Lost Stars

Bristlefrost felt as stunned as if a rock had fallen from the camp wall and hit her on the head. But she wasn’t ready to give up yet. “But now that you know how I feel . . . do you think that in time, Stemleaf, you might feel the same way?”

Stemleaf shook his head. His eyes were full of distress, but that wasn’t much comfort to Bristlefrost. “I don’t think so. Actually, I . . . I like another cat.” His gaze traveled across the camp to where Spotfur was playing with Sparkpelt’s and Sorrelstripe’s kits outside the nursery. “I’m so sorry, Bristlefrost.”

“Oh . . . o-of course,” Bristlefrost muttered, stumbling over her words. Any awkwardness she’d felt in the past was nothing compared to the horrible embarrassment that flooded through her now. “Don’t worry about it. Just forget the whole thing.”

Head down, she fled across the camp, and Stemleaf didn’t follow. A few cats paused to congratulate her as she passed, but Bristlefrost didn’t want to listen. Instead she plunged into the warriors’ den and burrowed into the nearest nest, hiding her head under her paws and tail. This should have been such a proud moment, but now she was full of grief and humiliation. She felt as if a fox were tearing out her belly, and all she wanted was to be left alone.

“Bristlefrost?” She recognized her father’s voice. “Bristlefrost, what’s the matter?”

Bristlefrost didn’t respond to Fernsong. He won’t understand. No cat will understand.

I’ll never be happy again.

Chapter 13

Shadowpaw shivered as he padded behind Puddleshine down the spiral path to the Moonpool. He could see every breath the other cats took, misting the air above their heads, but he knew that the chill he felt was not only because of the snow. There’s something in the air, and it isn’t right.

He and Puddleshine were the last cats to arrive at the Moonpool meeting, and Shadowpaw realized at once that the others were wary of him. The only ones not to glance at him suspiciously were Alderheart, who greeted him kindly, and Puddleshine, who stayed close to him as they took their places beside the pool.

Shadowpaw didn’t know if the other medicine cats had lost their trust in him because of his ominous message or because they believed he had lied at the Gathering about his vision. Or maybe they think ShadowClan is up to something? Whatever the reason, Shadowpaw had never felt so uncomfortable at a half-moon meeting.

Shadowpaw almost dreaded looking at the Moonpool, and when he did, he could see that frost had spread across its surface, covering the water in a sheen of icy blue. It looked as solid as rock. Surely no cat has seen anything like that before!

The other cats, too, were casting uneasy glances at the frozen surface, and none of them seemed quite sure how to conduct the meeting. Kestrelflight was the first to clear his throat and begin to speak.

“We have a little catmint beginning to grow back, in spite of the frost,” he reported. “But it won’t flourish unless the weather gets warmer. Cats are bound to get sick, and times ahead will be tough.”

Willowshine dipped her head in agreement. “Most of the Clan cats are focused on the lack of prey,” she mewed. “But we medicine cats have to look beyond our immediate needs.”

A murmur of assent rose from the rest of the cats. “Sick cats can’t hunt, so there’ll be even less prey,” Alderheart added.

An uncomfortable silence fell again, broken by Jayfeather, who asked the question that Shadowpaw knew must be on all their minds. “Has any cat received a message from StarClan?”

All the cats shook their heads. “I dreamed about our old home in the gorge,” Frecklewish meowed. “But I’m sure it was only a dream, not a vision.”

No cat had anything to add. Shadowpaw knew that this was the time when they should be approaching the Moonpool to share dreams with StarClan, but he could see that every one of them was reluctant to make the first move.

Finally, though no cat spoke, they began to creep closer to the water’s edge, their bellies flattened to the ground as if they were stalking prey. Shadowpaw watched carefully as they touched their noses to the eerie blue surface, then followed their lead. He’d always thought he was learning the ways of medicine cats quickly, but now doubt plagued him. What if I’ve been doing it wrong this whole time? he wondered. What if that’s why StarClan isn’t meeting with us?

Shadowpaw stretched his neck out and touched his nose to the ice. He closed his eyes, waiting to catch glimpses of his warrior ancestors, or to find himself in lush grassland lit by stars, but nothing happened. When he drew back, the sky remained dark and empty. There was no sign of StarClan.