It was nearly sunhigh now, and the camp was deserted. She could hear Vivian's laughter coming from the elders' den.
"Well, look who it is!" Goosenose peered at Dark-kit as she entered. The elder's eyesight was fading rapidly, but her sharp tongue was still capable of cutting deep. Luckily, she favored kits over any other cat – except, of course, for Dawnstar, her daughter.
"Hi, Goosenose," Dark-kit mewed. She knew that the prickly she-cat's mew was worse than her bite.
"What brings you here today?" Vivian asked kindly. Vivian had not been born in a Clan – she'd been born in a Twoleg nest. Dark-kit had heard from the senior warriors that she had come to the Clan after her housefolk abandoned her. Apparently, Vivian had been about eight moons old at that time. She had been accepted into the Clan and apprenticed to Frostflower. Although she'd never lived near Twolegs again, the elder still smelled different. Dark-kit didn't know why.
"Is that Dark-kit?" Thrushtail raised his head and faced her direction, his sightless yellow eyes half-closed.
"Yeah. Hi, Thrushtail!" Dark-kit bounded over and licked the brown tom's cheek, purring. The blind elder was always kind to her.
"I suppose you'd like another story today?" he guessed.
"Yes, please!" Dark-kit nodded, even though he couldn't see her.
"Which one this time? Maybe the one about how ElmClan began?"
"Nah," Dark-kit meowed. "Tell me one about you!"
"All right. Let's see…" Thrushtail cocked his head to one side as he chose a story. "Many moons ago, before even your father's time, I was made an apprentice by Birchstar, the leader at that time. I was mentored by Dawnstar, but she was… let me remember… oh, yes, she was named Dawnriver then. She taught me so many things.
"One of the things she taught me was to gather moss. When I did, she reminded me that I wasn't only finding bedding for elders and kits, but that I was also creating the future of the Clan by ensuring that the cats were comfortable.
"She also taught me to fight. She told me to feel the strength of the whole Clan in my claws, and to run as if I had the paws of every ElmClan cat.
"It came in very useful one day. I was patrolling with Dawnriver, of course. But Tanglepelt, Willowpaw, and Dawnpaw were with us." Thrushtail stopped and chuckled. He seemed to sense Dark-kit's confusion. "You might know them better as Willowfoot, Dawnstorm, and Dawnstar. I forgot when I was!"
Dark-kit understood, and laughed at Thrustail's joke.
"Anyways," Thrushtail continued, "We were all patrolling together. And we were just nearing the border with PineClan when I smelled something. I'd never scented it before, but I didn't mention it. It didn't seem important. But it kept growing stronger, even when we walked in the opposite direction. So I finally mentioned it to Dawnriver, and she told the others.
"Soon Dawnriver's fur began to bristle along with Tanglepelt's, and she yowled 'fire' at the top of her lungs.
I didn't know what she meant. I mean, I'd heard of fire before, but I didn't understand why it was such a bad thing.
"But then I felt the heat and saw the red flames licking up the trees – that was before I lost my sight. When I saw the terror in the other cats' eyes and felt the fire for myself, I understood. And I turned around and ran towards the camp as fast as I could.
"When I got there, the Clan was in a panic. Birchstar was moving every cat out so that we could get to the caves before the fire spread.
"What are the caves?" Dark-kit wondered.
"The caves are a series of underground tunnels. They're cool and damp and they even have streams and mosses that grow there. They're practically like an underground camp. And that's where Birchstar was trying to lead the cats.
"When Dawnriver and the others returned, we followed the Clan into the tunnels. Do you know how long we waited there?"
"No, how long?" Dark-kit asked.
"I don't know either!" Thrushtail chuckled. "We couldn't see the sun or moon, and so we just sat there and waited."
"I remember – Streamleaf's kits were born there." Goosenose rasped.
"I didn't know Streamleaf had kits," Dark-kit meowed. "Where are they? Who are they?"
"They're with StarClan now, young one," Goosenose sighed. "Their names were Scorchkit, Burnkit, Flamekit, and Firekit."
"What did they look like?" Dark-kit wanted to know.
"Hmm… Well, Scorchkit was a pretty black she-kit, with vibrant orange eyes – she opened them very early. We were all surprised. And I think Burnkit and Firekit, the two toms, looked just like their mother. They had the same russet pelts. Flamekit was a sleek white-and-black she-kit. The most beautiful kit I've ever seen." Goosenose stared into space, immersed in memories.
"What happened to them?"
"They just died. One morning Streamleaf woke and her four little kits were dead. She was heartbroken."
"Oh. Oh, I see." Dark-kit was lost for words. Medicine cats were allowed one litter of kits as long as they were Clan born, but what happened if the litter died?
"Anyways," Thrushtail mewed a bit louder than necessary, "we all got out of the caves just fine. Of course, the camp was a wreck, but it was fixed up within a moon or two. And that, I believe," he added, inclining his head towards Dark-kit, "is your story."
