Note: I do not own the warrior cats franchise nor do I gain any monetary benefit from writing this story. All characters in this story are original characters.
Allegiances in this story will be posted based upon which clans are most important and may not cover all four clans.
It's been a long time since I've written anything and my first time writing Warriors fanfiction so feel free to review and comment on any errors you may find.
Allegiances
ThunderClan
Leader
DustStar: Dark Grey She-Cat with white bottom jaw, throat, and forepaw; yellow eyes
Deputy
Redear: White she-cat with one ginger ear; green eyes
Medicine Cat
Harewhisker: Small chocolate tuxedo tom with green eyes
Warriors
Darkstrike: Large solid black tom with grey eyes
Petalpelt: Tortie she-cat with petal shaped ginger patches; yellow eyes
Stripetail:Silver and white she-cat with a black striped tail; blue eyes
Apprentice: Mothpaw
Jaysong: Sleek blue classic tabby tom; blue eyes
Apprentice: Quailpaw
Foxtooth: Ruddy tom with a bushy tail and one long fang; yellow eyes
Longleap: Long Legged grey she cat with white belly; green eyes
Apprentice: Tigerpaw
Ravenfeather: Small long haired dark grey tom with a white chest; grey eyes
Leafshade: Silver Classic Torbie with White she-cat; blue eyes
Barkfur: Chocolate classic tabby tom with green eyes.
Apprentices
Quailpaw: Brown spotted tabby she-cat with amber eyes
Mothpaw: Brown mackerel tabby tom with yellow eyes and tufted ears
Tigerpaw: Ginger mackerel tabby she-cat with yellow eyes
Queens
Honeyfrost: Dark cream she-cat with white underside; blue eyes (expecting Darkstrike's kits)
Elders
Juniperpelt: Large solid blue tom with grey eyes
Starlingwing: Solid black long-haired she-cat with blue eyes
Darkstrike swiped his tongue rhythmically over the base of Honeyfrost's tail, its sandpaper texture soothed the itch beneath her cream colored pelt and she purred approvingly. The she-cat was close to kitting, her distended belly made grooming nearly impossible for her to do alone. Luckily, she had a mate whom was more than happy to carefully tease the tangles from along her spine and tail. Darkstrike gave her tail one last lick before gently pressing his nose to the soft fur of her belly, he purred deeply when he felt the new life squirming beneath. Their first litter had come two Leaf Bares before when they were far too young and the she-cat far too thin. They had one kit, a little tom, whom had scarcely taken his first breath before he passed away. The pair had grieved for moons and focused on carrying out their warrior duties before trying to start a family again. This time it was Green Leaf, the forest was overflowing with prey, and the kits felt strong and active within Honeyfrost's belly.
Honeyfrost looked down at her mate, emotion welled up in her chest as she watched him nuzzle her belly, his grey eyes were soft with pride and adoration for his soon to be kits. From the time they were apprentices it was his greatest wish to be a father, and with Starclan blessing them with fair weather and moons of peace the she-cat felt that it was any day now that he would get his wish. Suddenly Honeyfrost tensed, a familiar pain rippled through her abdomen, she unconsciously unsheathed her claws letting them dig into the dirt while the pain wracked her body. As the pain finally subsided she let out a long breath she hadn't known she had been holding, she flicked her tail across Darkstrike's ears. The tom looked up at her quizzically, his face twisting into an expression of trepidation when he saw the she-cat's pained expression.
"Is it time? Are the kits coming?" Darkstrike asked jumping to his paws, every hair on his pelt seemed to brim with excitement.
Honeyfrost nodded and rose to her feet with a grunt, she leaned on Darkstrike as another contraction seized her belly.
"I...Ih-have to get...to the nursery." the she-cat slowly padded across the clearing from where she had been sunning herself, her mate padded beside her supporting her when the pains flared up.
Once in the nursery Honeyfrost climbed into her nest while Darkstrike rushed to get their medicine cat, she had barely gotten settled when another pain ripped through her much stronger then the last. She cried out and screwed her blue eyes shut only opening then again when she felt a paw touch her taut belly.
"You're doing great" Harewhisker cooed, his voice was barely above a whisper. He ran his paw along her belly feeling the kittens underneath.
With the next contraction Honeyfrost unwittingly kicked out her hind paws causing the brown and white tom to jump back in surprise.
"I'm sorry" Honeyfrost grunted through clenched teeth, she let out a small chuckle when she saw his wide eyes. "I don't remember it being this painful."
"No worries" Harewhisker replied stepping forward and lying his pelt flat again. "Every kitting is different, and you have more this time, three I would say, and here comes the first one!"
Honeyfrost gritted her teeth and tensed ,seconds later a small wet bundle slid into the nest. Harewhisker bit through the sac and began vigorously licking the kit's cream fur, It mewed weakly and wriggled feebly against the medicine cat's tongue.
"It's a tom!" Harewhisker exclaimed with a slight hint of concern at the kit's lethargy, he pushed the kit against the curve of his mother's belly unable to dote on it any longer as the second kit made it's appearance.
Again he bit open the sac and immediately the kit let out a loud wail and crawled towards it's mother's milky scent.
"Another tom!" the medicine cat chirped happily and fluffed up the kit's dark fur with his tongue. "Just one more Honeyfrost, you're doing excellent, Darkstrike will be so proud!"
"Just one more.." Honeyfrost thought to herself, she was so tired, but she could do one more, one more for Darkstrike and most importantly one more for her kit.
The cream she cat labored on, her pained grunts died away to whimpers until she eventually fell silent. Harewhisker paced worriedly, the last kit should have been born by now and the queen had nearly completely exhausted herself. Then he he smelled it, the blood, acrid and sharp, filling his nose until that was all he could scent and taste. He stuck his head out of the nursery and called to the first cat he saw.
"Longleap!"
The silver she-cat stopped and cocked her head.
"Quick, go to my den and bring me raspberry leaf, dark green soft leaves with jagged edges! Quick, go now!"
"What's happening? Is everything alright? Are my kits here? Hows Honeyfrost?"
Harewhisker ignored the black tom and slipped back into the nursery, Darkstrike rushed in after him almost knocking over the tuxedo tom.
"G-GET B-BACK!" Harewhisker hissed and Darkstrike backpedaled taken aback by the medicine cats unusual hostility.
Harewhisker prodded Honeyfrost's belly wincing as more blood streamed out as he pressed, he was certain there was another kit In there but getting it out in time would prove to be tricky. Longleap stepped into the nursery and dropped a few leaves at Harewhisker's feet.
"Are these the right ones?" she asked, her voice wavered slightly as she realized the severity of the situation.
Harewhisker nodded approvingly before quickly chewing the leaves and placing some in the cream cat's open jaws, he then rubbed her throat to encourage her to swallow. The chewed leaves slid from her mouth into the nest.
"Come on Honeyfrost, you have to eat this." He looked into her eyes, he gasped at her glazed and vacant stare. "Sh-she's g-g-gone." he stuttered.
"SHE'S GONE? MY MATE IS GONE?"
Darkstrike's wail brought Harewhisker back to reality, Honeyfrost was gone, but there was a kit that may still have a chance.
"Longleap!" he prodded the silver cat with his paw gaining her attention. "I need you to press down on her belly as hard as you can."
"But I don't want to hurt her!" the she-cat pleaded.
"She's w-with Starclan now, she can't be hurt a-anymore. But that kit in there will be if you d-don't do what I s-say right now!" he snapped
Longleap flinched and gingerly placed her forepaws on Honeyfrost's belly she pressed down and gagged at the amount of blood that leaked from the she-cat's lifeless body.
"H-HARDER!"
The silver cat pushed down with all her weight and a bloodied sac slid from the limp body. Harewhisker quickly nipped the sac and licked the limp kit, it was a few seconds before its small body, clad head to toe in dark fur, shuddered and let out a loud wail.
"Thank Starclan, she made it" Harewhisker rasped and gave the kit a few more licks before pushing the kit next to her brothers to keep warm, he sat back on his haunches exhausted from the stress of the whole ordeal.
"What happens now?" Longleap whispered sitting next to the brown tuxedo tom, her watery gaze was fixed on the three young kits nestled against their mother's ever cooling body.
"I-I-I dont k-know" Harewhisker stuttered, "they're w-way t-too young to be without m-milk. They'll die."
A moment of silence passed and the medicine cat was suddenly hyper aware of all of the sounds in the nursery, the shuffling sounds of the kits as the climb over each other desperate to get the last dredges of their mother milk, the thrumming of Longleap's tail on the ground as she sat deep in thought, and nothing from the she-cat who lied still in the nest.
It wasn't fair.
"Maybe Duststar will know what to do" Longleap started "You and Darkstrike should take Honeyfrost's body to the clearing, you can ask her afterwards, I'll stay here and keep the kits warm."
Harewhisker blinked, he was a bit dismayed at how the grey she-cat could be so level-headed after what had transpired, but then again she was the leader's littermate, she would've made a great deputy and leader had she had those ambitions. He forced himself to his feet and prodded Darkstrike drawing the large black tom out of his grief-stricken daze,together they tenderly carried the dark cream she-cat out of the nursery.
A small crowd had formed at the news of Honeyfrost's kitting and all were silent as the two toms exited the nursery and laid the young queen's body down gingerly, Darkstrike laid beside her and begin to solemnly groom her pelt. Petalpelt laid down on the opposite side and began grooming as well,the young tortie's ginger patches perfectly matched the deceased queen's pelt.
"Mothpaw" Harewhisker called to one of the young apprentices standing in the crowd "Please gather some Rosemary and Lavender for the vigil, ask Foxtooth if you need help identifying them."
The brown tabby nodded and dashed away to gather the herbs, Harewhisker trotted through the throng of cats and leaped up onto the highledge, he padded into the isolated den where Duststar was sharing tongues with her Deputy Redear.
"Honeyfrost kitted." he announced not waiting to be acknowledged.
"I heard," Duststar purred "The whole camp was talking about it, how did it go?"
"Three kits, two toms and a she-cat,... Honeyfrost didn't make it" the tom replied casting his green eyes to the ground, "I-I couldn't s-save her."
Duststar stood and pressed her muzzle to Harewhisker's cheek, "Death is a part of life, it was not your fault she died, it was her time to leave us. I think...I know she's grateful that you were able to save her kits."
Harewhisker met Duststar's gaze, her yellow eyes were moist with grief. The grey she-cat had had no kits of her own but Honeyfrost was her last apprentice and was almost like kin to her.
"What about the kits?" Harewhisker asked "Longleap is keeping them warm now, but we have no other queens or expecting she-cats and without milk they'll die."
"Are you sure th-"
"What about Shadowclan?" Redear interjected "A few gatherings ago Sorrelstar mentioned that some kits had been born, their mother may still have some milk left."
Duststar blinked slowly seemingly pondering the idea, "I guess if we have no other choice..." she glanced over at Harewhisker who shook his head, "There's no harm in asking although I doubt Sorrelstar or the queen will agree."
"They're both mothers." Redear murmured "I'm sure they'll be reasonable, they wouldn't wish the loss of kits on anyone."
Duststar nodded in agreement "Okay, I'll leave at once and take Jaysong and Leafshade with me. Redear, of course you're in charge of the camp while we're gone. I know we're all mourning the loss of Honeyfrost but we still need fresh-kill especially if we'll be harboring one of Shadowclan's cats."
The mostly white she-cat stood and stretched before padding out of the den, from inside of Duststar's den Harewhisker could hear the deputy organizing the camp into hunting parties.
"I know its terrible of me to ask, but are the kits...strong enough?" Duststar asked, her voice dropping to just a whisper.
Harewhisker bristled slightly, he understood what she was asking given that Honeyfrost's last litter hadn't survived more than a few hours. However, she had given her life for this litter and that was all that mattered to him.
"One of the toms is weak but the other two are the liveliest kits I've seen in seasons!" the medicine cat responded biting back a snarl, he was angry, but he dare not disrespect his leader.
"I trust you Harewhisker, you have scarcely lead any cat wrong before." Duststar remarked "We'll be back quicker than a rabbit's leap, hopefully with good news."
The Thunderclan leader trotted out of her den and Harewhisker followed close behind, he watched as she gathered her small patrol and slipped through the bramble tunnel into the forest. The medicine cat peeked into the nursery relieved to see tree tiny flanks rising and falling beside the long-legged grey she-cat, her gentle snores ruffled their soft downy fur. Finally he returned to his own den, the weariness of the day's events weighing down heavily on him. He slumped into his nest vowing to only rest his eyes for a few moments before the darkness of sleep overtook him.