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Fifteen

Dovestar watched in amusement as Mintpaw and Snowpaw sparred with each other. The two young cats squared each other up before Mintpaw surged forward after finding an opening. Snowpaw was quick on her paws though. To Mintpaw's surprise, Snowpaw managed to avoid getting battered by gray paws as Mintpaw skidded across the clearing. Forestpelt encouraged his apprentice in spite of his miner setback.

It was a sight to behold.

To Dovestar's surprise and relief, Forestpelt and Aspencreek had been working well together. Aspencreek explained that she and Forestpelt had begun patrolling the territory together with their apprentices. What surprised Dovestar the most was the progress Forestpelt made in such a short time. It was obvious Aspencreek had been teaching him how to properly fight and work with younger cats. In spite of it being a moon since Mintpaw and Snowpaw became apprentices, there was an obvious sign of progress between the two young cats as well.

"Snowpaw's smaller size can be used to her advantage in a fight," Aspencreek explained once they regrouped. Mintpaw's eyes narrowed while Snowpaw beamed at her mentor's praise. "The two of you need to learn how to use that as well in a battle. Partner fighting is a great strategy, especially if you're unprepared in battle."

I remember Lionblaze teaching me that, Dovestar thought. She had fond memories of practice fighting alongside the other apprentices. At the time, she and Ivypool hadn't been getting along as well as they did before the Dark Battle. It was only until Dovestar realized how jealous her sister was that things finally changed for the better. It might be a good idea for everyone to try practicing such skills.

Mothwing had begun teaching her how to swim before she found out she was pregnant. It was difficult to adjust to the lake at first, but Mothwing was a surprisingly good teacher. Even Tigerheart was willing to get his paws wet if it meant learning some new tactics. Especially if it meant keeping the Clan safe from threats like Lightning and the Dark Forest.

"You all did well today," she cut in once their training was over. Both Mintpaw and Snowpaw stared at their leader in surprise when they realized she had been watching them. Aspencreek was the one who suggested she join them to see how the new apprentices were doing. Dovestar was more than happy to oblige. It was a nice break from the constant tension brewing between herself and Minnowtail. She tried not to let the tension show, but the rest of the Clan was only just beginning to notice it. She knew sooner or later things would explode in a fight, and she dreaded the moment that happened. "If you keep this up, you'll be warriors in no time."

"I'm gonna be the best warrior the Clan has ever seen!" Mintpaw declared while puffing out his chest. "Mamma says we'll all be great warriors some day!"

"Mamma says that to Stonepaw," Snowpaw rolled her eyes in exasperation. "All she ever does is spoil him rotten while letting him get away with whatever pranks he wants to pull on us."

Dovestar couldn't help but frown when she realized what Snowpaw was implying.

She saw how Minnowtail treated the rest of her kits. The dark gray she-cat often went out of her way to be there for Stonepaw and Rainpaw. Snowpaw and Mintpaw were often left behind in the process, which begged the question of why. She couldn't help but wonder if there was something deeper going on that Minnowtail didn't want the rest of the Clan to know.

She tried pushing away those uneasy thoughts.

Minnowtail was just one problem she had to deal with. Then there was the fact that she had Lightning and his gang of rogues to worry about as well.

Luckily the attacks had finally begun to cease since the patrols stepped up. Though Dovestar had a feeling that Lightning was biding his time. He seemed to know what he was doing when it came to launching those ambushes. What worried her was the fact that the Clan could be unprepared the moment he chose to attack.

We need to be more prepared for signs of an invasion, she reminded herself. I won't lose anyone to Lightning or to the Dark Forest… never again.

Her claws sheathed and unsheathed at the thought of dealing with the Dark Forest. That in itself was a whole different problem they would have to worry about. The lack of Dark Forest warriors unnerved her. She tried listening for signs of any cats working for the Dark Forest. Anyone that fought alongside the Dark Forest fled since the Dark Battle. She knew full-well they were still out there, possibly waiting for the right opportunity to strike.

"Dovestar, is everything okay?"

Aspencreek's voice shook her out of those dark thoughts. Dovestar's ears flattened with embarrassment when she noticed Aspencreek and Forestpelt were staring at her with concern.

Neither cat had seen the battle that took place nearly a moon ago. She supposed that was a good thing for their sake. Otherwise that might have scared them into not wanting to join the Clan. She gave her chest fur a few quick licks before trying to regain her composure. The last thing she wanted was to give them a reason to leave the Clan.

"I'm sorry," she apologized once she found her voice. "I'm just mulling over distant memories."

The two cats shared knowing looks while the apprentices practiced their hunting skills. Dovestar kept a careful eye on them. She knew it was just a distraction from the concerns that continued clawing away at her. She was grateful for the distractions, even if it was only temporary. With so much going on at once, the stress had slowly but surely begun eating away at her again.

"Considering what's at stake, I'm not surprised," Aspencreek meowed as Forestpelt went over to work with Mintpaw. Dovestar's ears flattened when she caught the knowing look sweeping across the dark gray cat's eyes. "Every mother knows what it's like to worry. I'll always worry about my sons regardless of whether or not we joined the Clan."

Dovestar couldn't help but wince when she realized what Aspencreek was implying.

Their lives would always be at risk regardless of where they went. She knew no matter what her own kits would be at risk of harm. That was simply in the nature of living out in the forest.

"How do you handle it?" she asked warily. Aspencreek merely tilted her head to one side. "Knowing that their lives could be in constant danger?"

My kits aren't even born yet and I have to worry about them constantly, she thought guiltily.

"One thing I've learned about being a mother is ensuring that they look after each other," Aspencreek explained after a few heartbeats followed. Dovestar blinked in surprise as she glanced at Snowpaw and Mintpaw pointedly. "Those two have a similar bond like Nightpaw and Pepperpaw."

Kind of like myself and Ivypool, she realized.

Her heart nearly skipped a beat as that realization dawned on her. She had been incredibly lucky to have her sister. Even if Ivypool was no longer physically with her, she could still feel her sister's presence in the lives she was given. As strange as it felt, she felt closer to Ivypool than ever.

"Thank you," she let out a sigh of relief. "I'm new to being a mother, and I want to make sure that I don't make any mistakes."

Aspencreek suddenly broke into a purr.

"It isn't uncommon for any first time mothers to feel that way," she reassured her. Dovestar couldn't help but duck her head in embarrassment at that. "There's nothing wrong with feeling worried about your kit's future. Just don't let it consume you; one of the biggest mistakes for any mother is to worry so much that they forget the best part of being a mother."

Dovestar didn't know how to respond to that. She suspected Aspencreek was speaking from experience. She didn't talk much about her past, aside from when she met Molly's group and started living with them. Nightpaw and Pepperpaw had been kits when she joined the Clan, but they were already fully weaned by that point.

...

The painful wail came out of nowhere.

One moment Tigerheart was sound asleep beside Dovestar, and the next, he was scrambling to his paws with panic. It only took a split second for him to register what was happening as Mothwing arrived with herbs in her mouth. Rainpaw trotted alongside her, eyes wide with something akin to horror when she saw Dovestar collapsed in her nest.

Tigerheart's jaw went slack with guilt when he found himself staring at the scene with a mixture of panic and guilt.

He knew how painful kitting could be. He saw mothers in ShadowClan go through similar experiences. Well, he heard Flametail recall how those experiences went. A shudder racked through him at the thought of putting his mate through this kind of agony. Mothwing was more than experienced in this role though. He saw how quickly she went to work making sure Dovestar was comfortable. She brought the right kind of herbs to make the situation go by as smoothly as possible.

"I'm going to need you to take a deep breath," Mothwing meowed while keeping a careful eye on Dovestar's contracting belly. "It looks as if they shouldn't be too much longer. And if you're going to stand there like a useless tree, then you need to leave."

Her sharp glare was a contrast to the way she spoke. Tigerheart's ears flattened as he looked between Dovestar and the medicine cat. It pained him to leave her like this, but he knew Dovestar was in good paws. He reluctantly left the den to give them some much needed space, and to give himself room to breathe.

As it was, he struggled to maintain his composure as cats emerged from their dens in confusion. The only cat not confused by the noise was Smoketuft. It was obvious he experienced kit birth before, though he didn't look any less annoyed at having been roused from his sleep. Tigerheart tried to look as composed as he could when Hollyleaf approached him.

"I take it the kits are on their way?" she asked. Tigerheart didn't know how to respond, and Hollyleaf's purr only added insult to injury. "She's in good paws. Mothwing's a skilled medicine cat, and she has Rainpaw with her."

"I'm not worried about that," he admitted guiltily. His ears flattened as he pictured what his own family had been like before the Dark Battle. Rowanstar had been determined to prove himself as ShadowClan's leader. His own mother struggled to keep the family together after Flametail's death. He and Dawnpelt had always been at odds with each other, but things got worse when Flametail died. Thankfully they were able to rekindle their relationship after that, but it was never the same as when they were kits. Then there was the added notion that their grandfather also happened to be Tigerstar, one of the most infamous cats known in the Clan's history. "I'm worried that I'll end up like him."

Hollyleaf's eyes narrowed with understanding.

"You are nothing like your grandfather." Tigerheart looked at her in surprise when she let out a furious snarl. "I've heard the stories of how terrible Tigerstar was. And I've personally seen how he manipulated cats even in death. You could have easily followed in his pawsteps, but you chose our side. Why was that?"

His ears flattened once again when he realized what she was implying.

There had been a time when he wanted nothing more than to prove himself a valuable warrior. He remembered how Tigerstar visited him in his dreams. How the dark tabby whispered words of encouragement. How he met the other Dark Forest cats, including Minnowtail. He remembered how horrified he was when he learned of Tigerstar's true motives.

In the end, he couldn't bring himself to fight alongside the Dark Forest warriors. Watching his Clanmates die because of them triggered something deep within him. He fought as many cats as he could until he was blinded with rage and possibly his own blood. It was only until finding Olivenose that he felt a surge of hope. That maybe not all was lost.

Though that hope was crushed the moment Olivenose died, he knew that he still had this new Clan to call home. That meant more to him than he could ever admit out loud.

"I couldn't fight alongside them," he let out a heavy sigh after staring at nothing in particular. Hollyleaf blinked in surprise, though she shouldn't have been considering how important loyalty was to ShadowClan. "When I found out his true motives, I wanted to warn Rowanstar. But I also knew he would never believe me, or he would accuse me of working for them. So I kept my mouth shut until it was too late. By that point, I might as well have been a traitor for not warning them sooner."

He still felt incredibly guilty for not warning his Clanmates. He knew Rowanstar would have likely never forgiven him for training with Tigerstar. He would have worked twice as hard to ensure that the Clan trusted him… anything was better than the guilt that threatened to consume him.

"That's the difference between you and Tigerstar." It was his turn to look even more surprised when Hollyleaf nudged him gently. "You care so much about your family and your Clan. He only cared about himself and the power he held over the Clans. That was his biggest mistake."

He wasn't sure what to say as realization dawned on him.

She was right about Tigerstar only caring about himself. The dark tabby had only ever been interested in strong, fit warriors that were ready for battle. That was why so many cats had been easy to manipulate. He took advantage of their need for power and used that against them. He could never do that to his own Clan, let alone his family.

That was the main reason he vowed to keep Dovestar safe. To ensure that the Clan was also kept safe, regardless of what happened. He wouldn't let them fall to the Dark Forest like the rest of the Clans. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice… at least, he hoped that was the case.

He was ready to say something else when Rainpaw emerged from the den, looking more than relieved.

"Mothwing says to come in," she announced.

Tigerheart's eyes widened when he caught the knowing look Hollyleaf gave him.

One nod of encouragement was all it took for him to crawl inside the den.

His shoulders sank with relief when he saw how much more relaxed Dovestar looked once the kits arrived. She was no longer writhing in pain, and their were three tiny bundles of fur resting at her belly. It only took a split second for him to register that these were his kits as well. His heart warmed with joy at the sight of seeing his mates with those tiny bundles. There was something almost surreal about realizing that he was a father now.

Are you proud of them too? he wondered while thinking of his own family.

He knew Tawnypelt would have been proud. He knew Dawnpelt would have rolled her eyes and called him a 'frogbrain' for falling for a ThunderClan cat. At this point, he didn't care. His family was laying before him in the form of Dovestar and their newborn kits. And the awe that struck him was enough to nearly knock the breath out of his lungs.

"They're beautiful," he finally said out loud. Mothwing left to give them some much needed time alone together once she was certain the kits were healthy enough. "Just like you."

He nuzzled her affectionately as she let out a tired purr of satisfaction, "Flattery will get you everywhere." He couldn't help the purr that followed. Even on the verge of exhaustion, she still held a trace of humor. "Two mollies and a tom. Mothwing called it."

Tigerheart's fur warmed at the prospect of watching them grow up. He was only just beginning to understand what Dovestar went through before the kits were born. She had been understandably worried over letting them grow up in such a hostile world. Now that he could see the kits for himself, he was suddenly aware of just how small and vulnerable they were.

"What names were you thinking?" he asked after settling down beside her.

They all had different pelt colors compared to their parents. One was a tawny colored kit with light brown patches. Another was ginger and white around the face, torso and legs. The third kit looked remarkably like Dovestar's father, Birchfall.

"To be honest I haven't thought of that," she admitted. Tigerheart knew exactly how she felt. Their lives had gotten so much busier now that the Clan was starting to function like an actual Clan. Things would only get busier now that they had kits to look after. Not that he didn't see that as a problem. "I was thinking of Leafkit for the ginger and white kit. She reminds me of leaves in leaf-fall when they start changing colors."

Her favorite season, he realized.

"It's perfect," he purred in agreement. He glanced at the kit that looked like Birchfall. "What about Mudkit for this one? It would be fun to explain his name when he gets older."

By now, Dovestar was struggling not to mrrow with laughter and thus disturb the kits.

"And Ivypool thought my jokes were terrible," she retorted. Tigerheart couldn't help but glance at her when she mentioned her sister's name. She brought up her family more often than she realized. Truthfully, he couldn't blame her for missing them so much. It was clear she hadn't quite gotten over their loss, but at least it wasn't as awful as those first couple of moons. "I was thinking of naming this one Whitekit… If I had another kit, it would be a tough choice between Whitekit or Ivykit. I feel like they both deserve as much."

He wasn't going to argue with that. He knew how important family was to Dovestar. The feelings had been mutual as far as he was concerned.

"Leafkit, Mudkit and Whitekit… welcome to the world, little ones," he whispered affectionately.

...

Dovestar couldn't help but admire the three tiny bundles nestled at the base of her belly.

It took time for the adrenaline to wear off. She was still in awe of the fact that not just a few hours ago, she gave birth. Now that the dust had finally settled, she found herself wondering how it took this long in the first place. Or why for that matter. She was only just beginning to understand what she missed out on for so long, and this was only their first day together.

She couldn't wait to see her kits grow up into fierce warriors. Or to see them become apprentices and learn how to become warriors. She knew now that this was what Whitewing experienced when she and Ivypool were born. And she cherished every heartbeat she had with them.

I will do whatever it takes to keep the three of you safe, she promised herself.