Chapter 1
A shriek of grief pierced my ears. My eyes flew open as my mother screeched.
As I staggered to my tiny paws, I caught a glimpse of a motionless lump of pale gray fur lying in the nest. Frostkit! I thought, scared, when a flash of deep blue eyes disturbed my fear.
Leafdapple was licking frantically at Frostkit’s fluffy fur, trying to wake her up. I pressed herself up into her mother’s fur, grief closing in on my heart. To my surprise, Leafdapple looked at me and growled dully, “She’s dead. Get Snakestar.”
I hurried out of the warm ShadowClan nursery, shivering at the chill. A silver she-cat was sitting with her head tilted to one side near the den. “Snakestar! Frostkit’s…” I yowled, not able to finish the statement. Snakestar dashed inside the nursery, her sleek pelt rippling with the strength of her muscles.
I gulped and sniffed, knowing my sister was dead. A light touch made me spin around—then I saw the snow-and-shadow pattern of Featherpaw’s fur. The medicine cat’s apprentice’s job made my heart pang with envy, but Featherpaw was gentle and kind, and she was always the cat I had admired.
Featherpaw’s shockingly blue eyes were plain with grief, and the usual playful glint had left their depths. Her mentor, Briarfur, was sick with greencough, and she had never left his side since it started. I had brought her food and helped gather herbs from the little medicine garden on the edge of the den.
Featherpaw didn’t look like she knew about Frostkit yet, but she was still mourning. Her wide blue gaze turned to me, its pain growing quickly. Suddenly, Featherpaw burst out a shocking message. “Briarfur is dead!” she wailed. “I don’t even have my full medicine cat name and I still am the full medicine cat!”
I stared at her. Two deaths in one day? After Applekit had died, Frostkit was my last littermate. But before her death, there was Blackkit, Eaglekit, and Softkit. Eaglekit and Softkit had passed the night we were born, and Blackkit had followed a moon later. Applekit had died a short three moons afterwards, and then there was Frostkit…
I shuddered, wondering how long it would be before I followed my littermates. Leafdapple had stopped eating after Blackkit’s death, and it had taken her a long time to start again. Now, what? How would we survive without any new kits? That wasn’t what bothered me. I had grieved when my other brothers and sisters had died, but I had handled it.
But now, with Frostkit gone?
Featherpaw pressed herself against my gray pelt, murmuring comfort. “Don’t worry, Owlkit. Everything will be all right.”
Just then, Snakestar poked her broad face out of the nursery. “Owlkit, come here for a moment.” She beckoned me across the camp, towards her den. “Frostkit is dead,” she whispered sadly, “But we will always survive. You will, Owlkit. You have reached six moons, and you will become a apprentice.”
With that, she strode over to CeremonyTree and, with a mighty leap, jumped up on the highest branch. “Let all cats old enough to ambush in the night gather for a Clan meeting,” she yowled.
Shellflower poked her dappled face out of the warrior’s den. Yawning, she trotted over.
As ShadowClan started to cluster in the clearing, I remembered something. I ran over to Featherpaw, who was crouched in the shade of a bush. “Featherpaw!” I panted. “I want to be a medicine cat apprentice!”
Featherpaw stared at me, clearly not shocked. “Big surprise,” she muttered sarcastically. I gazed pleadingly at her, begging silently. Oh, StarClan! What will I do if she says no?
Snakestar yelled, “Owlkit, come here!” I glanced sorrowfully at Featherpaw, who was still thinking. I shyly padded over to CeremonyTree.
“A kit has died today, but her sister still lives. We will grieve for Frostkit later. Now it is time for another warrior apprentice!”
Featherpaw jumped to her paws. “Wait!” she yowled. “Owlkit wants to take on the role of a medicine cat! I will take her on as my apprentice!”
Silence filled the clearing. Snakestar looked at Featherpaw. “What about Briarfur?”
Featherpaw stepped forward. “Briarfur is dead. I am ready.”
I glanced at my mentor-to-be, feeling sorry for her but excited for my new life. Snakestar sighed and said shortly, “Owlkit, you are now Owlpaw. Featherpaw is your mentor. Tonight you will travel to the Moonpool to get approved by StarClan, and for Featherpaw to get her full name.”
Snakestar whisked around and stalked into her den. The Clan broke up, whispering and shooting glares at me.
At first I was confused. What have I done wrong?
Then the reality sunk in. I had refused the life of a warrior. There were only three warriors and one apprentice. StarClan, why did I do that?