Mossdapple's Faith

Chapter 6

   Mosskit woke up with a start.

She was alone in the forest, up to her belly in snow. Panicked and cold, she looked around, trying to recognize her surroundings, but she couldn't. Snow continued pouring down on her, forcing her down deeper into the ground. She choked on dirt, and her vision went dark.

Frantically, she attempted to dig herself out, but was unable to. The snow kept weighing her down, and her paws went so numb she could barely move them. She attempted to call for help, but dirt and more snow filled her mouth, nose, and eyes.

She heard a voice calling to her.

Mosskit!

She blinked, and opened her eyes to a lush clearing, and the scent of prey and dew flooded her senses. She suddenly felt light as a cloud, and her mind filled with peace.

A white cat with black-tipped ears stood in front of her.

"Greetings," Mosskit," she mewed. "I've come to take you out of the snow."

"Thank you!" she purred, excitedly trotting up to the cat. "Where are we? Where's Bluefur? And Mistykit, and Stonekit?"

"They can't come with us," she mewed simply, continuing to walk. Mosskit looked behind them, but couldn't see anyone. She walked alongside the cat through the clearing, looking at her with admiration. She was pretty and young, with stars glimmering in her pelt.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Snowfur," She looked down to Mosskit, who's head only went a little above Snowfur's belly. "I'm your mother's sister."

"Why can't they come with us?"

"This journey is for you alone, small one."

"Are we in StarClan?"

Snowfur nodded. "I'm going to take you to meet someone very special."

Mosskit wondered who that could be. She looked behind her. "Why am I in StarClan? Am I dead?" Mosskit remembered what Spottedpaw told her about StarClan; that it was the place for their warrior ancestors. If she was here, did that mean she had died?

"No, small one. It will not be your time for many seasons to come," Snowfur assured her. "You will be back with Bluefur in the nursery very soon."

"Then what happened in the snow?"

They arrived at the entrance to a bramble tunnel and Snowfur stopped. "What you experienced was what would have happened to you if things had gone differently," she mewed softly. She gently licked Mosskit's ear. "You came very close to a different fate, Mosskit."

She stood and began walking through the tunnel. Mosskit followed her, trotting to keep up with the older cat. When Mosskit opened her mouth to ask another question, they left through the other side of the tunnel, into what looked like ThunderClan's camp. It was filled with cats with the same star-covered pelts as Snowfur, all of whom were looking at them.

One of them stood at the entrance, her gaze directed straight at Mosskit. She was a silver cat with dark stripes and warm amber eyes. She dipped her head in greeting.

"Hello, small one," she mewed. "My name is Moonflower."

"This is your grandmother." Snowfur rubbed the cat's cheek with her muzzle.

"Mosskit," Moonflower began, "You have a great destiny ahead of you. We will meet again soon." She touched her nose to Mosskit's head. "You are always welcome in StarClan." The camp behind them began to fade into darkness. "Remember, we are always watching over you!"