Lost Stars

A chorus of caterwauling broke out in the clearing as the assembled cats called out the names of the new apprentices. Bristlepaw joined in, seeing the two young cats duck their heads in embarrassment, while their mother and father, Heathertail and Breezepelt, looked on proudly.

“RiverClan has good news, too,” Mistystar announced as the clamor died away. “Curlfeather has given birth to three healthy kits.”

Again Bristlepaw joined in the chorus of congratulation, though she could see a faint shadow of anxiety on Mistystar’s face, and she spotted a few of the RiverClan warriors exchanging worried glances.

This weather and the shortage of prey must be really tough for a mother cat and newborn kits in the nursery, Bristlepaw thought. Sparkpelt and Sorrelstripe probably feel the same . . . but I haven’t noticed, because I’ve been so focused on my own worries. A sharp claw of guilt pierced her as she realized how self-centered she had been, thinking only about how the harsh leaf-bare had spoiled her chances of becoming a warrior.

At last the noise died down again and Bramblestar turned to Leafstar. “How are things in SkyClan?” he asked.

Leafstar seemed reluctant as she rose to her paws, padding forward until her branch began to dip gently under her weight. “Life is hard in SkyClan,” she reported, “but perhaps not as hard as for the rest of you.” Her tone was hesitant, and Bristlepaw guessed she was aware that her news might spark resentment from the other Clans—especially from ShadowClan. “Our territory is in a sheltered valley,” the SkyClan leader went on, “and there are caves in the hills beside our top border, where we could withdraw if things get any worse.”

Bristlepaw could hear muttered comments from some of the warriors in the clearing below, and Tigerstar’s shoulder fur began to bristle as if he thought he was facing an enemy.

“How lucky for you,” he muttered.

Leafstar turned to him with a lash of her tail. “Let’s not start arguing about this again,” she mewed. “The new boundaries were agreed on by all the Clans, including ShadowClan.”

Tigerstar’s only reply was a snort as he sat down on his branch again.

“This is all very well,” Jayfeather began again, rising from where he was sitting beside Alderheart, “but none of it really matters. Why aren’t we talking about why we’ve lost our connection with StarClan?”

This time, Jayfeather’s words seemed to reach the cats around him; Bristlepaw could hear uneasy murmurs spreading throughout the crowd.

“Why are we cut off?” Crowfeather from WindClan called out. “And will the connection come back again?”

“Who will watch over us now?” some cat added from among the SkyClan warriors. Bristlepaw couldn’t see who it was, but she could hear the alarm in the cat’s voice.

“Calm down.” Mosspelt, the RiverClan elder, rose to her paws and waved her tail to emphasize her words. “The Moonpool is frozen! That must be what’s keeping StarClan away. But don’t worry. Newleaf will come; it always does.”

More yowling broke out, some cats agreeing with Mosspelt and others snarling their objections. Bristlepaw looked in dismay at their bristling fur and extended claws.

They can’t start fighting—not at a Gathering!

But before a blow could be struck, a single word rang out across the clearing. “Enough!”

Every cat turned to look up at the Great Oak. The cat who had called out was Tigerstar, on his paws again and sweeping the clearing with a commanding gaze.

“What Jayfeather says is not quite right,” he meowed when the assembled cats were quiet once more. “There is one cat who can still communicate with StarClan.”

Jayfeather looked outraged, but before he could speak, Puddleshine nudged a young cat to step forward from the group of medicine cats. Bristlepaw recognized him as Shadowpaw, the ShadowClan medicine-cat apprentice. He’s my kin, she remembered. . . . His mother, Dovewing, was the littermate of her own mother, Ivypool. He said nothing, but only stood blinking up at his Clan leader.

“Shadowpaw,” Tigerstar announced, “has received a message from StarClan.”

Chapter 10

Shadowpaw gazed at the assembled warriors, who were all staring back at him, as if they couldn’t believe what Tigerstar had told them. Something twisted in his belly, like a snake trying to bite him from the inside. Ever since the lightning strike, when he had awoken beside the Moonpool in a puddle of slush, he had felt that something wasn’t right with him. And he couldn’t find any explanation for it.

“Go on,” Tigerstar encouraged him. “Tell the Clans what you told me and Puddleshine.”