CHAPTER NINE

Two moons had passed since Dawnfeather had last visited StarClan.

"I think we could be nearing the new Clans," Stormfrost mewed, excitement rippling through his dark pelt. The North Star seemed closer to them now.

"I hope so," Dawnfeather murmured, leaning against her mate. She had gotten bigger and bigger, she could be due any day now, according to Lakeheart and Honeyheart.

"We'll be there soon. I can feel it," Ice mewed as he gazed at the bright star in the sky. Feather stood beside him, her bright yellow eyes twinkling like the stars above.

"We should rest now. Tomorrow, we'll start moving at sunset," Honeyheart mewed to all seven other cats.

"I'll go and catch some prey," Stormfrost told Dawnfeather before licking her ear and padding off with Ice and Bracken.

"I can't believe how many herbs we've used," Lakeheart sighed, staring at his moss pouch. There were a few leaves and some berries left. "I'll go and collect some herbs."

Dawnfeather sank onto the cold, prickly, forest floor. Feather sat down beside her and Ginger and her kits beside Feather. Shine was a very playful she-cat, often wandering off to explore. Leaf was as energetic as his sister but never left Ginger's side for too long. Wind was a very obedient tom, he was full of fun but was very serious too. Ginger had never needed to worry about her second son.

Dawnfeather felt one of her kits move a little inside her. She purred at the thought of her kits as she waited for the toms to come back.

Suddenly, Dawnfeather felt a sharp pain in her stomach. She let out a sudden cry as the pain grew.

"Kitting!" Honeyheart gasped. "Lakeheart!" She yowled at the top of her lungs as she made her way to the queen. Ripples of pain went through the silver she-cat's body.

"It's okay, Dawnfeather. Just push and breathe," Honeyheart soothed the queen. Feather and Ginger herded Ginger's three kits away.

"It's not okay! It's painful!" Dawnfeather yowled as another spasm gripped her. She clenched her teeth as she pushed.

Lakeheart ran back to Honeyheart and Dawnfeather, herbs clamped in his jaws.

"Here, eat this, it's tansy. It'll help your stomach!" Lakeheart pushed a herb towards the kitting queen. Dawnfeather swallowed the herb but it didn't help much.

"Dawnfeather!" Stormfrost cried out in shock, the rabbit dropping out of his mouth as he realized what was happening. He made to get to his mate but Lakeheart pushed him away.

"No, go! Keep the others away! She'll be fine!" Lakeheart hissed furiously, but his words contradicted him as Dawnfeather let out another yowl of pain.

"She's not fine!" Stormfrost roared back. "Let me see her!"

"Stormfrost! You don't understand! Ice! Bracken! Keep Stormfrost away!" Lakeheart yowled to the other shocked toms. The two of them leapt at Stormfrost and dragged him away, against his will.

"The first one's coming! Keep on pushing, Dawnfeather!" Honeyheart mewed as she spotted the head of a kit. "Push, Dawnfeather, push!" The first kit dropped out.

"Lick it, Honeyheart! I'll help her!" Lakeheart swapped places with Honeyheart as the golden she-cat licked the kit furiously until it began breathing and placed the kit beside it's mother's belly. Dawnfeather still yowled in pain. Was giving birth really this hard? She thought to herself as another spasm gripped her pelt. "The second one's coming!"

"You're doing fine, dear sister," Dawnfeather heard Soaringdawn's voice. "There is one possible way that I could come back, you know."

"How?" Dawnfeather yowled. She was talking to her sister's spirit but it still sounded like a yowl of pain. Out of the corner of her eye, Dawnfeather saw Stormfrost trying to claw his way to her, but Ice and Bracken were strong too, they were holding him down.

"Name one kit after me. I will still be in StarClan, with Shadowstorm, but my spirit will be in that kit," The voice faded away as the second kit slipped out. Dawnfeather was panting now, feeling more and more painful.

"You're doing great, Dawnfeather!" Honeyheart mewed as she placed the second kit beside the first one at Dawnfeather's belly. "Keep on pushing!"

By the time the fourth kit was out, Dawnfeather was losing energy and consciousness.

"One more, Dawnfeather, one more!" Lakeheart mewed. Only a moment later, the fifth and last kit and slipped out.

"Let him loose!" Honeyheart called to Ice and Bracken after she had placed the last kit at Dawnfeather's belly. Stormfrost sprinted over to his mate as soon as Ice and Bracken loosened their grip on him. "Three toms and two she-cats!"

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Stormfrost asked frantically.

"I'm fine, Stormfrost. You have five healthy kits," Dawnfeather purred at her mate's overprotectiveness. "What should we name them?"

"How about Silverkit for this one?" Stormfrost tapped a silver she-cat with his tail gently.

"Of course," Dawnfeather purred. "And Stormkit after you for this kit?" Dawnfeather touched her nose to a tom that had Stormfrost's exact fur color.

"And Frostkit for this one," Stormfrost touched a silver tom with dark gray stripes. "And Streamkit?" He licked a dark silver-blue tom.

"And...Soaringkit?" Dawnfeather suggested, thinking of what her sister's spirit had told her while she was kitting. The she-cat looked exactly like her sister, and Dawnfeather knew that she was the right kit to name.

"In remembrance to your sister, right?" Stormfrost mewed softly, lying down beside his mate as he nuzzled his kits.

"Yes," Dawnfeather mewed quietly.

"Then Soaringkit it is," Stormfrost purred, rubbing his head against Dawnfeather's.

Dawnfeather curled beside her mate and fell into a deep sleep.

END OF CHAPTER NINE

Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Also, thanks to SwiftslashxLeafstorm and Mew for being my most common reviewers! You both get two chocolate chip cookies each and a Dawnfeather plushie each too! :D

~Silverfrost of IceClan