"I-I don't know Violet Dawn," Dawn muttered, staring down at her three children. Their eyes had just begun opening, both Cream Fur and Hawk Wing had her blue eyes but Lightning Storm seemed to inherit Harvey's green eyes. Although she swept her misgivings away as she told herself that he was her son, and that he would take after her and be the best cat there ever lived regardless of who the biological father was.
"You can't stay here, you're not safe!" Milkweed interrupted, coming to roll Lightning Storm off of Cream Fur who was squealing as he squished her with his weight.
"I agree with Milkweed, you have to be looking out for yourself and your kits, you'll be safe with us, and you don't even have to stay for good just until you get your strength back." Violet Dawn added in. almost senesce Dawn's hesitation.
"Maybe…for a while…" Dawn muffled a sound of amusement in seeing Violet Dawn and Milkweed's eyes shine with triumph as they realized they got her to agree to come. Dawn struggled to her paws, her joints aching in refusals but forcing to walk on them anyway. She leaned down to sink her teeth gently into Hawk Wing's scruff, holding him steady as he squirmed for a bit as he adjusted to this new arrangement.
"Put me down! You're pinching my fur!" He squealed, small paws flailing around. Dawn purred around the mouthful of fur at her son's antics, she looked forwards watching as Milkweed attempted to pick up Cream Fur who kept squirming out of her grasp; Until Dawn gave her a fixed look. Cream Fur instantly straightened up and allowed Milkweed to pick her up, although she didn't look to happy about it.
Violet Dawn had no trouble picking Lightning Storm up, he was calmer and collected then his siblings, yet at times he could be the most reckless as well. Dawn followed after the two she-cats that carried her kits, she kept an eye out for danger as she padded close behind the others.
They make there way slowly to Thunder Clan, and as they drew near her stomach twisted in on itself thinking about what all the other clan cats might think about her and her kits joining them for a while.
They came to a ravine which alarmed her slighting at the ledges they had to maneuver down. Her spine prickled up as they came to the edge of a clearing, two young kits played alongside each other. Or what looked like to be playing, one was a ginger-and-white she-cat, and the other a ginger tom. They both perked up when they seen their arrival.
They began to scamper up but with a wave of Milkweed's tail they halted, looking slightly disappointed, but Dawn couldn't feel more then relieved. Her fur was still prickled however when she passed a few more cats, like a gray tom with amber eyes. and a black-and-white tom with amber eyes that called out to Milkweed but didn't get in their way.
Dawn followed them into a thick bramble bush, surrounded by hazel branches. It was insolated and kept out any drafts, and it was very spacious big enough for Dawn and her kits and maybe even a few extra.
"There!" Violet Dawn purred, dropping Lighting Storm onto a bed of moss in the center of the bush, or den as they others called it. "This will keep you safe and secure!" Milkweed dropped Cream Fur down beside Lighting Storm who quickly tackled her.
"Thank you both, this is very kind of you." Dawn replied, sitting Hawk Wing down who instantly shot off to jump on top of Lighting Storm squealing. "I'll save you Cream Fur"
"It's our pleasure; Lighting Tail has been trying to get you here for a while now!" Dawn whirled around just as Violet Dawn purred out "Thunder!"
"I see you finally decided to take us up on that offer?" Thunder said hopefully, while Dawn shuffled over towards her kits, uncertainty prickling her pelt.
"Maybe…i—" Before Dawn could stutter out something stupid or confusing Violet Dawn came to her rescue. "She's tired right now Thunder; let the poor girl get some sleep!" Violet Dawn shooed Thunder out, who looked beyond confused but went so with somewhat of an understanding.
"You rest alright? If you need anything don't hesitate to ask, we're glade to have you here!" Milkweed told her as she left the den.
"Thanks again!" Dawn called after her, letting her tail drop with a defeated sigh. She glanced at her kits; they seemed to be piled in a heap of fur. Dawn gave a tired sound of amusement and love as she curled around them watching them as they breathed and dreamed of whatever they did. And just as she thought about closing her eyes to get that rest Violet Dawn was talking about, she was tackled by a black blur that came through the narrow entrance.
Dawn's claws popped out ready for defense, she was meet not by an enemy. But a very anxious Lightening Tail who's green eyes lit up at seeing the sleeping pile.
"I thought something might have happened to you while I was out hunting a rabbit," He whispered, his eyes never wavering from the sleeping bodies of the children. "I'm glade to see that I was wrong."
"Now you see that we're just fine," Dawn watched Lighting Tail in silence, while he looked at the kits with admiration in his eyes, even carefully rolling Hawk Wing back beside his brother when he rolled away from her stomach.
"You can stay if you want?" Dawn offered, her chest pulled tight when he looked at her with a piercing warm gaze that was filled with happiness.
"If that's alright?" He asked while coming to lie down beside her, their tail's momentarily covering each others.
"Of course it is! Now be quite, I need to sleep and so do the kits." She said with a friendly purr that rumbled in her chest as she felt Lightning Tail curl around her and her kits, only making her curl up tighter to be able to fit against his broad shoulders and chest. Her eyes closed and she surrendered to sleep with the comforting presence of her friend and family.
"Your destiny is close at hand Dawn," When Dawn woke in her dream she was meet by the piercing sound of a caterwauling, looking around she saw blood on the ground, cat against cat. She could have sworn she could make out Thunder's orange pelt and white paws, along with Milkweeds splotchy ginger-and-black pelt going under some other cats with ratty pelts. "This is your destiny!"
"Huh?" Dawn wasn't able to ponder as a familiar mangy, scarred brown tabby tom with white slash marks across his front legs jumped out in front of her, making her cry out as he slashed through her throat—
"Ahhhh!" Dawn gasped awake, the horror of the dream being shaken from her overactive head as she realized that it must have been slash that they were warning her about the entire time.
"But why does it have to be him of all people…or cats!" Dawn thought in disgust, remembering the nasty tom from before when they first met. But those fears where being replaced by new ones, Dawn jumped onto her feet when she realized that none of her kits where in the den nor was there any sign of Lightning Tail either.
"KITS!" Dawn shouted in panic, running out of the nursery only to collide with Milkweed who was bringing her a mouse. "Milkweed have you seen my kits?" Dawn asked in a hurry, wanting to find her kits before anything bad happened to them.
"There up top of the ravine, their helping—" Dawn didn't stay a minute more, she scrambled her way onto the unfamiliar path as her desperation to find her kits set in.
"Now Hawk Wing, I'm a big scary fox and I'm going to eat you, what are you going to do?" Dawn charged through a cluster of oak trees, coming to skid in an open sandy hollow.
"What is going on here?" Dawn hissed, her fur spiked out as she glared at Ligthing Tail who looked shocked and surprised at her anger directed at him.
"He's a mean old fox and I'm going to defeat him!" Cream Fur who let out a fearsome shrike, took Lightning Tail's distraction as an advantage to attack his tail.
"Don't worry mama we'll protect you!" Hawk Wing added, going to help Cream Fur.
"I'll take him down, just watch me!" Lightning Storm howled as he jumped on Lightning Tail's back, and with their combined weight managing to topple him over.
"Alright, alright," Lightning Tail managed to push them off of him, and shock the sand that clung to his black pelt out of his fur. "If I was a fox I would stay clear of Thunder Clan entirely to avoid you three." He purred, watching as the three squealed in delight.
"You should of told me you were taking MY kits somewhere without me knowing." It was obvious that Dawn was upset with him, her eyes not wavering from watching Cream Fur and Lighting Storm wrestle together and Hawk Wing trying to catch leaves as they began to fall down from high up on the trees.
"You seemed tired and looked like you need the rest, the kits were getting restless so I decided to take them out here to play a little," Lighting Tail came to sit beside her, and pressed his pelt against her's. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, it won't happen again, I promise."
"Just let me know next time, alright?" Dawn finally said, letting her aggravation vanish in a blink of an eye. And instead turned to look at his green eyes, they looked a little like Lightning Storm's, and if she was anyone else she might have thought that Lightning Tail could be the father of the kits seeing as how well he was looking after them for her at the moment. And they did in a way look like him…if not just a little bit.
0o0o0o
"Well, well, well what do we have here?" Dawn's hackles where raised as she faced Slash, she thought that a simple hunting trip by herself would ease the tension of having kits. But it seems like it wouldn't be an average day not with Slash around.
"You're very far from your new clan?" He commented, circling her as she stood in defense. "A shame really, you could have had such prosperous chances with us for you and your kits," He said with a shrug making it sound like she let go of the greatest opportunity.
"What do you know about my kits?" Dawn demanded. Her blue eyes following his every move.
"Your mate Harvey recently joined my group, he's a valuable addition if I say so you're missing out on how well a mate you had."
"He's no mate to me!" Dawn spat out, matching the glare that Slash was giving her.
"You had your chance to be with the best but decided to join the weaklings, no one not even those stupid clan cats will save you!" Slash scratched her across the muzzle, making her fall backwards.
Before she could retaliate he was already aiming another blow to her shoulder, she narrowly avoided it while slapping his other paw away. They stared at each other hissing furiously, internally daring the other to attack again.
Dawn was ready for when Slash brought his paw up, claws extended to deliver another blow when he seemed to have lost his balance. Toppling over onto his side, Dawn glance behind him relief to see another familiar face.
"River Ripple!" Dawn exclaimed, wasting no time in running towards the long silver furred tom cat as she threw herself in the current beside him.
She went under for a moment, only to be pulled back up by River Ripple who she knew would save her. He helped her struggle to shore, this time a little more easily then before.
When they were safely on the other side River Ripple turned to address Slash his eyes turning stony as his chest broadened. "You leave us alone, and don't come back." Slash gave them a warning hiss, only to retreat when Dawn hissed back at him and had River Ripple on her side.
"Thanks, I wouldn't know what I'd do if you weren't here!" Dawn thanked him, licking her chest fur in embarrassment and shock.
"You have to be more careful, Slash is a dangerous cat and not meant to be messed with," River Ripple warned gently, nudging her to her feet as they walked down towards the stepping stones. "I'll wall you home, and it seems you have much to talk about."
Dawn walked beside River Ripple, she told him about her kits and how she recently joined Thunder Clan but is unsure of her place in the clan at the moment.
"You'll find your way, don't worry." River Ripple assured, their attention was divided however when she heard a patter of tiny footsteps, looking up she saw her kits bouncing towards them at warp speed.
"Mama!" Cream Fur threw herself onto River Ripple, Lightning Storm and Hawk Wing doing the same. "We'll save you from this trespasser!" They began jumping all over River Ripple, she tried to shoo them off of him but he seemed to be in no danger in fact he seemed amused by it.
"Oh no! Great Thunder Clan warriors are attacking me!" River Ripple gave a faint wail of distress as he lazily tried to defend himself against the kits.
"That's right, we're Warriors!" Hawk Wing exclaimed, pouncing on his tail. As River Ripple slowly tried to roll him off of it.
"Ok, that's enough you three," Dawn eventually got her kits away from River Ripple allowing him to sit up and be addressed properly to the kits. "Kits I would like you to meet a friend of mine, his name is River Ripple and he's not a trespasser." She gave her daughter a touch look.
"River Ripple I would like you to meet, Cream Fur, Hawk Wing, and Lightning Storm." Dawn gestured to each kit in turn, watching as he surveyed each kit with a respectful nod of approval.
"It's nice to meet such strong healthy kits!" He said respectfully, touching each kit on the head with the tip of his tail.
"Dawn!" Turn around Dawn came face to face with Lightning Tail, who looked warned out, probably due with keeping the kits entertained all day. "I thought something bad might have happened to you, you been gone for a while." He said with a warm purr, nuzzling her head shocking the both of them, but as soon as it happened it stopped.
"Something bad almost did happen," River Ripple drew attention to himself, some of the other gathered cats that came to greet him stopped to listen. "What do you mean?" Thunder asked, coming to stand beside Lightning Tail and Dawn.
"Slash attacked Dawn today, I helped her cross the river and Slash left but I warn you to stay on guard." River Ripple said gravely, making mummers of panic commence through the cats.
"Why that—" Lightning Tail's tail lashed from side to side, his teeth bared at the mention of Slash harming Dawn. His snarl became more defiant when Harvey was mentioned, the crowfoot eater the mangy pelt that he should of ripped apart the moment he had the chance. But he let Harvey go, and now it came back to haunt him and Dawn and the kits.
"What's wrong mama?" Cream Fur asked her mother, looking up at her with innocent blue eyes.
"Nothing," Dawn lied, coming up with a quick explanation. "It's just that River Ripple has some concerns, why don't you go play with some of the older kits, im sure Clover and Thistle would love to demonstrate some of those hunting moves with you." Dawn shuffled the kits away from the meeting area, herding them farther away and teaching them a simple game of chasseing a stick and retrieving it.
0o0o0o
"Their strong kits, you're very lucky." Violet Dawn mentions to her on a sunny day, warming her fur beside Dawn who was watching her kits frisk around each other, slow cause of the warm weather yet still full of energy.
"I know I am, and I'm glade to be so blessed." Dawn murmured back, watching Hawk Wing try to sneak up of Cream Fur, only to get pounced on by Lightning Storm instead.
"This is boring!" Hawk Wing wailed, struggling out from under Lightning Storm. "I want to play throwing stones with father!"
Dawn's pelt spiked up and the confession, watching in silent horror as they other two agreed. How could they know about Harvey? Has someone told them? Had Lightning Tail have told them?
"We can surprise Lightning Tail when he comes back from hunting, let's hid up near the caves!" Lightning Storm suggests, taking off with his littermates just a tail length behind.
"T-t-They think-Li-Lightning Tail is their," For once Dawn was struck even more dumb then she could of thought by this point. Her kits thought that Lightning Tail was their father, which looking at it wasn't such a far-fetch conclusion, he spends time with her and the kits, cares for them, plays and teaches them things. Even look a little like him in some aspects and one is even named after him so…maybe.
"Their young," Violet Dawn laid her tail on Dawn's shoulder. "You'll be able to tell them then."
"But what if I don't want to tell them about Harvey?"
0o0o0o
Lightning Tail gave an enormous leap, plucking the blue-bird from the air and bringing it crashing to the ground.
"Nice catch, plan to give that to the kits?" Thunder questioned, making Lightning Tail turn around and glare playfully at his friend and adopted littermate.
"Of course, I promised Lightning Storm, Hawk Wing and Cream Fur some battle moves later, their learning so quickly! Just the other day Hawk Wing almost perfected the hunters crouch!" Lightning Tail continued on and on about the kits, and how well they were growing even if they were born early and small.
"You sound like a proud father." Thunder noted, padding past Lightning Tail, making him stop and think for a moment.
"I sort of feel like one, to tell the truth!" Lighting Tail replied, catching up to his friend.