Ch.5
"You sure she will be fine?" Featherberry was worriedly fretting with Dovesong.
"Your beauty will be fine," snapped Dovesong, though quite annoyed, her green eyes were warm.
"Thanks mom," purred Featherberry.
It never occurred to Songpaw yet, but if Featherberry's mom was Dovesong, then her grandmother was Dovesong! And then…Featherberry's sister was Bluebird, so that means Talonkit and Nightkit were her cousin and…Bluebird was their aunt.
"Wait till' Wingpaw hears this," muttered Songpaw a playful evil smile on her face.
"Come along now little one," Dovesong nudged Songpaw and she limped after Dovesong on two legs.
"Hello, Two-legs," purred Wingpaw giving her a lick on the ear.
"Hey!" Songpaw had the temptation to tackle Wingpaw but then with Herontalon and Skyfeather behind her, with Birdstar and Crowstorm in front of them, that would lead a bad impression on both of them, added on to that, Songpaw's leg injury would be permanent.
"I see we have two noisy apprentices," purred Crowstorm in amusement his frosty blue eyes gleamed and he looked back on Herontalon and Skyfeather. "You got a pawful of trouble with these two,"
"We are lucky there wasn't another kit with Featherberry's," rumbled Birdstar.
"But we are related to Nightkit and Talonkit!" protested Songpaw, and then her eyes gleamed. "Wait till' they become apprentices!"
"Oh dear no," muttered Dovesong next to Crowstorm.
Wingpaw licked Songpaw across the ear.
"I would like to have little Talonkit," Thrushfall called from behind. "I would enjoy training kits that have never fought in the nursery before."
"I would take Nightkit then," purred Jaywhisper, rubbing against his new mate.
"But you already have Hawkpaw as your apprentice Jaywhisper," pointed out Songpaw.
"Ah, love," sighed Birdstar dreamily, her blue eyes gleamed toward Crowstorm and she glanced at Jaywhisper and Thrushfall.. "Don't you see how my brother is acting with Featherberry?"
Crowstorm didn't seem moved. "You mean Treeshadow? He's distracted from his patrols to spend time with Featherberry."
Songpaw bristled in indignation. She didn't appreciate Treeshadow's love towards her mother.
"Don't take it personally Songpaw," Herontalon gently nudged his pale gray apprentice.
Birdstar had brought Herontalon, Flightwater, Sparrowing, Skyfeather, Thrushfall, Jaywhisper, Kestrelpaw, Songpaw and Wingpaw, and of course her loyal deputy, Crowstorm and devoted medicine cat Dovesong.
"We are going to have to cross the lake," surprisingly when Songpaw heard that voice, it was not Wingpaw but when she looked into his blazing amber eyes, it was Kestrelpaw.
"Um…would you like if I helped you?" Kestrelpaw broke of awkwardly shuffling his paws. "I mean, you know since your leg is kind of awkward."
Wingpaw's black tipped tail twitched, Kestrelpaw was related to Birdstar, her brothers were Treeshadow and Sparrowwing, so Songpaw knew that she had to be polite to Birdstar's nephew.
"Okay," replied Songpaw politely and Wingpaw irritably pushed Kestrelpaw away.
"She's fine with me," Wingpaw told him tartly.
Kestrelpaw looked flustered his amber eyes wide. "Okay…I'm sorry,"
As soon as Kestrelpaw wandered off to greet his mother, Flightwater and his father, Sparrowwing, Wingpaw hissed into Songpaw's ear. "What are you doing?"
"Just being respectful to Birdstar's nephew," Songpaw shot back.
"He's her nephew?" Wingpaw's eyes widened. "How is he related to her?"
"Look, Birdstar's brothers are Treeshadow and Sparrowwing, Sparrowwing mates Flightwater and Kestrelkit appears, done," Songpaw explained simply.
"Wow," Wingpaw looked surprised, then gave one of her playful grins. "I never knew you were one to look for who's related to who."
"It'll get more complicated as we grow up," Songpaw rubbed her muzzle against her sister.
"Who knows?" Wingpaw let out a loud purr. "Our blood may be in the whole BirdClan."
"Are you guys going to stand there and mew the whole night?" Skyfeather called to them.
"Well," Wingpaw glanced sideways at Songpaw. "Careful," Wingpaw warned. "The log is slippery,"
Songpaw nodded and awkwardly on two legs limped carefully with Wingpaw's teeth sunk deeply into her scruff, if she slipped, Wingpaw would pick up Songpaw right back up, no embarrassment.
"Hey, Songpaw!" Kestrelpaw called from the island.
Songpaw limped towards him. "Hello Kestrelpaw,"
Purring, Kestrelpaw gave Songpaw a lick across the ear. "Great job crossing the log,"
"It was nothing," Songpaw blushed. "Any cat could've done it,"
"Ahem," Wingpaw shouldered her way through Songpaw and Kestrelpaw. "I was wondering if we could meet different cats from different clans."
"Of course…Wingpaw," Kestrelpaw looked quite hurt, his amber eyes dimmed and his face was crushed.
Kestrelpaw scurried to a clan and as Songpaw tasted the air, she smelled it of forest and damp leaves, perhaps this was WoodClan.
"Hello," Kestrelpaw looked up at a slightly older tom. "Lionpaw?"
The golden tom whipped around and then took a glance from Songpaw, to Wingpaw, and then Kestrelpaw. "Hello Kestrelpaw, I see you are new apprentices," The tom gave a loud sniff. "Hey," he nudged the small blue-gray tom who looked like he just came from the nursery. "Graymouse,"
"You just became a warrior Graypa—Graymouse!" stammered Kestrelpaw the blue gray tom was not that bigger than Kestrelpaw, they brushed muzzles affectionately.
Kestrelpaw licked the blue gray she-cat next to Graymouse and she purred, she was slightly bigger than Kestrelpaw, but not by much. "You must be a warrior too, Mistypaw, being Graymouse's sister," purred Kestrelpaw.
"Who's Mistypaw?" the she-cat shrugged. "I only heard of Mistyeyes and you let this apprentice call you Lionpaw," Mistypaw growled light-heartedly, there was a twinkle in her eyes.
"Whoops, I keep forgetting," the golden tom twitched a golden mutated ear. "Lionear," he rubbed muzzles with Kestrelpaw.
"They look not much bigger than you," commented Wingpaw.
"They are much bigger than me," corrected Kestrelpaw. "Graymouse is a whole season older than me."
"But you look so tiny," pointed out Songpaw straining her head forward to put emphasis on her words.
"Yeah and you are walking on two legs," shot back Lionear, tail twitching. "WoodClan is naturally small so that they can chase prey in the woods and chase them into burrows."
"And BIrdClan, is perhaps the largest, with great muscles we can catch prey in the trees," added Kestrelpaw.
"Hey, why can't I join in Lionear?" a tiny tortoiseshell she-cat leapt on Lionear.
Songpaw's mind drifted to the memory and she saw the tortoiseshell she-cat who licked her constantly, her face…amber eyes gleaming! Just like the she-cat right in front of her…and…she flashed back to the memory and she smelled of forest, leaves…
"Songpaw, wake up mousebrain!"
Songpaw shook her head to see Wingpaw staring at her, her blue eyes blazing. "This is Forestpaw,"
"Hello," Songpaw mewed timidly, if Forestpaw could remember her, could that mean that Forestpaw was going to become her friend?
"Why are you walking so awkwardly?" A tom walked up to Forestpaw and they brushed muzzles, purring affectionately.
"Um…I fell out of a tree, chasing a squirrel," Songpaw gave embarrassed licks to her chest.
Forestpaw purred. "That's the weakness of BirdClan, perhaps so proud, so confident,"
Songpaw's mind drifted to an unknown memory, had she ever been here before?
"What is this?" hissed Dovesong and Songpaw dashed up to her panting.
Songpaw felt awkward about this, and she stared at ground only to stare at tortoiseshell paws, something instinctive took her jaws. "Featherpaw is groaning in desperate pain!"
"Well that still doesn't answer my question," hissed Dovesong, she looked much younger now, her body wasn't stiff with age, she was still an average age. "I am asking you, young Forestkit, what are you doing out of the nursery? You are a WoodClan kit for goodness sake, WoodClan is going to raid our clan for you,"
"Never mind how I got here," hissed Forestkit. "Your daughter Featherpaw, she's groaning in pain and there's so much blood! Something's going wrong!"
"My daughter Featherpaw?" echoed Dovesong and she scrambled onto her paws. "Show me!"
Groaning, Featherpaw looked up at her mother blood was splattered everywhere and the tom Blackwing was nudging her. "Don't leave me Featherpaw, I still need you!"
"I can't let her die," grumbled Dovesong, though her green eyes were clouded in grief, snow was at Featherpaw's side buffeting her.
"Push, you are having kits!" Dovesong looked shocked.
Featherpaw groaned and she gave birth to one kitten who wailed loudly when she came out.
"What are you doing here?" Dovesong glared at the ginger kitten.
Sunpaw!...Sunkit right now.
"I…" Songpaw slapped him with her tail, the secret…she must keep it.
Songpaw almost wailed in frustration. She wanted to know Forestkit's secret but she couldn't probe deeper into her mind.
Featherpaw groaned and yowled a high pitched screech and the second bundle came out tackling the first kit they started fighting.
That must be us! Thought Songpaw in horror. Yes, I am looking through Forestpaw's view!
The third kit came out, he seemed to be sleeping in snow.
Blackwing nudged her. "What shall we name them?" he pressed on. "What shall we name them?"
"The white one, with jet black paws, she's going to look a lot like you," Featherpaw rubbed muzzles with Blackwing.
"I didn't like my name, Blackkit," confessed Blackwing. "She'll be Wingkit,"
"What about this one…" Featherpaw grabbed her by the scruff and put her away from Wingkit who gave a high pitched squeak, wanting to bat the kitten in Featherpaw's mouth away.
"We have to name her something related to Wingkit, they love each other," Featherpaw gently dropped the kitten on the ground, Wingkit and the kitten snuggled closely together, purring softly.
"Songkit," Blackwing purred and gave the third one a lick and stopped. "He's so still," he whispered.
"Wake up Crowkit," whispered Featherpaw. "No!" wailed Featherpaw as he remained still.
Songkit's eyes opened and they were a beautiful shade of blue.
"That's not supposed to happen!" gasped Dovesong and Songkit looked up at her, blue eyes gleaming and mewed, sunlight reflected on Songkit's pelt.
A voice whispered in the wind, though how much Songpaw, as Forestkit, strained she could not hear its usual clear whisper.
"Mouse dung," cursed Songpaw as Forestkit under her breath.
"Come along Songpaw," whispered Dovesong.
"What?" Songpaw gasped and then she saw she was looking at Wingpaw.
"You were day dreaming for a second," Wingpaw informed her.
"Yeah," teased Sunpaw with Forestpaw mewling in laughter with him.
"Hey," Songpaw's fur bristled in indignation.
"Shut up," growled Mistyeyes from a distance away, she was talking to a FireClan warrior.
"Yeah," added Graymouse his tail tip twitching. "The gathering is about to start!"
The three leaders, deputies and medicine cats leapt onto the great stone and with that, the gathering began.