Darkest Night

Hawkwing blinked the grief from his eyes. “She and Twigpaw had hardly opened their eyes when Pebbleshine disappeared.”

Cloudmist’s eyes were round. “How did they survive?”

“They were found by Clan cats.” Hawkwing looked fondly at Violetpaw.

“You found the other Clans!” Cherrytail blinked at him eagerly.

“They found us.” Hawkwing shifted his paws. “Eventually. We wandered so far and so long. And we lost so many cats on the way.” His yellow eyes looked suddenly haunted. Violetpaw pressed against him, her heart aching for his grief.

Cherrytail’s gaze darkened. “Leafstar?”

“She’s well. But Echosong died.”

“No!” Cherrytail’s eyes glittered with sorrow. “How?”

Blossomheart padded forward, touched her muzzle to her mother’s cheek. “There’s so much to tell. So many deaths. Let us tell it slowly.”

Hawkwing nodded. “First, let’s share good news.”

“We have our own territory among the old Clans beside their lake,” Blossomheart told her.

Rabbitleap joined in. “Macgyver and Sandynose are there. And Tinycloud has had a new litter of kits. . . .”

As her mentor listed their Clanmates, Violetpaw stared at Cherrytail and Cloudmist. For so long she’d believed Twigpaw was her only kin. And now she had more kin than she could ever have imagined. She looked at their tortoiseshell-and-white pelts and saw nothing of herself in them. Was she like them at all?

“. . . and Plumwillow had her kits along the journey. They’re apprentices in the new camp now . . .”

As Rabbitleap went on, Barley whispered in Violetpaw’s ear. “Have you eaten today?”

Violetpaw shook her head.

Barley nodded at Molewhisker. “You don’t look familiar. Are you a new member of SkyClan?”

“I’m ThunderClan,” Molewhisker explained. “I came with the patrol to show them the way.”

Barley’s eyes flashed warmly. “How’d you like to help me hunt while they share their news? You look like you’d make a good ratter.”

Molewhisker blinked happily at the farm cat. “I’ll do my best.”

Violetpaw watched them head toward the barn before turning her attention back to Hawkwing. She suddenly didn’t mind being shy. Everyone was talking so fast that there wasn’t a chance for her to speak. But they kept glancing at her with an acceptance she’d never seen in any cat besides Twigpaw and Hawkwing. She purred quietly to herself, relishing the feeling of belonging.

Outside the barn, the sun had lifted high into the sky. Inside, its bright rays flashed through holes in the high roof. Violetpaw lay on the warm, sheltered ground, stretched in a pool of sunlight, her belly full.

Between them, Molewhisker and Barley had caught enough fat, juicy rats to feed them all. It was the best meal Violetpaw had eaten in days. She half-closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth and comfort.

Barley dozed a few tail-lengths away. Molewhisker was exploring the shadows at the back of the barn. Cloudmist sat nearby, washing her face with a paw, while Blossomheart lay in the shadows beside Cherrytail. Their fluffy pelts looked so similar in the half-light that Violetpaw could hardly tell them apart.

Hawkwing finished off the rat Molewhisker had brought him and, licking his lips, blinked at his mother. “We didn’t just come to visit,” he mewed softly.

Cherrytail got to her paws, nodding as though she knew what he was about to say. “You want us to return to the lake with you,” she guessed.

Hawking gazed at her solemnly. “We’ve found the place Echosong saw in her vision. You should be there with us.”

Cloudmist shifted her paws. “I’m not sure. We have a good life here, Hawkwing. We have plenty of fresh-kill and clean water.”

“And it’s safe.” Shadows showed in Cherrytail’s eyes, as though memories of danger still haunted her.

“You will be safe beside the lake,” Hawkwing promised. “You only decided to stay here because you were injured—”

“And because it’s closer to Sharpclaw.” Cherrytail’s eyes glistened with grief.

Violetpaw knew from Hawkwing’s stories that Sharpclaw was his father and Cherrytail’s beloved mate. Darktail had killed him in the battle for the gorge. It had been a huge blow to them all.

Hawkwing held his mother’s gaze. “You can’t live for the past and hide from the future.”

“Your Clan needs you. We need you,” Blossomheart urged.

Rabbitleap flicked his tail. “We need to reunite the Clan. We’re heading for the gorge to look for more of our lost Clanmates. We’re hardly enough cats to make a Clan beside the lake. We don’t even have a medicine cat.”

Cherrytail looked away.

Cloudmist got to her paws. “It’s not easy to start over again,” she mewed. “Especially having known so much pain.”

Hawkwing dropped his gaze. “I understand that it’s hard,” he meowed softly. “But promise me you’ll think about it.”

“I suppose we should. After all, we said we’d rejoin you someday.” Cherrytail sat down and curled her tail around her. “But leaving here would be a great loss.”

Violetpaw saw hurt in her father’s eyes before he quickly blinked it away. “We’ll stop here on our way back from the gorge,” Hawkwing told his mother. “You can tell me your decision then.”