Disclaimer: I based the Clan structure on the Warriors books by Erin Hunter.

Thanks everyone for supporting this story.

Thanks to Nikonkey for suggesting names for Hawkfeather's kits. However, I had a different name in mind.

At Dark Shadow Knight of Time: I am glad that you like this fanfic. I hope you continue reading.

Now here is the next chapter. Enjoy and please review!

Chapter 6

The journey to the Gathering and back had left Hawkfeather tired. The black queen stayed in the nursery the next day to re-gain her strength. Grasswhisker scolded the deputy for putting her health and that for her kits in danger.

"You will stay in the nursery and rest until your kitting, Hawkfeather." the black-and-white tom mewed. "That's an order from your medicine cat."

"Do as Grasswhisker said, Hawkfeather. It's for your own good." Falconstar mewed.

Grudgingly, the black queen agreed and got some rest. She had to admit that she was tired and the break did do her well. Birdflight, Lilyheart and the other she-cats in the Clan tended to her and brought her fresh-kill or simply kept her company. Hawkfeather enjoyed the attention.

xxx

Half a moon later, Hawkfeather lay in her nest in the nursery and panted heavily. She was kitting. Outside the den the first signs of leaf-bare were visible. The previous night had brought the first snow and even now a few snow flakes were falling. Grasswhisker had stayed with Hawkfeather and helped her with the kitting. Once in a while the medicine cat would place a paw and the queen's ginger belly and feel her kits moving underneath.

"It won't be long now, Hawkfeather."

"You've been saying that for hours, Grasswhisker." She mewed exhausted.

Another contraction surged through the young she-cats body and a tiny wet bundle slipped out. Grasswhisker released the kit from the kitting sac with a quick bite and began to lick it and warm it up.

"There you see. All over now." He placed the kit at its mother's belly.

"Am I not going to have more?"

"No, just one kit. A healthy she-kit, that is."

Falconstar pushed herself inside the hazel thicket. "How is she?" she asked Grasswhisker, but it was Hawkfeather who answered.

"I have a daughter, Falconstar. Come and look. She's beautiful."

The Clan leader rushed to her sister's side and saw a tiny black kit with a little bit of white fur around the chest busily suckling milk. The kit pressed its tiny paws into her mother's belly.

"She is adorable." Falconstar purred. She looked pleased at her sister and the tiny kit.

Meanwhile Grasswhisker had left the den to fetch some borage for the black queen.

"I want to call her Cloudkit. What do you say?" Hawkfeather mewed as the medicine cat returned and shoved the herb under her nose.

"Eat this. It will help your milk come better. Even if you have only one kit, it's better to eat some borage." The medicine cat mewed. The queen nodded and ate the bad tasting herb.

"Cloudkit. Our mother would have liked that, Hawkfeather. It's a good name." Falconstar purred. Their mother Cloudstorm was killed by an eagle before the sisters were apprenticed.

xxx

Since Hawkfeather had moved to the nursery, Tallfoot and Stormtail were responsible for organizing border patrols and hunting mission. During the cold seasons of leaf-fall and leaf-bare, the cats would often hunt on the open fields. The fields were still rich in prey, but hunting there was dangerous because birds like hawks and eagles were searching for prey on these grounds as well. It was important to have hunting missions large enough to avert these birds before they could kill a cat.

Hawkfeather had been intent on doing her duty as deputy despite being a queen. Falconstar told her sister that as long as Cloudkit was young and needed to be suckled she would have to stay with her kit. That also included her missing the next Gathering.

"But I promised Talonwing that I would meet him tonight for the Gathering." She wailed to her sister.

"I will announce your kit at the Gathering and he will understand that you couldn't come. In another moon's time, Cloudkit can be without you for a couple of hours. But not right now; your daughter needs you." Falconstar mewed sternly.

Hawkfeather had agreed. She missed Talonwing, but she also enjoyed being with her kit. She thought that the small she-kit even looked like her father.

xxx

"Didn't Hawkfeather come with you?" Talonwing asked Falconstar before the Gathering started. His voice was flat and didn't betray his concern for his mate.

"No, she had to stay in camp." was all Falconstar replied.

Once the Gathering had started and it was her turn to report any news from MeadowClan she explained the absence of her deputy. Numerous cats had wondered why the young she-cat wasn't here.

"Half a moon ago, Hawkfeather had kittened. She has a healthy she-kit." The black-and-ginger she-cat mewed. Falconstar tried to give Talonwing some information about his kit.

"Tse, that's what you get for appointing young she-cats as deputy." Leafstorm snarled.

"Hawkfeather can still do her job without any problems." It was Hawkstar who answered the HedgeClan deputy's remark. "I had my kits when I was Clan leader and it didn't interfere with my duty, Leafstorm."

"Thank you, Hawkstar." Falconstar dipped her head to the ForestClan leader. "Hawkfeather is intent on carrying out her duties again as soon as possible. While her daughter needs her full attention, Tallfoot and Stormtail take over her job."

"It seems that you have everything taken care of, Falconstar." Rabbitstar mewed.

Falconstar dipped her head to the old HedgeClan leader in acknowledgment of his support and adjourned the Gathering. She still worried about Leafstorm's hostile comment about Hawkfeather's absence. Rabbitstar was getting old and if his pale gray deputy would become Clan leader, he was bound to cause problems.

xxx

Over a moon later, Cloudkit was exploring the camp while her mother organized patrols again and had the apprentices change the elders' beddings. Greencough had claimed Shredded-ear's life and Grasswhisker wanted any traces of the sickness removed from the camp. Hawkfeather had attended the last Gathering where she chatted with Talonwing. Lilyheart, Honeyflower and Petalflower had gotten into an argument over who got to stay behind with Cloudkit while her mother was at the Gathering. All three she-cats were very fond of the little black kit and wanted to stay with her. In the end, Falconstar decided that Lilyheart would stay back because she was expecting kits herself and would move to the nursery soon. The Clan leader thought it would be best if she would look after Hawkfeather's daughter.

Cloudkit was chasing a small twig that her mother drew for her. Falconstar watched the little kit and couldn't help noticing how much she looked like Talonwing. The way that the kit tilted her head and flicked her paw at the stick, she looked so much like her father. Falconstar worried that her Clanmates would find out the truth. Would they still support the little kit if they knew she was half-Clan? Falconstar had discussed her observations with Hawkfeather, but the queen was simply happy that Cloudkit resembled Talonwing.

"Falconstar, we met Talonwing on the patrol. He said he wanted to talk with you." Birdflight was leading the ForestClan deputy to her Clan leader.

"Thank you, Birdflight. What can I do for, Talonwing?"

Falconstar saw the black tom eye his little daughter as she pounced on her mother's tail and made her jump.

"Can we talk in your den? Perhaps, Hawkfeather could join us." The tom mewed.

Birdflight dipped her head to the two cats and retreated to the warriors' den. Falconstar called to her sister to follow her and her visitor to her den. Cloudkit protested that her mother left, but Hawkfeather promised she would be back soon.

"You can play with Lilyheart until I get back, Cloudkit."

"Okay. But get back soon." The little kit mewed and went into the hazel thicket to play with the tortoiseshell queen.

Hawkfeather joined Falconstar and Talonwing and the three cats went into Falconstar's den.

Continues soon...