather snapped. “Take her back to the nursery and let her sleep it off.”
“You don’t want to keep her here so you can watch her?” Moonflower prompted, flicking her tail.
“You’ll probably do a better job watching her than me,” Goosefeather meowed. “I’ve got Smallear to keep an eye on.”
Moonflower snorted. “Come on.” She nudged Snowkit toward the fern tunnel. Bluekit hurried after.
“She’ll be fine!” Goosefeather called after her.
“She’d better be”, Moonflower muttered darkly.
As Moonflower marched them across the clearing, Bluekit was horribly aware of the fear and anger crackling in her mother’s pelt.
“Stupid tom!” muttered the queen. “How in StarClan did he become a medicine cat in the first place?”
Guilt twisted in Bluekit’s belly. She had dared Snowkit to eat the poppy seeds.
“Don’t ever go into a medicine cat’s den again!” Moonflower scolded. “In fact, stay away from the medicine clearing altogether!”
“But what if—” Bluekit began.
“Don’t argue!” As they reached the nursery, Moonflower picked Snowkit up by the scruff and bundled her through the entrance. Bluekit scrambled after her sister before Moonflower could do the same to her. Why was her mother so angry at Goosefeather? It was Snowkit who ate the poppy seeds!
I dared her. Bluekit sat at the edge of their nest, her pelt prickling with alarm, as Snowkit curled into the moss. Her littermate’s eyes already had a glazed, sleepy look.
Moonflower lay down and began to lap briskly at Snowkit’s fur.
Swiftbreeze stirred in her nest. “What’s wrong?”
“Goosefeather let Snowkit eat poppy seeds!” Moonflower’s eyes were dark with worry.
Poppydawn sat up. “He did what?”
Bluekit felt hot with shame. It wasn’t Goosefeather’s fault. If anybody was to blame, it was her. “Goosefeather didn’t even know we were in his den,” she pointed out.
“He should have known. He should have warned you.” Moonflower sniffed at Snowkit, who was already fast asleep. “Imagine turning your tail on two young kits with all those herbs about.”