"Attack me."
Cloversplash used Lionblazes words to her own apprentice. It felt good to relax with training.
Firepaw was a natrual fighter and hunter, she was well liked in the clan and was extremely helpful with all the duties.
Cloversplash watched Firepaw's gaze flick from her mentor's shoulder to her paws, then to her back, confusing Cloversplash enough so that when she sprang, her mentor moved to the side somewhat awkwardly and so Firepaw got a perfect target of her back, but she moved to slow and Cloversplash had the time to step away from the landing spot and pin her apprentice down when she fell on flat ground.
"That was great, Firepaw. Just remember to time your moves better." Firepaw glowed in her praise, and Cloversplash remembered what it felt like to be praised by Lionblaze. He never gave it out easily so when he did you knew it was true. It was her favourite quality in her former mentor, and right then and there she promised herself to be more like him.
When they returned to camp, they found the camp all huddled in the clearing, barely talking. Toadstep was pacing outside the nursery, with a destressed look on his face.
"Toadstep, what's wrong? It's not Brightcloud right? Is she alright?" Cloversplash asked.
"Brightcloud has started kitting!"
"What!?" Firepaw and Cloversplash meowed at the same time.
"But it's too early!" Cloversplash exclaimed.
"I know. She started right after you left. That's dawn 'till sunset, and still nothing but pain and blood." Toadstep fretted.
"Is she alright?"
"Jayfeather says she might not make it."
"NO!" Cloversplash yowled, trying to make her way to the nursery, but Toadstep blocked her path.
"Jayfeather says we're not aloud inside. I tried." He looked defeated, as if all he lived for was suddenly crushed into dust.
"I- I- I- I have to see her," Cloversplash meowed. "Does Willowfrost and Sandbreeze know?"
"Willowfrost is on border patrol and Sandbreeze is hunting." Toadstep answered.
"Firepaw, please go fetch them as fast as you can." She ordered.
"Yes Cloversplash, I'll be back before you can say 'mouse'." Firepaw replied, and raced faster than Cloversplash ever saw her run before through the thorn tunnel. She was back sooner than she expected, with her other two friends following.
"What's up?" Sandbreeze asked.
"Ya. Firepaw only said that you needed us and it was an emergency." Willowfrost added.
"It's Brightcloud. She's kitting, early. Jayfeather says she may not make it." Cloversplash answered, defeated.
"Let me see her." Willowfrost demanded.
"You can." The answer came from Bramblestar, who was standing behind them. He must've been there for a while but they hadn't noticed. "But only one at a time."
"Toadstep, you should go first." Willowfrost meowed, and Toadstep nodded his thanks.
It was awhile untill he came back and Willowfrost took his place. Sandbreeze went third and Cloversplash came in last. When she finally came in, Jayfeather was at her side and she was panting heavily.
"Cloversplash! This hurts so bad!" She yowled.
"Brightcloud, you have to calm down, if you panic you could delay the kits." Jayfeather meowed.
"I AM CALM!" She snarled, then quickly apologized. "Sorry, I'm just really stressed and it hurts so much."
"Sandbreeze, get me a stick, a large one that won't splinter easily, and hurry." Jayfeather ordered through the entrance and Sandbreeze soon returned with a stick that fit his demands well enough. She placed it beside Brightcloud's head, then left again. "Brightcloud, I think the first one's coming, so you'll have to push really hard." He meowed after she started to pant really heavily. After the load of pain and the bit of blood, the first kit came into the world, tiny and sickly looking. He looked like he wouldn't even last the night. Brightcloud looked at him sadly, and Cloversplash felt a sudden rush if pity for her friend. Losing a kit would be hard for her, so they'd have to make extra sure that this little tom survived. He was blue-gray with darker blue-gray patches, and so so tiny. The moment didn't last long and soon the second kit was born, a she-kit, she was silver with white patches and bigger and healthier looking than her brother. Soon another tom was born followed by another she-kit. The second tom was pure gray and the she-kit was pure silver.
"There, two toms and a she-kit. You're all done, now eat this borage to help your milk to come and feed that one tom, he might not make it. And get someone to get you a rabbit or something, that was a hard birth right there, and you're pretty weak right now." Ordered Jayfeather, setting down a pile of leaves then leaving the den, calling to Sandbreeze, Willowfrost and Toadstep to enter, and Firepaw to fetch some prey. She soon appeared and left a large rabbit at her feet and promised to bring her and the kits feathers.
"They're so beautiful." Toadstep meowed at last.
"I know." Brightcloud replied, nuzzling her mate after a mouthful of rabbit.
"Do you have any names?" Cloversplash asked.
"I want to call this one Echokit" she meowed, indicating with her muzzle at the silver and white she-kit, "and this one Stormkit." She finished, pointing to the bigger gray tom.
"Let's call her Silverkit then," Toadstep added, licking the silver she-kit on the head, "and the little tom Rainkit." Pointing to the sickly kit.
"I feel so bad for him, I really hope he gets better." Willowfrost meowed sympatheticly.
"Me too Willowfrost, me too." Brightcloud replied.