Chapter 13

Jayfeather heard Briarlight squirm uncomfortably as the small cat let out another loud torturous yowl. He felt pity for the crippled cat, but made no move to comfort her. The constant yowling was unnerving enough to Jayfeather without interfering in Briarlight's feelings.

It had been three days since Leafpool had dragged the kit out of the lake with Lionblaze, Blossomfall, and Amberpaw's aid. At least, Jayfeather assumed the strange cat was a kit. She was tiny, and thin from starvation. Her fur was torn in places, likely from rocks snagging her pelt on the bottom of the stream as it pulled her relentlessly into the lake. She was probably the size of a kit at 5 moons, but he had no idea as to whether she was actually that age or if she was big or small for her age.

She'd let out the piercing shrieks often, and she'd torn her nest to pieces three times the day before. But her thrashing stopped as the sun set the night before, only her yowls remained. And even those were beginning to fade. It startled Jayfeather, and he found he couldn't sleep that night, listening carefully to the kit's breathing to see if it were dying. But the kit's breathing did not change, even if her shrieks of agony were fading. Leafpool feared that the kit had no will to live, and was going to let herself die without a fight. But Jayfeather stayed with the kit for as long as he could, to make sure she remained alive. He'd asked Brightheart and Leafpool to collect his herbs, though he doubted Leafpool looked. She tried to avoid doing medicine cat tasks as much as possible. But Leafpool checked in often to see if the kit was still alive.

Bramblestar was curious about the kit residing in Jayfeather's den, and had visited once. It did not shock him to hear the shrieks she made. The whole camp had heard them. Although it had been muffled to them. The volume of it had been deafening to Bramblestar, though, and he left asking Jayfeather to call for him if she stopped, or if she woke. Neither of which had happened.

All of the cats had come in with false complaints throughout the three days just to catch a glimpse of the strange kit. Sandstorm had quickly taken an interest in the small cat, and she was there almost as often as her daughter was. She told Jayfeather that she felt she needed something to take her mind off of the death of Firestar, and that he would appreciate kindness to any cat that needed it. Squirrelflight had taken an interest too, pointing out with her mother's help the strength in the kit's legs, showing what a great hunter she could be. Jayfeather doubted the poor thing was much of a hunter, but he allowed the she-cats to fawn over her.

He sighed, and moved his nest closer to the kit's. It was another cold leaffall night, and he knew that the small kits needed warmth more in the night than the day. The days were a lot warmer than that of the night, and he knew it would be another moon before leafbare fell upon the forest once more. He wondered how the thin kit would survive it. But he shrugged away the thoughts, and gently rasped his tongue over her short fur.

"I can take over tonight, Jayfeather. You need to sleep."

He twitched his ear to let the cat know he was listening, and heard their paw steps pad gently into the den. The smell of Sandstorm flooded his nose. He turned his head in her direction. "She's yowling less and less. I'm worried about what that might mean."

Sandstorm slipped gently past Jayfeather and he heard her curl herself in the nest beside the kit. He could hear her tongue gently caressing the kit's fur. "It may be good. It may mean that she will soon wake up. It could be a good thing. Have you spoken to Leafpool?"

Jayfeather's tail twitched. "She doesn't like to talk about stuff like that, Sandstorm."

Sandstorm sighed. "I don't know, Jayfeather. The way she's been staring at the den the past moon… She wants to be here, the whole Clan knows it. It's just a matter of time now. No cat begrudges her. Her kits became important; you, your brother, and Hollyleaf, even if she wasn't one of the three. She deserves to be here now more than ever."

Jayfeather nodded his head, though he doubted it wouldn't be anytime soon. He flicked his ears toward their gentle breathing. "Sandstorm, what do you think about her run into the stream?"

Sandstorm adjusted her position before replying. "It made me think of something very similar, actually. Remember those foxes you and your siblings wanted to chase off on your own?"

Jayfeather's ears flattened to his head in shame, and he felt his pelt warm in embarrassment. How could I forget? He thought. I nearly died. "What does that have to do with this?"

Sandstorm purred in amusement. "You ran from the fox and ran over the side of the hollow without even realizing it. You are blind, and you didn't see where you were headed. I think this kit may be in your situation."

Jayfeather blinked, and sprung to his paws. "You think she's blind?! Of course! That would make her mousebrained launch into the river make more sense. But why would she be blind?"

He heard Sandstorm sigh again. "Some cats are blind because they are, there doesn't have to be a reason for it."

"Do you think Kestrelflight fathered her, and Onestar thought that she had to be chased off?"

Sandstorm hissed in frustration. "No, Jayfeather. There is no smell of WindClan. She is merely a blind kit who stumbled there. She is a poor young one, and needs us more than ever."

Jayfeather sighed, but dipped his head in agreement. "I'm sorry. I just don't like to imagine I'm the only one."

Sandstorm purred again. "Get some sleep, Jayfeather. I will wake you if there is any change."

Jayfeather nodded, and closed his eyes sleepily.

Jayfeather awoke to a loud yowl of surprise. He jumped from his nest, and smelt Sandstorm's blood in the air. "Sandstorm, are you ok?"

He heard shuffling as Sandstorm scrambled to her paws. From the other side of the den, opposite of Sandstorm, he heard an angry panting.

"Jayfeather! She woke up, and… it surprised me!"

The she-kit let out a low growl, and Jayfeather could feel her fear surround him. But he paid her no attention as he turned to tend to Sandstorm's wound.

"Its not bad," she meowed gently. "It appears she only attacked out of fright. She got my shoulder, but its barely a scratch."

Jayfeather sniffed the wound gently, as she heard paw steps thunder quickly into the den.

"Sandstorm!?" He heard Leafpool meow in surprise. The she-kit let out another growl, and he could feel Leafpool's anger radiating from her fur.

"Leafpool," Jayfeather meowed gently. "Can you care for Sandstorm's wounds?"

He heard Leafpool mutter agreement as she treaded gently across the den, away from the kit. Briarlight was huddling in the corner by the entrance, terror radiating around her. But Jayfeather ignored her, and turned to the menacing kit.

"Who are you, kit? Why did you attack Sandstorm?"

He felt the kit's fear strengthen, but was mixed with a rage he'd never felt from a cat before. "I'm no kit!," she growled. "I'm eight moons old!"

Beyond that, she said nothing. Jayfeather automatically understood. The kit was undersized, weak from starvation and her near death experience. She couldn't defend herself. But he knew she would try, if it came to that.

"Ok, young cat. We do not wish to harm you. We helped you. You would've died without it."

He felt her anger spike. "You should've let me!" Her screech was filled with malice, and Jayfeather's ears flattened in shock. "I have no desire to be saved by you, or any cat! I care for myself!"

Jayfeather began to feel anger boil in his own belly, and he curled his lips angrily. "Oh yeah?! And running head first into a stream was your brilliant idea of 'taking care' of yourself?! You have an amazing sense of self preservation, don't you?"

The she-cat hissed in retaliation. "What I do is none of your business!"

"It is when you do it on Clan territory!"

"Enough!" The yowl came from the entrance of the den, and Jayfeather backed away from the stranger.

"I apologize, Bramblestar. The stranger attacked Sandstorm without reason."

"Without reason?!" The stranger sounded appalled. "What would you do if you woke up to strange cats?! I doubt you'd hesitate long enough to find out why!"

"Enough!", Bramblestar yowled again, and Jayfeather felt the stranger's fear heighten. Bramblestar then padded toward Sandstorm. "Are you hurt, Sandstorm?"

"Only a scratch," the she-cat meowed softly.

Jayfeather sniffed smugly at the stranger, and he felt her glare ruffle his pelt.

Bramblestar then returned to speak to the stranger. "Attacking a cat is not how you repay-."

"I didn't know anything!," the stranger protested. "I woke up in a strange place after believing I had died, only to find I had not."

Bramblestar sniffed. "That gives you no right-!"

"To attack? You're telling me that you would never do anything like that," the stranger hissed, and he heard her tail rub roughly against the wall if the den.

"We could've left you to die, be grateful, you mousebrained kit!"

Jayfeather felt the anger of the stranger rise again. "I am no kit! How many times must I meow it before you mousebrains figure it out?!"

Jayfeather knew she'd have her ears ripped off for sure now. He shook his head in dismay. The cat was a danger that was for sure. Bramblestar could never allow her to stay in the Clan when she could harm any of the cats there.

He heard Bramblestar sigh, and heard him meow to Sandstorm. "Get Squirrelflight and ask her to meet me at my den. I need to make a decision."

He heard Sandstorm murmur agreement, and both she and Bramblestar left the den. Leafpool moved from where Sandstorm had been and stood next to Jayfeather. She was a lot calmer than all the others, and Jayfeather knew if there was any cat going to calm the stranger, it was her.

"I understand you are not a kit," Leafpool meowed at last to the small she-cat. "But we know nothing of you, in any case. I feel as if you owe us a thank you, for saving your life. But in the end, it is your choice on how you'll take it. We can't force you to accept the help we've given you."

"I didn't ask for your help," the stranger replied, her voice shaky, but a lot calmer.

"I know," Leafpool meowed gently. "But no cat could have left you to die. It would have been cruel."

The stranger said nothing, but Jayfeather could feel unease prickle the air from the she-cat. Leafpool stepped closer, and Jayfeather blinked in alarm. The cat made no move to it.

"All we ask you for, young one; is your name. So no one has to call you kit. Can you at least tell me that? And why you were on WindClan territory?"

The stranger hesitated a moment, before letting out a sigh. "I don't know where I am, or how I ended up here. Well, I do, in some way. I travelled for a moon, from a home that was not my home. To escape things, things you weird cats do not need to know. I don't know what these 'Clans' are, or why walking is so bad. All I know is that I'm here for a reason I don't know, and I need to get out of here, before-!" The stranger stopped suddenly, and took a deep breath. Leafpool gasped, and Jayfeather assumed the stranger was looking straight into her eyes. The cat seemed withdrawn, it would shock any cat. "My name is Night. I'm not from a 'Clan', or anything else. All I am is Night."