Warriors New Rivals
Chapter 21
"I'm going to call them Frogkit, Wolfkit and Springkit," Lightwhisker meowed, touching her nose to each kit.
"I can't believe I wanted to give this up," Splashheart meowed looking at her new siblings.
"I'm glad you didn't, I can't imagine any other cat delivering my kits," Lightwhisker soothed, reaching up to give her a lick on her forehead.
"Can I come in?" Moonblaze called through the barrier of the nursery.
"Of course you can," Splashheart replied. Moonblaze charged through the nursery entrance and instantly raced toward his mate, giving her a lick on the forehead.
"They're beautiful," Moonblaze praised her.
"I have to go and check the herb store, congratulations," Splashheart lied giving the two cats some time alone. She walked out into the clearing and saw that Honeypelt's hunting patrol had just returned with two bits of prey each.
"Good hunting?" Splashheart guessed.
"The forest is full of prey!" Pippaw exclaimed through a mouthful of vole, Pipkit and Daisykit had become apprentices with Hollowtail as Pippaw's mentor and Swallowfall as Daisypaw's.
"How about you two take your prey to the elders, I'm sure they'll love that juicy vole you caught Daisypaw," Honeypelt praised the two apprentices. Both apprentices dashed toward the elders den.
"Splashheart, can I talk to you please?" Splashheart turned around and saw Brindlestar facing her.
"What is it?" Splashheart asked.
"I have kits many times, three to be exact and I know what a pregnant she-cat looks like" Brindlestar meowed with an edge to her tone.
"What's your point?" Splashheart replied nervously.
"Come with me," Brindlestar meowed sternly; she climbed up the slope toward her den and proceeded to walk inside.
"So?" Splashheart wanted to know what was wrong with Brindlestar.
"You're expecting kits aren't you?" Brindlestar growled immediately, Splashheart jumped back from her sudden fierceness and looked at her stomach.
"How did you know…?" Splashheart muttered.
"I can just tell!" Brindlestar hissed
"What's going to happen to me?" Splashheart pleaded.
"First I want to know who the father is," Brindlestar ordered.
"A rogue I met a few moons ago, he was killed by a fox two moons ago though…" Splashheart didn't want to tell Brindlestar about Birchpelt so she lied.
"Once the kits are born, they will be given to a she-cat who is willing to take care of them," Brindlestar circled Splashheart looking her up and down.
"What about me?" Splashheart was too afraid to hear the answer but she had to find out what would happen to her.
"You will tell no one that you had kits and only you and I will know," Brindlestar hissed, signalling with her tail for Splashheart to leave.
"If they die-" Splashheart began.
"They are forgotten!" Brindlestar growled.
"I'm so sorry," Splashheart told Brindlestar but she simply ignored and signalled for her to leave.
"Lilysnow, are you there?" Splashheart called to the previous medicine cat but nothing came back, this was the first time that Splashheart had travelled to the moonstream alone.
"I'm here Splashheart…" Lilysnow purred, coming out from behind an elder bush.
"I have made a horrible mistake!" Splashheart raced toward her old mentor and fell onto her chest.
"I know you're expecting kits…" Lilysnow's meow trailed off as she stared at patch of grass with two mice lying beside each other.
"Is that an omen, as in the mice are me and Birchpelt?" Splashheart queried.
"If that were true, then where are the kits?" Lilysnow asked.
"They aren't there" Splashheart finally understood what the mice meant; one of them was alive and happy while the other was dead and pale.
"Trust me Splashheart, these kits will be no trouble," Lilysnow soothed.
"They're going to die aren't they?" Splashheart growled, Lilysnow simply replied by nodding her head.
"Remember Splashheart old cats die while new cats are brought into the forest," Lilysnow's shape started to fade and Splashheart suddenly woke up beside the moonstream with the medicine cats of the other clans starting wake as well.
"How was your dream Splashheart?" Flintstorm, the medicine cat of Breezeclan, asked.
"It was ok, I got to see Lilysnow again," Splashheart meowed cheerfully.
"Oh, well that's nice," Flintstorm replied, padding back toward his territory. Splashheart followed until they got the border then she said goodbye and slowly padded through the forest to her territory.