Chapter 3

"What's going on?" Stripedgaze demanded, picking me up by my scruff and carrying me the rest of the way into the nursery.

"You're not a traitor, right?" I asked quietly, staring up at my mother with round eyes.

"A traitor?" She echoed, looking at me strangely. "Why do you think I'm a traitor?"

"B-Because Icewhisker, he told me that no one in our Clan looked like me with my golden pelt and that the only other explanation - " I paused, my eyes burning as they filled with tears. " - was that my father was from another Clan." I whispered, a single tear running down my face.

"What?" Duskkit asked, poking her head up.

"Nothing, Duskkit. Go back to sleep." Another queen meowed, whom I knew as Cloudfrost.

Duskkit muttered something under her breath before curling up in a ball again.

Stripedgaze sighed heavily, licking the top of my head gently. "Little one, my past does not matter to you. You can be the best you can be without worrying."

"So you're saying you are a traitor. My father is from another Clan."

"Your father is the ShadowClan medicine cat, Eagleswoop." Stripedgaze murmured, her voice quiet.

"No!" I yowled, leaping to my paws. "You…no…why?" My voice faltered.

"You must realize that things happen, Honeykit."

"It's not fair," I spat, "that you'd do something like this to us. My father's the ShadowClan Medicine Cat. Not only is he a different Clan, but the medicine cat! How do you think I feel right now?"

"Not good." Stripedgaze admitted, bending over to lick my head once more, but I backed away.

"I don't want your sympathy." I muttered, climbing to my paws. "I'm leaving."

"Where are you going? I don't want you to leave…" In her voice I could hear sincerity.

"I don't care what you want." I didn't bother to answer her question, not fully knowing myself.

"Then I suppose this is good-bye, Honeykit." Stripedgaze whispered, watching as I left the nursery. "You know I'll always love you…and you're always welcome back."

"Bye." I didn't bother to look back as I padded off. After quite some time I managed to get out of camp, but as I did so, I realized that my idea was most likely a stupid one.