Squirrelflight awoke the next day with a sharp pain in her stomach. How was she supposed to do what Bluestar said? Everyone thinks that she is just being mean to Foxpaw. So how was she suppose to never let Foxpaw get her way, without bringing trouble.
I'm going to have to tell Firestar she thought. I doubt if he'll believe me but I have to try!
She yawned stretched and left the den. Brambleclaw was waiting for her with Sunpaw beside him.
"Hurry up," he growled.
"Where's Foxpaw?" meowed Squirrelflight.
"Getting something to eat," Brambleclaw replied. Squirrelflight turned her head to see the young she-cat eating a small mouse.
"Can you take her training today?" she turned back to Brambleclaw. "I have to talk with Firestar," When Brambleclaw nodded she turned and walked over to Foxpaw.
"Foxpaw you will be training with Brambleclaw today," she said sternly.
"Why," asked Foxpaw suspiciously. Squirrelflight's ears flattened a bit.
"It is none of your business," she growled. "Now hurry up! And listen to Brambleclaw,"
Foxpaw stuck out her tongue and stalked away.
Now Squirrelflight had to ask Sandstorm about Foxpaw. So she headed for Firestar's den seeing she wasn't in the nursery any more. When she got to the entrance she called for Sandstorm. A reply from her father told her to enter.
Sandstorm and Firestar were sitting and it looked as if they were talking.
"Squirrelflight?" Firestar asked in surprise. "I thought you were training Foxpaw," Squirrelflight shook her head.
"Brambleclaw took her this morning," she meowed in reply. "I have to ask you two something," Sandstorm and Firestar twitched their ears to listen. Squirrelflight took a deep breath. She was nervous for her parent's reaction.
"Is Foxpaw someone else's kits?" she asked quickly. Firestar and Sandstorm exchanged glances. And than Sandstorm stepped forward.
"We can't keep this secret from you Squirrelflight," she whispered. Firestar came and stood beside her.
"She is not our kit," he bowed his head.
"What about Sunpaw and Sparkpaw?" Squirrelflight mewed. Sandstorm looked up.
"Those are our kits," she answered. "Come we'll explain everything. But you have to promise not to tell anyone," Squirrelflight nodded and she sat down beside her parents. Firestar started.
"A few moons ago when Sandstorm was close to her kitting," he stopped and exchanged glances with Sandstorm who nodded. "I went out hunting by myself. I ran into a young cat that had kits with her. She was young and it looked like the kits had just came," he stopped and looked at Sandstorm again who was getting annoyed.
"I wasn't going to attack her because she was cold and hungry and very weak," Firestar went on. "She had a flame colored pelt just like you and I and she had four kits. I decided it would be cruel to leave her there so I caught a couple of pieces of fresh kill. She was a kitty pet from some where far from here. It seemed as if she ran away and never wanted to be found," he stopped and took a breath.
"She asked me if I could find homes for her kits because it wouldn't be long before she went to join her StarClan," Sandstorm dipped her head as he spoke. "I said that I would find good places for them and I stayed with her until she died. By than cats were looking for me so I quickly buried her and gathered her kits. One was a pale flame color with blue eyes, a white and orange kit, a white kit and a kit with green eyes and a flame colored pelt,"
Squirrelflight realized that the last one Firestar mentioned was Foxpaw. Sandstorm spoke next.
"Firestar brought them back that night when everyone was asleep," she meowed. "We decided that we would separate the kits and give them to mates who looked most like each specific kit. It so happened that Foxpaw looked most like your father. Funny how that worked. We gave the white one to a couple in WindClan the pale one to ShadowClan and the other to RiverClan," Firestar spoke after.
"I took them to each leader and we all promised we would never tell a sole who they were… Even Blackstar," he meowed with satisfaction. "We gave them to a each to a litter who promises that they would protect them like their own,"
"That same night that Firestar left, I had my kits," Sandstorm started. "When he to back no one except Leafpool had seen them. I said when she got there that I already had one of them and that was Foxpaw,"
"So now we have three kits," finished Firestar. Squirrelflight closed her eyes.
"Well that explains my dream sort of," she murmured to herself. But Firestar heard.
"You had a dream form StarClan?" he meowed with amazement.
"Actually two," corrected Squirrelflight. Squirrelflight explained her dream and what Bluestar had said. Sandstorm was horrified and Firestar stared into space.
"So now I'm s'pose to protect you Firestar and make sure Foxpaw doesn't get her way," she finished with a big breath. Sandstorm looked up.
"I won't believe it," she spat. "I can't believe it!" Firestar wasn't sure what to say.
"But Sandstorm," he meowed in a soothing voice. "Why would Bluestar say Foxpaw than?"
Sandstorm thought about it. And than turned on Squirrelflight.
"How do we know you aren't saying this just to make Foxpaw's life miserable?" asked Sandstorm in grief. "You hate her!" Squirrelflight narrowed her eyes.
"I do not!" hissed Squirrelflight through gritted teeth. "I had the first dream the day after the kits were born It all made sense," she stopped and went on.
"I never said anything before because I didn't want this to happen! What you two will think of me!" she sobbed. "I gave Foxpaw a hard time because I know that she is going to do something awful. And I don't want to see you two or Leafpool get hurt! I was mad at her!" Firestar stepped in between His mate and daughter.
"I can't say that you are wrong Squirrelflight but I can't say your right either," he meowed. "We will keep a close watch on her from now on," Squirrelflight flicked were tail and Sandstorm turned back to Squirrelflight.
"I'm sorry," she mewed. "Even though I'm not Foxpaw's birth-mother, I still care for her," Squirrelflight nodded and Sandstorm licked her ear. "You better go to training now," Squirrelflight nodded and she left.
She might still have time to train Foxpaw to hunt if she hurried.
What awful thing is she going to do to betray us?