Warriors- Rise of Darkness

Chapter 10

     "GET A STICK ALREADY!" Birdwing's yowl crossed the camp late in the evening. Hailpaw jolted awake, startled by this sudden burst of sound. She opened her eyes, looking at Sweetpaw who immediately woke up.

"Was that...Birdwing?" Hailpaw asked.

Sweetpaw's eyes widened "Petalwish! The kits are coming!" She squealed excitedly.

Sweetpaw darted out of the apprentice den. Hailpaw lied there. It had only been a moon since she had announced she was to have kits. Was it that time already? Hailpaw slowly stood up and headed out of the den, leaving Runningpaw dead asleep. Sweetpaw waited impatiently outside the nursery. Hailpaw yawned, padding up to her. She sat down and curled her tail around her. Ambernose darted out of the den and into the medicine cat den. She returned back to the nursery in a flash of lighting with a mouth full of herbs.

Sweetpaw swished her tail excited, unable to sit down "How many do you think she'll have?"

"I don't know" Hailpaw muttered.

"She looked really big a few days ago," Sweetpaw said. She suddenly gasped "What if she has six kits! Wouldn't that be great!?"

"Poor Petalwish" Hailpaw said, "Six kits is a lot."

"We'd need it," She said focusing back on the nursery.

"The first one is coming!" Birdwing;s voice called from inside the nursery.

Sweetpaw bounced up and down. Hailpaw watched her sister curiously. What was so exciting about a queen giving birth? Yes, it was for the sole benefit of the clan but why was Sweetpaw so much more ecstatic that even Petalwish herself? Mewing poured out of the nursery. Sweetpaw looked at Hailpaw.

"He called out three, three kits!" She said.

Hailpaw looked at her surprised. She must have drifted off for some time. Birdwing came out of the nursery and was surprised to see the two apprentices wide awake. He frowned and turned his back and headed into his den.

Sweetpaw peered her head into the nursery and slowly crept in. Hailpaw, alarmed tried to pull her back. It was too late, the she-cat was already inside the den and cooing over the kits. Hailpaw sat there. Could she go in? She wanted to see what the kits looked like but she didn't want to disturb already tired Petalwish.

Sweetpaw poked her head out of the den "Come on, they're adorable!"

Hailpaw gave a slow nod and followed her sister into the den. She walked into the den carefully, not that anyone was asleep. Toadkit and Daisykit looked over at Petalwish curiously with Joyseed trying to calm them down and put them back to bed.

Ambernose stood close to Petalwish, congratulating her on her kits while her mate, Mintpool was curled up against her and looking in awe at his kits.

Hailpaw and Sweetpaw walked up to the calico she-cat. She lifted her head and purred exhausted.

"Sorry to wake you," She said weakly.

"It's fine, I'm glad we woke up," Sweetpaw said. She motioned over for Hailpaw to get a look. Hailpaw looked over at Petalwish's belly. Three, tiny, squirming kits suckled at her fur. Hailpaw had never seen kits so small before. She didn't remember Daisykit and Toadkit being that small when she was in the nursery.

The biggest of the three was a white tom with light gray blue points. The next was a pale calico she-cat and the smallest of the bunch was a tiny, dark brown tabby tom with bright white paws. They mewed and kneaded at Petalwish's aching belly.

"What have you named them?" Sweetpaw asked.

Petal wish shook her head "no..." She turned to Mintpool "We haven't even thought of any name yet."