Chapter 3

Kits and More Kits

Watertail POV

She was still recovering from the wounds that Bushnose and that other RockClan warrior had given her. He was a lot harder to beat than I thought he would be. I'll need to get him out the way. He won't be any help! she thought.

Everyone was asleep, except for the camp guard, who Watertail could easily get past. She quietly padded out of camp, to her special little place, in the center of SkyClan territory.

"Dustclaw?" she whispered. "Are you there?" She saw a pair of bright amber eyes gleaming in the bushes. "The coast is clear, Dustclaw. You can come out now."

Dustclaw appeared. " The fur plan worked well," Watertail informed him. "They totally bought it. I got RockClan in trouble, and at the next Gathering, we'll announce that RockClan has been in our territory."

"Watertail," Dustclaw started, obviously distracted. "I want to talk to you about something. I think that we should be something... more that allies. Maybe friends. But I was thinking- I was feeling about you... that we could be more than friends."

Watertail cocked her head, confused. "What are you talking about?" she asked nervously.

"Watertail, I love you, and I want us to be mates." he said.

"You're right, Dustclaw," Watertail said, feeling warm and fuzzy. "Our plot to be leader doesn't just have to be about scheming and fighting and, well, we could do it together. Make our own little clan, once we become the leaders."

They lay down, tails entwined, and talked about how nice it would be when all the trouble was over and they could just be mates.

"I love you, Dustclaw," Watertail whispered, pressing her muzzle into Dustclaw's warm fur.

"I love you, too," Dustclaw said, purring loudly. The two quickly fell asleep.

Bushnose POV

"Whitedew, do you want some water?" Bushnose asked.

"No, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," Whitedew said with a laugh. "These kits are coming just yet."

"But the kits are due today!" Bushnose said.

"But not just yet," Whitedew assured him, gazing fondly at her swollen belly.

"Oh, alright," Bushnose said, giving in. "Flametoe, Brownleaf, when are the kits supposed to be coming?" he asked again.

"Maybe-"

"Now!" Whitedew screeched.

"What?! NOW?!" Bushnose yowled. "Get-get the stuff... the herbs- get the herbs... get the stuff that you need when a cat is giving birth!" he stuttered at Flametoe, who was already bounding into the medicine cat den. Another queen shuffled Bushnose out of the nursery.

"Birth is a place for she-cats and medicine cats only," she said. Bushnose hissed irritably, but obeyed.

He heard screeches of pain, and wanted to go in. He squeezed in saw something that he didn't think was supposed to be happening. Blood was smeared on the floor of the nursery, and she was screaming so loud that Bushnose thought his ears would split.

"What's going wrong?" he said above his mate's cries of agony. Brownleaf looked at him and shook his head, as if to say I just don't know.

"It's going all wrong!" Flametoe yowled over the noise.

After a long while of listening to Whitedew's screeches, it suddenly stopped. Whitedew looked very tired and weak. Four small bundles of fur lay at her belly, two suckled, but the other two didn't move.

"Are-are they dead?" Whitedew whimpered. She had gone hoarse because of all of her screaming.

"Whitedew, are you alright?" Bushnose asked, nuzzling her. "I thought you were going to die!" he said, barely holding back tears.

"I think these two are stillborn," Flametoe said sadly.

"No! Look at that one! It's trying to move," Brownleaf pointed out.

"It's alive!" Whitedew said. "But what about that other one?"

"Nope," Flametoe said, confirming the parent's fears.

Bushnose bowed his head, feeling defeated. "Shall we give him a name before we send him off to StarClan?" he asked.

"Yes," Whitedew said. "How about Nutkit?" she suggested.

"Perfect!" Bushnose agreed. "Look at that big one! It looks just like Fallear. What was Fallear's name before he fell and hurt his ear? Flamtoe? Do you know?" Bushnose asked the medicine cat.

"Well, I think his name was Stormpaw," Flametoe said.

"Hey, how about we name this one Stormkit!" Whitedew said.

"It fits perfectly," Bushnose said. "Let's hope he doesn't lose his ear too!" he joked.

"What about these other two?" White dew asked.

"This one looks like you; it's white. Should we name it Snowkit?" Bushnose asked.

Whitedew nodded, "What about for the tortoiseshell and white one? Maplekit?"

"Sure! I like that!" Bushnose said.

"Three beautiful kits," Whitedew mewed, gazing at the three lovingly. "They're perfect."

"Stormkit, Snowkit, and Maplekit!" Flametoe said, looking from one kit, to the others. "Beautiful names. But you might want to be careful with Snowkit. She seemed weaker than the others."

"I'll never let anything ever harm them." he promised himself.

Watertail POV

"Watertail's missing!" she heard faintly, probably from camp.

"Dustclaw! You have to go! But I have a plan to cover this up," Watertail whispered.

She was about to bound away when,"Watertail! Wait!" Dustclaw called through the bushes.

"What is it? Hurry, though, I have to get back, soon!" she meowed.

"See you tomorrow?" he said hopefully as he ran to catch up with her.

"Maybe," she answered thoughtfully. "But could with do this in your territory?"

"Sure! Bye!" he said. He licked her ears affectionately, and ran in the direction of the river.

Watertail ran back to camp, but on the way, she covered herself in some red berry juice.

It looks just like blood, she thought to herself, proud of herself for thinking up such a clever idea. She ran to camp and started fake panting.

"I was going out on a midnight walk, because I couldn't sleep, and these rogues attacked me! They said they were allegiances of RockClan," she explained.

"First RockClan was stealing our prey, and now they're trying to steal our warriors? They're evil!" said a young warrior.

"They can't be all that bad. Maybe the rogues weren't allegiances of RockClan," piped a small apprentice.

"Loudpaw, how could they not be?" the apprentice's mother asked her.

"We should attack them!" another apprentice growled.

"No, we shall not attack them," Whitheredstar corrected. "Loudpaw is probably right. Maybe they hate RockClan so much that they're trying to trick us."

"Yeah, right."

"Yeah, he just just wants to keep peace," Watertail heard two young warriors whisper. "He's always loved RockClan so much."

Watertail agreed with the young warrior. Whitheredstar would have to go.

"I need more warriors for my hunting patrol!" Owlflower yowled.

"I'll go!" Watertail volunteered.

"Sorry, Watertail, but no. I may not be a medicine cat, but I can tell when a she-cat is having kits."

"I have noticed too, because I am a medicine cat," Snakefure joked.

"What?!" Watertail exclaimed. "I'm not! Am I?"

"You are," Snakefur confirmed.

It was dusk, and it was dusk, and it was the perfect time to try and sneak out to Dustclaw.

"I'm gonna go on a walk," she said.

"No, it's too dangerous in the forest. There's rogues maybe near," Owlflower warned.

"Oh no, I'm just going a little past camp," she told the deputy and medicine cat.

"Alright. Tell the guards that," Snakefur instructed.

"Dustclaw, I'm here!" Watertail whispered.

"Oh good, I thought you wouldn't come! Why are you here so late?" Dustclaw asked as he padded out from under his hiding place.

"Well, the medicine cat stopped me," Watertail said.

"Why? Did you get hurt?" Dustclaw asked.

"No, it's just... I-I... I'm having kits!" Water said.

"What? That's wonderful!" Dustclaw exclaimed.

"Well, it's just, I can't sneak out to meet you anymore. And I also have another problem," Watertail said frustratedly.

"What is it?" Dustclaw purred, running tail along Watertail's belly.

"I need you to kill Whitheredstar."