𝓑𝓻𝓸𝓸𝓴 - 𝒜 𝓌𝒶𝓇𝓇𝒾𝑜𝓇 𝒸𝒶𝓉𝓈 𝒻𝒶𝓃𝒻𝒾𝒸𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃

Chapter 1

Sapphirekit thought she was gorgeous. Not that the endless compliments her parents gave her weren't enough, they just.... weren't enough. Frozentwirl the queen of the clan, literally, and her prodigy daughter. The small kit smirked to herself as she watched Ambersplash bark out orders. It had a nice ring to it. Twitching her tail, Sapphirekit looked into the nursery behind her. Her mother was asleep and so were the two derpy kits, Nettlekit and Muddykit who had been playing all night. So they'll be asleep all day. She sighed. Perking her ears, Sapphirekit strutted closer to the warriors den where the patrols were gathering and stood near the entrance, listening.
       '....we can't go near the river, I'm telling you. That deputy has frogs for brains.' Lilycurl, a new warrior, stuck her nose up in the air. 'If it were up to me, this clan would move far, far away from this place. Closer to Briar Clan.'
'But you aren't the deputy, much less the leader.' Lionmask replied. They narrowed their eyes at the snarky shecat. 'If it is HollowStars wish that we should stay in Sage Clan territory, so be it.' They licked their paw and drew it over their ear. Agreement rippled over the patrol. 'Hey where is Brookpaws? I told him to have a sip of water, not a gallon.' The leader of the patrol, short-tempered Snakefeather , grumbled angrily. Sapphire kit did not like this one.
                  As if on cue, the fluffy tabby warrior padded to the entrance. Sapphirekit did not like this tomcat either. He never talked, and when she asked Ferntail why, the queen would never answer. 'Okay, I want Lionmask and his hunting patrol to stay within the safe grounds. Everyone else, with me.' Snake Feather left briskly and the group of cats followed.
         Whenever the dawn patrols went, the clan was literally empty. HollowStar and Burr'Pelt left in a hurry not so long after, and AmberSplash was there, but always went at some point. And poor Sapphirekit was left with the remains. Huffing, she made her way back to the nursery. Her paws were cold.
               'Sapphirekit.' Looking behind her, the kit trilled. 'Finally you're awake!' Sapphire kit bounced onto FrozenTwirls belly and they both laughed. 'How did you sleep, snowdrop?' Her mother licked her gently behind the ears. 'I was sleepwalking again...but not that far. I found myself next to Gooseheart.' The kit replied.  Her mother laughed again. 'Your father must have been terrified.' She mewed as the queen cleaned herself thoroughly. 'No, I woke up before him. And I woke him up too!' Sapphire kit giggled. Frozentwirl chuckled. 'You little fox!' The queen licked up her only kit and they both fell down in fits of laughter. Sapphirekit suddenly stopped. 'Shhhhh... if we're too loud, they'll wake up.' She whispered. Frozentwirl blinked.
             'Why do you hate Ferntail and her kits so much?' Frozentwirl asked as the mother groomed Sapphirekits snowy pelt. Sapphire kit looked up. 'I dont't hate them...' She protested slightly. And it wasn't a lie. She enjoyed it when Muddykit and Nettlekit invited her to play one of their made up games or when Ferntail invited her to groom her fur in her own special way, in fact, she liked their family. 'I just... don't feel in place with them. Like I'm the odd one out.' The little kit stood up and stretched. She heard trees crack and brambles snap near the entrance. 'Hm.' Her mother stood up and watched the entrance too, her long feathery tail flicking. Fern tail had woken up as well. Her big doe brown eyes were tired, but alert.
A bright red pelt burst into camp. It wasn't PoppyStalk, and a metallic stench filled Sapphirekits nose. She backed off, but Ferntail and Frozentwirl hurried to the cat who was on the floor, breathing rapidly, and a big red puddle stained the snowy floor under their flank. Sapphirekit watched from a distance as Ferntail and her mother carried the cat into the healers den. It was only when the little kit saw those all-too-familiar miscoloured eyes, did Sapphirekit realize this red, dying cat was her own father.