Flame Rising

Chapter 3

Puddlekit groaned, annoyed. His littermates had woke him up with all their squirming and rolling around, and Puddlekit was very tired. He smacked Marigoldkit, hoping she would stop rolling around. But she didn't. Puddlekit shook his head, knowing he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep, so he creeped slowly around his mother and littermates, careful not to wake them. He padded quietly outside.

Puddlekit spotted Frogleap standing guard at the entrance, but she didn't move, so the little kit assumed she was asleep.

The prophecy really weighed down on the kit's back. He thought back to what Flamestar had said; Thunder is in danger from itself. Only four of the leaders's kin can use their power to see through to the rotten inside. The words went through his head so many times, but Puddlekit still couldn't understand what they meant.

After what seemed like a moon of sitting, trying to interpret Flamestar's words, Puddlekit heard whispering from behind the nursery. He turned around to see what was happening, but stopped himself. He wasn't supposed to be outside the nursery, and most definitely not eavesdropping on his Clanmates, so he sat back down on the rock.

Whispering sounds still echoed from behind the nursery, as if prodding at his curiosity with a claw. Eventually, though, Puddlekit shook his head, deciding to look, just a peek, to see what was there.

Puddlekit got down into his best hunter's crouch, and put one paw in front of the other cautiously, not risking being caught. He crept in a wide circle around the camp, approaching the nursery from behind. The voices got louder and louder, but Puddlekit coudn't identify the source. When he got close enough to make out the voices, he hid in a pile of bracken.

"You know the fox that was found yesterday, right?" Puddlekit instantly recognized the voice, hoping he was wrong.

Trembling, Puddlekit peered through. First he saw a bright ginger pelt that he almost thought was Flamestar's, but a closer look revealed Flamefur talking to Leopardspots, Snowfrost, and the deputy, Crowflight.

What are they doing? Puddlekit wondered silently. What's so important that they have to talk about it quietly in the middle of the night?

It suddenly struck Puddlekit that the four cats were littermates. But that still didn't answer what they were doing at this time and place.

"You were saying about the fox?" Snowfrost prompted.

"Well, I snuck off a little while ago and killed it." Crowflight explained.

"Your battle skills never seize to impress us." Flamefur meowed sarcastically.

Crowflighy batted Flamefur across the nose, claws sheathed. "Sorry, sorry." Flamefur muttered.

"Anyway," Crowflight continued, throwing Flamefur a glare. "I buried the fox's body. Later at dusk, I'm going to ask Stonestar to follow me into the forest to show him something. Alone."

Puddlekit noticed Leopardspots' eyes gleaming with ambition.

"Then I kill him." Puddlekit stifled a gasp if astonishment and shock. "Dig up the fox's body, and scrape it's claws on Stonestar and carry him back to camp, making it look like the fox killed him." Crowflight stopped to let her littermates think about it for a moment.

"But that will only bring him down one life." Flamefur pointed out.

"I know that, mouse-brain!" Crowflight hissed, "But it is possible to get a leader down by all lives at once! It happened in the elders' tales of Tigerstar and Scourge!"

"But those were only elders' tales!" Flamefur retorted.

"Then I guess I'm gullible." Crowflight replied tartly, and that shut Flamefur up.

"I think that will work!" Snowfrost exclaimed.

Puddlekit took a scared step back, his mouth gaping open. He always knew Crowflight was ambitious, but he didn't think she would kill to be leader, especially Stonestar! Crowflight was his apprentice and deputy!

Puddlekit took off, dashing to the nursery in fear. He crawled quickly into his nest and buried himself deep in the moss.

He laid there, shaking, scared that Crowflight would come and sink her claws into Puddlekit's fur. He eventually got to tired to even think, and he drifted into sleep.

(One of the four evil cats; Crowflight, Leopardspots, Snowfrost, and Flamefur has a secret! Guess which one and what the secret is!)