The sun dipped high over the birch tree filled territory of BirchClan, birds tweeting and the mulling of voices filling the camp. Rainpaw allowed her eyes to open, letting out a large yawn as she gave a well needed stretch.
Just as she was about to go and meet with Mistflower, a strange scent filled her nose. It wasn't BirchClan, or QuailClan, but much rather AmberClan. AmberClan wasn't a Clan that regularly interacted with the other Clans, but BirchClan and AmberClan were still allies.
When Rainpaw stepped outside the den, she saw a familiar grey tabby tom outside the medicine den, with Softclaw, and a pale cream she-cat with blue eyes. She smelt like herbs.
Trotting over with curiosity, Rainpaw say herself down next to Pondmist, allowing her head to lean on his shoulder. The cream she-cat eyed them strangely, then looked back up to Softclaw.
"Softclaw, please." Her eyes were pleading now, yet Softclaw's glance remained troubled. "You need to return to AmberClan. Grassfur and her kits, they're not coping! Half of our herbs are missing, that's why I came here in the first place - and I can't manage by myself."
The old medicine cat gave a firm shake of his head as he looked back up. "Heatherwing, you know I can't. BirchClan need me more then ever, and you're twenty moons old. Pondmist is only thirteen moons, and not even a full medicine cat."
Heatherwing, as Rainpaw now knew her, dropped her head, tail flicking side to side. "I understand." The medicine cat walked off, her glance still looking at him as she walked to a long furred white she cat, with five kits curled by her side. "But AmberClan will always welcome you, if you ever decide to return."
Feeling a twinge of guilt, Rainpaw cast a look at Pondmist. He looked distraught, his ears pinned against his head, and shoulders hunched. But then, Rainpaw was also thankful that Softclaw wasn't leaving. It meant that her and Pondmist could remain close... and possibly even in love when they were both warriors.
That felt utterly selfish of her. She took another glance at the grey tabby, who refused to even face Softclaw at this point, and was mumbling something inaudible to her.
The apprentice took a glance over at the queen, Grassfur, who seemed to have settled down, her five kits squeaking at her side.
What was weird, was Reedspring was also there, lending the she cat a plump vole from the fresh kill pile. Grassfur thanked him accordingly, tucking into the vole, while Reedspring glanced down, looking at the kits with unspoken affection. Rainpaw was startled by the interaction, but turned around, watching a flustered Hareleap suddenly run beside her, right over to where Reedspring was.
Hareleap was suspicious. That's all that could be said. She'd observed her sons absences the past moons or so, his awkward attitude, and she'd finally come to a conclusion. Without missing a single beat, Hareleap strode up time the two, looking from Grassfur to Reedspring, and back again.
"They're yours, aren't they?"
A stuttering silence followed in her son and Grassfur next, both them wondering what to tell Hareleap. Grassfur flicked an ear awkwardly, sweeping her feathery tail over her kits protectively. "So what if they are?" The queen said coldly, mouth pursed as she tilted her head slightly. And, Hareleap could say nothing really, could she? After all, she had been mates with a medicine cat, and birthed kits which the Clan has baptised as a "mistake." In reality, Hareleap could not criticise the situation at all. Clenching her jaw, Hareleap looked back up to see her son giving her doubtful, amber eyes.
"You really think I'm a cat to speak?" She finally said, tilting her head and letting out a light chuckle. Much to the relief of Reedspring, who let out a light chuckle and smiled at her.
"Not really, no." He answered honestly, gazing back down at the kits. There was a calm silence, before Reedspring looked back up at his mother, a empathetic look on his face. "Remember the time when me, Lightkit and Otterkit decided it would be a great idea to try and climb Moss Rock? Otterkit was in the medicine den for at least two weeks! Even though it could've just been a couple sunrises, she made everything more difficult than it already was."
"Don't even get me started." Letting out a lighthearted chuckle, Hareleap let herself reflect on the days when Reedspring and his littermates were kits. That was when she first met Pigeonfrost, or really got to know him. After the loss of her mate Rockheart, Pigeonfrost became a father figure to the three kits. Devastatingly, Lightpaw and Otterpaw were swept into the river by the QuailClan border trying to rescue Reedpaw. But it was nice to remember her kits, like the time Lightkit did his first ever hunting crouch, or when Otterkit made them little trinkets that she always liked to make. Perhaps the most special was when her and Pigeonfrost were in the clearing, observing the kits playing mossball, and Reedkit had called Pigeonfrost "Dad"
"With Leopardpaw and Rainpaw.. it's been different though." The black tom admitted, hesitant about what to say about his half-siblings. On a whole, Hareleap could understand that, as she was pretty sure Rainpaw and Reedspring had an unresolved argument, and Leopardpaw and Reedspring just never really hit it off.
"If you want to make amends, why don't you fix your relationship with Rainpaw? I know you were angry with her for breaking the trinket Otterpaw made, but at the end of the day Reedspring, objects can be replaced. Your family can't."
The black tom paused, looking at his mother. "Tonight."
A/N: This is a very slow paced chapter, but what I originally had for notes would've been way too much for one whole chapter. There will be another chapter very soon, as the next would be a continuation of this one. (Perhaps even expect a double upload) And... yeah. Reedspring is the father of Grassfur's kits, an AmberClan cat you've never heard of. This is hopefully the way I'm gonna introduce AmberClan more into the story.
See ya in the next chapter!
~ Ember <3