A Clan's Tragedy #1

Chapter 14 (COMPLETED)

   Chapter 14

As Hazelfur woke up she padded out of the den, and made sure no cat was awake. It was before dawn and only the gaurd was awake. It was Crystaleyes- she was facing the forest. Hazelfur bounded up to her.

   "Hey." she mewed. "I'm just going for a walk."

   "Okay. Just yowl if you're in trouble or if your kitting and I'll prick an ear for you." mewed Crystaleyes. She nodded and ran off towards the forest. The snow melted during the unusually warm night, sparkling the grass with wet dropplets. Hazelfur raced through the trees and bushes, scaling over the wet ferns until she reached the edge of clan territory. It was dark beyond the clans, and all the trees where gone. It was a quiet, peaceful moor with crickets chirping and mice scuttling softly underneath the dead grass. Hazelfur carefully placed a paw down on the moor. Then another- then another until she was a few fox-lengths away from the border.

   In front of the brown she-cat was a very tall dead ash tree. She scaled up the tree, the dead bark making exelent paw-holds. At the very top of the tree, Hazelfur collapsed on a wide branch, tired from all the climbing and running. Above her through the thin branches, shone Silverpelt. It's stars sparkled and danced, lighting up the whole sky. The moon was only a claw scratch in the dark sky. Hazelfur looked below her, and to her horror, a large black and white creature was at the bottom of the ancient tree.

   The badger sniffed the trunk and glanced up at the cornered cat. Hazelfur stood still, scared out of her fur. The badger scratched the trunk, trying desperatly to get their prey. Hazelfur hissed at the large creature and clawed the air. She tried to scare it away but the badger still stood there, gazing up at her.

   Suddenly she felt a hard kick in her stomach. Then pain washed over her. The kits were coming! And she was stuck in a tree, cornered by a beast. Hazelfur layed down and she began breathing rapidly, letting out moans of pain. The branches russled and she glanced up at a pair of blue eyes. She flopped her head down and gave up. Now a loner was going to attack her.

   "It's okay." meowed the blue eyed she-cat. "I am going to help you." A white she-cat with black freckles came into the moon-light. "Just breathe deeply." Hazelfur did what she asked. The loner's voice was soothing- not hostile.

   "Who- who are you." she mewed between breaths. "Why are you helping me?"

   "I'm Freckle and I help poor she-cats stranded on a tree, cornered by a badger, and about to kit!" Freckle mewed sharply. "I have delivered two litters. Now stay here and I'll go get you some moss." She raced away, jumping from branch to branch.

   Oh why didn't I listen to Frostail? I wish he was here!

   After a while the she-cat returned with wads of moss in her jaws. She had wet moss under her chin so Hazelfur can drink. Freckle pushed the wet moss by her muzzle and Hazelfur lapped the cold soaking moss. Then she felt a strong wave ripple down her belly.

   "Okay, the first kit is coming." Freckle crouched down, and Hazelfur pushed. "It's a she-kit!" she announced. She layed it down by her mother's belly. Then another strong wave of pain passed over her. A second kit came into the world.

   "It's a tom!" Freckle mewed to the queen. She layed the kit down by his littermate. Another wave passed over her, but less stronger than the rest. "It's another tom! Keep going, you have about two more left! You can do it!" Hazelfur was exhausted. She barely felt this one. As the kit slid out, she panted hard.

   "One more!" urged Freckle. Then a last wave passed over Hazelfur, and she flopped her head down on the bark. "Two she-kits and three toms! Boy, you are sure lucky. Five kits!" Freckle started licking them along with their mother. After a few moments they each started mewling for milk. The first she-kit was a cherry-red collor with tiny black paws. The second kit, the tom- was a brown tom with black paws also. The next tom was white with gray patches all over his body. The fourth kit was a maple she-kit. The final kit was a handsome russet furred tom. The maple she-kit pushed all her littermates away to get to the milk.