Chapter 6: If Only, If Only…

Squirrelflight felt numb as Jadestar delivered her speech. She watched as the Windclan and Shadowclan deputies leapt to her aid, and watched as Duskfur, Jadestar's deputy, caterwauled against her clan leader. She watched all of it with a quiet indifference, as did the rest of her clan, but inside her head was whirling. How did she know? Who had told her?

Unless Dovewing's powers are back and reincarnated, Jadestar couldn't possibly have known. But…

What about the telepathy Squirrelflight had with Leafpool? How could that factor in? Was there even a relation?

She sighed and plopped down, right in the middle of a mud puddle. Bramblestar passed her once, but didn't comment.

Does Jadestar have a sibling? A sister, or a brother? She knew that Reedwhisker was her father, but who was her mother?

Squirrelflight sat up suddenly. Reedwhisker never had a mate.

16 moons ago…

"Bramblestar! Bramblestar!" She wailed from her den.

The clan leader raced in, a clump of moss in his jaws, as if he's forgotten how to release.

"Get Leafpool." She whispered, her paw clutching her belly. Bramblestar nodded once, and raced off to the medicine cat den, without releasing his moss. He didn't need to ask what was going on. Squirrelflight's already been in the nursery for a moon.

She felt the kits squirming. Biting back a stab of pain, she knew she shouldn't clench her teeth, but it was hard not to.

Leafpool rushed in with Bramblestar at her heels. She firmly stuck a tail in his face and told him to get a sturdy stick.

There was a blank in her memory, but when she woke up; she remembered seeing two soggy little kittens. She-cats. One black, one gold. Bramblestar finally shouldered his way in, and lay next to her, breathing in the milky scents of the kittens.

"My precious gems," She cooed.

"Why don't we name them after gems then?" Bramblestar suggested.

Squirrelflight nodded. "How about Jade and Amber?"

"Jadekit, and Amberkit."

2 moons later…

Night. All was peaceful, and was quiet. And Squirrelflight was fidgeting in her sleep. She should be out there, being a warrior. Not that she was tired of her two energetic kits, but she should be doing something.

A scratching noise woke her up entirely. Just in time to see a red furred paw taking her kits away.

"FOX! FOX!" She screeched, as a sign of commotion came from outside.

But it was too late. The fox was gone. And so were the kits.

Reedwhisker never had a mate.