Embers

Chapter 5

Emberpaw sat up and looked around. She was in the forest, but there was no Thunderclan scent anywhere. Panic swirled inside her. Where was she?

"Emberpaw!" A voice close to her ear spoke. She hissed in surprised and jumped in fright. Turning, she saw a kit behind her. She had light brown fur and dark brown spots on her chest.

"Who are you? Why am I here?" She said.

"Calm down, Emberpaw. You don't know me, but I know you. I'm Thrushkit, Dustfur's sister. I died when Dustfur and Oakpelt were still kits," the little kit said. Emberpaw noticed for the first time how starlight glittered at her paws and in her eyes. "You're in Starclan,"

"I'm in Starclan! I'm dead!" Emberpaw dug her claws into the ground and terror and sadness spread through her body, cold as ice.

"No! No, you're not dead, I just brought you to Starclan in your dreams," Thrushkit spoke quickly. She sheathed her claws and breathed in.

"You must know where your heart lies in someone. And you must be aware of this, because a cat's heart is very fragile. If you cannot choose where your heart lies, the cat's heart knows nowhere, and so it stops," Thrushkit said.

"What does that mean?" Her question was never answered, Dustfur's sister only faded into black.

Emberpaw gasped and sat up in her nest. Thrushkit's words still hung in her mind, though she couldn't make sense of them. She sat in her nest, trying to figure out what she had meant, when Smokeheart poked his head into the apprentice's den.

"Can you come on the dawn patrol?" He asked. She nodded and followed him outside. The patrol was waiting, with Nightwhisker, Oakpelt, Hollysong, and Thistlepelt in the lead. Emberpaw walked silently through the forest, her thoughts subsided on Thrushkit. Only did Smokeheart's tail flicking her lightly in her back bring her back to reality.

"Emberpaw? Are you okay? You seem...out of it. Maybe you should see Dappledleaf or Cloudshine?" He asked. She shook her head and continued on with the patrol. She could see Smokeheart looking at her worriedly from the corner of her eye. She ignored this, and reset the markers. When she made her way back to camp, she was met by Oakpelt.

"There's a she-cat that wants to see you. She says she's your sister. She's at camp." He said.

Happiness sparked in Emberpaw. She hadn't seen her sister in a while, and she was wondering how she was. She quickly went back to camp and saw her sister being guarded by Dustfur.

"Madeline!" She called, and her sister turned.

"Agnes!" Madeline said, licking her sister's shoulder in greeting.

"Is something wrong?" Emberpaw asked.

"Well, yes. I... I had kits." She started out. Agnes leaned forward, interested. Madeline had kits? She opened her mouth to congratulate her, but Madeline continued.

"But they were stolen by some rogues. And... The father died trying to get them back. I need my kits, Agnes. I need your help, please!" Madeline looked at Emberpaw, and she saw how much sorrow was in her eyes. She looked at Dustfur, who looked back at her in shock. Mothstar lept down from her den and walked towards Madeline.

"You saw your kits were stolen?" She asked calmly.

"Yes! And I need help, because these rogues also killed Shard!" She said. Emberpaw's breath caught in her throat.

"They killed her because she was trying to protect us, and they laid her body on the Thunderpath to make it seem like she was hit by a monster!" She yowled to Emberpaw. Fear stabbed at Emberpaw, which subsided. She slid out her claws and thrashed her tail. Anger burned inside her belly. Her fur stood on end.

"We are going to find the rogue that killed Shard. We will get your kits back," she said in a low voice. She looked at Smokeheart. She saw fear in his eyes, fear at how Emberpaw was getting. It was like her anger radiated off of her.

"I'll come too," Dustfur's voice came from behind her. He ran his tail down her back, calming her down.

"I'm not going to let my brother fight rogues by himself," Oakpelt stepped up.

"I'm willing to help," Smokeheart spoke up as well.

"And we can't let kits be taken away from a queen," Stonefrost said, sliding out his claws. More cats came up to Emberpaw and told her they would come. Soon everycat looked towards Mothstar.

Mothstar sighed. "I guess the decision has already been made. Thunderclan will help Emberpaw's sister,"

"Emberpaw? Interesting name," Madeline said.

"I hope you remember your battle moves?" Stonefrost whispered to Emberpaw.

She looked at him. "Even if I don't, I'll fight for my life to get to that rogue. The one that killed Shard,"

Stonefrost looked a little taken back by her words and cold voice, but he nodded.

"Emberpaw, come here for a second," Dustfur called her over to the side. "I know that Shard was your mother, and that they took your sister's kits. I just want you to understand that I don't want you to do anything mouse-brained. Don't get yourself killed, alright?" She nodded, and he licked her ear. She walked back to the cats and listened to Mothstar and Swallowheart give battle plans.

"Now get some sleep. We'll attack tomorrow," Swallowheart said. Everyone returned to their dens. Mothstar said Madeline could stay in the apprentice's den  with Emberpaw.

"Agnes- I mean, Emberpaw. I just wanted to thank you especially. I wouldn't ask for another sister, ever," Madeline said softly.

"It's okay, Madeline. And we'll get your kits back. Speaking of which, who was the father?"

"His name was Cloud. I met him a little while after you left. He's been so good to me. Up he stayed with me everyday and never left. But... now he's gone," she sighed sadly. Curling up next to her, Emberpaw slowly licked her head until she drifted to sleep. Soon Emberpaw followed.