Chapter 25
Hollystep sighed as she lay on her back, swatting lazily at the auburn leaves that fluttered down from the trees. She'd agreed to stop and rest at Sandstorm's insistence while the older she-cat took Nettlepaw down a rabbit trail. Now that she'd caught her breath, Hollystep was bored, and more than slightly uncomfortable. Her stomach was huge—Leafpool insisted the kits would come at any moment, but Hollystep couldn't bring herself to lie waiting in the nursery.
The vibrant leaf-fall undergrowth rustled as Nettlepaw returned. The lean black she-cat carried a young rabbit in her jaws. Sandstorm followed with a second.
"Here," Nettlepaw dropped her catch unceremoniously in front of Hollystep as the queen shuffled into an upright position.
Hollystep frowned. "I can wait until we get back to camp."
Sandstorm buried her own catch and shook her head. "There's a hazel thicket just there that we're going to use to practice listening, it'll be after sunhigh when we get back."
Feeling as if she were caught in some deliberate attempt to make her eat twice as much as every other cat in the Clan, Hollystep rolled her eyes and conceded, tugging the rabbit closer and tearing into it. Sandstorm and Nettlepaw retreated again, leaving Hollystep to finish her meal and let out another heavy sigh.
It is leaf-fall like Leafpool said, so what are you waiting on?
The first pain hit her halfway back to the hollow. She swallowed a startled exclamation and continued silently. The second pain was much more abrupt and sent a shudder down the length of her tabby flanks.
"Hollystep, what…" Nettlepaw's eyes widened as she watched another powerful contraction ripple down Hollystep's side. "Sandstorm…?"
The pale ginger warrior turned, looking exasperated. The rabbit fell from her jaws when her green eyes fixed on Hollystep. "The kits are coming!" There was a blaze of excitement in her eyes. "Nettlepaw, run ahead and tell Leafpool, we'll be just behind you."
With one last, curious glance at Hollystep, Nettlepaw turned tail and raced back to camp.
"It's not far," Sandstorm encouraged Hollystep as she offered her shoulder to the tabby queen. "Just keep taking deep breaths, and if you feel like you have to push, don't."
"Don't?" Hollystep seethed. "Then what do you expect me to do?!"
"Just make it to the nursery," Sandstorm's whiskers twitched. "Are you a warrior or aren't you?"
Hollystep snarled under her breath as she forced her paws to work through the pains. When they made it back to camp Leafpool and Ferncloud were waiting outside the nursery. The lithe medicine cat jumped to her paws when she saw them.
"Thank StarClan," she exhaled. "I was worried we'd have to deliver out in the forest."
Ferncloud took over for Sandstorm, herding the younger queen into the nursery. Leafpool shadowed them, nosing Hollystep from her ears to her tail-tip as she settled in her nest.
The next contraction tore a yowl from Hollystep's throat. "I'm going to kill Rainwhisker," she hissed, panting. "I'm going to shred him and use his fur to line my nest…!" With the next contraction, all of her muscles tightened. When felt sure she'd never be able to relax again, the first kit slipped into the world.
"Well done!" Leafpool purred. Hollystep forced herself to twist around and free the tiny scrap. She licked it roughly, a satisfied purr growing in her chest as the little kit started to squirm and let out tiny mewls.
Ferncloud touched a soft paw to Hollystep's flank. "There's more," she assessed. "I think they're just taking their time."
Just when Hollystep was beginning to wonder if Ferncloud had been wrong, the contractions struck again. She clenched her jaw as her muscles tightened again.
"That's two," Leafpool announced. "You're doing brilliantly, Hollystep, I think there's just one more."
Hollystep licked her second kit with just as much vigor, forcing the fatigue from her body as she prepared for the third. She was used to the contractions now, and when the next set came, she took a deep breath and pushed with all of her strength.
"Three," Ferncloud purred. She licked Hollystep's shoulder as the tabby licked the final kit clean. "Just like your litter."
When the third kit was responding, Hollystep nudged the three damp kits to her belly. They latched on immediately and started suckling.
"Congratulations, Hollystep," Leafpool pushed a bundle of herbs towards her. "Go ahead and eat these, then you can rest."
"Alright…" The tabby queen yawned, then forced herself to chew the bitter herbs. Exhausted and content, she curled around her newborn kits and fell asleep.
Hollystep woke to the scent of mouse. Her amber eyes opened slowly and fixed on the piece of fresh-kill lying beside her nest. She lifted her head and glanced around. Squirrelflight and Ferncloud were sharing tongues nearby, but Squirrelflight's kits were nowhere to be seen.
"Is this for me?" Hollystep croaked.
"Oh, yes," Squirrelflight meowed brightly. "Dusk-kit and Speckledkit wanted to bring you something. How do you feel?"
"Tired," Hollystep admitted. "I'd rather get hit by a monster than go through that again." Still, she couldn't ignore the warmth that tingled in her paws as she gazed down at the kits tucked against her belly fur. She ate the mouse quickly and started grooming the kits' drying fur.
"Are you ready to take visitors?" Ferncloud's eyes flashed with amusement. "Rainwhisker's been pacing a hole in the ground since he got back from patrol, even though Leafpool's told him a hundred times that you're all just fine."
"Yes," sighed Hollystep, remembering how exciting it had been to see the newest kits when they'd arrived. "I suppose I should let him see our kits."
Ferncloud slipped out, and hardly a heartbeat later Rainwhisker was pushing his way in. He touched his muzzle to hers, and Hollystep closed her eyes and drank in his familiar scent. "Hey," she murmured.
The gray warrior purred thickly. "Hey…" His blue eyes trailed to their kits. "They're beautiful," his tone was full of wonder and love.
"Aren't they?" Hollystep bent and licked each kits in turn. Now that their fur was mostly dry, it was easy to distinguish them. "We should name them before we let any other cat in, or they'll all be asking if they've got names yet."
Rainwhisker's tail curled in amusement. "You're right." He settled in the nest behind her, gazing thoughtfully down at the kits. Hollystep assessed each of them in turn. The first born, a she-kit, had Rainwhisker's dark gray fur. There were touches of white fur on her face, and the toes on her front paws were white. The second kit was a she-kit as well, with very pale brown tabby fur. Her chest fur was white, and so were all four paws. The third kit was the only tom. His fur was a lighter gray that darkened into an ink black on his legs and tail and ears. His nose, Hollystep noticed, was also jet black, while his sisters' were pale pink.
"What about Fawnkit," Rainwhisker mewed finally, "For the brown she-kit?"
Hollystep hummed her approval. She blinked angled her ears towards the tom. "Sootkit," she murmured. "In honor of Sootfur." Rainwhisker pressed his muzzle into her fur, and Hollystep knew the decision meant more to him than he could find words to express. "And the gray she-kit… will be Sweetkit."
Rainwhisker nodded slowly and repeated their names. "Sweetkit, Fawnkit, and Sootkit."
Hollystep felt another purr growing in her chest. Welcome to ThunderClan, little warriors.
Hollystep let out a growl of satisfaction as she landed squarely on top of her prey for the first time in moons. She finished the mouse with a quick bite to the spine.
"Good catch," Whitewing called brightly. The white she-cat padded to her side. "It's probably time we headed back…"
Hollystep flattened her ears, ready to object. Then she remembered that she hadn't fed her kits since she'd left shortly after dawn. "I suppose," she sighed, not bothering to hide her exasperation. They were already two moons old—and more of a paw full than Hollystep could have imagined. Squirrelflight's kits were recently apprenticed: Duskpaw to Spiderleg, Speckledpaw to Birchfall, and Littlepaw to Sorreltail. Redpaw had surprised every cat except Leafpool by deciding to train as a medicine cat. Though she was glad the bigger kits had left the nursery, Hollystep wished Squirrelflight could have stayed to watch her kits every now and again.
At least Ferncloud has been helping… Hollystep gathered her fresh-kill with a sigh and beckoned for Whitewing to lead the way back to camp. When they pushed their way through the thorn tunnel, Hollystep was immediately swarmed by her kits.
"Look at the size of that mouse!" Sweetkit's eyes glimmered as she bounced around her mother's paws, as blue as Rainwhisker's.
Fawnkit swatted at the squirrel tail that hung from Hollystep jaws. "I'm going to be the best hunter in the entire Clan," she declared. Sootkit followed his sisters more slowly.
"What did I tell you about playing by the thorn tunnel?" Hollystep herded her kits to the fresh-kill pile with her and deposited her catch. "You're going to get in every cat's way over there."
"We haven't gotten in any cat's way!" Fawnkit objected hotly.
"Oh? Am I not any cat? You were in my way." Hollystep narrowed her eyes at her most out-spoken daughter.
Sootkit's bright amber eyes widened in distress. "We're sorry," he put in quickly, cutting of Fawnkit's retort. "We didn't mean to disobey you, but we knew you'd be back soon so…" He scuffled his ink black paws.
Hollystep sighed and bent to rasp her tongue over the anxious kit's ear. "It's alright, Sootkit, I know you didn't have anything to do with it."
"We are sorry though," Sweetkit purred. "It won't happen again, we promise!"
Somehow I don't believe that. The tabby queen nosed through the fresh-kill pile and pulled out a magpie. As she settled down outside the nursery to eat, Sweetkit started chasing fallen leaves. Soon all three of them were bouncing and squealing in delight, kicking up leaves and chasing them to and fro. Despite her exasperation at being tied to the nursery, Hollystep felt content. StarClan willing we'll have a mild leaf-bare, and by new-leaf they'll be apprentices… and then I can get back to my warrior duties full time. Her hopes and ambitions burned brightly within her as she watched her kits play. ThunderClan is rising. I can feel it.
A/N: Hey guys! Sorry this chapter took a little longer to get out, I was having a hard time getting through it since the only significant event was the birth of Hollystep's kits... Anyway, there's going to be a little time skip, a little drama, and well... I think this story is just about wrapped up! :D I guess we'll see how these next few chapters go~!
To my reviewers: I love you all. I don't have the time to answer you all individually today and I want to hurry and get this chapter posted, so just know that you're what keeps me pushing forward.
See you all next chapter!