Omen of the Sun Book Three: Dusk

Chapter Eight

Briarkit

The camp was in a frenzy.

Every cat was rushing around, completely on the edge. Briarkit was watching in a small bit of confusion, because she had no idea what was going on. What's gotten everyone in so much of a fray?

She sighed and ducked her head, curling up in a little ball on the ground in front of the nursery. She was feeling lonely and grieved- she was missing Goldleaf so much. He had always been her favorite parent, even though she had only known him for two moons, because he played with her and her sisters. He even made sure that Emberkit, who didn't like to play with Rainkit, Briarkit, and Fernkit becayse the games were "too rough", got involved, which Briarkit knew from experience was very difficult.

But now he was... dead?

What exactly did it mean to be dead? Briarkit wasn't sure. She had heard whispers of what happened when a cat joined the place of spirits. Were they with other cats who were... dead? Or were they by themselves? Who could say? Could you come back from the dead?

Briarkit decided that was a no, and shuddered, thinking about her father.

She thought she felt his fur brushing up against hers again, the way it had when they had sat together and talked. He had always known what to talk about with her, and hadn't talked to her like she was a kit. He had talked to her like she was an equal, and had always explained something to her if she didn't understand.

But, Briarkit realized, they had never really talked about his personal life.

But Briarkit had been watching all those times when her father had gone up to that cat (what was her name? Sun something.) and talked to her. His expression was different from when it was when he was talking with Applestar: this one had a different, more raw and open emotion written across it, and Sun-something had had a similar expression. She knew it wasn't friendship, because she had seen Sun-something and Cinderstorm wearing a different expression, and she knew they were best friends. It wasn't dislike, because she knew what that expression was from when Applestar talked about the other Clans.

Wow, she thought. I really can feel his fur. Untucking her head, she looked up, and gasped in surprise when she saw that Rainkit and Fernkit had sat down next to her, pushing into her with their pelts. Their warmth pushed through her fur and into her heart, and she slowly straightened into a citting position, mirroring her sister's. They didn't speak, just sat, and watched.

They watched as Cinderstorm appeared in a dark corner.

Rainkit's eyes flew wide, Briarkit made a stifled sound of surprise, and Fernkit stiffened, her green eyes staring straight at Cinderstorm. The gray she cat had come out of nowhere. Had she been in the camp before? Briarkit thought back frantically and realized that she hadn't seen her in a long time. What had happened?

Then Sunpool popped in next to her, crouching low, probably hoping her bright silver-striped pelt wouldn't show. She was less successful than Cinderstorm. Fernkit hissed. "What the-"

Then Lightningfeather popped in next to them, visible only by the bright ginger of his spotted-pelt. Briarkit blinked. The whole situation had taken less than six heartbeats, but she was still completely shocked by it. With her mouth wide open, she looked down in shock. Rainkit and Fernkit faced inwards, with similar expressions, she saw as she lifted her head.

"What the..." Rainkit mewed, startstruck, her voice low. Briarkit looked around at the camp. No other cat seemed to have noticed, except one other cat.

Applestar. She was staring at the corner with a cold interest in her eyes. She was sitting next to Amberclaw at the foot of the Rock Pile, still in a position of power. Briarkit had seen Brambleflower give her announcement, how the cats of CloudClan had gone from calm to uneasy, even angry, in the space of a heartbeat.

She had seen her mother's shocked expression, saying something that made Briarkit shiver. Was what Brambleflower said a lie?

Or was it ultimately worse- the truth?

Applestar jerked her head back around to Amberclaw and said something. Amberclaw had stretched out his tail and touched her gently on the shoulder. Amberclaw seemed satisfied with her answer, and continued to talk again.

"I don't think," Fernkit murmured so that only her sisters could hear it, "we should-"

But she was cut off by Briarkit getting up and padding over.

She couldn't say what compelled her to go over. All she knew was that she was suddenly padding across the camp to the three cats in the shadowy corner, not stopping, and Fernkit and Rainkit were hurrying along on either side of her. They were both muttering things to the effect of, "Briarkit, I really don't think you should go over there!"

Briarkit didn't listen to them and continued on her way. When she was about halfway there, Lightningfeather's head snapped up, and he glanced over at them. He turned, and must have said something (Briarkit couldn't see) to Cinderstorm and Sun-whatever (wait! Was it Sunpool?), because they both turned around and looked at them. Sunpool's mouth moved, shaping words Briarkit couldn't hear.

Briarkit reached them. Rainkit and Fernkit had fallen silent. They made a strange group, the six of them, each group standing carefully apart from the other. No cat said anything, until Briarkit opened her mouth and voiced the question she was thinking in her mind.

"What did you just do?"

Dun dun dunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn! WOOOO! YES I GOT AN UPDATE OUT!!!!!!!!! I am really sorry for the wait >.< Schoolwork has been piling up, and I had writer's block. :(

AND OH MY GOD, WE NOW HAVE... FAN ART? The media on the side (or top depending on your device) was drawn by @xXDawnfurxX and it's the scene where Goldleaf and Sunpaw (she was an apprentice then) fight. You know the one? In Snowfall? That one.

So thank you, @xXDawnfurxX <3 The chapter is dedicated to you! :)

Byee!

~Rainfeather