! I'd better let you know that exams start on the 19th and I have really been procrastinating learning so you'll be seeing very little of me in this moon. Thanks to Mosspaw for the kit names, I already have names planned for Gloryheart's kits but their getting in, in a big way!
Jasminescent finished examining and stood up. "Well, I'm happy to say that Mallowleaf is expecting and is due in two moons time. Congratulations, Gloryheart."
Gloryheart purred loudly and pressed himself against Mallowleaf and then Jasminescent.
"Mallowleaf, go tell cats so long."
Once she was out h added. "so, you're okay with this aren't you?"
"Whatever do you mean?"
"Me with kits and Mallowleaf and Streamflower's litter coming soon,.."
"She's only due a half-moon before Mallowleaf! It'd Fallowfern that's soon.."
Gloryheart froze. "What. Did. You. Say?"
"Fallowfern's expecting her kits in less than a moon's time."
"What?"
"Fallowfern. You're sister. Is going to have kits."
"Are you sure? Whose?"
"She didn't tell you? And you haven't noticed? Wow, you really are a great brother."
"Whose?"
"I don't know. Maybe Bigtooth's?"
Gloryheart didn't want to think about the likely answer. He raced out.
"Where are you going?"
But he didn't even look back. He was dashing, faster than any hawk. All the while, hoping, no praying that they were Bigtooth's. The Windclan border was in sight now. And he saw two cats sitting there. What were the chances that it was Bigtooth?
"Drearyclaw!"
The tom had no time to defend himself.
"What are you doing to my sister?!"
"I-"
Gloryheart didn't want to hear it.
"Gloryheart please!"
"What now Fallowbreeze? I give you chances and now you betray me by having his kits?!"
"Specklekit needs a mother."
"Please! You were expecting long before we even got her! You fought in the battle, you acted as if everything was normal but I was a fool to think that you would listen to me. I failed you, I failed us both. I should've seen."
He was circling her now. He wouldn't hurt her but he would make sure that she felt the pain. "Do you have any idea what horror you caused to my reputation as deputy? The cat whose sister has half-clan kits?"
Drearyclaw stood up calmly. "Please, don't take this out on her."
"Drearyclaw-"
"It's alright, my sweet. Go back to camp and make yourself a space in the nursery."
Gloryheart waited until she had gone.
"Well, Drearyclaw? Are you proud of yourself?"
'No. I got her into trouble."
"Right you did!"
"But it doesn't have to be like this. Don't tell."
"I won't. But if Bittenstar asks than I will have to."
"Very well."
"What do you know about responsibility? To lie and keep secrets for someone you love?"
"More than you will ever know."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I can't tell you."
"Do you want Fallowbreeze to take the blame?"
"Alright, fine. Scaterlight took a mate with a rogue tom called Drake, and I kept her secret all the way through. And then Moorheart's secret is also safe with me."
"Go on."
He twitched his ears, realizing he said too much. "I'll tell you some other time. I really must get back." "Alright, at the next gathering then. Or I'll reveal your friend's secret."
His eyes widened. "You wouldn't."
"It doesn't have to be that way."
Only a quarter-moon later it happened. Gloryheart was out on patrol, when he heard a dreadful screech. He followed the sound to half-way to the Windclan border.
"Gloryheart, help me! Fetch Jasminescent or Dampspots."
He nodded though reluctant to leave her alone.
"Go!"
He didn't have to go far.
"Gloryheart, what's going on? I heard screaming."
"Fallowbreeze is kitting."
She nodded and raced off. "Fetch raspberry leaves."
"Right." Not that he knew what raspberry leaves looked like.
His heart pounded against his ribcage, threatening to leap out completely.
"Dampspots, what do raspoberry leaves look like?"
The medicine cat didn't acknowledge his presence at all. Just lay still. He prodded her. She didn't move. He turned her over. Her eyes were closed. She wasn't breathing and red juice stained her mouth. The juice of death berries.
"Leappaw! Rattletail, anyone!"
Hickoryclaw rushed inside. "What's going on?"
And then he saw Dampspots. "No!"
"Hickoryclaw, listen to me. Do you know what raspberry laves look like?"
He took some in his jaws. "Yes?"
"Take them to Jasminescent and Fallowfern now."
He did so, he was clever enough to put the living before the dead. Even when Waspwhisker died, he put Crashstar first.
Gloryheart had a responsibility to do. He dragged her body outside and laid it in the middle of the clearing and went to find Bittenstar.
" Bittenstyar, Dampspots is dead!"
He looked around. "What?"
"Dampspots is dead."
He stood up and looked outside, where cats were crowding around her body.
"And so she is. We shall mourn for her. Where is Jasminescent?"
"Delivering Fallowbreeze's kits."
"What timing. Okay, tell the elders to cover her body in whatever it is to keep the scent of death hidden. No, I will tell them personally. Go to your sister."
"Thank you Bittenstar!"
When he got there, she was no longer kitting. She had finished already.
"Is she?"
"She's fine."
"And the kits?"
"A tom and a she-cat."
"Fallowbreeze, what will you call them?"
His sister purred weakly. "The tom is called Littlekit, because his tail is so small. The she-cat is called Crystalkit after a Windclan cat."
She said the last part so that only he could hear it. It was dark so he couldn't see what they looked like.
The next morning he went to check on them. Jasminescent was grieving for Dampspots with Hickoryclaw. Bittenstar declared that she had killed herself out of grief for Crashstar.
"Fallowbreeze?" he called.
"She's not letting anyone see them. She's protective but Jasminescent says that it's because it's her first litter." Specklekit, who was waiting to suckle with her said wisely.
"Fallowbreeze, may I see them?" he asked.
She nodded to him ever so slightly and removed her tail and the other queens left to give her space.
Crystalkit was white with faint golden-brown markings. And the other looked just like Drearyclaw.
"It's okay, no one will notice." She said, though not belkieving it herself.
He then left, forcing himself not to get angry at her. He would not listen to Moorheat's secret from Drearyclaw. No, he'd hand over the kits to Windclan, without any regrets.
He didn't know how wrong he was.
I've started doing my harry potter fic out of request so it really is difficult to update lately! And I'm doing a quick one-shot so at this rate I'm failing exams!