Shattered Sky

“He came to visit us with a brave she-cat! They gave us back our Clan when it was almost forgotten.”

“He showed us how to hunt!”

“He taught us the warrior code!”

“We still teach our kits about him. We will honor his name forever!”

Twigpaw wasn’t sure what to say. She’d never met Firestar. “I—I’m sorry,” she stammered. “This, um, Echosong’s vision was right—Firestar is dead.”

The Clan’s enthusiastic meows faded somewhat. But they didn’t seem surprised. After a moment, the tabby she-cat asked, “How did he die?”

“In a great battle, saving his Clan,” Twigpaw replied. “I wasn’t born then, but I’ve heard so many stories about him! ThunderClan also honors his memory.”

“So who is leader of ThunderClan now?” the she-cat mewed.

“He’s called Bramblestar. He’s a great cat, too.”

The tabby she-cat nodded slowly, taking all this in. “My name is Leafstar,” she continued at last. “I met Firestar when he came to the gorge and rebuilt our Clan, and I know that ThunderClan is good and honorable. Can you take us back to your hunting grounds? Echosong had a dream where we came to live beside the other Clans—by a large body of water. We would be so grateful if you could take us to Bramblestar.”

Twigpaw bowed her head, humbled to think that her Clan was held so highly in the memories of these cats who lived so far away. But can I even find my way back? She wasn’t sure what to say. I have to try. They’re all counting on me.

After a moment, the gray tom who looked like Twigpaw stepped forward to stand at Leafstar’s side. “My name is Hawkwing,” he announced.

“He is the deputy of this Clan,” Leafstar meowed. “The deputy Firestar knew, Sharpclaw, was Hawkwing’s father. He was killed when a group of rogues attacked us and took over the gorge. We were forced to leave; at first we settled down by a lake not far from here, thinking it might be the water from Echosong’s dream—but when greenleaf came, Twolegs moved onto our territory. And so we had to leave our home a second time. We have been wandering through the woods, searching for the spark that remains. And it sounds, Twigpaw, like that is you.” Her eyes warmed as she looked down at the young apprentice.

Twigpaw was overwhelmed, but a small part of her registered what Leafstar had said: a group of rogues attacked us and took over the gorge. Twigpaw swallowed hard, wondering how to tell these cats, who had already suffered so much, that Darktail was now causing trouble for the other Clans.

Glancing at the gray tom, Twigpaw realized that he was staring at her. For a moment she wondered if he might actually be the gray tom from her dream—but that cat’s eyes had been the brilliant blue of a clear sky, while Hawkwing’s were warm amber.

Just like Violetpaw’s!

“Are you alone?” Hawkwing asked her. “Where are your Clanmates? We’re not near the lake, are we? What brings you this far from home?”

Twigpaw hesitated, overwhelmed by the questions. “My Clanmates are back on our territory,” Twigpaw explained, struggling to find the right words. “There’s… there’s a lot going on back home. There’s a group of rogues on the territory, led by a cat you might know…” She swallowed, wondering how the SkyClan cats would react. “A rogue named Darktail.”

Leafstar gasped, and Twigpaw saw something dark flash in Hawkwing’s eyes.

“Darktail?” he said, as though the word felt strange on his tongue. “Darktail is… on your territory now?”

As quickly as she could, Twigpaw explained how Alderheart had had a vision of SkyClan, and had led a quest to try to help them, only to get to the gorge too late. She explained how he and the others had been fooled by Darktail into believing that he led SkyClan, only to realize the truth after staying with him for some time.

“They fled and came back to the lake, but Darktail must have followed them,” Twigpaw finished. “Because he showed up and began attacking Clan cats not long after they returned. And now… well, they’re still trying to drive him out.”

Twigpaw saw Leafstar and Hawkwing exchange a serious look.

“Well,” Hawkwing said, determined. “Now I’m even more sure that we have business at the lake.”

Twigpaw looked from the older cats to her paws, feeling awkward.

“Were you on the quest, Twigpaw?” Leafstar asked after a moment. “Have you seen the gorge since we left?”

Twigpaw shook her head. “I was too young; I wasn’t part of ThunderClan yet. Alderheart found me and my sister Violetpaw on his way back to ThunderClan. We were very young, and it looked as if our mother had abandoned us.”

“What cat would do that?” a gray she-cat meowed, while sympathetic murmurs came from several of the others.