Alderpaw’s gaze darkened with sorrow. “I’m sad to hear that.”
Needlepaw shrugged. “It’s not exactly a surprise. He was, like, the oldest cat in the forest.”
Needlepaw headed upslope toward the pines. “Come on, Violetkit.”
Violetkit stared at her num bly, struggling to understand. Why would Needlepaw bring her here and then just take her away?
Needlepaw flicked her tail. “We need to get back before Pinenose notices y ou’re gone.”
Violetkit’s throat tightened. She stared desperately at Twigkit. “Did you know we were just visiting?”
“Alderpaw explained.” Her sister touched her m uzzle gently to her cheek. “He and Needlepaw wanted to cheer us up. This was the best way he could think of.” Her warm, sweet breath tickled Violetkit’s ear. Violetkit pressed against her, trembling. Suddenly she remembered what it felt like to sleep beside her sister, curled tight against her soft fur.
“We’ll see each other again soon,” Twigkit prom ised.
Violetkit wasn’t convinced. “How do you know that?”
“Because we have to.” Twigkit pulled away, her eyes round. “We’re kin.”
Alderpaw dipped his head toward Twigkit. “Come on. We’d better hurry.” Gently he nosed her away, up a leaf-strewn bank.
Violetkit’s belly grew hollow as she watched him guide her over the top. Leaves swished as they disappeared into the shadow of the woods.
“No!” The wail escaped her before she could swallow it back. Sadness pressed around her like freezing water. She had to go back to ShadowClan, where no one wanted to play with her; where she couldn’t sm ell her sister’s warm scent. She’d be alone again.
A warm m uzzle touched the top of her head. Violetkit’s heart lurched. She looked up, surprised to see Needlepaw gazing at her with soft, sympathetic eyes.
“Don’t worry, toad-brain,” Needlepaw mewed gently.
“But I belong with her! Not with ShadowClan.” Anger surged through Violetkit’s chest.
“ShadowClan doesn’t want m e. No one cares about m e there. I’m so lonely!”
Needlepaw’s eyes glistened kindly. “I know how that feels, kit.” She ran her tail softly along
Violetkit’s spine. Then she puffed out her chest as though she’d m ade an im portant decision. “But that’s going to change. From now on, I’m going to look out for y ou. You’re going to be fine.”
Violetkit blinked at her, a flicker of hope piercing her sorrow. It still hurt terribly that she didn’t have her sister in ShadowClan, and that so many of the cats there barely seem ed to notice her.
But she saw sincerity in Needlepaw’s eyes. May be now all that would change.
May be now she finally had a friend.
Chapter 3
A half-moon after Alderpaw brought Twigkit to play with her littermate, he was surprised when Dovewing nosed her way into the medicine den and asked him to report to the Highledge.
Squirrelflight had returned with Lionblaze and Cinderheart.
He followed her excitedly and left her at the foot of the rock tum ble to j oin Bramblestar, Squirrelflight, Lionblaze, and Cinderheart at the top.
“Did you find any thing?” he asked as soon as he reached them.
Squirrelflight m et his gaze darkly.
Bramblestar looked worried. “The gorge was em pty.”
“Em pty?” Alderpaw could hardly believe his ears. “What about the rogues we m et on our quest?” He knew that Bramblestar had warned the patrol that they might find cats pretending to be
Sky Clan at the gorge.
“There was no one there,” Lionblaze confirm ed.
“A few stragglers,” Cinderheart chipped in. “But they were just loners passing through. There was no sign of fresh nests in the gorge. The dens were deserted.”
Alderpaw’s thoughts swam. “But if the rogues are gone, Sky Clan might return to the gorge.
They might not have any place else to go.” We might find what is in the shadows after all. “We should send the patrol back to search again.”
“There’s no point,” Squirrelflight told him. “We checked the whole area. If there are any
Sky Clan cats left, they’re nowhere near the gorge.”
“They’d be m ouse-brained to go back there,” Lionblaze meowed bluntly. “The gorge is far too open to attack. It’s clear they can’t defend it.”
Bramblestar was frowning. “I wonder where they’ve gone.”
“Who?” Alderpaw blinked at him. “Sky Clan?”
“The rogues.” Bramblestar’s expression was serious.
“Don’t you care about Sky Clan?” Alderpaw glared at him.
“Keep your voice down!” Squirrelflight glanced nervously at Dovewing at the bottom of the rocks. She was staring up at them with a wide, curious gaze. Thornclaw and Poppy frost were washing nearby, while Purdy, Millie, and Graystripe lounged outside the elders’ den.
Bramblestar turned his gaze toward Alderpaw. “What can we do?” He looked distressed.
“Sky Clan is lost to us.”
Squirrelflight ey ed their Clanmates below. Lionblaze and Cinderheart glanced at each other in surprise.
“So y ou’re giving up on the prophecy?” Alderpaw dem anded.
“We still have the kits, remember?” Cinderheart shifted her paws. “They were found in shadow. They might still have a part to play.”
Alderpaw wished he could believe her. The kits were special, he was sure. They had been found in shadow. But they couldn’t be all there was to StarClan’s prophecy. What about clearing the skies? Even though he felt a twinge of disloy alty toward Twigkit for thinking it, the prophecy had to be about Sky Clan. They were Clan cats, after all, and he couldn’t believe StarClan would let them disappear without doing something.
He ey ed his father curiously before departing, but Bramblestar wouldn’t m eet his gaze.
Frustration surged through Alderpaw’s lim bs as he excused him self and m ade his way back to the medicine-cat den.
He had to believe Sky Clan was still out there. But he knew Bramblestar wasn’t about to change his m ind.
“Excuse m e.” Alderpaw nudged past Fernsong. The y ellow tabby tom was blocking his view of Honey kit.
“Lily heart asked m e to bring her to y ou,” Fernsong explained again.
“I know. She has a belly ache.” Jayfeather flicked his tail at Fernsong. “You already told us.”
Fernsong paced around the white-and-y ellow kit, his pelt prickling with worry. “Lily heart was busy with the other kits, and Honey kit has been m iserable all m orning. I was going to go hunting with Ivy pool, but Lily heart asked m e—”
“To bring her here. Yes! We know.” Jayfeather touched his nose to Honey kit’s head.
“Alderpaw, come and check whether she has a fever.”
Alderpaw squeezed past Fernsong again, wishing the tom would give them more room.
As though reading his m ind, Briarlight called from her nest. “Come over here, Fernsong, and let them exam ine her properly.”
Distractedly Fernsong padded to her side. “I just want to make sure she’s okay.”
“She’s a kit with belly ache,” Jayfeather grunted. “She’ll be fine.”
“But it hurts,” Honey kit whim pered as Alderpaw sniffed the top of her head.
Jayfeather ignored her. “So?” he quizzed Alderpaw. “Does she have a fever?”
“No.” Alderpaw sniffed again, feeling the warmth of her fur. Was it norm al? Was he right?
Perhaps she did have a fever and he was being m ouse-brained.
“Good.” Jayfeather mewed. “A belly ache without a fever means that she probably ate som ething that disagreed with her, or too much of som ething she liked.” He ran his paw over Honey kit’s belly. “What have you eaten today?”