As the calls of the new deputy's name died down, and the silver tom stepped away from his leader, cats began to return to their duties. A few older and ragged toms were quibbling to each other at the mouth of a den. The Elder's sleeping cove was a slight depression in the earth, covered from the elements by the considerably large roots of an old mangled tree.

"Only chose him because of their affections, I bet yah'." A ginger and white splashed tom said gruffly to the others, his fur scuffed and torn from age and lack of treatment, or by possibly running through bramble thickets. "Hazelstar never would have done that."

"Hush, Swiftfang. Feathershade is a talented and clever cat. Cloverstar chose very well in him." A dark tabby scolded as he made his way to the elders, his voice muffled with the clump of moss he carried with tender caution, his nose shriveled up in revolt. "It's a shame that Auburnfur passed but once that pesky fox is run out, he will be avenged."

Swiftfang grumbled quietly to himself but rested his head on his paws instead of stirring up an argument, closing his once powerful amber eyes as the younger tom began to shift through his fur.

"Where is Lightpaw, Aspentail?" A small and thin white she-cat questioned, ginger tipped ears pricked. "Shouldn't she be tending to these sorts of duties?"

"She's out gathering herbs at the moment. I would ask the other apprentices, but their mentors were planning to do a joint training session. With all the border skirmishes lately I would rather our younglings have all the practice they can get." He replied, continuing to work steadily upon the elder's feebler frame, dabbing foul-smelling mouse dung at his fur and tugging away fleas afterwards.

"Only four apprentices," a particularly and unhealthily thin black tom murmured. "This is the lowest Rainclan has ever been in my days."

Aspentail sighed, "Yes, but there are more kits on the way. Hopefully this leaf-bare won't come with a bout of whitecough or greencough."

Swiftfang scoffed, his eyes remaining closed. "No doubt our leader will be with kits soon herself."

The medicine cat shot him a scalding glance. "If then, good. Both Cloverstar and Feathershade are fantastic warriors, they will have fantastic kits in turn."

"It's a shame you're no longer a warrior Buzzardtail. You probably would have been the next deputy," the ivory she-cat commented, picking at blades of grass caught between her claws, reminiscent of when she hunted in the forest grounds.

The dark tomcat was next to release a dismissive huff, a glint in his near-black eyes shining for just a moment. "My bones ache too much for that anymore. The clan needs young and clever warriors, not ones addled by age."

Aspentail elicited a soft mrrw in amusement. "Do you miss that sort of life, Antlegs?"

The she-cat chuckled, "Perhaps now and then. But seeing all these fights going about, I'm starting to long for it less and less. Aren't you yourself getting older?"

He nodded slightly, before shrugging. "The days are catching up with me, yes. But I have no doubt once I pass on to Starclan, Lightpaw will be able to handle herself. She is wise for one of her age, I only fear that she is too disconnected to her emotions and that will leave her impassive to other's pains. Being a medicine doesn't only mean tending to visible wounds." That brought a frown to his muzzle.

"She is much like her father." Buzzardtail added in his hoarse voice. His tone was hard to decipher but it was certainly not comforting.

"Auburnfur would be proud of her. Is, I'm sure of that." Aspentail purred softly, definitively, before stepping away from Swiftfang, "Come to me if you still itch." As the elder grunted in reply, the tabby picked up the moss and began to head towards a small crevice in a wall of rock at one end of the camp, another fissure in the stone close by where the leader slept. As the tom made his way towards his den, a dark shape caught his eye, making him pause. Was that someone by the rocks..?

He turned his head towards the small hillock where clan meetings were held. The shape revealed to just be the leader and her new deputy close together, heads lowered and murmuring, their conversation intelligible from the distance between them added with the chatter of clan mates.

Shrugging it off, Aspentail continued into the medicine den, but was unable to dismiss a nagging feeling in the back of his mind.

Several moons later, Cloverstar was kitting, deep in the night, Silverpelt glittering above the camp against an ebony canvas. Aspentail prepared borage and ragwort leaves before heading out. Despite sitting through multiple births before, he was somehow nervous tonight. It was the first time he'd have to assist in bringing new life into the world with Starclan above his head. But that should make him more confident, not as jumpy as a rabbit being stalked, yes?

As he headed towards the leader's den - Cloverstar stubbornly refused to move to the Nursery - he passed the anxious to-be father, as well as half the clan stalking around the mouth of the cleft, only able to offer Feathershade a comforting flick on the shoulder with his tail. The silver-furred tom watched the tabby disappear into the dimmed crevice, his platinum grey eyes reflecting even more anxiety than Aspentail felt.

The tawny she-cat was nestled comfortably within a indent in the stone, softened by moss and feathers, as well as fur that had fallen off over time. Her breathing was heavy, prominent by her bulging stomach shifting up and down. The medicine cat had already predicted her to be having two or three kits, but with how large her belly had grown, it was as if more had appeared throughout the night.

Pushing the herbs brought with him towards the she-cat, Aspentail ordered her to eat them, before setting a gentle paw on her side. He could feel the small lives inside, moving around, preparing to emerge into the outside world; this knowledge made a soft purr escape him, only to be forced down by a sense of dread crawling up his spine.

Starclan, are you causing these feelings? Are you trying to warn me of something?

Though he hadn't expected an answer, or at the very least a straight one, before he think up anymore questions, Cloverstar cried out in pain, bringing the tabby to attention. He hunched over her, it was much too late to offer a stick to bite down on. He could already see the head of the first kit poking out from her backside. As the small, dark bundle slithered out onto the moss, the tom jumped up readily, lapping away fluids and chewing at the sac until it broke so the new life could take its first breath.

Soon after, two more kits were born, both white in fur colour. The three younglings were mostly quiet, intent on their mother's stomach, save for the last kit that let out indignant mewls and whines. Aspentail breathed out a sigh of relief; they appeared healthy and Cloverstar now laid her head down to rest. She would more than likely be well enough to lead her Clan another day. Still he could not shake off the sense that something was terribly wrong.

Before he could turn to allow entrance, Feathershade was pushing himself inside the wide spaced den. He watched as the deputy let out a soft purr, gazing down at his mate and newborns.

"What do you plan on naming them?" Aspentail questioned our of curiosity.
"I would much rather Cloverstar be awake for that. They are her kits as much as mine." The tom nodded, still as serious as ever, while being undeniably joyful.

"I am awake." The leader breathed out, prying her eyes open to focus them on the youths, having never dozed off. "I already know…" She laid her tail on the black kit, "Nightkit," The larger white one, "Snowkit," Then turned her head up towards Feathershade. "You can decide what the last is named."

A thoughtful glance crossed the young deputy's expression. He leaned down into a crouch, rasping a tongue over Cloverstar's cheek with an answer, "Cloudkit." A knowing glance crossed between the two causing them to purred in unison.

Aspentail stepped from them, tail flicking over his paws as he sat. There was no doubt now, the kits would be wonderful additions to Rainclan. Unless Starclan was set on making him entirely negative, which he simply could not be.

Only when he had convinced himself of such thoughts, did he notice a shadow crossing the den walls, one that did not belong to any of the cats. His breath caught in his throat as he gazed longer at this dark being, a stab of fear crossing his heart. It could not be, it was purely impossible, but this must be exactly what the subtle warnings were about… However much he blinked, the silhouette would not disappear.

"Aspentail, are you alright?" Feathershade spoke softly, for his mate has returned to resting.

He turned his gaze back to the grey tom, trying to regain his posture and ultimately failing. A grimace set on his lips, he tried to ignore the vexatious shade that accompanied the mates, glancing at each of the small kits. "Everything is fine. Absolutely fine,"


At last, I create a Warriors fan fiction that people can actually view uwu
So happy, ye
Not much else to say here but, have a lovely rest of the day,