Dawnstar's Message

Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

Dawnstar's amber eyes widened. Smoke billowed into his sight, obviously from the burning tree that was just struck by lightning. "What happened?" He felt like he didn't need to ask.

Peachnose, the orange she-cat, was busy licking her mate, Aldergaze, back into consciousness. She looked up briefly and spoke between licks. "The lightning --- struck the big oak tree --- and it caught on fire --- and Aldergaze --- was next to it and he --- got blown onto the ground!" Her green eyes widened with concern for Aldergaze.

Dawnstar flashed her his most assuring look. "It's okay. Mistyfur is kitting... so Cherryfoot can't quite help him yet."

"Kitting!" Peachnose looked at him excitedly. "Great!" She resumed licking Aldergaze. Dawnstar sat down and thought. Was the lightning part of the prophecy? "When lightning strikes, rain will fall and sun will rise." Yes, that was the first part. But what did it mean, exactly? Rain will fall and sun will rise... Dawnstar wondered what it meant. Rain was already falling, but what about the sun?

He dismissed the thought and went over to the nursery. He peered in, and saw Mistyfur groaning in her nest. Cherryfoot was force feeding her herbs, and Thrushpelt was comforting her.

"Queens have been kitting since the beginning of time, Mistyfur," she comforted. "It's natural. Now eat these." She shoved leaves near her mouth.

Dawnstar walked slowly in. Cherryfoot flinced suddenly. "The first kit is coming!" She felt Mistyfur's belly with a soft paw and Mistyfur heaved heavily. She moaned as a kit came out onto the nest. Thrushpelt licked it quickly to let it breathe. As soon as the second came, Cherryfoot shoved it to Dawnstar. "Lick it!" Dawnstar obeyed.

Cherryfoot sighed. "That's it." She observed the two cats that Dawnstar and Thrushpelt licked. "Good. A tom and a she-cat." There was a light brown she-cat and a black-and-white tom. Cherryfoot nudged the two helpless kits toward their mother, and they squirmed to her belly. Mistyfur looked at her new kits with pride, as did Thrushpelt.

Dawnstar sighed. "They're wonderful. What will you name them?"

Mistyfur stopped to think. "This black-and-white one... he's very strong. How about Patchkit?" She said it over and over, rolling the name around on her tongue. She stopped. "It feels right. Thrushpelt, could you name our daughter?"

Thrushpelt looked ecstatic. "Really?" He sighed. The blue tom thought. "I think that Springkit would be perfect." He admired his new kits.

Cherryfoot licked the two newborn cats. "Welcome to EarthClan, little ones."

Dawnstar sighed. He was so happy for Mistyfur and Thrushpelt... but what would the coming prophecy affect with these two kits? He went through the prophecy again. Lightning had struck, rain had fallen. What was left was the sun to rise, thunder to sound, and then the storm would end. He dreaded what effects this mysterious prophecy would have on his Clan, and the forest.