Thunder And Shadow

Twigkit lifted her chin. I’m special, she rem inded herself, feeling a little less special than she had in camp. I have to prove it, or they’ll make me leave. Her belly tightened. I have to find the lake. Ignoring the fear fluttering in her chest, she padded down the slope and hopped over the dry stream bed. She felt sure she’d be able to see if she was going the right way if she could make it past the brambles. She clim bed the rise and squeezed through a gap in the prickly branches. As she em erged on the other side, the scent of water stream ed over her m uzzle. The breeze carried lake scent. It must be lake scent. She could sm ell wet stone and earth and im agined a large pool, water lapping at its edges. In front of her, the forest sloped downward. Were those ripples sparkling in the distance? She broke into a run, zigzagging between trees and scram bling over roots. Her paws slipped on the fallen leaves, and she tum bled clum sily into a patch of nettles.

Stings sparked through her nose and she leaped backward, blinking away the pain. Running again, she raced toward the sunshine, which glinted between the tree trunks.

Suddenly she burst from the forest. Wind tugged at her fur, and a wide grassy slope plunged away from her. She gasped. The lake! It stretched out as big as the sky in front of her. Glittering like Silverpelt, it rippled in the breeze. She strained to see the far shore, am azed at how tiny the trees looked from here. Farther along, the land rose to heather-pelted hilltops, and bey ond that an island rose from the water.

There must be watermint here! The shore stretched so far, Twigkit felt sure she’d find the pale green leaves som ewhere at the water’s edge. She hurried down the slope, her paws slithering on the dewy grass. As she reached the pebbly shore, she slowed, picking her way over the stones and wincing where they j abbed into her soft pads.

She scanned the shore. Tiny waves lapped the pebbles, but there was no sign of plants. She followed the waterline, keeping her paws clear of the rippling water. Straining to see ahead, she spotted greenery sprouting around a m ass of boulders j utting out into the lake. Her heart leaped.

Watermint? She glanced at the sky, between the white puffy clouds. Oh, StarClan. Let it be watermint!

Excitem ent surged in her belly as she neared and recognized the wide, pale leaves she’d seen in the medicine den. They weren’t dusty or dry, but she could already detect the sam e sharp scent she’d sm elled on the leaves Jayfeather had given to Whitewing. StarClan answered my prayer! Joy surged through Twigkit. I must be special.

She clim bed onto the first boulder, unsheathing her claws to grip the sm ooth stone. The waterm int was growing in clum ps between the rocks that j utted into deeper water. She scram bled toward them, clambering over boulder after boulder until she was right at the edge where thick leaves sprouted.

I’ll take back the biggest bundle ever! Twigkit im agined the surprised look on her Clanmates’ faces as she walked into camp, a great wad of waterm int in her jaws. Larkkit, Leafkit, and Honey kit would be am azed. They might even let her j oin in their frog hunts. Every one would congratulate her. Jayfeather would come out of his den to see what the fuss was about. Then he’d sm ell the m int and have to thank her.

Happily, Twigkit hooked her claws into the biggest leaf and tugged. To her surprise, it didn’t tear free of the clum p. The force of her tug unbalanced her, and she j erked clum sily. Her paws slid from beneath her. Her heart lurched as her rum p hit the rock. She let go of the leaves, scrabbling to find her paws, but they slithered on the sm ooth stone. Help! She felt herself falling.

With a y elp of horror, she plunged into the lake.

The chill of the water stole her breath. Terror scorched through her as she sank. She flailed desperately, opening her m outh to mew, choking on the water that rushed in. Bubbles stream ed around her as the water washed through her fur. It stung her eyes and filled her ears. She struggled, tum bling as currents caught her and dragged her deeper. StarClan, help me! She struck out, try ing to pull herself to the surface, but light seem ed to glim m er on every side. Which way is up? Her panic spiraled. I can’t find my way out! Her lungs ached for air. I’m dying! How could this happen? I’m a special kit!

Suddenly a voice sounded through the roaring of blood in her ears. Twigkit. She stopped struggling, letting the water swirl her like a leaf. Twigkit! The voice sounded again, and she recognized it with a flicker of hope.