Thunder And Shadow

Violetkit gazed at him bleakly, as though she didn’t believe he meant it. “I’d better go for m y nap.” Tail drooping, she turned and clim bed into the nest to settle in beside Pinenose.

Alderpaw lifted the feather between his teeth and set it down beside her. “Sleep well, Violetkit.

I’ll tell Twigkit all about you.”

“Tell her I’m going to be the best warrior ever!”

“I will.” Regret filled Alderpaw’s belly. Try ing not to show it, he headed for the entrance.

“We’d better go find som e bedding for Littlecloud,” he told Needlepaw.

“I guess.” Needlepaw squeezed out after him. “I never realized Violetkit was so talkative.”

“Perhaps you should try spending more time with her.” After all, you did find and name her.

Alderpaw padded across the camp.

“May be.” Needlepaw sounded thoughtful. “It could be cool to have a kit following m e around.”

Alderpaw hardly heard her. He was lost in his own thoughts. Violetkit seem ed so lonely. If only there were som ething he could do to help her. He pricked his ears as a thought struck him. At the camp entrance, he halted and stared at Needlepaw. “I have an idea.”

Needlepaw m et his gaze eagerly. “What?”

Alderpaw lowered his voice. “Why don’t we let the kits m eet?”

“You mean Violetkit and Twigkit?” Needlepaw look puzzled. “But how?”

“We can decide on a m eeting place, then sneak them out one night and take them there.”

“You mean in secret?” Needlepaw’s eyes shone. “While every one’s sleeping?”

Alderpaw nodded, ignoring the guilt worm ing through his belly. Surely Violetkit’s happiness was more im portant than Clan rules? Besides, Alderpaw couldn’t help feeling that the Clans should never have separated the kits. He pushed away the thought that this would also be a chance to see Needlepaw again. This wasn’t for him. It was for the kits.

Needlepaw was pacing. “There’s a great spot near the border. I can show you while we’re collecting bracken. It’ll be perfect. No one would ever know but us.” She flicked an ear toward her unseeing Clanmates, pleasure warm ing her gaze. Then she turned back to Alderpaw. “Don’t you just love secrets?”

Chapter 2

Violetkit shifted and snuggled closer to Pinenose, but she couldn’t get com fortable. Ratscar’s words ran around in her head.

But she’s not really one of us, is she?

It was late and the Clan was sleeping now, except for the cats sitting vigil beside Littlecloud’s body. He had died as the sun had set, two day s after Leafpool had arrived. The ThunderClan medicine cat had been at his side, and the Clan had crouched at the edges of the clearing, avoiding one another’s eyes as they listened to the weakening m oans of their medicine cat.

I should be sad that Littlecloud is dead. She knew that she was supposed to be sad, but she’d hardly m et Littlecloud. He’d checked her over when she’d first arrived in the Clan, but he’d already been sickly -looking then, and she had shuddered at his sour breath.

Besides, Ratscar’s words were still gnawing at Violetkit too sharply to allow her to concentrate on Littlecloud. She’s not really one of us, is she? She’d heard the skinny, dark brown elder’s meow as she passed the elders’ den that m orning. He was talking about me.

Kinkfur had protested. “She must be one of us. StarClan sent Needlepaw to find her.”

Violetkit had paused, pricking her ears, hoping Oakfur would agree with the old she-cat. But he had rem ained silent, and his silence had j abbed Violetkit’s heart like a thorn.

“Pinenose?” She pressed Pinenose’s belly with her paw. The queen’s older kits had m oved into their own nests in the nursery, arguing that they were nearly apprentices and far too old to share their mother’s nest. Grassheart was asleep, her round belly m oving in the dappled moonlight.

From time to time she m oaned, as though bad dream s kept waking her.

Pinenose was snoring softly. “Pinenose!” She poked the queen again.

“What is it?” Pinenose snorted as she woke. She looked blearily at Violetkit. “Are you ill?”

“No.” Violetkit blinked at the queen through the darkness, wondering suddenly if she’d ever seen her real mother’s face. She couldn’t remember it. “I need to ask you som ething.”

Pinenose y awned. “Can’t it wait until m orning?”

No. “Do I really belong in ShadowClan?”

“Of course you do, dear.” Pinenose shifted, pushing Violetkit closer to the edge of the nest.

“You wouldn’t rather be with ThunderClan, would you? They’re such a bunch of know-it-alls.”

“But I heard Ratscar say —”

Pinenose interrupted her. “Don’t listen to Clan gossip. Especially not gossip you hear in the elders’ den. Those cats have nothing to do but talk.”

Violetkit longed for Pinenose to pull her closer as Lily heart used to do and lap her head until she felt calm er. But Pinenose rolled over with a grunt and, within m om ents, was snoring again.