Chapter Ten

Stonetail stared at Silversky's still, sodden, body for what seemed like an eternity. Her once beautiful silver tabby pelt was dirty dark gray, and her once shining silver eyes were dull and lifeless. Falling to the ground, he let out a long wail of grief and pain. He howled to the gray skies overhead, feeling the weight of everything come crashing down on him. He had scarcely heard his brother speaking to him, and buried his muzzle into Silversky's sodden fur.

Why her? Why of all cats to drown in this river, did it have to be Silversky? And what of their kits? Were they back in LeafClan's camp wondering where their mother was? Even worse, what would they do now that they no longer had her to look after them? No, Stonetail realized. I will raise them. I will go to LeafClan and live there if I have to. I can't let them be alone.

"Stonetail!" Minnowstripe's yowl cut through his thoughts. "What is going on? Did you know this she-cat?"

Stonetail lifted his head to stare blankly at his brother. "I...I loved her. Her name was Silversky, and she was my mate."

"Your mate? Wasn't she a LeafClan cat?" Mistybreeze chimed in, her eyes wide.

"I don't care if it's against the code," growled Stonetail, defending himself. "I loved her, and she loved me. She...She was expecting my kits. Those kits are in LeafClan now without their mother. I need to go to them. Minnowstripe, tell the Clan I'm sorry."

Minnowstripe lashed his tail. "You can tell them yourself!" he snapped, before softening. "We need to bring her back to her camp first though. She needs to be put to rest with her kin."

Shakily getting to his paws, he leaned down as Mistybreeze and Minnowstripe lifted her onto his back. Carefully swimming across the shallower part of the river, the three cats slowly marched towards LeafClan's camp. As they entered, he was instantly greeted with murmurs of shock and surprise. A wail of grief erupted from the nursery, and Stonetail saw a long-haired black she-cat he knew as Hollycloud, fall to the ground in grief—her mate, Stonetail presumed, instantly by her side. Echostar emerged from her den, her eyes wide with horror, while Foxchaser dashed from across the camp.

Stonetail carefully laid Silversky on the ground, staring at his paws. Foxchaser let out a screech of fury and grief, flinging herself at him. She slammed him to the ground, clawing at him angrily.

"This is all your fault!" she snarled, slashing her claws across his muzzle, her voice breaking. "She would be alive if it weren't for you!"

As her Clanmates dragged her off of him, Stonetail slowly got back to his paws. The scratches he suffered across his muzzle barely hurt compared to the overwhelming sadness he felt.

"So, you must be Stonetail then," Echostar murmured, looking at him with a knowing look.

Stonetail met her gaze. "You knew?" To his surprise, no cat in the camp seemed shocked to know about Silversky's forbidden mate.

"Before Hawk was exiled, he told the Clan about your meetings. He saw you two together one night and revealed it to the Clan," Echostar told him, her eyes full of grief.

"My kits though...where are they?" Stonetail demanded, looking towards the nursery. "They have to know about their mother. I...I have to see them."

"Stonetail," Echostar frowned. "They aren't here."

Heart dropping, he spun on her. "What do you mean? You...you didn't exile her did you?"

"She exiled herself," Foxchaser spat, her eyes still burning with fury towards him. "She ran away the moment her secret was revealed. We haven't seen her since she left."

"My kits are out there alone then?" Stonetail yowled in disbelief. "I have to find them!"

Before any cat could stop him, he burst through the entrance of the camp and rushed along the river bank. Looking around furiously, he felt panic well up in his chest. Where could they be? Why didn't Silversky tell me she was found out? Why am I so useless?

Another cat tackled him to the ground. Writhing angrily under their weight, he kept yowling that he needed to find his kits. Feeling the fight drain out of him, he picked up the scent of his brother holding him down.

"Stonetail, you need to listen!" he yowled to him. "The kits…if Silversky drowned in this flood then..."

"No...No!" Stonetail screeched, clawing at the muddy ground. "My kits are out there! I have to find them! Let me go! They aren't dead! They...aren't...dead..." he choked on his last words, sobbing.

Minnowstripe let him go, staring down at him with sadness in his eyes. Mistybreeze pressed closely beside Minnowstripe, sympathy in her eyes. Stonetail laid on the ground, sobbing and wailing out in grief. There were no kits waiting for him. No Silversky to greet him at the gathering. There was nothing. Stonetail was alone.

Stonetail laid in his nest, staring at the wall. Since they returned to camp that fateful day a few days ago, the Clan had either avoided him or gazed at him with sympathy. Marshpool, Stonetail's father, showed anger at hearing his son broke the code; while Heronwing refused to talk to him. Stonetail felt he deserved everything. While he was grateful that his mother had been understanding and supportive during these past few days, he wished he could just be left alone to die. He didn't deserve anything; not when Silversky and their kits met such a tragic fate. Icestar even showed concern for the kits and had multiple patrols search the river and the shores for any signs of them; but they all turned up empty.

The thought that his kits tiny bodies were out there somewhere made Stonetail hate himself more. He wished he could just die, at least then he would be with his kits and Silversky. Drifting off to sleep once again, he felt his dreams fade over to the future he was denied.

Many moons passed since that tragic day. Stonetail often patrolled the border, remembering Silversky and the day they had met for the first time. He managed to fit back into the Clan, and was now deputy of ReedClan. Despite feeling undeserving of such a rank, Stonetail accepted it with pride. As he gazed one last time at the river, he looked up at the sky. I will always love you, Silversky, he closed his eyes as a gentle breeze ruffled his fur. Our kits too.

Making his way back to camp, he noticed Icestar beckon to him from his den. Curious he met the ReedClan leader in his den. The huge white tom was sitting in his nest, his piercing red eyes watching Stonetail as he settled down before him.

"Yes, Icestar?" he prompted.

"I see you still spend a lot of time around the border," the ReedClan leader observed. "You still think of them, don't you?"

Stonetail sighed, looking down. "Every day. I just wish I could have been there for them."

"Don't feel such guilt over their deaths, Stonetail," Icestar told him, looking away. "I lost a mate and kits too. It's easy to blame ourselves over their deaths, but in the end, StarClan is the one who makes the final choice; even if we don't understand it."

Stonetail faintly remembered the story of Puddledrop—Icestar's first mate—who had died giving birth to stillborn kits. Although Icestar had moved on with his new mate, Mosspool, and the two had one daughter—Mudspeck—it was clear that his first mate's death still weighed heavily on the ReedClan's leader's heart. Icestar's ears flicked up then, Pikeskip peering into the den.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Pikeskip dipped his head. "But we have visitors in the camp. They were waiting on the border to be brought here."

"Visitors?" Stonetail glanced at Icestar.

Icestar stood and brushed past Stonetail. "Only one way to find out."

As Stonetail followed his leader out, he noticed two cats standing in the center of camp. Stonetail instantly recognized the LeafClan warrior, Shadowheart, but had no idea who the black tabby with him was.

"What are LeafClan cats doing in my camp?" Icestar instantly demanding, his eyes narrowed.

Shadowheart met his gaze levelly. "We're here to see Stonetail."

"Me?"Stonetail paced up beside his leader, bewildered. "What do you want to see me for?"

The two toms exchanged a glance, before the black tabby stepped forward. His gaze met Stonetail's. "We're here because Silversky was our mother," he told him. "We have a sister too, but she's not with us."

Stonetail stared at him, time freezing. Was it possible? Did his kits really survive?

Dapplefoot rushed over, her eyes wide. "Is it true?" she asked them. "Are you really Silversky's kits?"

The black tabby nodded. Blackflame dipped his head. "Yes, Silversky confirmed it herself in StarClan when Foxstar went to visit her."

Everything Stonetail had felt, all the dreams he had, he felt all of it come out. Collapsing in a heap of sobs, Stonetail realized that StarClan had blessed him. His kits were alive after all! Now he wouldn't be alone.

Thank you, Silversky, he silently promising between sobs. I will keep them safe forever. I promise.