Skyclan’s Destiny

Chapter 29

First thing next morning, Leafstar padded up the gorge to check out the spot where the Twoleg kit had been lying. Rain had fallen during the night; her paws splashed through puddles and she narrowed her eyes as the rising sun glittered on water dripping from the rocks. A stiff breeze sent small white clouds scudding across the sky.

Leafstar peered cautiously from behind the spur of rock, then padded forward, her jaws parted to taste the air. She could still pick up the mingled scents of many Twolegs, but they were faint and fading; the night’s rain had helped to wash them away. There were still many marks of the Twolegs’ heavy paws, but Leafstar guessed that they too would fade with time.

Maybe it’s all over, and we are safe.

When Leafstar returned to the camp, she found Sharpclaw arranging the morning’s patrols. At once she picked up the feelings of restlessness among her warriors; they roamed distractedly around the Rockpile, not really listening to Sharpclaw as he called their names.

“What are we going to do if the Twolegs come back?” Petalnose fretted. “Maybe we should leave and find ourselves somewhere else to live.”

“I’m not moving anywhere,” Clovertail retorted. “Not until my kits are born and fit to travel.”

“I’m sure we won’t have to.” Patchfoot brushed his pelt reassuringly against Clovertail’s side. “What can the Twolegs do, after all?”

Shrewtooth shuddered, but didn’t try to reply.

Looking around, Leafstar spotted Stick and the other cats from the Twolegplace huddled together, and she wondered what they were talking about. What if they decide to leave? Maybe they didn’t feel comfortable in a Clan that had too much to do with Twolegs.

A high-pitched squealing drew Leafstar’s attention to the edge of the river. Plumkit was lying on her back with her paws in the air.

“I’m an injured Twoleg!” she wailed. “Help meeeeeee!”

Her brothers frisked around her, darting forward now and then to give her a prod.

“We have to find her Twolegs!” Rabbitkit announced.

Leafstar suppressed a mrrow of laughter. At least Fallowfern’s kits weren’t worried about the possible threat from Twolegs. She wished she could say the same about the rest of the Clan. Even the apprentices were looking subdued, and she spotted Tinycloud and Bouncefire facing each other with bristling fur, as if the tensions had to break out somehow.

“This is no good,” Leafstar muttered. “I have to do something.”

A yowl of greeting rang out from the top of the cliff; Leafstar looked up to see all the daylight-warriors arriving together: Harveymoon and Macgyver in the lead, followed by Billystorm and Ebonyclaw with their apprentices.

That’s it! Leafstar thought. I know what will pull the Clan together and make them feel better.

Leaping up to the top of the Rockpile, she yowled, “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Rockpile for a Clan meeting.”

The gaze of every cat was turned on her. Leafstar waited for the daylight-warriors to reach the bottom of the gorge, and for Echosong to emerge from her den. Tangle and Lichenfur appeared too, stretching out in a sunny spot near the edge of the river.

“Cats of SkyClan, one of the most important ceremonies for any Clan is the making of a new warrior,” Leafstar began when every cat was listening. “And that is why I have called you together today.”

The apprentices brightened up, gazing at one another with excitement sparkling in their eyes, as they wondered which of them their Clan leader meant.

“Yesterday Snookpaw helped his Clan by finding the injured Twoleg’s nest,” Leafstar went on. “Without him, the little Twoleg would still be lying in the gorge. She might even have died. Snookpaw, you acted as a warrior and you deserve your warrior name.”

The apprentice’s jaws gaped open. “But… but Leafstar,” he protested, “I didn’t do anything!”

“You did what no other Clan cat could have done,” Leafstar assured him. “Billystorm, has your apprentice, Snookpaw, learned the skills of a warrior?”

Billystorm’s amber eyes were glowing with pride. “He has.”

Leafstar’s heart wrenched at the thought that his warm look wasn’t for her. “And does he understand the meaning of the warrior code?”

“He does.”

Leafstar leaped down from the Rockpile and stood in front of Snookpaw, who still looked as if some cat had hit him over the head with a dead pigeon.

“I, Leafstar, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice,” she declared. “He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Snookpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?”

Snookpaw was shivering as he replied, “I do.”

“Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior name. Snookpaw, from this moment you will be known as Snookthorn. StarClan honors your courage and your intelligence, and we welcome you as a full member of SkyClan.”

She rested her muzzle on the top of Snookthorn’s head; the young tom licked her shoulder and took a pace back to stand beside Billystorm.

“Snookthorn! Snookthorn!”

The SkyClan cats clustered around to welcome the newest warrior. Leafstar watched them with a deep sense of relief, thankful for their shining eyes and enthusiastic voices. It worked! Now they’re not so worried about the Twolegs. And Snookthorn will be a valuable member of the Clan.

But as the yowls died away and his Clanmates moved back from Snookthorn, the young cat turned to her with trouble in his eyes.

“I’m really sorry, Leafstar,” he mewed, “but I can’t stay here.”

Shocked murmuring broke out among his Clanmates; Tinycloud let out a yowl of protest, echoed by Sparrowpelt and Rockshade.

“What?” Leafstar stared at the new warrior, baffled, as she raised her tail for silence. “Why not?”

Snookthorn shook his head in confusion. “I—I hated it yesterday, when the Twolegs yowled at us and chased us away. We were trying to help them, but they treated us like enemies.”

“They didn’t understand—” Leafstar began.

“I know. But that doesn’t make it any better,” Snookthorn went on miserably. “I’ve enjoyed being a Clan cat, but I don’t want to be an enemy of Twolegs. I can’t stay.”

“Now hang on a moment.” Sharpclaw shouldered his way to the front of the crowd. “You just made a promise to protect and defend your Clan. Were you lying when you said that?”

“No…” Snookthorn protested. “I didn’t mean…” His voice trailed into silence and his tail drooped to the ground.

“I think you’d better decide what you did mean,” Sharpclaw snapped, his eyes glittering with anger.

Snookthorn hung his head without speaking. Leafstar listened with mounting anger to the whispering among her Clan; she heard Bouncefire hiss, “Traitor!” and glared at him until he looked away.

Before Leafstar could speak, Billystorm stepped forward, touching Snookthorn’s ear with his nose. “I know it’s hard, to have a paw in two lives.”

Snookthorn lifted his head and nodded. His eyes were bleak with pain. “I thought I could do it, but I can’t,” he confessed. “Living as a Clan cat is making me something I don’t want to be—fierce and wild and unwelcome among Twolegs. I’m honored that you think I’m good enough to be a warrior, but it’s not something I want. Not anymore.”

Billystorm tipped his head to one side. “It was just one misunderstanding with Twolegs,” he meowed. “Your housefolk would never treat you like that.”

“Really?” Snookthorn retorted, and now he looked taller and stronger, more like the warrior Leafstar knew he could be. “How do you know that? They were so worried when I got sick after falling in the river. Will they have to keep mending me, after battles and hunting accidents and scraping my paws on these rocks all day? It’s not fair to them, to keep putting myself in danger.”

Sparrowpelt let out a snort. “Well, if you’re not brave enough…” he hissed.

Snookthorn spun around and faced him. “I have the courage to know what I truly am,” he replied quietly. “I am a kittypet. Twolegs are not my enemies, and I never want to see that look in their eyes again.” He turned back to his former mentor. “Billystorm, you have taught me so much, and I’ll always be grateful for that. But I cannot walk with my paws in two worlds. Not anymore.”

Leafstar let out a long sigh. She admired the warrior’s conviction; it was a shame his loyalty wasn’t to SkyClan, because he would have been a Clanmate she’d be proud of. “We can’t keep you here, Snookthorn. But I’m sorry you’ve made this decision. We’ll miss you.”

She glared at Sharpclaw as her deputy opened his jaws to speak again. If he tells Snookthorn we’re better off without him, I’ll claw his ears off! Sharpclaw obviously got the message, because he closed his mouth without speaking.

“I’ll miss you, too,” Snookthorn replied, letting his gaze travel over his former Clanmates. “I’ll never forget the friends I’ve made in SkyClan.” Dipping his head, he added, “Thank you for everything, Leafstar.”

He turned away and walked toward the bottom of the trail with his head high. Leafstar felt her heart wrench with sorrow as she watched him. We’ve lost a fine warrior.

“Good-bye, Snookthorn,” she called after him; some of her Clanmates called their good-byes too, but the chorus was thin and ragged, and others just turned away. Snookthorn never looked back.

Twilight was filling the gorge as Leafstar returned from a patrol with a fat squirrel in her jaws. Cherrytail, Tinycloud, and Rockshade followed her, carrying their own prey. The hunting had been good.

As she crossed the Rockpile, Leafstar spotted Sharpclaw sitting on the edge of the pool. The dark blue water swirled close to his paws before veering away downstream. He glanced up at her; Leafstar’s paws prickled when she thought she could make out a spark of triumph in his eyes.

As soon as she had dropped her squirrel on the fresh-kill pile, Leafstar padded over to talk to her deputy. “I’m sorry we won’t be seeing Snookthorn again,” she remarked, trying to sound casual.

Sharpclaw rose to his paws and dipped his head politely at her approach. “I’m sorry, too,” he agreed.

At least he hasn’t said, “I told you so.”

“It makes me think that we need to be absolutely certain about the daylight-warriors’ loyalty,” Sharpclaw continued. “Including Billystorm,” he added, with a meaningful look.

Anger surged through Leafstar, fierce as a flood in leaf-fall. It took every scrap of self-control she possessed not to fall on her deputy and rake her claws across his pelt. “Do you doubt Billystorm’s loyalty?” she demanded, hardly able to believe the strength of her own feelings as she strove to keep her voice steady.

Sharpclaw took a step back, surprise flickering in his eyes. “No.” His voice was mild as he replied. “No more than I doubt the loyalty of any of the kittypets. It must be very hard for them, split between two lives.” He licked one paw and drew it thoughtfully over his ear. “Maybe when the seasons turn colder, more of them will want to stay with their housefolk.”

Leafstar had listened to him belittle the daylight-warriors for long enough. “It sounds as though you doubt the warrior code,” she meowed icily, “if you think it would be so easy for our Clanmates to reject it.”

Not waiting for a response, she spun around and stalked away. She was furious with Sharpclaw for his constant questioning of cats she had come to value, and even more furious with herself for letting the discussion end in a quarrel.

Why did Snookthorn have to leave us? Have we really so little to offer compared with housefolk?

She was heading for her den when she spotted Billystorm beginning to climb the trail that led to the cliff top. He’s on his way back to the Twolegplace. Sudden fear clawed at her heart and she ran after him, scrambling up the trail until she caught up to him.

“Are you leaving?” she blurted out.

Billystorm turned to look at her, his eyes wide with surprise. “Only until tomorrow,” he meowed. As Leafstar struggled to hide her relief, he added, “I’ll go and visit Snookthorn, but I don’t think I’ll be able to change his mind.”

That wasn’t what I wanted to talk about at all, Leafstar thought, confused. I wanted to tell you how much I want you to stay in SkyClan.

“That’s fine,” she mewed evenly. “I just wanted to make sure that Snookthorn is okay. He can come back any time, you know.”

Billystorm’s ears twitched skeptically. “Really? And will all his Clanmates welcome him back?”

Leafstar remembered the protests when Snookthorn announced his intention to leave. She couldn’t deny that some of the Clan would be hostile to the young cat who had made a promise and then broken it. “I will welcome him back, and that’s what counts.”

Billystorm dipped his head and turned to go, glancing back after he had taken a couple of paw steps. “Be careful, Leafstar,” he murmured. “You cannot force cats to be loyal—not to you and not to the warrior code.”

Leafstar stood on the trail, watching the ginger-and-white tom climb to the top of the cliff and vanish into the gathering darkness. Her fur prickled with loneliness. Then she reminded herself that all Clan leaders were alone in making decisions on behalf of their Clan. We have to trust our own instincts, more than any other cat’s.

As she headed for her den again, she spotted tiny figures jumping around on top of the Rockpile, and she recognized Fallowfern’s kits. What are they doing there at this time? They should be tucked up in the nursery. Between curiosity and concern, she headed down into the gorge again.

“Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior name,” she heard in Plumkit’s squeaky voice. “Nettlepaw, from this moment you will be known as Nettlewhiskers. StarClan honors your… your battle skills and your courage, and we welcome you as a full member of SkyClan.”

A warrior ceremony! Leafstar thought, amusement pushing aside her gloomy thoughts. She waited to see Nettlekit dip his head so that his littermate could rest her muzzle on it.

Instead, Nettlekit swiped one forepaw at Plumkit, his claws extended. “No!” he squealed. “I don’t want to be a warrior! Nettlewhiskers is a dumb name!”

“What?” Plumkit’s eyes stretched wide with astonishment, though Leafstar could tell that she wasn’t really surprised. This was all part of their game. “What do you want, then?” she asked.

“I want to live with Twolegs,” Nettlekit declared. “Then I won’t have to hunt for food anymore, or sleep on moldy moss—with your paws in my mouth!” he added to his sister, drawing back his lips in a tiny snarl. “You take up far too much room!”

Paws pattered up behind Leafstar, and Fallowfern appeared, to stand at the foot of the Rockpile with her neck fur bristling angrily. “Come down from there at once!” she ordered. “Sorry,” she added, with an embarrassed glance at Leafstar.

“Don’t worry about it,” Leafstar responded as the kits came tumbling down from the pile of boulders. She knew she couldn’t make an issue out of what she had just seen. They were just playing, nothing more. “If you don’t want to be apprentices, that’s fine,” she told them, shrugging as if she didn’t care. “If you don’t want to learn how to hunt and climb trees and patrol the borders…”

“No! No!” Rabbitkit squeaked, jumping up and down. “We want to do all that.”

“Please!” Nettlekit begged. “It was only a game.”

Plumkit and Creekkit just stood watching Leafstar, their eyes wide with dismay.

“Don’t worry, kits,” Leafstar mewed, brushing their heads gently with her tail. “I’m sure you’ll all learn well when the time comes. Go with your mother now.”

Trying to ignore the churning in her belly, Leafstar made for her den. But before she reached the bottom of the trail, she spotted Sharpclaw again, crouched in the shadow of a boulder with Stick, Sparrowpelt, and Coal. The soft murmur of their voices was cut off as she padded past, and they all turned their heads to watch her.

What have they been discussing that they don’t want me to hear?

Her pelt prickling, she wanted to stop and confront them. But she suspected she wouldn’t get a straight answer, so she simply nodded and went on.

“I’m going to be the best at training!” she heard Rabbitkit boast behind her as Fallowfern herded her rambunctious litter up to the nursery.

“No, I am!” Plumkit argued. “And I’ll be so brave and loyal…”

It’s true, they will. Their game today would be forgotten when the next adventure cropped up. Feeling more optimistic, Leafstar bounded up the trail to her den. Curling deep into the moss and bracken of her nest, she closed her eyes, but for the moment she didn’t try to sleep. She tried to picture where Billystorm might be now, and what his Twoleg den was like. Is it like Snookthorn’s nest, all hard-edged and shut away from the sky?

Gradually sleep crept up on her and she imagined herself prowling around a Twoleg nest, wailing as she tried to get into Billystorm’s den. Her ears picked up the sound of cats padding softly with hushed whispers, and she imagined that kittypets were surrounding her, closing in, angry because she was invading their territory…

Leafstar’s eyes flew open and she breathed a sigh of relief as she saw the familiar curved walls of her den, silvered by the moonlight seeping through the entrance. There were no hostile kittypets, but she could still hear the soft sounds of her dream. She rose to her paws, shaking moss from her pelt, and crept to the entrance of her den. Poking her head out, she stared across the cliff face to the trail that led to the cliff top.

Sharpclaw was padding up the narrow path, his dark ginger fur almost black in the icy light. Behind him were Stick, Cora, and Shorty, and behind them several more of her warriors. They paused briefly to talk to Coal, who was on watch halfway up the cliff, then continued silently up the trail.

So many! Leafstar thought, staring at them in dismay. Where is Sharpclaw taking them?