Reflected Stars

Chapter 6

Skyclan stared at the Sol for many heartbeats.

Cherrystar was the first to speak, "Who?"

The stranger rolled his eyes, "I am called Sol."

"Maybe he can lead us out of here!" Fernwhisper heard a cat whisper.

"Yes!" Came a reply.

Cherrystar raised her tail for silence, "What are you doing here?" She queried.

"To help you, apparently." He mewed, tipping his head.

"Do you know the way out of these mountains?"

"Yes I do." Sol answered calmly.

"Would you be willing to show us the way?"

"Yes, under one condition."

"And that condition is..."

"You tell me who you are, where you want to go, and that you trust me." He growled.

"Well, we are Skyclan-"

Sol widened his eyes in surprise, "Skyclan?" He interrupted Cherrystar, "Where have I heard that before..." He paused, pondering, "Oh, right! Firestar spoke of SkyClan once."

"Firestar? You know Firestar!"

"Indeed I do."

"Can you lead us to his former clan? That's where we are going. I trust you if you were friends with Firestar!"

"Fine." Sol mewed, "Follow me."

The cats turned as one, following Sol. Fernwhisper trekked beside Reedthicket, "Do you trust him?" She asked her mate.

"Yes. Do you?"

"Sure." I still feel like there's something off about the Tortoiseshell tom. His voice sounds deceiving or something. She thought adding, Not that I would tell Reedthicket that or anything...

Reedthicket licked her cheek before padding off to join his brother Finsplash.

She padded alone for while until she noticed Amberleaf having trouble with her kits. She bounded over and scooped up Seedkit.

"Hey!" Seedkit squeaked, "I don't need to be carried!"

"Yes you do! The snow's far too deep for your little legs." Fernwhisper purred in amusement at the little kit's protesting.

Once Seedkit stopped struggling, it was a lot easier to carry her. They journeyed until sunset. Although, it was still so cloudy, the sun couldn't be seen. Fernwhisper set the kits down with their mother and set off to find her mate. She stopped when she heard Seedkit pipe up from Amberleaf's side.

"I don't want to sleep here tonight!"

"Me either!" Leafkit exclaimed. She agreed with her sister for everything.

"Can't we sleep with Fernwhisper?" Seedkit huffed.

"Yeah!" Came the expected squeak that followed.

Amberleaf rolled her eyes at Fernwhisper, "I suppose," She said to the kits, flicking her tail.

"Yay!" Seedkit yowled.

The two kits bounded over to Fernwhisper. She led them over to a sheltered spot where Reedthicket lay.

He lifted his head when Fernwhisper arrived, "When did you have kits?" He purred.

Fernwhisper sighed, "Seedkit insisted they sleep with us."

With a high-pitched yowl, Seedkit flew herself on top of Reedthicket. "Got you!" She cried when he pretended to fall limp like prey.

"Yes, you got me!" He rasped.

Seedkit purred and kneaded her claws in his fur.

"Ow!" He exclaimed when the tiny claws pierced into his pelt.

"Okay, okay, that's enough Seedkit!" Fernwhisper scolded, "Time to go to sleep." She curled next to Reedthicket and swept the kits closer to flank with her tail.

"You don't have milk!" Leafkit protested, kneading her paws on Fernwhisper's belly.

"Well, you wanted to sleep here tonight, didn't you?" She queried, "And plus, aren't you two a little old for milk?"

Leafkit sighed, "I guess so." She curled up next to her sister and fell asleep.

Fernwhisper rested her head on her paws and slipped into sleep to the sound of Reedthicket's loud snoring and the kits' gentle sighs.

* * *

"Here's the edge of the mountains!" Sol exclaimed. They had been traveling for about a half moon through what seemed like endless mountain peaks. Now, they were standing on the edge of a steep, almost cliff-like, rock.

"We can't climb down this!" Amberleaf murmured. "It's far too steep!"

"It's not that far down." Sol retorted, "I have climbed down this cliff as many times as you have ate mice."

Amberleaf shot a glance at Fernwhisper and Cherrystar.

Cherrystar padded over to where Amberleaf and Sol were standing with the breeze ruffling their fur on the edge of the cliff. "We must go down there, we need to find the Clans and this seems like the only way." Her voice was steady almost reassuring.

Sighing, Amberleaf grasped Leafkit while Parsleyseed bounded towards her, gripping Seedkit's neck scruff, as Cherrystar flicked her tail beckoning the SkyClan cats to follow her down the steep cliffside. Amberleaf paws sent some of the stones grazing off the cliff and falling down, down into the wall of bleak mist. I can do this! For my Clan! Scrabbling for a few heartbeats, she sunk her claws into the stone trying to keep her grip. Leafkit was still dangling from her jaws like limp prey.

Amberleaf took a quick glimpse to see how everyone else was doing. She saw Fernwhisper's determined gaze lock into hers and Reedthicket's eyes were wide with worry. Sol seems as if he was like a bird jumping down rock after rock with ease. I guess he was right about being able to climb this fox-cursed cliff. Focusing back on her own paw steps she heard a faint whimper from Leafkit. It's going to be ok my beautiful kit.

She raked her hind paws over a loose stone and it started to crumble underneath her "Help!" She screeched and Leafkit fell out of her jaws and onto the stone ledge just below her.

Leafkit's pelt was bushed up with fear.

Right as the last of the ledge was breaking away, tumbling down the cliff, Fernwhisper clutched onto Amberleaf's scruff pulling her up with all of her strength.