Warriors: Flesh-Sickness

Chapter 5

Burrkit batted a ball of moss away from him, not choosing to chase it and simply throwing it back to Thornkit and Harekit. He didn't really like playing with the other two kits, as they played too rough for his liking.

Sighing, he curled his tails over his paws and slouched. But suddenly, a sweet scent wafted around him, and Burrkit turned his head to see a pretty tortoiseshell kit. She smiled and snuggled up against Burrkit, her soft, fluffy pelt tickling his nose. 

"Wanna go listen to a story from the elders, Burrkit?" She squeaked, her yellow eyes glowing. Burrkit smiled softly, getting to his paws and starting to pad to the Elders den. 

"Okay! Let's ask Spiriteye first, though. She always had the best stories!" Burrkit replied, following the tortoiseshell she-kit into the den. "Okay! Spiriteye!" She squeaked, and a ghostly white and frighteningly frail looking she-cat turned her head. 

"Greetings kits. You both want a story, don't you?" The shine in both kits' eyes answered her question. Spiriteye purred and curled her tail over her paws. "Alright then. Come over here, and old Spiriteye'll tell you a story." As both kit's settled doen to listen, Burrkit tried not to shudder at the old she-cat's clouded, lazy left eye- even though she had great stories, Spiriteye's appearance frightened him sometimes.

~~~

One story had turned into many, and both of the kits sat watching her speak, clinging to the moss of her nest in anticipation. "...And as the mighty leader of LionClan reared his wide head, the tiger pinned him down under his huge paws- and bit out his throat!" Burrkit squeaked in horrified alarm, burrowing deep into the moss. "I don't like this story! Change it, change it, CHANGE IT!" 

"Burrkit?" His whiskers twitched at the sound of an unfamiliar voice, and he spotted Bulletleaf slide into the den. He whimpered as the medicine cat gently pulled him out of the moss. "What's gotten into you? It's a beautiful day out- you should go play with your brother and Harekit." Burrkit stared at her, shocked. "But Spiriteye was telling us stories!" Bulletleaf looked at the kit worriedly, her eyes narrowed slighlty. "Us? And who's Spiriteye? You're all alone in here, you've been talking to yourself for ages, and to top it all off, you're messing up one of the elder's nest's!" 

Burrkit was floored. By himself? Talking to himself? What in the world was Bulletleaf talking about? "What.. what do you mean?" He asked softly, trembling. "Spiriteye is sitting right here, and me and Poppykit were listening to her story about the murder of the leader of LionClan.." Bulletleaf looked incredibly dismayed. Burrkit didn't know this, but the Clans hadn't used stories of murder and deceit to scare kits into being good in ages! But he mentioned Poppykit... and then, it clicked.

Gently, the medicine cat gestured for him to follow her, and after a few moments, Burrkit reluctantly complied. As they padded into the medicine den, Burrkit couldn't hep but notice his uncle Stormfire's ugly glare as the kit padded inside. He had heard his father and the other warriors talk about how Stormfire had recieved an omen the day of he and Thornkit's birth; that they never should have been born, and Burrkit and Thornkit would cause nothing but suffering as they grew. Shocktail and Volewhisker hadn't said a word to Stormfire after that.

"Please leave, Stormfire. I must talk with Burrkit alone." Bulletleaf said softly. Stormfire didn't reply, he just glared at Burrkit further, then trotted out of the den. Once he was gone, the white and grey medicine cat turned to look at Burrkit. "You have a special gift, Burrkit." She said softly. "But a gift that you can never tell anyone about. Not every cat will understand, or want to listen." "W.. what do you mean?" Burrkit whimpered. "Bulletleaf, you're scaring me!"

Bulletleaf exhaled softly, and gently touched her nose to the top of the dark brown kit's head. "That kit you were listening Spiriteye tell a story with... that was your sister, Poppykit. Poppykit died when you and Thornkit were born. She must have come back to take care of you and guide you. And Spiriteye? I think that elder was visting you too. You have a wonderful gift, little one, but one no one but myself and the other medicine cats can know. You must keep this a secret."