Enjoy! Yawn.
Chapter Nine
After Lionblaze left, Dovewing padded off to the nursery. She took an extra deep breath; it was going to be the last view of the sky she got in a while. She nosed her way inside.
"Daisy? Cinderheart? Millie?" she said in a hushed voice. Millie stirred.
"Dovewing? It's great to see you. Are you moving in?" Dovewing nodded, and Millie said,
"You can make your nest by mine." She scooted over, and Dovewing shaped some moss and bracken into a nest. It was warm and cozy. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.
Dovewing woke to the sound of birds chirping. She was ready to leap to her paws, and run out on patrol, but when she started to get up, she remembered she couldn't go on patrol any more. She sighed and curled back in her nest to go to sleep. She woke again around Sun-high. Dovewing had to admit it felt good to be able to do whatever she wanted, not having to worry about patrols. Snowpaw appeared at the entrance to the den, his jaws full of fresh-kill. He dropped it in the den, and then raced away. Dovewing heaved herself forwards and plucked a finch from the pile. She woke Cinderheart and Daisy before digging in herself. She finished the finch in rapid bites. Cinderheart ate slowly, not really looking hungry, and Daisy pushed the remains of her mouse aside and curled up again.
"Aren't you hungry Cinderheart?" Cinderheart shook her head.
"Not really. You can have my squirrel I guess." She pushed over the limp gray body. Dovewing gulped it down.
"Thanks." She purred, grooming her shoulder fur. "Do you think I should wake Millie?" Cinderheart shrugged,
"She usually wakes in her own time." Dovewing nodded to herself, making a note that she was still learning the routine. She got settled in her nest, but couldn't get back to sleep. She really wanted to be outside patrolling right now.
Soon, the sound of the others' breathing lulled her to sleep.
Ivypool awoke to the sound of Toadstep disentangling his paw from a tendril of bramble. He glanced up, looking embarrassed.
"Sorry, did I wake you?" Ivypool shook her head.
"No, I should be getting up around now anyway. Want to go wake our apprentices? Maybe we can do some battle training." Toadstep's ear twitched.
"Sure. That sounds great." Ivypool led the way into the clearing. She paused beside the fresh-kill pile. She scented fresh squirrel, and figured Dovewing could use some company.
"I'm going to bring this squirrel to Dovewing. I'll only be a few heartbeats." Ivypool dashed into the nursery. Dovewing was staring out towards the clearing. Her pelt was perfectly smooth, like she'd spent the whole morning grooming it.
"Hey, were you going to train your apprentice?" Dovewing's mew was wistful. Ivypool butted her head against her sister's shoulder.
"Don't worry, you'll be joining us soon enough. I got to go." Ivypool hurried out into the clearing, where Toadstep was waiting for her with their two sleepy apprentices. "Hey Snowpaw!" she called, "We're going to do some battle training with Dewpaw and Toadstep. Okay?" The all-white apprentice nodded eagerly. Ivypool fell into step with Toadstep as they headed towards the ravine.
"Hey, thanks for everything, you've been really great. I'm sorry I keep making you mentor my apprentice though. I'll try to pick up my duties better from now on." Toadstep purred.
"It's okay Ivypool. I don't mind helping out, honestly. It's no big deal, I mean, I'm just doing things I have to do for Dewpaw, anyway."
"Come on, Snowpaw! You and Dewpaw are going to race to the training hollow!" yowled Ivypool, breaking into a run. She tore through the forest, Toadstep at her side, and with a sudden jolt of shock, she realized that was how she wanted things to be forever.
Jayfeather felt a cat shaking him. He blinked his eyes open and scented Brightheart standing over him.
"What?" he asked grumpily. Brightheart gestured towards the clearing with her tail.
"Millie's kits are coming! Hurry lets go." Jayfeather got to his feet and pointedly padded at a leisurely pace to the nursery. He took in the scene.
"Brightheart, get some wet moss, Daisy get a stick." The two she-cats followed his orders and raced out of the den. Jayfeather stood over Millie. He placed his paws on her swollen belly, and felt ripples passing through it.
"Shouldn't be too much longer now," he mewed. Brightheart returned first, and placed the soaked moss by Millie's head. Daisy deposited a short and thick branch. "Alright," Jayfeather said, "bite down on the stick when the pain comes." Millie obliged, and bit down sharply on the stick.
"The first kit's coming." Jayfeather said calmly. A powerful ripple rolled through Millie's round belly. A kit slithered onto the mossy ground. Jayfeather nipped at the birthing sac, and a gray kit tumbled out. "There's another one coming." Millie braced herself, another contraction seized her, and the second kit slid out. Jayfeather licked the kit, and called,
"Brightheart, lick this one until it starts breathing." Jayfeather laid the first kit down in front of himself, and started to lick it.
"Congratulations Millie, you have two healthy kits, both she-kits." Jayfeather dropped a pile of borage leaves in front of her, and padded back to his den. He curled up in his nest, utterly exhausted.
He woke the next morning, still feeling tired. He padded out into the clearing, where all the cats were milling around and talking about Millie's new litter.
"What are we going to name them?" Graystripe's voice floated out from the nursery.
Woo hoo. Kits. You'll find out their names in the next chapter.