A/N: Hello! Driver's Ed is a very time-consuming and tiring thing, but it's the weekend now so I can hopefully get this chapter up and the next one if I'm ambitious. R & R! =D
Russetfur lowered herself to the ground, trying to go slowly but mostly flopping down ungracefully in the end. She gave her enormous stomach a few licks. "Kits..." she murmured..."Get out of my belly." Since the scare with them coming early, she had not felt anything besides some kicking and squirming. Now the time for them to come had passed- they should've come suns ago. But since they were moving more and more, Runningnose told her it could be any time now.
"Great StarClan!" a voice came from behind her. "Who moved the Moonstone into camp?" Icetalon exclaimed, staring at the queen.
Russetfur rolled her eyes. "Nice." she said, not knowing what else to say. She hardly knew the tom, and she had no idea if he was trying to be mean or trying to be funny.
The white-furred tom flicked his black ears and sat down next to her. "When are they supposed to arrive?" He asked curiously, his light blue eyes meeting her dark green ones.
"Two suns ago." she replied, still wondering why he was speaking with her now when he had never before, really.
His brow furrowed. "Is something wrong?"
"Runningnose doesn't think so. Sometimes they're just late." The dark ginger queen sighed. "But if they don't come soon I'll really start worrying."
Icetalon nodded. "At least they're not early." his gaze flicked to Flamesong and Falconkit, sunning outside the nursery. " That morning, Flamesong had forgotten again and Falconkit told her everything for the first time. Usually it was Russetfur or Skyheart that had to explain, but once everything was said and done, the black-furred queen was usually just happy to spend that time with Falconkit.
"I suppose." Russetfur replied. "Um, no offense, but why are you talking to me, Icetalon? I don't mind it, I've just never figured you for the type to sit around and gossip with queens."
The muscled warrior frowned. "You're not really a queen. Sure, you're having kits, but before that you were like the most warrior-ish she-cat in the Clan. Well, except maybe Kinkfur. And Sleetpelt. I never thought you would be in the nursery, but I'm certain your kits will be fantastic warriors."
"Okay." Russetfur meowed, cutting to the quick. "I can see two things happening here - either you are hitting on me, or you want to mentor one of my kits. Since your mother is my sister, I think and sincerely hope it is the second one. Is that it?"
Icetalon flushed. "Nope." Russetfur tilted her head and opened her mouth to tell him she could be his mother, but he didn't let her start. "It's neither." She simply waited for him to continue. "Actually, I was hoping you would recommend me to Raggedstar to mentor a kit, but not yours. One of the ThunderClan ones."
Russetfur raised an eyebrow, saying slowly, "ThunderClan kits are generally mentored by ThunderClan cats, Icetalon."
"Didn't you hear?" The young warrior asked. "Brokenstar is taking kits from ThunderClan to train here. He says they're five moons, and Bluestar wants us to have them because they can't feed them."
Russetfur wanted to bury her face in the dirt. "Icetalon, that is the biggest pack of lies I have ever heard. It's greenleaf. And ThunderClan would never, ever give us kits, even if they were starving to death. They'd probably let them die before giving them away, but even if they did, they would give them to RiverClan or WindClan. Not us. They hate us, remember? And the oldest kits in ThunderClan are only like three moons, not five."
"Nu-uh." The white tom replied, not wanting to believe it. "Brokenstar wouldn't lie to me. He says I am his trusted advisor. When we go to get the kits today, I'll be there and Bluestar will give them to us. And then he'll let me mentor one of them. And then when he does, you have to tell your kits how much smarter I am than you." He grinned at the last bit.
Feeling uneasy, she smiled back quickly. "If you're right, then you can tell them."
"Icetalon!" called Blackfoot from across the camp, near Brokenstar's den. The white tom dipped his head quickly to Russetfur before dashing over to the deputy. Despite the dread growing in her, her whiskers twitched with amusement as she saw the resemblance between them. They had the same powerful build and the same mostly-white fur, though Blackfoot only had black paws, while Icetalon had a black underbelly as well as ears. Remembering that Tallpoppy never did tell her who the father of her kits was, she wondered if it could be Blackfoot.
He had been her sister's mentor, and she never did stop hanging out with him, even after she was a warrior and then a queen. Russetfur wrinkled her nose in disgust. Blackfoot hadn't known he was related to them at that time, so it wasn't either of their faults, but it was just gross now. Hoping that the similarities between them were a coincidence. Blackfoot padded back into Brokenstar's den and came back a moment later padding behind the leader.
Brokenstar called for the cats to gather and began, "As you probably know, Bluestar is giving us some kits that they cannot sustain. However, I have reason to believe that this is a trick, so I will be sending a battle patrol large enough to fight their way out of their camp if need be. Since some cats are in the medicine den, I will only havbe a few warriors guarding cats will be going on the patrol: Blackfoot, Icetalon, Greenfang, Wetfoot, Kinkfur, Clawface, Boulder, Nightwhisper, Poppyfeather, and Flamesong. Yes, Poppyfeather and Flamesong have kits, but they are in fine shape to battle and since Russetfur is unable this time, she will watch them. Russetfur, I also expect you to nurse the kits Bluestar is giving us."
Oh, what a pile of foxdung! Russetfur wanted to yowl at the huge tom. You're raiding a Clan stronger than us for kits we don't need, and some cat or maybe more than one is going to get killed! She was almost shaking with anger, yet a small and selfish part of her was simply joyful that she wouldn't be going, and her kits would not be in danger. "Yes, I'll nurse them, Brokenstar." And when they ask me why we took them away from their mother, I'll tell them. Nurse! Nursing kits? So they're definitely NOT five moons! She shuddered, but turned and padded to the nursery, where Poppyfeather was mewing her goodbyes to Grasskit and Hazelkit.
"Russetfur..." Flamesong began.
The heavily pregnant queen cut them off. "Don't worry Flamesong. You either, Poppyfeather. Your kits are in good paws. I will not let any harm come to them." Falconkit seemed fine with the idea, but Grasskit and Hazelkit looked very scared.
"No, I know Falconkit will be perfectly safe with you. That's the thing." Flamesong said, looking up into her friend's eyes.
Russetfur's eyes widened. "What?"
"Russetfur. I haven't been in battle apparently for moons, and I'm out of shape. Not to mention that I have the battle skill of a young apprentice while more experienced warriors will attack me because of my age. There is a very good chance I will not survive this battle, Russetfur." Falconkit made a slight choking noise.
The dark ginger she-cat stepped forward with determination. "No, Flamesong. You've always been a good fighter. You have good instincts, even if you've forgotten most of your training. You'll be fine. You can't go into battle thinking you're going to die."
"That's not the whole problem, and you know it. Bluestar isn't giving us these kits. And if we manage to take them, they will come for them. Here. And they will win the battle. They will exile all the cats that have shown support for Brokenstar. That includes you, and it includes me, and it includes our kits. We are going to be exiled. Brokenstar is driving himself and us out of ShadowClan without his knowing, the stupid fox. And when I don't come home, I want you to take Falconkit to Twolegplace. It's the only place she can be safe. I was never a good mother for her, but I know she will live a long time as a kittypet. Falconkit, I love you, and I will see you again. Be safe, and live as a kittypet, for me. You cannot die. Never forget your brothers. Goodbye." The black-furred queen darted out of the den and out of camp to join the patrol, which was already leaving.
Poppyfeather looked up and gave a silent shake of her head. "My kits will stay with me. I have done nothing for Brokenstar."
"I understand." Russetfur dipped her head. "Here Grasskit, Hazelkit. I'll tell you a story if you like." she said to the tortoiseshell kits. Poppyfeather looked back once more fearfully before leaving. StarClan, let them return safely. Please.
Time passed very slowly for Russetfur. After a lengthy story and a half, all the kits but Falconkit had fallen asleep around her. Falconkit simply lay there, staring at the wall of the den, probably praying to StarClan that her mother would not be lost as her brothers had been. Though it was actually a relatively short period of time before the patrol returned, seasons seemed to pass. Every moment was like a thousand moments. Every breath took suns. Finally, the sound of cats at the camp entrance jolted the cats out of their trance.
Falconkit raised her head, waiting for Flamesong to come into the den. Grasskit was asleep with her head on the older kit's flank, so she didn't want to get up and wake the sleeping kit. Light pawsteps approached the den and Falconkit's ears shot up as she raised her head hopefully, only to lower it again when it was Poppyfeather padding through. The queen had several deep scratches and her eyes were wild with fear, though she relaxed the tiniest bit upon seeing her kits, safe and sound asleep.
"Where's my mother?" Falconkit asked in a high-pitched plea.
"Blackfoot! What happened?" came Brokenstar's booming voice from close outside the den. Poppyfeather flinched and sank to the ground, eyes shut tight.
The deputy's voice replied, "What didn't? ThunderClan was too many. They drove us out. Yellowfang fought against us too. She was in the nursery. Flamesong didn't come back."
Inside the nursery, Falconkit stiffened and let out a cry of pain. Russetfur pulled the kit to her, clutching her tight. The pain she felt from losing her fried was nothing compared to what Falconkit was feeling, but the comfort of closeness helped them both, if only by a little. The tiny kit, smaller than Poppyfeather's despite how much older she was, sobbed into the queen's fur, making it looked blood red.
Poppyfeather leaned close and whispered in Russetfur's ear, "I know this must be terrible for you, but there's something you should know. Before we even got to their camp, a fox came out of the woods and took Flamesong. She was lingering at the back of the patrol and she was small and weak, but she didn't even try to fight the fox. She knew she was going to die today, and nothing could have changed that. But she's in your StarClan now, right? So you'll see her again."
"Thank you for telling me, Poppyfeather." she responded hollowly. "You should see the medicine cat for those wounds."
The tortoiseshell shook her head."I need to be with my kits now. You understand." Russetfur dipped her head as the queen curled in her nest with the two kits. The three of them were purring at their reunion, while Falconkit still cried into her fur. Russetfur lay her head down with her cheek against Falconkit's side and both front paws wrapped around the motherless kit, tears falling from her own eyes.
