The Bright Sky (The Blazing Fires Book 2)

Chapter 5

Four moons have passed. It was moonhigh during the night of the gathering. Morningeyes, covered in fox scent, skulked around the entrance to IcyClan entrance. Their guard was clearly a young warrior. The IcyClan warrior's ginger pelt fluffed against the chilly night breeze. His nose twitched, presumably after picking up the fox scent. Before he could take action, Morningeyes hurled a large rock toward his head. The tom had no time to react. The rock smashed into his head, knocking him out. 

Morningeyes slinked into IcyClan camp and slipped into the nursery. The queens and kits were sound asleep. Her eyes landed on a dusty brown pelt, which was in the nest closest to the entrance. With a malevolent glint, Morningeyes sunk her claws into the queen's throat. Breezefur's eyes shot open, the life draining from them. In a heartbeat, all the life was gone from her eyes.

"Hello?" A small voice squeaked. The voice was Missingkit. Morningeyes recognized it from the times Breezefur took Missingkit to see Paleheart. He had pale fur, just like Paleheart, with dark brown patches. He shared the same dark violet eyes as his father. Morningeyes didn't hesitate to clamp her jaws around her nephew's throat, killing him. She kept biting the kit, leaving a pool of blood below. She dashed out of camp with the limp body, leaving a trail of crimson.

Moondown came, and Paleheart excitedly waited near the IcyClan border. Though it wasn't their usual meeting spot, it was too risky to be near the Three Stones during the gathering. Nothing made him happier than getting to meet with his mate and kit every quarter moon. Missingkit melted his heart every time. Breezefur would tell the young kit to keep the visits with Paleheart a secret because everyone else would get jealous.

The sound of footsteps entered Paleheart's ears. His smile grew wider. But no cat emerged. Instead, a small, bloody body was thrown in front of him. The body had his fur, with patches of brown that matched Breezefur's. The tom stared in horror, his breathing gone heavy. He thought he would be sick, anxiety twisting in his stomach. A claw poked under his chin and made him look up. His eyes met his sisters.

"You killed him," Paleheart breathed, his eyes misting. His claws unsheathed, but Morningeyes beat him to it. He received a shove to the ground. Morningeyes put her paw on his chest, pinning him down.

"I warned you not to get too close," Morningeyes snarled. "When you defy me, bad things happen. Cats you love die. Their blood is on your claws,"

"Is Breezefur safe?" Paleheart whimpered helplessly. Morningeyes just grinned wider. "You monster!" Paleheart clawed the side of his sister's face. She flinched, her cheek now bleeding.

"Look at you, you're becoming bloodthirsty," The ginger molly hissed. "Just like me,"

Paleheart's head started spinning again. He sobbed, knowing the two cats he loved most were now gone. He sighed, sheathing his claws. His fur was raised. He felt anger towards his sister. How could she ever do this? It wasn't fair. It never was. But there was nothing he could do except follow her orders. "I'm so sorry..." The ValleyClan tom whined to the sky.

******

"So, Sharpfoot, Brightpelt, I have excellent news!" Skyfur purred. Sharpfoot, Skyfur, and Brightpelt were all enjoying a nice greenleaf stroll in the forest. The sun was setting overhead, and the last of the sunset patrols have returned. "I'm expecting kits!" Skyfur mewed.

"Really?" Sharpfoot chuckled. "That's amazing!" He pranced around in excitement. Brightpelt was right next to his sister, his heart warm. He planted a lick on the cream queen's cheek. "You think you'll be okay to train Redpaw? I can help out if you need,"

"Don't worry, Windflower said I'm still able to do my warrior duties," Skyfur added. "And even when I do get too big to do much, I can still train him."