Morning Clouds

Chapter 11

Bright Feather yawned.

Shadowed Pine had told her that a kit like her couldn't stay up the whole night.

So she was going to.

She knew that when cats died, they had to stay up in vigil, but Thunderstar forebade kits from participating, plus no one had died in Bright Feather's lifetime anyway.

But practice was good.

She glanced around the den.

There was her mother, Violet Dawn, and her brother, Bracken Leaf, curled in the nest with her, both fast asleep.

Then there was Clover with her kit, Glistening Dew. Also fast asleep.

Then there was Gooseberry with Rainbow Rain, Maple Pool, and Snowy Skies. And Milkweed who had no kits but slept in the den anyway.

They were all asleep.

Everyone except Bright Feather.

In fact, she was pretty sure that she was the only one awake in the whole of ThunderClan. Maybe even the only one in all of the five Clans!

She smiled. This is so cool!

She heard a rustle in the bushes. Is that a mouse? I wish I could catch it. I'd better look away.

She buried her nose in Violet Dawn's soft belly fur until the rustling stopped.

When she glanced back, there was something different about the den. But she couldn't figure out what.

Bright Feather continued with her vigil.

But something was wrong. Very, very wrong.

//-//

Echo rested her head on her paws, watching as Flame and Slash returned from their daily training sessions. Flame made a beeline for the prey pile, but to her surprise, Slash came over to her.

"Ready to start training tomorrow?"

Echo was so happy, she nearly jumped into the clouds. "YES!!"

Slash snorted. "We begin at sunrise. Be ready." He turned and walked cooly over to Beetle and Snake.

Echo grinned after him. Yes! Finally!

//-//

Lightning's POV

Lightning stared from the shadows at his sister and Slash. She's starting? Nooo, not Echo! Don't take my sister!

He dug his tiny claws into the ground, glad of his tiny size and shy nature. It had gained him sometimes-unwanted information and a strong conviction to protect himself and his sister from the cat who pretended to be their father.

Flame, he thought, had already fallen into the pit of Slash's lies. But if there was something Lightning could do to save him...

He hardly dared to hope that one day he and Echo and Flame could find shelter and safety in the Clans with their unknown father.

The fact that, for all his eavesdropping and knowledge, that he didn't know his own father's name, drove Lightning crazy.

He was supposed to be smart.

He knew that wasn't exactly true.

Everyone viewed him as the small, shy, sweet kit who never play-fought and kept to himself. Slash and his generals looked down on him. The group members pitied him.

And Swallow...

Lightning didn't know what to make of his mother.

He knew she loved him. And Flame and Echo.

But she wasn't a normal mother, as far as he could tell.

She was also a general, which meant she was a ruthless fighter and would kill for Slash.

He knew that if one of them – or her, for that matter – were to be disloyal, he would order her to kill them.

And she probably would.

Lightning's ears flicked up as Slash and his generals, minus Splinter, gathered near him. He expertly inched forward, not making a sound, and pricked his ears.

"...Any moment now," Slash was saying.

Then Splinter slipped inside, out of view of the rest of the group, holding something white and wriggling.

Lightning's stomach dropped.

No.

The pieces suddenly clicked together.

He mentally scolded himself. He should have seen this coming!

Lightning's failure had cost him a lot of time. Now Flame's safety from Slash, already in a very dangerous position, was about to vanish. And Echo's was next, very, very close.

He stared at Flame, trying to catch a last glimpse of his brother before Slash shoved him into the mess he had created.

Please... No....!