Whiteheart's Betrayal- Chapter 4

 The next morning, Whitekit woke up. The silver kit yawned and opened her wide, blue eyes and glanced around the nursery. There was something missing: Emeraldflame wasn't there. Not even Nightkit slept in his lonely corner. Tilting her head with confusion, the silver-and-white kit climbed out of her moss-nest and padded out of the nursery.
Inside the camp, many warriors, queens, and elders, were surrounding something. Whitekit padded up to Emeraldflame and looked up at her mother.
"Mama, what's wrong?" Whitekit asked.
Emeraldflame stared at her daughter, grief filling her eyes. "Shhh," she warned her kit, then stared back at the spot where Whitekit couldn't see.
Frustrated, Whitekit pushed through the warriors' legs and, with her eyes wide, filled with shock, she saw a familiar gray pelt: Birdwing.
No!
Birdwing was laying, curled up in a ball. Bleeding. Limp. Lifeless.
What happened to her? Whitekit wailed inside. She twisted her head around to her mother. "What happened to Birdwing?"
"A fox killed her," Emeraldflame answered, her voice shaking. Shortstem was standing next to his mate and laid his tail onto her tabby back, nodding.
"But why didn't someone save her?" Whitekit wailed. Surely someone must have noticed a long time ago that Birdwing hadn't returned?
"She's been out since yesterday morning," Emeraldflame reminded her, "we all know what grief she had been through since she lost Snowkit, and believed that she needed more time to herself."
"But someone must have believed it was odd for her to be gone for so long!" Whitekit wailed, staring up at her parents. "She just looked so sad and hungry. Nobody helped her!"
"Sometimes depression cannot be cured," Shortstem told his daughter. "Birdwing was mad with grief ever since she lost her kit. Something was bound to happen eventually."
"But remember that she is in StarClan now." Emeraldflame reminded Whitekit, sounding a little more cheerful. "She will no longer suffer, or feel any more grief."
Sadness rippled through Whitekit. First Snowkit, and now Birdwing. Two deaths she could have possibly prevented. If she'd told the Clan how odd Birdwing had acted, Birdwing wouldn't have been killed.
"Can I at least tell her good-bye?" she asked, feeling hollow.
Emeraldflame nodded and took a step back to let Whitekit stand in front of Birdwing's body.
Whitekit bent down and nuzzled Birdwing. "Thank you for keeping me company," she told the dead cat. "And...I'm sorry for not helping you enough."
"Whitekit."
Whitekit blinked and raised her head, finding the golden medicine cat.
"Meadowflower?"
"Come along," Meadowflower ordered.
Whitekit gave Birdwing's body one more glance and padded next to Meadowflower.
The medicine cat padded into the medicine cat's den and began to sort out the herbs.
"What did you call me for?" Whitekit asked, lashing her tail. She looked around the den. The walls were covered with ferns and the herbs were neatly divided and piled up together. Meadowflower obviously cared very much about the herbs enough to organize them. She was impressed. A small pang" of jealousy shivered through her. Meadowflower is the only cat to see Birdwing in StarClan while the others could not. But then she reminded herself that she'll see Birdwing in StarClan again, when it's her own time to join their ranks.
"Death will always happen in the Clans," Meadowflower mewed, as she pushed away some small berries. "It is something that we all have to accept, no matter how painful it is."
"But it's my fault she died! I should have stopped her," Whitekit sobbed, her jealousy gone.
"How is it your fault?" the medicine cat asked.
"I've noticed Birdwing acting so strange the past few days. She didn't even recognize me when I gave her the squirrel! I tried and tried to cheer her up, but nothing helped. If only I tried harder, she would have been happy, not so sad all the time." Whitekit bursted out, trying to hold back a sob.
"It was her time to die, Whitekit." Meadowflower mewed, raising her white paws and patting Whitekit's head gently. "We all have noticed Birdwing acting strange. But sometimes there is nothing you can do to heal a broken heart."
"But-"
"Birdwing is watching you now." Meadowflower continued, smiling. "She will always be with you until it is your time to join StarClan, I promise."
Whitekit looked doubtfully at the medicine cat, and stared at the entrance of the medicine cat's den. Was Birdwing truly watching her now with Snowkit?
"Now, little one," Meadowflower purred, standing up and brushed her tail against the dirt on the ground. "I must continue my work now. Run along."
Whitekit nodded and padded out of the medicine den, not looking back.
Maybe I should go to the elders' den, she thought. Perhaps hearing stories about Birdwing would help cheer her up. No matter what Meadowflower said, she knew she would never forgive herself for trying to help the former queen.
Whitekit's paws carried her to the elders' den within a heartbeat.
The two elders, Badgerheart and Leafstorm were both chatting with each other. Badgerheart rose her black-and-white head as she noticed Whitekit, her eyes glowing.
Leafstorm, on the other hand, didn't look so welcoming, with her eyes glaring and fur bristling.
"Welcome, Whitekit," Badgerheart greeted her.
"Hi," Whitekit mewed, leaping up at the two elders.
"Another kit?" Leafstorm hissed, lashing her tabby tail. "Can't we get some peace for once? Is that too much to ask?"
"You've had plenty of peace, Leafstorm," Badgerheart reminded her. "Whitekit probably wants some attention while the other cats are burying Birdwing's body."
Whitekit pricked her white ears. "I would like to hear some stories," she mewed.
"A story, darling?" Badgerheart purred. "Of course. What would you like to hear about?"
"Birdwing."
For once, Leafstorm gave Badgerheart and uncomfortable glance. The brown tabby she-cat shrugged and laid her head onto her paws, pricking her ears.
Badgerheart stared at Whitekit a few moments longer, then nodded. "All right. Sit down next to me."
Whitekit obeyed and curled up into a ball next to the black-and-white cat's belly.
"Now what would you like to hear about her?" Badgerheart asked, licking Whitekit's tuft of fur on her head.
The tongue lapping comforted Whitekit. "Everything special Birdwing has done," she murmured.
Badgerheart purred. "All right, I will start by saying what she did as an apprentice..."



Whitekit woke up, finding herself in the elders' den. She twisted her head around to find a sleeping Badgerheart. She must have fallen asleep while Badgerheart was talking about Birdwing. Standing up carefully, the she-kit padded quietly away until she left the entrance of the den.
Whitekit noticed an orange apprentice and a calico apprentice talking happily with each other. It was Sunpaw and Twilightpaw.
I wonder if they'll become mates, Whitekit wondered.
"You'll get a mate one day, too, dear," a familiar voice mewed. Whitekit looked up to see her mother staring at the talking apprentices.
"Nearly every cat in the Clan loves someone," Emeraldflame purred, "just like how I love your father, Shortstem. And you, Whitekit." The brown tabby she-cat nuzzled Whitekit on the cheek, and Whitekit flushed. I'm not so young anymore, thanks.
"I'm not interested in love right now," Whitekit murmured. "Besides, I have training to do when I become an apprentice! I'll be too busy worrying about someone."
Emeraldflame chuckled. "You only have two more moons left before you become an apprentice. There will be plenty more kits coming for you to get to know them by then."
"Emeraldflame! I need you for the border patrol," A beautiful light brown tabby she-cat, Violetheart, called out.
"Okay, Violetheart!" Emeraldflame called back, turning back to Whitekit. "Good-bye, dear," she purred, then padded away to join the border patrol.
Whitekit sighed as she stared after her mother. I wish I could join her. It always seemed so boring, sitting in the nursery all day! Especially while Nightkit's been bullying her, she didn't have any friends. At least she was old enough to eat prey now from the fresh-kill pile. The hunting patrols brought something interesting every day, new scents she'd never smell. Her new current favorite piece of prey is a vole. She padded over to the fresh-kill pile, only disappointed to find two mice.
"Hey, what are you hoping for, Whitekit?" An orange tom mewed from above.
Whitekit looked up. It was Sunpaw.
"I was hoping for a vole," Whitekit mewed.
Sunpaw smiled. "I can hunt one for you really quick, if you'd like. Twilightpaw's been bringing back prey like crazy! She's amazing," he purred.
Whitekit smiled. It was good to see someone with positive attitude.
"Sunpaw! Aren't you going to hunt with me?" Twilightpaw mewed, lashing her tail. The pretty calico she-cat was standing next to the tunnel that led outside the territory.
Sunpaw smiled back. "Of course! Let's bring back a vole for Whitekit!" He stared back at the silver-and-white she-kit. "I'll see you later, Whitekit, and bring back a vole for you!" Whitekit stared at Sunpaw until the orange tom leaped away from her and ducked into the tunnel, disappearing into its hollow darkness.
Whitekit shivered as she saw the hole in the ground. How could the apprentices stand it? It always looked so scary, and she bet nobody could even see anything.
"Are you curious about the tunnel, Whitekit?" Her father, Shortstem, mewed. The black and white tom stood behind her, lashing his tail, his eyes filled with pure curiosity.
Whitekit let out a squeak and twisted around to see her father. "Y-Yes," she admitted.
"I know you are alone more often now," Shortstem murmured. "How about I show you a little bit of the tunnel?"
Whitekit frowned. She wasn't sure she'd like that.
But I'm gonna have to go there one day, she reminded herself. The silver she-cat nodded. "Sure." It would be nice to spend some time with her father, anyway.
Shortstem nodded. "Come with me, and pay attention to everything I tell you."
Uncomfortably Whitekit nodded and padded along with Shortstem. She stared around at her own camp, enjoying the mud soaking her own paws. BreezeClan is the coolest Clan ever. We never get warm. She heard stories that BreezeClan's camp used to be a river hollow, where the water would set. But one year it got so hot that the water evaporated, and now it had turned into a moist, grassy territory.
"We're here now," Shortstem mewed, standing next to the tunnel. Whitekit blinked. The tunnel was barely wide enough for an apprentice to fit through!
"You may bite my tail, but gently," her father mewed as his paws were placed into the darkness of the tunnel.
"Wait, we're going in?" Whitekit sqeaked. She thought kit must be six moons old to leave the territory.
"We're not going outside the territory," Shortstem mewed, as if he read her thoughts. "We're just going to explore the tunnel a little bit."
"Okay," Whitekit mewed uncomfortably.
Shortstem nodded and ducked his head into the tunnel's darkness. Soon after the BreezeClan warrior was swallowed up by darkness. Whitekit was terrified as she stepped into the tunnel, but she soon calmed down as she smelled his scent into the darkness.
The air felt cold and damp. Whitekit sniffed. "Where are we?" Her voice echoed; it must be a long tunnel.
"We're under our territory," Shortstem mewed. Whitekit glanced around but she saw nothing but darkness.
"Do you see that small hint of light?" Shortstem asked.
Whitekit narrowed her eyes as she kept scanning the tunnel. Sure enough, straight ahead, was a small ray of light seeping through the tunnel, making her silver fur glow into the tunnel. She stared back at Shortstem and her eyes widened. "I can see you now!" she squeaked.
Shortstem chuckled, his white fur glowing yellow from the sun. "There, you see? Not so scary anymore."
Whitekit let out a purr.
"Now, let's go back to camp before anybody notices you're missing and gets worried," Shortstem mewed, padding back to the other side of the tunnel. Whitekit followed him and scrambled out of the hole, relieved when she saw the familiar long grass that sheltered the camp.
Shortstem stretched as the tom managed to climb out of the tunnel. He stared back at Whitekit. "That was fun," he purred. "I hope you will have fun on your first day as an apprentice, Whitekit. No other kit has been able to explore the tunnel before. Not until they were made an apprentice."
Whitekit wanted to burst with happiness. This was just what she needed, after everything that's happened the past few days.
"I must go now," Shortstem purred as he began to twist around back into the tunnel's darkness. "You take care, all right?"
"All right!" Whitekit squeaked as her father disappeared into the tunnel.
She looked around after her father left. I suppose I'll go take a nap in the nursery, she decided. She hadn't left the camp before, well, she didn't leave the camp, but climbing the tunnel was a little tiring for her, especially with her small legs. She let out a yawn and padded into the nursery.
Nightkit was glaring up at her as he saw her arrive. "Where were you all this time?" he growled.
Whitekit's excitement vanished as she heard the anger and jealousy in his mew. "Shortstem took me out to see the tunnel,"
"What?" Nightkit's eyes widened. "Kits aren't supposed to leave the camp!"
"I wasn't out of the camp," she told him, lashing her white tail. "He just showed me inside the tunnel, and then we left."
Nightkit narrowed his eyes. "How come you're the only one having fun while I'm here by myself?"
Have you ever noticed how rude you are? Whitekit bit back the sharp reply.
"It's not fair," Nightkit complained and continued to glare at Whitekit. "You took Snowkit away, and now you're taking away all of my chances of having fun! Why does everyone like you so much and not me? Everyone else ignores me."
"Maybe if you'd improve your attitude, cats would like you more," Whitekit grumbled.
Nightkit growled. "What did you say?"
Whitekit flinched.
"Hey, Whitekit! I have that vole I promised you!" A voice mewed. Whitekit turned around, relieved that Sunpaw distracted Nightkit from his quarrel. The orange tom dropped it in front of Whitekit's paws.
Whitekit purred. "Thanks, Sunpaw."
"No problem," the orange tom mewed, waving his tail. "Enjoy!" He soon disappeared behind the ferns as he left the nursery.
Nightkit was scowling as the apprentice left the nursery den. The black kit tucked his nose under his tail and closed his eyes.
Whitekit stared at her prey. I could try to be kind. Maybe it'll put Nightkit into a good mood.
"Do you want some of this vole?" she mewed. Her heart sank as Nightkit glared at her.
"No. Leave me alone," he hissed as he turned his head away.
Whitekit sighed. Why can't I just get along with you? The silver apprentice continued to wish she and Nightkit would get along as she began to eat her favorite vole. She heard Nightkit snore softly, telling her that he drifted off to sleep.