Treacherous Skies

Chapter 2

Whispersong followed Bumblefrost through a patch of sage and raspberry bushes behind the Lightning Tree. The Gathering had just broken up, and they had snuck off to say a last goodbye to each other. They hadn't seen each other at all the past moon, so they'd been unable to arrange a meeting in their secret clearing. Whispersong had missed him more than she should have, especially with leaf-bare to worry about, but she couldn't stop thinking about him, no matter what she told herself.

Bumblefrost turned around. "Sorry again about Songtail earlier. She can be rude."

Whispersong nodded dismissively.

"You will meet me in our clearing in five moonrises, won't you?" Bumblefrost asked, his pale green eyes shining. When they'd arrived at the Pointed Mountain, Bumblefrost had led Whispersong to their cave, where'd they'd played CaveClan the first time, and Bumblefrost had asked her to meet him again soon.

"Of course," Whispersong purred. "How could I not?" She blinked in warmth.

Bumblefrost let out a low purr, then rubbed his muzzle on her head. "I'll miss you."

"Me too," Whispersong meowed quietly.

"I'll see you in five moonrises," Bumblefrost whispered. Then suddenly he drew away and lifted lift his nose into the air. "Someone's com—," he hissed, but before he could say any more, a cat burst through the bushes.

Bumblefrost stiffened, and Whispersong felt utterly exposed as she saw who it was.

"We're leav—" Echoheart began in an exasperated tone, but she cut off her sentence as she saw Whispersong and Bumblefrost, just a mouse-length apart. She narrowed her eyes in confusion and anger. "What is he doing here with you?"

Bumblefrost flattened his black ears and let out a low growl, but Whispersong silenced him, resting her tail on his flank. "I can handle this," she whispered, praying he wouldn't leap out at her sister.

Bumblefrost hissed at Echoheart, then quickly got to his paws, his thick black tail lashing. He stormed toward the bushes, glaring at Echoheart. But Echoheart held her head high, narrowing her eyes at the DayClan warrior. Bumblefrost didn't stop, and, as he walked past, he drew back his lips, revealing his sharp teeth. His pelt was twice its size, and his usually soft green eyes were dark and full of hatred. Whispersong gulped; she'd never seen this side of Bumblefrost before.

Once he'd gone, Echoheart turned her blue gaze back to Whispersong. "Explain," she growled. Then she lowered her voice. "I should've known; I knew you'd snuck out of camp a moon and a half ago, and before that as well; I knew something  was amiss..." she muttered to herself. Then she looked up at Whispersong. "So?" she prompted with a growl rumbling in her throat.

"You're not my leader," Whispersong hissed. "You can't make me tell you anything."

"No, but I am your sister," Echoheart growled, then her voice softened. "We used to share everything, do everything together; we never kept secrets."

"Yeah?" Whispersong growled, her ears flattened. "Well that time has gone."

"What happened to who we used to be?" Echoheart persisted. "We were so close, and we always told each other what was wrong, what was on our minds."

Whispersong flattening her ears and narrowed her eyes. "We're not kits anymore. Besides, I can take care of myself."

"You obviously can't," Echoheart growled, flattening her own ears now. "If you think being with... with him is alright, then you're sure acting like a kit! Doesn't Clan loyalty mean anything to you?"

Whispersong felt stung. She let out a growl, filled with pain and anger. "I never was disloyal, and never will be!"

"Being with a cat from another Clan in secret is disloyal; it's against the warrior code! Come on Echoheart, you can't meet in secret with that cat, that DayClan cat, for StarClan's sake!"