Hiddenstar's Lament

Chapter One

"Wake up, Hiddenkit! Don't you want to come outside and play with me, Crowkit, and Foxkit?" a soft voice squeaked eagerly. Hiddenkit's pale green eyes fluttered open. "It's so early..." he simply sighed, stumbling upwards on his little paws. "So what? We're kits! We're supposed to play!" Orchidkit giggled. Hiddenkit and Orchidkit's mother, Specklelight blinked at the two of them gently. "Go ahead. No need to be shy, Hiddenkit," she told him gently, nosing the tiny tom forwards. Specklelight was the splitting image of Hiddenkit, except with gentle amber eyes and slight dark, jet-black patches on her fur. Orchidkit bounded outside of the nursery happily, her tiny, silver dappled tail held high in the air. Hiddenkit tumbled clumsily after her, breathing in the sweet scent of the morning breeze.

Foxkit and Crowkit were playing with a bright blue feather in the distance as Orchidkit grabbed a small moss ball and rolled it towards her tired brother. She nosed his shoulder. "Come on, it isn't that hard," she giggled. Hiddenkit finally snapped out of his tired gaze, and hooked the moss ball with a tiny claw, gently allowing it to tumble towards his sister. Orchidkit happily grabbed it, and tossed it over at Crowkit and Foxkit, hoping that they'd toss it back. Foxkit took a running start, and nudged it right over to Orchidkit. Orchidkit grabbed it in the air, her bright amber eyes shimmering. Hiddenkit watched nervously. If she fell, he'd be there to catch her. His sister was always loud and outgoing, and he was always reserved and typically level-headed. Crowkit was a bit grouchy, but Hiddenkit didn't mind at all, and enjoyed spending time with him. Foxkit and Darkkit were good to be around as well. Bright morning sunlight ignited his pelt in a clean, crisp shade of gold as he noticed his father, Cypressclaw, padding towards him with a plump vole in his jaws. He placed it down gently at Hiddenkit and Orchidkit's paws. "You two need to start learning how to eat prey, so I brought you something," He meowed warmly, gazing at them both in a loving yet stern manner. Orchidkit made a face as she looked at it, wrinkling her tiny nose. "Yuck!" She squealed, hiding behind Hiddenkit. Curiously, the tiny golden bengal poked at the prey with a claw. He took a small bite out of it. "I like it," He meowed earnestly to Orchidkit. "See? It's not that bad." Crowkit mewed, padding up behind them with his whiskers faintly twitching. Orchidkit took a deep breath. "W-Well... if Hiddenkit AND Crowkit can do it... then so can I!" She exclaimed, puffing up her chest as she leaned down to take a bite. Cypressclaw simply watched, hiding his amusement behind his warm green eyes. Orchidkit's eyes widened. "Wow! It's so good!" She meowed happily. Hiddenkit nodded, happy that she had been able to please their father.

Cypressclaw was a very stern cat, but at the same time, he was incredibly affectionate- especially when it came to his family. Specklelight padded out of the nursery, blinking at her daughter and son lovingly. She leaned down to groom their pelts. "You two are almost six moons. Soon you'll both get to be apprentices. Isn't that exciting?" She asked them sweetly. "Oh, Of course it is!" Orchidkit squeaked. "Yeah, I'm pretty excited." Hiddenkit meowed quietly, wrapping his tail around his haunches as he regarded Crowkit with a warm look. He knew that things would turn out well. He had a future ahead of him. But little did he know, of the real dangers of the forest. The dangers that would scar him. The dangers... that would cut deep.

Soon, the harsh winds of winter were upon the clan. Hiddenkit was curled up in his shared nest with Orchidkit as he felt a faint, chilly breeze kiss his nose. Sighing, he wrapped his tail around his sister comfortingly. Orchidkit let out a soft cough. "Brother? Do you think that the clan's going to be alright? There are so many new cases of green-cough that have been going around..." she admitted fearfully. "We'll pull through." Hiddenkit assured her gently. "I hope so..." Orchidkit simply whimpered. They were going to become apprentices in two days, along with Foxkit and Crowkit. Cases of the deadly sickness had been spreading through the clan like a wildfire, and multiple cats had grown very ill. The medicine den was covered with them, and the land was scarce of prey. It was going to be a hard leaf-bare. Hiddenkit's whiskers twitched as he noticed his mother, Specklelight, enter the den. She simply smiled sweetly at the kits, and nosed and licked each of their tiny heads. Orchidkit let out a few broken wheezes, leaning against Hiddenkit. Specklelight's eyes narrowed. "Are you alright, darling?" She asked her gently. "I-I think so..." Orchidkit squeaked faintly, letting out another wheeze. Hiddenkit's eyes widened. Was she sick? Orchidkit let out a few more coughs, and slumped downwards in the nest, heat radiating off of her snowy pelt. Specklelight's amber eyes widened. "Stay here and play with Crowkit, Hiddenkit. I'm going to take Orchidkit to Stormheart." She meowed hurriedly. She picked up Hiddenkit's sickly sister gingerly by the scruff, and left the nursery in a rush. Hiddenkit was alone in the nest. His ears flattened against his skull sadly, and he laid there, alone. What was going to happen to Orchidkit?