Looming Darkness

Chapter 16

Echoheart sat tiredly beside Hailstorm, Clovertail, and Rayclaw in the clearing, the late afternoon sunlight dappling their pelts. They shared two meals between them, talking about today's successful hunting patrols.

A half-moon had passed since the Gathering, and Bumblefrost was noticeably happier. The morning after the Gathering, Eveningstar had made another speech to welcome Bumblefrost as a full member of DawnClan, so the cats who hadn't attended the Gathering could see Bumblefrost being welcomed. The new DawnClan warrior had received the same reaction as last night; even Rustypelt had welcomed him.

And during that same Clan meeting, Eveningstar had told the rest of the Clan what Echoheart, Whispersong, and Star were thinking: that the thing killing all these cats wasn't Rainstar after all, but the StarClan-prophesized danger: a bear. It had taken a while to convince every cat, but soon no one could question the fact that Rainstar couldn't have possibly killed all those cats, that the only thing it could be was a bear.

Echoheart looked up from her meal and sighed. Now every cat was talking to her and Whispersong, hoping they had answers to protect them against the bear, and wanting them to tell them all about the prophecy. Echoheart felt a lot of weight on her shoulders, but at least no one was angry with her.

Echoheart turned her head as Whispersong and Bumblefrost padded toward them, Jasminekit trotting clumsily at their heels. Jasminekit had sure grown in the last half-moon.

Clovertail smiled. "She's so cute."

Rayclaw nodded. "She looks just like Whispersong, doesn't she?"

"Yes, but she has Bumblefrost's eyes," Echoheart purred.

"Hello," Whispersong purred as she reached them. Jasminekit hid behind her mother, peering around with her pale green eyes at the four warriors. Bumblefrost chuckled.

Echoheart smiled at her sister's kit. "You sure look so much bigger than the last time I saw you," she meowed quietly.

Jasminekit looked at Whispersong, who nodded. Then the tiny she-kit looked back at Echoheart and squeaked, "I can run fast now."

Echoheart smiled, whiskers quivering in amusement. "Are you as fast as your mother? She's pretty fast."

"Not yet," Jasminekit mewled brightly. "But I am faster than Pollenkit."

"Really?" Bumblefrost meowed playfully. "I don't believe it!"

"Yeah!" Jasminekit persisted, tugging on her father's tail.

"Let's see how fast you can run." Bumblefrost bent over and cuffed his daughter gently around the ears.

Jasminekit nodded eagerly and jogged toward the nursery, tail high in the air.

Echoheart snorted quietly in amusement at the kit's clumsy pace.

As Jasminekit reached the nursery, Pansykit ran up to her and bowled her over. The two were a tiny bundle of spiky fur, giggling and batting at one another playfully.

Pollenkit, Cricketkit, and Acornkit soon followed, pulling their sister off of Jasminekit. Pansykit rounded on Acornkit with a playful growl, and Cricketkit and Pollenkit went to hide in a thick patch of grass with Jasminekit.

Echoheart smiled, remembering when she was that age.

"Hey, Echoheart?"

Echoheart turned at her name. Sunfur was padding toward her with Moonshine.

"Can you join the evening patrol with us? You weren't on any of the patrols today, and everyone else is exhausted," Sunfur meowed.

"Sure," Echoheart told the deputy. "How many more cats do we need?"