Author's Note: Sorry this chapter's a little late this week, guys. I've been kinda busy. There won't be a new chapter next week because I'm going to be out of town for a little while, new chapter should be up the week after that. Have a great rest of your day! Hope you enjoy!
-Rosie ;)
Chapter Nineteen
Anxious murmurs spread throughout the cats gathered in the clearing of the WindClan camp. Everywhere, Briarpaw saw bristling pelts, flicking tails, and cats pacing back and forth. Tawnystar had just announced to the Clan the news about the dogs, and although the Clan had listened to his assurances about there being no need for panic, there was still tension sparking from the pelt of nearly every cat in the Clan.
"Dogs!" Flowerfoot hissed under her breath. "Always stirring up trouble!"
Hollythorn nodded. "They'll scare away the rabbits! Greenleaf is supposed to be a time of plentiful prey, but if they stick around for much longer, we'll have to work as hard as if it was leaf-bare!"
"WindClan has dealt with many a harsh leaf-bare," Jayclaw reminded them. "We are the Clan of resilience and endurance. We have gotten through a lot, and we will get through this too."
"That doesn't mean we won't suffer, though," Crowtalon growled, hobbling up to them, alongside his denmate, Cedarclaw. The gray tom's single eye darkened as he added in a barely audible tone, "Hardship always brings loss."
Cedarclaw pressed against his Clanmate comfortingly, and as he turned his head, Briarpaw flinched away from the sight of his ravaged ear and the scars across his cheek. The two toms were silent for a moment, and Briarpaw knew they were being pulled back to a time in their lives before even the senior warriors had been born.
Palefire was watching them with a gleam of sadness in her eyes. "Crowtalon's right. We can never be too careful. Especially with so many young cats in our Clan… and more on the way." She shot an anxious glance towards the nursery.
Flickerflame was the only cat in the Clan who hadn't heard the news about the dogs yet. She had been too weak to come to Tawnystar's meeting, and Mossfoot had warned them that it was best not to share the news with the queen, as the alarm it would likely cause her wouldn't be good for her in her current state. No one really knew what was going on with the tortoiseshell she-cat, but Mossfoot had hardly left the nursery all day, and they knew better than to ask the medicine cat when she was busy.
"Do you suppose the kits are all right?" Hollythorn meowed anxiously.
"There's probably nothing to worry about. You know queens, always so apprehensive." Flowerfoot assured, although Briarpaw didn't think she sounded certain at all.
"She's nearly a half-moon past her due date," Palefire pointed out. "She's bound to be anxious."
"Is that bad?" Stagleap asked with wide eyes.
Palefire hesitated. "Kits are late all the time. They're just taking their time, that's all. I bet when they're born, they're going to be some of the strongest and healthiest kits WindClan has seen in a while."
"That's good… strong kits are good," the young tom meowed, casting his gaze to the ground. She felt a few of the cats glancing in her direction, and she quickly looked away. She knew that they were thinking of her littermates. Please don't let these kits meet the same fate, StarClan.
"They were early," Palefire assured Stagleap. "And your mother was a lot older than Flickerflame by the time she had her third litter."
"And even so, Briarpaw survived didn't she?" Jayclaw reminded. "And she's turned out to be a fine young cat."
"Yes," the brown tabby's eyes sparkled. "She's a fighter. She always has been."
Briarpaw felt a warm glow at her older brother's praise, and, leaving her Clanmates to continue their conversation, she padded over to the apprentices' den, where some of her friends had gathered.
"Hi, Briarpaw," Lionpaw meowed as she sat down next to him. Amberpaw was sitting nearby, and a few tail lengths away, Duskpaw and Daisypaw were lying down next to each other.
"Has Mossfoot said anything about Flickerflame yet?" Daisypaw meowed softly.
Briarpaw shook her head. "I haven't seen her in a while- she's been with Flickerflame constantly, and I don't want to disturb her."
"I hope she's ok, and the kits too."
"I'm sure they're just fine," Lionpaw assured. "Mossfoot knows what she's doing."
"It'll be pretty exciting, getting new kits, won't it, Duskpaw?" Daisypaw purred. "It's been a while since the last ones."
Her brother nodded, lifting his head and squinting his eyes in the bright sunlight. "Yes, new kits will make WindClan even stronger."
"Although I hope they don't become apprentices too quickly," Lionpaw purred. "If we get any more apprentices, we're going to run out of room in our heather patch!"
"Maybe it's about time some of us should get a new den," Amberpaw muttered under her breath.
Briarpaw turned to her friend. "What did you say?"
"… Nothing."
Suddenly, she heard the thumping of paws on earth and turned to see the hunting patrol returning to camp. Smolderpaw stood at the lead, a large rabbit in his jaws. His eyes sparkled as he carried it over to the fresh kill pile.
"Nice catch, Smolderpaw!" Briarpaw called.
He waved his tail in acknowledgement before dropping the rabbit. "Thanks!"
"Impressive," Mintfur meowed as he padded over to meet his son. "You'll be a fine warrior one day."
Smolderpaw purred, brushing against his father. "Perhaps we can go hunting together sometime soon."
Mintfur nodded. "I'd like that. I'll talk to Thistlevine about that later."
As they padded off together, Briarpaw felt a warm sensation in her heart. She was glad Smolderpaw was getting so close to his father. It was the best thing that he could have with the loss of Breezecloud.
I hope you're doing well, Breezecloud. I miss you.
Briarpaw jerked her head towards the nursery as she heard a sharp meow coming from within. Swiftwing came hurrying out, Mossfoot on his heels.
"Go find something else to do," she snapped at the tom. "You're just getting in the way. She'll be fine without you for a little while." Without even waiting for him to reply, she vanished back into the den again.
Briarpaw felt a mixture of amusement and pity for Swiftwing. Breeezecloud would've known just what to say to him.
Stretching, Briarpaw got to her paws, and padded over to the other side of camp, where a small puddle of water had formed in the rock. She began to lap it up, when Mossfoot appeared behind her.
"Hey, Briarpaw- I have to grab a few things from my den for a moment. Would you mind bringing Flickerflame something from the fresh-kill pile quickly? I don't know if she's eaten since this morning."
"Sure, I'll be right over," she assured as she licked the water from her chin.
Padding over to the fresh-kill pile, she picked up a thrush and carried it over to the nursery. Pushing past the branches that formed the entrance, she slipped into the den.
The nursery was dimly lit, with chinks of sunlight filtering through the branches here and there. Flickerflame laid in her nest, her eyes half-closed and unfocused looking. Briarpaw scented the air, and although she couldn't catch any scent of sickness, the queen was obviously quite weak.
"Hey, Flickerflame," she called softly. "I brought you some fresh-kill."
The queen cast her amber eyes upward, sighing. "Thanks, Briarpaw, but I really don't have much appetite."
"But this will help you to get your strength up."
She shook her head. "I can't eat right now. Sorry, maybe later."
Mossfoot pushed through the entrance behind them, setting down her herbs near Flickerflame. "What's going on?"
"Flickerflame says she's not hungry," Briarpaw explained.
The medicine cat sighed. "Look, Flickerflame, I know you don't feel very well, but this will help you to get stronger."
"But I can't even think about eating…"
"Your kits need you to stay strong, Flickerflame. When they come, we need you to stay conscious, and I'm worried that you won't be able to if you're this weak."
The tortoiseshell queen shifted uncomfortably. "Fine, I'll try. But I don't think I'll be able to keep much down." She pulled the thrush towards her and slowly began picking away at it.
"Eat what you can, then," Mossfoot instructed, "Then try to get some rest before the kits come. I have a feeling this is going to be a long night."
…
Briarpaw jerked awake to a sharp shriek of pain. Gasping, she stumbled to her paws.
The moon was sinking towards the horizon, and opposite of it, a faint glow announced that dawn was not far off. Around her, her denmates were sleeping soundly.
Was that part of my dream?
The remnants of her dreams were fading rapidly, but from the pounding of her heart, she guessed it hadn't been a good one. What's happening in them? What is StarClan trying to show me?
But this felt more… real. Had it really just been a dream? She could still hear the shriek echoing through her ears.
She was alerted by a rustling sound, and turned her head to see several of the warriors beginning to stir, a few getting to their paws.
What's going on?
She bounded over to Amberpaw, who was climbing back into her nest.
"Amberpaw!" she gasped. "Were you awake just now? What's happening?"
Her friend's amber eyes were bleary with sleep, but she caught a hint of tension in them. "It's Flickerflame- she's gone into labor."
"Now?" Why do queens always seem to give birth in the most inconvenient of times? Why not during daylight hours?
"Mossfoot's with her. She's not allowing anyone else in the den without her permission."
"What's all the commotion?" The two of them turned to see Ebonypaw padding towards them. His fur was ruffled, showing that he had been abruptly awoken as well.
"Flickerflame's having her kits."
Ebonypaw's voice dropped. "How's she doing?"
Amberpaw shook her head. "I don't know, but Mossfoot seems pretty calm. She only started her kitting a little while ago."
"Mossfoot knows what she's doing," Briarpaw added. "Flickerflame will be fine."
"So what now, then?" Ebonypaw asked. "I don't think I have any chance of getting back to sleep now."
Amberpaw's voice was grim. "There's only one thing we can do- wait."
…
It felt like an eternity later when the sun rose over the horizon. Most of the Clan had awoken long ago, although they didn't really seem to be truly awake. Prickleleaf dragged herself over to the fresh kill pile and grabbed a mouse to share with Goldmoth, although both of them only picked at it half-heartedly. Dropsplash's gaze followed her stiffly thrashing tail, and nearby, Tinyspider pawed at the ground. Few cats had been able to sleep all night, so they must've been exhausted, but Briarpaw guessed most of the cats were too anxious to go to sleep. Only Swiftwing was alert, impatiently pacing back and forth past the entrance of the nursery.
Mossfoot popped her head out of the den, nearly running into Swiftwing, and immediately, the tan tom whirled around to face her. "Mossfoot! What's happening? Is she ok? Are the kits-"
"Swiftwing, please! You keep getting in my way! Go find something else to do!"
The tom scurried backwards, letting the medicine cat hurry past him. He gazed at the entrance of the den longingly, before Tawnystar stepped forward.
"Swiftwing," he asked softly. "Flickerflame's been working hard- she'll be hungry after the kits are born. Would you like to go on a hunting patrol?"
The tom shuffled his paws. "But the kits-"
"Mossfoot will make sure they are delivered safely, and if they get here before you come back, we'll wait for you to go see them first."
Swiftwing reluctantly nodded. "Ok."
"Thistlevine," Tawnystar called. "You can lead the patrol. Take Hollythorn and Sunspots with you as well."
Briarpaw, Amberpaw, and Ebonypaw watched as the four cats padded out of camp.
"Does Tanwystar really think that Swiftwing will be much use in a hunt right now?" Ebonypaw muttered.
"Probably not," Briarpaw meowed. "I'm sure he just wants to get him out of camp so that Mossfoot can work in peace. Honestly, he was even starting to get on my nerves a little bit."
"You can't blame him for being worried, though. She's been at it for a long time, and it seems like she's still got a ways ahead of her." Amberpaw paused, yawning. "It seems like things are calming down a little bit, maybe I can finally get some sleep." With a flick of her tail, she padded off towards her nest.
She turned back to Tawnystar to see him walking up to other groups of cats, giving instructions. Another patrol left camp with Squirrelleap at the lead, and Slatefrost and Frecklestorm grabbed balls of moss before setting out towards the stream.
Although some of the tasks he gave them were minute, and most didn't have to travel very far from camp, Briarpaw quickly found it much easier to breathe in the clearing. Without so many anxious cats around, it made it easier to stay calm.
She stretched her legs, which were stiff and sore from standing for so long. Lying down, she glanced towards the nursery. It seemed like Flickerflame had quieted down, at least for now.
Help the kits to come safely, Briarpaw thought as she felt her eyelids grow heavy with weariness.
…
Briarpaw snapped awake. I must've dozed off! How long was I asleep?
Scrambling to her paws, she glanced up. The sun had already risen and was creeping its way up the sky, although there was still a while until sunhigh. It had been a couple hours since she had fallen asleep, but she had thought she would've slept longer after staying up for most of the night.
What woke me?
Looking around, she saw most of the cats Tawnystar had sent out had returned. The clearing buzzed with an excited and nervous energy. Beyond it, she could hear a cat crying out.
Flickerflame's still in labor?
But something about her yowling seemed different- stronger, more alert. Quickly, she hurried over to the cats waiting in the clearing.
"What's happening?" she asked Tigerblossom.
"Flickerflame's kits are finally coming!"
"Wow! Is she doing ok?"
"From the sound of it, yeah, although we're making sure to keep our distance unless Mossfoot needs us."
Briarpaw kneaded her paws into the ground. Her fur was itching with nervous energy to do something, but she knew this was something that Flickerflame and Mossfoot would have to handle alone.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, Flickerflame's yowls faded away, and Mossfoot padded out of the den. Briarpaw was a little taken off guard at how rugged the she-cat looked. She looked like she could fall asleep on her paws, which was fair, seeing as she had been up all night and most of the previous day.
She knew she should let the medicine cat rest, but she was dying to know how Flickerflame and her kits were. Hurrying up to Mossfoot, she gasped, "Did it go ok? How are they?"
She smiled faintly. "They're very well. She gave birth to two strong, healthy kits, a tom and a she-kit."
"And Flickerflame?"
"She's exhausted, but otherwise healthy. Nothing a good rest can't fix."
"I can't wait to see them," Briarpaw purred. "I'll leave you be so you can go get some rest."
The she-cat nodded. "Thanks Briarpaw, I'll go do that now. Wake me if Flickerflame- or any cat- needs anything." She began to pad back to the medicine den, and Briarpaw started to head back to her nest, hoping she could get some sleep before she was sent on any patrols.
Suddenly, she heard a thrashing sound coming from above her and looked up to see Sunspots thrusting his way through the heather at the entrance of camp. He leaped down the side, nearly losing his footing as he skidded down the slope.
"Help!" he cried, his chest heaving.
Cats quickly got to their paws, fur bristling. Tawnystar hurried forward to meet the young warrior.
"Sunspots? What's happened?"
Sunspot's breathing came in jagged rasps. "Need… help… no time… to… explain…need to go… now!"
"Sunspots." The Clan leader meowed calmly. "Take a deep breath, then tell us what you need."
"Mossfoot! Moss… foot… need her, come quickly…"
The medicine cat hurried forward. "What is it, Sunspots? Is someone hurt?"
"Yes! Need to… go now!"
"Hang on! I can't help anyone without herbs. Can you tell me what happened, what kind of injury it is so that I know what to bring?"
"I don't… don't know!"
"What do you mean, you don't know? Sunspots, how am I supposed to help if-"
"It just… it just happened, ok? You… need to come… before… before it's too late!"
"Too late? Sunspots, what's going on?"
"He… he needs your help! The twolegs… they… they did something… and we have to hurry!"
Mossfoot's fur bristled. "Twolegs?"
Tawnystar sucked in his breath. "Sunspots… who is he? Who's hurt?"
The tom wailed. "It's Thistlevine! Something's happened to him, and he's dying!"