“It’s a shame Featherwhisker wasn’t there,” Swiftbreeze put in. “He’d have kept an eye on them.”
Moonflower began washing Snowkit again, this time more gently. Bluekit could smell the fear on her mother’s pelt. Her own fur prickled. “She won’t die, will she?”
Poppydawn padded from her nest and pressed her muzzle against Bluekit’s cheek. “Don’t worry, little one.” The queen glanced at Moonflower. “How many did she eat?” she whispered.
“Two.”
Poppydawn sighed. “She’ll be fine after a good sleep,” she promised.
Please, StarClan, let her be okay. Bluekit’s tail quivered. Guilt pulsed through her as she crouched stiffly at the edge of the nest.
“Don’t worry, Bluekit.” Moonflower drew her into the moss with her tail. “I’ll watch over her. You go to sleep.”
Bluekit closed her eyes, but she couldn’t imagine sleeping until she knew Snowkit was okay. I’ll never let her go into Goosefeather’s den again!
“Let all cats old enough to fetch their own prey gather beneath Highrock!”
Pinestar’s call woke Bluekit. She scrambled to her paws, excited. A Clan meeting! Then she remembered Snowkit and stiffened. Hardly daring to breathe, she sniffed her sister. She smelled okay. And she was snoring softly.
Moonflower’s tongue rasped Bluekit’s ear. “Don’t worry,” she whispered. “She’s fine.” Moonflower’s eyes were glazed, as though she hadn’t slept at all. “I’ve been checking on her.” The queen gently nudged the little white bundle. “Snowkit.”
Snowkit growled and wrapped her paw tightly over her muzzle. “Don’t wake me again! You’ve been poking me all night!”
Bluekit felt a rush of relief. Snowkit was fine. She nuzzled against Moonflower’s cheek and purred.
Poppydawn was stretching her forepaws and yawning. “How’s Snowkit?”
“She’s fine,” Moonflower mewed.
“She won’t do that again.” Poppydawn climbed from her nest. “Are you coming to the meeting?”
Snowkit’s eyes shot open, and she jumped to her paws. “There’s a meeting!”
Bluekit heaved a sigh of relief. Her sister looked so wriggly that the poppy seeds must have worn off, like Goosefeather had said. “Can we go?” she mewed.
Moonflower nodded wearily. “If you behave yourselves.”
“We will!” Bluekit promised.
Moonflower got slowly to her paws and padded to the den entrance.
“Where’s Swiftbreeze?” Snowkit wondered.
Bluekit saw that Swiftbreeze’s nest was empty. “Leopardkit and Patchkit have gone, too.”
“I expect they’re already in the clearing,” Moonflower called over her shoulder as she squeezed through the gap in the brambles.
Bluekit scrambled out after her mother. The early morning sun filtered softly through the trees encircling the camp. The Clan cats were filling the clearing, murmuring excitedly while Pinestar gazed down at them from Highrock.
Goosefeather sat at the entrance to the fern tunnel while Featherwhisker weaved between Tawnyspots and Sparrowpelt. Fuzzypelt and Robinwing sat in the shadow of Highrock. Bluekit spotted Stormtail chatting with Windflight. She tried to catch her father’s eye, but he was deep in conversation with the gray tabby warrior.
The tangle of branches around the fallen tree quivered as Mumblefoot, Weedwhisker, and Larksong filed out.
“Hurry,” Moonflower whispered. She nudged Bluekit and Snowkit past Dapplepaw and Whitepaw, who were jostling for best position on the tree stump.
“Here.” Moonflower sat down behind Speckletail and Stonepelt. “Now sit still and hold your tongues.”
Stonepelt looked over his shoulder at them. “Come to see your first Clan meeting, eh?”
Bluekit nodded, relieved to see warmth in the warrior’s gaze, then glanced at her mother. “Are you sure it’s okay for us to be here?” she whispered. “We’re not old enough to catch our own prey.”
Moonflower nodded. “As long as you’re quiet.” She turned to Stonepelt. “Do you know what the meeting’s about?”
Speckletail turned around, answering before Stonepelt could speak. “I think Pinestar has something planned for two of our kits.”
Cold dread suddenly weighted the pit of Bluekit’s stomach. Perhaps Pinestar was going to scold her and Snowkit for sticking their noses where they didn’t belong! She glanced at her sister, fear bristling her pelt, then looked up at Pinestar. But the ThunderClan leader’s gaze was fixed on two other kits.
Leopardkit and Patchkit were sitting beneath Highrock. The Clan had drawn back, leaving an empty space around them. Were they in trouble? Swiftbreeze sat beside Adderfang at the edge of the clearing. They couldn’t be in trouble. Swiftbreeze’s eyes glowed with pride and Adderfang’s chest was thrust forward, his chin high as Pinestar addressed the Clan.
“Newleaf brings with it new hope and warmth. More important, it brings new kits.” The red-brown tom stretched slightly, peering over the Clan toward Snowkit and Bluekit. “I would like to welcome Moonflower and Stormtail’s kits to ThunderClan. They are a little young for a Clan meeting…”
Bluekit tensed.
“…but I’m glad they’re here to see a ceremony that they will one day experience.”
Bluekit’s heart quickened with excitement as the Clan glanced back toward her and Snowkit.
“Leopardkit and Patchkit.” Pinestar drew their attention once more, and all eyes fixed on the two young cats beneath Highrock. “You have been with us for six moons and have learned what it is to be a ThunderClan cat. Today is the day you will begin to learn what it is to be a ThunderClan warrior.”
Mews of approval rippled through the crowd as Pinestar went on.
“Leopardkit!”
When her name was called, Leopardkit stepped forward, her eyes raised to where Pinestar stood on the edge of Highrock.
“From this day forward, you shall be known as Leopardpaw.” Pinestar turned his gaze to Robinwing. “You will train her, Robinwing. Mumblefoot was your mentor, and I hope that you will pass on the fine hunting skills he taught you.” Robinwing dipped her head and stepped forward to stand beside her new apprentice.
“Patchkit,” Pinestar went on, “I already see your father’s courage shining in your eyes. From now on you’ll be called Patchpaw, and I give you Fuzzypelt as your mentor. Listen to him carefully because, though he is young, he is clever enough to teach you how to use your courage wisely.”
Pleased murmurs spread through the Clan. “Patchpaw!” Swiftbreeze’s proud mew echoed off Highrock. “Leopardpaw!”
Dapplepaw jumped off the tree stump and weaved her way through the crowd, Whitepaw following.
“We’ve already made nests for you,” Dapplepaw mewed to the new apprentices.
“Using some of my moss,” Whitepaw pointed out.
Bluekit felt a pang. She was losing her denmates. “Won’t Swiftbreeze miss them?” she asked Moonflower.
“Yes.” Her mother’s eyes were glazed, but not with tiredness this time. “Come on,” she meowed huskily. She swept her tail around her two kits and began to usher them back toward the nursery.
“Can’t we congratulate Patchpaw and Leopardpaw?” Bluekit asked, digging her claws into the soft earth.
Moonflower nudged her forward with her muzzle. “They’re busy with their new denmates.”
“We’ll be their denmates soon,” Snowkit mewed excitedly.
Moonflower’s ears twitched. “Not for six moons, you won’t! And only if you’ve learned not to eat poppy seeds by then!”