"Why isn't he suckling?" Sweettooth could only hear his mother's voice. His eyes were yet to welcome the nursery, RiverClan territory, the lake, and anything beyond, as he was only moments after being kitted.
"Mothwing," A worried voice called from the direction opposite to the queen's soft belly. "Mintkit isn't breathing."
Mintkit is my littermate, I heard my mother say his name. Why did he swallow water before leaving our mother's womb? It's probably why he can't breathe.
"He swallowed too much water." An unfamiliar voice meowed.
"Then get it out of him." Sweettooth's mother demanded.
"We can't," The voice responded in a deepened, compassionate voice. "He swallowed too much, Mintkit is dead."
Dead? How can he be dead? He was just born!
Sweettooth let out a wail, mourning for his deceased littermate. Sweettooth remembered how he wanted to explore the world he was born into with Mintkit.
I will always remember him! Mintkit is my littermate and I won't forget it!
Sweettooth's mind returned to the RiverClan camp and the fresh-kill pile, where Shelldawn was sitting next to him, trying to protect him from the blunt memory of his stillborn littermate.
"I'm sorry." RiverClan's medicine cat apologized embarrassedly. The gray tabby seemed as if she had more to say, but left her half eaten fish, trotting for the medicine den.
Brownstreaks and Darkfoot were now on Shelldawn's other flank, calming her down with gentle laps on her pelt. Shelldawn seemed more upset than Sweettooth was at the mention of his dead littermate. Sweettooth began covering Shelldawn's head with licks as well.
"Sweettooth," Sweettooth heard his mother's voice, jerking his attention away from calming his mate. Brackenfur and Gorsetail were both standing there with a sad, but comforting expression in their gaze. "Come with us, lets talk for a while."
Sweettooth turned his head back toward his mate's shivering body and caught Darkfoot's eyes. The pale-brown warrior gave Sweettooth a nod, reassuring him that his mate is being taken care of. I'll get some thyme for her. "Okay," Sweettooth answered his mother's request. "But let's get out of camp."
Brackenfur and Gorsetail gave Sweettooth a nod and followed him towards the stream he crossed earlier that day. After crossing with the use of the stepping stones, the three warriors padded silently alongside each other, waiting for Sweettooth to feel comfortable enough to talk.
"I'm glad I've had the chance to see him." Sweettooth broke the silence, ready to talk. "But it must have been tough for him, all of these moons as a ghost, not being able to join StarClan."
"I'm sure Dappletuft and Softpelt kept him safe during that time." Gorsetail reassured Sweettooth. "He seemed happy when Rootspring helped us see him."
Sweettooth and his parents resumed walking quietly, following Sweettooth toward the thyme patch he once gathered thyme leaves from. On their way, Sweettooth found a big leaf and picked it up for later use.
"Don't listen to what Willowshine tells you about being a medicine cat." The tortoiseshell she-cat meowed to Sweettooth. "If you want to take a mate and have kits you're free to do that. Willowshine will have an apprentice eventually, StarClan won't leave us without a medicine cat."
"I know I don't have to become a medicine cat," Sweettooth meowed through the big leaf in his mouth. "And I know it is a great honor and responsibility to be one, but I don't understand why would Willowshine even mention Mintkit's death? Is a littermate dying at kitting a bad sign?"
"I don't know," Brackenfur answered, sounding confused. "Maybe Mothwing , I do know that we are proud of you, you survived and became a wonderful cat."
Sweettooth located the patch through the weak sunlight that was quickly fading, and gently collected thyme leaves, putting them on the big sturdy leaf he carried. After Sweettooth gathered enough thyme leaves, he folded the bundle leaf to a close, picked it up, and headed back to camp with the fur on his flanks touching the fur of Brackenfur and Gorsetail, one of them on each side.
Sweettooth had barely started eating, after a long day during which he patrolled the far border, and was sent to hunt land prey for the next morning.
It was getting late in the day, the sun was already in the direction of the pine forest and Twolegplace, but Sweettooth couldn't see it behind the thick storm clouds covering the sky.
Shelldawn ate hurriedly and went to speak with Shimmerpelt before Sweettooth even got three morsels in. She ate like four different cats.
There weren't many warriors in the clearing. Sweettooth was sitting close to Icewing, and the clan deputy was looking at the leader's den. Willowshine had exited the den earlier and went inside her own. Though the medicine cat walked feebly, almost in a totter, she held a determined expression on her face.
Willowshine was now coming back out of her own den and headed towards Icewing and Sweettooth.
"Icewing," The gray tabby called to the clan deputy. "Would you please send a warrior to gather heather for me?"
"Of course." Icewing replied and turned to look at Sweettooth. "Sweettooth, you already know where heather grows right? You can go and do it."
"Yes Icewing," Sweettooth, still hungry, gave the white she-cat a nod and headed towards the stream that separated the camp from the WindClan border.
Willowshine is running through her heather stores very quickly. Sweettooth thought. Reedstar probably consumes a lot of strengthening herbs if he needs so much heather.
Sweettooth swam across the stream. Reaching the other side, Sweettooth trotted in the direction of the WindClan border. Not many steps into his trot, a bright bolt of lightning flashed through the sky, and a loud thunder followed it closely as it began to rain heavy downpour.
With his fur completely plastered to his skin, Sweettooth finally reached the heather patch he knew well. Raindrops hitting hard on his body, Sweettooth crouched to pick a few strands of heather, noticed a foul scent rising from the heather.
There's something wrong with it.
Suddenly a faint wail interrupted the rest of his thought, sprouting a new one. That sounded like a kit! And it came from the marshes, in this rain a kit would drown in the mud!
Sweettooth started running towards the marshes, even while knowing the dangers of being there in such weather. The downpour kept falling, battering Sweettooth's spine more than any cat ever had.
The ground beneath Sweettooth's paws became muddier with every heartbeat. Each step forward he took sent mud flying everywhere, covering Sweettooth's pelt up to his shoulders.
Sweettooth could not hear the cry for help he heard before. Between the rain hitting the ground and the splattering of paws and mud as Sweettooth kept running valiantly, every other sound was lost, as if drowned.
Suddenly, Sweettooth spotted a small lump through the darkness that hovered in the marshes. Getting closer to the small shape, Sweettooth recognized the ears of a cat, and realized a kit was buried in the mud.
Sweettooth got over to the kit and lowered his head to where the kit's scruff might be. Finally feeling fur and pelt, Sweettooth bit down gently, careful not to use his big tooth, and picked up the still lump.
Though it was still covered in mud, Sweettooth could recognize it was indeed a kit. With the rain still pouring, and dripping from Sweettooth's chest and neck fur, the mud plastered to the kit's fur was being washed away and Sweettooth could see the kit was a lithe tom, most of his fur was brown but he scored a patch of white fur like a cloud on his belly.
Except for a reoccurring shiver, the kit was completely limp. Sweettooth used his fore-paws to clear some mud away in order to make a small hole. Sweettooth stretched his fore-legs across the hole and gently laid the kit on them while still looming over the kit, protecting him from the rain. Sweettooth began lapping at the kit's fur the wrong way, warming him against the harsh chill of the heavy rain.
After many licks, the kit began to lightly writhe in place. Sweettooth decided to pick him back up, seeing the mud and water rise around him.
Taking another glance, Sweettooth could now see that all around him water was flowing vigorously above the mud. Sweettooth and the kit were stranded on an island of mud, with strong torrents blocking every way out.
Oh no! We're stuck here! Sweettooth's belly rumbled loudly, adding to his line of thought. We're stuck here and I'm starving!
With the kit in his jaws, Sweettooth was reminded of the entire day. How he traveled almost all the way to Twolegplace in order to refresh the border markers. How after he came back, he was sent hunting, and marched all the way back to camp with mice and voles fuming bloody taste into his jaws. And finally how he began eating and tasting the sweet taste of fish, only to be sent here.
The kit in Sweettooth jaws was now fidgeting more wildly, like a mouse trying to escape its hunter. Sweettooth's belly rumbled and his jaws began to clench, but then the kit suddenly began to meow.
"Applebreeze," The kit meowed rasped faintly with a cough, throwing out chunks of mud. "Why aren't we in the nursery?" Before Sweettooth could answer the question, the kit realized that he was wrong and bombarded Sweettooth with other questions. "What is all this mud? Who are you? Where is Applebreeze? Where am I?"
"Slow down," Sweettooth stopped the kit, meowing through a mouthful of kitten fluff. "You're in the RiverClan marshes, but you're safe now." Sweettooth took a pause to let the kit calm down and continued. "Are you feeling okay? Why did you come here?"
"I remember now," The kit answered in a determined tone. "I came here to find my father, Fluttercloud. Applebreeze, my mother, told us his trail disappeared in a catmint patch, and the scent of catmint wafted over in this direction. I wanted to find him but I got stuck in this mud." The kit took a pause before meowing gratefuly. "Thank you for saving me. I'm Rainkit, what is your name?"
"I'm Sweettooth." Sweettooth answered. "Are you from WindClan?"
"Yes," Rainkit meowed proudly. "It's the best clan! And I'm going to be the best warrior in it! I'll feed the clan and protect it from invaders!"
"Well, I wouldn't want to meet you in a battle." Sweettooth meowed, trying to keep the kit's spirit up, and continued to try and remind Rainkit of good thoughts. "Do you have littermates?"
"There are Wheatkit, Eaglekit, and Flightkit. I'm the biggest. Applebreeze always tells me I look the most like Fluttercloud. Did you know him?"
"No, I'm sorry, I'm not very good with names, I often forget them so I don't remember cats by their name. What can you tell me about him?"
"He looked like I do, he was the bravest warrior ever, he loved Applebreeze very much, and he disappeared the night of the half moon, more than a moon ago. I didn't get to meet him because I was born only a few sunrises later.
"The night of the half moon over a moon ago? I was hunting close to here and I did scent catmint even though none grows here."
"You smelled catmint? Then you might have seen him! Sweettooth did you see Fluttercloud? What did he do? Did you fight?"
"I don't think he was here, why would a WindClan cat be on RiverClan territory?"
"I guess you're right." Rainkit finished with a sigh, which turned to a deep yawn. "It's already dark, good night Sweettooth."
Rainkit fell asleep in Sweettooth's jaws as heavy rain thrummed, hiding the ongoing rumbling of Sweettooth's stomach.
Sweettooth was reminded of his starving, of his deprivation from prey earlier in the day. Sweettooth could already taste meat in his mouth.
The rain eased, dispersing the torrential water surrounding the muddy island.
Sweettooth could now cross the completely soaked mud towards his own camp. It was dark and the RiverClan camp was much closer than that of WindClan, leading Sweettooth to decide to go there.
Sweettooth's neck became sore after carrying Rainkit for such a long time. Sweettooth's paws were still hiding mud in the spaces between their toes as Sweettooth reached the stream that separated him from his camp.
It was still raining lightly but Sweettooth could see the form of a cat sitting on the other bank. Sweettooth could recognize the shape even if he was blind, It was Shelldawn.
Sweettooth forgot about the pain of his neck. Careful not to drop Rainkit into the flowing water, Sweettooth swiftly crossed the wet stepping-stones and reached the other side where his mate began covering him with affectionate licks.
"Where have you been?" Shelldawn paused her licking to question Sweettooth. "Why did you take so long? Who is this kit?" Shelldawn gave her mate another lick and then continued to meow in a sad, but relieved tone. "I was worried about you."
"I'm fine," Sweettooth meowed after gently laying the kit and huddling closer to the silver tabby standing in front of him, proceeding to cuddle her. "I found Rainkit in the marshes and I saved him. Sorry for keeping you worried." Sweettooth felt puzzled, though it was as if he already knew the answer. "I know there was heavy rain but you're never worried about me, you always know I'm coming back."
"It wasn't just you I was worried about." Shelldawn answered Sweettooth with happiness overflowing from her gaze. "Sweettooth, I'm expecting your kits."