Spirits on the Wind

Chapter 4

A few days have flown by since Minnowpaw saw his father fall for Brookspring. It's also been a couple days since he brought in a giant haul of fresh kill that did in fact, surprise the whole clan.

Again, he noticed Pebblepaw hanging out with Smokepaw. He bumped into her the one day right after she'd shared a salmon with the other apprentice.

"So, Pebblepaw, I have noticed you frowning increasingly closer to Smokepaw. When will you announce that you are going to become mates?" Minnowpaw assumed that.

"Uh... What are you talking about." Pebblepaw blushed.

"Don't think I haven't seen you two love birds." He laughed.

"Okay fine, I like Smokepaw and we aren't mates. Don't you get any ideas, Tinypaw." She teased and walked past him.

A yowl split the air. Minnowpaw raced to where it was coming from. He poked his head into the nursery to see Shelldrop on her side moaning. "I-I'll get Crystalpool!" Minnowpaw yowled frantically and rushed to the medicine cat den.

"Yes, Minnowpaw?" Crystalpool looked up from sorting her herbs.

It's Shelldrop... She's... Kitting!" He gasped for breaths as Crystalpool shot past him.

After a long, tired, stressed time throughout the clan, it was over. Crystalpool reappeared from the den. "I bear bad news. Shelldrop wasn't healthy enough to kit. She lost to much blood. I'm sorry."

A shrill wail sounded up. It was Lilyfeather, Shelldrop's mother. Another wail cried out clearly. "No no, I must see her!" This time, Minnowpaw saw Redwhisker, Shelldrop's mate trying to push through the dried of cats. Eaglestrike and Thistlefall held him back. Cherryfeather dropped onto her side, weak with shock and stress.

"But RiverClan! I have good news too!" Crystalpool shouted loudly. All whiners and whines slowly died away and ears pricked. "Her only kit... She choked out a name before she left us. Larkkit lives!" Yowls of happiness mingled with sad murmurs.

After a long time of numb, dead silence, Shelldrop's body was taken away by the elders, with Lilyfeather in the lead.

Minnowpaw was called out by a light voice. Silverpaw sat beside him quietly. He was happy that she was there with him. She leaned into his fur for support. He took a deep breath, smelling her scent of warm flowers and stars.

Then she walked into the woods alone and Minnowpaw followed her. "I wish I could've saved her." She mumbled.

"What do you mean?" Minnowsplash flicked his tail over her shoulder.

"I-I have the power to heal one cat of my choice. She deserved to live. And..."

He cut her off "Now she's gone forever.. ."

Silverpaw shook her head. "Her soul was put into Larkkit's. She is Larkkit."

"Woah! How can you tell?"

"Keep in mind I have special powers. But you must tell no cat about what I just said. Or I will brain wash you." Silverpaw smiled.

"You can do that?!" Minnowpaw widened his eyes with surprise.

"No, I'm just kidding, fish-brain." She laughed.

"Ugh, you're so difficult!" He lunged at her and pinned her starry form to the ground.

"Well you're no walk in the forest either. Keep in mind that no one is perfect." She meowed, licking her gaze with his.

"But you are! You can brain wash other cats!" He joked.

"Okay whatever." She slipped out from under him and licked a paw and drew it over her starry ear.

"So maybe we can go hunting." He meowed.

"Yeah may-" she cut off and tried to cling to the ground with her paws. A black mass was pulling her backwards.

"Silverpaw!" He lunged forward and grabbed her scruff, pulling vainly to get her free.

"Help!" Silverpaw screeched and then let go of the dirt and wrapped her paws around Minnowpaw.

He felt her give way and he almost let go but then she flew forward with such force, they were both knocked to the ground. Silverpaw was still clinging to him tightly, her eyes closed with fear.

"Silverpaw, you're alright. It's gone." He purred to soothe the scared young she cat.

"Do you promise?" Silverpaw opened her eyes with a blue scared gaze. Mage stared right into his eyes with an intense look.

"Yes, yes. It isn't here." He got to his paws and helped her up. "See, no tugging." He promised.

"Yeah... You're right." She meowed. She looked fragile and tiny, hiding inside a much less confident form.

Four sunrises passed and Minnowpaw sat beside Wolfhaze and Emberleaf. It was right after Smokepaw's warrior ceremony. His new name is Smokewhisker. The ceremony had just ended and Pebblepaw raced up and nuzzled Smokewhisker.

"I called it." Minnowpaw whispered to Wolfhaze.

"I knew that was going to happen too. Their kits will be cute." Wolfhaze commented.

Emberleaf just chuckled. The tom is Wolfhaze's brother.

"What?" Wolfhaze laughed.

"Just watching you two plan out Pebblepaw's future." He laughed.

"What else do you want us to do?" Minnowpaw shook his head, amusement glittering in his eyes.

"I don't even know." Emberleaf smiled.

"I'm going hunting!" Minnowpaw called and trotted out of camp. He came to the clearing where Silverleaf had caught the sparrow a while ago. The same day he found out about Rippletalon cheating on Wolfhaze. He looked around the bushes. "Silverpaw if your here... Please come out." He said quietly.

In silence, Minnowpaw sat as he waited for Silverpaw to show. A scary thought entered his mind. What if she was taken by the black mass while I wasn't around? He frantically started looking around. "Silverpaw! Please. I need to know you're okay!" He meowed, thundering through the bushes.

He kept running. He ran right into another clearing where Rippletalon and Brookspring were sitting together chatting.

"Minnowpaw, what are you doing here?" Rippletalon scrambled to his paws.

"I'm looking for someone. What are you doing?" He scowled.

"I'm um...talking with Brookspring." He replied.

"I've seen you before! That's not what's happening!" Minnowpaw yowled, his fear for Silverpaw, turning into fury at his father. "You love Brookspring, not my mother, Wolfhaze. Do you even remember her?!"

"Woah there, dear." Brookspring rested her tail tip on Minnowpaw's shoulder.

"I won't chill out! Wolfhaze should know about this but I didn't tell her for the sake of her. You tell her...or I will!" Minnowpaw slashed his tail angrily.

"Fine, I will."