This is another tale of Bluestar. I hope you like it as much as I do.
:-;-:
The Past: BLUESTAR
The Clan
Leader: Morningstar- Long-furred, white and brown tom
Deputy: Duskcloud- black and ginger tom with green eyes
Medicine Cat: Burntclaw- black she-cat with grey socks
Apprentice, Snowpaw
Warriors: Hawkeyes- tawny brown tom
Apprentice, Dapplepaw
Icewind- white tom with amber eyes
Apprentice, Brownpaw
Heavystep- Silver tabby tom with black paws
Apprentice, Patchpaw
Whiteshadow- white she-cat with pale stripes
Apprentice, Smallpaw
Swiftstream- lean, black and gray tom with blue eyes
Apprentice, Specklepaw
One-eye- pretty pale queen
Apprentices: Smallpaw- gray tom with small ears
Specklepaw- pale tabby queen
Brownpaw- big dark brown tabby tom
Dapplepaw- pretty tortoiseshell she-cat with a lovely dappled coat
Patchpaw- small black-and-white tom
Snowpaw- eldest apprentice, pure white tom with green eyes
Queens:
Pinefur- mottled brown cat with ice-blue eyes
Kindheart- dark blue-gray she-cat with green eyes
Elders: Thinwhisker- silver tabby tom with almond-shaped green eyes
Chapter One
A thin lone wailing rose in the brittle, frigid air. A mottled brown queen crouched over her motionless kit. The young cat's life was taken by the fury of leaf-bare. The brown queen call Pinefur was trembling in grief.
A long thin shape appeared from a nearly impenetrable den and crept up to her friend.
"Don't blame yourself, Pinefur," it soothed. "This bitter leaf-bare is responsible."
"No, Kindheart!" Pinefur rounded on her companion with her eyes blazing with emotion. "If only I hadn't given up that rabbit to the apprentices, I know Mosskit would have survived." Pinefur continued to wail piteously. Kindheart ventured cautiously closer and sat against the grief-stricken cat.
"Come now, Pinefur, you can't just let the other kits catch a chill. We'll bury Mosskit together," With that said, Pinefur reluctantly let Kindheart lift Mosskit. Together they quickly buried it beyond the camp.
When they returned they saw their two litters had formed one group, the runt huddled in the center. Kindheart felt a warmth work its way into her heart at the sight. Pinefur's eyes only showed raw grief.
"Here, Pinefur," Kindheart decided suddenly. "Take Thistlekit; raise him as your own." The queen nudged the kit to her friend. Kindheart's eyes gleamed in sorrow with her decision. Pinefur looked away.
"I cannot just replace a kit," she said defiantly.
"It isn't replacing. It's a new kit," Pinefur watched as Kindheart gently pushed the stumbling creature towards her own large paws. It sought heat and soon huddled between Pinefur's forepaws. The mottled brown queen's face seemed to melt into one of only mother's love.
"Alright," she agreed solemnly, as if promising to make Thistlekit grow into something special. Pinefur curled around her last kit. Thistlekit was dark brown like she was and the same age as Mosskit. Kindheart watched approvingly as Thistlekit kneaded Pinefur's belly.
Kindheart rounded her kits together and wrapped around them, sharing her body with them. Bluekit and Softkit were her only two left. They were just born recently, within the past two days. As Kindheart closed her eyes she realized that Pinefur's mate would realize that Thistlekit was not his own. She also knew her mate, Icewind would recognize the dark tabby kitten.
But sleep took away her consciousness and left her to confusing dreams about a dark shape that slipped in and out of view. It circled Bluekit, who was growing rapidly into a beautiful she-cat, whose eyes glimmered with the responsibility and fear of protecting something very important. Kindheart cried out, trying to protect her thick-furred kit but a cold wind swallowed it up with the scent of a rival clan. There was a sudden flash of brilliant red light that faded into warmth. A voice whispered to her as darkness began to envelop her but she could not understand it, only knowing it was trying to comfort her.
Kindheart awoke with a jolt. Cold shivers ran down her spine. A terrifying thought made her shiver again, but not from the cold. Has StarClan shown me my own death?
:-;-:
Icewind was the first cat to enter the nursery in the morning. He could feel an air of anxiety in the den. He went straight to his mate and licked her face. Kindheart blinked suddenly as if she had had a bad night's sleep. She stood and stretched revealing her two kits that had been sleeping beside her belly. Icewind noticed Thistlekit was missing and wondered fearfully what had happened the previous night.
Kindheart glanced down nervously at Softkit and Bluekit. Icewind gave her a curious look.
"I'll explain in a moment," she meowed softly. Kindheart nudged Pinefur who woke slowly with closed eyes. At first she seemed confused by the kit at her side, knowing instinctively that it was not her own. Then Pinefur saw Icewind and stood up to reveal Thistlekit sleeping soundly. His brown head lulled off his forepaws and he gave a small squeak of surprise when he woke suddenly. Thistlekit's eyes were still closed because he was so young and his ear tips curved down, not old enough to stand straight.
"Mosskit didn't make it through the night so I let Thistlekit go to Pinefur," Kindheart explained gently. She wasn't sure how Icewind would react, knowing how protective he was.
But Icewind seemed to understand and that was why Kindheart liked him. He bent down to Thistlekit and licked the top of his head. "You're going to have to tell Hawkeyes," the white tom meowed bluntly. Pinefur winced. She was dreading the thought of telling her mate that their last kit died.
"I know," she whispered and looked away. "I should speak to him now before the rest of the clan awakens." Pinefur attempted to stand but Icewind gave her a small nod and slipped from the nursery entrance. Pinefur settled around Thistlekit again, her eyes glimmering in anxiety. Kindheart gave her a comforting nudge in the flank before settling around her own kits.
Moments later, a tawny brown tom struggled through the entrance. His whiskers quivered as he sniffed the warn air. Hawkeyes rested his gaze on his mate. He purred raggedly, as if his voice was weak from the constant gnawing of hunger.
"Icewind told me you had something important to tell me," Hawkeyes whispered in Pinefur's ear. Pinefur nodded, her eyes at the ground. She slipped nimbly to one side to show Thistlekit that had cuddled under her chest. Hawkeyes glared down critically. He bent down and sniffed at the confused kitten.
"That is not mine," he bristled. "Where is Mosskit?" Pinefur crouched with her belly low to the ground and flicked her ears to the small entrance to the nursery. Hawkeyes followed her gaze and a look of horror and grief took over his face. Then he suddenly dove down to Thistlekit and looked into his little face. Thistlekit returned his glare with closed eyes as if demanding undeserved respect. Hawkeyes sighed and gave the kitten a lick on the forehead before turning away, giving his mate an affectionate nudge and struggling out the entrance again.
"I'm going to tell Morningstar," Kindheart said after a moment of thick silence. The dark gray-blue queen left her kits to Pinefur's care and went out in the same fashion as Hawkeyes. Once out, she took in a long breath of the cold, refreshing air. Her thick fur protected her skin and emerald green eyes sparkled in the morning sun. She turned to a den beneath Highrock, the entrance covered delicately by braided moss strands. Kindheart padded through them and blinked to adjust to the dim light. As she entered, she breathed in through her mouth to catch the scents of the cats in the cave. The deputy was there as well as Morningstar.
"Kindheart, is that you?" the deputy's gruff voice said warmly.
"I bring grave news," she replied with a small bow of her head. "Mosskit died last night."
"Just what we needed," Morningstar growled. "On top of our problems with RiverClan at Sunningrocks." Kindheart gave her shoulder a brisk lick to calm herself. Morningstar was in a bad mood again.
"That's not all," she meowed. "I let Pinefur take Thistlekit, my kit. Our mates already know, but we'd prefer if you kept this just between us." Kindheart knew that after every birth the leader would memorize all of the kits, to know their clan better.
"I understand, Kindheart. Are you planning to tell Thistlekit when he grows to an adult?" Morningstar meowed wisely.
"I think he would be hurt if I did. I'll speak to Pinefur about that," Kindheart said with a small nod, mostly to herself. She then politely excused herself and headed by the fresh-kill pile. Her mouth watered at a plump squirrel which she brought to the nursery for her and Pinefur to share.
Her tender eyes fell upon Thistlekit, the kit that would never really be hers.
:-;-:
Looking good so far. Mind giving me a review so I can be sure?