Post by EthanTheAnnus on Feb 13, 2017 1:52:01 GMT -5
"It's cold, Darkstar," meowed a brown tabby she-cat. The russet tabby in front of her whirled around.
"Don't you think I know that? We have to keep going!" Darkstar sighed. "You must keep going, Willowshine. For the kits." The brown tabby, Willowshine, glanced at her bulging stomach.
"You're right," she meowed finally. "Toadripple? Are you still behind me?"
"As always, Willowshine," replied a black tom in a husky voice.
"Lionyowl?" Darkstar glanced around before spotting the tom. "Thank StarClan."
"I'm fine," a black tom with white tabby markings replied impatiently. "It's Anubispaw we should worry about. He's falling behind and Flamepaw won't leave him." The wind began to pick up and the snowstorm grew stronger.
"It's getting worse, Darkstar! And my kits are due! We have to shelter!" Willowshine glanced around urgently. A dark tom sidled up to the leader.
"I can just make out a fallen pine in the distance," he mewed.
"You'd better be right, Hawkpaw," the leader replied.
"I wish we could return home!" wailed a small apprentice.
"I'm sorry, Smallpaw," Toadripple glanced back at her. "But we can't. Follow your mother." Obediently, the she-cat trotted up to trail behind Darkstar. The group neared the fallen tree and Darkstar paused.
"Willowshine, you get the nest closest to the middle," she ordered. "We can't have you freezing when you have kits." Hawkpaw watched with interest. "Toadripple, see if you can hurry up Flamepaw and Anubispaw. And check if Redleaf is still coming. We need her to tend to Willowshine."
"But-" protested the tom.
"Now! Or you won't get to see your kits!" He scurried away and Lionyowl moved past the leader to help Willowshine into the log.
"Hawkpaw." Darkstar turned to the young tom. "You have proven yourself over and over. Now you must find a sturdy stick for Willowshine during her kitting." Racing away, Hawkpaw scoured the snow. The blizzard thickened and his eyes strained. He made out a stick in the snow and snatched it up. He turned and trotted back the way he had come. After a bit, he realised he should have been back by now. Whiteness stretched in every direction. Hesitantly, he turned left and padded along. He made out voices.
"Don't worry, Willowshine," came a mew. "I'm here now!" Hawkpaw hurried into the fallen tree and passed the now present Redleaf the stick.
"Here," he meowed. "For Willowshine." The medicine cat put the stick between the queen's jaws just as the first spasm came. He sat back and watched as four kits were born.
"Good job, Willowshine!" said Redleaf. "You have three sons and a daughter!"
"Shall we name them?" she asked, turning to her mate.
"Of course," purred Toadripple. "Dustkit for the yellow one."
"Ripplekit for the black one," said Willowshine. "Since he looks like you."
"Aspenkit for the orange tabby," added Toadripple.
"And finally," mewed the mother. "Blizzardkit for the white one. To signify he was born in this terrible storm."
"Hawkpaw," mewed Darkstar, standing. "I know there are few LightClan left. But you have proven yourself worthy of your warrior name. From now on, you will be known as Hawkblood."
"Hawkblood! Hawkblood!" called the small group of cats. Looking into Darkstar's eyes, Hawkblood realised that she hadn't just given him any name. She believed he was destined to spill blood.
"Don't you think I know that? We have to keep going!" Darkstar sighed. "You must keep going, Willowshine. For the kits." The brown tabby, Willowshine, glanced at her bulging stomach.
"You're right," she meowed finally. "Toadripple? Are you still behind me?"
"As always, Willowshine," replied a black tom in a husky voice.
"Lionyowl?" Darkstar glanced around before spotting the tom. "Thank StarClan."
"I'm fine," a black tom with white tabby markings replied impatiently. "It's Anubispaw we should worry about. He's falling behind and Flamepaw won't leave him." The wind began to pick up and the snowstorm grew stronger.
"It's getting worse, Darkstar! And my kits are due! We have to shelter!" Willowshine glanced around urgently. A dark tom sidled up to the leader.
"I can just make out a fallen pine in the distance," he mewed.
"You'd better be right, Hawkpaw," the leader replied.
"I wish we could return home!" wailed a small apprentice.
"I'm sorry, Smallpaw," Toadripple glanced back at her. "But we can't. Follow your mother." Obediently, the she-cat trotted up to trail behind Darkstar. The group neared the fallen tree and Darkstar paused.
"Willowshine, you get the nest closest to the middle," she ordered. "We can't have you freezing when you have kits." Hawkpaw watched with interest. "Toadripple, see if you can hurry up Flamepaw and Anubispaw. And check if Redleaf is still coming. We need her to tend to Willowshine."
"But-" protested the tom.
"Now! Or you won't get to see your kits!" He scurried away and Lionyowl moved past the leader to help Willowshine into the log.
"Hawkpaw." Darkstar turned to the young tom. "You have proven yourself over and over. Now you must find a sturdy stick for Willowshine during her kitting." Racing away, Hawkpaw scoured the snow. The blizzard thickened and his eyes strained. He made out a stick in the snow and snatched it up. He turned and trotted back the way he had come. After a bit, he realised he should have been back by now. Whiteness stretched in every direction. Hesitantly, he turned left and padded along. He made out voices.
"Don't worry, Willowshine," came a mew. "I'm here now!" Hawkpaw hurried into the fallen tree and passed the now present Redleaf the stick.
"Here," he meowed. "For Willowshine." The medicine cat put the stick between the queen's jaws just as the first spasm came. He sat back and watched as four kits were born.
"Good job, Willowshine!" said Redleaf. "You have three sons and a daughter!"
"Shall we name them?" she asked, turning to her mate.
"Of course," purred Toadripple. "Dustkit for the yellow one."
"Ripplekit for the black one," said Willowshine. "Since he looks like you."
"Aspenkit for the orange tabby," added Toadripple.
"And finally," mewed the mother. "Blizzardkit for the white one. To signify he was born in this terrible storm."
"Hawkpaw," mewed Darkstar, standing. "I know there are few LightClan left. But you have proven yourself worthy of your warrior name. From now on, you will be known as Hawkblood."
"Hawkblood! Hawkblood!" called the small group of cats. Looking into Darkstar's eyes, Hawkblood realised that she hadn't just given him any name. She believed he was destined to spill blood.
