...I stared with curiosity. "What's that?" I leaped for the dog fur.

"No," Bluefur started, "it's for White--"

I already hooked it with my claw and chased it around the nursery. "Look! I'm Thistleclaw, attacking that mangy dog!"

"Keep your voice down!" Snowfur shushed me.

I pinned the dog fur down. "I hate the nursery! It's too full of kits. I'm never allowed to play anymore. I should be in the apprentices' den with Lionpaw. I bet he doesn't have to take afternoon naps."

"Maybe not," Bluefur purred, "but he wishes he could."

"What's going on?" Whitekit drowsily lifted his head.

Snowfur puffed. "You've woken him up!"

I leaped up. "Good! Now he can play, too!"

"Play what?" Whitekit looked around.

"My new game; it's called 'Kill the Dog.'" I flung the dog fur over his head. Whitekit scrabbled out of the nest. We both flung the fur around the nursery. Pinning it down, we pretended to swipe a dog. "Take that!" I yowled.

Bluefur then called to Whitekit. "You'll be okay if Snowfur comes for a walk with me, won't you?"

"Of course," Whitekit yowled without glancing back. "Come on, Tigerkit!"

Even though my mother said no, after Bluefur and Snowfur left, Whitekit and I played Kill the Dog outside the nursery.

"I thought Leopardfoot said you had to stay in the nursery!" Whitekit squeaked.

"It's none of your business," I told him, "and I don't care. She's not the Clan leader."

"Oh." Whitekit hesitated, then he tossed the fur again.

"Kill the Dog!" Frostkit and Brindlekit came out of the nursery. "Can we play?"

Whitekit nodded. "Sure!"

Brindlekit clawed at the dog fur. "Gotcha!"

"Okay," I hooked the fur in the air. "I'm Thistleclaw!"

Whitekit looked up. "I want to be Thistleclaw!"

"He's already your dad," I protested. "You can be him next time."

"Okay," he mewed. "Then, I'm Adderfang."

"I'm Bluefur!" Frostkit squeaked.

"I'm Rosetail!" Brindlekit said.

"She wasn't there!" I retorted.

"Well, everyone else was taken!" she replied.

"Fair enough," I agreed.

"Come on!" Whitekit meowed. "Let's play, before my mom comes back and makes me take a nap!"

I flicked the fur up. "Take that, flea-brain!"

Brindlekit pinned the dog fur down. "You'll never get passed me!"

Whitekit and Frostkit were volleying the fur up after I hooked it up again. When it finally landed down, we all piled on top of it, trying to get it first. When we spread out, the tuft of fur disintigrated. We all groaned in dismay.

"Where'd it go?" Frostkit complained.

"Who cares?" I meowed. "I'm going to the nursery."

I felt very dizzy with exhaustion. Yawning heavily, I went towards my mother's nest.

"I told you you'd be tired and grumpy," Leopardfoot sighed, handing me some bits of mouse.

I nibbled a couple of bites, laying down, my eyes heavy. I didn't have the energy to eat. Every kit was now in the nursery, playing around. I was on the brink of sleep, until...

"Whitekit," Bluefur walked into the nursery.

I jerked up my head, noticing the desperation and sadness in her voice.

"You're back!" Whitekit bounded to his aunt. Then he took glances behind her. That was when I noticed the absence of his mother.

Where's Snowfur?

"Is Snowfur with you?" Whitekit questioned.

Leopardfoot gasped behind me. "Oh, no."

Robinwing looked sorrowfully at my mother, as if the queens both knew something Bluefur knew, and Whitekit didn't.

Bluefur took a deep breath. "Come outside, little one." I could tell that she was trying to stay calm.

"Has Snowfur got a present for me?" he squeaked.

What's going on? I bounded up to Whitekit. "Can I come, too?"

"Just Whitekit," she told me.

"Okay." I sighed, looking down at my paws.

Bluefur left, and Whitekit scrabble behind her.

"What is it?" he squeaked as he left. "Where's Snowfur? I she playing hide-and-seek?"

I turned to the other queens. I saw my mother wiping tears in her eyes with her tail. Robinwing got up, sniffling.

That was when I heard Bluefur yowling at Whitekit. "She's dead, Whitekit! You won't see her anymore. You won't smell her or hear her or feel her fur next to yours ever again!"

Robinwing came out and I stuck my face through the tunnel, to see what was happening. In the background, I saw Snowfur, cold looking and bloody, her eyes dull. Whitekit was frozen with sadness, his eyes filled with sorrow and anger. Bluefur was hiding her face from her sister's body.

"I'll feed you and you'll share my nest with Frostkit and Brindlekit," Robinwing mewed to Whitekit.

Whitekit spat at Robinwing, fury for his dead mother in his amber eyes. "I don't want your milk or your nest! I want Snowfur!"

I watched in sorrow, as Whitekit galloped towards Snowfur's cold body. "I'll live out here, with you," he choked, pressing his nose to her fur. I got out of my place and went to my friend's side. He was choked with emotion, tears streaming in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Mommy!" he was sobbing.

I gave a comforting lick to Whitekit's ear. The young kit looked up at me.

"It's all my fault!" he sobbed. "If I wasn't born, none of this would've happened!"

I shook my head. "It's not your fault. It could've been any cat."

"But why?" he cried. "Snowfur was a good cat!" He laid down, wailing with pure grief.

When a kit wails with grief, it's the saddest sound youi'll ever hear. When a very important kin, mainly its mother, is gone from its life, it has nothing to do, but wail. All of their sadness and anger is coming out from its cries. It's like a song of pure sorrow.

Every cat gathered around to grieve for the young queen, sharing Whitekit's distress as they cried out with sorry. Thistleclaw, Whitekit, and Bluefur cried the loudest, drowning out everyone else. I cried, too, even though it seemed like I made no sound. ...



Chapter 8 coming soon!!!