Chapter 1
"Falconkit, open your eyes already! Cinderkit, Hollykit, and I already opened our eyes. We just need you to open your eyes so we can go outside and play moss ball with Heatherkit, Pinekit, and Shadekit." A cat meowed in Falconkit's ears.
Falconkit flicked her ear with an irritated growl rumbling in her throat. She knew Amberkit, Cinderkit, and Hollykit all wanted to play with Heatherkit, Pinekit, and Shadekit, but she wanted nothing more than to stay far from them. She had learned over the last moon that they didn't like her or Amberkit. Their father, Ashclaw, would sit there telling them nonsense, saying Falconkit and her sister weren't proper member of the clan, which annoyed Falconkit. Falconkit and Amberkit were Willowtail's kits weren't they? Lionstar treated them as his own kits, never paying more attention to Cinderkit and Hollykit than them. Willowtail treated them as her own, but she payed more attention to Cinderkit and Hollykit than Amberkit and Falconkit.
Falconkit sighed as she opened her eyes, annoyed that she was being begged to open her eyes once again. She still remembered the sight of the nursery from last night and how dark it had been. She looked over at Amberkit, her sister's black pelt not as hard to see anymore. Cinderkit's pelt wasn't as bright as last night and Hollykit was a bit easier to see. Amberkit's eyes were amber, Cinder's eyes were dark blue, and Hollykit's eyes were green, just like Falconkit's eyes.
"Be careful while you play with Heatherkit, Pinekit, and Shadekit. They're two moons older than you four and I don't need to bring you four to Dewpool for being trampled over." Willowtail warned the four kits.
Cinderkit flicked her tail dismissively before looking towards the third queen in the nursery, Dawnbreeze. Dawnbreeze had been in the nursery for not too long, but long enough that her kits were due any time now. Dewpool had been fuzzing over the newer queen with a worried expression and so was Dawnbreeze's mate, Spidershallow. Spidershallow would come into the nursery after he was done with a patrol to spend some time with his mate. Dawnbreeze seemed to be annoyed by all the fuzzing over her soon-to-be born kits.
"Come on, Falconkit!" Hollykit yowled from outside the nursery.
Falconkit turned around and pelted out of the nursery, but skidded to a halt as the blinding light touched her eyes. She closed her eyes and pressed her nose against her foreleg with her ears pulled back. She squinted her eyes as she opened them slowly, the light no longer bothering her. Her eyes widened as she saw the camp for the first time. The camp was surrounded by tall pine trees and pine needles littered the ground. Warriors and Apprentices were surrounding the Leader's den with curious looks in their eyes.
Falconkit's eyes widened in fear and she rushed for the Leader's den. She scampered around her clanmates paws, their glares burning into her pelt. She ignored the glares of her clanmates as she pushed her way into the den. Laying in a pile of moss and pine needles was Lionstar with Cloudbreeze sitting near him with worried yellow eyes. Dewpool was leaning over Lionstar with her ear on his chest, her fur bristling quickly.
"Lionstar?" Falconkit meowed worriedly.
Cloudbreeze turned to look at Falconkit and her eyes widened. A look of anger crossed her yellow gaze and she stood up. She padded over towards Falconkit, but Falconkit rushed over to Lionstar. She pressed her nose into her leader's fur fearfully. Something wasn't right. She could smell the reek of sickness coming off of Lionstar in large waves. He even had a few berries beside his muzzle that smelled of death.
"Where's Willowtail? She needs to take this outsider out of the leader's den now." She growled at the warriors.
Cinderkit, Hollykit, and Amberkit burst into the Leader's den and crowded around Lionstar fearfully. They all pressed their noses against Lionstar's pelt, Cinderkit's paw squishing the berries. Within a few seconds, Ashclaw, Willowtail, and Spidershallow pulled the kits out. Willowkit had Cinderkit and Hollykit in her muzzle while Ashclaw was holding onto Falconkit's scruff a bit too roughly. Amberkit was carried out by Spidershallow a bit too roughly as well. They were placed down by the nursery before Willowtail ushered them inside. Once inside, Cinderkit, with an annoyed look, began to clean her paw that touched the berries. Falconkit sat by the nursery entrance and watched Lionstar's den. Hollykit and Amberkit tussled with each other in front of Dawnbreeze.
Ashclaw paced around the entrance to the leader's den with his tail lashing. Falconkit's eyes narrowed as Cloudbreeze walked out, her ears flat against her head and her tail low. She spoke a few words and Ashclaw stood there looking at her with a look of shock. They glanced towards the nursery and Falconkit felt a feeling of dread overcome her. She turned to look at her littermates to watch as Cinderkit fell to the ground. Willowtail's eyes widened and she let out a wail of terror before she crouched over Cinderkit, nudging her.
Dewpool pelted out of Lionstar's den and rushed past Falconkit, nearly shoving her aside. She nudged Willowtail away from Cinderkit as Lightshine padded in. She sat beside Willowtail trying to comfort her as Dewpool examined Cinderkit. Heatherkit, Pinekit, and Shadekit rallied the younger kits together, but Falconkit flicked her ear when Pinekit tried to push her over to her littermates. She turned around, claws unsheathed, and swiped her paw at Pinekit. Pinekit's eyes widened and he pinned her down with one paw.
"Willowtail already has enough to worry about without having to worry about you and the others causing issues!" Pinekit hissed at her before Heatherkit shoved her brother away.
"Leave her alone. If she doesn't want to be part of the clan and wait with the others, she can stay here alone, watching everyone do everything possible to save Cinderkit." Heatherkit meowed as she glared at Falconkit.
What did she mean by 'doesn't want to be part of the clan'? Is she saying I was never a member of the clan in the first place? Falconkit thought as she looked outside the nursery. Now that she thought about it, her clanmates always seemed to be glaring or looking down on her and Willowtail didn't pay her as much attention. She flicked her ear as she looked back at Willowtail to find a look of hatred in her eyes as she glared at Falconkit. There's nothing I could do or could have done to prevent this or even save her. I can only try to prove I'm a member of this clan. Falconkit thought as she slowly padded over to Amberkit and the others.