Warriors: Whitekit's Dream [Book One of the Voiceless Series]

Chapter Twenty-Four

Whitekit lay down on her soft-rock in the nursery. Ryekit and Palekit slept in their big nest, while Tallflower and Tumblekit were sleeping in the corner. Willowshade was out hunting with Thunderfoot, and trusted Tallflower with her three kits.

What Palekit had said was true--Tumblekit and Tallflower hadn't done or said anything for the past moon, at least. They were mourning too much.

Well, Wildstar had enough of their sulking.

Whitekit's head snapped up as the leader walked into the nursery. She shifted on her soft-rock, looking at Wildstar, who seemed annoyed.

"Tallflower? When will you return to helping the clan?" The leader asked.

The queen huffed and lay down, closing your eyes.

"I'm talking to you, Tallflower," Wildstar sighed.

"I don't know!" Tallflower grumbled. "Later, okay?"

"How about now?" Wildstar replied. "You've been like this since the battle with the coyotes--it has been almost a whole moon!"

Tallflower looked up, her eyes filled with fury. "My son was taken from me--we didn't even send out a patrol!"

"We could have lost more warriors," Wildstar pointed out. "And we did,"

Tallflower hissed. "My mate is gone!"

"He attacked a kit!" Wildstar shot back. "You must think that you and Tumblekit are the only ones suffering from this! Well, you're absolutely wrong! I've lost two incredible warriors and an apprentice. Finchwing and Stoneleap have lost half of their team, and Embersun is alone--her whole family is gone! At least you and Tumblekit have each other, at least Jaggedwing is alive!" He shouted.

"You don't know that!" Tallflower shrieked, standing up. Her fur was bristling. "For all I know, he could be dead! You could've killed him by sending him out of here!"

"At least you have another member of your family," Wildstar narrowed his eyes before storming out of the nursery.

The four kits of the nursery had been staring the whole time, silent and open-mouthed.

"That just happened," Ryekit mumbled.

Palekit sneezed, while Whitekit watched the door swing, slowing down each second. Wildstar looked angry.

Tumblekit looked up at her mother with a pouting face and flattened ears. "Mom. . ." the she-kit whined. "That was really embarrassing!"

Tallflower grunted, turning to look at her kit. "Go back to sleep, Tumblekit,"

"Mom! It's almost sunhigh!" Tumblekit sighed.

"I said go to sleep!" Tallflower growled.

"No!" Tumblekit cried. "It's not fair for you to keep me in here all the time! I miss Wolfkit and I miss Daddy, but if everyone else can move over the others' deaths, then why can't you?" She shouted at her mother.

Tallflower looked like she had been hit by a brick or clawed at the throat.

But Tumblekit wasn't done yet.

"This whole moon we've been here sulking, but maybe Wildstar was right! I'll be apprenticed soon, so what are you going to make me do? Stay cooped up in the apprentice's den all day? And what about you? Will you stay in the nursery and cry all the time? Wolfkit would want me to become a great warrior, and Daddy too!"

Tallflower hissed. "That's enough!"

"No! No, it's not enough!" Tumblekit shrieked at the top of her lungs. "Willowshade is already helping out EmpireClan, and everyone is trying to cope with the deaths of Echomoon and Valleysong! Jaggedwing and Wolfkit might still even be alive! I'm done crying with you! Daddy wouldn't want this at all!"

By now, Ivyfang had walked across the hall to stare at the screaming kit. Whitekit, Ryekit, and Palekit had been staring too. When Willowshade walked in, she was just as surprised.

"How could you not mourn for your father and brother?" Tallflower said lowly. "Have you become heartless like the rest of this clan?"

Whitekit gasped. How dare she! What about Embersun! And Stoneleap and Finchwing? Heatherstone, too! They've lost their best friends!

Tumblekit began to cry. "Y-You don't understand at all! We're not against you. . . We're just tr-trying to help you g-get over this. . . I miss them both. . . More than you ever would! All you did was yell at Wolfkit all the time! I-I bet you're happy he's gone!" She screamed before dashing out of the nursery.

Immediately, Whitekit and her siblings jumped up and chased after their friend. Willowshade told Ivyfang to return to the elder's den, and the queen walked over to Tallflower, who was shaking with fury. . . Or was it something else?

"Shall I get someone else to talk to you?" Willowshade asked calmly.

"No," Tallflower huffed.

"You can't mourn forever," Willowshade commented, walking over to her own nest. "It's been a moon--and we haven't had a conversation since the battle. Tumblekit has only gone out to play twice. . . Or maybe three times. You've been keeping her from her kithood,"

"I haven't!" Tallflower snapped. "We were both upset! Cats like you and Wildstar aren't helping with it!" She shot back.

"Look," Willowshade sighed. "We all miss the warriors that have been. . . Out of our lives, but we need to move on at some point. You've been crying every night, but what about Embersun? She is much younger than you, and has lost both her mother and sister--Jaggedwing is alive, I just know it. He's resourceful."

Tallflower grumbled and looked out the window.

"Embersun has been very happy," Willowshade added. "Echomoon and Valleysong watch her from StarClan."

"Will you stop comparing me to that she-cat?" Tallflower grunted. "My son. . . I've watched him grow. . . And now he is gone."

Willowshade said nothing. Perhaps she had taken a wrong turn in trying to coax her friend out of her trance.

"I never treated him right," Tallflower spoke in a whisper. "I yelled at him all the time. . . Never praised him. . . And now he is gone--possibly forever!"

Willowshade bit her lip. "You don't know that, Tallflower."

"If I ask Wildstar. . . Would he send out a patrol?"

"I. . . I don't know. Wolfkit may have wandered into another territory--another clan."

"But something would have come up at the Gathering," Tallflower pointed out.

Willowshade sighed, knowing that it was true. "I'm sorry, I truly am. All I can say is. . . You'll get through it. Jaggedwing would want you to move on."

Tallflower looked up at her friend, tears in her eyes. She managed to whisper an "Okay."

"Don't lose hope."

A/N:

I'm iffy on this chapter. Thoughts? Take a stance:

Team Wildstar? Is Tallflower sulking too much? Should she be helping EmpireClan rise up from the losses?

Or are you Team Tallflower? You're crying for your lost ones, and everyone else is kinda heartless for moving on. Should they be the ones calming down?

Vote in the comments!🐾