Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever, owned exclusive or general rights to the Warrior series, written by the group known as Erin Hunter. My story uses characters made up in my own mind, though the clan names, territories, and stories may have been borrowed from the original story. Any coincidences between the Warriors series or other fanficitons is unintentional and purely coincidental.
The night had just fallen, and the crisp crescent moon hung high in the sky, illuminating the ground below in silvery waves. The snow that had been falling all day rested peacefully upon the ground and the crystals reflected the bright light. It was a peaceful night, especially compared to the last. Even the night animals were locked away in their warm dens, snoozing through the cold moons of leaf bare. Foxes and badgers were no longer a threat to the clan, though they were not so foolish as to let all guard down. They were still watchful, especially for their neighbors across the stream.
In the heart of WindClan territory was a small gorge they called home, complete with skillfully woven dens to keep every cat warm in the cold of Leafbare. Just a short walk away was a small clearing, surrounded by thin pine trees; no one was quite sure how the pine trees had sprouted on the harsh terrain, but they were a popular spot for visiting any time. During the night, two silhouettes resided in the clearing, their bodies intertwined into one single pile of colorful furs. A soft, rumbling purr sounded from the black and white tom who held his tail wrapped protectively around his she cat companion's side. She was quiet, for the most part, her soft, green eyes unblinking as she watched the stars.
"I don't think the clan could have asked for a better night than this for Leaf-bare. Even the prey was plentiful today. Did you see how happy Poppyjaw got when she spotted the hare?" The tom let out a soft chuckle, thinking back to when he had delivered the fresh prey to the elderly she cat. "I swear to StarClan, her eyes just about bulged out of her head."
"That's great, Badgerscar, really, but I still worry. This is only one day. Tomorrow, who's to say the bitter cold won't return, driving the prey back into their nests? This is far from a good time." The she cat sighed, tearing her gaze from the brilliant stars to her mate, whose fierce blue eyes met hers equally.
"If you're worried about our kits, you needn't be. You know they'll be well cared for in the clan. The queens always get first pick of prey. Plus, Mothleaf has been doing perfectly fine so far, and she has a whole lot of four to look after! Didn't Howlfur say you'd have three at most? We'll be fine, don't you worry." He soothed, laying his tail gently across her shoulders and licking the she cat between the ears.
The calico she cat recoiled, fur beginning to bristle. "Don't tell me not to worry about our kits! I will worry for them every second of my life, and theirs! A day will not pass where I do not think about their safety, so don't you dare tell me it'll be alright! The clan can't do everything to ensure the safety for my kits. They can try to feed them and try to keep them healthy, but the weather has no true opponents. The weather is an enemy we can never beat. I will not stop worrying." She spat, lips curled back in disgust.
Badgerscar rose to his paws and pressed lightly against her. "Petalheart, calm yourself. You know my words are only meant to calm you. The weather is not what decides the fate of our kits; StarClan does. Our ancestors are not cruel. They will not take away our children unless they are suffering. Plus, our kits will be strong; the strongest ever in the clan!" He broke out into a wide grin, nudging his mate with his shoulder. "They'll be our perfect trio of kittens."
Petalheart allowed herself to be soothed by the reassuring words of her mate, deciding to worry later. Tonight was still young and beautiful, and there was no point in wasting away the precious hours with petty fights. "You're right," She gave in, laying down once again, "They will be perfect. Leaders and deputies... the greatest the clans have seen." Her gaze traveled down to her stomach, plump and round from her bellyful of kits due to be born in mere days.
"Howlfur! Howlfur! Something's wrong with Petalheart!" A small gray tom kit flung himself into the medicine den at top speed, careening into a wall stocked full with preserved herbs and poultices. "Howlfur!" He yowled again, repeatedly prodding the old medicine cat in the side.
"I'm up!" He snapped, rolling over and nearly crushing the small kit. "What is it, Coalkit? It'd better be important for disturbing my sleep!" Coalkit cowered in fear, pupils dilating as the large tom towered over him. To the side, Lightstep roused himself from sleep, groggily looking over to the pair curiously. "I-It's Petalheart! She keeps screaming!"
In an instant, both medicine cats were wide awake and alert, tossing words carelessly to one another.
"The borage!"
"I've got it. What about raspberry leaves? Poppy seeds?"
"Stupidkit over here knocked the herbs everywhere. I can't find the poppy seeds!"
"Keep looking!"
"We need to get going! Petaheart will just have to deal with the pain!"
Abandoning the frightened kit, Howlfur and Lightstep bounded out of the medicine den with bundles of herbs spilling from their mouths. Outside, the clan was slowly waking, curious to see what all the commotion was about. In the middle of camp, Badgerscar paced endlessly, growling at any cat who got too close to him. The normally calm tom was on edge, fearful something would go wrong in the kitting. Over and over he had reassured his mate that she, and the kits, would be perfectly fine, but he could not find any thoughts to calm himself.
Mothleaf emerged from the nursery, herding her three remaining kits out and calling for Coalkit to return. Bluesong remained inside the queens' den to help and to pick up any tips she could for when her own kitting would come.
Settling beside the heavyset queen, Howlfur placed a paw softly on her tummy, resulting in a low moan. "It'll be a long night," He murmured, eyes creasing in thought, "They aren't ready to come out quite yet. Give it a few more hours."
"Hours? I want these kits out of me now, Howlfur! I can't endure this-ah!" Petalheart's dry snarl turned into a painful yowl as another spasm rippled across her stomach, "-all night!" She finished, clenching her teeth together.
"Do you want them to be healthy?" Howlfur asked calmly, earning a shocked look from the queen, "Then deal with it. Other queens have made more sacrifices than a few hours of kitting, Petalheart. Be lucky that nothing is going wrong." The she cat sent a fierce glare toward the medicine cat but complained no longer- she had little energy to waste, anyway.
The clan was beginning to grow restless outside. The first dull rays of dawn were just starting to rise in the star-speckled sky, casting long shadows over the camp. Still, WindClan had no new kits to celebrate over. The screams coming from the nursery were growing quieter, which only worried the clan further. Would Petalheart even have enough energy for the kitting when it finally came time? They could only hope and pace restlessly. Mothleaf had moved into the elders den with her kits in hopes that the four little ones could get some rest. Onyxstar laid outside of his den, a neutral look plastered to his face. Every now and then he would glance toward the nursery with a concerned glance, but it was soon replaced with confidence. Jadepelt had joined the black-pelted leader and sat close to him silently.
"Very soon, Petalheart." Lightstep had taken Howlfur's position beside the queen's side, his paw lightly feeling her body. "When I say push, push. Got it?" The queen gave no response other than the rapid rise and fall of her flank. A small pool of sweat had formed underneath the she cat, which Howlfur was attempting to soak up with a bit of used moss.
"Push!" Lightstep ordered, watching as Petalheart's face twisted in agony. It wasn't long before two kits lay by her side, nursing sweetly. The beautiful calico she cat twisted around awkwardly, eyes shining with adoration.
"My kits! My beautiful, beautiful kits!" She let out a trill-like purr, sniffing daintily at each of the small bundles. "A tom and a she kit, oh, how perfect! Two is just what I wanted, one of each! They'll make the perfect little warriors! Oh, where's Badgerscar? He'll be so ha-ah!" The queen fell back on her side, writhing in an even more intense agony than what she had already been through. Confused, both medicine cats refocused their attention on her, trying to figure out where the problem was.
"There's a third! A third kit coming!" Lightstep's eyes widened as he prodded the queen's tummy. Something was wrong with that one, he could tell. "Push, Petalheart, with all your might if you want this one to make it!" Not willing to let one of her precious kits die, the queen screamed to StarClan, cursing them for the pain she was in If they dared let one of her sweet kits die after all of this, she would make it her goal to ruin them. At last, one last bundle entered the world. She was a tiny thing, and laid still in the moss nest.
"My kit! Is it okay? Will it be alright?" Petalheart wheezed, unable to lift herself to check on her own kit. Howlfur and Lightstep sniffed the kit, sorrowful looks in their eyes. Howlfur began to lick its fur the wrong way, trying to get the blood flowing in the small body. Everyone was silent in the nursery. Even outside the clan had quieted, sensing something had gone amiss.
"Well?" Petalheart demanded, fear creeping onto the edge of her voice. At last, a shrill mew sounded and the whole world seemed to let out a sigh of relief. Three kits, nursing healthily and happily beside their mother.
"Congratulations, Petalheart. You have a son and two daughters. I'll go get Badgerscar." Lightstep purred, disappearing from the den to deliver the good news to the clan. Howlfur was watching the runt of the litter closely, a scowl on his face.
"The she kit, the last one..." He reached forward and plucked her up, resulting in a fierce snarl from Petalheart. He ignored the queen and set the small kit down, trying to block out the fearful squeaks.
"Give me my kit back!" Petalheart growled, tail lashing and claws unsheathing as she moved to attack the medicine cat. Already, her motherly instincts were taking over and blinding her from who she was talking to. No one would take her kits away; not her precious darlings!
"Petalheart, look." He gestured to the she kit. "Her leg is twisted, the back right one. It's probably a result from the late birth. I've seen this once before, when I was just an apprentice. The kit, a small tom, had never been able to become a warrior. He would have been my apprentice had he not died of greencough."
Petalheart froze, eyes wide and full of shock. "Nonsense!" She finally blurted out, fur bristling along her spine. "How dare you even think to suggest that one of my kits is imperfect! She's perfectly fine! A little on the small side, but she'll be fine within a few days, right? You can fix her, right? Please, tell me she isn't a cripple!"
"I'm sorry, Petalheart. There's nothing I can do for her. It's unlikely she'll ever be able to become a warrior." A wail sounded from the queen, causing Badgerscar to come bursting into the nursery to check if everything was alright.
"Lightstep sent me in. How are they? What genders? How many? Have you named them yet?" The black and white warrior bombarded his mate with questions, oblivious to her somber expression. As she turned to look toward her mate, he noticed her usually soft, warm gaze was hollow.
"We have a son and a daughter. Two perfect, lovely kits. And that thing."
WIINDCLAN
Leader: Onyxstar: black tom with blue eyes
Deputy: Jadepelt: small gray she cat with vivid green eyes
Medicine Cat: Howlfur: brown tabby tom with gray flecks around his muzzle and amber eyes
- Apprentice: Lightstep: cream tom with amber eyes
Warriors:
Palenose: light gray she cat with blue eyes
Littlebreeze: white she cat with blue eyes
- Harepaw
Brackenclaw: dark brown tabby tom with piercing amber eyes
Thistlefang: gray tabby tom with green eyes
Runnningtail: golden tom with long legs and green eyes
Grasstail: orange and black calico she cat with green eyes
Hollownose: dark gray tom with brown eyes
Yellowheart: golden she cat with bright amber eyes
- Shinepaw
Pricklefur: mottled gray and brown tom with green eyes
Rowanfoot: dark russet tom with amber eyes
Badgerscar: black and white tom with a jagged scar across his face and blue eyes
Ivorymist: beautiful dappled gray she cat with green eyes
Softsong: brown tortoiseshell she cat with blue eyes
Bravemist: foggy gray tom with green eyes
Birchgaze: slender brown tabby tom with blue eyes
- Icepaw
Quailgaze: ginger tom with brown eyes
Lilacpelt: gray tabby she cat with blue eyes
Featherspirit: fluffy gray tabby she cat with blue eyes
Eaglewing: brown tom with green eyes
Mousefang: fluffy brown tom with green eyes
Talonslash: handsome brown tom with bright green eyes
Blacknose: black she cat with green eyes
Apprentices:
Harepaw: cream tom with bright green eyes
Shinepaw: pretty white she cat with darker spots and blue eyes
Icepaw: pale gray tabby tom with blue eyes
Queens:
Petalheart: pretty calico she cat with soft green eyes (mother to Sunkit, Redkit, and Lostkit)
Bluesong: blue-gray she cat with blue eyes (expecting Thistlefang's kits)
Mothleaf: pale brown tabby she cat with amber eyes (mother to Nettlekit, Jaykit, Coalkit, and Rosekit)
Kits:
Nettlekit- brown tom with amber eyes
Jaykit- gray tabby tom with green eyes
Coalkit- dark gray tom with gold eyes
Rosekit- small brown she cat with amber eyes
Sunkit- beautiful calico she cat with green eyes
Redkit- black and white tom with amber eyes
Lostkit- calico she kit with amber eyes
Elders:
Poppyjaw: mottled orange and black she cat with dull brown eyes
Gooseflight: brown and white tom with green eyes