Curled Silence *Completed*

Chapter Six

"Hollykit, you're such a slow slug!" I looked over to see my sister's small legs pumping as fast as she could. We were racing across the nursery, seeing who could get to the entrance first. I had already won, Stormkit came in second, but didn't whine about that. He was very calm about everything. Birdkit had just finished, her brown pelt fluffed up with annoyance. Hollykit was just now finishing, and I saw her eyes blazing.

"I am not!"

"Are too!"

"Woah, what's going on here?" My mother padded in, a gray mouse in her jaws. Her green eyes were glittering with amusement. "I was gone for a heartbeat, and I come in to find you two fighting." Dovewing carried the prey over to Daisy, who was taking a nap in the dappled sunshine. "I'm sorry, Daisy, did they wake you?" The cream colored she-cat lifted her head.

"No, no, they were just fine. I just love having new kits in the nursery, it hasn't felt right since Seedpaw and Lilypaw left the nursery." She looked back up at Dovewing. "Thanks for the mouse, I was getting awfully hungry."

My mother turned to look at us. "Why don't you four go and play outside?" I looked at Stormkit, excitement brewing in my stomach. Outside! This would be the first time I got to explore the camp!

"Come on, let's go!" I raced into the clearing, and stopped dead at the entrance. I had seen a bit of the outside clearing from the nursery, but never in my life had I imagined it to be this huge. Towering above the camp were stone walls, cut clean by some unimaginable creature.

I bounced around undo the hollow, it was empty except me and the others. The sounds echoed around the room. Then I felt something hit me in the head, hard. "Ow!" I yowled, and whipped around. Hollykit was smiling, her eyes gleaming. "Stupid mouse-brain!" I meowed back, sort of jokingly.

The ball of moss that had hit me in the head was on the ground. I pounced for it, reached for it, and chucked it over my head. Birdkit caught it. Hollykit ran over, but Birdkit tossed it to Stormkit and head-butted Hollykit. She collapsed on the ground easily.

I padded over to Hollykit, and thought I saw a gleam of sadness, and a little fear in her blue eyes. But when she saw me, Hollykit replaced it with anger and determination. "What are you looking at, mouse-brain?" Hollykit hissed and stormed off to the nursery. She tripped over a pebble on the way, and I almost giggled.

Just then, the bushes up on the cliff to the entrance of the camp rustled.

"Bramble-" I broke off as I saw the sadness glazing his eyes. Behind him, Lionblaze was dragging a limp body. The body of the former deputy, Squirrelflight.

"Why is she sleeping?" I turned to see Birdkit's puzzled face.

"She's not sleeping," Stormkit whispered. "She's dead." He padded over to the medicine cats' den, head lowered in grief.

I followed him, wondering where he was going. "Where are you going?" I asked him. Stormkit turned his head, and replied.

"To Jayfeather. He should know about this."

The medicine cat's den was gloomy, yet nice. It reminded me of the nursery. There was a sudden blast of scents, many of them I had not ever smelled before. A blueish tabby cat was sitting silently in the back of the den. I had heard rumors that Jayfeather was blind, and very grumpy. A brown leaf was laying on the hard rock ground. I picked it up.

"Don't touch that," A low growl came from the medicine cat.

I jumped. How does he know I picked that up? He is blind!

Jayfeather whipped around. "Just because I am blind doesn't mean I am stupid. What do you want, anyways?"

His blind blue eyes gazed straight into mine, just as if he could see right at me. His gaze seemed to be mystified and curious, yet it was as if he tried to shut it out with annoyance. I shook the thought away.

Stormkit answered. "Squirrelglight, she's.. she's... dead." His voice trailed off into silence.

Jayfeather's expression darkened. He stalked out of the den, brushing past me and ruffling my fur. The den was left empty, except me and Stormkit.

I looked down at the center of the room. The leaf I had picked up was there, illuminated by the weak sunlight that entered the den this far. As I padded to the entrance, my paws met the leaf, and I heard a crunching noise.

My eyes had to adjust to the burst of sunlight outside. Squirrelflight's body eventually came into focus, along with Jayfeather's tabby shape leaning over her. He was concentrating intensely, prodding here and there.

A few tail-lengths away, I saw Birdkit's sleeping form laying to the side of the nursery. Jayfeather's blind eyes met it the same time I saw her. She wasn't breathing.

Something is terribly wrong

Jayfeather bounded over to Birdkit in two leaps. He sniffed her flank, and froze. I was close enough to hear him murmur;

"Heart disease, since she was the runt of the litter. How is this possible? It has to be an omen. Great StarClan, how many more lives do you have to take..?"

AN Yay! I found an Internet connection at my hotel! I managed to find some time to write another chapter too! Anyways, I am sorry for all the deaths in the book, SAD.. well, stick with me through these first few chapters until the main (and the better) story plot comes slowly together! I thank you much for reading!