"I am on my way to the moonhill!" She called to her mourning clan. Petalshine appeared from the medicine den. Lurkingsnake watched other cats burying their noses in Deepstar's fur.
She followed Petalshine out of camp. She looked at the daughter of the cat who was so mean to her during her kithood. Lurkingsnake said "I'm nervous." Petalshine was the only cat she would ever confide this to.
"Don't be." She replied. "You will do fine. Lostheart told me what it was like when Deepstar received his lives. She said he looked like he was about to burst when he got out." The thought was not comforting in the least.
When they arrived at the moonhill, she gasped. It was a small plain which shone with silver light when the moon hit the stalks. There were small white flowers peppering the field.
"All you have to do is smell the flowers. Then, sleep."
Lurkingsnake did as she was told, and fell into a deep sleep. Her surroundings were dazzling. There was a shiny silver forest, with crystal under paw. Then the cats arrived.
"Lurkingsnake, you have helped Deepstar lead his clan, and seen him die. The clan is now yours." They all said at once.
A cat stepped forward. Deepstar said "With this life, I give you courage. Use it when you need to take the hard choice." Pain shot through her. She felt a lifetime of grief and morose fill her mind.
Lionbreeze moved toward her. "With is life, I give you kindness. Use it when your clan is in distress." The pain exploded again, but not as bad. She understood that there was only one way to make her clanmates love her, and this was it.
Lostheart moved forward. "With this life, I give you sacrifice. Use it to find out the truth. It can be hard to bear." She felt as if a hole had opened in her chest, a betrayal. Lostheart's eyes were full of meaning.
A new cat walked forward. "Who-" "I am Asterheart. I am Bluebreak's mother, and with this life, I give you love." She felt the stabbing pain and beautiful sight of a mother's love. She had felt this before, many times. Every time she looked at one of her kits. The ginger she cat walked back, standing with her companions, her amber eyes glinting.
Ravenflight came forward. "With this life, I give you humor. Use it when your clan is in pain. Make them brave and happy again." Her eyes sparkled as she said this. Her black pelt seemed to sparkle with starlight. She felt a small glimmer of hope amid all of her life's grief.
Snowclaw walked forward and looked at her with kind concern. "With this life, I give you rage. You should use it when you see something that is not right, and try to repair your clan." Her blue eyes smiled at her, and Lurkingsnake dipped her head as undescribable anger pass under her pelt.
No-ear walked up to her. "With this life, I give you vigilance. Even when you are in utmost pain, keep moving forward." She felt almost unbearable sadness and weakness overcome by a small but irremovable stone of determination in her chest. His missing ear seemed more noticeable.
Turtlepelt now moved up to her. Her eyes sparkled with things Lurkingsnake didn't know. "With this life, I give you understanding. Use it when you need to make a hard choice. Understand both sides." She felt experience and caring flood her mind.
Now, a small grey kit with green eyes walked up to her. "I am Jumpingkit. I was born with you, but I died a day after. I am your brother. With this life, I give you hope. Use it when you think you can never get through. Know that you can." The little kit touched his nose to hers. She felt pain one more rack her body, but she felt that she could move forward. She could do it!
Deepstar walked forward again. "You were my deputy, and now you are the leader of Gorgeclan. We welcome you as the leader. From this moment onward, you will be known as Lurkingstar." All of the StarClan cats called out "Lurkingstar! Lurkingstar! Lurkingstar! Lurkingstar!"
Then the starclan cats began to fade, leaving Petalshine looking at her. She dipped her head. "Let's go. " she said.
She woke up on the moonhill, feeling the new lives truly sinking in.
