The Apprentice's Quest

“They don’t have to know anything,” Rowanstar pointed out with an irritated lash of his tail. “But StarClan guided us to them, and that’s good enough for me.”

Mistystar nodded in agreement.

“We can’t be sure about this,” Bramblestar meowed, his glance sweeping around to take in the other three leaders. “Not until the kits grow and reveal more about themselves. What is clear is that it’s the Clans’ responsibility to take care of them.”

“That’s all well and good,” Rowanstar responded, baring his teeth in the beginning of a snarl, “but it doesn’t mean the kits need to stay in ThunderClan. Perhaps they belong in ShadowClan with Needlepaw, who helped find and care for them.”

“But they’re happy and safe now,” Bramblestar argued. “It would be cruel to move them.”

“You would say that, Bramblestar,” Onestar hissed. “All that interests you is keeping the kits for ThunderClan.”

“It looks like that, Bramblestar.” Mistystar sounded almost apologetic. “But the prophecy came to every Clan, not just to ThunderClan. You don’t have the right to keep the kits.”

“That’s so unfair!” Sparkpaw exclaimed, but Alderpaw waved his tail for her to be quiet. He didn’t want to miss a single word of the argument.

“I accept that,” Bramblestar meowed, to Alderpaw’s dismay. “And I agree that ShadowClan has a claim to the kits—or at least to one of them.”

“Then the only fair thing,” Mistystar pointed out, “is for ThunderClan to keep one kit, and give the other to ShadowClan.”

Alderpaw glanced down in horror at Twigkit and Violetkit. Splitting them up would be so cruel!

“What’s happening?” Twigkit asked, blinking rapidly in agitation.

“Yes, why is every cat angry?” Violetkit added.

“It’s okay, little ones.” Alderpaw gave each kit an affectionate lick around the ears. “Clan leaders are always arguing.”

The kits grew calmer, accepting what he said, while Alderpaw felt guilty that he might be lying to them.

“You don’t think Bramblestar will really allow them to be separated!” Sparkpaw whispered into his ear.

“I don’t know,” Alderpaw murmured in reply, but inwardly he was afraid that their Clan leader would. He doesn’t really have any choice, with all the other leaders against him.

When Alderpaw was able to listen to the leaders again, Bramblestar was speaking. “I’m not happy about this,” he meowed, “but I feel I have to agree that one kit goes to ShadowClan.”

“But that’s not good enough!” Onestar protested, while Alderpaw felt cold all over with despair. “What about WindClan and RiverClan? Shouldn’t all the Clans try to raise the kits together?”

His suggestion met with silence from the other leaders. “Is he mouse-brained?” Sparkpaw muttered to Alderpaw. “How would that work?”

Onestar just let out a hiss of annoyance and retreated even farther into the leaves, glaring out balefully.

The cats in the clearing were still whispering together. Some of them crowded around to get a good look at the kits. Twigkit and Violetkit shrank closer together, looking even smaller with so many full-grown cats looming over them.

“Back off, flea-pelts!” Sparkpaw hissed.

“You’re scaring them.”

Up in the Great Oak, Mistystar was lashing her tail in frustration. “Is there any other business to discuss?” she called out, trying to make herself heard above the buzz of conversation.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Onestar growled.

“No cat is going to want to talk about day-to-day business after all this!”

“Then I declare the Gathering at an end,” Mistystar announced. She jumped down from the tree and disappeared into a crowd of RiverClan warriors.

Alderpaw’s heart pounded with apprehension as Bramblestar and Rowanstar leaped down together and thrust their way through the clusters of cats until they reached the bush where he and Sparkpaw waited with the kits.

“I can’t believe you agreed to this!”

Alderpaw burst out as his father approached.

Bramblestar’s eyes were grave and he bowed his head as he replied. “There’s no other way. Rowanstar, choose a kit.”

Rowanstar hesitated, and Alderpaw sensed that he wasn’t happy about the solution either.

He would protect the rights of ShadowClan against any cat, but he wasn’t cruel, and he clearly understood what he was doing.

“I’ll take the black-and-white one,” he meowed.

“That’s Violetkit,” Alderpaw told him, unable to stop his voice shaking. “Look after her, please.”

Rowanstar dipped his head. “She will be well taken care of in ShadowClan,” he promised. Then he gently lifted Violetkit by her scruff.

At last the kits understood what was happening. Violetkit began to wail in a shrill voice and lashed out helplessly with her tiny paws.

“No! No! Don’t take her!” Twigkit screeched, flinging herself against Rowanstar’s leg and raking her claws through his pelt.

“Alderpaw! Help me!” Violetkit begged. “I want to go home! I want Lilyheart!”