Rising Moon
Jedi Goat
Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors.
Author's Note: Which kits do you mean, rainstorm007?
Chapter 2
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A week later, the two kits opened their eyes for the first time. They wandered around the den, eyes wide as they took everything in, forgetting their sickness for a few moments. Dawnkit bumped into Cinderkit, giggled slightly, and pretended to stalk her. Cinderkit mewed happily and twisted around in her nest to watch Dawnkit with her huge blue eyes.
Meanwhile, Moonkit padded around the edges of the den, sticking her nose in all the cracks and crevices, overwhelmed with the smell of herbs.
"Moonkit! Look outside!" Dawnkit squealed, skipping outside, the curtain of ferns brushing over her fur as she exited the den.
Moonkit and Cinderkit followed more slowly. The black she-cat's green eyes stretched wide at the white plain that rose to meet her. "Wow! What is it?"
Dawnkit danced farther out, her paws sinking into the white stuff. "I dunno! But look! It comes from the sky!" She raised her head and stuck out a tiny pink tongue, trying to catch one of the white flakes. One of them landed on her nose and she squeaked excitedly, trying to lick it off. In a moment the flake melted away and Dawnkit stuck out her tongue again.
Moonkit tilted her head back. "They're so pretty!" she breathed, watching the white stuff fall like teardrops from the heavens.
"Kits!" Leafpool stepped out of her den, quickly sweeping them up with her tail. "Stay inside," she scolded gently. "We don't want you to catch cold."
"But the white stuff!" persisted Dawnkit. "What is it?"
"Snow," the medicine cat explained as she settled them back into their grassy nests. "It's like frozen water."
"Really?" The gray cat's eyes - as green as her sister's - had gone wide. "Does it taste like water?"
Leafpool laughed. "Well, yes. And when newleaf comes, the snow melts into water."
"That's a lot of water," Moonkit interjected, casting a last glance back outside at the amazing snow.
"Yes," purred Leafpool. "Yes, it is. Now why don't you kits get some rest, so that you'll get better."
"Okay," Moonkit mumbled sleepily, before closing her eyes and curling up next to her sister.
After leaf-bare's first snowfall, the weather only continued to worsen, and the temperature declined until a cat would get icicles growing on their whiskers after only a few minutes out in the cold. It was the hardest leaf-bare ThunderClan had endured in many moons; there was barely enough prey to keep them going.
Leafpool had moved the kits farther into her den, and they lived rather quietly in the dark cavern. The kits' gamboling adventures had been discontinued, as it was too cold for them to play. Cinderkit's whitecough was acting up again, and Dawnkit's own sickness was worsening. Moonkit had a rough cough, too, and Leafpool insisted that they rest to keep their strength up. However, Moonkit lay awake for hours, listening to the other kits' soft breathing and the murmurs coming from Leafpool in the front of her den, conversing with other cats in low voices.
She didn't understand all of the grave messages that came during that cold, dark leaf-bare, but she knew from the medicine cat's tone that they couldn't be good.
"Firestar's got whitecough. I sent Birchpaw out to get some catnip. He should be back before dusk."
"Great StarClan, I hope so. If he doesn't…" Sandstorm trailed off, her voice wavering.
"He will," Leafpool assured her gently.
The next day, a pale ginger she-cat was brought in to Leafpool's den. Her name was Goldenflower, Leafpool had said. She was sick too. A mother in her day, Goldenflower was a kind, gentle friend for the sickly young cats. The kits huddled up next to the old she-cat that night, glad for the extra warmth.
The next morning, Goldenflower was gone. Although Dawnkit bugged Leafpool all day, the medicine cat wouldn't tell her where she had gone. But Moonkit saw the grief in Leafpool's eyes, and she had a sneaking suspicion that something really bad had happened to her.
The next night, Moonkit heard Sandstorm visiting Leafpool again. She coughed softly in the dark, and then listened to the she-cats' worried voices.
"This leaf-bare has already claimed an elder and one of Firestar's lives," Sandstorm sighed tiredly. "The clan can't take it much longer. Leafpool, have you heard anything from StarClan?"
For a moment, there was silence. Herbs rustled as Leafpool sorted through them methodically. "No," she said finally. "Tomorrow's the half-moon. I should head to the Moonpool, but…the clan needs me here."
"You're right," Sandstorm mewed quietly. "We can't let any more cats get sick. Firestar and Goldenflower might've passed around greencough, and we'll need you here if that's so."
Leafpool sighed. "And if StarClan has an important message for me, well…they'll know where to find me."
"They'll understand," Sandstorm murmured comfortingly.
A few mornings later Moonkit awoke, yawning widely. She stood and padded to the entrance of the den to peek out. The snow lay like a shroud, shimmering and sparkling in the sunlight.
Moonkit gasped, her breath coming out in a misty puff. For once, the air seemed almost warm in the strengthening sunlight. Maybe newleaf is coming, like Leafpool said!
Excited, she bounded back over to her sister and Cinderkit. Both were still fast asleep.
"Dawnkit! Dawnkit!" she exclaimed, prodding the gray she-cat. "You gotta see this!"
Dawnkit didn't budge. "Come on, you sleepyhead!" she teased, "Get up!" Moonkit gave her a little shove; Dawnkit still didn't move.
"Dawnkit?" Now Moonkit was getting worried.
"What's going on?" yawned Leafpool, padding over to her.
"Dawnkit won't wake up," she explained, bright green eyes confused.
Leafpool visibly swallowed. She poked the unmoving she-cat, then sniffed her cautiously. Frowning, she drew back, wrapping her tail around Moonkit and pulling her back into the main den.
"Moonkit," she began slowly, making sure the young kit would understand. "Dawnkit is dead."
"Dead? But why?" Moonkit's small voice rose to a wail and Leafpool covered her mouth with her tail.
"Shh," she murmured comfortingly. "She's gone to a better place. She hunts with StarClan now."
Moonkit blinked back tears. "But…she promised to play with me when newleaf came! She promised!"
"I know," whispered Leafpool, struggling for the right words to soothe the upset kit. "There's nothing you can do, Moonkit. She's watching over you."
Moonkit sniffled; Leafpool licked her head. "Come on," she meowed, "you're well enough to join the other kits in the nursery."
"And Cinderkit?" she asked in a small voice. "Will she come, too?"
"Soon." Cinderkit's condition had been steadily improving over the last few days.
Leafpool padded to the entrance and waited; Moonkit followed more slowly, and the medicine cat picked her up and plowed out into the snow. Moonkit felt the snow brush against her tail, feathery soft and wet.
Then they were squeezing inside a bush, and Moonkit blinked in the dim, warm interior. She could see the outlines of two she-cats lying in the gloom, and she caught scent of something…
Kits!
She wiggled free of Leafpool's grip and approached the she-cat with kits. Two small kittens - one dark brown, one bracken-colored - curled up in the curve of their mother's tummy.
Moonkit purred, happy to meet new kits, forgetting her mourning for a moment.
Leafpool padded up behind her. "This is Moonkit, the kit Firestar asked you to adopt," she told the mother she-cat. To Moonkit, she added, "This is Sorreltail, and back there is Brightheart."
The white-and-ginger pregnant she-cat flicked her tail at Moonkit in welcome. Sorreltail, the tortoiseshell, looked up at her sleepily. "Hello." She nudged her two kits to the side to make more room. "Come here, Moonkit."
Moonkit snuggled up against her. I have a mother! she thought excitedly. Sadness suddenly gripped her belly. If only Dawnkit could've been here, too.
Somewhere up in the sky, a starry gray kit smiled.
To be continued...
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