Rising from the Ashes

Chapter 71

Honeypool was awoken during the night to help Fernshade as she kitted. Her kits seemed in no hurry to arrive but Honeypool was patient. Unfortunately, Birchleg was not. Brightwhisker left her kits to fetch Stonesplash. The big gray tom kept Birchleg occupied while his kits were born.

After some time, the first kit, a dark tabby like his mother, arrived. As dawn broke, the second kit arrived more quickly than the first. She was a little white kit. Honeypool finally had mercy on Birchleg and allowed him into the nursery to meet his kits.

"They're so tiny!" Birchleg squeaked, lying flat on his belly as he looked at them with wide eyes. "She's going to be just like me!"

"But she's white," Fernshade pointed out.

"Creekshine says I was born white. My colour didn't come until later. Mistpool says my father Ashfoot was born white too before his colour came in."

Honeypool and Fernshade exchanged a baffled look. They had never heard anything like that but Birchleg wasn't prone to making things up. They would just have to wait and see. Before they could inquire further, Birchleg had to leave for the dawn patrol. Satisfied that Fernshade and her kits were healthy and well, Honeypool left right on his tail.

Exhausted from being up half the night, Honeypool still briefly stopped the dawn patrol when she saw Wildbloom was a part of it. The expectant queen was only half a moon from kitting yet she still kept up her warrior duties. Honeypool wasn't about to stop her. Some queens moved into the nursery as soon as they learned they were expecting and others kept up their duties until the day they kitted. Only Wildbloom would know when she was ready.

Honeypool's only job was to make sure that, whatever her Clanmates did, they stayed healthy.

"Don't push yourself too hard to keep up with the rest of the patrol. If you need a rest, make them wait for you. If you feel any pain, stop immediately and send one of the toms to fetch me. Other than that, you appear to be doing well and you have nothing to worry about," Honeypool advised.

"Other than Birchleg talking our ears off about his new kits," Bramblestripe meowed dryly.

"Let's hope we don't run into any rival patrols. The other Clans will know about his new kits before the rest of ours does," Hareflight added.

"Leave Birchleg alone. New kits are exciting. Remember how you felt when your kits were born, Hareflight. Let Birchleg feel the same way," Wildbloom defended the new father.

"You're right but I also didn't make a nuisance of myself like you know Birchleg will."

"Maybe he'll surprise us," Bramblestripe meowed.

"Are you coming?" Birchleg's high-pitched yowl echoed across the still quiet camp. He sat at the camp entrance, kneading the ground with his ever-restless paws.

Hareflight snorted. "We'd better go before he leaves without us."

Honeypool returned to her den and settled into her nest with a content sigh. It wasn't long before she fell into a dreamless sleep. She awoke with a rumbling belly and stretched, feeling rested. She slipped out of her den to see it was sunhigh. The camp was bustling.

Honeypool made her way to the freshly stocked pile and selected a plump mouse for herself. She hesitated, wondering where to enjoy her meal. Her grief for Bumbleflight was a constant ache that felt worse at times like this. Not wanting to give in to it, she flicked her tail with indecision, mouse in jaws as her eyes darted about the camp. At last, she opted to join a small group of she-cats sharing tongues outside the apprentice den.