Chapter 4

Twisted

The wind rushed through Squirrelflight's fur, sending a shiver down her spine. Looking around, she realized something wasn't right. The grass was a lush green, the sky above was light blue, and she was lying in a clearing that was surrounded by trees. Fear burned in Squirrelflight's pelt, she wasn't in the camp hollow; she was in StarClan.

Squirrelflight's eyes grew wide with fear as she leaped to her paws she called out, "Firestar?" Her voice seemed small as it echo deep into the trees. "Leafpool, Stormfur, Brambleclaw or anyone please tell me your here?" The grass rustled behind her, making Squirrelflight jump with surprise.

"Don't fear, Squirrelflight," a soft voice came from behind her. Squirrelflight turned around; she looked straight at a blue-gray she-cat. "StarClan hasn't abandoned you."

"Bluestar," Squirrelflight meowed. "I have to go back." Bluestar held Squirrelflight's gaze for what seemed like moons. Eyes locked, Squirrelflight's confident meow lowered to a desperate yowl. "I can't leave now, my kits will need me!"

Bluestar's eyes suddenly soften, "Don't worry. StarClan hasn't called for you. You need to watch the one loves you the most."

"Loves me the most?" Squirrelflight asked curiously. "Stormfur is the only one who loves me more than anything." Another question buzzed in her ears as she remembered how Stormfur stood and watched as she was attacked by Hawkfrost. "And why would I have to watch out for him?" However, Bluestar was already gone and the lush forest was slowly disappearing like mist.

"Squirrelflight," a worried, grief-stricken mew rang in her ears that cracked with fear. "Squirrelflight wake up, please." She recognized Firestar's voice and Leafpool fear-scent.

"Step back," Leafpool yowled, not with anger but relief. "She's waking up!" Squirrelflight opened her eyes to see the two worried cats by her side. She smelt another cat but she was too dizzy to tell who it was. The milk-sweet scent told her they were in the nursery. Squirrelflight lifted her head, but as she did a sharp pang struck her stomach, the kits! They were coming, now!

Squirrelflight turned to Leafpool, her eyes wide with fear. That last move Hawkfrost pulled could have hurt her kits, but right now she needed Leafpool's help. Leafpool stared at Squirrelflight's fear wide eyes and asked, "What's wrong?"

"The kits are coming," Squirrelflight yowled.

Brambleclaw quickly dashed to get Cinderpelt. Squirrelflight realized as he left, that Brambleclaw was the other cat with them. As he left, Leafpool ordered Squirrelflight stay calm. It wasn't long when Brambleclaw came back with Cinderpelt, limping as fast as she could. She set down the leaves she was carrying and noticed right away something wasn't right. "Brambleclaw said she passed out, how?" she asked sternly.

Brambleclaw was the one who answered, "Hawkfrost knocked her away; she didn't landed right." Cinderpelt nodded and motioned Leafpool over with her tail. Her eyes flashed with fear. Leafpool knew what she was thinking; this is almost the same thing that happened to Silverstream! Leafpool almost knew for a fact that her sister wasn't going to make it. What was she thinking? With her sister's hard-headed, stubbornness the whole StarClan would have to fight her. One kit came. It was a she-cat, dark gray just like her father. Leafpool passed it to Firestar and ordered him to lick her to help her blood flow and breath.

However, before Firestar could lick the kit once, it gave a gasp, shuttered and laid motionless. "No," Squirrelflight wailed, voice thick with sorrow. "StarClan, don't take her!"

Leafpool licked Squirrelflight's ear in an effort to comfort her. Cinderpelt mewed as calmly as she could, "Here's another kit!" This kit gave a sharp cry as Cinderpelt picked it up gently and passed it to Brambleclaw.

The massive tabby stared hard at the squirming kit, it was ginger like Squirrelflight, and it was a tom. He licked the kit a couple of times before it gave a defiant squeal. "This one is going to make it," he mewed with relief. And might have Squirrelflight's stubbornness, he added to himself as the kit let out another defiant squeal.

"So is this one," Leafpool purred. The kit that mewed hungrily between Leafpool's paws was a she-cat, with beautiful silver fur, and one white ear.

"Here comes the last one," Cinderpelt mewed. However, the last kit was stillborn. Squirrelflight gave a small wail as she wrapped her tail around the two bundles of fur that crawled toward her belly.

Brambleclaw's anger to Stormfur seemed far away now. It wasn't his fault Squirrelflight fell for him instead. Hawkfrost killed two kits who would never know what it was like to hunt prey, feel the sun's warmth on their pelts, or the excitement of becoming apprentices or warriors. "Two kits," he hissed. "When there could have been four."

Squirrelflight looked up at Brambleclaw, her eyes filled with sadness and joy. She had lost two kits, but had two healthy ones; they were Stormfur's and Squirrelflight's kits. She had made it. Brambleclaw's eyes kept on straying to the silver kit, and Squirrelflight knew what he learned a long time ago. Brambleclaw knew about Stormfur and me already, I knew he would learn our secret, but he still cares. Watch for the one who loves you the most. Bluestar's warning rang in her ears.