Hiddenstar's Lament

Chapter Three

Bright, morning sunlight shrouded the vast landscape in a shade of fluorescent gold. Hiddenkit shifted tiredly in his nest with Orchidkit, and nosed her cheek gently. Orchidkit's snowy cheek felt cold. The tiny golden bengal's fur began to spike up anxiously. He pressed a little paw against her chest. There was barely a heartbeat. Finally, after several seconds of prodding, the tiny snow bengal's amber eyes opened. She let out a soft cough, and forced a smile on her maw as she glanced at her brother. "Are... are you okay?" Hiddenkit asked her shakily. Orchidkit had a far-away look in her amber eyes. "Yes..." she murmured softly. Cypressclaw padded into the healer's den, his fur spiking up. "Hiddenkit! What are you doing here? You nearly worried your poor mother half to death!" He cried, hurrying towards his son. Hiddenkit sunk into the nest, his tiny head laying on the rim of the nest. "I... I wanted to stay with Orchidkit." He meowed, his pale eyes filled with dread. "Hiddenkit. Your sister has greencough. You mustn't be around her!" His father growled, picking him up by the scruff. He glanced at Orchidkit fearfully, and carried Hiddenkit out of the healer's den. Struggling to free himself, Hiddenkit blinked at his father sadly. "Is Orchidkit going to be okay?" He asked him, his voice beginning to break. Cypressclaw's green gaze darted back to the healer's den. "Yes, Of course." He mewed hurriedly. Hiddenkit was dropped off in the nursery. He stumbled over his little paws to reach the entrance. Specklelight let out a sigh, approaching her crestfallen son. "Look... it'll be okay. Alright?" She purred softly. Hiddenkit's eyes began to water. "But... what if... what if I'll never see Orchidkit again?" He cried, burying his face into his mother's dappled pelt. "You will, she'll be fine..." Specklelight reassured him, wrapping her tail around him to hopefully comfort the terrified kit.

But she hadn't been fine.

Hiddenkit was curled up in the nursery when he heard a loud, heart-wrenching shriek of grief. He recognized the shriek as Specklelight's. Immediately, he tripped out of his nest, and ran towards the healer's den, his paws pressing against the cool evening grass as his heart pumped rapidly in his chest. Terrified out of his mind, he burst through the entrance, his fur spiking up in shock and terror. Specklelight was heaved over, sobbing over a tiny, lifeless, pallid corpse. "O-Orchidkit...?" Hiddenkit mewed softly, padding towards the shape that his mother was crying over. Cypressclaw, his father simply blinked at him, sadness and grief pooling in his gaze. "She's gone, Hiddenkit. Your sister is gone."