Warrior Fan Story - Freckled Pool's Dream

Chapter 2

"What?!" Freckled Pool leaped to her paws, nearly falling as her aching paw collapsed beneath her. "She's not due for a moon!"

"I know," Whispering Ferns said frantically, his ears flat against his head. "Butterfly Wing sent me to fetch Shivering Rose and a stick, where can I find them?"

"There's a good stick that I saw outside camp when I came back from training this morning," Dust Tail replied, his eyes wide. "It's right outside. And Shivering Rose left that way too."

"Thanks!" Whispering Ferns dashed for the entrance and disappeared through the fern tunnel. 

Freckled Pool began to limp in circles nervously. Hearing a small whine of pain from the medicine den made her heart flare with fear, and she let out a scared whimper of her own.

"Shh, it's okay." Shaded Moss had returned, dropping the squirrel he had brought and pressing his grey and black pelt against Freckled Pool's white and black one. "Poppy Pelt is strong. She's done this before."

"But it's too early..." mumbled Freckled Pool, her tail twitching.

Shaded Moss licked her cheek affectionately. "She'll be fine."

Freckled Pool buried her face into Shaded Moss' thick fur, and Shaded Moss began to groom her ears comfortingly.

Freckled Pool fixed her eyes on the medicine den as Whispering Ferns scurried back inside the cave with a long stick in his jaws, Shivering Rose bounding behind him. Unable to bear it any longer, Freckled Pool pulled away from Shaded Moss' touch and began to hop towards the medicine den.

"Where are you going?" Shaded Moss asked, trotting after her and falling into step beside her.

"I can't just sit here," Freckled Pool meowed anxiously, another groan of pain emitting from the medicine den. "I need to help her."

Shaded Moss didn't protest and followed Freckled Pool as she slid into the medicine den.

Inside, it was dim, and Poppy Pelt was laying in one of the larger moss nests. Shivering Rose was at her side, and Whispering Ferns was nosing the stick towards Poppy Pelt's black muzzle. As Freckled Pool timidly approached, the black queen lifted her head slightly. 

"Freckled Pool?" She murmured, and the apprentice was terrified at the tightness of her foster mother's voice.

"Yes, it's me. Listen, Poppy Pelt, take this stick," Freckled Pool meowed softly, pushing the thick twig that Whispering Ferns had brought towards her mother. "It'll help when the pain comes."

"I'm scared," whispered Poppy Pelt, and those two words sent a fresh thrill of horror through Freckled Pool. Poppy Pelt had never been scared before. Glancing behind her, Freckled Pool saw Shaded Moss slipping out of the den, and felt a little bit less awkward.

Butterfly Wing was digging through the herbs in the shallow scoops where Whispering Ferns had been a few minutes before. "Stinging nettle, she said..."

Freckled Pool limped over to Butterfly Wing's side, grateful to have something to do. "I'll get it. Poppy Pelt needs you right now, Butterfly Wing."

Butterfly Wing touched her nose to Freckled Pool's ear in a silent gratitude before walking back over to Poppy Pelt, who was groaning in pain. At the sound, Freckled Pool winced, grateful that her mother had so many cats around her to help.

Quickly locating the stinging nettle by it's scent and colour, Freckled Pool bent down and picked up two leaves in her teeth, being careful not to ruin them, and hopped back to Poppy Pelt's side and laying them down. Poppy Pelt was breathing hard, flinching at every contraction in her stomach.

"In the case of swelling if the kits are being difficult," Whispering Ferns whispered under his breath.

Freckled Pool flinched as Poppy Pelt let out a strangled cry.

"The first kit is coming," hissed Shivering Rose. "Bite down on the stick, Poppy Pelt."

As another spasm rocked the queen, she bit down hard on the stick and a small black bundle slid out onto the moss. Shivering Rose leaned down and nipped the sac around the small kit open, and clear fluid spilled out as the tiny kit took a breath. It squirmed towards Poppy Pelt's stomach and began to nurse, and as another contraction made Poppy Pelt cry out in pain the kit let out a mewl of terror and backed away.

Freckled Pool closed her eyes so tightly that stars began to swim across her eyelids. It was too much, too much, and then...

"Freckled Pool, come name them with me."

It was over.

Freckled Pool raised her head to see Poppy Pelt smiling wearily. Four kits wriggled at her belly, and she was panting through her words.

"Three toms and a she-kit," Poppy Pelt mewed proudly, curling her tail around her litter. "Get your brothers."

But Dust Tail and Summer Rain were already entering the den, stopping in their tracks at the sight of the kittens squirming at their mother's stomach.

Freckled Pool peered down at her foster mother's litter. One of the toms was all black, and overall the biggest of the four. His two brothers were both grey, and one of them had a black spot on his back. The she-kit, who was smallest, was white with light grey tabby patches all over her, and a grey tabby tail.

"They're so small," breathed Summer Rain, and Freckled Pool purred. 

"Let's help Poppy Pelt name them."

"Poppy Pelt!"

Trout Tail, Poppy Pelt's mate and Freckled Pool's foster father, bounded into the den, his long, thin tail flicking nervously. "I'm so sorry,  I was out on patrol and I only just heard-"

He froze, staring down at the kits. "They're beautiful."

"Freckled Pool, Dust Tail, and Summer Rain were going to help me name them," Poppy Pelt meowed proudly, her eyes shimmering.

Trout Tail glanced at his three foster kits and his eyes softened. Even though the silver tom had never really interacted with them, he had still cared, and when he did speak to the three of them it was with an air of fatherly love.

"There's four of them," Poppy Pelt meowed.

"If Trout Tail wants to name them himself, we can go," began Freckled Pool, but Poppy Pelt laughted softly.

"Trout Tail won't mind." Poppy Pelt glanced at her mate, her tired eyes alight with pride for a moment. "Look at our daughter, being so considerate!"

Trout Tail purred. "Yeah. Summer Rain, why don't you go first?"

Summer Rain stepped forward, inspecting the black kit. "Can we name this one Ebony Claws?"

"Of course," purred Poppy Pelt, nudging the black kit gently with her nose. It squirmed and mewled feebly in a way that melted Freckled Pool's heart.

"This one will be Raven's Cry," Dust Tail purred quietly, gently touching the grey kit with the black spot on it's back.

"Trout Tail can go," Freckled Pool meowed before any cat could ask her.

Trout Tail, looking grateful, looked down at his kits, and after a few moments he gently nudged the all grey one. "His name will be Dusted Sky."

Every cat turned to Freckled Pool, who approached the final kit. The tiny she-kit let out a soft mewl. Freckled Pool thought hard. 

"Her name will be Fallen Willow," murmured Freckled Pool at last, and Trout Tail nodded with approval.

Poppy Pelt purred and swept her kits closer with her tail. Shivering Rose sniffed Poppy Pelt over, nodded, and then motioned for the apprentices to leave the den. 

As Freckled Pool slipped out into the sunlight, she took one final glance at Poppy Pelt and Trout Tail. The silver tom was curling around his mate, and Poppy Pelt was nuzzling his cheek.

Freckled Pool sighed happily.

I wish I was as happy as Poppy Pelt is right now...