“Wow!” she breathed.

Jayfeather shared some of her wonder as he gazed around at the tapering columns and pinnacles of white stone. Being in the cave with Half Moon somehow made him realize how beautiful it really was.

“Let’s explore!” Half Moon mewed, giving a little bounce like an excited kit.

Jayfeather followed her as she darted around the puddles and stretched her forepaws as far as she could reach up the side of one of the stony spikes. “Look!” she exclaimed. “This stone is growing from the floor, and it almost meets the icicle of stone that’s hanging from the ceiling.”

“Those two have met.” Jayfeather pointed with his tail to one of the completed columns.

“It’s so strange!” Half Moon bounded farther in among the forest of stone, dodging around the base of one and poking her head out playfully on the other side. Jayfeather launched himself at her with a mock growl, but before he reached her his paws slipped on the slick rock at the edge of one of the pools. Water splashed up as he planted one paw in the water; he saved himself from going deeper only with an awkward sideways scramble.

“Oops, you got a wet paw!” Half Moon teased.

“I’ll show you wet paws!” Jayfeather growled.

Scooping up some water, he flicked it at her; Half Moon shrieked and ran away. Jayfeather raced after her, losing sight of her for a moment among the clustering columns. Suddenly she darted out at him and they collided. Jayfeather found himself looking into her eyes; they were the lustrous green of forest pools. Her warm fur brushed his.

“The moon’s up,” he meowed, breaking away from her to stand on the edge of a pool. “It must be night outside.”

As his breathing steadied, he became aware of cats moving restlessly in the main cave. Owl Feather’s kits were wailing with hunger. A pang of sadness pierced Jayfeather, sharp as a claw. I can understand why they don’t want to stay here.

“Look!” Half Moon padded up to stand beside him. “You can see the moon in the water.”

Looking into the puddle in front of him, Jayfeather saw a reflection of the tiny new moon, shining down through the hole in the roof. Half Moon couldn’t take her eyes off it.

“It’s so beautiful!” she whispered. “So tiny—just like a claw scratch.”

She dabbed at the surface of the water with one paw, and the moon fluttered like silver wings before settling again as the water stilled. Letting out a faint mrrow of wonder, Half Moon dabbed again and again. However often she disturbed the surface, the moon was still there.

“It doesn’t give up, does it?” Half Moon blinked at Jayfeather. “It’s always there, constant like the stones in this cave. Maybe we should be like the moon’s reflection, holding fast whatever happens?” Padding farther into the cave, she gazed around at the stones again, a new sense of understanding beginning to creep into her eyes. Jayfeather felt his pelt prickle.