Chapter Twenty-six: Meaning
"Watch this!" Scarletkit mewed, racing at her mother. "See?" She cried, stretching her claws out to the full length.
A pang shot through Dreamcloud's heart. Like her own, Scarletkit's claws were long, especially for a two moon old kit. Yes, amazingly, two moons had passed, and all three kits were fine.
"Yes," She said, mustering up a purr. "Your claws are lovely, Scarletkit."
Her daughter, looking proud, strode off. Dreamcloud's stomach churned as she watched her kits mewing and rolling around. That dream still echoed in her mind.
"They're growing fast," Robinpelt commented, sitting down beside her.
"Er, yes," Dreamcloud replied, unable to disguise the surprise in her voice. "I guess they are." She paused for a moment, before finally blurting out, "What are you doing here?"
Robinpelt beckoned for her to follow him behind the nursery.
"I figure that, since I'm the kits surrogate father, I might as well act like one," The tom explained. Dreamcloud was silent, and he narrowed his eyes. "You are going to tell them I'm their father, right?"
The ginger queen finally nodded. "I will," She sighed. It was the logical thing to do. And yet, a part of her had secretly yearned to tell the kits the truth when they were older, maybe when they were apprentices.
"Let me introduce you properly to them," Dreamcloud murmured, padding toward where the kits played. Robinpelt followed eagerly.
"Birdkit, Rockkit, Scarletkit," She called softly. "I want you to meet a very important cat."
Warmth spread over Robinpelt at her words. If he forgot about Windstar, then he could call the kits his own easily!
"Who's he?" Rockkit asked curiously.
"I remember him!" Birdkit mewed excitedly. "He visited us in the nursery a long time ago..."
Dreamcloud's heart began to pound furiously. The kits remembered a visit when they were only half a moon old? What if... what if they remembered that time they saw their real father? Luckily, none seemed to show any signs they did.
"I did," Robinpelt said gently, amber eyes glowing. But not as brightly as Windstar's had. The kits had visited him two times after the first, but it had been a while since they had.
"This is Robinpelt," Dreamcloud meowed, paused, then started again. "Your father."
All three kits' eyes went wide, but for some reason, Scarletkit's narrowed, and she padded delicately up to the tom and sniffed him carefully.
"He doesn't look like us," She commented. "Doesn't smell like us either."
The two older cats exchanged worried glances. This wasn't supposed to be happening.
"A cat doesn't have to look or smell like you to be kin," Dreamcloud murmured, giving Scarletkit a quick lick. The kit was silent for a moment, then shrugged, scampering off, her siblings following.
"Er," Robinpelt muttered, averting his eyes from Dreamcloud as he spoke. "Can I talk to you?"
"Sure," She purred. "After all this, any time."
The tom glanced toward the kits and Whiteleaf nearby. "Privately?"
A sick feeling came to her stomach. "Oh... sure."
xxx
"Of course," Windstar hissed. "It'd be just like him to pounce on her when I'm not around."
"All they were doing was taking a walk," Swift sighed. "She's been in the nursery for two moons. Dreamcloud will want to take a walk."
Blizzard resisted rolling his eyes. Yesterday, he and Swift had happened upon Dreamcloud taking a walk with Robinpelt. They had casually mentioned this to Windstar, and after some interrogation, the leader had figured out which tom it was.
And he was not happy.
"He's been head over paws for her since she was an apprentice!" Windstar spat, unsheathing his claws and flexing them dangerously. His green eyes were flashing with jealousy. "If you knew Robinpelt, you'd worry."
Blizzard shook his head, creamy ruff becoming a mane in the wind. Swift shot a conspiuous glance at him then looked down at her paws, embarrassed. This would be very awkward if he saw her the next time she stared...
"Oh," She teased. "You're just being jealous."
"Am not," Her friend growled.
"Are too."
"Not."
"Too."
"Not, not, no-"
"WILL YOU TWO PLEASE STOP ACTING LIKE PUPS?" Blizzard finally howled. Both Swift and Windstar blinked.
"I believe the phrase for us cats would be 'kits'," Windstar finally said. He was getting used to Blizzard(who could now speak heavily accented cat), but still corrected him when he mistook a word.
Blizzard simply glared.
"We all in this den seem to have issues," He finally growled. "You," He nodded toward Windstar. "Are basically breaking a law."
Windstar shrugged. He really was getting used to it.
"What about you and Swift?" He asked, his voice full of implications.
"We have... other problems," Swift growled.
"Such as?" The white tom pressed. Swift and Blizzard exchanged nervous glances.
"We'll tell you later."
xxx
Time was passing slowly for Calicofur. It seemed like she had been waiting for an eternity for Spiderleg to arrive.
That's when she heard a low voice. "You know, you really shouldn't be hanging around him anymore."
Quickly, Calicofur spun on her paws to find none other than Yellowfang watching her. She narrowed her blue eyes.
"I love Spiderleg," She declared. "I won't give up on him."
"But what if your heart gets broken?" Yellowfang asked.
Calicofur was silent for a moment. "Then let it be broken," She finally hissed. "At least I'll know I loved him, and he loved me."
The medicine cat stared at her for a long time, then began to fade away, a sad look on her face.
"I wonder what's taking him so long!" Calicofur sighed, beginning to pace. Right at that moment, a gray tom cat stalked into view.
"Calicofur?"
She looked up. "Yes, Rainwhisker?"
The tom's blue eyes were sad. "I know you were good friends with Spiderleg..."
Oh no. Calicofur's heart began to beat quicker than usual.
"He was hunting with me when he... slipped into the lake," Rainwhisker sighed. "I'm sorry. We were kind of on a rocky overhang, and he was after a bird, when his paws got wet, and..."
He gently placed a scrap of black fur at her paws. It was wet, but still held that scent she knew and loved.
"I tried going after him... but it was too late. All I got was this bit of fur."
"No," Calicofur whispered. "It can't be." It couldn't be! First Leafpool, now this?
"I can see you need time to grieve," Rainwhisker assured her, and slowly backed into the shadows. Once he was gone, Calicofur simply lay down, taking the scrap of fur and rhythmically licking it, muttering, "It can't be... no... it can't be..." over and over again.
(AN: Told you this chap would have action!)
xxx
Dreamcloud sat down, curling her tail over her paws, waiting for Robinpelt to spit whatever it was out. The tabby tom licked one white paw nervously, took a deep breath, and looked into her eyes.
"I love you, Dreamcloud."
She stiffened. Not this again. Didn't he get the picture the first time?
"I'm sorry," She began. "But-"
"Listen to me," Robinpelt begged. "I must love you if I'm trying again!"
"It doesn't matter if you love me or not," Dreamcloud mewed gently. "I don't love you."
Robinpelt gazed into her eyes. "Don't you?" He growled. Dreamcloud's eyes widened, and she looked down; but little did the tom know she was slowly sheathing and unsheathing her claws.
"I don't," She hissed. "I love-"
"Windstar!" Robinpelt spat. "He hasn't seen you for a while, and he's ShadowClan's leader! You... you don't know what you're getting yourself into."
"I've known ever since I first fell in love with him moons ago," Dreamcloud insisted. "And that's the thing. I love him enough to cross boundaries like this."
"Fine," Robinpelt snarled. "If you don't care... what if you had another litter of kits? What about them? Because I wouldn't pretend to be their father, Dreamcloud. Who would? Fatherless kits... that's sad."
xxx
Windstar watched as his friend walked through the camp towards him, Blizzard at her side. Something was different about the way Swift moved. She was careful, as if subconciously worrying about something.
It seemed strangely familiar.
Dreamcloud winced as she stepped carefully towards him.
"What's wrong?" Windstar asked.
"Nothing," She sighed, casting a glance at her well-muscled stomach. "I'm just... I don't know, really. Just extra careful."
"I've got to be wrong," Windstar muttered to himself. "I would notice something like them... together... wouldn't I?"
Then again, he wasn't really into others' affairs. It was really kind of awkward, and he had a love life that would probably kill most, so-
In other words, no, he WOULDN'T notice something like that, would he?
"I'm an idiot," He hissed to himself.
"We just thought you should know something," Blizzard's voice woke him from his mental coma.
"Yes?"
Windstar was afraid he knew what would come out of Swift's mouth. The wolf-dog took in a deep breath, and said:
"I'm having pups!"
xxx
Hah. How's that for a nice, interesting, non-slow chapter? I think I may actually have Windstar kick a few cats' butts next chapter. And despite her queen-ly status, Dreamcloud as well, since it's a hobby of hers...