A Forest's Memory

Chapter Three

 Okay, so I saw a hamster for the first time. And I had NO idea that they were SO SMALL! Wow! They are ADORABLE! I thought they were as big as guinea pigs, but no they're small enough to fit in my palm. I now need a hamster. Hamster rant over, sorry! Oh, and quick warning, I may not update for a while. But you'll get the WindClan allegiances soon!

-SCBookworm

They walked back to the bramble bush without talking. As they ducked inside, Forestkit saw Ferntail, Bluesky, Clearpool and Blazeheart were already there waiting. Forestkit Sat between her parents, and Clearpool gave her a lick on the ear.

"Tell us what this is about Rosestar," Ferntail sait bluntly. "Why did you bring Forestkit?"

Forestkit wondered why Ferntail was talking to the clan leader so disrespectfully, then remembered that they are sisters. I wouldn't talk any different to Oakkit or Birchkit if they were clan leader, Forestkit thought.

"That is for Lillyblaze and Clearpool to explain," Rosestar nodded at the two she-cats.

"When I first discovered I was expecting kits, I was very pleased. It was almost Leaf-bare," Lillyblaze began, her eyes darting to Bravestar's and holding them for a moment. " But I was the same as every expecting queen, nervous and excited at the same time." Lillyblaze dropped her gaze, staring at her paws. "Then I caught Whitecough. It slowly got worse until it turned to Greencough. I got better, but I was very weak when the kits came."

She slowly met their eyes, coming to rest on Forestkit. "It was a moon earlier than it was supposed to be. Only one kit survived," Lillyblaze dropped her gaze again, looking at her paws, and wrapped her tail around them. "I barely survived myself, so there was no chance I could nurse it. What it needed was a strong mother and supply of milk. As there was no other nursing, or even expecting queen in our clan, I-"

Lillyblaze stopped, unable to continue. Bravestar wrapped his tail over her shoulders, and she leaned into him. Clearpool brushed Lillyblaze's cheek with her tail, her eyes kind and understanding, and continued for her.

"She reached out to another clan for help. I had made friends with her at a gathering, and she knew I had kits at about the same time as she did. Bravestar approached Rosestar at a gathering to ask me to take the kit," Clearpool gazed down at Forestkit with love in her eyes, and pulled her closer.

"Me?" Forestkit's eyes widened as what they were saying dawned on her. "I'm WindClan?" Forestkit shook her head and leapt to her paws. "I can't be! I'm ThunderClan. My parents are Clearpool and Blazeheart, right?"

Forestkit looked up at her supposed mother with hope and pleading in her eyes. Clearpool looked her in the eyes. Forestkit saw her answer there. No! I can't be WindClan, I'm a loyal ThunderClan cat! Her heart sank. Her head was spinning. Forestkit backed away from Clearpool, shaking her head. I'm WindClan.

"I don't want to be WindClan!" Forestkit yowled, running out of the bramble bush. She streaked by a startled Sandfur and ran behind the nursery. "I don't want to be WindClan," Forestkit muttered again, as though saying it would make it so.

"Forestkit? What's wrong?" Willowleaf's voice came through the nursery walls.

"Forestkit? What're you doing back there?" Stormkit squeezed through a hole in the back of the nursery to look at her.

"Yeah Forestkit! Hey, move your tail Stormkit," Birchkit squeezed herself into the already crowded cubbyhole at the back of the nursery.

Pouncekit and Oakkit pushed their way into the cubbyhole, not wanting to miss out, and Forestkit found herself holding back a purr at their antics. She was glad for the distraction from the drama. The cubbyhole at the back of the nursery was now a wriggling mass of fur and bright eyes.