Darkest Night

“Sheep.” Hawkwing glanced at her. “They won’t hurt you.”

“Don’t they ever wash?” Muddy lumps hung from their pelts. She didn’t want to go any closer. Such strange, stinky creatures would have amused Needletail. She wouldn’t have worried about approaching them. She’d have run right up to one and poked its thick, curly pelt just to see what it felt like.

As they skirted the sheep field, Molewhisker paused and looked back toward Hawkwing. For the first time, the ThunderClan tom looked unsure of himself. “Where do we go now?”

Hawkwing trotted past him, his tail high. He opened his mouth as though savoring familiar scents. “We head for Barley’s barn.” He nodded toward the large Twoleg nest looming beyond the sheep field.

“Is it safe?” Violetpaw’s pelt prickled with anxiety.

Hawkwing pointed his muzzle to a smaller Twoleg nest farther away. “The Twolegs live over there. This is where Barley lives. It’s safe here.”

He quickened his pace, crossing a wide, dirt path onto a stretch of stone that led to the barn. Violetpaw saw Molewhisker glance doubtfully at Blossomheart.

“You’ll like Barley,” Blossomheart promised him.

As she spoke, a happy yowl echoed over the stone. “Hawkwing? Is that you?” A black-and-white tom was staring at Hawkwing.

Hawkwing broke into a run. “Barley!” He moved toward the tom, purring loudly. Violetpaw followed Blossomheart and Hawkwing to meet Barley, feeling suddenly nervous.

Barley broke away from Hawkwing and wove around Blossomheart. “It’s good to see you again.” He stopped and stared at Violetpaw. “Hawkwing! Is this your kit?”

Hawkwing lifted his chin proudly. “One of them. This is Violetpaw. Twigpaw stayed in camp. How did you know she’s mine?”

Barley’s whiskers twitched happily. “You have the same eyes,” he mewed. “And the same thoughtful expression.”

Violetpaw’s chest swelled with pride.

Something moved near the corner of the barn. A tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat was squeezing out through a gap in the wood. She padded, blinking, into the sunshine. “Barley?” She tipped her head. “What’s going on?” Her eyes widened as she spotted the visitors. Joy sparked like fire in their green depths. “Hawkwing!”

“Cherrytail!” Hawkwing hurried to meet his mother, his tail fluffed with joy. He rubbed muzzles with her roughly, a purr rumbling in his throat. Then he paused and drew back. His eyes clouded with unease. “Where’s Cloudmist? Is she okay?”

Violetpaw heard fear in his mew. He had lost so many cats; he clearly worried about losing another.

“She’s fine!” Cherrytail popped her head back through the gap in the wood and called. “Cloudmist! Hawkwing has come at last!”

As she ducked out, a white she-cat pushed past her, her ears pricked with excitement.

“What are you doing here?” She rubbed her cheek against Hawkwing’s. “What happened to all of you? Where is everyone? Did you find the hunting lands Echosong dreamed of?”

“There’s so much to tell you—” Hawkwing didn’t have time to finish. Cherrytail’s ecstatic gaze had flitted to Blossomheart.

“It’s so good to see you!” She raced to greet her other kit, then blinked happily at Hawkwing.

Hawkwing had clearly decided explanations could wait, despite Cherrytail’s barrage of questions. The cats were too excited. The stone beneath Violetpaw’s pads seemed to echo with purring. She hung back beside Molewhisker while her Clanmates greeted one another.

Cherrytail caught her eye. “Who’s this?” she asked eagerly.

Barley puffed out his chest. “Hawkwing has kits now. This is Violetpaw.”

“Kits?” Cherrytail’s eyes shone. “They must be Pebbleshine’s! Do you have littermates?”

“I have a sister called Twigpaw.” Violetpaw was suddenly nervous. She didn’t like being the center of attention. “But she stayed at home.” I wish you were here, she wailed silently to her sister, wondering how to explain why Twigpaw hadn’t come. Everyone liked Twigpaw. She always knew exactly what to say. Violetpaw stared at Cherrytail, desperately searching for words.

“Come and meet Violetpaw!” Cherrytail beckoned Cloudmist with her tail.

The white she-cat hurried over, her yellow eyes wide. “I didn’t know Pebbleshine was expecting kits!” She turned to Hawkwing. “Where is she?”

“Did she stay behind with Twigpaw?” Cherrytail asked.

Violetpaw stiffened. She looked at her father. Grief sharpened his gaze.

Cherrytail read his expression at once. “Hawkwing?” Concern edged her mew. “Did something happen?”

Hawkwing seemed to shrink inside his pelt. “Pebbleshine got separated from us on the journey,” he murmured. “We climbed onto a monster to steal prey, and it ran away with her. She couldn’t jump off in time. The monster carried her off, and she had Twigpaw and Violetpaw alone beside a Thunderpath. Then she disappeared. I wish . . .” He broke off, his mew thick.

Claws jabbed Violetpaw’s heart and she heard herself mumbling, “We think she was killed on the Thunderpath.”

“Oh, you poor things!” Cherrytail rubbed her muzzle against Violetpaw’s cheek.