Moth Flight glanced over her shoulder toward the bracken where Micah was hiding among the shadow stems. How would these cats react when she told them the spirit-cats had named a stranger?
The bracken rustled and Micah pushed his way out. “They said that I would be SkyClan’s medicine cat,” he said.
Shocked mews rose among the Clan cats.
“Who’s he?”
“He’s not one of us!”
“Who said he could come here?”
“This is Micah.” Moth Flight pressed her flank against
Micah’s as he stopped beside her. “He saved me from a dog and came with me on my journey to Highstones.”
River Ripple narrowed his eyes. “Did he see the spirit-cats too?”
Moth Flight shook her head. “The moth led me to the cave, not him.”
Wind Runner had stiffened. “Is this the moth you’re always dreaming about?”
“Yes.” Moth Flight watched the cats exchange glances.
Thunder stared at Micah through slitted eyes. Clear Sky’s pelt rippled uneasily along his spine. Tall Shadow was watching, her ears twitching. Helplessness swept over Moth Flight. How could she convince them? Only River Ripple looked calm. “I didn’t dream it!” she mewed desperately. “It was real.”
“I saw the moth.” Micah lifted his chin.
“You might just be saying that so you can be our medicine cat,” Clear Sky growled.
“The moth was real. It led us to Highstones.” He met Clear Sky’s gaze steadily. “I want to be your medicine cat, but I wouldn’t lie to you.”
“What do you know about healing?” Clear Sky demanded.
“Nothing, yet,” Micah told him calmly. “But I will learn.”
“We’ll all learn!” Moth Flight added. “There are cats who already know healing herbs. If we can learn some, we can learn more! The Clans will depend on their medicine cats one day.
Half Moon told me!”
“Half Moon?” Clear Sky stiffened.
Tall Shadow stepped closer.
Dappled Pelt blinked. “You spoke with Stoneteller?”
Quick Water hurried to Clear Sky’s side. “She must have seen Stoneteller,” the old mountain cat whispered. “How else would she know her name?”
Clear Sky was still staring at Micah. “She probably heard Jagged Peak or Gray Wing talking about her.”
Moth Flight heart’s leaped. They knew who Half Moon was!
Were they going to believe her after all?
Dappled Pelt’s eyes shone with excitement. “My dreams must have been a sign!”
River Ripple looked at his Clanmate. “What dreams?”
“I’ve been dreaming about teaching cats about herbs and healing for the past moon,” Dappled Pelt told him. Her gaze flitted to Micah. “I think one of the cats in my dream might have been him.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?” River Ripple asked quietly.
“I thought they were just ordinary dreams,” Dappled Pelt answered.
Clear Sky padded toward Micah, opening his mouth to taste his scent. “You smell strange.”
“I smell like the farm I was raised on.” Micah stood still while Clear Sky circled him.
Cloud Spots nosed his way to the front. “I’ve had a dream too,” he admitted. “I saw the moonlit stone.” He looked at Moth
Flight. “Was it in a cave?”
Moth Flight nodded, swallowing back excitement. “Inside
Highstones.”
“And there was a hole in the roof?”
“You’ve seen it?” Moth Flight could hardly keep her paws still.
“I dreamed I was there with you, Dappled Pelt, and Pebble Heart.” Cloud Spots nodded toward Micah. “And him.”
Tall Shadow turned to Pebble Heart. “Have you had any dreams?”
“Only last night.” His eyes glowed like stars. “I dreamed Turtle Tail was leaning over me. She said she always knew I was special.”
Moth Flight’s tail quivered. “And she told you to take care of them all, didn’t she?”
“Yes!” Pebble Heart blinked. “That’s exactly what she said!”
Juniper Branch looked at Tall Shadow. “Are we actually going to believe this hare-brained WindClan cat?”
Gorse Fur flicked his tail angrily. “She’s not hare-brained.”
“So why does Spotted Fur always joke that one day she’ll find the end of a rainbow and try to climb up it?” Juniper Branch scoffed.
“I was joking!” Spotted Fur caught Moth Flight’s eye apologetically.
Fern Leaf brushed past him and stared at Moth Flight.
“What if you’re wrong about this, Moth Flight? You might have misunderstood the spirit-cats’ message. You can’t even tell the difference between plants and prey.”
Wind Runner faced the gray-and-white she-cat. “She can tell the difference. Perhaps she brings home plants because that’s what medicine cats do.”
Moth Flight felt a rush of gratitude. She glanced at Micah. “I think they’re going to believe me,” she whispered.
Clear Sky’s tail was still twitching impatiently. “So SkyClan is going to be stuck with an extra mouth to feed.” He glared at Micah resentfully.
“I can hunt,” Micah told him.
“Won’t you be too busy looking after sick cats?” Clear Sky sneered.
Star Flower stood beside her mate. “Perhaps we should wait for the spirit-cats to tell us themselves before we start making any changes.”
Juniper Branch and Swift Minnow murmured in agreement.
“The spirit-cats have spoken to us before,” Tall Shadow reasoned. “If they’re not speaking to us now, it’s because they have nothing to say.”
“But they do!” Alarm buzzed beneath Moth Flight’s pelt.
You have to listen to me! What more could she say? She suddenly remembered Half Moon’s parting words. We will split the sky. And later, stars will rise. The spirit-cats had promised to send a sign when she told the Clans.
Where was it? She stared up through the branches to the stars beyond.
“What are you looking for?” Clear Sky asked her, his mew thick with scorn. “Do you think you can call them whenever you want?”
Moth Flight blinked at him. “They promised to split the sky when I told you.”
Clear Sky’s whiskers twitched with amusement. Purrs echoed around the clearing.
“Split the sky?” Juniper Branch shook her head. “What nonsense!”
Moth Flight squared her shoulders. “They said they’d split the sky and later stars would rise.”
Clear Sky sat down. “Okay.” He looked up. “Let’s wait.”
Silence gripped the clearing. Above, the sky stretched cloudless and black.
Moth Flight’s pelt burned with shame. Perhaps I dreamed it after all! I’ve thought dreams were real before. Perhaps I’ve been wrong all along!
She could feel the eyes of the Clan cats on her. “What have I done?” she whispered to Micah. “I’m such a rabbit-brain!” She shrank beneath her pelt.
Suddenly, a flash lit the clearing. A bolt of lightning cracked the sky and, for a moment, the Clans were drenched in blinding white light.
Terror ripped through Moth Flight. She dropped to the earth.
On the far side of the hollow a tree exploded into flame as the lightning hit it. It shuddered and split. One half fell, blazing, to the ground.
Moth Flight stared in amazement. They did it! They split the sky! Her heart leaped into her throat. They have to believe me now. She glanced around the clearing.
The Clan cats gaped at the flaming tree. Then, one by one, they turned toward Moth Flight.
Chapter 15