Dawn arose freshly the next day above BirchClan's camp, Rainclaw awoke, feeling distraught at the missing presence of Pondmist next to her.
The grey tabby had be wallowing in grief, not leaving the medicine cat. Wracked with guilt from not being able to save Snownose.
He's not been himself lately.
Rainclaw sighed and looked around the sunny camp, hoping to find any cats to sit and talk with. At the edge of the camp entrance, she could see Mistflower eating a vole by herself.
She shuddered. The last conversation between her and her mentor had not been a nice one. With a deep breath, the tortie approached the senior warrior, dipping her head.
"May I sit here?" In response, Mistflower looked up at Rainclaw with surprise, and nodded, moving aside to let Rainclaw sit next to her.
"How are you doing these days?" The grey and white she cat asked quickly, continuing to eat the vole and not making eye contact.
Rainclaw felt her fur heat up in embarrassment. Looking at her paws, the warrior observed the camp, before flattening her ears against her head.
"Not good." Letting out a sigh she didn't know she'd been holding, Rainclaw looked back at Mistflower, "-Pondmist, he's been different these past couple sunrises."
The old cat nodded back in understanding, twisting to look at the medicine den where Pondmist had just disappeared off to. "He's not avoiding you, it'll be because of Brackenflower."
Oh of course.. her kits! Rainclaw almost facepalmed with her stupidity. No wonder the tom was so worried, Brackenflower was his sister. Sometimes she wondered how such a lovely cat could be related to such a bratty one. Then again, she supposed the same went for her and Leopardshade.
"Is she alright?" Rainclaw questioned, a pitch of worry in her voice for the grey and ginger tortie. Well, more in worry for the kits, she supposed.
"Apparently she's been having some pains this morning. Leopardshade has been beside himself with worry."
Rainclaw snorted. Not surprising.
Filled with interest, the she cat warily approached the nursery, shivering as memories of her kit hood threatened to overwhelm her. Exactly where she was standing, she noted, was the place where Duststar has scarred her face.
All of a sudden, her heart plummeted the floor as Rainclaw felt terror overcome her. Her breaths became quicker as she struggled to stay upright, claws digging into the floor with worry.
"If you want to know what a real attack is, try this!"
Claws slashed at her.
"You are a mistake."
"No! No, I'm not!" Rainclaw yelled furiously to her thoughts, trying to fight as Duststar's words consumed her. "You won't get me. It was you who scarred me, all this is your fault!"
She was cut off from her violent trail of thoughts from fur clamping around her, murmuring comforting gestures quickly. Whoever it was pressed their nose to her ear, letting Rainclaw sink into their pelt.
"Calm down, I'm here. Everything is going to be fine."
Rainclaw revolted at a voice she hadn't heard in moons.
Doubling back, wide eyed, she saw exactly who she thought it was. Except they now had a silvery sheen about them, glowering stars scattered around them.
Words barely formed on her mouth before the tortie stuttered out a single word.
"Rowanface?!"
The former deputy let out a sheepish nod, yellow eyes looking on. "The one and only."
"W-what are you doing here? You hated me!" Rainclaw flattened her ears against her head, claws unsheathed, wary of the ginger she-cat's past attitude.
"I did. Take note." The spirit gave her a stern glare, then her shoulders stumped. "Duststar killed me out on rogue place, ironically, he made me aware that my actions towards you were wrong. If it wasn't for that, I probably wouldn't be here."
"But why aren't you in StarClan right now? And what do you mean you wouldn't be here?"
The deputy gazed back up, scanning around the camp. "I'm a spirit. Nor in StarClan, nor the Dark Forest. I wander here now - I quite like it. Always in the middle, never really been quite sure. Guess it's repayment for my past attitude, not just my treatment of you."
"That makes sense." Rainclaw shrugged, still quite not believing the spirit's presence, when both were cut off by a loud screech.
"Brackenflower's kits!" Pondmist shouted, running from the medicine den, into the nursery as fast as a fox.
"I take this as my time to leave." Rowanface turned around, dipping her head to Rainclaw. "I'm here if you need me, anytime."
Rainclaw watched, green eyes wide as the former deputy disappeared off into the forest, a distant orange fleck. That was followed by another sharp screech off Brackenflower, and Rainclaw winced at that.
Remind me to never have kits.
Filled with curiosity, Rainclaw made her way into the nursery, seeing Brackenflower lying on a nest, Pondmist and Rubblestep by her side. Along with the addition of a small squeaking kit.
The last time Rainclaw remembered kits being born was the birth of Ebonykit, Bumblekit and Honeykit. They'd be ten moons old now, she figured. A tug of sadness filled her as she remembered Whitestrike and Robintail, but shook her head.
That was long ago. They're not your family. These kits, however, are.
Her eyes widened in surprise. Rainclaw had forgotten that these kits would be her kin.
"What are you doing here?!" An angry snap, obviously directed at her, came from Brackenflower.
"To see the kits." Rainclaw trailed off, glancing down at Brackenflower's side where two bundles lay.
"Oh." Brackenflower nodded in understanding, moving her tail, revealing a third kit. The litter was all quite small, but they'd be born half a moon early, so it wasn't a surprise.
"What are you naming them?" she questioned.
"This little grey tabby one is Brindlekit." Brackenflower said, gazing down at one of the first kits, a sleek dark grey tabby she-cat with fluffy fur.
"Leopardshade decided that no matter what, the second one was going to be called Windkit." Brackenflower glanced down at the second one, then back up at Rainclaw. "After Breezywater and Torrentpaw."
Rainclaw noted that this kit was ironically a brown tabby and white tabby, spitting image of Torrentpaw.
StarClan forbid if he has blue eyes.
Rainclaw did not fancy seeing the replica of a cat she'd partially been the cause their death for, running around camp. If she couldn't cope, she didn't know how Leopardshade would even begin to cope.
"Third one?" She questioned, looking at the third, a light grey tabby with darker markings. She was quite baffled as to how the kits didn't really resemble the parents, but the brown tabby probably came from Rubblestep, the grey tabby from Pigeonfrost.
"Sedgekit. After a warrior named Sedgehollow. He saved Pigeonfrost's life once, y'know?"
No, I didn't know that. Rainclaw grimaced at how little she knew about her family. Perhaps Hareleap had decided to be informative on Pigeonfrost's history when she was stuck in QuailClan.
"They're adorable, I guess." Rainclaw smiled at the three squeaking bundles, then up at Brackenflower. "I'm proud of him y'know. Leopardshade seems happy with you. I know I don't look like I care most of the time, but I do care about him. He's my little brother, after all."
To her surprise, the grey and ginger queen smiled back at her. "I always did have respect for you. Even if I did kinda show a dislike."
Rainclaw dipped her head back, turning to go out the den. As she did, she twisted her head sideways, giving a cheeky shout of, "Doesn't mean I don't still hate you, Bracken!"
Some things never change.
A/N: Holy heck! Big chapter here, much bigger than I'd been expecting. And Rowanface returns as a spirit - her character was too good to go to waste. Thoughts on the names Brindlekit, Windkit and Sedgekit? I think they sound alright. Might not upload a chapter next week unfortunately, but I'll try my best!
Kits appearances:
Brindlekit - sleek dark grey tabby she-cat.
Windkit - dark brown tabby and white tom.
Sedgekit - light grey she-cat with darker markings.
See ya in the next chapter!
~ Ember <3