Heartstar's rise : Book one

Ch. 12

The she-cat had soft and sleek. Her pelt was white tortoiseshell. Her eyes shone bright with a fire of warmth and love. Heartkit approached her and rubbed his side onto her paw. Her fur was warm and soft. She purred gently then bent down and gave him a loving lick on the head. Her eyes shone with love as she looked down at him. Heartkit's heart beat faster. 

            "No matter what, Heartkit, you're never alone," whispered the cat. Heartkit's heart skipped a beat. He knew her. She was the cat which had left a small part of him when he was just born. The small hole he felt whatever he did. 

           "Why did you leave me?" asked Heartkit sadly. He could imagine a life with her in Shadowclan. How he would feel love all the time, who he would run to whenever he was hurt. The cat he would cuddle up next to at night. Stormpelt tried his best to be with Heartkit but he was always busy. 

            "I'm in Starclan now," soothed the cat. Brightheart. Heartkit had never heard Stormpelt say her name out loud. 

             "Can you come back? Why can't you come back and live with me and Stormpelt," cried Heartkit. Brightheart sighed and lay down. She curled her long tail around her kit and tapped him lightly on the head. He felt love and warmth surge through him. The grass beneath him was soft and the song of the stars above him soothed him. He wished he could feel this everyday.

            "Because Starclan is my home now," explained Brightheart gently, licking her kits tenderly. "Sandwing is taking great care of you." Heartkit frowned and shook his head. 

            "No she's not! She's so grumpy," he mumbled. 

            "Don't say that. She's been taking care of you since you were born," Brightheart scolded firmly but lovingly. Heartkit sighed. He pawed at Brightheart's soft fur. 

             "But we need you still," said Heartkit. "Thunderclan is always crossing our borders." 

             "Heartkit. Hard times are coming ahead for you. But you must remember, I'm always up here, watching you. Me and Stormpelt will always be there for you. No matter what. Don't lose sight of us, alright?" Brightheart breathed gently. 

             "How would I ever forget?" Heartkit frowned. 

             "Because sometimes bad things, really bad and sad things happen and you think the world is against you," explained Brightheart softly. 

             "But only Thunderclan is being a nuisance. They're not the whole world!" Heartkit exclaimed. 

              "Hopefully, one day you'll understand, little one," whispered Brightheart. Heartkit buried his face in her fur. 

Heartkit jolted awake. He was sleeping outside the nursery, waiting for Stormpelt and Firpaw to arrive. Sandwing wasn't in the nursery, she had left a bit before to go hunting. She had been very happy to get out of camp and hunt alone for the first time in six moons. Suddenly, Stormpelt and Firpaw burst into the clearing. Firpaw had a skip to his step and Stormpelt talked to Firpaw with pride. He told a few things to Pinestar, purring madly. Heartkit frowned. Then, Firpaw retreated to the apprentice den and Stormpelt spotted Heartkit. He trotted towards his kit, eyes sparkling. His mind though, was somewhere else. 

             "I saw Brightheart," Heartkit told Stormpelt. Stormpelt stopped in his tracks at the mention of his mate. 

             "Heartkit, it's not good to lie," sighed Stormpelt finally. Thinking about Brightheart grieved him and to hide it, his sadness would turn into anger at times. 

              "I'm not lying!" exclaimed Heartkit. "I saw her in Starclan. She told be Starclan was her home now and she was happy there." Stormpelt let out a growl. 

              "Heartkit, don't talk about things you don't understand! You're just a kit! You don't know anything!" spat Stormpelt. His pelt bristled angrily and he stormed off. Heartkit watched in dismay and confusion. He didn't know what he had done wrong. He had only tried to tell Stormpelt that Brightheart was happy now. He sighed and slumped to the ground, feeling suddenly alone. He suddenly wished Sandwing was back in the den, grumbling and complaining. But she wasn't. She was out hunting, too busy for him as well.