Across from the Tall Cliff and fresh-kill pile is a collection of thick and protective shrubs Desertclan uses as the nursery for its queens and kits. The brown branches and leaves of these shrubs rustled as Nightfern pushed through them, her kit held securely in her jaws. Padding around several empty nests, she carried him back over to their own where a gray tom sat waiting for them.
Smiling, the tom looked at her and asked, "Did Sandwing find what was wrong with him?"
"No, Stormclaw," Nightfern replied bluntly to her mate as she lowered herself into the nest. "Stonekit just doesn't know how to act normal," she sighed, setting the kit down beside her flank.
"Aw don't be so hard on the little guy," the warrior smiled in amusement. "Just because he hasn't felt like nursing doesn't mean he's defective or something."
Nightfern frowned up at the tom. "All he does is sleep though! He hasn't even spoken to us yet!"
"Probably just a little shy…" Stormclaw purred in amusement as he peered down at their first and only kit.
"You aren't taking this seriously," the queen growled in annoyance.
"For Starclan's sake, Nightfern! He was only born this morning! You act as though he should be ready to be an apprentice by now!" Stormclaw snorted in bewilderment.
Nightfern rolled her eyes in response to her mate. Ignoring Stonekit as he snuggled close to her belly, the queen peered into the nest beside hers. Within the nest laid three young kits curled up against one another. Each of them were quietly sleeping, unaware of the three cats in the nest beside them.
"Look at Dawnblossom's kits," the black she-cat sighed. "They're only a week older than Stonekit and they are almost twice his size! That's probably because they actually nurse," she huffed, proud of the point she had just made.
"Too bad they have been left alone since dawn," Stormclaw mused. "Where is their mother anyway?"
Nightfern flicked her ears as she continued to gaze dreamily at the three kits. "Dawnblossom went for a walk when I started kitting. She said she'd take the opportunity to stretch her legs after being stuck in the nursery for so long and give me some privacy," Nightfern explained.
"Weird that she isn't back yet," Stormclaw commented, glancing at the entrance.
His mate only shrugged as she looked up from the kits. "Maybe she decided to try her luck at hunting. Whatever the reason, I have time to befriend her kits now," Nightfern smiled, rising up to her paws.
Stormclaw watched the queen as she hopped out of her nest, leaving Stonekit by himself. A frown quickly began to form on his face as Nightfern walked into Dawnblossom's nest and curled herself around the kits. Sensing her body and warmth surrounding them, the three kits began to squirm. Mewling, they instinctively began pressing close to her flank where they then began to suckle. Nightfern let out a content purr before glancing at Stormclaw. "See? Now we're friends!"
Stormclaw's blood began to boil with anger. "Get out of that nest, Nightfern," he ordered. "Stonekit needs you, not them!"
"Calm your scorpions, Stormclaw," Nightfern scoffed. "I'm just helping Dawnblossom! We queens look after each other's' kits you know…"
"She never asked for your help!" Stormclaw snapped angrily. "Instead you are trying to be their mother! Are you really started to prefer her kits over our own!" he questioned, lashing his gray tail.
Letting her mate finish his yelling, Nightfern merely flicked her tail. "You need to control your anger better," she responded flatly. "Especially when you're in a nursery with kits in it. Wouldn't want to scare them now would you?"
"You're unbelievable!" Stormclaw boomed. Whipping around, he stormed off towards the entrance. Just as he reached it, a flash of orange fur rammed into him, causing Stormclaw to hiss out in surprise as he fell back into the den. Nightfern immediately looked out of Dawnblossom's nest, her eyes round with curiosity.
"Firewhisker?" she blinked, recognizing the orange furred tom that had run into her mate.
Firewhisker had fallen down beside Stormclaw after their collision. Regaining his composure, the tom yanked himself off the ground and raced towards Dawnblossom's nest. Startled by his rash actions, Nightfern shot out of the nest and trotted back into her own.
Stormclaw frowned as he staggered to his paws. "What in Starclan's name is wrong with you, Firewhisker!" he demanded, glaring at the tom.
Firewhisker remained silent as he slowly padded into his mate's nest. Carefully, he sniffed at the kits before lying down beside them. He stared at the three kits as they squirmed towards him before whispering, "She's dead."
Nightfern flicked one of her ears. "What did you say…?"
"Dawnblossom!" Firewhisker cried, his voice getting louder. "She's dead! An adder bit her and now she's dead!" he wailed, resting his muzzle over his mewling kits.
Nightfern's eyes widened before she shot Stormclaw a look of sadness mixed in with excitement. Before Stormclaw could respond, the she-cat was up on her paws and padding towards Firewhisker. "Firewhisker…" she meowed softly, stopping by the edge of his nest. "I'm so sorry! Is there anything Stormclaw or I could do for you? I mean, I'm pretty busy with Stonekit but I'm still willing to help!"
Firewhisker swallowed back his tears before blinking up at the queen. "Nightfern…could you look after our kits…?" he asked softly. "I know you just had Stonekit, but there are no other queens I could ask! Please…I don't know what I'd do if I lost any of them!" he pleaded, his eyes wide with hopelessness.
Nightfern's tail curled happily. She couldn't believe it! She was going to get to raise those perfect kits! "Firewhisker of course I'll care for your kits," she purred. "It's the least I could do for you…and Dawnblossom," she ended, flattening her ears sadly to hide her happiness.
A large smile broke over Firewhisker's muzzle. "Thank you, Nightfern!" he breathed gratefully. "I don't know how I could ever repay you!"
Nightfern twitched her whiskers. "No need to repay me. Like I said, it's the least I could do!"
"Well the least I could do is help you put them in your nest!" Firewhisker meowed, carefully grasping the scruff of one of his kits in his jaws.
Nightfern smiled at the tom before glancing at Stormclaw. "Care to help us, Stormclaw?" she purred.
Stormclaw flexed his claws angrily but padded over to the nest. He waited silently for Firewhisker to move out of the way before grabbing a kit in his jaws. He couldn't believe it! Of course he felt sympathy for Firewhisker and his kits, but he felt nothing but anger towards Nightfern. She had gotten exactly what she had wanted; Dawnblossom's kits. He obviously couldn't protest against it since Firewhisker had nowhere else to turn if he wanted his kits to survive. Shaking his head grimly, Stormclaw padded over to his mate's nest. Placing the kit he was carrying into the feather-padded nest, he looked down at his own kit.
Stonekit was unmoved by what was happening. The newborn tom was curled up by himself near the side of the nest, sleeping soundly as his mother placed the last kit of Dawnblossom's litter in the center of their nest.
"There," Nightfern purred, curling herself around the three kits. "They'll be safe and sound with me!"
Firewhisker smiled at her. "Of course they will. Thanks again, Nightfern. I will come to visit soon," he promised, backing away from the nest and towards the nursery's entrance. "But now…I have to go sit vigil for Dawnblossom," he meowed, sadness spreading itself back over his tone. He dipped his head to Nightfern and Stormclaw before slipping out of the shrubs.
"Poor Firewhisker," Nightfern mused before she smiled up at Stormclaw. "Would you like to meet your new kits?" she purred in amusement.
Stormclaw bared his fangs at her. "Shut up, fox-heart! You got what you wanted and now I'm taking what's mine," he growled, picking up Stonekit by his scruff.
Nightfern slowly began to frown. "Go ahead," she growled. "You'll be back with him. I'm his mother if you forgot. He needs me," she purred mockingly before she began to groom Dawnblossom's kits.
"I'm not the one who's forgotten that," Stormclaw spat. Turning away from her, he swiftly padded out of the nursery and gazed around, Stonekit hanging quietly from his jaws. His attention soon focused on the medicine cat's den. "Sandwing has to know a way to how to help me..." he murmured quietly between his kit's fur. With a flick of his tail, the tom walked away from the nursery that held his mate and towards the den he hoped to find help in.
A/N: I wonder what made Nightfern go insane...I hope Sandwing can help Stormclaw though c:
