Padding through the trees, the two she-cats made their way through the forest.
They were silent until they reached a very small clearing, which was littered with flowers and herbs. Milkwhisker suspected that this was where Rainleaf and Mintpaw grew some herbs.
She chose a spot that wasn't on any flowers and sat down, curling her tail around her paws. Lilynose sat down as well, facing her. She looked down at the flowers, her gray ears downward on her head.
"...Milkwhisker," the gray she-cat mewed, "what's it like having a mate?"
The white she-cat blinked, surprised at the question. She stared at Lilynose for a few seconds, then looked down at some flowers too. Her ears burned with a bit of embarrassment. "W-well... That's what's bothering you?" She looked back to Lilynose questioningly, avoiding to answer.
"Yes!" Lilynose looked up and blurted out. "It seems like no tom ever gives me a second glance..." She looked down again. Her ears seemed to press harder to her head. "I'm just a boring gray cat..."
"You are not!" Milkwhisker exclaimed. "You're actually very pretty..." She looked down and shuffled her paws. "Your brother shares the good-looks part of the family," she mewed, looking at Lilynose once more.
Lilynose sighed, clawing at a flower at her paws. "I don't see it in me."
Milkwhisker opened her mouth to object, but heard a noise in the bushes. She stood, her ears perking up. Lilynose did the same, looking in the direction of the noise.
Each cat waited tensely for a few sparse seconds. Both sets of claws unsheathed. Neither cat moved until they scented mouse. Relieved, Lilynose sat back down as Milkwhisker crept towards the bush.
She watched as the white she-cat stalked the mouse silently, each pawstep full of wisdom at hunting. She leaped and closed in on the mouse, nipping the back of its neck to kill it.
"Nice catch," Lilynose mewed. Milkwhisker triumphantly trotted back over to her.
"I'll take this back to camp. We've both already eaten," she replied, setting it down at her feet as she sat down again. "Really Lilynose, you're a good cat," she got back on the subject.
"Does any tom see that though...?" Lilynose murmured almost silently, looking at her paws.
Milkwhisker sighed. "Well Lilynose, you just have to wait for the one that does. Then he'll be the right one, and he'll be worth your time," she meowed, touching her nose to her friend's.
Lilynose purred slightly. "Thank you Milkwhisker."
"Of course. That's what I'm here for," Milkwhisker purred as well. "Oh, and, well, I guess this is the wrong time to tell you..."
"Tell me what?" Lilynose asked eagerly. Milkwhisker looked at a nearby tree, pretending to ignore her. "Tell me! Oh, tell me!"
"W-well..." Milkwhisker looked at her. "It-it seems to Blazetail and me that I..."
Lilynose watched with wide eyes as she waited for her to finish. When she didn't, she blinked, thinking, and then perked up. "OH!" She leaped to her feet. "How long will it be?! Oh I'm so excited and happy for you, Milkwhisker!" She pressed her nose to her friend's forehead as her tail wavered a little with happiness.
Milkwhisker's fur burned as she purred a little too. "Less than one moon. I'm such a small she-cat that the kits will probably be tiny... I should be bigger by now..."
Lilynose seemed happier than before. "Well then, don't you think you ought to tell the whole Clan?" Milkwhisker looked at the mouse in front of her. "You'll have to move to the queens' den."
"Yes, I know... It's all so exciting, but a bit frightening, you know?" Milkwhisker looked down and shuffled her paws.
"We'll help you. Don't worry about it. Blazetail will make sure you're well taken care of," Lilynose mewed. She picked up the mouse. "Back to camp!" she spoke muffled around the fur of the mouse. Milkwhisker looked up and stood as well.
AAAAAA
Blazetail hissed in annoyance. "Mouse dung!"
"Bad luck," Dewbranch meowed from a few rabbit-lengths away.
"I suppose..." Blazetail mumbled, going to sit by a nearby tree as the rest of the hunting party gathered. The black warrior sat next to him, carrying a mouse and a rabbit. Soon Silksong, Rainylegs, and Wolfleap joined them; each had at least two pieces of prey. Blazetail picked up a large mouse he had caught earlier. He felt a bit out of place.
Setting her prey down, Silksong looked at the rest of the group. "I think we did a good job for our Clan today," she said in a happy tone. Blazetail suspected she thought she did a better job than the rest of them; she had larger fresh-kill. She had always been a rather vain cat.
Wolfleap nodded quietly. Silksong picked up her fresh-kill as Dewbranch started for the camp. Rainylegs followed the black warrior, and he was followed by Silksong and Blazetail. Wolfleap brought up the rear, padding along silently.
Once he entered the clearing, Blazetail instantly saw Milkwhisker. She was sitting near the Big Trunk, speaking to Willowstar. The leader was nodding, and his eyes found Blazetail. He nodded slightly, and Milkwhisker turned her head to look at Blazetail. Her tail's small movement showed him that something made her nervous.
Blazetail made it to the fresh-kill pile, dropping his kills before he bounded over to his leader and mate. They'd watched him the whole time.
"SlateClan!" Willowstar's voice boomed over the clearing. Every cat looked at their leader. Blazetail blinked and suddenly became anxious as to what made Willowstar call the Clan for, and how it involved his mate and him. Some cats sat closer to the Big Trunk, while others stayed where they were. Everyone was quiet. Blazetail noticed Lilynose sitting near the apprentices' den, watching her friend.
"Milkwhisker has a small announcement to make," Willowstar mewed. He looked at the small white she-cat.
Her blue eyes a little wider than usual, she stood up and stepped forward a little bit. She looked nervous, but it cleared away when she began to speak. "Blazetail and I are having kits."
The Clan errupted into mews of congratulations and small purrs of joy. Blazetail's alarm instantly died off. He sighed with relief. Why had he thought that something bad had happened? "When will they be born?" some cat called over the noise.
"Less than a moon," Blazetail called, taking over for Milkwhisker. He padded closer to her as he purred. She nuzzled his shoulder. Willowstar seemed to be happy with pride.
"I'd hoped my father would be able to see the day that I brought him grand-kits..." Milkwhisker sighed as the Clan's noise died off as they went back to their duties.
"He will be very proud from StarClan," Willowstar mewed, standing up. He touched his nose to Milkwhisker's respectfully. "They will be great warriors," he purred before padding off.
A larger cat passed him, heading for Milkwhisker. It was her brother Stonemist. His green-blue eyes sparkled. "Congratulations, sister," he purred, pressing his muzzle to her shoulder. She purred as well. "I'm happy for you two." He looked at Blazetail warmly. Blazetail simply nodded, and Stonemist purred a few more words before turning and walking away.
Blazetail stood. "Come on, let's go get your nest ready in the queens' den," he touched his nose to Milkwhisker's ear. She stood as well. She nodded.