A/N: Sorry I didn't update last Sunday! My life has been crazy- I started high school two weeks ago and am now getting 2-3 hours of homework each night. I will not leave you on this story! DONT WORRY! Hopefully, this wouldn't happen again. This chapter might be riddled with mistakes- didn't have time to proofread.
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Silver wolf rain- thanks a ton for reading this story and for your lovely reviews! It makes me so happy!
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Ch.7
Blizzardmoon felt sick. Her stomach felt like she had ate crow-food; her paws ached.
"Cloudwhisker?" she muttered quietly.
"Yes?" Cloudwhisker replied.
"Can we stop…? I have something I have to tell you," Blizzardmoon laid down on the pine-forest floor; not waiting for a reply, Cloudwhisker sat down beside her. "I'm expecting Squirrelfang's kits," she said bluntly.
"You're what?" Cloudwhisker squeaked, "And you didn't tell me before hand? How long is it until they come?"
Blizzardmoon starred at her paws, "A half-a-moon?"
"And all along… I thought you were just getting overly-fat on the fine pickings we've been having!" Cloudwhisker mumbled, "You can't travel anymore."
Blizzardmoon's pelt bristled, "And why not!"
"Most queens move to the nursery when they're a moon and a half away from having their kits! It's amazing nothing's happened with all the traveling we've been doing. You stay right here while I find a good place for a den nearby. No moving, I'll be back in a moment," Cloudwhisker vanished into a patch of undergrowth nearby, leaving Blizzardmoon to relax.
Blizzardmoon sat her head down on her paws, sleep slowly claiming her.
"Blizzardmoon! I found the perfect place!" Cloudwhisker's voice woke her up.
"Good," Blizzardmoon followed Cloudwhisker into the forest.
"Blizzardmoon," a familiar voice called to her.
"Squirrelfang!" Blizzardmoon raced forward; burying her nose in her mate's ginger pelt, "Oh, I've missed you so much!"
"So have I," Squirrelfang twined his tail with hers. "I'm sorry I can't stay longer; I've come to tell you that I'm proud of you; I want you to be happy. Follow your heart my love, you're young- live your life to the fullest and know that I'm always looking down at you; and our lovely kits."
He licked her one last time; a tender, loving lick- and the dream shattered into pieces.
Blizzardmoon stretched out infront of the den, the sun shining on her belly-fur. Her flanks suddenly heaved; a sudden pain shooting down her spine. Attempting to not alarm her brother; Blizzardmoon got up, "Hey, Cloud?"
Cloudwhisker's head bobbed up and down, "Are you okay?"
"Yep, I'm wonderful," her voice cracked.
"You're lying." Cloudwhisker stated, "Let's hurry up and get you back to the den before the kits come."
Her brother moved to her side, allowing her to put most of her weight on him. The den was perfect. A small- shrubby bush with large leaves gave enough room for maybe five cats underneath; tall grass surrounded it and provided the perfect cover. Cloudwhisker led her to the only nest under the bush- much larger than a normal nest.
'A queen's nest… that was nice of him,' Blizzardmoon thought as another spasm left her panting.
Dusk had come- leaving Blizzardmoon tired and with only one kit at her belly. The kit cried out as Cloudwhisker anxiously licked it; it's gray and ginger paws batting the air, "A tom, Blizz."
Another spasm left Blizzardmoon trembling; a she-kit joined her larger brother- this one already letting out a squeal; her pelt reminding her mother briefly of Squirrelfang. Soon enough a little white she-kit joined her sister and brother; tiny gray flecks dotting her fur. Blizzardmoon's world was filled with pain… something's wrong!
Blizzardmoon gazed at her kits, a look of joy on her face- there were five, joining the three oldest kits were a light brown tom-kit and the weakest one, a pale ginger-and-white she-kit.
"The oldest one's name is Bonekit," Blizzardmoon noted the white bone-shaped splash on his hind leg, "This one's Sunkit," she touched the ginger she-kit lightly with the tip of her tail, "Look at her white paws!"
Cloudwhisker smiled.
"Do you want to name the white one with the gray spots?" Blizzardmoon asked.
Cloudwhisker timidly nodded his head, "Rainkit, she looks like she has little rain-splashes on her pelt."
"Okay, the small pale ginger-and-white she-kit's name is Crystalkit," Blizzardmoon purred.
"Hoping she'll have your eyes?" Cloudwhisker chuckled.
Blizzardmoon snorted, "No… well maybe. The final kit… the light brown tabby tom will be known as Mosskit."
Blizzardpaw sat in the clearing; starring out the camp entrance.
"Sorry, Blizzardpaw, I know you wanted to be Redthorn's apprentice," a long-haired ginger tom pressed against her.
"It's okay, Oakleaf, it was never your fault- sorry I yelled at you like that," Blizzardpaw grunted.
"And… I'm sorry I couldn't save Mossypaw," Oakleaf continued on, "I know she was like a sister to you."
"Not your fault, either," Blizzardpaw's eyes darkened.
"Rainkit, come on and open up your eyes!" Sunkit nudged her smaller sister; her bright green eyes having already opened a couple of days ago, "You're slower than Bonekit was!"
"I opened my eyes before you!" Bonekit stopped licking one of his gray-and-ginger forepaws.
"Did not!" Sunkit growled.
"Did to," Bonekit replied in his usual calm and stubborn manner.
"Did-," Sunkit was cut off by her uncle's voice.
Cloudwhisker entered the den and let out a purr of amusement, "Sorry Sunkit, but Bonekit is right."
Bonekit blinked his large dark blue eyes at Sunkit, a snicker appearing on his face. The two arguing kits had not realized that Rainkit had opened her eyes while they were talking.
"Hey, Sunkit, what color are my eyes?" Rainkit asked from behind them.
"You haven't even opened your eyes yet, Rainkit! How am I supposed to know?" Sunkit spun around angrily; a wide 'O' slowly appeared on her mouth as she looked straight into Rainkit's ice blue eyes.
"What color are they?" Rainkit repeated.
"Just like uncles," Bonekit took over for Sunkit.
"I could have said that!" Sunkit snapped back.
Bonekit shrugged, "Hey Mosskit, have you opened your eyes yet?"
"Yep, while you were all bothering Rainkit about her eyes, I decided it was time to open mine!" Mosskit squealed; bouncing to Bonekit's side. "So… what color are they?"
"Green, like Sunkit's, but they're a tad bit brighter," Blizzardmoon gently wrapped her tail around her kits.
Sunkit pulled away from her mother, "Can we go outside yet?"
Blizzardmoon shook her head, "Why don't you wait for Crystalkit to open her eyes?"
"But Mom, she hasn't even spoken yet!" Sunkit replied, "Right, Rainkit?"
Rainkit timidly nodded, "What's wrong with her momma?"
"She's just a bit… slow," Blizzardmoon's voice shook; fear for her tiniest kit flooding back into her. "Ok, why don't you all go outside and play- give Crystalkit some time to sleep without you constantly talking. Cloudwhisker, will you watch them?"
"Yippee! Wonderful!" the kits chorused.
Cloudwhisker nodded and herded the kits outside, "Now, has Blizzardmoon told you clan kit's favorite game yet?"
They all shook their heads.
"Okay, let me explain the rules of moss ball!" Cloudwhisker tossed a small ball of moss at Bonekit, who quickly caught it with a paw of claws, "Moss ball is not only fun, but it teaches important life skills- like teamwork, agility, stamina, accuracy, paw-swipes, pouncing, and many other things. Today we're going to play steal-team moss ball. Bonekit, Mosskit, you will be working in a team- Sunkit, Rainkit, you will be together and the other team. The object of game is to pass the moss ball to your other team-mate without the other team stealing it. Therefore, Bonekit and Mosskit will pass it back and forth and Sunkit and Rainkit will attempt to steal it. If either Rainkit or Sunkit get it; then they will take over Bonekit and Mosskit's role and Bonekit and Mosskit will take over theirs. For this game the rules are: no biting, no clawing, no tackling, and no hissing!"
"Really?" Sunkit hissed at the last rule.
"Sunkit, really, what did I just say?" Cloudwhisker replied.
"No hissing," the ginger she-kit grumbled.
"Then don't do it or I'll send you right back to the nursery," Cloudwhisker gave her a lick, "Now… 3… 2… 1… GO!"
Bonekit quickly passed it over to Mosskit; who swiped it back to his brother- which in turn was stolen by Rainkit with a massive leap and a quick paw-swipe to Sunkit. It smacked a dazed Sunkit right in the nose; who in turn hissed- a fact Cloudwhisker choose to ignore. Bonekit quickly picked it up and it became a fight between the two dominate kits. Mosskit and Rainkit sat down as they watched Sunkit leap after Bonekit- quickly catching up- and tackled him.
"Sunkit, I said no tackling too!" Cloudwhisker called out.
The she-kit ignored him and continued fighting Bonekit for the moss; Cloudwhisker let out a defeated sigh and sat down beside Mosskit and Rainkit.
"Cloudwhisker!" Blizzardmoon excitedly bounced out of the nursery, "Crystalkit said her first word!"
"Really?" Cloudwhisker got up and licked his sister's ear, "What was it?"
"Wonderful," Blizzardmoon's voice got caught in her throat, "It was wonderful."
Crystalkit listened as her brothers and sisters played outdoors.
Maybe I should talk and open my eyes?
Cloudwhisker's feeble protests sounded from outside as two of them got into a tussle.
Probably Bonekit and Sunkit… they're always fighting.
Her mother's gentle tongue rasped over her fur.
Maybe I am supposed to talk? Am… am I 'different' like Sunkit says? Well, I guess I should talk. Hmm… what should I make my first word be? Mosskit said first words were important- he messed up though, he said, he said 'yucky'… I wonder what's so wrong with that word. Well… they did say 'wonderful' when mommy said they could go outside… and they sounded like they wanted to go outside… so maybe 'wonderful' would be a good word to say… yeah! That's just what I'll say!"
"Wu… won… ver… va…dul," Crystalkit laughed- knowing how different it sounded from her siblings'.
Blizzardmoon stopped licking her and ran outside. From her mother's excited voice she knew she had said the right thing.
Forest licked his sister's tortoiseshell shoulder, "Ash, I think we need to be on the move once again."
Ash sighed, "Come along, kits, we need to move on."
"Mom, we're four moons old now! We're not exactly 'kits' anymore!" the smallest, a pale tortoiseshell she-kit protested.
"Reliah, we need to go," Ash replied sternly.
Reliah snorted, leaving her comfy spot between her gray tabby brother and her darker tortoiseshell sister.
"Mother?" the gray-and-black tom-kit called out from his place beside the gray tabby kit.
"Yes Vinter?" Ash replied.
"Why are we always running again?" Vinter meowed.
His brother snorted, "Because we're being chased."
"Grayson!" his mother hissed, "Don't alarm your brothers and sisters!"
"Why'd you and uncle run away from that rogue group?" the tortoiseshell she-kit meowed.
"Hush, Poppy," Ash scolded.
"Ash," Forest's worried voice sounded up again, "We need to go now!"
"Oh dear," Ash shoved her kits forward, "Run, kits! I'll lead the way. Forest… can you make sure they don't fall behind?"
Forest nodded- the sound of running filling the air; whether it was all from the little group or not was the question. Vinter, being the smallest kit, was the first to fall behind.
"Come on, Vinter, you have to run!" Forest coaxed him along.
"Can't. Go. Any. Farther," the kit struggled for breath- his mother and siblings stopping in hopes that he'd get back up.
Forest picked the kit up by the scruff, foot-beats from behind them confirmed their worst fears: their enemy was indeed behind them and gaining rapidly. Again they took off, running as quickly as possible. Poppy was the second to fall- and was quickly picked up by her mother in the same manner. A yowl from behind stopped the little group in their tracks.
Forest dropped Vinter, "Run!"
Vinter ran after his mother and sister, some of his strength regained after his uncle carried him.
"Forest!" Ash yowled.
"Don't worry about me! Keep on running!" Forest turned to face the attackers, a huge dark gray tom, an old white-and-pale gray she-cat with scars crisscrossing her pelt, and a skinny ginger tabby tom that looked like he was barely past kit-hood.
The dark gray tom signaled his followers to take Ash and the kits while he pounced on Forest. Forest kicked him off and they circled each other.
"Why, Rezkin? We've been out of your territory for ages," Forest hissed, hackles raised.
"Oh, Forest, as naïve as always, I'll put it blunt… your sister is my mate, and as my mate she is mine and I would also like my kits- the two of them," Rezkin snorted.
"The two of them?" Forest snarled.
"Just look behind you," Rezkin replied.
Forest spun around, his jaws gapping in disbelief. Vinter and Poppy's tiny little bodies were laid on the ground; never to rise again. Ash fought bravely against the old she-cat, Grayson and Reliah used the fighting moves they knew against the ginger tabby tom.
Rezkin's green eyes glinted in the sunlight, "It's really a shame… that little tom… was it Vinter? And that pretty little tortoiseshell… they both shared my handsome green eyes. Oh well, they were the weakest. I would have to say… I despise that pale tortoiseshell she-kit more than anything. She shares your ugly hazel eyes; the picture of uglyness. Looks like moldy crowfood. Hey, Max, you want to finish off that she-kit?"
The ginger tom, Max, nodded quickly and snaked an unsheathed paw towards Reliah's open stomach.
"Reliah!" Forest yelped and dashed into Max's side before the ginger tom could even touch the kit.
Max joined Vinter and Poppy moments later. Forest was horrified, backing away from the ginger body in front of him.
"You see, Forest, you nothing but a little murderer, a monster," Rezkin laughed, pinning Forest down, "Now, kit, sit back and relax. Ezira, you want to finish off his sister?"
The battle hardened white-and-pale gray she-cat's eyes narrowed, "I though you said you wanted her and the two strongest kits left behind."
In just a leap Ezira was staring face-to-face with Rezkin, "Do not question me, you old fool!" Rezkin raised one claw and scored it down the she-cat's already shredded ear.
He pinned back down Forest, before nodding to Ezira once again. Grayson yelped and rushed to his mother's aid. He didn't last long before he was clawed by Ezira. Forest struggled in vain with Rezkin's weight but he had no chance against the huge, skilled, rogue leader. Ash's life was over in just seconds.
"Ash!" Forest cried out as Rezkin leaped off of him.
He darted forward and swept his claws over Ezira's throat, the old she-cat fell into a crumpled heap. Rezkin slowly circled Forest and his two kits, one injured.
"What were you thinking when you ran away?" Rezkin growled, "You're nothing more than a coward and a murderer."
"At least that's better than being a bloody killer and such a horrid leader that your own cats cat stand you!" Forest spat back.
Rezkin snorted, "Oh, you pathetic fool, I'll spare your life and the she-kit's if you'll give me the strongest kit. I wouldn't hurt him- I promise. I need my son to be my second-in-command. As he is, he'll never make it; and I can finish the kits and you off in a heartbeat."
"Never!" Forest hissed, "Over my dead body!"
"Then that's what it's going to have to be," Rezkin roared, leaping towards Forest claws unsheathed.
G2G, its 8:14 and I need to get my shower and go to bed...
~Willow