Sparks of a Fire

Chapter 17

"Kestrelstorm is kitting!"

Cloverpaw sat bolt upright. She and Ghostwish had been sorting herbs and checking to see if they had the right herbs for Kestrelstorm, for she was expecting her kits in a few days. But from what Ghostwish had told her about expecting queens, Cloverpaw was pretty certain that Kestrelstorm's kitting was happening a bit sooner than she'd expected it would.

"Cloverpaw!" Ghostwish's insistent meow broke the dark-furred apprentice from the trance she had been in.

Cloverpaw shook herself from her thoughts and looked up at her mentor. "Oh! I uh... y-yes, Ghostwish?"

"C'mon, it's time to put all you've learned to the test because Kestrelstorm is having her kits!"

The dark-furred apprentice slowly nodded and once the two she-cat's had gathered the herbs that they needed, they raced out of the medicine den as fast as they could.

•••

Ghostwish and Cloverpaw dashed into the den and Cloverpaw set the herbs down next to the black-and-white dappled queen. "Ok Kestrelstorm, you need to start pushing for me, can you do that?" The violet-black medicine cat meowed, dabbing the dark-furred queen's head with some cool water.

"Cloverpaw, could you go fetch some wet moss for Kestrelstorm?" she nodded and raced out of the den to grab some wet moss for the distressed queen.

As Cloverpaw raced through the forest looking for some wet moss, her mind was racing and she was panicking like a cornered mouse. Kestrelstorm's kits are expected in a few days- oh, we didn't have time to prepare! This is my first time helping with kitting. What if I mess up? What if this moss drys before I get there? What if the kits die? Oh StarClan, please help me! I'm scared and I don't know if I'm ready for this!

Remembering what little information Ghostwish had taught her about kitting, she hurried to grab a stick as well, dusting the snow off as she rushed toward the nursery.

Shoving her way through the entrance, she stumbled towards the black-and-white she-cat, who was trembling in her nest. She dropped her stick and the wet wad of moss.

She leaned forward, massaging Kestrelstorm's convulsing belly. The dark-furred queen nodded at her encouragingly through half-closed eyes, but it dissolved into a grimace as another contraction moved down her abdomen.

Cloverpaw let a few drops of water trickle into Kestrelstorm's mouth, holding the wet moss above the queen's head. She then placed the stick near her head as well. "Bite down on this. It helps with the pain," she instructed.

Kestrelstorm nodded, grasping the stick with her jaws. She then bit down hard, eyes widening as her abdomen contracted.

Cloverpaw's ears flattened against her skull as Kestrelstorm's pain-filled yowls pierced her ears. The dark-furred medicine cat apprentice tried to stay calm as she watched the first wet bundle of fur tumbled into the nest.

Cloverpaw knew she needed to start licking the small kit to dry it off but she was frozen in place, her eyes wider than a vole and her fur fluffed up. Ghostwish nudged her side but Cloverpaw didn't move. She felt like she couldn't breath and her vision was beginning to blur.

•••

Cloverpaw's eyes snapped open and she sat bolt upright with a sharp gasp. But something seemed off, she glanced around and saw that she was still in the nursery. Blinking in confusion, the dark-furred she-cat glanced over at Kestrelstorm, she seemed more relaxed now and a second look showed four small kits sleeping at their mother's paws.

"Cloverpaw?" Cloverpaw blinked and turned to address the speaker of the voice who'd called out to her.

"Yes, Ghostwish?"

Cloverpaw's mind began to spin like a spider web when she saw her mentor's blue eyes widen in fear. What's wrong? Why does Ghostwish look so scared? Cloverpaw wondered as she continued to watch her mentor pace worriedly around the den.

"Cloverpaw? Cloverpaw?" Ghostwish meowed, her voice laced with panic as she scanned the nursery for any sign of her apprentice. "Where are you?"

At those last words Cloverpaw's eyes went wide and she looked down at her translucent-looking paws. She almost screamed but she held her tongue, she didn't want to startled her mentor or the sleeping kits at Kestrelstorm's paws.

Cloverpaw sighed and narrowed her eyes in deep thought. What's happening to me? She wondered nervously. Even more important, how would she fix this?

She was about to open her mouth to call out to Ghostwish, but she stopped and realized something.

I turned invisible! She realized in shock.

Cloverpaw closed her eyes and focused on being visible again. Be visible be visible be visible, she thought, and suddenly in a rush of sounds she could feel her paws touching solid ground again.

Holy StarClan, do I have powers? Cloverpaw thought, her heart pounding. She considered telling Ghostwish and telling her everything, but she decided against it. I have powers! She grinned to herself, this will be fun to play jokes in the other apprentice's.