Cinderheart stared at Hazeltail’s
tail as the queen
exited the nursery. Cinderheart knew what that meant- she had to look after
Larchkit and Smokykit. It was an assigned job that she and Hazeltail confirmed
almost as soon as Cinderheart moved into the den. Icecloud was now too close to having her own kits to look after
them. If she was left alone in the den with the kits and Jayfeather was out,
what would happen? Briarlight only just became his apprentice, a bit after
Hazeltail delivered. She didn’t have much experience.
The gray she-cat
watched the two little toms tumble and play, and Cinderheart smiled. Looking
down at her rounded belly, her smile grew wider. She and Lionblaze finally were
having kits! She thought she felt three inside her, as sometimes they kicked.
In any of her free time when Larchkit and Smokykit weren’t causing mischief,
Cinderheart kicked back and thought of names. For she-kits… how about Honeykit or Fernkit after Honeyfern and
Ferncloud? As for toms… Pinekit, Sunkit, after former leaders… I like Lakekit
too.
“Hey!” a
high-pitched voice exclaimed, jerking Cinderheart out of her thoughts. Icecloud
was glaring grumpily at Larchkit and Smokykit, who were pretending her ears
were the great mountains.
“I’m so sorry!”
Cinderheart cried, and she shuffled over and dragged Hazeltail’s sons off of
the queen. Icecloud was losing lots of patience as she came closer to giving
birth. Cinderheart’s fur pricked at the thought of the white queen going into
labor now.
Just then,
Cinderheart heard a sob outside. She poked her head out of the nursery,
wrapping her tail around Larchkit and Smokykit firmly.
Sorreltail’s body
was convulsing and shuddering, and Brackenfur was holding back a fresh wave of
sadness. Lilypaw and Poppyfrost stood next to them, moist-eyed themselves.
Cinderheart felt a sharp pang of agitation. Seedpaw, who wandered off a few
sunrises ago, still hadn’t been found. Every day Sorreltail, who was
Cinderheart’s mother as well, sadly trudged around the camp with her mate,
Brackenfur, comforting her with every stride.
The past hit
Cinderheart hard, and she whipped around to look back into the nursery again.
Besides the huge Icecloud resting in the corner of the den, not much had
changed from when she remembered the nursery being when Cinderheart was a kit.
She’d play with Poppykit, Molekit, and Honeykit excitedly, and each new day
brought more fun. Sorreltail and Brackenfur were young, happy; there was no
Lionblaze yet, no Power of Three prophecy. Yet still, for some reason, cats
stared at her strangely. Later Cinderheart learned that the Clan’s medicine
cat, Cinderpelt, died during her birth in this very nursery during a badger
attack, back when the Clans were still new to the lake.
Cinderpelt had a
crippled leg which never healed; Cinderheart broke her leg, too, as an
apprentice like Cinderpelt did. The bones in Cinderheart’s leg mended back
together.
She snapped back
to current times when Larchkit tapped her paw with his tail. “Um, gray cat?” he
quizzed, staring up at Cinderheart with round blue eyes.
Cinderheart’s
heart broke into pieces. He was so adorable! “Yes, Larchkit? And my name is
Cinderheart.”
Larchkit glanced
at Smokykit, and the two brothers shrugged. Then Larchkit continued, “Whatever.
Anyway, I was wondering who that fat piece of fox dung is over there.” He
motioned to Icecloud in the corner.
The gray queen
gulped. Were kits really that disrespectful? Maybe it’s just a phase, or rude young toms. Cinderheart blinked
and answered, “She is called Icecloud. Icecloud is your father’s sister, and
soon she will have more playmates for you guys. So will I.”
Smokykit growled.
“What you just said didn’t make any sense at all. That ugly white thing isn’t
related to Foxleap. That’s just impossible. And how can she produce more cuties
like us? We’re awesome, plus we’re satisfied with just having each other as
‘playmates’.”
“How dopey,”
Larchkit muttered.
I thought they were cute, innocent little
ones. How wrong I was. “I can’t believe you two would be like that towards
a cat in a higher position than you. Your parents will hear about this!”
Instantly
Smokykit and his littermate went into hiding, delving into Hazeltail’s nest. They are related to Berrynose, right?
Desperately
Cinderheart wanted to leave the nursery for a bit and stretch her legs. It was
hot and stuffy in there, especially with Icecloud puffing warm air with each
breath. Cinderheart couldn’t even stand up straight without her back smacking
the bramble wall. A rumbling started up in her throat, but she resisted
allowing it to last. Surely Hazeltail wouldn’t escape the horrors of her
troublesome offspring for a purposely long time?
Finally Hazeltail
returned, and Cinderheart woke up from her nap happily. “Hazeltail,” she
meowed, and the gray-and-white she-cat faced her. Cinderheart noticed the dark
circles under the queen’s eyes and suddenly felt even worse than before. The
pain in her stomach as increasing. Were kits this much work?
“What?” Hazeltail
snapped, not bothering to apologize for her snippy attitude. Cinderheart
couldn’t blame her. Larchkit and Smokykit were disasters that already happened.
Would Cinderheart’s unborn sons and daughters be disasters waiting to happen?
“I’m sorry if I’m
bothering you, but… I just wanted to say that Larchkit and Smokykit have been…”
Cinderheart hesitated when she saw two little forms trembling behind
Hazeltail’s moss.
Hazeltail glared.
“What are the menaces doing now?” She plopped down into her nest, making a
blockade before her sons. Not seeing them shake made Cinderheart feel more
confident.
“They’vebeentreatingmeandIcecloudlikedirt.”
With that Cinderheart raced out of the den, the excess weight she gained
slowing her down a bit. Panting laboriously, she skidded across the clearing
and threw herself down before the fresh-kill pile. She needed to eat.
Behind her,
Cinderheart picked up the sound of paws trotting cheerfully against the earth.
She swallowed hard and closed her eyes tightly. Hazeltail would definitely kill
her now.
“Guess who!” a
voice said teasingly, and a golden tail swept before Cinderheart’s eyes, making
her temporarily blind.
“Oh, Lionblaze!”
Cinderheart chortled and glanced up at her handsome mate. She was so lucky to
finally have him. He was her only true love, the only one she’d ever love.
He collapsed down
beside her in a sticky heap. “I would suggest that you don’t touch me,” he
mewed, and Cinderheart jerked her muzzle away from his.
“Why?”
“I just came back
from a patrol, and I ran into a huge cobweb. Now if Jayfeather’s looking for
some cobwebs, he can just pick them off of me.” Lionblaze ducked his head in mock
shame, as a grin still sat on his face.
Cinderheart
laughed a deep, hearty laugh and snatched a squirrel from the dangerously low
pile of deceased prey. Then she froze. “Have the beauties and Graystripe eaten yet?” The warrior code’s harsh rules
loomed before her.
“I suppose so,”
Lionblaze answered. “Graystripe isn’t complaining that he’s hungry, and the
kits aren’t out trying to steal something. Anyway, you’re an expecting queen.
You need to get nutrition not just for you but for our kits as well.” He purred
as she dug in like a member of BloodClan. “Why did you call Larchkit and
Smokykit the beauties?”
“They treat me
like mouse bile, for one thing,” Cinderheart started, talking between chews.
“They called Icecloud a ‘fat white thing’, and there’s more. Hazeltail doesn’t
seem to care. At all. I had to retreat from the nursery, Lionblaze. I’m
freaking out.”
Lionblaze
frowned. “Wow. I’ve never known any kits that act like that. Do you want me to
report to Bramblestar? All youngsters need to treat their older ones with
respect.” Cinderheart detected some sarcasm in his tone.
She shook her
head no. “It’s not worth it. We’d just be causing even more chaos.” Cinderheart
finished the rest of her squirrel and signed in contentment. “That was
delicious.”
“Is there
anything I can do?” Lionblaze offered, finally sounding serious.
“I want to get
out of camp for a bit. Want to take a walk with me?”
Cinderheart’s
mate paused. “What if you go into labor outside of camp?”
The
gray warrior snorted. “I’m not that far along. Trust me; I’ll get much bigger
before that happens.”
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