Chapter 1: Riverleaf
[Kit birth inside.]
"Riverleaf? Are you awake?"
Riverleaf blinked back dreams of carefree swimming and opened her eyes. A ginger-and-brown tabby tomcat was standing over her. His tail swished through the air. He was worried.
"Is it Poolflower?" she asked, rising to her paws. Hawkspirit's mate was expecting her first litter of kits.
"She's been having pains. Pikepelt went to check on her."
A brown tabby tom came through the gap in the reeds. "If I'm not mistaken, Poolflower's kitting."
Riverleaf climbed out of her nest. "How long has she been at it?"
"Since the dawn patrol came back," Hawkspirit reported. "I took her a fish, and she told me her belly hurt."
"Okay, I'm coming. Pikepelt, can you get the—?"
Pikepelt was already returning from the herb store with borage leaves in his jaws.
"No worries, Hawkspirit," Riverleaf mewed. "StarClan willing, Poolflower will be fine."
.
Riverleaf ducked her head as she entered the nursery. Mintcloud was helping Fallowstream reassure her kits. They were curious as to why they were awake so early.
The pale tabby queen sighed. "It's pointless. Once they're awake, they'll stay awake. I'll take them to the elders' den." She herded her kits out of the nursery.
The misty gray queen Mintcloud settled next to Poolflower's nest. "I'm here to help if you need it."
Riverleaf turned her attention to Poolflower. The bule she-cat was lying on her side. Apparently she had been listening to everything going on. She craned her neck to look at Riverleaf. Her yellow eyes flashed in fear for a heartbeat.
"It's me," Riverleaf assured her. "Hawkspirit's outside. Can you move?"
Poolflower shifted, grimacing as her stomach tightened. She faced Riverleaf now.
The medicine cat allowed Pikepelt to feel the queen's swollen belly. "I'd say there are three kits in there."
Riverleaf placed her paws on the soft fur and nodded agreement. Poolflower's contractions were strengthening; both she-cats needed to focus.
"You'll be okay," Mintcloud murmured, licking Poolflower's head. Pikepelt slipped out of the den. Riverleaf watched the blue queen. Poolflower clamped her jaws on a yowl as her belly convulsed powerfully. Heartbeats later she screeched.
"The first one's coming," Riverleaf mewed. Poolflower shrieked. A wet bundle slid onto the moss. Riverleaf dipped her head and nipped the kitting sac. The kit slipped out with a squeal. She was about to lick its fur the wrong way when Poolflower wailed.
"The next one's coming," Mintcloud declared. She moved to Poolflower's other side and began to groom the kit. "Poolflower needs you!"
Riverleaf allowed the queen to tend to the kit. Poolflower yowled. Another kit slid onto the moss. Riverleaf nipped the sac and quickly thrust the kit's fur the wrong way with her tongue. "This one's a she-cat," she meowed.
"So is this one," Mintcloud announced. The kit was between her paws, mewling.
"You're almost done," Riverleaf told Poolflower. The queen's belly tightened, and she let out a high-pitched screech. The final kit slid out. Riverleaf disentangled it from the sac and licked its fur the wrong way. It gave her a sharp yowl. Riverleaf's tail lashed once. That was startling!
"This one's a tom," Riverleaf meowed. "Congratulations, Poolflower. You have two she-cats and a tom."
She guided the kits to Poolflower's teats. She queen gave them a gentle sniff.
"They're beautiful," she whispered. "Thank you."
Hawkspirit came in. "Kits?" he asked.
"Two she-cats and a tom," Poolflower replied. Hawkspirit gave his mate's forhead a fierce lick before looking at his new kits.
Pikepelt had followed Hawkspirit. "Well done, Poolflower," he told her, dropping a bundle of wet moss near her muzzle. The queen lapped at it thirstily.
Riverleaf looked at the kits. The first she-kit was black. She had splotches of white, including one over an ear and eye. The next one was a pale gray. She had faint tabby stripes. The tom was slightly larger than his sisters, and his small body was powerful. His fur was a stony gray.
"What should we name them?" Hawkspirit asked. "I think that the tom should be called Stonekit."
"I agree," Poolflower purred. "And I think Moonkit is a pretty name for the black she-kit. But I'm not sure about the gray one."
The said kit suddenly squirmed as her brother nudged her. She let out a squeal and held it longer than any of them expected.
When she had settled down enough to suckle, all of the cats were purring.
"She sang," Pikepelt purred. "She sang like a songbird."
"Then let's call her Songkit," Hawkspirit suggested.
"Moonkit, Songkit, and Stonekit," Riverleaf meowed. "Welcome to StreamClan." She pushed the borage toward the queen. "This is borage. It'll help your milk come."
Riverleaf and Pikepelt exited the nursery. Pikepelt went to retrieve Fallowstream and her kits from the elders' den and to spread the news.
Riverleaf headed to the medicine den. That was an omen, she thought. Three kits. Three cats. The forest will be destroyed...But I am the fourth. What does this mean? She climbed into her nest and laid her head on her paws. Oh, StarClan, what are you trying to tell me?
StreamClan Allegiances:
Leader: Shellstar: pale gray tom with faint tabby stripes and blue eyes
Deputy: Fogstorm: gray-and-white tom with yellow eyes
Medicine cat: Riverleaf: pale blue tabby she-cat with dark green eyes
Apprentice, Pikepelt: brown tabby tom
Warriors:
Hawkspirit: ginger-and-brown tabby tom with a white paw and amber eyes
Ripplestreak: gray-and-blue streaked she-cat
Fernfish: pale gray she-cat with blue eyes
Gingerfang: ginger-and-white patched tom with amber eyes
Reedheart: black tabby tom with green eyes
Brightmoon: pale gray-and-white she-cat with yellow eyes
Leafsplash: pale brown she-cat with splashes of darker brown and green eyes
Timberclaw: brown tabby tom
Minnowsplash: pale blue and pale gray she-cat with white markings
Snowfang: pure white tom
Rainsky: pale blue she-cat with white patches
Owlspots: brown tabby tom with darker spots
Oakclaw: dark brown tabby tom
Apprentices:
Muddypaw: pale brown tom
Aspenpaw: pale gray she-cat
Rushpaw: pale brown tabby tom
Birdpaw: dark gold she-cat
Mistpaw: misty gray she-cat with creamy markings
Currentpaw: very dark gray tabby tom
Queens:
Poolflower: blue she-cat with yellow eyes, mother to Hawkspirit's kits: Moonkit, a black she-cat with white splotches; Songkit, a gray she-cat with faint tabby markings; and Stonekit, a powerful stony gray tom
Fallowstream: pale brown tabby she-cat, mother to Reedheart's kits: Mallowkit, a pale cream she-cat with amber eyes; Darkkit, a black tabby tom with amber eyes; and Volekit, a pale brown tabby tom with green eyes
Mintcloud: misty gray she-cat
Elders:
Troutfang: plump dark gray tom
Heroncloud: white she-cat with yellow eyes