Bluestar's Prophecy

Goosefeather stopped washing, his eyes twinkling. “I’m always curious about anything Mumblefoot has to say.”

Bluekit weaved around her sister, drawing her tail across Snowkit’s mouth. “He says you go out picking herbs nearly every day,” she mewed.

A purr rumbled in Goosefeather’s throat. “This one’s smart.”

“I am, too!” Snowkit insisted.

“Of course!” Goosefeather’s whiskers twitched. “You’re Moonflower’s kit, and she’s the smartest cat I know.” His gaze flicked briefly to Stormtail. “About most things, anyway.” He rolled onto his back and began rubbing his shoulders against the warm, rough earth. “It’s good to see newleaf again.”

Bluekit liked this tom. He was funny and friendly. She was glad they were kin.

“What else do you do?” Snowkit asked eagerly.

Goosefeather sat up and smoothed his whiskers with a paw. “Apart from keeping the whole Clan healthy?”

Bluekit heard her mother sigh. Wasn’t she proud of her littermate?

“I interpret signs from StarClan,” Goosefeather went on.

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.