Wind Runner straightened, pushing her injured leg to the ground. Moth Flight’s paws turned cold as she saw her mother grimace, as though gritting her teeth against pain.
Turtle Tail reached her head forward. “With this life, I give you stubbornness to keep going in the face of future troubles.”
Wind Runner moaned softly as Turtle Tail touched her, the fur lifting along her spine. Moth Flight felt sick. She knew her mother was suffering. She tensed as Wind Runner tensed and, as Turtle Tail stepped away, she felt limp with relief.
Wind Runner turned her head to stare at the star-pelted cats crowding the cave. She blinked as though noticing them for the first time. Then her eyes widened as a gray tom padded toward her. Her ears twitched. “What are you doing here?” There was a snarl in her mew.
Moth Flight tipped her head, curious. Who was this strange cat? She hadn’t seen him before.
The tom dipped his head as he stopped in front of Wind Runner. “I know you hate me for leaving you.”
Wind Runner hissed. “You’re a coward, Branch! You abandoned me before I could even hunt properly! There’s nothing I want from you!”
“I didn’t mean to leave you.”
“Yet you left me all the same!” Wind Runner narrowed her eyes. “It was the kindest thing you ever did for me. If you hadn’t disappeared, I’d never have met Gorse Fur. He’s a better cat than you could ever be! He has given me love and loyalty, and kits that I’m proud of.”
Moth Flight frowned. Who was this? Clearly a cat her mother had known when she was young. As she strained to recall her mother’s stories, Branch spoke.
“You deserve a cat like Gorse Fur far more than you deserved me.” He leaned forward and touched his nose to her head. “With this life, I give you the confidence to open your heart to other cats. I give you trust.”
Wind Runner jerked again, trembling as his touch sent pain searing through her. But Moth Flight didn’t flinch. This was like it had been in her dreams. Wind Runner must endure it, just as the other cats had and, when it was over… Moth Flight narrowed her eyes. When it was over, then what?
A familiar pelt moved toward Wind Runner. Willow Tail!
Clear-eyed and strong, Willow Tail stepped forward. She carried no signs of her injuries from the battle. Chin high, she took Branch’s place.
Wind Runner met her gaze, her eyes flashing with anger.
“You lied to me.”
Willow Tail nodded. “I know. I led my Clanmates into battle for no good reason.” As she leaned forward, Wind Runner began to duck away. “I’m sorry.”
Wind Runner paused and met Willow Tail’s touch with her nose.
“With this life,” said Willow Tail, “I give your heart the grace to forgive all cats, however weak or wrong they may be.”
Wind Runner hardly flinched. Only her tail-tip shivered.
As Willow Tail stepped away, a kit took her place.
Moth Flight’s heart swelled with joy as she recognized Morning Whisker.
As the she-kit padded forward, Wind Runner blinked. Her eyes clouded. “Morning Whisker?” Disbelief edged her mew.
Morning Whisker purred loudly. “Hi, Wind Runner.”
Wind Runner thrust her muzzle forward to greet her, but Morning Whisker backed away.
“Not yet.” The she-kit gazed at Wind Runner, joy shining in her eyes.
Wind Runner’s tail trembled. “Are you happy? Are you well?”
Morning Whisker glanced fondly toward her starry
Clanmates. “Yes. Half Moon and Gray Wing have taught me how to hunt.”
“You hunt?” Wind Runner sounded surprised.
“We hunt, and warm our pelts in sunshine and share tongues, just like you.”
A delighted purr throbbed in Wind Runner’s throat. Then she paused. “Is Emberkit with you?”
Morning Whisker blinked slowly at her mother and then, without answering, reached up and touched her nose. “With this life, I give you resilience, to keep going, whatever troubles life brings.” As she finished, Wind Runner’s pelt bushed. She stiffened, her claws scraping stone as she braced herself against the pain of her kit’s gift. Then her shoulders loosened and Morning Whisker backed away into the shadows.
Emberkit took her place.
Moth Flight leaned forward, her heart pounding. What must it be like to meet a kit you’d never had chance to know in life?
“Emberkit?” Wind Runner’s mew was thick with emotion.
“Hello, Wind Runner.” Emberkit stared at his mother with round, star-specked eyes.
“It is so good to see you.” As Wind Runner’s gaze flicked over the young tom-kit’s fluffy pelt, Moth Flight swallowed back a purr of pleasure.
“I wish I could have stayed with you longer,” Emberkit told his mother softly. “But I’m happy to be with StarClan. There are moors for me to play on. One day I’ll show them to you.”
Before Wind Runner could answer, Emberkit reached up and touched his nose to her muzzle. “With this life I give you love.”
This time, Wind Runner did not flinch with pain. Her pelt smoothed. Closing her eyes, she swayed softly. She grew still as Emberkit drew away, her eyes closed as though lost in a dream.
Half Moon took the tom-kit’s place, waiting patiently for Wind Runner to drift back into the moment.
When, at last, Wind Runner opened her eyes, she tipped her head as though confused. “Who are you?”
“Half Moon.” The slender white she-cat’s dark green gaze reflected the shimmering Moonstone.
“Are you Stoneteller?” Wind Runner dipped her head. “Gray Wing and Jagged Peak have spoken of you often. Moth Flight too. I am honored to meet you.”
“You are the first,” Half Moon told her solemnly. “May you carry StarClan in your heart always.”
“The first?” Wind Runner narrowed her eyes.
Half Moon stretched her muzzle forward and touched noses with the WindClan leader. As she did, a jolt seemed to race through Wind Runner.
Moth Flight stiffened as her mother jerked wildly. Her paws buckled beneath her and she collapsed to the floor.
“No!” Heart bursting, Moth Flight darted to her mother’s side. Wind Runner lay like dead prey on the stone, her flanks still. No breath stirred the cold air. “You killed her!” She glared accusingly at Half Moon. “I brought her here to be saved!”
Half Moon blinked calmly and stepped away. “Have faith, Moth Flight.”
Moth Flight’s mind whirled. Have faith? In what? They were meant to stop Wind Runner from dying! She stared around the starry cats, appalled at the joy lighting their eyes. Didn’t they realize what they’d done?
Why had they brought her here? Had they wanted Wind Runner to die?
Desperate with grief and rage, Moth Flight buried her nose in Wind Runner’s pelt. How was she going to tell Gorse Fur that his mate had died, far from her Clan and the moor?
Suddenly Wind Runner moved. Moth Flight jerked her nose up, shock sparking through every hair. She stared as her mother pushed herself lightly to her paws.
Wind Runner lifted her chin and shook the comfrey from her hind leg. The once-bloody fur around her throat was clean and soft. Her injured paw pressed against the stone, as strong as the others.
Moth Flight shivered, her thoughts spinning. Had her mother joined StarClan? She scanned her pelt for sparks of starlight, but saw only plain brown fur. “I don’t understand.” She stared at Half Moon.
“Remember your dreams,” the white she-cat told her.
Those cats didn’t die! Moth Flight’s fur prickled with hope.
Half Moon dipped her head to Wind Runner. “You are the first of the stars that will rise.”
The prophecy! We will split the sky. And later, stars will rise.