Burning Stars

Burningkit turned and tossed in his nest next to his brothers, attempting to free himself from Scorchkit's grasp - somehow his brother had managed to sling his paws around his neck with choking tightness.
Finally managing to dislodge his brother by kicking him, Scorchkit grumbled and rolled over onto Emberkit instead.

Sighing with relief, Burningkit was about to settle down to sleep when Faintkit's paw touched his side gently, "Are you awake?" The soft voice asked, and Burningkit turned to see his new brother's soft amber eyes blinking back at him. One of those eyes had a weird fleck of sky blue in it, that always gave him a short start every time he saw it - but he was getting used to it now, so regained his composure a lot faster than he had done the first time.

"Yes" he replied with a sigh, feeling more alert now he'd engaged in conversation, then he frowned, "Why are you awake?"

Faintkit shrugged, puffing out his pelt, "Still getting used to it here I think, just takes a while for me to drift off that's all." He didn't sound too worried about it.
"Walks sometimes help when you can't get to sleep" Burningkit suggested, then realised that he didn't want Faintkit out taking a walk by himself, so added, "I could come with you, seeing as I'm awake too."

The light gray tom's eyes lit up at that, "Do you mean it?" He asked excitedly, already scrambling to his paws as quietly as he could so as not to disturb the others, by the time Burningkit was on his own paws, Faintkit was already out of the nest.

It didn't need to be a long walk, perhaps just a turn around Camp.

Outside everything was quiet, apart from the soft breathing of those sleeping in the Dens, and the occasional howl of wind.

Faintkit was hurrying over to the edge of the Camp that overlooked the drop down to what would be an almost certain death if it wasn't for the steady ledges that led down to the bottom, but it would still be a dizzyingly dangerous thing to attempt in climbing down them, so nobody ever tried it.

"It seems like such a strange place to call home" Faintkit wondered aloud, as Burningkit caught him up, "So high in the mountains I mean, wouldn't it be warmer down in the Valleys?"
"I heard that Highclan's Camp used to be down there, but there was a flood and everyone had to leave, although it's cold it's safer and more sheltered up here."

Faintkit nodded in understanding, then glanced up at the sky, gasping with awe, "Burningkit look."

Burningkit looked, and his mouth dropped open. For a moment he thought the sky was falling, then he realised it was only the stars, stars from Starclan falling to earth, bright with flames as they fell to some distant place beyond the skyline.
"They're on fire" Faintkit voiced his own thoughts, "Burning stars...." He grinned, turning to the darker tom, laughing a little, "Burning stars, Burningstar, maybe it means something."

Nobody had explained Starclan to Faintkit yet, so Burningkit doubted that he meant what he'd said literally. He dragged his own gaze back to the sky where the stars were still falling, "It could mean anything" he told Faintkit, "I'm not a Medicine Cat though, they're the only ones that truly understand these things."

The falling stars were fading out now, and the night sky was returning back to normal.

"Come on, you may not be sleepy yet, but I am, and I don't want to leave you out here by yourself," Burningkit yawned widely, forcing his eyes to stay open as he nudged Faintkit back in the direction of the Nursery and the nest.
The two of them climbed back in next to Splashleaf, curling up into a comfortable position. Thankfully Faintkit did seem to be tired because soon his quiet snuffling sounds joined the others.

Burningkit closed his eyes but he was still awake, thinking over what Faintkit had said, but he shook his head, he could think of a hundred different things that could have meant, or it might not have meant anything at all, there was no point lingering on it.