Dawn

Chapter 18

"Look!" Rainwhisker yowled, making the cats jump. At the top of the rise that marked the beginning of WindClan territory, silhouetted against the gray sky, stood WindClan. They lined the crest of the hill like stones, waiting.

"Let's go," Blackstar ordered.

He plunged out of the shelter of the trees and hurries up the muddy slope, followed by his Clanmates. Squirrelpaw stared sadly at the forest, sinking her claws into the familiar rain-softened earth. All the RiverClan and ThunderClan lingered at the edge of the trees, as though leaving was harder than they had ever imagined.

"This is no longer our home," Skystar reminded them gently. "Home is waiting for us at the end of our journey." She began to pad away, lowering her head against the driving rain.

Squirrelpaw joined the other cats as they poured slowly out of the forest behind her. Beside her, Brackenfur arched his back against the bracken fronds, brushing his scent on their dripping tips one last time.

"We thought you'd changed your mind," Webfoot growled as the three Clans neared the top of the slope.

"Mudfur was dying," Leopardstar explained. "We waited until he had gone to join StarClan."

Tallstar sat shivering beside his warriors. His ribs stuck out like gnarled twigs. As the Clans reached the top of the rise, he stood up, wincing at the stiffness in his limbs. He nodded to Crowpaw and Ashfoot, who had stayed behind with ThunderClan and ShadowClan so Crowpaw could rest his leg. "I'm sorry to hear about Mudfur," he meowed.

"At least he died beneath Silverpelt, which is more than we will," muttered Blackstar.

His words sent a shiver of unease down Squirrelpaw's spine. "We saw Silverpelt at the sun- drown place," she objected. "StarClan will be waiting for us when we arrive."

Mudclaw's tail twitched. "You saw stars, but were they our warrior ancestors or someone else's?"

Squirrelpaw blinked, thinking of the Tribe of Endless Hunting who watched over the mountains. What if Mudclaw was right, and they were leaving StarClan behind as well as their homes?

She felt a tail brush her side and turned to see Crowpaw leaning down to murmur in her ear. "Those two are Pigeonflight and Runningbrook," he explained, pointing with his tail at a dark gray-and-white tom and a gray tabby she-cat padding beside three young cats. "Cranberrypaw, Thistlepaw, and Gorsepaw are between them. Keep an eye on them while we travel; those three are trouble."

"They'll soon learn their places with so many warriors around," Squirrelpaw replied, focusing back on the leaders.

Blackstar claws the muddy ground. "Are we going or not?"

"We're ready," Tallstar replied.

The moorland that stretched ahead of them was unrecognizable, all the grass swept away to reveal bare, rutted earth.

Leopardstar stared across the broken ground. "Are there many monsters?"

"Too many," Tallstar growled.

As the cats scrambled over the first stretch of exposed ground, Squirrelpaw soon began to struggle. The mud sucked at her paws, and her legs felt stone-heavy with exhaustion.

Brambletuft clawed his way back to join her. "Come on; you can make it."

"It's okay," she snapped. "I can manage."

He blinked. "I know you can," he meowed, and Squirrelpaw wished she hadn't been so harsh.

Dustpelt was behind them, carrying Birchkit in his jaws. Cloudpaw struggled to his side. His pelt was streaked with mud, only his back kept white by the relentless rain. "I'll take the kit," he offered. He took Birchkit from Dustpelt's jaws, trying not to let the swaying bundle drag in the mud. Dustpelt nodded his thanks and plunged down a muddy ridge to help Ferncloud, who was fighting to stay on her paws while she carried Larchkit.