Chapter Twenty-Five

The next day Feathertail awoke to a storm, filling the sky with lightning and thunder. Rain poured down relentlessly. There was even some hail mixed in. She looked around the den and saw that Rockclaw, Blackear, and Reedfur were gone. They must've been on a patrol.

She rose to her paws and stretched. It was days like these that she was glad that the den was closed in on all sides.

Cautiously, she stuck her head out of the entrance and squinted across the clearing to the fresh-kill pile. A soaked crow and several mice gathered a pool of water.

"Hey Feathertail," It was Brindlenose, "Do you want to share the crow before it gets any wetter?"

Feathertail laughed, "I don't think that's even possible!" both she-cats laughed, "I'll go get it."

She ran out through the clearing and back with the prey in no time at all. As they ate the den slowly cleared out as warriors left for patrols, trained their apprentices, or went hunting. Soon, it was only those two left.

Seeing this, Feathertail took advantage of the moment, "So, have you talked to Longwhisker lately?"

Brindlenose sighed, "Once or twice, on patrols. I think he still loves…well, you-know-who."

"I'm sorry Brindlenose."

She laughed hollowly, "Actually, I think it's a good thing. It's better than leading me on."

"I suppose."

"I hope you don't mind," Feathertail said, breaking the conversation, "But I'm going to go visit the kits. I still didn't get to talk to Poppykit."

Brindlenose nodded her head and Feathertail left. Instead of running right across the clearing she skirted around the outsides, staying away from the worst of the pounding rain.

Inside the nursery it was as warm as always. Most of the queens and kits were sleeping or in the elders' den, listening to stories. Luckily, Poppykit and her sisters were in the center, playing a game of war.

"Morningkit, c'mon!" Dawnkit whispered to her sister, "We gotta get the OceanClan patrol before they invade us!"

"Shhh, I know! I'm going to sneak up from behind!"

"Too late!" shouted Mintkit, pouncing on Dawnkit. Poppykit jumped on Morningkit and all four of them began rolling around playfully in the moss. Feathertail laughed for a few moments before stopping them.

"You four are going to destroy the whole den with your play!"

"Sorry Feathertail, but Rosebloom said we couldn't go outside to play since it's so wet."

Feathertail nodded her head, "Good, then you'd have to be cleaned!" They all made faces.

"Poppykit?" Feathertail asked.

"Yah?"

"I was wondering if you'd still like to go for that talk?"

Poppykit glanced out the den, "But it's still raining."

"I know a dry place; it'll be a neat adventure!" Feathertail enticed her.

Poppykit contemplated it for several heartbeats, "Okay."

With Poppykit forging straight ahead to the entrance, Feathertail had a chance to look around. Longwhisker was on guard and Hawkstar was nowhere to be seen.

As they approached the entrance, Feathertail's heartbeat quickened. She hoped that Longwhisker wouldn't guess what she was up to.

He didn't.

He only nodded his head lazily as the two she-cats slipped out of camp and into the wet woods. Poppykit followed her as they headed for a dry, hollowed out tree. It wasn't far from the camp, but no one else knew about it.

The rain, however, made its presence well known. Puddles formed around their paws as they squished through the thick layer of mud, leaves, and grass. Not even the birds ventured out into the downpour. Occasionally they would run across the tracks of an elusive deer or the slithering one's of a snake.

Luckily, it didn't take long to reach the hiding place. Once they were inside Poppykit shook her long coat, sending water everywhere. Feathertail laughed and asked her, "So, what do you think?"

Poppykit smiled, "That was fun! It was wet, but fun!"

"Good. I was hoping you'd like it."

Suddenly it was very quiet. Poppykit's face fell, "It reminds me…of that night…"

Again Feathertail's heart fluttered, "No one really knows what happened that night."

Poppykit shook her head, "Feathertail…I can't tell anyone."

"Why? You know you can trust me. I was your mother's good friend. I'm your friend."

The small black kit looked down at her paws, "He said if I told, he would hurt me. He would hurt my sisters."

"Who?" Feathertail asked. Poppykit was silent, ears slicked back. "Who, Poppykit?" She asked, slightly louder this time. Again she was silent. "Poppykit, who said that!" Feathertail demanded.

Trembling, Poppykit said yet again, "I can't tell you!"

Feathertail took a steadying breath, "Poppykit, I'm sorry I yelled. He can't hurt you. He won't. Please, just please tell me."

Her eyes were squeezed shut. Still trembling she said, "We were sleeping. He came into nursery and asked if we wanted to play a fun game. We said yes." Feathertail dared not even breathe, in case she would interrupt the kit. "He said that we couldn't tell anyone else, or we might get in trouble. Mintkit didn't want to, but I made her. I said it would be fun.

He took us out in the woods, past Redfoot, who was sleeping. We followed him for a long time. It was really cold. I told him that, but he told me to be quiet, in case we should wake someone. Then we came upon the Great River. It was flowing pretty fast, but he said that's how it always was." For a moment Feathertail almost argued that. But then she realized that the kits had never been that far from camp before, they would've never seen the Great River at its usual pace.

Poppykit continued her story, "He found a log then. He said that if we got on it, it would take us all the way to the other bank and back. We said it was impossible, but he said it was a secret that only StarClan, we, and he knew about. If we did that, we would be the best warriors SunClan had ever seen. Ever!"

Ever so quietly Feathertail asked, "That's how you ended up on the log, isn't it?" Poppykit nodded her head. "Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

She thought for a moment before replying, "Then, the next night, after it all was over, he came into the den again and told us that if we told, he would kill us."

"Okay. Poppykit, there's no way that he can hurt you. Hawkstar will punish him for what he did. You don't have to worry about him."

It was silent in the hollow again. Only the sound of tapping rain against the bark intruded their silence. Then she spoke, "Feathertail…you're sure?"

"Yes."

"He can't hurt me?"

"There's no possible way." She assured the kit.

"Okay, I'll tell you." The seconds seemed to stretch into seasons as she waited for her answer, "It was-"

Suddenly, a screech filled the air. Sounds of fighting cats broke their silence. Abandoning her hope for an answer, she grabbed the kit and sprinted back to camp. Leaves and branches slapped her face as she rushed through the undergrowth. Quickly, she dropped off Poppykit in the nursery and returned to the clearing, where the clan was steadily gathering.

She located Brindlenose and asked her, "What's going on, what happened?"

Brindlenose said, "More rogues, there were a lot of them this time. Talon was with them I heard."

"Not again! What's Hawkstar going to do?"

She rolled her eyes, "More patrols as always. He doesn't want to attack them directly since their force is so large." Glancing sideways at her friend she asked, "So, what were you doing with Poppykit?"

Feathertail's head snapped towards her, eyes widened, "How did you know?"

Brindlenose smiled, "I saw you leave. Don't worry, no one else saw." Feathertail breathed a sigh of relief, "So, what were you doing with her?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all." She replied.

Brindlenose narrowed her eyes and nodded her head, "Alright then. I'll find out soon enough I presume."

Soon, if only she could get the answer. She had been so close. Only one word away from the answer.

Night fell quickly on the camp that day, sending shadows sprawling everywhere from a nearly half-full moon. Unable to sleep, she stared out into the clearing restlessly. Then, two little eyes looked back at her.

Slowly, they got closer to her until she could tell who it was, Poppykit. She walked up until she was right next to her ear. Every so quietly she said one word.

"Thank you." Feathertail whispered to the kit. Poppykit nodded her head and retreated to the nursery.

Tomorrow, tomorrow she would reveal everything. She would be able to tell Hawkstar who really led Silverswirl to her death. And who attempted to hurt four young kits.

But for now, Feathertail could sleep peacefully.