Shattered Sky

“I don’t think she meant to,” Twigpaw responded, quick to defend the mother she had never known. “Some of my Clanmates and I went to look for her, and we decided that she must have died—we think that she was probably hit by a monster on the Thunderpath.” She hesitated. “Then Alderheart had another vision where he saw SkyClan again—and he saw you, Hawkwing. He said you looked… just like me.” As she mewed the last few words, Twigpaw suddenly felt like she was being stupid. She couldn’t meet Hawkwing’s gaze anymore, so studied her paws as she added, “I just had to come and find you. I had to know whether there was any chance…”

For a moment no cat spoke. When Twigpaw dared to raise her head, she saw a stricken look in Hawkwing’s amber eyes.

“You’re right, Twigpaw.” His voice was filled with sorrow. “Your mother must have died, because there’s no way that Pebbleshine would ever have abandoned her kits if she were alive. I know, because… because she was my mate.”

Twigpaw looked up at him, her heart beating so fast she could hardly breathe. “Wait!” she choked out. “Are you saying…?”

“I’m your father, Twigpaw,” Hawkwing meowed, and ran forward to nuzzle her close.

With Twigpaw in the lead, along with Leafstar and Hawkwing, the cats of SkyClan straggled along the bank of a narrow stream that wound its way through dense forest. They were traveling toward a high hill Twigpaw could see in the distance—a hill, she hoped and believed, that was one of the same ones she could see from the lake. At last the trees were thinning out, and ahead Twigpaw could see open country, with hills rising in the distance. Three sunrises had passed since she had found SkyClan, and sometimes she was afraid that they would never find the lake again.

Paw steps sounded behind her, and Twigpaw glanced back to see the pale gray tom, Sagenose, hurrying to catch up.

“Are you sure of where you’re going?” the SkyClan tom demanded, falling into step beside Twigpaw. “We’ve been traveling so long I think my paws are going to fall off!”

Twigpaw halted, suppressing a sigh. How many times have they asked me that question? “No, I’m not completely sure,” she replied. “But I think we’re heading in the right direction.” As Sagenose let out a disbelieving snort, she added, “You see that hill up ahead? I’m sure I see that on the horizon when I hunt! So we must be getting closer.”

Sagenose flicked his ears dismissively. “Is any other cat concerned,” he meowed, turning to Leafstar, “that ThunderClan hasn’t invited us? This one apprentice came looking for us, but she admits she wasn’t exactly sent.”

Twigpaw flinched, looking helplessly at Hawkwing. Could I possibly have come all this way to find my father, only to have his Clan refuse to follow me home?

Hawkwing moved closer to her until their pelts brushed. “Sagenose, we’ve discussed this,” Hawkwing responded. “Twigpaw will take us to Bramblestar. When we talk to him, we’ll know more about what the future holds.”

More cats crowded around as they heard the beginning of the argument.

Sparrowpelt shouldered his way forward and rested his tabby tail for a moment on Twigpaw’s shoulder. “Sagenose, we’ve been wandering for moons, trying to find the right home,” he meowed. “And before Echosong died, she told us to follow the blood trail in the sky, and that led us straight to Twigpaw! Echosong even said she’d had visions of a ThunderClan cat. Surely that means—”

“We still don’t know that we’ll be welcome,” Sagenose interrupted, glaring at Sparrowpelt.

“I believe it was meant to be this way,” Hawkwing cut in. “This is how we were meant to find ThunderClan.”

“Of course you feel that way,” Sagenose snapped. “She’s your kit.”

“That’s enough!” Leafstar thrust her way into the center of the group, her tail raised for silence. “Enough debating! I am your leader, and I’ve decided that we will follow Twigpaw back to ThunderClan. And that’s the end of it! Sagenose, do you want to be part of SkyClan or not?”

“Of course I do!” Sagenose blinked, sounding a little hurt. “Well, obviously I do. I’ve been through enough with you!”

“Fine,” Leafstar mewed evenly. “Then no further arguments.”

She set out again, striding determinedly along the bank of the stream, and the rest of the Clan followed.

During the argument—and even now that it was over—Twigpaw had been squirming uncomfortably. I hope I can even find ThunderClan. And that they’re willing to take me back… not to mention an entire new Clan… Lilyheart’s words echoed in her mind, from the Clan meeting just before she’d run off. This isn’t the right time to find your kin.

But surely things had improved since Twigpaw had left?