Epilogue
WillowClan/Hawksight
Agonized purrs reverberated beneath her dark brown paws. Her chest vibrating from it's intensity as a spasm of muscles rolled beneath her sensitive pads. The queen beneath her paws dug her claws into her nest, flanks heaving with each effort as the pain filled the warm den. Sharp fangs glinting in the lowlight of the moonlit sky high above the willow and birch trees. The queen's tail curled, arcing over her back as a pain filled growl erupted into the disturbed night. Hawksight's green eyes sparkled with joy as, at last, after an age seeming to pass, the head of a kit was appearing, slick in it's filmy membrane. Specklesnow was crouched beside the struggling queen with water-soaked moss. Her yellow eyes brightening as they shared a glance of relief; the kits were coming after the tedious and painful wait.
"Alright, Lioinriver, next contraction, push with everything you got!" Hawksight rallied her closest friend.
The reddish-brown she-cat purred furiously in agony, her paws twisting to pull the nest ever closer to her chest. The branch in her jaws creaking and splintering from the effort. Just as quickly as the head had so much as peeked out, it slid out with the powerful push, slithering onto the den floor. Hawksight worked fast, leaning down to nip open the thin membrane to free the kit. Soon, the dark tortoiseshell who was assisting in cleaning the kits as they were kitted, had swooped in, picking up the silent bundle to her clear spot to remove all of the membrane and lick the kit cleanly with an expert's rough tongue. Hawksight ignored her, feeling the flank of her patient, the contractions were still going; a sign that another kit was coming.
"We have a tom!" Rat-tail announced as the tom-kit began to mewl and cry out for his mother's warmth and milk.
"That's great!" Specklesnow purred encouragingly, looking to Lionriver. "You are doing brilliantly."
Lionriver was panting, the nest was a mess as she struggled to her paws. Hawksight gently held her down. "It's alright," she told her friend. "I'll check on him and bring him to your belly. Just go on your side like before."
Winded and exhausted, she nodded and moved to get more comfortable, lapping up some water. With the first-time queen resting, she turned her attention to the squealing newborn tom-kit. His fur was a mirror image of his mother, a reddish-brown color. A purr of pride filled her, he looked and smelled like a healthy newborn kit. With a nod, she picked up the kit gently in her jaws and placed him in the curve of his mother's slowly sunken in belly. There was at least one or two more kits inside Lionriver and she was going to make sure it was all over before letting the new mother rest. The kit wriggled, burying his face in the unfamiliar belly fur of his mother until he found a teat and began to suckle eagerly. His tiny paws kneading against his mother's soft fur while the same ripples of pain made Lionriver grunt with pain.
"Rat-tail be prepared, the next kit is coming." Hawksight ordered, placing her paw on her friend's flank, her green eyes trained on where the kit would be exiting.
Lionriver scrabbled with her hindlegs, making the medicine cat have to block her back paws from hurting her own first-born kit. Worry filled her as time seemed to stand still. The struggles never seeming to end, until finally the kit's head appeared and slithered out without much more help. The rolling muscles seemed to slow and begin to stop. The first-time queen panting heavily as she seemed to melt into her nest. She was most likely very sore and tired, but their duty was not over. Hawksight freed the kit from it's sac, the membrane thinner than a leaf, was easy for her teeth to slice through. She passed the kit on to Rat-tail who began to clean them up with quick even strokes of her tongue. Her hairless tail twitching in excitement as the kit was finished being cleaned up. Every last trace of the membrane was gone and with it a ruffled kit was mewling, practically wailing for their mother.
"A she-cat! We have a beautiful she-cat to match a beautiful tom!" She cheered, her mew gentle and soft despite the excitement.
Swiftly, she gave the tiny she-kit a sniff and a good prodding. She was healthy, so she knew it was going to be all fine for the little one. Warmth and love filled her heart. Hawksight could never have kits of her own, but she loved the kits she delivered all the same. Gently, she picked the kit up with her teeth and placed her beside her brother. She was more vocal then the tom-kit was, her muzzle being shoved into nothing but belly fur until she found the teat all on her own and just suckled with soft growls and grunts. Clearly having her mother's temper with an empty belly.
"Congratulations." Hawksight breathed as Lionriver looked to the kits at her belly. "You have a son and a daughter to love and care for a lifetime."
"Thank you." Lionriver whispered deliriously. "I couldn't have done it without any of you."
"Hush now." Specklesnow scolded gently. "She-cats have been kitting for as long as any cat can remember."
"Exactly." Rat-tail chimed in. "Even if we weren't here, you would have still known what you have to do to bring them into the world."
"I know, I know." Lionriver looked to them, her gaze even as she looked them each over. "I just don't know how I would have had the energy to clean them up and get them to my belly is all."
"From my experience," the dark tortoiseshell warrior purred warmly, "You'll find a way."
Hawksight looked to the other she-cats and meowed. "It's time we get some rest and let the father know his kits have been born."
"I'll let him know." Rat-tail offered.
"I'll remove the dirtied moss." Specklesnow meowed as she padded over to gather it.
Hawksight nodded, looking back to the two kits, her heart feeling so warm in her chest. The she-kit was a bright ginger she-cat, just like her father. Lionriver was taking long, deep breaths to calm herself back down. Her eyes glimmering with uncertainty. Clearly asking if she was even ready to be a mother. However, the dark brown tabby she-cat could see the sparkling dark ginger pelt of Finch. The old river-cat looking longing over her daughter, but a flicker of sorrow was in her yellow eyes. Finch blinked slowly as her eyes met Hawksight's, her jaws parted and she began to speak, as she did so a small glistening flicker of red seemed to appear.
"One of these kits will change everything we have ever known." Finch had meowed. "They will follow the red silk and as they do the stars will question them. This is something that cannot be avoided. Something that WillowClan and BushClan must learn from and learn to handle it properly before the red silk snaps."
Hawksight opened her jaws to speak, only to find that the nursery was replaced by somewhere beside the river. Shadowed figures sat there beneath the stars, hiding in the brush. One was much bigger than the other, red silk glistened in every branch creating a spiderweb that billowed in the breeze. Strands of the red silk dangled and rippled through the air like water. The silk was breaking ever so slowly until, one of the figures stood up and left the brush. The shadow-cat was entangled with the red silk, at their paws were smaller shadows of kits that were possibly a half-moon old or less. The vision was very clear to Hawksight in what it was telling her, but she had no idea which of the cats the kits belonged to. Everything that could help her identify them was gone. No eye color, no pelt color, nothing for her to solve the mystery before her.
Finch's meow reached her mind, echoing to make sure it was driven in like a pesky thorn in her pad. "When the wings are entangled in the red silk, it shall make a wish that may or may not end in misery."
.
BushClan/Icepath
Dawn was approaching when her friend from when she was a warrior apprentice began her kitting. Luckily, Icepath was not alone; it was not her first kitting to handle, but she still appreciated the help and support of her Clan-mates. Minteye was there, running her tail over Tumbleheart while whispering gentle encouragement; as well as Poppyclaw supervising her. This was much more tricky than when Bubbleswoop, Cindermoon, and Birdwater were kitted. Back then she had a better ability to see, but now her frosty indigo eyes couldn't see much more than shadows when there was light. Narrowing her eyes in concentration, she felt the rapid movement of muscle beneath her friend's pelt. The kits were coming and she hoped the young warrior was strong enough to deliver them. In all of her assessments of the she-cat's two moon holding of the kits, she had grown far beyond plump. She was so heavy with kits that it was difficult for Icepath to make heads or tails of how many were wriggling and kicking within her.
Even now, the kits were not kicking, almost as though they were aware that their time has come. A warm scent bathed her tongue as she parted her jaws, it mixed with the warm scent of milk and was a familiar one. The first kit was slithering out. Beneath the growling grunts of the new mother, a soft rustle of moss and ferns alerted her of the kit. Across the nursery, Jaggedcloud was blocking her three moon-old kits from the sight. Their curious paws pattering around ever since Tumbleheart had felt the first wave of constricting muscles. Minteye tapped her tail to the den floor, silencing the kits that way from a distance. She continued her whispers, clearly keeping Tumbleheart's attention away from whatever kitting must feel like.
Icepath nipped the slimey sac open, freeing the kit within it. She gave it as many rough licks as she could muster. The first kit let out a pitiul mewl, wriggling as though knowing she was not it's mother. Beside her she heard Poppyclaw's emotional mew chime in, loud enough for everyone in the den to hear. "It's a she-kit. Healthy and fiesty."
Swiftly, she placed the kit at Tumbleheart's belly, just in time for another to slither out and keep her busy. She worked quickly with them as well, making sure they wer ebreathing and mewling for their mother before letting Poppyclaw do another announcement. "We have a tom-kit now." His mew was growing more and more excited, just as much as Icepath wished she could feel. With the anxiety churning in her belly, she had to hope that there was no dead kits in the litter. She placed the tom-kit with his sister. The next one came out just as swiftly, then another. Icepath felt her mind whirling as she cleaned up each one, the announcements Poppyclaw gave sounding like a faint buzz in the back of her mind.
Until, at last, Tumbleheart stopped kitting. Poppyclaw had moved closer to Tumbleheart, his fur brushing hers for only a moment before he slipped out of the den in a rustle of leaves and branches. Minteye purred happily, her tongue rasping over Tumbleheart's tired ears as the sound of contented, suckling kits filled the silence. Jaggedcloud had been silent, her kits mewing softly to her, asking her questions, most likely about what had just happened. Icepath felt worn out, but she knew it was not to the extent of her close friend. Their paths may have diverted from one another, but StarClan had found ways for them to meet back up it had seemed. With a soft sigh, she left the den, knowing Minteye would make sure the new mother would eat her herbs to keep her kits healthy.
As she left the shadows of the den, the light of the morning sun allowed her to see the murky shadows of cats in her darkness. Close by, she could hear Poppyclaw congratulating the new father, Rubyflower; as well as praising Pigeonstream for having a capable daughter as a medicine cat. He gave a full report and, as she listened, she finally learned how many her friend actually had. "Tumbleheart has two healthy she-kits and three healthy tom-kits. You both will be having your paws full." He meowed proudly.
Rubyflower's mew sounded both excited and afraid. "I knew I was keeping her well-fed, but I didn't think she was that well fed."
"StarClan certainly shone their light upon her." Poppyclaw went on, catching the other cats attention as their murmuring was silenced. "Leaftail, her mother, had three kits, but Tumbleheart was the only one who survived. The other two had been kitted dead. I don't know what the term for it is, but they just did not make it for some reason."
"I guess Tumbleheart is special in the eyes of StarClan?" Rubyflower meowed, although it sounded more like a question.
It seems that way. Icepath mused as she made her way back to her den. But perhaps the stress of how BushClan was under threat at all times when Tumbleheart was kitted is the reason why they did not survive. Although, I suppose no one would want to think of it like that.
She blinked slowly as she padded away, her darkness was normal, but something was making her fur rise along her spine and shoulders. Quickly, she made it into her den, but the usual darkness she was used to had vanished. All she could see was a brightly colored spider that created a silk that looked to be made of pure blood. It glistened and twinkled in some unknown light as the spider lowered itself. It's eight legs were outstretched, as though it was standing it's ground. It drifted further and further down until it seemed to stop. The thread from it's rear glowed red, igniting all along the silk, spreading far and wide all around her, encasing her den within it's eerie light.
She stood frozen in horror as the spider touched the floor of her den and scuttled away into her herb storage. Her paws felt rooted to the spot, but she forced them to move. Her heart pounding as she stumbled and found her storage. The brightly colored spider was glowing on it's own like a distant star in the far back of her den. It was behind the rosemary that Jasminepetal had given her to store in case they could be used for healing. If she recalled correctly, it was in a Twoleg's garden that he plucked it from while gathering herbs with Poppyclaw for her when the sun was a bit stronger then usual. She reached for it, just as her paw was about to slam on the intruding spider, it vanished along with her ability to see.
Icepath was still in the storage area of her den, she blinked, confused for a heartbeat before realizing what had truly happened. She had been so tired, she did not even question her darkness having been "healed" for a few heartbeats. Carefully, she backed out of her storage, thinking over the things she had seen. It puzzled her, making her even more positive it was an omen of some kind. She sat back on her haunches, thinking as hard as her tired body could allow. It was a brightly colored spider, it was a color she had never seen before; it reminded her of orange, but it seemed closer to cream while not being quite it. Her tail thumped beside her, making the ground tremble slightly around her paws.
A color I have never seen before, blood-red spider silk, and rosemary. She thought, rising to her paws again to take a nap in her nest. Such a strange combination of things. I wonder what importance they have and whether this omen is part of some cat in particular? Perhaps I should speak to Hawksight about it when we meet next half-moon. A yawn escaped her as she stretched and curled up in her nest. For now, I'll do what I can to uncover what it could possibly mean and if any more visions or signs happen as I do.
Author Note:
That's it, this is the ending that gives way to the next story I am going to write to take place after this one.
As a reminder: Next story will be 3k words at least and I will be really trying to write the best I can for it!
It will also be a seat by the pants kind of thing because I can't fully brainstorm.
I know where I want it to go, but not how it ends.
That is all, now if you excuse me, I have to begin writing and deciding when the next story will begin updating. Once I know, I will put it on my bio about it and when it will start.
Until then, thank you so much for reading/reviewing/critiquing;
Have a fantastic morning/day/evening/night. If it's not, I hope that it will be soon for you. -NightSky
Sites I Used Throughout the Story:
"warrior cats. com moonpool" to make yes or no questions for which cats will survive/be deputy or medicine cat. Anything positive is a yes, while anything negative is a no.
"random. org" with a number between 0 and 6 for how many kits a pair of mates will have.
"perchance. org kitten - generator" to make genetically accurate kits for said pair of mates.
"a paw in each world. com Untold Legacy" to keep track of mates, cats who died, and how old they are.
