Finally, the first chapter! Please review, and if you find something you'd like to point out, tell me! I'd appreciate constructive criticism. Enjoy!
Larkkit pressed her muzzle to Icewing's belly. The soft fur tickled, and it was warm in contrast to her cold nose. Then, something moved; she felt it kick her nose. She pulled away.
"Wow," she breathed, eyes glowing with amazement.
Behind her, Leafwhisker purred. "Exciting, isn't it? We're going to have some new kits for the Clan quite soon." She turned to face the white queen. "You'll be a great mother. I'm sure of it."
Icewing seemed almost embarrassed. "I hope so," she meowed, glancing at her belly. With a soft gaze, she gave it a small lick with her tongue. "It's still a bit of a shock, to be honest. I just hope that everything will turn out alright."
"You'll turn out just fine," Leafwhisker assured her. "Your kitting can't be far out now, and when it happens, the whole Clan will be supporting you. Larkkit, especially."
Icewing yawned. "She spends a lot of time here in the nursery with the kits, doesn't she?"
"She's really excited."
Larkkit jumped up. "I'll protect your kits, Icewing! They're going to be safe with me and Ashkit."
Icewing's whiskers quivered. "Oh, you're sure about that? You're only a kit yourself, and so is your brother."
"Not for long," she huffed. "I'll be an apprentice soon. Then, I'll learn all these cool battle moves and stuff!"
She purred in reply, flicking Larkkit's ear with a white-tipped tail. "I'm counting on you then."
Larkkit puffed out her chest. I'm here, kits. I will fight for you, she promised.
"You raised your kits well, Leafwhisker." Icewing meowed, eyes on Larkkit's downy gray tabby pelt.
Leafwhisker dipped her head. "Thanks."
"Where is Ashkit, by the way?" Icewing scanned the nursery.
"Outside somewhere," Larkkit's mother told her.
Larkkit guessed that he was in the clearing sunning himself. He liked doing that, especially just after sunhigh. But he's missing Icewing and her kits! They're much more fun than lazing around in the sun.
Besides, Larkkit didn't like the hot afternoon as much as she liked the night. The WindClan camp was perfect for looking up at the night sky, with no trees or anything to block her view. It was relaxing; much more relaxing than trying to catch some sun without getting stepped on by a warrior who had just returned from a patrol.
"Poolstar." Leafwhisker dipped her as the gorse swished behind Larkkit. A tall brown tom had just come in. He was WindClan's leader, and Icewing's mate.
"I just came to check on Icewing," he meowed. "Everything's okay here?"
Icewing purred. "Larkkit wanted to meet the kits, so I let her."
Poolstar blinked curiously at the little kit, making her hide her face behind a paw. He huffed amiably. "Inquisitive little warrior."
"Well, we'd best be going," Leafwhisker excused. "Larkkit's probably hungry."
Larkkit's stomach growled as if on cue. Leafwhisker purred, and whisked her out of the den with her tail. "Go on, join Ashkit and grab a bite to eat. I might follow later."
Outside, it was much brighter, and it took Larkkit some time to adjust her vision. When everything cleared out, it didn't take long for her to spot Ashkit. He was right where she expected him to be, in the middle of the clearing. He seemed to be asleep with his pale belly up, while a half rabbit was beside him, looking like a piece of moss stretched out to dry.
"Hey," Larkkit hissed, stirring his ear fur.
He opened an eye to peer at her. "I was waiting for you, furball," he groaned, closing his eyes again.
Larkkit rolled her eyes. "I was waiting for you, and you're the furball."
Ashkit puffed disbelievingly. He rolled over into a crouch. He pushed the rabbit towards her. "Here. I left some for you."
Larkkit didn't waste time, biting into the tasty flesh enthusiastically. She hadn't eaten since morning, and hunger seemed to make the rabbit taste better.
"Whoa, slow down! At that rate, you're going to get a bellyache you won't forget in a moon." Ashkit teased.
Larkkit didn't reply.
"So… how was it?" he asked.
Larkkit paused for a heartbeat to look at him with round eyes. "It's amazing, Ashkit. They're really there!"
Ashkit blinked. "Wow, really?"
"Yeah!" she enthusiastically relayed. "Icewing let me feel her belly. I felt them move, and I heard them too! One even kicked me."
Ashkit's whiskers drooped. "I wish I'd have come with you."
Larkkit laid her tail on her brother's shoulders comfortingly. "It's fine. Let's go together tomorrow," she purred.
[[[]]]
Days passed, and greenleaf was slowly turning into leaffall; Leafwhisker mentioned that she scented the dryness in the wind. It was getting cooler too. Larkkit hadn't stopped visiting Icewing, and she figured it shouldn't be long before the kits finally arrive. The queen's rapidly growing belly seemed to tell the story.
She woke up early that morning. Slowly, she pulled herself away from the warmth of Leafwhisker's calico fur, taking care not to fall over and wake her up. Her eyes were still blurry, but she could already see bits of dark blue through the few gaps in the gorse den.
Perfect.
She quickly paced out of the nursery. The gorse swished as she passed. Outside, the cool wind blew away the last of sleep from her. She turned her gaze to the starry sky above. It was a rich blue, like the middle of the lake, and she felt like she could just fall into it.
Most of the other cats were asleep in the clearing, under the open sky. She envied them somehow. They got to fall asleep under the stars every night; something she had never experienced. When I become an apprentice, that'll change.
She revelled in the calm of the pre-dawn, awaiting the sunrise.
Suddenly, a shrill cry sounded from the nursery. Her hackles bristled, and she arched her back as she looked back.
Icewing?
Another strained moan pierced through the air. Larkkit's fear rose, recognizing the voice. She wasn't sure what to do. But she could wake up the cat that could do something to help. Larkkit quickly tiptoed through the sleeping cats until she reached a sleeping form, white with a dark tail.
"Whisperbreeze!" She shook the medicine cat vigorously with her front paws. "Whisperbreeze!"
The pale tabby she-cat opened an eye, still sticky with sleep. "Yes, Larkkit. Do you have a bellyache?"
"No," the kit replied. "It's Icewing. Something's happening."
Whisperbreeze was swiftly up, looking a little ruffled, but her eyes were no longer blurry. "Wake Poolstar." She paced off, disappearing inside the nursery.
The sound of another pained cry made desperation rush through Larkkit. She tottered as fast as she could towards another shape in the center of the sleeping cats. However, most of them were already stirring. Larkkit wasn't sure what woke them: the sound or her own fear-scent.
"What's going on?"
"Hey! Watch it, you're on my tail!"
Larkkit finally reached a curled brown shape. "Poolstar!" she yowled, shaking him like she did with Whisperbreeze.
Poolstar jerked awake, getting to his paws. Then he saw that it was her, and he blinked in confusion. "Larkkit? What's wrong?"
"Icewing!" she meowed at him.
It was all it took to send the leader scampering, until Larkkit lost track of him among all the waking cats standing up.
"Larkkit! There you are!" Leafwhisker bounded to her side and began to give her fluffy fur rough licks.
Ashkit appeared next to her. "Scary, I know," he muttered. "We woke up when we heard Icewing, then Whisperbreeze came in all of a sudden and told us to go out of the nursery."
Larkkit merely blinked, stunned.
The whole of WindClan waited impatiently as the heartbeats passed by. Poolstar was at the forefront, claws dug firmly into the ground in front of him. Larkkit wondered what he was thinking. Was he scared?
Suddenly, Whisperbreeze's head poked out through the gorse. Everyone's expression seemed to match Larkkit's. It's over already? she wondered to herself.
But the tense look in the medicine cat's eyes didn't look joyful at all. A ripple of dread pulsed through Larkkit as she whispered something into Poolstar's ear that made his pelt bush up and yowl back in reply. He followed the pale tabby back into the nursery.
The tension in the air hung like a thick fog over the entire Clan. With every passing heartbeat, Larkkit could sense their anxiety building together with hers. Her mother's paws were kneading the ground. All they could do was wait. The pink sunrise crept over the horizon, and the wind began to get warmer. Larkkit hardly noticed. An icy feeling was beginning to creeping up her spine for some reason.
Then, Whisperbreeze padded out of the gorse den. She was immediately swarmed by her Clanmates. She didn't reply to any of their questions, instead pushing past them and out of the camp. The camp was silent.
Is something wrong? Larkkit began to feel sick in her stomach.
A light tabby warrior approached them. Leafwhisker met the cat halfway. "What's happened?" she rasped nervously.
"There were four kits."
Larkkit leaned in, along with Ashkit. She felt a faint hope glimmer in her chest. Maybe…
"But I'm afraid there's some bad news," the cat continued darkly. "Icewing's kits… none survived."
Larkkit immediately felt grief crash on her like a wave, tail and ears drooping low. Leafwhisker was equally shocked, trembling along with Ashkit, who was crouched low, belly flat. Larkkit looked around, watching all her Clanmates whisper amongst each other, heads low and close together. It's not true, she told herself. It isn't.
However her fears seemed to be confirmed once she saw Poolstar exit the nursery to retire to the leader's den, looking small and distressed.
The sun finally broke free from the horizon, washing the camp in orange light and warm breeze. But Larkkit couldn't feel the warmth of sunrays on her pelt, feeling too numb, like she couldn't move.
WindClan had lost a lot; four kits that Icewing, Poolstar, her, Ashkit and the entire Clan had waited for. She couldn't imagine how Icewing must feel now.
It can't be. They were there. Larkkit dug her claws into the ground, feeling it churn under her paws.
I promised I would be there for them!
WindClan
Leader – Poolstar – lanky brown tom with orange eyes
Deputy – Fleetfoot – red tabby tom with yellow eyes
Medicine Cat – Whisperbreeze – light blue tabby she-cat with hazel eyes
Warriors – Sandstreak – orange she-cat
Honeywish – small tabby she-cat
Coldwave – light orange tom
Tigerstone – black-striped tom
Apprentice: Barkpaw – white tom with brown muzzle
Fernpath – white tom with black muzzle and paws
Yellowstrike – tom with a bluish pelt and large yellow eyes
Russetstripe – long-legged dark red tabby she-cat
Apprentice: Bluepaw – bluish-gray she-cat
Mousefoot – small gray tom
Apprentice: Cracklepaw – light brown she-cat with white paws
Dappleleaf – cream she-cat
Gingerpelt – orange tom
Queens – Icewing – gentle white she-cat with one orange paw
Leafwhisker – calico she-cat with orange eyes (mother to Ashkit and Larkkit)
Kits – Ashkit – gray tom with darker gray flecks and a cream belly
Larkkit – gray tabby she-cat with long whiskers
Elders – Mothwind – furry gray she-cat
Cloverdawn – tortoiseshell tabby she-cat
ThunderClan
Leader – Fadingstar – gray tabby tom
Deputy – Hookfire – orange tom
Medicine Cat – Whitefrost – white she-cat
RiverClan
Leader – Thornstar – brown tabby tom
Deputy – Featherfall – blue tabby she-cat
Medicine Cat – Lightpelt – tom with orange and white pelt
Apprentice: Currentpaw – silver she-cat
ShadowClan
Leader – Owlstar – black she-cat
Deputy – Shrewclaw – large brown tom
Medicine Cat – Rippleslash – reddish-pelted she-cat
