Chapter 9
"How're you feeling, Dewleaf?" the silver she-cat asked, her blue eyes searching her daughter's face.
Dewleaf purred and nudged her mother's shoulder. "Feathercloud, I'm fine. Don't worry about me."
Feathercloud eyed Dewleaf, though her eyes showed playfulness. "All right, then. You take care. I have to get ready to go to the Gathering."
"Oh." She'd almost forgotten that tonight was the night of the full moon, when the four Clans could gather in truce. Disappointed, she sighed, "I guess I can't go."
Feathercloud nuzzled her daughter comfortingly. "I'm sure Smokestar will let you go next time. Besides, you need to heal, Dewleaf. Several warriors are staying behind anyhow."
Dewleaf nodded in agreement. "I know," she mewed.
"I'll tell you about it when I get back," Feathercloud replied as she turned to leave the medicine cat's den.
"Wait!" Dewleaf called hastily. When her mother turned back, she mewed, "Tell Rainheart I said hello, please."
The silver she-cat hesitated for a moment, staring at Dewleaf with wide eyes. Finally, she answered, "If I have the chance."
***
"Will you be all right? Should I have Frostpool stay behind with you?" Mosspelt asked anxiously as she and her apprentice stood at the entrance of their den.
Dewleaf nodded. "Don't worry. Enjoy the Gathering, I can take care of myself. As a matter of fact, I was just going to visit the queens in the nursery."
Mosspelt opened her mouth to say more, but she didn't get the chance. Smokestar called for all the cats attending the Gathering to gather. The medicine cat said hastily, "Okay. Take care, Dewleaf."
Frostpool nodded in agreement, then the two medicine cats padded toward the camp entrance. In addition to the leader, deputy, and medicine cats, several warriors were going to the Gathering as well. Leafdapple, Thorntail, Feathercloud, Snowstorm, Clovernight, and Falconclaw were among those. Berrytail and Dawnheart were going as well. Dewleaf watched them go, then turned and settled down on the nest of soft moss. She'd get some rest first.
***
Dewleaf shuffled into the nursery slowly, a plump vole in her jaws. Hazelstep was dozing with her kits, and Lightheart was grooming herself. The latter she-cat looked up as Dewleaf entered.
"Hi, Dewleaf. It's nice to see you," Lightheart meowed. "How are your injuries healing?" She eyed the cobwebs and poultice plastered on Dewleaf's shoulder.
The black she-cat shrugged as she set the fresh-kill down and sat down beside her friend. "I'm healing well. I hope Mosspelt will let me out into the forest soon. My paws are itching for a good hunt." She nudged the vole she'd brought for her friend and meowed, "This is for you."
"Thanks," she replied as she took the fresh-kill and began to eat. Then, Lightheart laughed. "Well, how do you think I feel? I've been cooped up in the nursery for a moon and a half, maybe even longer."
"And then you'll have to stay six more moons, nursing your kits," Dewleaf added with a purr. "Sounds like great fun."
Lightheart sighed. "Sure does. But I don't mind. Cloudstorm and I… we've wanted kits for a while." Her eyes were downcast, and Dewleaf guessed that she was thinking about what had happened the last time she and Cloudstorm had become parents. Their kits had been stillborn. In addition, Lightheart had nearly lost her life.
Dewleaf nodded in understanding, and she felt a twinge of envy for her friend and brother. They shared something very special—love. And soon, they'd have kits to show it. But as for herself… she doubted she'd ever see Stormpelt again. She'd loved him, but… had he loved her? I guess I'll never know.
"Are you okay, Dewleaf?"
Snapping out of her thoughts, she glanced up to see Lightheart peering at her with worry glittering in her green eyes. "Oh, yeah, I-I'm fine," she stammered, looking away in embarrassment. "Sorry, I was just… thinking."
"If you say so," Lightheart replied, her head tilted to the side. After a moment, she shrugged and went on, "I'm sure Cloudstorm would be proud to have kits. And they're nearly here, too. We're both so excited."
"I'm sure you'll be very happy," Dewleaf murmured, a bit wistful.
Lightheart nodded happily, her tail flicking over her belly. "I'm so nervous," she mewed, laying her head on her paws. "But I'm very excited, too."
Dewleaf offered a small smile, then glanced away, her tail swishing back and forth. Thought of Stormpelt swirled around in her head, but, this time, they seemed only like distant memories. Those strong, longing emotions she'd felt only yesterday were gone. He and I would never have been happy together anyway, she reasoned, a bit regretfully. We were from different Clans. He had RainClan, and it was my duty to return to ThunderClan. This is where I belong… Right?
"Lightheart," Dewleaf prompted. "I have a question."
Dewleaf stayed in that nursery for the rest of the time. She spoke to Lightheart, about many things, including Stormpelt. Once Hazeltail woke up, the older queen joined the conversation as well.
By the end of their very long conversation, Dewleaf had been uplifted. The two queens had somewhat understood how she'd felt, and were able to give a few words of advice that helped Dewleaf.
"Good night. And thank you, I'm glad we talked," Dewleaf mewed as she padded out of the nursery, leaving the queens and the kits to rest.
As she headed toward the medicine cat's den, though, the ThunderClan cats returned from the Gathering. She blinked up at them and began to make her way toward Clovernight.
"How was the Gath—" she began.
But she was cut off when she heard her name being called. She looked around in confusion, then noticed Falconclaw, standing to the side of the main group. "Hi, Falconclaw," she meowed, changing her course and heading toward him. "How was the Gathering?"
The ginger tom shrugged. "It was fine. It's always an honor to go, of course, but nothing much happened tonight."
"I wish I could've gone," Dewleaf admitted with a nod.
He drew closer to her and lowered his voice. "I saw Rainheart."
"Did you speak to him?" Dewleaf asked, her interest sparked. "What did he say?"
Falconclaw nodded slowly. "I did speak to him a little. I told him that you were injured, but Clovernight had already told him about it. And…" He hesitated before mewing, "we talked about you a little."
"Me?" Dewleaf tilted her head to the side. "What about me?"
"Your father's really proud of you," he replied. "We both agree that you're a fine warrior. And… we talked about RainClan for a little, too."
"Oh." Dewleaf looked down at her paws and felt her ear-tips burning. She was sure they'd probably discussed Stormpelt. But… she was over him! For now, anyway.
"He also told me that his sister, Splashripple, recently had her kits. It was announced at the Gathering, too. Apparently, she has three healthy kits."
Dewleaf looked up and purred. "That's wonderful! My kin!"
Falconclaw purred and nodded. After a while, he shuffled his feet on the ground before mewing, "He said he missed you. He hoped to see you soon."
She looked up at him in surprise. "He did?"
Falconclaw nodded. "Yeah, he did."
Dewleaf opened her mouth to reply, but she didn't get to. Mosspelt called for her, and she had to return to the medicine cat's den.
As she settled down in her nest, she wondered, Why would Rainheart trust Falconclaw enough to speak to him about RainClan, to deliver a message to me?
***
"It feels great to be out in the forest again!" Dewleaf purred, raising her head.
Thorntail glanced at her sideways and replied, "I'm sure it does. You were cooped up in the medicine cat's den for quite a while."
She nodded in agreement as she opened her mouth to taste the air.
Currently, the black she-cat was on a hunting patrol—the first one in a while—with Thorntail, Flightfur, and Berrytail.
"I smell a vole," Berrytail whispered as he darted off.
Dewleaf flicked an ear and glanced around, her ears pricked and her jaws slightly parted. At the smell of a mouse, her ears pricked forward, and she began to stalk toward the prey. The brown mouse was sitting at the roots of a tree, unaware of the impending danger.
In a single swipe, Dewleaf had snagged it with her claws. She quickly gave it the killing bite, then carried it back to Thorntail.
The tom nodded to her, mewing, "Nice catch."
"Thanks," she replied as she began to bury the fresh-kill.
The golden-brown tom nodded once again before disappearing in a clump of bracken.
***
"Hi," came a muffled mew.
Dewleaf turned her head to see who'd spoken to her. She flicked her tail in acknowledgement. "Hi, Falconclaw," she replied. The black pelted she-cat had been on her way to visit Hazelstep and Lightheart in the nursery.
The ginger tom had a chaffinch in his jaws, and he flicked an ear. He dropped the fresh-kill at his paws and glanced up at her, looking a bit hesitant. "Would you… would you like to share this with me?"
She sighed and glanced up at the nursery before turning back to reply to the tom. Honestly, Dewleaf had been about to say 'no' to him, but she felt a change of heart when she saw the hopeful expression on his face. She nodded readily. After all, this tom had done so much for her. "I'd be glad to, Falconclaw," she meowed, giving a twitch of her tail-tip.
His tail curled, and he nudged the chaffinch toward her.
Dewleaf settled down beside him first, then sniffed at the bird curiously before taking a bite. She suddenly realized that she'd been feeling very hungry lately, with all the patrols she'd been on to make up for having been stuck in the medicine cat's den for a while. She hastily took another bite, then looked up and beckoned for her Clanmate to eat as well.
Falconclaw was watching her curiously. Then he looked away and took a bite of the chaffinch. In an effort to start a conversation, he meowed, "So, you like being out in the forest again?"
Dewleaf looked up at him and nodded. "Of course, any warrior would rather be out hunting than be stuck in the medicine cat's den," she replied with a purr.
Falconclaw nodded in agreement and flicked his tail with a hearty purr. "True." He looked up at her, his blue eyes soft and affectionate. "Do you want to go hunting with me later?" Hastily, he put in, "I've only been on one border patrol this morning, and I don't have much to do."
"All right," Dewleaf replied with a nod. "I was going to visit the queens first. I'll meet you in front of the warriors den in a bit, okay?" She took several more bites of the chaffinch and rose to her paws.
Falconclaw nodded. "See you then."
Dewleaf twitched an ear in reply and dashed off toward the nursery. She looked up in surprise when she saw that Thistlefang was inside, grooming Hazelstep gently. Their three kits, now old enough to move around on their own, were playing with each other. "Hello."
Thistlefang twitched an ear, and Hazelstep merely flicked her tail. They were whispering to each other, Dewleaf could tell. So she turned to look for Lightheart. The dark gray queen was curled up in the back of the nursery, her flank rising and falling steadily, most likely sleeping.
The black she-cat turned to leave, padding out of the nursery quietly. The queens were busy. She looked up and saw that Falconclaw, as he'd promised, was waiting in from of the warriors den. She trotted over, glad that some cat had time for her.
"Ready to go?" Falconclaw asked as he rose to his paws and gave his pelt a light shake. "How're the queens doing?"
Dewleaf nodded in reply. "Yes. Actually, they were both busy. Hazelstep was speaking with Thistlefang, and Lightheart was asleep."
"Oh," Falconclaw replied as he led the way out of camp. He seemed to struggle to find something to speak about. "So… how are the kits?"
She shrugged. "They're fine, I suppose."
"It's always nice to have kits in the Clan," Falconclaw remarked. "Soon, Lionpaw won't be the only apprentice around."
Dewleaf purred at the thought. Then she added, "Only if he isn't made a warrior by then."
As they padded through the forest, they chatted about several trivial things. They did hunt, but their time was mostly spent talking.
***
Dewleaf followed Falconclaw into camp. They'd returned rather late, with little fresh-kill in their jaws. The sun had already set, and the moon was beginning to glow. But she'd enjoyed his company; she didn't feel as lonely in the Clan anymore. Forestlily had been sitting at the entrance as the guard, and she eyed the pair suspiciously before turning away.
As she yawned, she turned her head toward Falconclaw and flicked her tail toward him in a friendly gesture. He purred softly, almost inaudibly, and nudged her shoulder with his muzzle.
"You look tired," he meowed, looking at her intently.
She nodded a bit in agreement; she was tired. "How'd you know?" asked the black she-cat curiously.
Falconclaw blinked, as if thinking for a moment, before replying, "You're blinking like you're sleepy."
Dewleaf's eyes slightly widened with surprise that he'd noticed that. "I am sleepy," she admitted. "I know I didn't do much today, but I used a lot of my energy, I suppose."
The ginger tom let out a soft sound, perhaps a purr, before nudging Dewleaf. "Come on, let's get some rest." His tail on Dewleaf's shoulder, he led her into the warriors' den.
Different POV
I shift my weight in my nest, wishing that my mate would come speak to me. I have many thoughts swirling around in my head. I don't know what to do!
Fear and anxiety weighs me down. The birthing of my kits is getting closer, and I can't help but relive the other time when I'd been carrying kits. I'm tired and weary, but I can't sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I see the scene in which I almost lost my life. I don't worry only for myself. What if the kits don't make it—again? Cloudstorm would be devastated.
My belly clenches, and as I hear a cat shuffle into the nursery, I close my eyes. I detect the scent of Dewleaf.
She's a good friend of mine, but I don't feel like speaking to her right now. I curl into as tight as a ball as I can, my whiskers twitching.
Where is Cloudstorm?
Sorry about the long update!!
Please review, what did you think?