Crystal Heart/Two

I climb out of my nest, and go outside. I get up first everyday. I don't like talk. I go over to the fresh-kill pile. Not much is on it.

I feel someone watching me. I inhale the scent. It's Winterkit. "Good morning, *Morning*paw," she says in a friendly tone. Instead of returning the greet, I snap. "What do you want now, Winterkit?"

No sound for a minute then she speaks. "You look lonely. I watch you every morning, your always alone"

I stiffen. She *watches* me? is she stalking me or something? "No need to fret. I'm not obsessing over you, I'm concerned," she says, as if she just read my mind. "Why would you be concerned about me?" I ask, though I think it's sort of sweet of her to be.

"Your *always* alone. It's been like this since Riverpaw left. You miss her, do you blame yourself for her running away?"

I have to admit, she does have a bit of a point. I *do* feel a like I was a *bit* of the reason Riverpaw left. "*Why* are you concerned over me above all other cats? your father has cats speaking to him in his head, your mothers... really... You should be worrying more about yourself, is all I'm saying."

Winterkit's head cokes to the side. "What is there for me to worry about?" she asks, sounding like she really was confused. "Well..." I begin. "Your brother bullies you all the time, your other brothers dead, your mother ignores you, and your fathers... weird... and your Clan doesn't pay much attention to you, and when they do, they mostly just think your annoying."

I can't see her, but I can tell Winterkit didn't flinch at anything I said. "You just described yourself," she points out. My eyes widened a bit. Now that she mentioned it, it *did* sound like him. Duskpaw was a wonderful brother but he was sometimes... rough... Riverpaw seemed like she was dead, his mother was dead, but before she didn't pay a ton of attention to him, he didn't blame her though, she was the leader, she was busy. His father, well, he didn't know about him. The Clan... they always pushed him to the side and treated him like a whiny kit.

"It looks like we have more in common then we realized. I know your pain. I know how hard it is. I want to help you through it, is all," Winterkit says after a moment.

I don't reply, just blink and turn my head away. "What are you looking at?" she asks.

"Nothing. Just that clump of grass..."

"I know your blind, Morningpaw."

I whip my head to face her. Now I'm mad. "How would *you* know that?" I snarl. "I can tell. You get around like any other cat, but your eyes... they aren't as dark as everyone else's," she meows, she seems like she's saying more then it what it sounds like.

I'm flustered, but I don't feel like ripping her face off. "Just keep it between us, okay? it's my secret, and I don't want anyone else to know about it."

"Okay," she replies cheerfully. She acts older then she really is, wonder why that is. I like that about her, she's not a copy of every other cat, she's her own. "I should be going now, See you later, Morningpaw!" she meows, and turns away, waving her tail and disappears into the Nursery. After she leaves, my heart feels heavy and I realize something.

I want her to stay here with me.