Chapter 9

Gingerpaw saw Moonstream. She looked up at the StarClan warrior and mewed, "Why do you come to my dreams and not Starheart's? She's your mother."

"Starheart's destiny has been fulfilled. She no longer needs me to help her through life. Her destiny was fulfilled from the moment Firestar changed her name."

"So why me? Why not a Clanborn cat?"

"That is a choice that StarClan made before I joined them."

Gingerpaw thought of what the black she-cat was saying. So is there a greater force then StarClan? How do we know they are making the right decisions in our lives?

"Gingerpaw." Moonstream got Gingerpaw's attention and the young apprentice looked up.

"Let the one who saved her, let her Clan be saved. ThunderClan's destiny be down to one little kit."

"What? What does that mean?" Gingerpaw knew that there was a deeper meaning in Moonstream's message but before she could figure it out she felt a prod in her side.

Blizzardpaw was looking up at her. His eyes were filled with worry. He flicked his ears to the entrance of the nursery, into the open clearing. All the cats sat up, watching as winds came from all direction. They met, all the air swirling together, destroying whatever met their path.

Gingerpaw hid in the entrance. The wind was pulling; it felt like it was going to pick all of the cats up!

As the other cats realized that the wind would pick them up they ran inside their dens. Yellowfur picked up one of her kits but her second was left gazing up at the swirling wind.

As the wind came closer it picked up the little kit. "Dustkit!" Yellowfur yowled attempting to rush over to her kit.

She saw Ferncloud place her tail on the young queen's shoulder. "Don't,"

"I'm not going to let her die in that thing!" Yellowfur hissed.

"I've learned better then any cat; you can't lose yourself if a kit dies. I know you love her, but she's gone, don't kill yourself to save her."

Gingerpaw had heard tales of the four kits Ferncloud had lost, Larchkit, Hollykit, Birchfur and Shrewpaw. Larchkit and Hollykit had died of hunger, Shrewpaw had been killed by a twoleg monster and Birchfur was killed by rats. Ferncloud had lost much more then her four kits, her mate had been killed by badgers, her mother by dogs and her brother, Ashfur had been killed by rats.

Gingerpaw looked back at the swirling wind; Dustkit looked half dead, floating around in there.

Gingerpaw felt sympathy for the poor queen, this was her first litter and has already lost a kit when he snuck out of camp and fell down the cliff. She only had one kit left. Yellowfur had her tail wrapped carefully around her last kit, Spottedkit.

Mudpaw looked up at the wind and mewed, "It's almost gone!"

Gingerpaw noticed the wind lower to the ground and that it was weaker from all directions.

Yellowfur's eyes were on Dustkit as she fell to the ground. "Dustkit!" She bolted after her kit and accidentally tugged Spottedkit onto her side. Gingerpaw nudged the brown kit to her paws.

Yellowfur hung her head as she and her mate, Voletail, came back, Voletail holding Dustkit's limp body.

Spottedkit looked up at Gingerpaw and mewed, "What's wrong with Dustkit?"

Gingerpaw bent her head down and licked the kit on the top of her head, "Nothing,"

"I wanna play!" Spottedkit looked up excitedly at Gingerpaw, hopping the tabby apprentice would agree.

"Go find Mosstail and her kits. I'm sure one of those four kits will want to play." Mosstail had four healthy kits, nothing had happened to any of them, except for little Flamekit who had greencough but had surprisingly survived.

Gingerpaw headed over to where Spottedkit and Flamekit were play fighting. Mosstail rushed over to them and mewed, "Stop!"

Gingerpaw looked surprised at the black and white she cat. "What's wrong?"

"Sorry, I'm just a little overly conscious. So many cats have been dying. I don't want some kits claws to slip."

"Mosstail," Gingerpaw put her tail in support on the she-cat's shoulder, "They won't hurt each other. But you are right, so just watch them in case they get a little too violent." She suggested.

"Thanks Gingerpaw," Mosstail nodded as she focused on the two she-cats as they tossed and turned excitedly.

"Now let's play Clans! I want to be a ThunderClan warrior!" Gingerpaw could hear Flamekit mew.

"I want to be Leopardstar!" Spottedkit mewed and pounced on Flamekit.

Gingerpaw padded off to the nursery and slept by Icepaw.