CHAPTER 9

"Mothflower! Mothflower, please help! My kits are coming!" the panicked yowls made me jolt awake and instantly black flooded my vision. I could hear rustling coming from Mothflower's nest. She woke up too, good.

"Jaypaw, get me a stick and some wet moss and meet me in the nursery. Dawnpool's kits are coming. Don't procrastinate," Mothflower ordered, her voice slightly muffled. She was probably carrying the herbs she'd set out just for this occasion.

I heard her leave the den and I jumped out of my nest. I was going to get to help Mothflower give birth! I grabbed a stick and a ball of moss, dipping it in the small pool of water we had in the corner of our den.

Then I rushed out of the den with the moss and stick in my mouth, hurrying across the clearing to the nursery. It was easy to locate since all I had to do was follow the pained yowls.

I could hear the WindClan cats waking up and coming out into the clearing. But that didn't matter. Dawnpool needed me.

Inside the nursery, Dawnpool was clearly in pain. I could hear her whimpering as I shoved the stick in her mouth and set down the ball of wet moss.

"What now, Mothflower?"

My mentor moved around a little before answering, "Push, Dawnpool! Push these kits out!" she ordered in a kind voice.

Someone bursted into the den and I turned my head in the direction of the noise. Whitefang's scent hit my nose.

"No, you can't be in here, Whitefang," I told him firmly. "You know the rules."

But Whitefang shoved past me. "I promised Dawnpool I would be here for her. I do not lie," he responded in a loving voice. He was at Dawnpool's side now and Dawnpool let out another loud yowl as she pushed.

"Mothflower," I mewed, turning to my mentor. We never let the mates in the den when someone was kitting.

"It's fine, Jaypaw. Let him stay. He won't do anything," Mothflower mewed and I could hear her moving around again. "Push more, Dawnpool. It's time for them to come out!"

The queen let out a screech and I could hear her grunting, then something was thrust to me. Mothflower had told me exactly what to do when she gave me one of the kits.

I quickly nipped the sac and began to lick the kit, keeping it warm. It was a she-kit and I could hear her mewling quietly for milk.

Dawnpool shrieked again and I could hear Mothflower with the other kit now.

There was complete silence in the den and I felt myself begin to panic.

"What's going on?" I asked urgently, flicking my head over to Mothflower. I could feel her silence. It was like claws sinking into my pelt.

"Two healthy she-kits, Dawnpool. Congratulations," Mothflower suddenly purred and I lifted my kit up, setting it down next to her belly. "You should name them…"

Whitefang let out a small gasp. "What does this mean, Mothflower?"

"What's going on?" I snapped, narrowing my eyes at them.

"The kits, Jaypaw, they look exactly alike," Mothflower mewed softly. I could hear her worry. "As of right now there is no way to tell them apart."

My jaws fell open in response. Is that possible? How would anyone know which one is which?

"The one born first is Mistkit and the other one is Featherkit," Dawnpool mewed in a loving voice. "No matter what they look like I love them. I am there mother, I should be able to tell them apart."

"What do they look like?" I asked, stepping forward. Mistkit had a more soft, honey-like scent and Featherkit had a milky scent. Maybe that's how I could tell them apart. That's how I did it anyways.

Dawnpool smiled at me. "They're both pure white, just like me. They're exactly the same size. The only thing we can hope for is for their eyes to be different colors but, I am their mother. It'll be okay." I wasn't sure if she was reassuring herself or me.

"They sound lovely, Dawnpool. Congratulations." I turned away from her and hurried out of the den, hearing Mothflower hurry after me.

"Get to the medicine den and sort some herbs while I speak to Russetstar, okay?"

"Wait, Mothflower," I mewed quietly, hearing her pause in her tracks. "What's this mean for those kits?"

There was a hint of sadness in her voice, "They'll probably be mixed up their entire lives. But Dawnpool is right, a mother always knows her kits. It'll be okay." Then she padded away.

But the churning feeling in my belly told me that it would not be okay.


"Hey, Jaypaw," a voice mewed and I could hear the pawsteps entering the den. "Have you seen Wildpaw today?"

My ear flicked at Whitefang. "Nope, I haven't," I responded bitterly. Why in StarClan's name would he think I would have seen Wildpaw? We didn't talk. "Try the apprentice's den or ask Gorsepaw."

He nodded and then padded away. Why was Wildpaw suddenly missing? Although I didn't particularly like him, it was concerning that my littermate was missing to his mentor. But Gorsepaw was his best friend as of lately, so if anyone knew where he was, she did.

Whitefang and Dawnpool's kits had been born four sunrises ago and tonight, finally, was the medicine cat meeting at the Moonstone.

"Wildpaw is missing?" Icepaw gasped and I heard another set of pawsteps behind her. "How could we not notice! Whitefang says he hasn't saw Wildpaw all day! What if ThunderClan took him?"

I sighed, setting down my herbs and turning to Soulpaw and Icepaw. "I'm a medicine cat. I don't sleep in the apprentice's den nor do I train with you. None of us really speak with Wildpaw, with the exception of Gorsepaw, so how would I know that he'd been missing all day?"

Soulpaw let out a loud huff. "Have you heard anything yet? You know, about the prophecy?"

I shook my head at him. "I told you I'd let you know. For all you know I'm not the Third cat, Wildpaw or Gorsepaw or one of Dawnpool's kits could be," I responded angrily.

Not too long ago when Icepaw was sick in the medicine den, she came to me with a prophecy. She said because I was a medicine cat, one of the only cats who spoke with StarClan, I should know what it means. I didn't. Soulpaw heard us and apparently he had received this prophecy as well. So two very non medicine cats had heard from StarClan and me, the medicine cat apprentice, had heard nothing.

"Why are we crowding in my den?" Mothflower snapped, pushing past Soulpaw and Icepaw. "What is going on that is so important?"

"Wildpaw is missing!" Icepaw gasped. "I haven't seen him since this morning and neither has Whitefang! He's speaking to Gorsepaw right now."

Mothflower sighed loudly. She reminded me of myself. "Go ask around before you assume, okay? Then you can come yell at Jaypaw."

They shuffled out of the den and I continued my sorting, but there was a small edging panic in the back of my head. What if ThunderClan had taken Wildpaw and no one noticed?

"Thank you, Mothflower," I mumbled, putting up the Poppy Seeds.

"First medicine cat meeting tonight. I should tell you what to expect, huh?" she purred in amusement. "We'll meet Stonetail and Fernpaw, the ShadowClan medicine cats, outside of Mothermouth and then Graypool, the RiverClan medicine cat, will show up with Featherwhisker and Cinderpaw, the ThunderClan medicine cats. They generally travel together, it's a long journey for the ThunderClan cats."

I nodded at her. "And then we touch our noses to the stone and dream," I finished for her. She'd told me before how it worked.

She chuckled softly. "Sorry. It's nerve-wracking to be presented in front of StarClan, to be accepted. But I don't doubt that they will accept you," she told me with honesty.

"Me either," I mewed, not very confidently. It was nerve-wracking. Especially since two other apprentices had been visited by StarClan and I hadn't. Was that a sign? Should I not be a medicine cat?

"Jaypaw!" Whitefang burst into the den again and I turned around, shooting a glare in his direction. "Wildpaw is back, I just thought you should know."

My heart skipped a beat in my chest. "Is he okay? Did ThunderClan take him?" I asked urgently.

"No, no, StarClan no. He went hunting by himself. He's perfectly fine. I just thought you should know," Whitefang explained and then he left the den.

"You should go check on Dawnpool and soon we'll leave, sound good?" Mothflower told me warmly.

I nodded and padded out of the den, making my way across the clearing to the nursery and slipped inside.

"Jaypaw," Dawnpool mewed happily and I could hear the mewling of her two very similar kits.

"How're they doing?" I asked nicely, sniffing the one I knew was Mistkit. Their scents were so very different.

"Very good. Mistkit has been exploring outside the nest and Featherkit seems very nuzzled into me." I heard her tongue rasping against Featherkit.

I sniffed Featherkit. They both smelled healthy. "I just wanted to check on you before-"

"The medicine cat meeting," Dawnpool mewed softly. I knew she missed being a medicine cat. "Good luck facing StarClan, Jaypaw. I believe in you." Her nose touched my cheek softly.

I gave her a small smile and slipped out of the den. My chest felt tight and I felt panicky. StarClan couldn't be that scary, right?


The trek from WindClan to the border to the Moonstone made my paws feel like they were going to fall off. In fact, the many rocks I hit and holes I fell into would agree with me.

"Stonetail will already be waiting for us. Here come Graypool and Featherwhisker," Mothflower told me excitedly.

"Mothflower!" a voice purred warmly, an older tom voice. Featherwhisker. "It's great to see you both." I could tell he dipped his head.

"Shall we get going?" Graypool asked rather urgently. Why did she want to see StarClan so badly?

We padded across the empty Thunderpath and to the Moonstone. Stonetail and Fernpaw's scent washed over me.

"Let's get inside, quickly." Stonetail plunged inside and the rest of us followed.

The cave was narrow and I could feel the walls of the cave brushing against me as we walked down. Obviously I couldn't see anything but I could feel the warmth in the air leaving and the cold was pricking my pelt.

"Press your nose against the rock," Mothflower mewed and suddenly the walls were swallowing me up. I could feel the stone before us.

We all crouched down and touched our noses to it and I sent a quick prayer to StarClan before closing my eyes and waiting for my dream.

"Jaypaw…"

An unfamiliar voice hit my ears and my heart lifted instantly. My eyes flickered open and before me stood a gray tabby tom with stars shining in his fur. His amber eyes shone warmly at me.

"I am Dust Muzzle, an ancient cat of WindClan. I am here to welcome you as a medicine cat."

I stared at him in awe. Words weren't coming fast enough, my brain was spinning. On top of being able to see the starry-furred StarClan cat, StarClan was accepting me as a medicine cat. A blind cat.

"It's okay if you can't find the words," he chuckled softly. He didn't seem mad at all. "It's not everyday that you get to meet a StarClan cat. Especially one of Windstar and Gorsestar's kits."

My entire body shivered. Windstar, as in the founder of WindClan? My jaws parted. I needed to say something, anything!

"Mothflight!" A beautiful snowy-white she-cat padded into the dark clearing. The wind began to whistle. "This is my sister, Mothflight, the first medicine cat and the one who discovered the Mothermouth."

The she-cat chuckled softly, her bright green eyes flashing at me. "Welcome, Jaypaw. I really need to speak with you."

My ears pricked curiously at her. "W-What is it?" I had finally found my voice. Thank StarClan.

"I know you have already been told about the prophecy, your prophecy," Mothflight mewed and my heart rose in hope. "Hard times are coming, Jaypaw. You need to keep an eye peeled at all times. Someone you know is not who you think they are…" She trailed off.

Behind her I could see a camp, but I wasn't sure I knew any of the cats in it. Many cats were prowling it but not a familiar cat was in sight.

"What does this mean?" I asked, my eyes flickering over to the ancient cats again.

"Hard times are coming…" they both whispered and disappeared.


"Jaypaw?"

My eyes flickered open and I was again met with black. I was awake again. "Yes?" I turned my head towards Mothflower's direction.

"We're ready to go now," she mewed and I heard the other medicine cats padding up the tunnel. "How did it go? Did they accept you?"

My paws prickled with excitement as I followed her out of the tunnel. "Yes, they did."

"That's wonderful!" my mentor purred happily as we emerged from the tunnel. "Let's get home."

She quickly mewed her goodbyes to the other medicine cats and then we hurried back towards WindClan camp in silence.

I'm part of the prophecy! I thought, almost bouncing excitedly. The vision of the unknown cats in the camp flashed through my mind and the excitement disappeared. Who were those cats? And whose camp was that?