Chapter 3
Jinxkit bolted out of the bushes between the camp entrance, not looking back in fear that the wondrous snow-coloured cat would return. She spotted
her mother standing over Shadowkit and Oatkit, her stare hardening. Jinxkit shrunk back as Frostshade glared at her, eyes filled with fright and
misery. Still making her way towards her mother, her mind sparked in memory. Blazepaw. She slowly turned around, afraid of what she might see.
Blazepaw was still lying in the center of the clearing, the blood on the ground was still there but Blazepaw's body was licked clean.
Her heart stopped when she recalled how handsome a tom he used to be. How badly he wanted to become a warrior. He still had the flaming pelt
and muscular frame, but his body reeked of death and betrayal. Betrayal? Maybe because the medicine cat's could not cure him. Jinxkit would never
know. "Get back here now!" Frostshade howled, snapping Jinxkit back into reality. She hurried over to confront her mother, head down in shame.
She knew she did something wrong and that was to leave camp. "We're did you go?!" Frostshade gasped when she realized Jinxkit's filthy pelt.
"I was only gone for a couple of minutes!" Jinxkit complained, looking up at her mother indignantly as she thought of her mothers behaviour lately.
"You were gone for quite some time Jinxkit." Frostshade hissed, her eyes flaring and becoming stern. Flicking her tail in annoyance, Jinxkit sighed.
She didn't want to tell her mother about the Starclan cat for fear that Frostshade would call her a daydreamer or worse. Muttering under her breath,
Frostshade began to clean Jinxkit. Jinxkit caught some harsh words like "careless" and "sneaky" but she ignored them. The fact was, she was fine
and that's all that mattered. The Starclan cat remained in her mind, gripping her thoughts like claws to a fish. She tried to shake off the thought,
but it didn't help. Groaning under the rasping of her mothers tongue, she faced her littermates. They looked at her with grim expressions.
Jinxkit cocked her head at them, mouthing the words, "What's wrong?" They both shook their heads and turned away, padding back towards the
nursery. Right on cue, Crowkit and Flamekit walked by, their heads low in conversation. When they noticed Jinxkit they both looked up and
snickered as they continued to walk towards Blazepaw's body. Jinxkit's belly stirred with irritation, but she did not let it fly. The two other kit's
always hated her and her littermates. They weren't worth her attention. When Frostshade finished cleaning her up, she whispered to her, "You are
to come into the nursery now," and then sped off back to the small en, not allowing Jinxkit to say a "thank you" or explain herself. Jinxkit began to
make her way back towards the nursery when suddenly, Flamekit rushed up behind her and pinned her to the ground, dragging her behind the
nursery, Crowkit following. "Get off me flea pelt!" she hissed at Flamekit, who grinned back and dug his sharp claws into her shoulders harder.
She refused to cry out or call for help. She would not show these mangy kits that she felt the pain they were dealing her. It's almost as if they were
waiting for her mother to leave to do this trick of theirs. "Why are you taking me behind the nursery?!" Jinxkit fumed, thrashing and trying to get
away from the two littermates. "For the fun of it." Crowkit meowed, her voice lacking sympathy as a wide smiled grew on her face. "Get off!" Jinxkit
shrieked, but Crowkit leapt onto her chest, covering her mouth with a paw. Jinxkit's eyes hardened her gaze full of hatred. She chomped down on
Crowkit's paw, causing the jet black she-cat to fly backwards, whimpering and licking her paws vigorously. Flamekit came close to her face, his
breath stinking of crow-food. He was much stronger than her and his muscles rippling as he leered at her. "Don't ever do that to my sister again!"
he sneered, pushing Jinxkit away. He leapt over her and he and Crowkit darted away. "Stay away from us traitor!" he yowled back.
Jinxkit turned to watch them go, her mood brightening when she realised Crowkit's limp. "Jinxkit!" Sheheard her mother call. She quickly rasped her
tongue over her wound before slinking through the brambles of the nursery wall. She thanked Starclan for her miniscule and slim frame.
"There you are." Frostshade meowed, her gaze seeming unfocused. Her mother seemed as if she were in a daze. Her eyes were glazed over and
her movement was rigid. Jinxkit padded over to her nest bedside Shadowkit and Oatkit. She faced Shadowkit and asked, "What's going on?"
Shadowkit's face was glum. "Everyone in the clan is getting the sickness that Blazepaw received over night." Shadowkit sniffed.
"Now Finchfeather has it." Jinxkit froze. How could her father have the disease? He was one of the strongest and healthiest cats in the clan!
"H-how?" Jinxkit stammered, her mind trying to put the pieces together. Her father has to be okay. Has to be. "What are we going to do?" Jinxkit
meowed, her tail between her legs, her mood solemn. "Nothing.." her mother replied, laying down and curling around an already sleeping Oatkit.
"What do you mean nothing?!" Jinxkit cried out, jumping to her feet. Shadowkit looked up from her position on the ground, a tear falling from one
eye and hitting to cold earth below. "There is nothing we can do..." Frostshade whispered, her head looking at the ground. "What about the
medicine cats? They can surely cure him!" Jinxkit persisted hopefully, her eyes falling on her family. "Like they did with Blazepaw?" Shadowkit
countered, rising off the ground and facing Jinxkit. Jinxkit didn't notice that she had begun to dry, tears streaming off her face. "We can only hope."
Shadowkit whispered, eyes glazed with grief. "We can't see him can we..." she meowed, turning to look at Frostshade. Her mother continued to
look at the ground, her gaze unwavering. Finally, she nodded slightly before resting her head on her paws and closing her eyes. Jinxkit knew.
She knew all along that something was going to happen. Why didn't she listen to Crowkit and Flamekit's chatter. She could have warned her father
that his apprentice was going to become sick. But to be honest she never knew. She could only guess. Jinxkit whisked around sharply, pelting out of
the nursery. She heard Shadowkit behind her, wailing for her to come back but she didn't turn. She reared away from the medicine cat's den, not
wanting to hear to moans of all the sick cat's, not wanting to know whether her father's heart was still beating or not.
The sun was now gone, replaced by dark, thick clouds that began to drizzle then rain onto the camp.
It was almost as if Starclan were mourning for Blazepaw. Jinxkit dashed towards the dirt tunnel, were she usually hid when she needed tie to rid
herself of her emotions. She lay down in the shade of the trees that lined to dirt place. Then she began to bawl. The tears streamed down her face,
making the fur on her face become wet and streaked The tears joined into the rain as each one hit the ground with a splash or pop. She counted her
tears as each one fell, as if they were her clanmates, starting with her leader and making it's way down. She counted her family last. Three for her
and her littermates, Shadowkit, Oatkit and herself. One for her mother Frostshade, and the last one for her father. But the tear didn't fall. Was this a
sign? Then she knew. She tried desperately to think of something sadder, make the tears fall once more, but none came. She sniffed slightly and
the Starclan cat's voice drifted into her head. He is with us now...Jinxkit leaped to her feet, muzzle raised into the air.
"Give him back!" she wailed, collapsing onto the ground, sobs racking her body. She had hoped so dearly her father wouldn't leave them so early,
but they had chosen his time to be now. Her body felt numb and she no longer felt the sting of her wounds. Only her heart pounding inside her
chest and her eyes welling up with tears that would never shed. She didn't want to continue crying. Her father wouldn't want that. She had to be
strong, for her family. She lay down properly on her side, her pelt dripping with pooling water. She took one last sniff before she was lanced back
into sleep.
Once again.
~Authors Note~
Sooooo sorry that it has been this long! School is keeping me very busy. Anyway I hope you like the new chapter! Please R+R! :)