Larchstar's flanks heaved as she trudged along. She was relieved for her paws to be on soft grass again. She whirled around and faced the mob of cats behind her. "Is everyone here?" she called. Smoke drifted from the smoldering ruins of a forest just beyond the cats.
They answered her clearly.
"Yes!"
"I think so!"
"Yes!"
"Wait! Where's Silverrain?" A dark gray tom rose above the other cats, balancing perfectly on his hind legs. "Where's Silverrain?"
"She must still be in the forest!" a cat gasped.
Graystorm, the medicine cat, did not hesitate. She darted back through the undergrowth. The tom accompanied her and so did Larchstar, her heart sinking terribly. A fire could have started up again anywhere, and Silverrain could be a victim to its clutches.
They weaved through the burnt surroundings. Larchstar winced as an ember pierced her pad, making it tingle with a slight burning sensation, but she shook it off immediately. She was sweeping the forest with her gaze to find Silverrain, and she could see the she-cat nowhere. The tom was starting to get frantic, sprinting back and forth between the trees.
A terrified wail rent the air. Larchstar stiffened as she walked. It was quiet and high-pitched. The EarthClan leader nearly froze. The sound was a kit's voice! Could have Silverrain's kits come at this time? The tom quickened his step eagerly, heading in the direction of the sound. They trotted through charred bushes and trees and came to a clearing.
They found Silverrain, huddled on the blackened grass. A kit writhed at her belly, and Silverrain looked absolutely exhausted. She, with her silver, black-flecked pelt, stood out in EarthClan's ranks more than a badger.
"Silverrain!" The tom materialized at her side and warapped his large body around her slender, tiny one. He gazed at the kit in adoration. Larchstar watched them enviously.
Graystorm stooped over Silverrain and checked her over, prodding the she-cat in various places. She then studied the tiny kit and clarified that her breathing was stable. After a moment, Graystorm straightened and reported to Larchstar. "Silverrain's perfectly fine. So is the kit."
"Could that even be possible in this place?" whispered Larchstar, awed. A fire-eaten forest was no place to welcome new life. "Are you absolutely certain you didn't miss something about their health?"
"They're all right, Larchstar. I've done this millions of times in different places – trees, rivers, Thunderpaths, you name it." Graystorm was amused and exasperated by Larchstar's lack of confidence in her skills.
"Her name is Pearlkit."
Silverrain spoke gently. Graystorm and Larchstar turned to the new mother. Silverrain's round green eyes pricked them, as if daring for them to question the choice.
"It's a beautiful name," whispered the tom, brushing the kit with his tail. "She's going to be gorgeous when she's older."
Larchstar had to agree. Even at this age, she knew Pearlkit would be followed by toms wherever she went. She had sunset-orange fur with a rosy tint to the tips of the hairs; she had a white tail tip, a white muzzle, and white paws. Her eyes were not yet open, but Larchstar predicted she would have light-colored eyes.
"She looks FireClan," remarked Larchstar with a small smile.
Larchstar caught a flash of uneasiness in Silverrain's eyes, but it dissipated before Larchstar could fully grasp the emotion. Larchstar wondered at this for a few moments before banishing it to the back of her mind.
"You're very strong, Silverrain, to endure a birth on your own in this StarClan-forsaken place," murmured the tom. His eyes were closed.
"I thought of you, Duskwind, the entire time to give me strength," she replied and leaned her head against his.
Silverrain and Pearlkit were clearly un-EarthClannish. EarthClan had dark pelts; WaterClan had pale; and FireClan had blaring, bright pelts. Pearlkit had not inherited Duskwind's looks at all.
As Larchstar pondered upon this, she detected a whiff of two new scents. She stiffened in shock. Impossible.
The Clan leader's nose was the keenest in the Clan and she could barely catch the odors completely. They were, undoubtedly, WaterClan and FireClan. They were faint but not stale. In fact, they had been laid only moments ago, but there was no trail leading away from the place where the four cats were. They were coming from…coming from…
Pearlkit.
Larchstar's eyes widened. Why were all three Clan scents laid on this seemingly harmless kit? Perhaps…this had to do with Firestorm. Why? If this was the kit Silverrain had given birth to in the wilderness, then why did it have the other Clans fragrant on her pelt? Nothing was making sense, Larchstar realized, as she struggled to solve this new, sudden puzzle.
Something had occurred here – something that should not have happened. Something that was intended to be a secret.