Dovewing looked down at the clan territories, pain clenching her heart as she gazed down at the life she was about to leave behind. She raised her head at the full moon as it shone high and bright overhead, no cloud in sight.
Maybe this means Starclan understands? She wondered silently as she turned her gaze back down. She could see the island and the tree bridge she had crossed many times over and imagined that she could see the cats as they went to the Gathering. She could picture all of the leaders looking down at their clans and sharing news, and the pain grew even larger.
"Hey, don't think about it." A soft voice said behind her and she turned to see the cat she had left her clan for. Tigerheart looked down at her, his amber gaze glowing as he gazed down at the grey she.
Dovewing cleared her head and looked up at him, mustering a half-purr. I'm not the only one who gave up their clan. She thought and pulled herself to her paws. "Sorry," she said and turned her back to the territories, knowing that was the last time she might ever be able to see them again. "I just can't help but feel guilty, my sister, my family, I'll miss them." Her eyes softened as she pictured all the cats in her clan.
Tigerheart bent his head, licking her ear. "I know. But we deserve to be happy together. The clans won't allow us to be mates, this is the only way."
Dovewing nodded and looked at the striped tom, seeing the love grow brightly in his eyes. It was so strong she momentarily grew lost in his amber gaze. We can do this together. She thought as the two began on their journey far away from the clans to where they could be happy together.
Days passed as the two trekked, the two cats passed through twoleg farms and long fields when they came across a strip of trees. Here, Dovewing could hear the small animals rustling in brushes. Even without her superior hearing, which she had lost after the Great Battle, she could hear the squirrels and life. It was teeming with life.
This is a perfect place to start a family. The thought crossed her mind before she could even stop herself and stopped, surprised. How could she even be thinking of a family right now? Shyly, she glanced up at Tigerheart, but his focus was on the forest as he wandered off, completely missing the burning red color her ears turned in embarrassment.
"Why don't you rest?" Tigerheart called back over his shoulder to her. "I'll see if I can catch us some prey." He turned, and striped tail twitching, began to head away from his new grey mate.
Dovewing looked up at him sharply from where she had been silently berating herself for thinking such thoughts, her gaze playfully mocking. "Do you think I can't hunt for myself?" She called out to him and he paused, looking back at her.
Dovewing fought to not purr at the embarrassment that filled his gaze as he flattened his ears uncomfortably. "Err, I didn't think you can't just-" he was cut off as Dovewing stepped forward and licked his cheek, breaking into a loud purr. Tigerheart stared at her, eyes wide with surprise as he struggled to understand what had just happened. In a moment, his gaze filled with mischief as he leapt on her.
The grey she yelped in surprise as he gently knocked her over and stood over her, whiskers twitching as he looked down at his fallen mate. Leaning down, his breath billowed on her face. "That's what you get for confusing me." He said, and after a moment, let Dovewing back onto her paws.
Shaking the dust and leaves off of her fluffy pelt, she sent him a mock glare. "No fair, you're bigger than me. I'm at a disadvantage." But Tigerheart had started away, tail flicking encouragingly to her to follow. After a moment, she huffed in annoyance and followed him. Their scuffle forgotten as they began to hunt.
Moons passed, they had decided to settle in the strip of trees. They had found a small stream that trickled through it. Right beside it, was a large, gnarled oak tree with large, thick roots two tail-lengths wide. They dug in between them, making a large den that could hold the mates.
As the days passed, Dovewing had slowly started having trouble moving. Hunting and wandering around exhausted her, and even what she would have seen as an easy walk caused her to have to drag herself into their den and fall into the nest.
Tigerheart had the horrible luck of asking her if she was eating more than normal on one of her bad days, gaining his mate to lash out at him angrily and not speak to him for the rest of the day.
The reason why became obvious when, after some days of Dovewing going through horrible sicknesses and exhaustion, her stomach suddenly gave a painful lurch that caused her to yelp out in pain and surprise.
Tigerheart, who had been at the stream, raced back frantically, and realization struck as he saw his mate lying in their shared den, her stomach having spasms as she gasped with pain.
"I don't know what to do! What do I do? Can I help in some way? Starclan help us!" Tigerheart said as he knelt down, clawing at the ground beneath him, and Dovewing could see the panic in his gaze.
"Get me water you mousebrain!" She snarled at him angrily as another spasm hit and she yowled in pain. The tiger striped tom stared at her with wide eyes before nodding and leaping away, leaving his mate alone in her pain.
Great Starclan help me! She thought as she gnashed her teeth together. Shutting her eyes tight, she dug her claws into the ground. When she finally opened them, a white she cat with blue eyes was gazing down at her.
"Breathe." The Starclan cat said and stepped down. Dovewing stared at her for a moment before another wave of pain hit and she fell back, moaning in pain. Outside of the den, Tigerheart had dropped the wet moss he held as he stared with wide eyes at the Starclan cat.
"Don't just stand there!" The Starclan cat said. "Find a stick and bring it back! Make sure it's thick and sturdy!" With a nod, the former Shadowclan tom raced away, bringing back a large stick, which the Starclan cat stuck into Dovewing's jaws.
"Bite down on it when the spasm returns, and push as hard as you can." The white she cat said just as another spasm rolled her stomach. Clenching down hard, Dovewing shut her eyes and pushed. Suddenly, the pain eased slightly as a small kit slid out.
The white cat nipped the membrane sack that covered it and gently pushed the kit to Dovewing, who paused and started to lick at it instinctively. "A strong she kit." The Starclan cat said and another spasm jerked Dovewing's body.
As she bit down on the stick, another kit slid out, and the Starclan cat repeated the process, laying it by her side. Eyes glazed with exhaustion, the grey queen leaned her head down and licked her second kit, a tom, as it started to suckle alongside his sister.
"That was the last one." The Starclan cat said, moving out of the way so Tigerheart could enter the den. He nuzzled at her head. "I'm so proud of you." The brown tabby tom said, licking between her ears before gazing down at their kits as they suckled at Dovewing's belly.
The queen purred softly and blinked up at the Starclan cat. "Thank you." She whispered, and the white spirit-cat looked at her, eyes filled with warmth.
"Of course, my name is Snowfur." She said as she turned her gaze down to the kits with warmth. "I had your kin, I know how you felt and couldn't let you go through that without help."
Dovewing gazed down at her two precious kits. The she-kit was silver with brown and white striped all along her little body, reminding the queen of another cat who she'd once had small feelings for. The little tom was night black with brown speckles. Purring loudly, she leaned against Tigerheart as the two mates gazed down at their kits.
"They're perfect, both of them." She murmured and he licked her ear, purring softly in agreement. The two mates lay there for a moment, staring at their kits and forgetting the Starclan cat as she watched them.
Finally, she spoke up. "Know that Starclan does not blame you two. You fulfilled the prophecy and defeated the Dark Forest. You both are forgiven and deserve to be happy with your kits."
Dovewing looked up at her with wide eyes before blinking and breaking into a purr. "Thank you, Snowfur." She whispered as the snow white cat gave a nod and disappeared, leaving the new family to be together.
The grey cat crawled out of the den she shared with Tigerheart and their new kits and silently stepped out into the forest. Dovewing sat, raising her head and tasting the air, feeling the first chills of leafbare. She glanced back at the den, seeing her mate curled up with their kits. She purred softly and turned her gaze up to Silverpelt, her thoughts turning to Starclan and the cats she and Tigerheart had left behind all those moons ago.
"Watch over my kits, Starclan." She whispered into the night air. "Just as you have watched over us." She couldn't tell if she imagined the stars glow slightly brighter, but wanted to believe it true.
Turning, she stepped back into her den and curled up next to Tigerheart and their kits. Blearily, he raised his head as she settled herself. "Where'd you go?" He mumbled, yawning.
She flicked her tail at him, and gazed down at their kits. "I just stepped out? How are Ivy and Flame?" She asked, looking at the she-kit, Ivy, and her son, Flame. He blinked up at her, and nuzzled her head.
"Our kits are perfect." He said, voice brimming with love, and Dovewing followed his gaze to Flame's twisted paw, which they hadn't noticed until earlier. Gently, Dovewing leaned down and licked her kits' heads, who then made soft mewls of annoyance before drifting back off into sleep.
She nodded in agreement before laying her head on her paws. "We should get some rest." She murmured, yawning, "I'm exhausted." The brown tabby nodded and set his head by hers, and soon broke into the gentle, rhythmic breathing of sleep. Dovewing watched him for a moment before beginning to drift off. Thank you, Starclan. She thought as her thoughts became hazy, for giving me such a wonderful mate and kits.