I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long. I finally got my new laptop, so now I can hopefully update more regularly. I also posted an extra long (for me) chapter for you guys since I haven't updated in forever. I hope you guys like it.
Chapter Twenty-five
Dovewing sat next to her kits as she waited for the ceremony to start. Fernkit and Shadekit's pelts were sleek and well groomed. Millie and Graystripe stood proudly next to them. Dovewing wondered who the mentors would be. As she thought, Bramblestar bounded out of his den and onto highrock.
"We are meeting here for Shadekit and Fernkit's apprentice ceremony. Would Fernkit please come forward?" the small gray she cat stepped forward. Brightheart, can you also come forward?" The ginger and white warrior came forward as well. "Brightheart, you've proved your place in this Clan many times over. I believe you will be an excellent mentor to Fernkit. Now, Fernkit, from this day forward, do you promise to uphold the warrior code with your life?" Fernkit dipped her head nervously.
"I do." she whispered.
"Then from this day until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Fernpaw."
"Fernpaw! Fernpaw!" Fernpaw and her mentor touched noses while the Clan cheered for the newest apprentice. Bramblestar waited for the noise level to die down before continuing.
"Shadekit, do you also promise to uphold the warrior code with your life?" Unlike her sister, Shadekit stood tall, and her response rang out across the clearing.
"I do."
"Then from this day until the day you receive your warrior name, you'll be known as Shadepaw. Blossomfall will be your mentor." The tortoiseshell and white she-cat padded forward proudly. She and her apprentice touched noses while Bramblestar spoke. "Blossomfall, you proved your loyalty to ThunderClan when you turned your back on the Dark Forest and helped defeat them. I hope you will pass on some of this loyalty to Shadepaw."
"Shadepaw! Shade-" the Clan's jubilant cheering was interrupted by Squirrelflight buckling in pain beside Dovewing. Flowerkit and Stormkit squealed and darted closer to her, while Quickkit scampered across the clearing with her tail sticking straight up in the air. Jayfeather leapt to his paws. The cats immediately near Squirrelflight murmured nervously to one another, but nobody else seemed to notice.
"Stay calm." Jayfeather hissed to Thornclaw, who looked like he was going to collapse as well. Bumblestripe scooped up Quickkit before she could go anywhere else. Jayfeather quietly led Squirrelflight into the nursery. Dovewing set Stormkit and Flowerkit down next to Bumblestripe.
"Here, watch them." she instructed, "I'm going to see if Squirrelflight's okay." Her mate glanced questioningly at her.
"What happened?" he asked. Dovewing shrugged and hurried away. Bramblestar was pacing outside the nursery. Dovewing slid inside with a nod towards him. Squirrelflight was lying on the ground with Jayfeather's paws on her stomach. She let out a yowl as a contraction passed through her swollen belly.
"Are the kits coming?" Dovewing asked. Jayfeather shook his head decisively.
"No." then he paused and frowned. "I mean, maybe." He sighed and lowered his voice so Squirrelflight couldn't hear.
"I don't know." he admitted.
"Well, is there anything we can do to help?" Cinderheart, Daisy, and Thunder had arrived, looking eager to help. Jayfeather looked relieved at the prospect of assistance,
"Could one of you go to my den and get dandelion leaves for the pain, raspberry leaves in case of bleeding, and maybe a little bit of fennel for pain in the hips. Oh, honey too." Daisy, Thunder, and Dovewing stared uncertainly, but Cinderheart hurried off to the medicine den. "I guess there's still a little bit of Cinderpelt in her." he muttered.
"Wait." Daisy stepped forward. "This is my third litter of kits, and I've stayed in the nursery ever since I joined this Clan. I think I know the herbs used during kitting as well as any cat. And yet, you said the kits weren't coming." Jayfeather shrugged.
"It can't hurt to be safe, and I don't think they're coming because it's much to early." Cinderheart arrived just then, and Jayfeather sniffed the bundle of herbs. Another powerful ripple passed through Squirrelflight's round belly, and she whimpered. Jayfeather placed his paws on her belly again. "Well, there's not much I can do. You're just going to have to pull through, Squirrelflight. I'll check on you tomorrow." Jayfeather ducked out of the nursery. Dovewing shot a sympathetic glance at the dark ginger she-cat as she went to go collect her kits.
Ivypool sat in the clearing, sharing a plump thrush with Toadstep. She couldn't help but overhear the conversation Millie and Graystripe were having next to her.
"I'm going to move to the elders den, Graystripe." Millie insisted. "I'll be announcing it tomorrow. Why don't you join me? Our kits are all grown up." Graystripe purred, but shook his head.
"I love the life of a warrior. I want to keep hunting until I die." Millie hissed in frustration.
"We can- from the elders den!" Graystripe sighed.
"We're still young, Millie, we can still serve our Clan." Millie sighed too, and stood up.
"Alright. I'm going to go tell Bramblestar my decision. What I don't understand, is how we're going to stay mates if I'm in the elders den, and you're not. I came with you to your Clan, why won't you come with me to the elders den?" Ivypool watched as Millie walked away, leaving Graystripe alone, picking at their half-eaten mouse.
"Hey, are you okay?" Toadstep's meow brought her back to her own meal.
"Yeah, do you want to take out a hunting patrol?" Toadstep got to his paws and gave himself a shake.
"Sure, by the way, there's something I've been meaning to speak to you about-" he was cut off as Dreamkit and Thistlekit pounced on him. Cinderheart ran over, her eyes round with horror.
"I'm so sorry!" she mewed apologetically. Toadstep jumped to his paws.
"It's okay, I love kits. They were only playing." Cinderheart purred.
"You'll make a great father someday." She said this with a meaningful glance at Ivypool. Ivypool's fur pricked with embarrassment and she scuffled her paws on the ground.
"So," said Toadstep, like nothing had happened. "Who should we take on the patrol? I was thinking Foxleap, maybe. Snowpaw and Dewpaw for sure. And...one more?"
"How about Seedfall? She's still quite a young warrior, but she's a good hunter."
"She's good!" Toadstep responded enthusiastically, flicking the tip of her ear with his tail. They gathered the cats in the patrol an left the camp.
Ivypool watched Snowpaw catch first, a shrew, second, a vole, and third, a huge rabbit.
"Great catches, Snowpaw! The Clan will eat well tonight!" Her apprentice lugged his humongous catch to a holly bush and pushed it underneath. Ivypool herself was scraping earth over her own two squirrels and mouse when she heard Seedfall cry out. She and Snowpaw lurched around. Foxleap was standing next to Seedfall. One of her forepaws was held of the ground.
"Sorry," she mewed sheepishly. "I twisted my paw in a rabbit hole." Toadstep pushed out of the bushes across from her.
"It's okay, Seedfall. We're just glad it was nothing serious." he meowed. "It's about time we headed back to camp anyway. Is everyone ready?" Dewpaw appeared next to Toadstep with his jaws full of prey. Snowpaw struggled to lug his huge rabbit all the way back to camp. Dewpaw and Snowpaw took the lead, with Ivypool and Toadstep behind them, and Seedfall and Foxleap bringing up the rear. Ivypool leaned over to Toadstep and whispered with her mouth full of fur:
"Do they honestly think we won't notice them nuzzling back there?" Toadstep glanced behind them in surprise, then stifled a mrrow of laughter at the sight of the two ginger warriors weaving around each other and entwining their tails.
"Isn't she a bit young for a mate?"purred Toadstep as they dropped their prey on the fresh-kill pile. Ivypool shrugged as she settled down beside him. She noticed the fresh-kill pile was piled high and she knew all the cats would go to bed that night with full stomachs.
Later, as the Clan lay in the last rays of the dying sun, Bramblestar leapt onto highledge.
"Tonight we will feast in honor of our two new apprentices!" he yowled. Ivypool was relieved to see he didn't seem very worried about Squirrelflight. She figured that meant she was okay. She shared one of her squirrels with Toadstep. After they finished, Toadstep sat back.
"Listen, Ivypool, I think we both know that-" he was interrupted by Lionblaze coming over and telling her that she was going to the Gathering the next night and should probably get some sleep. She padded over to her den, and looked back at Toadstep. He was sitting alone in the clearing looking very, very, frustrated. Blossomfall, Lilywish, Cherrysky, Rosepetal, Icecloud, and Hazeltail were already grooming themselves in their nests when Ivypool came in. Ivypool noticed an empty nest in the corner.
"Where's Seedfall?" she asked Lilywish. The brown and white she-cat snorted at the mention of her sister.
"She went to go sleep in the same den as Foxleap. That's all she ever talks about these days. It's always Foxleap this, and Foxleap, that. And-"
"Alright, alright! We get it!" Icecloud had bristled, probably embarrassed that they were talking about her brother.
"It's not a big deal." said Ivypool. "Everyone likes someone."
"Oh yeah?" smirked Icecloud. "Who do you like?" Blossomfall rolled her eyes.
"Toadstep, duh! Haven't you noticed how much they hang out?"
"We're training our apprentices!" Ivypool tried to defend herself. "Besides, everyone knows you're padding after Thornclaw." Blossomfall shook her fur out hotly, but she didn't try to deny it.
"So what if I am? He likes me back!" Cherrysky purred.
"Sure he does. What about you, Rosepetal?" The cream colored rolled on her back.
"All I can say is that it sure is a shame that Foxleap's spoken for." Icecloud made a face at Rosepetal, who turned to Hazeltail. "How about you?" The small gray and white she-cat shrugged.
"I don't know, I don't really like anyone." Cherrysky nodded in agreement.
"Me either. Toms are annoying." Icecloud's whiskers twitched in amusement.
"Yeah, I guess I don't like anyone either."
Jayfeather wrapped Seedfall's paw in comfry. He shook out two poppy seeds for the pain. She lapped them up. He examined her paw one last time.
"It's not too bad, but it's worse than a thought last night. A sprain, maybe. Come back at sun-high. Do you need anymore poppy seeds?" Seedfall tested her weight on her injured paw. Jayfeather growled.
"Foxleap, get out of my stores. Do you have to wait for her in here?" The reddish tom backed out of Jayfeather's herbs.
"Sorry Jayfeather, but Seedfall and I are going to go hunting." Jayfeather rolled his sightless blue eyes.
"No, you're not. Seedfall can't go hunting on that paw. I'm confining her to camp." Seedfall started to complain.
"Please don't Jayfeather. I'm feeling better already!"
"Then I suppose you can help me check the elders for ticks. Right?" Seedfall sighed and her tail drooped.
"Alright. I guess you'll have to go without me then, Foxleap." Foxleap pressed his flank up against hers.
"It won't be as much fun without you." Seedfall perked up at that, but Jayfeather shoved him out of his den.
"Here Seedfall, you might as well help me. This is nettle. Put it over there near the parsley. These are cobnuts. They go over there by the spiderwebs. Can you fetch me some moss soaked in water? We're going to go visit Squirrelflight and see if she's okay. She might be thirsty." Seedfall glanced up.
"Are we going to the nursery? I love the nursery. Kits are so cute!" Jayfeather rolled his eyes again. Seedfall was really annoying. He padded across the clearing with her bouncing along behind him. She stopped when Mousewhisker walked by.
"Look, I sprained my paw, and Jayfeather confined me to camp!" Jayfeather grit his teeth and walked on. He ducked into the nursery. Cinderheart was busily washing Thistlekit while Daisy and Dovewing napped. Thunder was playing mossball in the corner with Goldenkit and Honeykit. Seedfall bounded over to Dreamkit and Hollykit and began playing with them.
"Where's Squirrelflight?" he asked Cinderheart. She set Thistlekit aside.
"Oh, she isn't back yet?" when she saw his confused expression, she continued. "She went to Bramblestar's den late last night. She said she'd be back soon, but, um, she's clearly not here." Jayfeather growled. Why were stupid cats always making his job so much harder?
"Thanks Cinderheart." he glanced for Seedfall, but she was gone. He sighed and left the nursery.
He didn't even bother to ask before barging into Bramblestar's den. Squirrelflight and Bramblestar were curled up sleeping in his nest. Jayfeather loudly cleared his throat and nudged Bramblestar with his paw.
"Listen Bramblestar," he began, not even pausing when he saw his leader's shocked expression. "You need to stop letting Squirrelflight come into your den." The ginger she-cat stirred and woke up. She froze when she saw Jayfeather. Bramblestar frowned.
"Why? She's fine now, see?" Jayfeather hissed.
"She's fine now, but we clearly don't know what made her unfine in the first place, and until we figure it out, we shouldn't be carting her around the camp every night!" he exclaimed. Bramblestar and Squirrelflight slowly looked at one another, then looked at him. Squirrelflight hustled to her paws.
"I guess I'll be going now." then she dashed out of the den. Jayfeather stretched, then calmly drew a paw over his ear. "You should probably choose a patrol for the Gathering tonight." Then he left the den, leaving his leader in a shocked silence.
Okay, weird ending, kind of dumb, I know. R&R! I'll try to update soon.