Broken Reflection

Chapter 14

Beechstar shook his head with a sigh. "We are doing fine prey-wise and health-wise, but..." He sighed and cut off his sentence, and Hailstorm knew he was thinking of Darkkit, recently killed by Rainstar, and Shadowkit, still imprisoned in DayClan's camp.

Eveningstar nodded in understanding. "Thank you for coming, Beechstar."

Mapleleaf, the NightClan deputy, spoke up. "We would never miss a chance to make Rainstar pay for what she and her Clan have done, especially now that she's killed one of our kits."

Hailstorm saw Larksong, the dark brown tabby NightClan queen, shake her head in despair. Hailstorm remembered that she had volunteered to foster Darkkit and Shadowkit alongside her own kit after Darkkit's and Shadowkit's mother had died at the last battle. Hailstorm sighed sadly. And now Darkkit was gone.

"Have you eaten?" Eveningstar asked the NightClan cats.

Beechstar nodded, but didn't speak. Hailstorm could sense the fear escalating in all the cats around him, DawnClan and NightClan alike, and he felt his own heart begin to race as the terror began to set in.

Would they succeed today? Would any cats die?

Hailstorm shuddered as he again wondered, Will this be the last day I ever see?  He shook his head. No matter what happened, he would fight his hardest to free the kits from DayClan's clutches. Even if it means I die...

Hailstorm shivered. But he couldn't  die! What about his Clanmates? They needed him!

Hailstorm's heart skipped a beat. What about Echoheart? What if she returned to find that Hailstorm was dead? Hailstorm's heart ached at the thought.

I must survive, not only for my Clan, but for Echoheart.  Hailstorm took an uneven breath. Please, StarClan, if you truly haven't abandoned us, protect me at the coming battle; I'll need your strength, and so will every one of my Clanmates. Protect all of us. With all the powers of the sky and the sun and the stars, protect us... please. Show me Twigfoot was right... show me, that you're here for us... that you're here for me, like you said you were...

Hailstorm squeezed his eyes shut tight and hung his head low on his sagging shoulders. Would StarClan really  be watching out for them today?

Hailstorm jumped in fright as some cat brushed against him. He turned, but no cat was near him. He sniffed the air in confusion.

He stiffened in shock. Twigfoot ?

He could have sworn to StarClan he'd just smelled his father's scent. Hailstorm looked around, heart racing. No one was there.

"StarClan will be with you, always... I  will be with you... never forget... never doubt..."

"Twigfoot!" Hailstorm exclaimed as he recognized his father speaking.

Hailstorm glanced at his Clanmates around him, but no one was paying any attention. Why couldn't they hear their former deputy's voice?

"Are you alright, Hailstorm?" Clovertail asked from behind him, jerking Hailstorm back to reality.

"I... I heard..." Should he tell his sister that he'd heard their father's voice? "I..." he began hesitantly, then meowed, "I heard Twigfoot."

Clovertail didn't move. She flicked her ears. "You what?"

"I heard Twigfoot. Talking to me."

Clovertail looked worried. "I... I think you're just tired, Hailsto—"

"I HEARD TWIGFOOT!" He didn't know where his rage had suddenly come from, but he was shouting, tears in his eyes. "I smelled him! I heard him!"

Clovertail flinched, then she widened her eyes, staring over Hailstorm's shoulder. Hailstorm turned. Twigfoot's faded starry outline stood before them. But before Clovertail could call out to him, he had disappeared with the hot green-leaf breeze.