Whiteheart's Betrayal- Chapter 3

A quarter moon passed since Snowkit's death. Whitekit tried her best to cheer Birdwing up, but the queen refused Whitekit's offer of help and padded away into the Warriors' den. Now that Birdwing no longer has any kits, she decided to return to the Warriors' den with Rosestar's permission.  
Will she be able to cope with the duties? Whitekit wondered, worried about the queen. Birdwing has been too upset to even eat her favorite piece of prey: a young squirrel.
 Worriedly, Whitekit padded over to the fresh-kill pile and grabbed a small squirrel. She knew Birdwing wouldn't accept it, but she had to try. The silver kit padded into the Warriors' den, her fluffy white tail straight in the air, dragging the squirrel that was half her size. Her heart broke as she saw Birdwing, dropping her squirrel.
The warrior's fur looked dull and damp; her ribs were showing as if she hadn't eaten in a while. When Birdwing looked up from her nest, Whitekit noticed that her eyes looked cloudy; she couldn't tell if it was from grief or not sleeping so much.
Maybe this squirrel will cheer her up, Whitekit thought hopefully. She knew Birdwing loved squirrel. Carrying the piece of prey again, Whitekit padded up to Birdwing and dropped it in front of the former queen's paws. Birdwing stared at it blankly.
"Come on, Birdwing," Whitekit begged, "please eat."
Birdwing stared at Whitekit. "Whitekit...?" she mewed.
Whitekit blinked. "Yes, it's me," she replied. Doesn't she recognize me?"Please eat."
Birdwing took one more long look at Whitekit, then took two small bites of the squirrel. After the bites she had, she pushed the squirrel away and wrapped her tail around her nose. Whitekit sighed. I tried.
Feeling hollow, the small kit padded away from the Warriors' den, though she wanted to leave the squirrel just in case Birdwing ate more. She wondered what it felt like to lose someone you loved so much. She hadn't experienced it yet, but she knows she will. All cats lose someone they love very much eventually.
I nearly lost Shortstem, Whitekit remembered, shivering.  
 A quarter moon ago, Snowkit left the camp without permission. Kits were forbidden to leave the camp until they were at least six moons old, but Snowkit, the adventurous kit, decided to leave without Nightkit or Whitekit knowing. When Shortstem's patrol- Whitekit's father- found Snowkit, the white kit was nearly half-drowned, clinging for life on the cliff with her body dangling into the river. The river managed to drag Snowkit into its cruel waves, and Shortstem tried to jump in and save her, but he was too late. Ever since he returned to camp, her father had never been the same, blaming himself for the small kit's death. Snowkit was only two moons old, the runt of the rest of the kits.
I could have stopped her, Whitekit told herself. I should have told her what lies beyond our territory. Emeraldflame, Whitekit's mother, told her about the territory: beautiful colorful roses blowing into the wind; the river gushing between the large boulders that protected the camp; feeling the gentle breeze...
Whitekit shook herself. She's daydreaming. What good of a warrior would do that? Sighing, Whitekit padded back into the nursery and curled up into a ball to sleep.

 Whitekit woke up at the sun's rays hitting her face, turning her silver fur gold. Blinking away sleep, Whitekit yawned and twisted her head to ask Emeraldflame if she could go out and eat some food, but her mother was still sleeping, her slender tabby body glowing with gold from the sun's rays. Deciding not to wake her, Whitekit stood up and stretched, leaping over her mother's tail without disturbing her and padded out of the nursery.
Whitekit's head poked out of the ferns that sheltered the entrance. She breathed in deeply, puffing up her chest and enjoyed the fresh air. It felt so good to be out of the nursery, where it was less stuffy. The air smelled fresh and clean, and Whitekit enjoyed the cool breeze and the sound of the gushing river nearby.
Padding towards the fresh-kill pile, she twisted her head to her side to see her father. Should I talk to him? Whitekit wondered. Shortstem has been too depressed these days, ever since Snowkit's death. Whitekit still felt guilty for not even trying to stop the small white kit from sneaking out of the camp.
I'm sorry, she silently apologized to him. Maybe she should tell her father how sorry she was. She felt just as bad about Snowkit's death.
Forgetting about her meal, Whitekit whirled around and padded up to her father. Shortstem blinked as he noticed her, but his gaze was blank.
"Shortstem...," Whitekit began, feeling awkward. She never actually spent any time with him; this was the first time she's actually speaking to him on her own.
Shortstem blinked and shook his head as if he just realized who was there. "Yes, Whitekit?"
"I'm sorry about not trying hard enough to stop Snowkit from getting out of the camp," Whitekit murmured. "Emeraldflame told me what was out there, but if I'd told Snowkit before she decided to go out, she wouldn't have-"
"You really believe you could have prevented Snowkit's death?" Shortstem mewed, his voice filled with sadness. "Whitekit, you never knew she was about to go out of the camp. It was no one's fault- not even Snowkit's. She didn't know any better, and every cat knew how bored she gets, for being stuck into the camp." He let out a heavy sigh, drooping his head. "I just wish I got there in time to save her, but at least she won't have to suffer through a hard life in BreezeClan now. I just hope she's watching over Birdwing."
Whitekit felt sadness ripple through her. It was hard to see her father looking so depressed. Whirling around, trying to avoid the sadness, she padded over to the fresh-kill pile and chose the tiniest mouse from the pile and sat next to the nursery. Whitekit sank her teeth into the tiny mouse, easing her depression a little as she began to chew the meat, savoring each bite and flavor.
Nightkit's head poked out of the ferns and stared at Whitekit, narrowing her eyes. Keeping one eye on the black kit and one eye on her piece of prey, she felt uneasy. Nightkit was glaring at her, sensing his anger in waves. Does he blame me for Snowkit's death? Snowkit and Nightkit always played with each other, after all, despite his teasing about her being so small.
Nightkit padded over to Whitekit, glaring at her. She rose her head from her prey and blinked. "Yes...?"
Nightkit glared at her, his yellow eyes dark with anger and picked up the mouse she was eating by its tail. With its blood still dripping from the hollow spot she took a bite from, the tom threw her mouse on her face, and as it fell, it left a small lines of mouse blood on her face. She felt its warm blood sink through her fur, staining it. Anger surged through her.
"What was that for?" she snarled, unsheathing her claws. "That was my prey!"
"It should have been you, drowning in that river!" Nightkit snarled, and Whitekit flinched. He does blame me...
"I'm sor-"
"Nightkit!" Emeraldflame snarled, glaring at Nightkit. "Why did you do that to Whitekit?"
"Because Whitekit killed Snowkit."
Whitekit flinched. Was that true?
"She didn't kill Snowkit," Emeraldflame growled. "It was nobody's fault that she got out of the camp,"
"Except the warriors who didn't bother to keep a lookout for her scent when she left."
Emeraldflame growled and lashed her tabby tail.
"Nightkit, if you don't keep your attitude to yourself, I will have to tell Rosestar to hold your apprentice ceremony back. BreezeClan will not tolerate rude kits, especially while we are still grieving over Snowkit."
Nightkit flinched, then glared at Emeraldflame. Without replying, the black kit padded back into the nursery with his tail disappearing into the den, followed by Birdwing coming out.
Whitekit's heart was racing with hope. Was Birdwing feeling better? She raced to the queen, nuzzling her, but the she-cat padded past by her without even greeting her.
"I'm going for a walk," Birdwing told the deputy, Flowertail, as she approached to the cream she-cat
Flowertail nodded. "You've been looking down lately, Birdwing. Perhaps a walk will cheer you up."
The silver she-cat nodded and padded into the tunnel, sliding into it until her tail disappeared.



 The sky was scarlet by the time everyone started to eat their prey. Shorstem was next to is mate, Emeraldflame, sharing tongues with her. Whitekit was eating a tiny vole by herself, wishing Birdwing was with her. The queen would sometimes eat with her while sharing tongues with the Clan, but this time she didn't return. Would Birdwing return to her nest in time before it gets dark?
Maybe she just needs more time to herself, Whitekit decided as she took another bite of her prey.
The Clan eventually finished sharing tongues. All apprentices, warriors, and queens returned to their dens, saying good-bye to their mates and friends first. But Birdwing still never returned.
Whitekit wouldn't stop pushing away her worry as she padded into her own nest with Emeraldflame. Nightkit was sleeping alone in a corner, his back turned on her. Whitekit stared at Birdwing's empty nest, but even she was beginning to feel tired as she closed her own eyes, then blackness covered her vision.