"Pebblestream? Pebblestream, shouldn't Bluekit have opened her eyes by now?"
A different voice, softer, almost a purr, soothed Bluekit's ears. It blew away the last remnants of her dream, like leaves being scattered to the wind.
"Hush, Heatherkit. She'll open her eyes soon, you don't worry."
"But Ashkit opened his eyes just now, and I want to go out and see the camp. You said you'll only let us out once all our eyes were opened."
"All kits are different, Heatherkit. And you'll find the patience to wait. Don't worry, you'll be able to go out quite soon, I believe."
Something poked into Bluekit's side, and she mewled and wriggled in protest.
"Come on, Bluekit!" her sister mewed. "Ashkit just opened his eyes today, and I bet there's going to be loads to see. Don't keep us waiting!"
"Leave her alone, Heatherkit," her mother scolded. "Let her sleep."
Bluekit moved forward a little, burrowing her muzzle in her mother's soft fur. Yes. she thought. I'll open my eyes soon. I won't keep you waiting, Heatherkit.
* * * * * * *
The early dawn breeze stirred Bluekit's fur, making her shiver. She squeaked, rolled, and found herself lying on something soft and furry, quite unlike the sensation of moss and feathers she slept on the night before. The furry thing twitched, then jerked suddenly, and Bluekit suddenly found herself thrown ingominously to the earth.
"Oof!"
She shook her head a little, trying to clear it of its fuzziness. As it went away, a new thought suddenly dashed into Bluekit's mind.
The camp!
For the first time ever she blinked open her eyes, cautiously at first, then stretching them wide as she struggled to take in the expanse of space that, to her newly-opened eyes, seemed enormous. Dawn light filtered through the bramble branches, dappling everything in pale golden light. She pushed herself to her paws, stumbling a little as she slowly turned, trying to satisfy her newly-acquired vision and curiosity by staring at every tiny detail she saw. Thorny branches, mostly, with feathers and scraps of moss littering the sandy ground. She stopped when she made her 360-degree turn, her eyes coming to a rest on the serene shape behind her.
Pebblestream.
Bluekit watched her mother for some time, her side slowly rising and falling as she rested. Her pelt was a soft cloud gray, very much like the feathers that lined their nest, making it soft. A white flash of fur was on her chest, and her tail was long and fluffy.
At her side was Heatherkit, snoring a little as she slept. She looked very much like their mother, with her long pale gray fur. Her small paws were white. Beside her was her brother, Ashkit. His thick pelt was a dark smoky gray, very unlike her mother and sister's soft gray. It was Ashkit whom Bluekit had rolled on earlier in the morning.
Do I look like them?
Bluekit looked over her own shoulder, scrutinizing her pelt carefully. It was not at all like her mother's, or her sister's or her brother's. It was silvery, and strongly marked with black spots and stripes. It was not as long or as thick as the rest of her brethren.
Huddled in a corner, a brown queen lay curled up, sleeping deeply. Tucked safely at her belly were two other kits, slightly bigger than her kin. One was gray and white, another was as dark as a raven's wing, not quite black, but almost there.
Bluekit suddenly tired of staring at the nursery and poked the closest cat (in which case her sister)in the side. Heatherkit grunted and shifted. "Go away, Ashkit!" she complained. "I'm sleeping here!"
Confused, Bluekit poked her again, harder. This time Heatherkit opened her eyes, mouth open, her yowl of protest changing to a gasp of surprise when she saw who it was that poked her.
"Bluekit!" she mewed in delight, springing to her paws. "Finally!" She paused for a moment and stared into Bluekit's face, her huge blue eyes narrowing in surprise.
"What's wrong?" Bluekit asked, the first words she'd spoken aloud.
"Nothing." Heatherkit shook her head, then started shaking Ashkit. "Wake up! Bluekit's opened her eyes. We can leave the nursery!"
Ashkit groaned, opened his eyes, and sat up, looking around blearily. Like Heatherkit's, his eyes were also blue. Bluekit wondered whether her eyes were blue, too.
"What?" he groaned, then caught sight of his silver-pelted sister. He stared into her face for a moment, squinting into her eyes. His whiskers twitched. "Cool," he mewed, after a moment.
"What's cool?" Bluekit asked, starting to feel slightly irritated by all the constant staring and unexplained expressions of surprise.
"Shh!" hissed Heatherkit. "Let's not wake Pebblestream. We could try sneaking out on our own!" Her eyes sparkled in excitement.
"But what will she feel about it?" asked Bluekit, heart pricking with anxiety. Much as she wanted to explore the camp on her own, she felt that her mother wouldn't be too happy with the discovery of her three missing kits.
"She'll be fine," mewed Heatherkit impatiently. "We'll be back in no time."
Bluekit thought about it, her whiskers twitching as she debated with the prospect of enjoying the camp to herself with the anxiety to please her mother on the first day her eyes opened. The former won her eventually.
"Let's go!" she squeaked, paws tingling in excitement.
The trio's hope of an attempted silent exit was dashed by a firm meow behind them.
"Where are you going?"
Heatherkit and Ashkit turned around, pelts bristling guiltily.
"We...were....uh, trying to make an early start of the day by, you know, bringing Bluekit out to see how the camp would be like on her first day without everyone's noisy paws stamping around the place." Heatherkit stammered.
"So you've opened your eyes, then?" Bluekit realized the last question was addressed to her, and she turned around from peeking through the gap in the bramble wall, meeting her mother's eyes for the first time.
Pebblestream's eyes were as blue as her children's. They widened in surprise as she met Bluekit's eyes, never taking her gaze off hers. She stared as if transfixed.
"Larchpool," she called, waking the brown queen Bluekit had noted earlier. "Larchpool, look at her eyes."
Increasing frustration filled Bluekit, spilling out of her in a wave of anger. "For the last time," she growled, "what is wrong with my eyes?"
Larchpool had joined Pebblestream and was also staring at Bluekit, her amber eyes wide and curious. Bluekit felt like a freak, the odd one out.
"It's your eyes," mewed Ashkit, finally answering Bluekit's ignored question. "They're of two different colors."

YOU ARE READING
Warrior's Path: Destiny of Flame(On Hold)
AdventureBluefire, a warrior of BlizzardClan, a feline Clan situated on a land where it is unburdened by humans, has been made to feel different due to an unusual feature since the day she opened her eyes. She dicscovers that she is to be part of many great...