Starlight

Chapter 7

Feathertail crouched not far from Tallstar's body, watching the cats who came to keep vigil for the dead leader. Daylight spread steadily from beyond the ridge of hills, revealing a gray sky with clouds hanging low over the trees. A damp, chilly wind blew from the lake and made the branches rattle together like fish bones.

The dead leader's body looked grim and stark. Feathertail shivered. It felt very strange to be sitting vigil in the cold light of morning. Usually the ceremony was carried out at night, when the unmoving shape would be muffled by shadows as comforting as soft, black fur.

Glancing away from Tallstar's body, Feathertail let her thoughts wander. Worry gnawed at her, sharp as a fox's fangs. Mudclaw couldn't go all the way back to the Moonstone to receive his name and his nine lives from StarClan; he was too tired to make the long journey twice over again, and it was obvious that his Clan was in need of a strong leader now more than ever. But what would happen to the Clans if their leaders didn't share tongues with StarClan? The warrior code would fade away like mist in sunshine, and they would be nothing more than rogues.

"You're thinking awfully hard," Reedwhisker remarked, padding closer.

"I was just thinking about Mudclaw," Feathertail meowed. "What's he going to do if he can't get his nine lives?"

Reedwhisker hummed, sitting down beside her. "It does seem hard for him to take over when things are so hard. Especially since Onewhisker argued with him in front of all the other Clans, and he had to get help from the very cat he was trying to separate his Clan from."

"But the issue is, how will the Clans survive if we've lost our connection to StarClan?" Feathertail fretted, sitting up. "StarClan rarely ever send dreams or signs, so we can't count on those, and what about the warrior code?"

Reedwhisker stretched out his tail and touched Feathertail gently on the shoulder. "Don't worry," he reassured her. "StarClan will show the medicine cats a new place to share tongues with them."

"But when?" Feathertail gazed into her Clanmates gray eyes. "Cats will begin panicking soon if we don't find that connection quickly."

"Feathertail, calm down. StarClan works at their own pace. There'll be an answer, you'll see. And meanwhile," he added, "why don't you find someone who needs help? Swallowtail and I were just going to help Mothwing fetch water for all the kits and elders. And Mistyfoot could do with a big plump fish to help feed her kits."

On the other side of the clearing, the RiverClan medicine cat was padding toward a group of WindClan cats, her mouth filled with dripping moss. Feathertail realized with a guilty pang that she had done nothing except fret over something none of them could help.

"You're right," she meowed, getting to her paws. "I'll get right to fishing."

Reedwhisker nodded. "You'll feel better once you're busy."

Feathertail headed for the lake, but she had barely left the copse of trees when she spotted several cats bounding up the slope. Their pelts were slick with lake water, and Feathertail recognized Hawkfrost in the lead. It was the RiverClan patrol that had gone to explore the island as soon as the first streaks of dawn appeared.

Curious, she turned back and followed them into the center of the clearing.

Hawkfrost leaped onto the tree stump and let out a yowl to summon all the cats to listen to him. Feathertail was eager to hear what they had found.

Reedwhisker and Swallowtail bounded to her side. "What's he playing at? The stump's for leaders only," Swallowtail remarked as they trotted over to join her. "Hawkfrost is only a half deputy right now, he should've stayed on the roots."