The Book of What Ifs

by Mapl3 Syrup

...What if Brightpaw died instead of Swift paw? What if Firestar was a she-cat? What if Cinderpelt didn't get hit by the monster, or Thistleclaw became deputy instead of Bluefur? What if the Dark Forest won the Great Battle? Join totally-not-famous me as I rewrite my ancient What-Ifs and maybe add some more. (Main account is raindropp14 but FFN very rudely pulled one over on me)

7. Squirrelflight Didn't Take in the Kits?

Posted October 23rd, 2020. I got this done back in August, but then I guess I just forgot about this whole thing ahah. Word puts the count at 15.3k (there is a reason I was Done with this for so long) but FFN is a little more wonky and is crediting me for 15.8k, so... thanks, I guess. I won't complain about a higher word count.

Although honestly, I feel like this is the reason why my recent attempts at full stories have gone so south - I'm impatient, except I write far too much now. With the earlier one-shots, I was essentially rewriting the old thing paragraph by paragraph, but with this one... this was entirely freelanced, and uh... I did not expect it to grow so big. About halfway through, I check the word count, and was like 'I haven't gotten into the plot at all, I can't keep doing this'. So, I feel like there's an awkward transition thrown in there, but... being perfectly honestly, I do not have the will to thoroughly rework this.

Being critical of my own writing; I normally like to start off kind of rewriting/working with an exact scene from the book where things first diverge, and that went on for a little too long here. I could definitely tell when I went from borrowing from the book to purely my own style, and admittedly I did enjoy that more, but I mean that's why I use my current style, because I like it. I think there was a little bit too much rush or awkwardness in Jaypaw's POV from rushing, but like I said above, I was just done, I just needed to wrap this up. I enjoyed rereading Crowfeather, Hollypaw, and Lionpaw's sections though, and pieces of Jaypaw's, so hopefully those ones come across well to you as well.

Jeez. Like I said, I need to stop writing so much, but I'm getting into the habit of using these author notes as a place to shout at me in the future.

Well, review replies really quickly - finally reached 50 ahah!

succulentsofa: ahhh thank you I am very late actually I have made said something on forum but yes thank. This little series has been a blast with all the different little intricacies/style bends I've tried to throw in so it's nice to see they've paid off. And yeahh went for the slightly darker route because this version of Brambleclaw was more affected by the comments he got I think, closed him off more. But uhh yeah words thank youuuu

puppydogs68: not so sound like a broken record but like ahhhh thank youuuuu! It's always just so heartening to see that people enjoy reading my stuff. And yeahhh I... I think I have a problem with typing too much...

Star (guest): Thanks for taking the time to review. If you don't enjoy my stuff, you are perfectly welcome to not do so, but in the meanwhile I won't complain about upping the count. But if you really just want to go out and flame random people, feel free to focus on me, I really don't care and it's kinda sucky of you to leave reviews like that on the stories of people who really will be affected by them. In the meantime, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you by not dying as you requested.

Ehh, it wasn't really much of a flame, at least not compared to some of what I've seen, but it's always amusing to receive a flame. It works for me because I'm a rather contrarian person, but it's still bad of someone to leave mean reviews intentionally. Like I said, if you're burning to flame something, honestly feel free to hit me. I'd rather receive a bunch of flames myself than have people go out and flame on others, not exactly in a white knight "I can take it unlike everyone else" but a- I don't know, I know not everyone else can take them but I can bear it, so I'll volunteer. Besides, I won't turn down a good laugh!

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What If Squirrelflight Didn't Take in Leafpool's Kits?

. . .

Leafpool's POV

"Fracture"

She wouldn't take them. Squirrelflight was my sister, my best friend, and she wouldn't take them. She couldn't lie to Brambleclaw like that. She didn't want to be tied to the nursery quite yet. She didn't want to bend the code, even for me. Squirrelflight would protect my secret, but she wouldn't protect my kits. One way or another, my little family was going to fracture.

"See?" Squirrelflight purred from next to me, watching as I tucked the black she-kit back against my belly. "I knew you'd be a brilliant mother."

There was a ring of sadness in her voice. I recalled Yellowfang's prophecy that Squirrelflight would never have kits of her own. And I doubted whether my kits ever should have been born. I'd never think that again. I knew now that kits were a blessing, just as Brackenfur had said. Thank you, StarClan.

Squirrelflight curled her body around me, blocking out the draft from the entrance. I felt her breath warm on the back of my neck as we drifted off to sleep. But a slight shift in the air made me open my eyes. Outside, the forest was still and silent under its pelt of snow. I could hear the tiny breathing sounds of my kits, muffled against my belly, and steady snores from Squirrelflight. And something else…

A glittering outline appeared in a shaft of starlight. Warm eyes glowed from the shadows, and Leafpool detected a faint, half-remembered scent. Not Yellowfang this time. Feathertail!

The pale silver she-cat stepped forward and looked down at my kits, observing them. Her purrs rumbled against the hollow tree, stirring Squirrelflight. I felt my sister stiffen in surprise from beside me.

"Feathertail!" she gasped. Squirrelflight scrambled to her paws and tried to press herself against the starlit shape, her tail curled over her back in delight. "I never thought I'd see you here! Have you come to see Leafpool's kits? Aren't they amazing?"

Squirrelflight broke away and leaned down over Leafpool. Very gently, she moved the kits into view one by one. "A black she-cat and two toms, this golden tabby and this gray. I've never seen anything more beautiful in my life." Her voice cracked.

Feathertail's blue eyes brimmed with love. "They are perfect. Crowfeather would be so proud."

With a jolt, I remembered that Feathertail had been Crowfeather's mate first. Had she come all the way from the Tribe of Endless Hunting to tell me that Crowfeather deserved to know he had become a father?

"These kits are more precious than you could possibly know," Feathertail mewed softly. "Cats will speak of them for many seasons to come. They must stay in the Clans, for all the Clans' sakes, with cats who will love them and raise them as strong, loyal warriors."

I opened my mouth to protest that this was impossible, my Clanmates would never accept Crowfeather as their father, and might even reject me too, knowing that their medicine cat had destroyed the code. But Feathertail was looking at Squirrelflight.

"I know how much Leafpool loves these kits," she murmured. "But you must be their mother and raise them in ThunderClan with your head held high."

Squirrelflight stared at the starlit she-cat. "How can you say that?" she mewed desperately. "You are asking me to lie to every cat I love."

Feathertail ran her paw very lightly over the backs of the sleeping kits. "Because I love these kits as much as you do. They are Crowfeather's: how could I not? I want them to have the best life, not one lived outside the Clans, in shame and exile."

"Do you wish they were yours?" Squirrelflight whispered.

The silver cat blinked without looking up. "That was never meant to be. The destiny of these kits begins now, and you have the power to change everything, Squirrelflight. Please believe me when I say that Leafpool's kits must stay in the Clans."

Squirrelflight's gaze swung to meet mine for a long moment. "You're right, Feathertail," she said quietly. "I do love these kits, and I want them to have the best life they can – whatever lies ahead of them." She took a deep breath. "But how can I raise them as my own? How can you ask me to lie to Brambleclaw? I-I love Leafpool, but I'm not ready to be a mother. And these kits are beautiful, but they look nothing like me or Brambleclaw. Cats would ask questions."

Feathertail sighed. "They must stay in the Clans," she repeated.

"But not necessarily ThunderClan?"

I startled, staring at my sister. "But Crowfeather doesn't know about them. And if he took them, then everyone would know that they are mine."

Squirrelflight flattened her ears. "You have friends, Leafpool. Cats who would keep your secret. Crowfeather could take one of them. And Mothwing – she's one of your best friends. She would help you. She'd find a way to bring a kit to RiverClan."

I dug my claws into the bark below me. "You'd split them up? Feathertail…"

But the StarClan she-cat looked contemplative. "It's true, Leafpool. Crowfeather loves you, too. He would do anything to make these kits happy. And Mothwing cares for you. Tawnypelt might take the last one to ShadowClan."

"What about the kits needing to stay in the Clans? Shouldn't they stay together, with us, in ThunderClan?" I tried, my gaze pleading.

"If your kits are so important, Leafpool, then how we can keep them to ourselves?" Squirrelflight asked. "ThunderClan isn't the only Clan in the forest. And isn't the point of the code against medicine cats having kits to stop you from favoring anyone? Could you even keep yourself away from your kits if they were in ThunderClan?"

"To keep them safe, to give them a good home, I could," I argued. "There- there are other queens in ThunderClan."

My sister sighed. "Who would take in another three kits? Leafpool, you have to know how sorry I am. I can't take them in. But Crowfeather can. Mothwing can. Tawnypelt can."

I could hardly think. I'd been telling myself ever since the fight with the badgers that my position in ThunderClan was all that matters, especially now that Cinderpelt was dead and I was the only medicine cat. But these were my kits. How could I send them away?

"They must stay in the Clans," Feathertail repeated one more time, fixing me a sad but caring look. Then the silver cat began to fade until the bark of the hollow tree could be seen behind her.

At that moment the golden tabby wriggle and started mewling. I nudged him toward my belly, but he didn't seem interested in feeding; he just wanted to test his voice. His sister burrowed deeper into my fur with a squeak, while the pale gray tom raised his head, eyes still tightly shut, as if he was trying to figure out where the noise was coming from.

"I need to give them names," I mewed, pushing the previous conversation aside. There would be more time to talk later.

Squirrelflight didn't complain, so I marveled in silence for a few heartbeats at the way these tiny cats already seemed so different, so strong and full of life. I studied the golden tom in particular. His neck was ringed with thick fluff, and his opened wide to reveal thorn-prick white teeth. "He looks like a lion!" I commented. "I think I'll call him Lionkit."

My sister nodded. "The she-kit is as dark as holly bark. Maybe Hollykit for her?"

I hesitated. "My daughter is the image of Crowfeather," I argued. "Shouldn't she be named after her father?"

"Because that isn't going to give everything away," Squirrelflight mewed wryly, twitching her whiskers in loving amusement. "A black she-kit the spitting image of Crowfeather turns up in a Clan sharing his name?"

I lowered my head, because Squirrelflight was right. "Hollykit it is."

My belly thrummed with pain at the thought of my kits growing up in different Clans, a pain even sharper than birth pangs. My precious kits! A few snowflakes drifted down through the hollow tree and settled on Lionkit's fur. I battled the urge to cover the kits with my body, protect them from snow, rain, hail, badgers, foxes, cats who disapproved of their sheer existence, anything that might harm one hair on their pelts. Then the scent of Feathertail drifted around me, and I knew that their path had already been chosen. They must remain in the Clans. They must be raised healthy and happy. Whatever I felt, however many regrets the future held, the only thing that mattered was creating the best life possible for these three perfect babies.

Squirrelflight pressed her muzzle against my shoulder as if sensing my inner turmoil. "ThunderClan needs you to be their medicine cat," she mewed. "We will make sure these kits end up with cats who love them as if they were their own. You'll see them at Gatherings. Crowfeather and Mothwing and Tawnypelt will keep you updated on their progress. You will never have to stop loving them. Remember what Feathertail said: these kits deserve parents who can be proud of them, who can raise them among their Clanmates as fine warriors. Neither you nor I can do that. But these cats… our friends can do that."

But I am their mother! I wailed silently. In my heart, I knew Squirrelflight was right. She could not raise these kits. I could not raise these kits, no matter how much I wanted to.

"Jaykit is a good name for the last one," I deflected numbly.

. . .

Squirrelflight's POV

"New Roots"

I don't think Leafpool ever truly understand how hard it was for me to say no to her. And I think, to this day, a small part of her resents me for saying no. I stand by my reasons – I couldn't lie to everyone, I wasn't ready for kits even if they might have been my only chance, and with their coloring and build, who would have believed me anyways? Eventually I managed to convince Leafpool that splitting up her kits was the best option. We spent the next half moon raising the three tiny kittens and debating who would go where. And eventually the day came to go home.

We left the hollow tree at sunrise. It was cold and calm, but drifts of snow still lay under the trees in the densest parts of the woods. The kits started out full of enthusiasm, but quickly became tired when their stumpy legs sank into the snow and their fur grew clogged and heavy. Leafpool was clearly exhausted too, still recovering from her kitting and belly heavy with milk. I darted from one kit to another, hoisting them out of clumps of snow and nudging Jaykit whenever he sat down and refused to move. He was- already a character, to say the least.

At sunhigh, Leafpool found a sheltered patch of ferns and ordered the kits to rest. I darted into the undergrowth in search of prey, managing to score rather scrawny vole to bring back to my sister. I returned just in time to catch wind of a conversation.

"Where are we going?" Lionkit was mewing.

"To where the Clans live," Leafpool responded after a long second. "Where there are warm dens and places for you to play. There will be lots of other cats there, and a big lake to cool your paws when it gets hot."

Lionkit looked doubtful. "But I liked living in the hollow tree."

"I know you did," my sister mewed softly. She paused, visibly steeling herself before continuing. "But you're getting too big to stay there forever! You are Clan cats, and you need to join your Clanmates."

"Will they like me?"

I decided I should intervene before Lionkit inadvertently made things too difficult for Leafpool. "They will love you," I purred warmly, setting my vole next to Leafpool and nuzzling the little golden tabby affectionately.

The three kits settled at Leafpool's belly to nurse while she and I shared my catch. When we had crunched the last of the bones, I watched as Leafpool gently untangled her kits from her fur. "Come on, little ones. Time to go."

"I don't want to walk anymore," Jaykit wailed defiantly. "My paws hurt!"

"Climb onto my shoulders," I meowed, crouching down so he could scramble on. "I'll carry you for a while."

"That's not fair!" grumbled Hollykit. "Just because Jaykit can't see, it doesn't mean his legs don't work."

"But his legs are much shorter than ours," Lionkit pointed out, looking down at his fluffy forepaws. We can manage better than he can in the snow. Race you to that tree, Hollykit!"

I watched as the two scampered ahead, throwing up specks of snow from their tiny paws. I was sorry to split them up between the other three Clans, but even if they were only kits, any Clan would be hard-pressed to take in all three of them during leafbare. Not to mention, the more of them that ended up together, the more likely they were to realize who their mother really was.

Leafpool looked regretful beside me. "How can I take them away from one another?" she whispered sadly.

"What are you talking about?" Jaykit piped up from my back. Leafpool froze.

I twisted my neck to get a slight glimpse of the tom. "It's nothing. You three belong in different Clans, that's all. Don't worry about it."

We followed the steep-banked stream until we could see the open stretch of grass leading down to the lake, then turned and headed along the ridge above the ThunderClan boundary in the direction of ShadowClan territory, our first destination. The snow had melted here, and all three kits trotted along, sniffing the new scents.

I knew my sister was hating every pawstep. "How are we even going to find Tawnypelt?" Leafpool asked quietly. "No one can know that we were there."

"We'll find her," I promised, pushing conviction into my voice for my sister's sake. "Don't worry. Hollykit will be happy in ShadowClan, Tawnypelt will make sure of it."

Leafpool and I had decided to give Hollykit to Tawnypelt. Being Crowfeather's lookalike, she couldn't go to WindClan with her father, and her black fur meant she would have a natural advantage to help her with ShadowClan's night training. Besides – her mixed ThunderClan-WindClan heritage had left her with a build that was almost ShadowClan in nature. She would blend in and would be resilient enough to earn the respect of her future Clanmates.

Meanwhile, Lionkit would be going to WindClan. He was brave and bold like his father, and his golden tabby pelt would serve him well enough on the moor. While his ThunderClan build would make keeping up with his faster Clanmates more difficult, the tabby had made it clear he would not do well as a RiverClan warrior. Not to mention, Leafpool had wanted Mothwing to be able to keep an eye on blind Jaykit, whose own pelt best resembled the typical RiverClan warrior in its grays. And while Hollykit looked like Crowfeather, Jaykit had his temper. There was too much risk in placing Jaykit with WindClan.

I think we approached the ShadowClan border too soon for Leafpool's liking. I called Jaykit and Lionkit to me and dropped back so that Leafpool could have a final moment alone with her daughter.

Then we were crossing a ridge and there Tawnypelt was, pacing alongside the border. She stiffened in surprise when she saw us before bounding across the border to us. I hurried to catch back up to my sister – while Leafpool was close with Crowfeather and Mothwing, she didn't know Tawnypelt anywhere near as well as I did.

"Hey, Tawnypelt! What are you doing here?" I asked her curiously.

Tawnypelt regarded me warily, her eyes passing over the three kits with us. "…I had a dream. Feathertail told me I needed to be here. I get the feeling this has something to do with you. Firestar said you and Leafpool were on a mission at the Gathering – so, what are you doing here, and with kits?"

I glanced meaningfully at Leafpool, who dipped her head and led Hollykit, Jaykit, and Lionkit a little way away. The less they knew, the better, even if the three kittens were so young that it would be a miracle if they remembered anything.

"It wasn't exactly a mission," I confessed. "Firestar thought it was, but the real truth is that we needed to be out of the territory so that Leafpool could give birth."

Tawnypelt's eyes widened marginally. "And why are you here? Why am I here?"

"Because I'm asking you to take one of these kits back to ShadowClan."

"Wait, what?" Tawnypelt's fur fluffed out in surprise.

"Feathertail visited us too. She said that these kits need to stay in the Clans, but Leafpool is ThunderClan's only medicine cat, and-" I hesitated, not wanting to tell Tawnypelt about how I had chosen not to take them in. "-the only way to raise these kits well is to give them away. Please… I know this is a lot to ask."

Tawnypelt was silent for a long moment, then sighed. "We don't have any queens. Tallpoppy was expecting kits, but they were stillborn."

"You or Tallpoppy could raise a kit," I pressed. "Tallpoppy will still have her milk, so she can feed her – Hollykit, I mean – until she's old enough to be weaned. As long as she grows up happy and cared for and loyal to the warrior code."

The tortoiseshell gazed at me. "Rowanclaw and I were thinking of having kits," she admitted offhandedly. "I guess Hollykit would be a good starting point." She sighed again, then sucked in a deep breath. "Alright, Squirrelflight. I promise I'll make sure she's well cared for."

I breathed out heavily in relief. "Thank you, Tawnypelt."

Turning, I called out to Leafpool. My tabby sister said something to Lionkit and Jaykit, maybe telling them to stay put, before padding over with Hollykit at her side.

"Hi there," Tawnypelt mewed to Hollykit, crouching down to be at her level. "You're Hollykit, right? I'm Tawnypelt. It's really nice to meet you!"

Hollykit looked curiously up at Tawnypelt. "You too, I guess. You smell weird, though."

"That's the smell of ShadowClan," Tawnypelt replied amusedly, risking a glance at Leafpool. "That's your Clan. You'll get used to it!"

Hollykit shrugged. "Okay!"

"You'll take care of her?" Leafpool cut in to ask Tawnypelt, voice breaking slightly.

Tawnypelt blinked sympathetically at Leafpool, nodding. "I will."

Leafpool ducked her head down to touch her nose to Hollykit's forehead. "Be brave, little one," she mewed, then turned and started trudging back towards where Lionkit and Jaykit were huddled.

I mewed one last thank you to Tawnypelt before following my sister.

"Where are you going?" Hollykit called after us. I could see Leafpool fighting the urge to run back to her kit, but she managed to calm slightly when Tawnypelt started to reassure Hollykit.

Lionkit and Jaykit were full of questions as we padded away, but Leafpool and I stayed silent until we were far away from Hollykit and the ShadowClan border.

"Why did we leave her?" Lionkit demanded once again, and I shared a look with Leafpool before reaching out to touch his shoulder with my tail tip.

"That's her Clan," I explained to Lionkit. "It's where Hollykit belongs."

He looked doubtful, but Leafpool and I kept walking and Jaykit and Lionkit kept up.

At the RiverClan border, lo and behold, Mothwing was waiting. Her eyes widened at the sight of us and she hurried to greet us, staring between Leafpool, me, and the two remaining kits.

"Leafpool? What's going on?" Mothwing asked, bewildered.

My sister seemed similarly confused. "How did you know to be here?"

"Willowpaw said something about Feathertail wanting me to be here. She insisted," Mothwing explained.

I was a little confused as to why Mothwing's novice apprentice was the one who Feathertail had visited, but right now it was more important that the situation was explained and Jaykit was taken in. I pressed against Leafpool's side briefly in support before guiding Jaykit and Lionkit to the side. Both were agitated, having some idea of what was going to happen next.

We watched for a few minutes before Leafpool called Jaykit over. I gave the pale gray tabby a nudge, holding Lionkit back with one paw as his smaller brother slowly walked to Leafpool and Mothwing.

"Is this Jaykit's Clan?" Lionkit asked sadly.

I nodded. "Don't worry about him or Hollykit," I mewed to him, wrapping my tail around him. "They are both going to be very happy in their Clans, and so will you."

Leafpool didn't start padding back to us until Mothwing and Jaykit had disappeared into RiverClan territory.

"Mothwing said Dawnflower will take him," Leafpool mewed quietly as we continued walking. "She has three kits just a little older than Jaykit."

"That's good," I told my sister. "Dawnflower's been very nice whenever I've met her. She'll be a good mother."

"I should have been a good mother," Leafpool whispered, so quietly I wasn't sure I was supposed to hear.

We kept padding towards the WindClan border.

. . .

Crowfeather's POV

"Reconnection"

Leafpool and Squirrelflight's visit was a surprise to say the least. To find out that I had kits with the cat I loved – kits who were barely younger than the kits I'd had with Nightcloud – was incredible. While I definitely didn't understand why she was splitting them up between the Clans and why they couldn't stay in ThunderClan, I would be lying if I said I wasn't floored at the opportunity. I knew it could be difficult to find this tiny little tabby a place in my Clan, I knew I had to try. Maybe this kitten couldn't be with his mother, but I would do my best to be his father.

I hesitated several times at the crest overlooking the WindClan camp. What was I doing bringing Lionkit here? How would I convince Onestar that he deserved a place in this Clan? Would I be able to rope Nightcloud into serving as his mother? Would Lionkit's heritage as Leafpool and I's son be discovered, and if so, what would happen then?

"Are we just going to sit here?" Lionkit asked curiously, clearly oblivious to my inner turmoil.

Even if he didn't quite understand what was going on – which prompted the question of whether the kits were old enough to remember Leafpool and their siblings and, as such, derail our entire operation – he was right. I wasn't accomplishing anything in dithering about.

I fixed my jaws around his scruff again and lifted the golden tabby back into the air. He'd protested about clearly being old enough for himself but with all the unknowns in my immediate future, I couldn't bring myself to relinquish this tiny morsel of control.

"Hey, Crowfeather–" Owlwhisker began when he spotted me entering camp, only to promptly freeze. "Great StarClan, is that a kit?"

If my mind wasn't still whirling at about a million pawsteps per heartbeat, I might have been amused by the sudden change. As it was, I simply nodded and set Lionkit down between my two front paws. "Where's Onestar?"

"Uh… I mean, he was speaking with Morningflower and Webfoot last I saw," Owlwhisker managed.

"So, the elders' den." I nudged Lionkit in the correct direction and started to follow him, then paused to look back at Owlwhisker. "Find Nightcloud and ask her to join us, will you?"

I didn't bother waiting to see if Owlwhisker would do it or not. I'd talk to Nightcloud eventually, but right now Lionkit needed another nudge to fix his course. Had Breezekit been this tiny half a moon ago when he was Lionkit's age? I had no idea – I hadn't been paying all that much attention to him. But Lionkit… I couldn't imagine not paying attention to Lionkit.

Onestar, Morningflower, and Webfoot were talking about something that happened back in the forest territories back before I was born when I walked in. Morningflower took one look at me and my tiny companion before meowing with surprise and pulling Lionkit over to her. She began to groom him fiercely, ignoring his complaints in favor of removing the prickles from his fur.

…Huh. That seemed like a good parental thing to do. I guess I was going to have to figure out how to do all of that if I wanted to rear Lionkit properly.

"Crowfeather, why is there a stray kitten in my camp?" Onestar asked after a long, wistful sigh.

"I found him on the border," I told him, which was true. "He needs someone to care for him. I couldn't just leave him by himself."

Onestar took a deep breath. "Alright, fair enough. And you… what, you expect me to take him in?"

"Well, yeah."

"We're not ThunderClan," Onestar pointed out. "We don't just take in loners and kittypets."

I kneaded the ground absentmindedly, my fur prickling along my spine. "But what about the Warrior Code? We have to take care of him. Nightcloud has milk to spare."

Onestar hesitated, clearly debating whether or not to say whatever he was about to say. After a heartbeat, he sighed – again – and looked me in the eyes. "Crowfeather, this kit is a rogue. It's not going to be a replacement for Breezekit's littermates."

Which, even though I was definitely not a nominee for father of the year, stung. Nightcloud had birthed three kits: two she-kits and a tom. Only Breezekit had survived.

"He's not," I argued. That was potentially a lie since I was planning on raising Lionkit as my son, but he biologically was. He was mine.

"What else do you suggest we do?" Morningflower asked, having finished fussing over Lionkit. "Toss him back out into the wild? If his mother just left him there by the border, then she was clearly hoping that one of our queens would adopt him. She won't be planning on coming back."

I saw my opportunity. "Onestar, this kit is another potential warrior. Who do you want him serving: WindClan or ThunderClan? You're right that Breezekit's littermates were stillborn. Are you really going to doom this kit when Nightcloud tried to so hard to save hers?"

Onestar sighed one more time and dipped his head. "Very well. If Nightcloud agrees, you may raise him in WindClan."

I barely managed to hold back my purr. "Thank you, Onestar."

"And Crowfeather?"

I paused in the middle of reaching out to collect Lionkit from Morningflower. "Yeah?"

"Does this kit have a name?"

Well, of course. But I guess it made sense that Onestar didn't know yet.

"Lionkit," I told him, like I'd just come up with it on the spot.

My leader nodded approvingly. "Welcome to WindClan, Lionkit."

. . .

Dawnflower's POV

"Synthesis"

At first, I hadn't known exactly what to do with the bundle of fur that Mothwing presented me. She told me that she'd found it on the border, that she thought we should call it Jaykit after the startling blue of his eyes. She told me that Jaykit was blind but that someone needed to look after him. Willowkit had already been weaned, but I still had milk. Mothwing gave me some borage, tucked Jaykit in amongst my own litter, and that was that. My little family expanded just enough to include its newest member. I didn't realize just how much I'd grown to care for my second son until he nearly died of poisoning alongside Tumblekit. I may not have birthed him, but he was mine.

"Let all cats old enough to swim gather before the willow stump for a Clan meeting!" Leopardstar yowled, and I looked up from grooming my kits' pelts into shape just long enough to watch as my Clanmates poured into the clearing.

It was finally time for my kits to become apprentices.

"I can groom my own pelt," Jaykit muttered mutinously beneath me. I'd only just started on him, but at least Minnowkit and Pebblekit's pelts looked pristine.

"Then you should have done so earlier," I told him. "No kit of mine is becoming an apprentice with a single hair out of place!"

Pebblekit smirked at me before pointedly ruffling his pelt.

I huffed and swatted at him with one forepaw. Two could play that game. "Alright, I guess I'll just have to tell Leopardstar to delay the ceremony."

Instantly, all three kits squealed.

"Jaykit and I are innocent, why do we have to suffer?" Minnowkit exclaimed, her eyes wide with fright.

"Can you even do that?" Pebblekit asked dubiously, although the way he was quivering told me that he was just as terrified as his siblings.

I pretended to think for a long second, my kits hanging off my every word. "Well, how about this? If Jaykit lets me finish grooming him and you two work together to fix up Pebblekit's pelt really quickly, I won't say anything to Leopardstar and you won't have to find out."

Pebblekit let out an oof as Minnowkit promptly tackled him.

In no time, all three kits looked spectacular. I nudged them forwards and Minnowkit proudly led her littermates into the center of the clearing, her head held high. Her tail tip just brushed Jaykit's shoulder while Pebblekit trotted at his side, just a mouse-length away. Together, they provided any extra guidance that Jaykit might need, although all three of us knew that Jaykit seemed to know the RiverClan camp better than we did. I held in a purr at the sight nevertheless, happy that my kits were so close. It had been rough after Tumblekit died, but I liked to think that it had brought my remaining three children were closer together than they had ever been before.

"RiverClan, it is my privilege to appoint three new apprentices this day," Leopardstar mewed, her sharp gaze sweeping over the crowd. "They will all make fine warriors one day."

Three new apprentices making fine warriors. So that settled it – Leopardstar was indeed planning to make Jaykit an apprentice. I'd been worried if he would be held back because of his vision, or rather his lack of it.

"Minnowkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Minnowpaw. Your mentor will be Voletooth." Leopardstar paused to wait as the small brown tabby made his way through the crowd. I was happy with Leopardstar's choice – Voletooth was a calm and capable warrior and would do Minnowpaw well. "Voletooth, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Blackclaw, and you have shown yourself to be intelligent and enterprising. You will be the mentor of Minnowpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her."

Minnowpaw and Voletooth murmured something to one another before touching noses, the warrior guiding my daughter off to the side.

"Pebblekit. You, too, have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Pebblepaw. Your mentor will be Mosspelt, who will pass down all she knows on to you."

Another good choice. I purred to myself, satisfied.

"Mosspelt, you are more than ready to take on an apprentice. You were a fine mentor to Swallowtail and I trust that you be a fine mentor once again. I'm sure Pebblepaw will benefit from your generosity and insight."

Once again, mentor and apprenticed touched noses. Jaykit was left alone in the clearing, but he didn't seem to mind. If anything, he held his head up higher than before, looking challengingly in the direction of Leopardstar.

"Jaykit," Leopardstar mewed, and RiverClan seemed to take in a collective breath, me included. Even though Leopardstar had already alluded to making Jaykit an apprentice, I couldn't help but worry. How would he fish without his sight? How would he fight? I just didn't know if it was possible, but if there was a way, Jaykit would find it. "It is time for you to become an apprentice. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Jaypaw."

I got the feeling that more than one cat was hoping desperately that they wouldn't be assigned my son to train.

"Your mentor will be Mothwing."

I froze.

"Mothwing, you are a talented and resourceful medicine cat. You have already done an excellent job with the start of Willowpaw's training, and I know that you are more than capable of training two apprentices together. You will be the mentor of Jaypaw, and I trust you to pass on all you know to him.

"Leopardstar, this is outrageous," I cried, jumping to my paws. "Jaypaw wants to be a warrior! You know that!"

My leader, who I had always looked up to, always trusted, looked sympathetically at me. "It would be impossible. He won't be able to catch fish without seeing them. It will be hard for him to navigate the marshes without seeing which clumps are safe. It will be even harder for him to fight in battle, not being able to see where the next blow will come from. Dawnflower, Jaypaw, you have to believe that I don't make this decision lightly, but it's what's best for Jaypaw. It's what's best for the Clan."

My paws itched to do something, anything, but… Leopardstar's points were valid. They echoed the same fears that I'd had for moons. And by the time I looked down and caught sight of Jaypaw's drooped figure, Leopardstar had already left off the willow stump and disappeared into her den.

The kits I'd raised gathered together uncertainly in the clearing, looking furious. Minnowpaw and Pebblepaw, my little warriors, and Jaypaw. My medicine cat apprentice.

. . .

Hollypaw's POV

"Connections"

Being a ShadowClan cat was the best. I grew up knowing that I was born a rogue, but between Tawnypelt and Tallpoppy, the two she-cats who had raised me, I knew that I belonged with my Clan. I already knew the entire Warrior Code by the time that I became an apprentice, although I did have an extra half a moon to learn it since I wanted to be apprenticed with my foster siblings, Tawnypelt's blood litter. Tawnypelt always told me that it didn't matter that we weren't related by blood, though – she and Rowanclaw loved me, and that made me a part of their family. That was all I needed.

I loved my littermates, but sometimes I was convinced that they had bees for brains.

"Do you think if we do well in the battle, Blackstar will make us warriors?" Tigerpaw asked brightly from beside me.

"Puh-lease! We're still too young for that," Dawnpaw told him matter-of-factly. "But we'll definitely be making some good impressions!"

I flattened my ears. "You two are both toad-brains! We shouldn't be jumping into battle. We should be helping RiverClan!"

Dawnpaw gave me a nudge. "Hollypaw, come on! Why aren't you excited?"

"Why aren't you not excited?" I exclaimed, frustrated. "RiverClan needs our help, not our claws."

"But if RiverClan gets driven from their territory, they'll need to take a new one," Tigerpaw told me, sounding reasonable. "They might try and shift our border. Or, if they take WindClan land, and then WindClan takes ThunderClan land, then ThunderClan might want some of our land. Don't you understand?"

My pelt prickled with anxiety. "But if we just help RiverClan, then none of the fighting would have to happen at all."

"It's more important to make sure our own Clan is safe, Hollypaw."

I froze at the commanding tone, turning to see my mentor, Russetfur, hovering behind me.

"Well, yeah, but helping RiverClan would help keep us safe. We'd be preventing the conflict," I argued.

Russetfur narrowed her eyes. "We are ShadowClan cats, not RiverClan ones. Let RiverClan deal with their own problems. It's good for the Clan to sharpen up their claws once and a while anyways, just in case."

That made sense, but it didn't mean that I liked it.

"If you haven't had anything to eat yet, grab something, and then go to the training clearing," Russetfur continued briskly. "We're going to do some battle training. That includes Dawnpaw and Tigerpaw, too."

My siblings nodded as Russetfur brushed past us and slipped out of the camp entrance.

"Race you to the clearing!" Tigerpaw declared, breaking out into a run.

Instantly, Dawnpaw cried out with her own challenge and leapt after him.

"I'll catch up!" I called as they disappeared through the thorn barrier.

"You seem a whole lot less excited than Tigerpaw and Dawnpaw," my other brother, Flamepaw, remarked as he padded up to stand next to me.

I let out a soft purr at the sight of him, leaning briefly into his side. I was close to all of my siblings, of course, but I held a special connection with Flamepaw. If it wasn't for him and his passion for medicine, I would probably have become a medicine cat, but there was no way my desire to be important was going to stand in the way of my brother's dreams. Even though our paths had diverged, Flamepaw still understood me better than anyone else.

"It's just…" I began, floundering for words. I sighed. "When I spoke to Willowpaw at the Gathering, she was so upset! All the RiverClan cats were. They need our help. But all we're getting ready to do is fight them!"

"Blackstar isn't planning on attacking," Flamepaw reminded me calmly. "We're just trying to defend ourselves. I don't like it any more than you do, but I trust Blackstar, and we're only going to fight if there's a problem. I heard Mothwing tell Leafpool that RiverClan is already dealing with their problem anyways, so everything should be fine."

"Flamepaw!" We both jumped at Littlecloud's call. "Come with me! We're going to go get some more marigold."

"You shoulder go," I told Flamepaw.

My brother nodded apologetically at me. "I'll see you later," he promised.

"You, too."

I watched as he and Littlecloud padded into their den, probably to grab something, then started towards the thorn barrier. I was supposed to be meeting Russetfur and my siblings for battle training. But if I could find out exactly what was happening in RiverClan, then I might be to convince Blackstar to help them instead of fight them.

I had to talk to Willowpaw.

I felt surprisingly little guilt veering off of my path and towards the lake. I knew my mother wouldn't be happy if she knew what I was doing, and Russetfur would probably make me do Cedarheart and Tallpoppy's ticks for an entire moon, but if we did get into a fight then Cedarheart and Tallpoppy might not even be alive. This was something that I just had to do, even if no one else would understand why.

The border came up perhaps a little too quickly for my tastes, nevertheless. I took a deep breath – both gathering my courage and scenting the air for a nearby patrol – before padding across the scent line. Right on cue, rain began to fall from the dove-gray sky, and while it would weigh down my fur and make me shiver, I was relieved. The rain would help cover my scent and make it easier to creep unnoticed.

RiverClan's reedy territory felt strange and unfamiliar. I'd much rather be in ShadowClan's pines, without pesky undergrowth blocking my view. How I was supposed to see anyone coming until it was too late? At least I had the advantage of darkness – my ShadowClan trained eyesight would be useful.

I padded carefully out of the shallows of the lake, crept into the reed bed, and promptly jumped at the sound of a yowl.

Freezing, I sniffed the air – fresh RiverClan scent. A hunting party?

I dropped into a crouch, trembling with cold and fear as I managed to make out the stone-colored pelt of Mistyfoot through the reeds. The RiverClan deputy was stalking something, and I backed carefully away as Mistyfoot drew nearer. I pressed myself into the earth, hoping that the mud mixed with my drenched pelt would be enough to cover my scent.

Mistyfoot suddenly sprang forward with paws outstretched, and I had to fight the urge to flinch. She straightened a moment later, her whiskers twitching with triumph and a water vole dangling from her jaws – a successful catch. I sighed with relief as Mistyfoot muttered a quick thanks for her prey before turning and padding away. A ray of sunshine highlighted the deputy, and I winced at the sight. She was thinner than I'd ever seen her – which, admittedly, was not that often, but the point still stood – and her usually glossy pelt was dull. It was clear that RiverClan was suffering, but still my Clan was preparing to fight them.

I waited a few moments to build distance between me and Mistyfoot before beginning to gingerly pad on. The island wasn't very far away now, and the tree-bridge was distinct on the shoreline.

Oh, toad-dung, I thought as a question voiced itself in my head. How am I supposed to cross it without being seen?

I couldn't believe how I far I'd come – the risks I'd taken – only to possibly fail. Still, I hated the idea of preparing to wage war on the clearly weakened RiverClan enough to dart forwards from the cover of the reeds, quickly crossing the marshy shore to take cover at the tangle of roots that made up the foot of the tree-bridge. I pressed myself into them while scanning the shore, the blood pulsing in my ears.

There was no sign of any cat.

Great StarClan, I'm going to do it, aren't I?

I took a quick breath before cautiously clambering upwards through the roots, hauling myself roughly up onto the tree-bridge. I kept as low as I possibly could while inching across, hardly daring to breathe. The tree-bridge was slimy in the rain, and I dug my claws in as best I could – the worst thing that could possibly happen right now – well, aside from being discovered – would be falling into the lake.

A bird chirped somewhere nearby and I flinched before quickly scampering the last few mouse-lengths. I slide down through the branches onto the shore, shaking with relief, and leaned against the tree-bridge for support.

Which way now?

This wasn't a Gathering. I couldn't just push through the undergrowth and head for the clearing. So how was I going to find Willowpaw?

Hope tingled in my paws when I noticed that, not very far away from my position at all, the shore was overtaken by undergrowth. The trees reached the water there, their roots snaking into the lake with ferns and brambles tumbling over the lip of the island. It was the perfect place to hide.

I took a deep breath – I seemed to be doing that so many times today – and raced across the small stretch of open beach. I dived under the cover of a clump of ferns, banging my paw painfully against a hidden stone, but keeping quiet. I could tell now that the fronds spilled into the water, forming a tunnel around the edge of the island.

Now, where in StarClan is the medicine den?

I took a moment to pray to StarClan that I would find Willowpaw's scent soon. I needed to find her before someone else found me – except… what if her scent led deeper into the heart of RiverClan's new camp? It would be nearly impossible to reach her then.

Pushing the thoughts away, I crept through the fern tunnel, clambering over tree roots and hauling myself through clumps of bramble. My paws occasionally slipped off the muddy bank and into the lake, and each time I froze until I was certain that no one had heard the splashes.

Suddenly, the undergrowth ended. Rocks stretched ahead of me, rough and flat and black against the water. They reached into the lake, forming a small causeway that ended in a rocky outcrop, jutting up from the water. I lifted my head, ears pricked, and tasted the air. I could hear the sounds of RiverClan drifting from the center of the island: queens talking, kits mewling, an elder complaining about kits. It sounded surprisingly like ShadowClan. To my luck, I didn't recognize the voices of any warriors or apprentices, though. Except… at the Gathering, the island had been teeming with RiverClan cats. Where were they all now?

No time to worry about that!

Where was Willowpaw?

I shivered. At this point, I was freezing. My wet pelt clung close to my skin, heavy and sodden. I was so far from home and I was hungry, and my paws hurt and – panic rose in my chest. What if I couldn't even find Willowpaw?

Then I heard a squeal. A kit was wailing somewhere up ahead. "That hurt!"

The soft mew of a queen soothed it. "It'll only hurt for a bit."

I could smell herbs. Someone was definitely treating the kit with marigold!

Filled with renewed vigor, I crept out onto the rough, flat causeway and followed the scent. It was coming from the rocky outcrop. I crouched lower than ever as I slithered around the edge, slowly peering through a gap in the stones.

"We'll need more marigold soon."

Willowpaw!

The elder RiverClan medicine cat apprentice was crouched in a hollow in the heart of the outcrop, crushing leaves against the rough stone floor with her paws. "The kits keep getting pine needles stuck in their pads."

Jaypaw, Willowpaw's blind companion, sat on a ledge nearby and licked herbs into the mewling kit's paw. A white she-cat held the kit in her paws as it struggled against Jaypaw's lapping tongue.

"They wouldn't if they didn't keep playing under the pine trees," he muttered briskly.

Willowpaw looked up from her pulp. "Jaypaw!"

"It's alright," the white queen mewed with a purr. "Jaypaw's definitely right. It's hard to keep them away, though."

"Don't worry, Icewing," Willowpaw mewed earnestly, and I felt pride blooming inside me. My friend was going to be a great medicine cat. "Jaypaw and I will swing by the nursery later and help you sweep some of the needles away from the entrance."

Icewing nodded and ducked down low to lift the kit up by its scruff. She flicked one ear in goodbye before beginning to carry the still mewling kit out from the sheltering rocks and along the causeway that led back to the island.

All I had to do now was get Willowpaw's attention without alerting Jaypaw to my presence…

"Willowpaw, your ShadowClan friend is hiding in the corner over there."

I jumped. What in the name of StarClan? But sure enough, Jaypaw was staring sightlessly right at my location.

"Hollypaw?" Willowpaw exclaimed, her eyes round with shock as I quickly clambered around the back of the jutting rocks and slipped into the hollow. "What are you doing here?"

"I promised I'd come," I reminded her.

"Does anyone know you're here?"

I shook my head, then tensed. Mothwing's scent was wafting into the cave.

"Willowpaw, grab some dock leaves and – why do I smell ShadowClan?" the senior medicine cat asked.

I shared a terrified look with Willowpaw. "Uh…"

"Minnowpaw just stopped by," Jaypaw said carelessly. "She was just out on border patrol. She must have strayed a little too close to the scent marks."

"…Alright then. Willowpaw, meet me over by the elders' nests, alright?" Mothwing mewed, and then there was the faint sound of pawsteps as Mothwing headed away again.

I sighed with relief. "Thank you, Jaypaw."

The gray tabby snorted, tossing his head. "I didn't do it for you. I just didn't need to be dragged down into your drama."

"Either way, thanks," Willowpaw quickly cut in, shooting me an amused look. "But, uh… Hollypaw, now really isn't a good time."

"I just… I have to do something!" I told my friend desperately. I was sure she'd understand. "ShadowClan is getting ready to fight RiverClan. Everyone's scared about what will happen if RiverClan is driven out of its home."

Jaypaw tilted his head, still staring uncannily right at me. "RiverClan is not going to be driven out of anywhere."

"How can you be sure?" I studied his thin frame, unconvinced. "You're half starved, and you're still living on the island."

Willowpaw brushed against me. "It won't be for long."

I looked skeptically at the rows of herbs carefully stacked against the cave wall. It certainly looked like RiverClan was planning to be here for some time. "But you've brought everything from your old camp," I pointed out.

Jaypaw sighed. "Willowpaw, you'd better just show her."

"Really?" Willowpaw looked surprised. "Are you sure? Mothwing just called for me, remember?"

The blind tom grumbled for a second. "Fine, I'll show her. You just hurry up and cover for me, and I'll try not to get your ShadowClan friend caught."

Willowpaw hesitated for another heartbeat before nodding. "Okay. Thanks, Jaypaw."

Jaypaw nodded back to her, his tail tip twitching impatiently as Willowpaw gathered up some leaves and ducked out of the den. He glanced at me one more time before padding out onto the tiny causeway and back around the shoreline. I followed him quickly, my pelt ruffled with curiosity.

"We're going to have to swim across to the mainland," Jaypaw mewed. "It'll be easier to stay out of sight."

My wet fur spiked in alarm. "I know I'm soaked, but there's no way I'm swimming!" The tree-bridge lay only a few fox-lengths ahead of us – why couldn't we just dart across again like I had done in the first place?

"Do you want to find out what's going on or not?" Jaypaw asked irritably.

I let the seconds draw out, hoping he would cave, but Jaypaw was as stubborn as he was blind. Which was very much so. I hung my head. "Fine."

Great StarClan, I could practically hear Jaypaw's smirk. He padded confidently into the water before starting to swim across, and I scrambled to keep up with him. Instantly, my head ducked into the water, and I bucked frantically until teeth sank into my scruff and hauled me back above water.

"Kick your legs, or do you want to drown?" Jaypaw asked through gritted teeth.

I held in a growl, feeling more than a little humiliated as Jaypaw all but carried me through the water. My sodden pelt felt heavier than ever, weighing me down as I stumbled back onto dry land. Still, I forced myself to stand, glaring defiantly at my least favorite RiverClan medicine cat apprentice.

"Get over yourself. It's not that hard," Jaypaw told me, then started padding away. "Please tell me you can at least walk like a normal cat."

This cat was absolutely insufferable, and I didn't envy Willowpaw in the least. Although, she did seem to have some sort of rapport with him. But he was going to answer some of my questions, so I was going to have to put up with him.

Jaypaw was surprisingly adept at traveling through RiverClan territory despite his blindness. I supposed Longtail certainly knew his way around camp, but I couldn't imagine Longtail jumping from reed clump to reed clump like Jaypaw was, staying effortlessly free of mud. Had he somehow memorized the entire territory?

I shrugged to myself before starting to follow Jaypaw's path. As long I leapt where he did, my paws and belly seemed to stay dry. Well, whatever that meant at this rate.

At last, the ground became firmer and I felt grass underpaw. Jaypaw was leading me up a slope, with trees dotting the landscape and the undergrowth growing thick and lush. I definitely felt better being in a forest again, even if the annoying bushes were much more reminiscent of ThunderClan's land than ShadowClan's. The slope grew steeper and steeper until I found myself scrambled up a red sandy cliff, but Jaypaw continued to leap confidently upwards, using rocks that jutted from the earth to haul himself higher. At last we clawed our way onto the grassy bank at the top.

I panted, looking down. The lake shone far below, glimmering through the fresh green leaves. I couldn't believe we'd climbed so high.

"Where are we going?" I asked breathlessly.

"You'll see in a moment," Jaypaw said, which really wasn't very helpful at all, and disappeared into a swath of long grass at the top of the bank.

Suddenly, he stopped. "Look."

I crept to his side as Jaypaw brusquely parted the grass and peered through. Below us, a wide stream followed the line of the stope. An island rose in the middle, parting the water abruptly so that eddies swirled where the stream was forced to divide. The island was crowded with small trees and bushes, green amid the rolling brown water.

"That's our old camp," my companion told me.

I heard the clatter of rocks and stiffened. "What's that?"

"The warriors are working." Oh, there was definitely a little bit of resentment stored up in that word. I titled my head at Jaypaw – did he want to be a warrior? But then why was he Mothwing's apprentice?

Either way, it wasn't very important right now. I peered close at the RiverClan camp, making out the pets of RiverClan warriors and apprentices weaving through the grass on either side of the stream. On the near side, I could see both Pouncepaw and Minnowpaw – the she-cat who had supposedly visited the medicine cat's den earlier. They were both helping Reedwhisker and Voletooth to shift stones, pushing them towards the stream and tipping them over the edge so that they fell with a loud splash into the water.

"What are they doing?"

"Blocking the stream to make it deeper and wider," Willowpaw replied.

Blackclaw, a muscular, broad-shouldered black tom, called from the far side of the stream. "Hurry! Grab what you can!" He stood near the water's edge, calling orders to warriors who were bravely leaping across the channel with wads of mossy bedding dangling from their jaws.

"Why take the bedding to the island if you'll be moving back to your old camp soon?" I asked, once again doubting the claims that all would soon be well with RiverClan.

"The pine needles on the island are no good for making the nests waterproof," Jaypaw explained irritably. He didn't seem to like me prying into his Clan's problems, which I supposed I could understand, but I was curious. "We don't really have much of a choice in the matter."

"But why are you doing all this?" I still didn't understand what was going on. The old camp looked safe enough – the divided stream gave it more natural protection than ShadowClan's clearing.

A warning yowl sounded upstream and Minnowpaw came hurtling down the bank. "They're coming!"

Every RiverClan cat instantly dropped whatever they were carrying or pushing and scrambled away from the island, heading down toward the lake.

"What's the matter?" I demanded, pelt bristling. Were we in danger? But what from?

"You'll see," Jaypaw mewed simply.

Tramping through the grass, along the far side of the stream, came a gang of Twoleg kits. They were sweeping jagged branches through the grass and mewling loudly to one another. As I watched, the largest of the kits hopped from the shore and onto a stone that barely broke the surface of the stream, then onto another and another. Balancing precariously on one leg, it leaned toward the island, and began to poke the bushes with its stick. The other kits yelped their approval and encouraged him by waving their hairless paws in the air.

I turned to stare at Jaypaw in dismay.

His tail was lashing with agitation and he turned to glare at me. "Now do you see why we had to leave? The Twolegs keep messing with our camp. We're putting in rocks to raise the water level."

"I…" I began, but Jaypaw didn't give me time to answer.

"I'll escort you back to your own territory now. You got the answers you wanted. We'll be back before the next Gathering, I promise you," Jaypaw said, rising to his paws. He nudged me back towards the cliff.

"Well, alright," I agreed, and then suddenly Jaypaw and I were running in the absolute opposite direction of ShadowClan because right behind us was a slobbering, barking beast that couldn't be anything but a dog.

. . .

Lionpaw's POV

"Realizations"

WindClan was a pretty cool place to grow up. I was definitely lucky to have been accepted into it as a kit, not that I really remembered anything about it. Crowfeather found me, and he and his mate, Nightcloud, took me in. They're my parents, and I love them. Breezepaw – that's my brother – is pretty awesome as well, but we don't always get along. I think it's because Crowfeather and Heatherpaw both like me more than him. But either way, he's my brother, and I love him. I can't wait to be a WindClan warrior one day.

"Ow!" I hissed to myself as my paw caught itself in a dip and sent me sprawling. I tumbled across the ground, my mentor Owlwhisker putting a paw on my flank to stop me from rolling any further.

"Are you okay?" he asked, sounding only vaguely impatient with me.

I loved training to be a WindClan warrior, and I always did the best I possibly could, but I simply wasn't as fast or as nimble as my Clanmates. I blamed it on my rogue heritage – I just wasn't as wiry or compact as Breezepaw and Crowfeather were. But whenever Harepaw or Breezepaw teased me about it, I reminded them just how much stronger my frame did make me.

"I'm fine," I told Owlwhisker, clambering back to my paws. I tested my forepaw carefully, relieved not to feel any shooting pain. "Just caught my foot on something."

"Anyways, shall we get going?" Breezepaw mewed meaningfully. "The border isn't just going to wait for Lionpaw to catch up."

I glared at him, purposefully pushing past him to break out into another sprint. Breezepaw scoffed as he chased after me, and I could just imagine the exasperated looks our mentors had to be sharing behind us. After half a heartbeat, I also realized that, great StarClan, Ashfoot had seen that too, and she was the deputy! She was also Crowfeather's mother, though, so maybe it wouldn't be too bad.

WindClan territory flew by me as I ran.

Suddenly, I stumbled once again, but not because of any dips in the ground. "RiverClan! A-and ShadowClan!" I called out, pelt bristling. Were they planning a joint attack?

Instantly, every pelt bushed out. Tornear, the last member of our patrol, scented the air beside me, his eyes narrowing. "Close enough to be on our territory, too!"

We hared as one over the ridge, my eyes quickly picking out two shapes against WindClan's gorse. They weren't very far over the border, only a couple of fox-lengths, but that was more than enough.

Ashfoot led us to a halt in front of them, flicking her tail tip at us. I fanned out to the left with Breezepaw and Tornear, while Whitetail and Owlwhisker took up positions on the other side. Quickly, we circled the two cats. Now that we were closer, I could tell that they were both smaller than I was – apprentices?

"What are you two doing on WindClan land?" Ashfoot demanded. She seemed to have made a similar realization, as her tone was definitely not as fierce as I personally knew it could be.

The two apprentices were panting. One was a gray tabby tom with blue eyes – he seemed familiar. It took a moment for it to click, but I was pretty sure that he was one of RiverClan's two medicine cat apprentices.

Next to him, her long fur puffed out like a cloud, stood a black she-cat who reeked of ShadowClan. She drew herself up, looking challengingly at Ashfoot despite the fear obvious in her green eyes. "We were being chased the dog from the horseplace. We didn't mean to cross the border."

Tornear stepped forward. "Where is it now?"

Jaypaw glanced at the tom. "What do you think? It went home, otherwise we'd still be running."

"And what's a ShadowClan apprentice doing on RiverClan territory?" Breezepaw demanded, slinking forwards beside me.

I winced, because wow, that was not a happy thought. If ShadowClan and RiverClan had formed an alliance, then we'd be hard-pressed to defend ourselves from RiverClan's inevitable attack. I doubted Onestar would be happy about going to ThunderClan for help – honestly, neither would I – but we might not have a choice.

"You tell me," Jaypaw said with a shrug, and the she-cat looked at him, scandalized. "I found her exploring in RiverClan territory. I was in the middle of asking her about it when the dog interrupted the conversation."

So… RiverClan and ShadowClan didn't have an alliance?

"Are we supposed to believe that?" Breezepaw growled. "You two are probably scoping out WindClan territory! ShadowClan's probably pledged to support RiverClan so long as they leave ShadowClan territory alone!"

Or maybe they were. This was way too confusing for me.

"RiverClan hasn't lost our territory!" Jaypaw snapped. "You're all a bunch of minnow-brains, jumping to conclusions."

"And ShadowClan hasn't made any alliances!" the she-cat popped up.

Jaypaw grimaced. "And we'd better not, if the rest of their Clan is like Hollypaw here."

Breezepaw reared up on his hindpaws with a hiss, clearly not believing their story. But Tornear knocked him aside with one paw before he could attack. "That's Jaypaw, a medicine cat apprentice!" the tabby tom growled. "You can't just claw him!"

"Get off our land now!" Ashfoot hissed, shooting a warning glare at Breezepaw.

"Gladly," Jaypaw mewed, and started to pad away, only for a yowl to sound out.

I froze, looking over my shoulder to where Harepaw was rocketing down the slope. He skidded to a halt just behind Ashfoot, looking at her with wide eyes.

"What is it, Harepaw?" Ashfoot asked, her tone a mix between confused and irritated.

"Gorsetail's kits are missing!" Harepaw panted.

Wait, what? I bristled, looking back at Jaypaw and Hollypaw. "Did you take them?" I burst out, too startled to retain control of my tongue.

Jaypaw glared at me, definitely irritated. "Of course not! I'm a medicine cat. What reason would I have to steal kits? Where are they now? And why in the name of StarClan would anyone send a blind cat on an espionage mission?"

Fair enough. But if the kits weren't stolen…

My mind flashed back to a couple of nights ago when Heatherpaw and I had snuck out of camp to the caves. We did that a lot ever since Heatherpaw had stumbled upon them – it was so much fun pretending to be DarkClan and spending the nights with one another, especially when we rarely trained together in the day and Breezepaw always getting in the way whenever we did. Gorsetail's kits had followed us out of camp a little ways, but Heatherpaw and I had both thought that we had shaken them off well before reaching the caves.

Ashfoot's commanding voice cut my thoughts off. "Breezepaw, run back to camp and tell Onestar that we're sweeping the territory. Harepaw, you're with us. Jaypaw, Hollypaw, I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt, but you must return to RiverClan land immediately."

"Will do!" Hollypaw chirped, looking concerned. "I, uh, I hope you find the kits."

"I'll hang back," I found myself offering. "I'll make sure they go straight to the territory, sniff around a little bit just in case, and then catch back up."

Ashfoot gave me a sharp nod, leading my Clanmates back over the ridge. As soon as they were out of sight, I started to hurry Jaypaw and Hollypaw back towards the border. I needed to get to the tunnels and check for the kits.

"You know where the kits are," Jaypaw suddenly said, sounding accusing.

"Huh?" I paused, staring at the blind tabby. "How'd you know?"

"Medicine cat stuff," Jaypaw mewed dismissively. "But you're sure you know?"

I ducked my head. "Well, I mean, not absolutely sure. But there's a good chance. Gorsetail's kits were following me and Heatherpaw, so… well, it's a possibility at the very least."

"Take me with you," Jaypaw told me. "You might need extra paws, and if these kits aren't found, then your Clan is going to accuse mine and blood's going to be shed."

Pointless blood, because of me and Heatherpaw's exploits. "Um… alright." He was right that I might need help – there were three kits after all – and if Jaypaw wanted to help stop a fight with his Clan, then I probably owed him that considering it might very well be my fault that battle was a possibility in the first place.

"I'll go, too," Hollypaw declared. "I don't want anyone to have to fight a pointless battle."

I gave her a sharp nod and broke out at a run, swinging us down by the lake. Urgency aside, I didn't want to bring outsiders through the heart of WindClan territory, plus I figured the lakeshore would be easier for Jaypaw to navigate while running.

The trip flew by. Before I knew it, we were veering away from the lake and scrambling to halt next to the large boulder that marked Heatherpaw and I's entrance.

"You think they're down here?" Hollypaw asked doubtfully.

"Yeah," I said curtly, sniffing the air. "I can definitely smell them. We've got to go in."

But both Hollypaw and Jaypaw were still hesitating. The RiverClan tom was sniffing the air as though searching for something, his tail quivering.

"Have you been here before or something?" I asked bluntly.

"Well, no," Jaypaw mewed. "But… what about the rain?"

I shrugged, puzzled. It had been raining all day. "It won't be raining inside the tunnel." I sighed before taking a step forward. "Look, we don't have time for this. Do you want to prevent a battle or not?"

"Have you been here before in the rain?" Jaypaw pressed, sounding suspicious.

"No," I told him, and then plunged into the tunnel because this really wasn't as important as finding Gorsetail's kits. Jaypaw and Hollypaw slowly followed me, both moving cautiously with their pawsteps pattering unevenly on the rocky floor. I was confused – surely Jaypaw would be more confident than the rest of them, considering he was already used to darkness?

But that didn't matter. I'd led the kits to the tunnels, and even if it hadn't been intentional, it was my duty to get them back to WindClan camp safely.

. . .

Jaypaw's POV

"Expedition"

Plunging into a series of tunnels that was almost certainly the same set I'd "drowned" in with Fallen Leaves in a vision with one cat I barely knew and one cat I absolutely didn't know at all definitely wasn't my best move, but I knew Lionpaw had an idea of where the kits were, and finding those kits could be the key to preventing a battle between our Clans. So, into the tunnels I went, a ShadowClan she-cat behind me and a WindClan apprentice before me.

I padded through the tunnel behind Lionpaw. It didn't take long before it opened up into a large cavern. I could also hear the rush of water – a river cut across the center of the cave, the greedy water rushing through. There was no doubt to be had: this was the same tunnel series where Fallen Leaves had drowned, and here I was in the rain with two total minnow-brains.

Great StarClan, the sacrifices I made.

I kept my nose fixed on the dwindling scent of the WindClan kits. My nose was the best in RiverClan, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was superior to Hollypaw and Lionpaw's as well. But it petered out completely only a few tail-lengths into the cavern.

"The scent trail's gone," I mewed.

Lionpaw and Hollypaw started shuffling around, clearly trying to find the trail again, but I cautiously crept forward until I found the river. I could tell by the sound that the surface was rippling, and the water lapped over the edges to lick at my paws.

"Is the water always this high?" I asked.

"Only after it's been raining," Lionpaw mewed, his voice coming from the other side of the river. That meant the river was thin enough to leap across, because I definitely would have heard him splashing through to the other side.

But that wasn't the information I was seeking. "Does the water ever get higher than this?"

"Uh, I don't think so," Lionpaw said. He was clearly puzzled by my questions. "Hollypaw, are you finding their scents in any of tunnels back on your side?"

"No," Hollypaw mewed. I could picture her shaking her head.

I dipped my paw into the river. The current was stronger than I was used to, but not incredibly so. I was a good enough swimmer – I had to be, considering there was always the slight danger of me falling into a stream or something in the territory – that I was confident that I could swim across to the other side without being swept away.

There was a started yelp from Hollypaw as she caught me swimming across, but I made it across just fine and hauled myself back onto the stone on the other side. I found my way over to the tunnel entrances on this half of the cave, sticking my nose into each one.

"Hey, I've got their scent," I called.

Lionpaw rushed over to my side to confirm. "Yup, that's them!"

There was a pattering of paws as Hollypaw leaped over the river to join us.

"I'll go first."

I hardly realized I had said the words out loud until I heard Hollypaw's dubious mew. "Are you sure? I mean, you are, uh, blind."

"And you can see perfectly in the dark, I suppose?" I retorted.

Hollypaw quickly apologized, sounding sheepish. "Good point."

It was a good thing she didn't argue, because I was on the verge of turning tail and fleeing back along the tunnel to the surface, where rain pattered on grass and earth and didn't collect in cold stone tunnels to sweep away everything inside them… I'd been pushing back the memories of racing for my life, terrified, with Fallen Leaves ever since I'd entered the tunnel, but I couldn't get it out of my head. Images filled my mind: the dark tunnel, the roaring of the water, the shock as the wave hit my and swept me up like a leaf caught in a storm, gasping for air and finding only water to breathe. Don't think about it! At least this time there would be no glimmering of lights to distract me; I could focus solely on my instincts, which had always served me well.

Lionpaw stepped by to let me pass, and as I brushed past him, I could feel the relief flooding from his pelt. He thinks I'll do better in the dark than he will. I hope he's right. Cold air blasted over me, making my whiskers tremble. But the breeze carried something else, whispers I felt rather than heard, flooding from deep inside the tunnel like the pulsing of blood in my veins. I padded into the tunnel, feeling the darkness swallow me up. This wasn't the sort of darkness that I was used to. Blind in RiverClan territory, I could feel the warmth of the sun on my pelt, smell the fresh tangs that flavored the air, hear the wind that rustled the leaves. This darkness was suffocating, musty, and cold, pressing against my fur and filling my nose and mouth. Nothing but blackness, thick as fur, soft as water, drawing me in.

"So," Hollypaw said with a nervous chuckle. "Tell me about yourselves."

"Seriously?" I asked, but I could tell she just wanted something to take the curb off of our shared fear. I knew I could probably benefit from the same thing, so a second later I relented. "Um, I'm Mothwing's apprentice. Pebblepaw and Minnowpaw are my siblings. You?"

Hollypaw seemed relieved that I was going along with it. "Russetfur's apprentice. I'm Tawnypelt's kit, well, her foster kit. She found me by the border when I was very little."

"Hey, me too!" Lionpaw exclaimed all of a sudden. "Crowfeather found me on the border and took me in. He raised me with Breezepaw."

I couldn't help but be intrigued by this development. "Me three. I'm technically a foster as well. Mothwing found me."

Which wasn't the entire truth. I'd asked Mothwing about where I came from one day, only to be sucked into her memories. I wasn't RiverClan, that much was true, but I certainly wasn't a rogue. My mother was Leafpool of ThunderClan, and she'd given me away to Mothwing to protect her secret when her sister, Squirrelflight, wouldn't take her kits in for her. It had been… a shocking revelation, but it had certainly explained why Leafpool always fussed all over me at the Moonpool meetings and the Gatherings. I also knew I had had siblings – blood siblings, not foster ones – but… it couldn't be…

There will be three, kin of your kin, who hold the power of the stars in their paws.

I stopped short. I'd somehow found myself in Firestar of ThunderClan's dreams, not long after I'd been made an apprentice. I'd watched from the shadows as some old cat gave him that prophecy. After the unintentional adventure in Mothwing's memories, I'd known that I was Firestar's grandson, kin of his kin, and that I certainly had unnatural powers. I'd wondered if my blood siblings were the other two, but I never thought I'd find them. I hadn't been looking for them.

"What are we stopped for?" Lionpaw asked from behind me.

I lifted a paw, about to start forwards again, when a pelt suddenly brushed my flank. "What was that for? I'm leading!"

Hollypaw's nose brushed my tail-tip. "There's no one near you, Jaypaw. What are you talking about?"

Surprised, I tasted the air. A new scent bathed my tongue, one that I hadn't noticed being wrapped up in my thoughts. Not a Clan scent, but still faintly familiar. I tasted the air again, my pelt prickling with unease as the other cat pressed against me, matching me step for step as I reluctantly started to walk again.

"I will walk with you, my friend, as you once walked with me," a voice whispered into my ear.

Fallen Leaves! My heart lurched at the memory of a great, black wave engulfing me. I fought the urge to turn and run, to pelt back to the cave and the lake and the safety of the open sky.

"I could not leave you here to walk alone, when you walked with me like a brother."

I blinked, trying to see. "Am I dreaming?" I asked quietly. The rock beneath my paws was covered in fine silt, the walls so narrow that they grazed my pelt as I walked, but I couldn't make them out.

"No," Fallen Leaves whispered. "I have come to help. I know where the kits are."

"Have you seen them?" I asked, my voice quieter than a whisper as I ignored Lionpaw and Hollypaw's nervous chatter behind me.

"I know where they are." Fallen Leaves pressed his pelt to mine, urging me forward. "But we must hurry."

I resisted. "Why should I trust you? You couldn't even get yourself out of these tunnels!"

"But I have walked them ever since," Fallen Leaves murmured sadly, "and I know them better than the moors above us."

I steadied my breath. "You've really seen the kits?"

"They are alive, but they are cold. We must hurry."

Instinct alone might not be enough down here. Touching my tail to Fallen Leaves's flank, I let the tom guide me forward into a tunnel that branched to one side. The passed sloped steeply down; my pads slipped on the floor. The rock was slick with rain.

"Are you sure you know where you're going?" Hollypaw asked.

"Yeah, can you still smell them?" Lionpaw added anxiously.

I nodded before remembering that they couldn't see me. "They went this way." Then, remembering my thought about my origins, I added, "So. How old are you guys?"

Their answers chilled my pelt. Hollypaw, while she hadn't been an apprentice for as long as Lionpaw and I, was the same age as we were – she'd just chosen to have her ceremony delayed so that she could train alongside her foster siblings.

"Duck!" Fallen Leaves said suddenly, and I dipped my head just in time to squeeze through a shallow gap.

"Keep down," I warned, wriggling beneath the pressing rock. The gap grew lower and lower until I was scrabbling on my belly.

I could hear the sounds of my companions scrabbling behind me, Hollypaw panting loudly. "This feels like a dead end!"

"It opens up in a moment," Fallen Leaves promised in my ear.

I smelled the sweet scent of heather and felt rain on my face. There had to be an opening in the roof ahead. I slithered out of the gap, relieved to feel space around me.

"Which way now?" Lionpaw asked, his fur brushing the rock as he squirmed out after me.

"There are three tunnels," Hollypaw added.

I tasted the air, but there was no scent of the kits.

"This way," Fallen Leaves whispered. I could feel my whiskers brush rock on either side as I let Fallen Leaves guide me into yet another tunnel.

"How do you know we're going the right way?" Lionpaw asked, his mew sharp, but I could feel the panic throbbing beneath his pelt. It came from Hollypaw and myself as well, filling the darkness with a suffocating dread that I did my best to block out.

"I can smell them," I lied. I couldn't let their fear grow or overwhelm me. Listen to Fallen Leaves!

The tunnel twisted and veered upward, then widened. Air filtered through a gap overhead. The patter of pawsteps slowed behind me.

"I knew it was a dead end," Hollypaw said with a sigh.

I halted. A boulder was blocking the tunnel ahead of us, and I could sense its unyielding bulk.

"We'll never get past that," Lionpaw mewed.

Rain pounded overhead, dripping through a gap into the tunnel and echoing off the rocks as I sniffed the wet stone. I ran my nose along the builder, following its smooth contours until my whiskers touched the tunnel wall. A tiny gap opened between boulder and wall, too small to squeeze through.

"Now what?" Hollypaw asked, sounding tense. "Do you think you can lead us back?" She didn't sound convinced. "We've got to find the kits! Is this supposed to be some sort of special StarClan boulder?"

"Shut up!" Lionpaw hissed.

"Excuse me?" Hollypaw retorted, and I could imagine her fur bristling wildly.

"Shut up!" Lionpaw insisted. "I hear something!"

All three of us quickly fell silent.

I strained my ears, only to feel relief course through me as I made out a tiny squeaking sound, just louder than the rain. It was echoing from in front of me, and I couldn't think of any other reason for it than the kits.

"Anyone there?" I called.

The squeak turned into an excited mewling. The kits were behind the boulder!

I felt Fallen Leaves breathe in my ear. "I told you I'd help you find them."

"You know, I think I can climb over this," Lionpaw mewed. I heard claws scrabbling against stone as the WindClan tom clambered over the boulder. Shallow water splashed faintly when he jumped down the other side. "They're here!"

The joyful mew echoed around the tunnel. More claws scraped against rock as Hollypaw scrambled over to join Lionpaw.

"Thank StarClan we found you!" Lionpaw said, sounding relieved.

Paws splashed and a frightened mew answered him. "We couldn't climb back over!"

"We thought we were stuck forever!"

"We'll take you home," Hollypaw promised.

"Go on, Swallowkit," Lionpaw urged. Tiny claws scraped stone and a soggy bundle of fur slid clumsily down onto the ground beside me.

"Are you okay?" I asked, crouching slightly to sniff at the kit. The rain was pounding harder and I knew we had to get out of here soon.

"I'm fine, but-"

Lionpaw's mew interrupted her. "Your turn, Sedgekit."

Fur brushed rock and another kit thudded lightly on the floor. I reached out my nose to the newest arrival, brushing against soft but sodden kitten fur. "Are you hurt?"

"No."

I swept the two kits together with my tail, pressing against their wet pelts to warm them. There wouldn't be much time for that when we were making our way out.

Lionpaw and Hollypaw scrambled back over the boulder to land beside me, and I stiffened. Lionpaw was holding the third kit in his jaws. She was barely breathing and when Lionpaw set her carefully back onto the ground, she didn't move.

"Thistlekit went to sleep and now she won't wake up!" Swallowkit wailed next to me.

I pushed the trembling kits against Lionpaw and crouched beside the limp, wet body at my feet. I could still feel a pulse, but it was faint, and the kit was shivering with small convulsions. I began to massage her body with my paws, trying to rub some semblance of warmth into her pelt.

"Is she okay?" Hollypaw asked anxiously, peering over my shoulder.

"Help Lionpaw warm the others," I ordered in response.

"We're hungry!" Sedgekit's mew was muffled by Lionpaw's fur.

"It serves you right for wandering off!" Hollypaw scolded lightly. She sounded cross – I got the feeling that that wasn't an uncommon sound for her – but I could feel her fearful gaze jabbing at my pelt as I worked on Thistlekit. Rain dripped down harder through the gap in the roof and the slit had turned to slimy mud around my paws. I rubbed Thistlekit more urgently, knowing that I had to get them out of here.

Swallowkit's trembling voice broke my concentration. "Do you know the way out?"

"Of course, we do," Hollypaw declared. "We found our way in, didn't we? Getting out will be even easier!"

She doesn't believe that.

"We'll get out," I mewed softly. I waited for Fallen Leaves to whisper encouragement, but I could only feel the quiver of his tail against my flank.

Suddenly, Thistlekit began to cough and fidget beneath my paws. Warmth was slowly seeping back into her body. She struggled to her paws. "You found us!" she gasped.

Hollypaw folded herself around the shivering kit. "Did you think we'd leave you in this horrible place?"

Surprise pulsed from the kit. "You're from ShadowClan!"

"Jaypaw and I have been helping Lionpaw find you," Hollypaw explained.

A noise like rushing air suddenly filled the tunnels.

"The rain's getting harder," Hollypaw mewed.

"That's not rain," Lionpaw murmured. "It's coming from inside the tunnels."

"Inside?" Sedgekit squeaked, and I knew.

"The river is overflowing."

Lionpaw darted to my side, his pelt bristling with alarm. "How do you know?"

"I've heard it before," I said, figuring that would be a decent enough excuse considering I was a RiverClan cat. I swallowed my fear. "The tunnels are going to flood."

Energy exploded from Lionpaw. "We've got to get out of here!" Swallowkit squealed as he scooped her up in his jaws.

Hollypaw picked up Sedgekit, and I grabbed Thistlekit. Her weight was uncomfortable, but I had to bear it. I pelted back along the tunnel, my fur brushing the stone and the sound of claws skittering behind me. Fallen Leaves quickly fell in line beside me, matching the rhythm of my stride.

"You've got to get us back to the cave!" I hissed to him around Thistlekit's scruff.

"I will," Fallen Leaves promise. The young tom's paws made no sound on the tunnel floor as we raced onward, but his pelt was hot with fear and his mind flashed with memories that echoed in my own mind: paws churning through muddy water, struggling against currents too strong to fight, gasping for air and finding only water, disbelief at the world closed in and life ebbed from his body. He's remembering how we drowned.

I pushed on harder, ducking just in time to squirm under the low roof. I wriggled forwards with the rock scraping angrily at my spine, my claws splintering against the stone. Struggling out the other side, I paused just long enough to make sure that Hollypaw and Lionpaw had emerged before moving forwards. The kits were squealing with fear and pain at being dragged over the rough stone, but it was a necessary hurt if we wee going to get out of here alive, not that I knew if that was even possible anymore.

"We're nearly there!" I said, trying to be as encouraging as possible.

The tunnel was sloping upward now. Water washed my paws, but it was okay because I knew there was only one more twist, one more turn. I burst into the cave with hope springing in my belly.

We've made it! I could feel Fallen Leaves trembling with relief beside me.

Ahead, the river was roaring.

"How are we going to get the kits across?" Lionpaw asked, fear heavy in his voice as he set Swallowkit down.

"I could maybe swim them across," I offered.

Hollypaw sounded terrified beside me. "There's no point! The rain's washed soil over the entrance. There's too much mud to dig through."

"I can't see that," Lionpaw said, disbelieving and dismayed.

"I'm from ShadowClan! I'm used to seeing in the dark," Hollypaw snapped. "Besides, why would I lie?"

I pressed against Fallen Leaves's side, trying to read his thoughts, but the young tom's flank seemed to be fading. My shoulder passed through his with a shiver. "Fallen Leaves?"

"I'm sorry!" Guilt and grief hung like mist in the air. I suddenly felt cold where the tom's warm body had been. Panic gripped me and time seemed to slow. For just a moment, I caught a pair of amber eyes.

"Wait!" I called. "Come with us!"

Fallen Leaves blinked, his gaze filled with sorrow. "It's not my time to leave," he mewed faintly, and then he was gone.

Not again!

"Are we going to die?" Sedgekit's terrified mew rose above the torrent.

My mind whirled as I tried to work out some way to escape. Water sprayed in my face as the river frothed and bubbled against the cave walls. Lionpaw pressed me backward toward Hollypaw where the three of us huddled on a thing strip of earth with water snapping at our paws.

"Maybe we could wait until the cave floods and climb out through the opening in the top?" Hollypaw suggested, sounding desperate.

"It's too small to escape through," Lionpaw growled.

Fallen Leaves hadn't made it out of the tunnels… but the stick had! It didn't have legs of its own to walk with, but I'd found it by the lake.

The water!

"We've got to swim," I mewed.

"Swim where?" Lionpaw spluttered.

"The river runs into the lake. It'll carry us there!"

Hollypaw lashed her tail. "But it disappears underground!"

"It comes out in the lake!" I insisted. It was the only logical option. All of that rushing water had to go somewhere.

"We're not RiverClan like you," Hollypaw wailed. "We can't swim!"

"There's no other way," I mewed. "It's just… It's like running in water."

It was in no way an adequate description of the process, but it was the best my frazzled nerves could come up with.

"I trust you," Lionpaw decided, and Hollypaw huffed her agreement.

Swallowkit squealed in terror. "I'm not going in the water!"

"We'll hold you by your tails," I promised. "We won't let go." It was how all RiverClan kits practiced swimming at some point, their trainer carefully grasping their tail as they swam behind them.

"By our tails?" shrieked Thistlekit. She was WindClan, I supposed.

"It's how we do it in RiverClan," I hissed. "If we hold you by your scruffs, we'll swallow too much water. You'll have to keep your own heads afloat by paddling with your forepaws."

"I'm scared," Sedgekit said quietly.

Hollypaw pressed close to the young kit. "It's going to be okay."

The water lapped ever higher at my paws, more vicious than before. "We have to go!" I ordered and took Thistlekit's tail-tip firmly in my teeth.

"Line up at the edge of the water," Hollypaw instructed. "Lionpaw, you take Swallowkit. I'll take Sedgekit."

"I'm not going!" Swallowkit exclaimed, her paws splashing through the shallows as she tried to make a run for it. She shrieked as Lionpaw grabbed her dragged her toward him through the water.

"Don't worry, Swallowkit," he soothed. "I won't let go. There's no way I'm going to let you drown."

Swallowkit whimpered. "I'm scared!"

"I know," Lionpaw murmured. "I am too, but you've got to try. I'll give you unlimited badger rides for a moon if you try really, really hard, okay?"

"Okay," she agreed shakily, and didn't try to escape again.

I waded through the shallows, my paws filled with dread as I felt the tug of the river in the undercurrent.

"Ready?" Lionpaw mewed.

"Yes!" Hollypaw answered.

I tensed. "Jump!"

I hurled myself into the rushing torrent, doing my best to orient myself, but the river immediately dragged me underwater. I was lost in my dream of drowning again, choked by the tumbling water with the bodies of cats all around me and my ears filled with roaring. The pale of light of the cave disappeared from sight, my lungs screaming for air. I knew I was probably doing better than anyone else here, and I couldn't imagine being in Lionpaw and Hollypaw's place.

Rock scraped my ears and I felt air on my face as the river swirled me upward. I drew a quick breath and started paddling, managing to firmly right myself and pick up speed. I brushed past Hollypaw and Lionpaw and ignored Thistlekit's thorn-sharp claws on my nose as I let the river push me forward.

The roaring grew louder until I thought my ears would burst.

Then peace.

The current let me go and the noise died away. I fought my way upward, frantically seeking the surface and relieved to not find rock above me. I burst through the surface of the lake, startled by the sudden chill of the wind as it swept across my face, and sucked in a deep breath.

We made it!

I fumbled my way to shore, finally releasing Thistlekit's tail as the she-kit scrambled for the safety of land. I could hear Lionpaw and Hollypaw emerge further down, not as adept in the water as I was, and their gasps as they frantically drew in lungful after lungful of cool, wonderful air.

There will be three, kin of your kin, who hold the power of the stars in their paws.

Once again, the prophecy rang through my mind.

"Hey," I said, turning towards Lionpaw and Hollypaw. "When all of this is over and done with, I'd like to speak with you two."

I had a feeling I'd found my kin.

---

Hmm alright, gotta go look at the old chapters to see how I've been writing the outros. But yeah, you can tell I was very Done with this by the end. Still, it's here! Actually, thanks to Star and Swift for this chapter I guess ahah, Swift for posting the snip on Discord and Star for posting the review that was snip-worthy.

Like always, constructive criticism, suggestions, typos, and whatever else are all welcome. We'll see if I muster up the will to write another one of these despite school... But hey, the first update for this story in three years that didn't occur in the month of August!

Syrup / Rain