Hey all! Luna here! o.o Almost 50 reviews! You know how happy that makes me? Extremely! We're almost there! Whoo! :D Thanks to all who ever reviewed! Let's get it to 50!
Here's the next chapter!
Chapter 26: The Brother's Rage
Russet set down his mate gently, turning on Lunaclaw. "What can I do?" He looked at his mate while she hysterically screeched "The kits! My kits! Help them!"
"By not worrying. Something is wrong, but I'm sure it's ok." Lunaclaw said, grabbing various leaves that were piled on the shelf. She shooed away the tom. "Go get some extra paws. Preferably experienced females." She ducked back inside.
"Um…ah…" stuttered the tom as he stumbled out of the den. Turning, he caught the eye of Sand. That's right. She had kits before.
"Sand, Lunaclaw needs your help. Silver…" The she-cat recognized the panicked look in his eye. Nodding quickly, she dashed to the medicine cat den.
Who else? Who helped Darkshard kit? One of the Unchoosens. Who was it? He couldn't remember. Flexing his claws, he trotted to the Unchoosen den and hollered down. "Whichever one of you helped Darkshard kit, come up here."
Featherface slowly climbed up the ledge steps. Her pelt was thinning horribly, and Russet could see every one of her ribs through her tight skin. "Y-yes, Russet?" She spoke softly while she kept her eyes on her paws.
"GO help Lunaclaw…please. My mate's kitting and…" He looked around to make sure they couldn't be heard. "I'll give you each extra prey, just please…"She looked into his eyes, startled at the sudden kind treatment and equality. He put on his best 'begging' face, despite the fact he could just order her to do it. She quickly averted her eyes, remembering her place, and nodded. As she started to turn, he could hear her quiet whisper. "Thank you, Russet. May Starclan light your path."
Odd. I haven't heard that in ages. Funny, she hasn't heard kindness and I haven't heard a Clan saying. Perhaps I'm practicing being nice for my kits. Russet chuckled, and then sighed, dragging himself away from the Unchoosen den and settled himself beside the medicine cat den. He flattened his ears in hopes to quiet the cries of his mate. Soon, exhaustion washed over him, and his eyes began to droop.
"Russet!" A nudge from a paw made him blink. "Your kits…" He shot to his paws, facing Sand and Lunaclaw.
"What? What about them? Are they ok? Is Silver ok?" He flicked an ear, looking from cat to cat with a blend of worry and excitement.
Sand sighed, lowering her head. Russet's face fell. Lunaclaw stepped forward. "She's fine. It's about your kits. You had three. One was dead, the tom, before birth, due to head trauma. Another….her lungs…there was too much fluid in them….I'm sorry."
"What about the other? The third?!" Russet growled as he sunk his claws into the soft ground, his eyes shut tight.
"He lived, but…" Sand said.
"But what? Tell me!"
"She thinks he may be blind." Sand said, letting out an exhausted, yet irritated, exhale.
"Can I go…see them?"
Lunaclaw nods and he sprints to the medicine cat den. Silver, sleeping at the moment, is lying on a moss-and-feather nest, curled around the one kit. He was beautiful; his pelt was a blend of ember red and silver. His right ear, left front paw, middle of his left hind leg, and right back paw were silver, with the rest of his body a striking crimson. His eyes were as blue as the sky with white fluffy clouds: clouded eyes that marked the sign of a blind cat.
Russet smiled at his sleeping mate and kit. He noticed two leaf wrapped bundles, and a pain seemed to grip his heart. He slowly padded over to one, using his claw to tear the vine that bundled it, then the other.
A rust-colored she, with a grey tail, chest, and belly, lay motionless, with a clear fluid dripping down her muzzle in a tiny puddle under her parted jaws. A silver tom lay, cold, still, and extremely tiny, in the bundle next to her. His head was slightly misshapen, with a small dent in his skull that was easily noticeable.
"I know why Emberpad is alive they're dead." Russet hadn't noticed she had woken up until he heard her voice.
"What did you say?"
"I know why Dawnpad," she gestured to the she-kit, "and Pebblepad," and to the tom, "died."
"It wasn't your fault, Sil-"
"Redfur. Your brother."
Russet stiffened. "What?! What did he-"
"Abuse. He kicked my stomach." She was crying by now. "And he-…where are you-…Russet!"
The fuming tom had ran out of the den and out of camp. He sprinted as fast as he could. His muscles screamed, and his lungs gasped for air as if he had left his head underwater for too long.
Two of my kits. Dead. Because of my brother.
My incredible mate. Hurt. Because of my brother.
He could tease and torture me all he wants, but he will NOT hurt anyone else.
Soon, he reached the Thunderclan border, and waited. He saw his brother, hunting. Perfect.
Russet tensed his muscles, ready to spring. His tail lashed and thumped impatiently on the ground. His claws tapped on the soil, ready to dig into fur and flesh. His growl rumbled low in his chest. Adrenaline ran wild in his veins, seeming to spread the wildness to his eyes, which twitched every so often. With a yowl of rage, he released the burn in his muscles, springing up and forward toward the unsuspecting tom.
I'm too tired to finish this chapter, so I'll write some more in the morning hopefully!
I drew (well, found a blank cat template and colored) Emberpad! He's so cute! I was planning on writing a small one-shot about him later on, and I'll use that photo as the Image Photo, so you all can get a better visual on him!
REMEMBER TO REVIEW! I WOULD LOVE 50 REVIEWS! Thanks for all the support! Happy Reading!
-Luna
