Warrior cat fanfic!! :)

Chapter 2

Rainstalk's neck fur was soaked with warm blood. Brightbush, the clan healer, smeared ointment on his wounds, lathering it in with his tongue. Rainstalk winced, "Is it meant to sting?" he asked.

"Yes, it'll heal in less than a moon with this balm." Brightbush answered, washing his tongue with some damp moss. "I found a new water source, by the way. Its water is connected to the great river."

Just then, a screech came from the den that Willowsea and Curtclaw shared. "What's wrong?" Rainstalk asked, running forward.

Curtclaw dashed out. "Willowsea's kitting! It's too early!"

"It is!" Brightbush jumped up and ran to the den. He instructed every other cat but himself and Curtclaw to remain outside. After a lot of anxious waiting, Curtclaw exploded inside, his eyes glistening with happiness. "Two kits!" he purred as he glanced back out of the den. Brightbush gently brought two kits to the entrance after their mother had licked the blood out of their fur.

"One she-kit and one tom-kit!" beamed Curtclaw, as Brightbush nudged the kits back to their mother.

The she-kit had a coal black pelt and bright green eyes, and the tom-kit was a brown tortoiseshell with large yellow eyes. "Both of them are very healthy kits!" meowed Brightbush happily, "But they mustn't have any visitors until they can stand by themselves."

Curtclaw looked back at Willowsea with bright eyes and she gave a weak smile.

"Willowsea must rest." Brightbush told Cut Claw, covering up the entrance of the den with shaggy moss strips, hooking them on brambles that grew above the den.

Rainstalk congratulated his littermate and ran to tell Claret. He found her stalking a crow with an injured wing, so he stayed out of her way. Under the thin canopy of red and brown, Claret kept her muzzle pressed against the ground and slowly approached her prey, before leaping at it with a sharp yowl. With a mew of victory, she bit into its good wing and killed it with a second bite.

The fresh scent of blood drifted towards Rainstalk and his belly rumbled. He made his way over to Claret and purred at the sight of her prey. "That's a fine catch!" he mewed, lowering his head to sniff the dead bird.

"I've gotta bring it back to Mudshell, as he spends all his time hunting for Snoweye. He doesn't tell my father about it and makes me hunt just to please the rest of the clan." she bit down on the prey and began carrying it back to her camp.

"I almost forgot!" meowed Rainstalk. "Cut Claw's kits were just born."

"Were they!" Interest sparked in Claret's eyes. "Who's the queen?"

"A tortoiseshell she-cat named Willowsea." purred Rainstalk.

"I know Willowsea's littermate, Pebblesea!" Claret mewed happily. "He's part of GaiaClan, like me." as she spoke, her eyes glistened and a loud purr escaped her throat.

Jealousy sparked in Rainstalk. "And who is this...Pebblesea? Is he...important to you?"

"Yes." purred Claret, not noticing the pained expression on Rainstalk's face. "I wouldn't be half the cat I am today without him!"

"That's great." meowed Rainstalk lamely. Frustration welled up in him. Why couldn't Claret see how much he cared for her? He shook his thoughts out. "Is he your...mate?" he asked tentatively.

"Of course not. I don't think of him like that." Claret fluffed up her neck fur. "Rogues like me run solo." Rainstalk felt his heart leap out of his chest and he sighed in relief.

"Oh! Alright, then." he purred and rubbed his head against hers before heading back to camp.