“I believe that ‘the fire that has burned out’ must refer to Firestar, the great leader of ThunderClan,” Echosong responded.
Firestar, who restored SkyClan after we were scattered and almost destroyed! Hawkwing thought, his wonder growing. Firestar who was Ravenpaw’s friend. Every kit knows that story!
The concern in Leafstar’s expression grew deeper. “I don’t want to believe that Firestar is dead…” she murmured.
Echosong dipped her head sadly. “I don’t see what else
Skystar’s words could mean,” she continued. “And if that’s true, then ‘the spark that remains’ could well be Firestar’s kin in ThunderClan. That must mean that we’re being told to seek out ThunderClan, and perhaps the other Clans, too. Perhaps it’s time for SkyClan to go home…”
“Really?” Sharpclaw lashed his tail; Hawkwing could see how much he hated Echosong’s suggestion. “And just how do you suggest we do that? We know that the Clans have moved away from where they lived when Firestar came to us. How are we supposed to find them now?”
Echosong remained calm in the face of the deputy’s objection.
“I doubt StarClan would send us on a journey we could not complete,” she mewed. “We can seek out Barley, the farm cat who was Ravenpaw’s friend, and ask him if he knows where the Clans’ camps are now.”
“That’s exactly what we should do!” Bellapaw called out from where she sat at the foot of the Rockpile.
“Barley will be glad to help,” her brother Rileypaw agreed.
They’re Barley’s kin, Hawkwing thought. They know him better than any cat. But even if he can help us, is this really what we’re being asked to do?
Silence fell among the Clan, the cats exchanging glances of mingled confusion and dismay. Hawkwing felt as bewildered as his Clanmates. StarClan can’t possibly mean to send us wandering away from here. The gorge is our home. Why would we want to leave it?
Leafstar had stepped forward again and was about to speak when the silence was broken by Sagenose.
“This is all very well,” he declared, “but surely there is a simpler answer. This prophecy must be about the fire that just happened. It can’t be a coincidence that the fire broke out at the same time that Echosong had her vision.”
“M aybe there’s something left over at the Twoleg greenplace where the fire happened,” Plumwillow suggested. “M aybe Skystar wants us to find it.”
Echosong shook her head. “It’s true that I had the vision on the same day that the fire happened, but—”
“Was StarClan predicting the fire?” Nettlesplash asked, leaping to his paws.
Hawkwing felt as though a rock had plummeted out of an empty sky and landed on top of him.
Sharpclaw let out a low growl. “Quiet down, all of you, and let
Echosong finish.”
The Clan obeyed him, though there was still a stir of movement and muttered comments following Nettlesplash’s question.
Hawkwing felt a tightness in his chest. Did Echosong know about the fire before it happened? And she kept it to herself? He tensed every muscle as though he was creeping up on prey as he listened to the medicine cat’s reply.
“I believe that ‘the fire has burned out’ refers to Firestar’s death, and not a real fire,” Echosong meowed. “I don’t think that Skystar—”
This time it was Tinycloud who interrupted. “If this prophecy is about some cat with fire in their name, then maybe it refers to Firefern or Bouncefire.”
Bouncefire puffed his chest out at the thought of being mentioned in a prophecy, while Firefern, looking disturbed, opened her jaws to reply.
But Hawkwing couldn’t hold himself in any longer. Before Firefern could speak, he sprang to his paws. “If you knew about the prophecy,” he cried out to Echosong, “why didn’t you warn any cat? You think it’s just a coincidence that you received this prophecy on the morning of the great fire, and they’re not connected? That doesn’t make any sense! StarClan warned you about the fire, and—”
“StarClan has always worked in mysterious ways,” Echosong cut in. “By the time I awoke from the dream, it was already too late. When I came out of the Whispering Cave, I could smell smoke, and by the time the smoke reached our camp the fire was already blazing. It was only moments later that you and the others returned with Duskpaw. Hawkwing, believe me, I understand how you feel. But not even a medicine cat can go back in time.”
Her words had no more effect on Hawkwing than the cawing of rooks high in the branches of a tree. That’s unfair! Why would StarClan send a prophecy too late for Echosong to do anything?
Duskpaw needn’t have died! “What’s the point of having prophecies if they can’t prevent anything terrible?” he asked bitterly.
Echosong’s voice grew gentle, and her beautiful eyes were full of compassion. “Hawkwing, I’m really sorry about what happened to your brother. It is a terrible tragedy. But this prophecy is not about him.”
“How can it not be about him?” Hawkwing demanded, his heart pounding as if it would break out of his chest. His shoulder fur was bristling and he slid out his claws. He wanted to leap on Echosong as if she were his enemy, and if she had not been standing above him on the Rockpile, he might have done it. “The prophecy spoke of a fire, and Duskpaw died in one!”
“Hawkwing, that’s enough!” Sharpclaw stepped forward and gazed down at his son. “Echosong is our medicine cat. She deserves your respect.”
His sharp tones made Hawkwing feel embarrassed. He was too old to be scolded like that in front of the entire Clan. He said no more—he could barely speak. His whole body seemed to burn with shame and anger.
“Prophecies can’t prevent every terrible thing,” Echosong explained. “But they can certainly help prevent some terrible things. And if StarClan tells us that we must find Firestar’s kin, then it’s up to SkyClan to listen—or who knows what might happen?” Her words fell into silence; every cat in the Clan had their gaze trained on her.
Finally Leafstar raised her tail, and spoke into the silence. “I will consider sending a few cats on a quest to look for Firestar’s kin,” she announced. “But before that, a patrol will go to the scene of the fire just in case there’s anything in the embers.”
“And what if there’s nothing to be found?” Sharpclaw asked.
“Then we will be sure that Echosong’s prophecy did not refer to the real fire,” Leafstar responded. “Sandynose, you will lead the patrol. Take Plumwillow and Hawkwing with you.”
Hawkwing was startled to be chosen for the patrol. Surely Leafstar must be furious with me? Then he realized that his Clan leader must want him of all cats to be certain that there was nothing important at the scene of the fire, and that the prophecy had nothing to do with Duskpaw’s death.
Leafstar dismissed the meeting, and the other cats began to disperse. Sandynose and Plumwillow came to join Hawkwing.
“You haven’t eaten or slept,” Sandynose meowed as he padded up. “We don’t have to go right now, if you want some fresh-kill and then take a nap.”
“No, I’m fine.” Hawkwing’s paws were itching to get moving.
“If we need to find the spark that remains, who is to say it won’t blow away soon? How do we know it hasn’t blown away already?”
“Okay.” Sandynose gave a brisk nod, and led the way up the trail to the top of the gorge.
As he followed, Hawkwing realized part of the reason why he had been so hostile to Echosong. I want to believe that the prophecy was about the fire. Then it wouldn’t be all my fault that Duskpaw died, because it would have been destined in the stars. But he realized too that even if that was true, it made no difference.