Warriors: Sunbeam (To The Past Book 1)

Chapter Two

Bluekit poked her head out of the nursery, wondering where Birdkit was. Was she still with the medicine cats? She looked up at the darkening sky. She had been gone for a long time. She looked at the tunnel entrance when she heard pawsteps in the snow. She opened her eyes wide when her sister trotted through into camp, her head high and her eyes shining.

She ran out of the nursery and over to Birdkit as the medicine cats entered. "You were out of camp?" she wailed in distress. "Are you okay? Why did you go out? We aren't allowed to leave camp!" Her rapid words made Birdkit tackle her.

"I didn't leave without permission," she chirped as she got off of her.

Bluekit rolled to her paws. "What?" How had she been given permission?

"We took her out for a walk to calm her down after what happened in the medicine den," meowed Snakepaw as he brushed snow off of Bluekit's back with his tail. Bluekit looked even more worried than before.

"Calm down? What happened?" she demanded, anxious about her sister's health.

Birdkit sat down. "Can I tell her?" she asked, looking up at Snowdash and Deerfoot.

The two looked at each other, debating. What had happened in the den? Each second that passed was agonizingly slow for Bluekit. Finally, Snowdash sighed. "Might as well. Come on. We'll all go to the medicine den."

Bluekit followed them, noticing a look of despair come to Birdkit's eyes. She was beginning to doubt she wanted to know.

She pressed herself against her sister's gray-white fur. She felt her shivering a bit. "Are you cold?"

"I will be fine once we get to the den," she replied. "Do you think you could wait till tomorrow for the explanation?"

Bluekit felt compelled to say yes when she saw the sadness in her blue-green speckled hazel eyes. "No." The word was out before her heart could say 'yes'. "I am worried about you," she said quickly, seeing her hang her head. "I want to know now what happened. While it's still fresh."

"I guess you have a point."

Once inside the den, Bluekit and Birdkit crouched with their bodies pressed together for warmth, Snowdash began to explain what had happened with Birdkit's dream and Featherfoot. His words made her look at him in disbelief. She jumped to her paws, cutting him off when he started on about taking Birdkit out of the camp. "Liar!"

Birdkit and the medicine cats looked at her in shock. "What?" Birdkit gasped.

Bluekit glared at Birdkit. "Featherfoot would never say that! He would never blame you! And why didn't you tell me you had such a dream? Are you not sure it's because you witnessed Doveface kit?" Her sister's dream sounded like her imagination running wild. She was always making up stories about places she had seen in her dreams. Saying she knew what Lakeclan's camp looked like and even what the Starpond looked like.

Birdkit didn't hide the hurt she felt. "You don't believe me?"

Snakepaw spoke up. "Featherfoot is blaming her for your mother's leaving. When has he ever taken care of you?" His angry gaze seemed to pierce her soul.

She glared back, ignoring the chill of fear crawling along her spine. "He is always taking care of me!" she snapped. Just as the words left her mouth, she realized how Birdkit felt. Her memories whirled around.

Featherfoot taking her out to the edge of their territory at night. Bringing her the freshest, plumpest prey. Telling her stories. Everything he did for her, he never did for Birdkit. Birdkit was always asleep or off playing or eating a scrawny piece of prey. She always shared what little food there was with the other kits but Bluekit always got her own full piece. She had more weight compared to the other cats.