CHAPTER ELEVEN
HAZELPAW | THUNDERCLAN CAMP
Hazelpaw set the kit she held down onto the dry moss next to Aqua's belly.
Turtlecreek entered the den at that moment, instantly spotting Hazelpaw.
"I'll let you settle in. Call for me if you need anything." Honeypool noticed Turtlecreek's entrance and frowned at her a little.
"Right. Thank you... Honeypool." Aqua smiled up at the deputy, wrapping her tail around her kits. "I will never forget this kind act."
Honeypool left the den, stopping by Turtlecreek to ask her what she was doing in here. Turtlecreek spoke too quietly and quickly for Hazelpaw's ears to hear her.
Stormpaw left the den as well.
"Hello, Aqua." Turtlecreek meowed, voice welcoming. "I'm Turtlecreek."
"Hello. I like your name," Aqua responded. "Do my kits need to be named like that?"
"Yes." Turtlecreek paused. "We usually name kits after their pelt or how they act."
Aqua nodded, slowly understanding. "My kits current names are Crystalline, Ivory, and Tundra."
"I've never heard names like that before."
"My mate named them. He originally lived with barelegs and had friends named like that."
Barelegs? Hazelpaw tilted her head, looking at Turtlecreek for help. What were barelegs?
Turtlecreek hesitated, also confused. "Barelegs? As in... Two-leg?"
"If that is what you call those large creatures that walk on two legs, then yes, that is what I speak of." Aqua snatched one of the kittens that had crawled over the safety of the nest.
"Where is your mate?" Hazelpaw blurted, curious.
"Hazelpaw!" Turtlecreek hissed through clenched teeth when Aqua's eyes turned sorrowful.
"It is alright, she is just asking." Aqua murmured, looking at her kits. "He died a few days ago."
Hazelpaw itched to ask how, but she knew she'd be crossing the line with Turtlecreek if she asked anymore.
"I'm sorry," whispered Turtlecreek.
Aqua smiled sadly. "It is okay."
"Do you have any ideas for names?" A soft sneer came from behind Hazelpaw. Ravenwhisker was back at it. "Let me guess - Crystallinekit? We don't accept foreign names like that."
Aqua looked a bit hurt at the she-cat's scalding words. Before she could defend herself, Turtlecreek asked Ravenwhisker in a cold, smooth voice. "Didn't Honeypool threaten you to stop this? Leave Aqua alone."
"She's just going to ruin the Clan traditions with her kits." Ravenwhisker grumbled.
"I will not - I promise." Aqua meowed, whiskers quivering. "Um, Turtlecreek, how about you name one? I want an example of a good name."
Turtlecreek glanced at Hazelpaw. "Are you okay if my daughter names one of them?" Fondness took over her voice, and she sidled closer to Hazelpaw, wrapping her tail around Hazelpaw's shoulders.
"Of course!" Aqua looked at Hazelpaw expectantly.
"M-Me?" Hazelpaw's mouth ran dry. She looked at the kits, all of which were she-kits, and chose one to name. The blue-gray she-kit had longer fur than the other two and just... stuck out. Stuck out in a good way.
What are good names? Bluekit? No... too basic. Longkit? Her name will just end up to be Longfur... Hazelpaw looked up, finally decided.
"Willowkit for the one that looks like you, Aqua. Her fur faintly reminds me of a willow." Hazelpaw waited for Aqua's face to scrunch up in disgust or for her denial, but she got a grateful smile instead.
"Thank you! I love that name so much already." Aqua looked at the other two. They were both black-and-white, practically twins. "For Tundra, she will be named Raccoonkit-"
"Raccoonkit?" Ravenwhisker snorted. "What is a raccoon?"
For once, Aqua didn't cringe away from the infuriating she-cat. Instead, her whiskers twitched incredulously. "You do not know about raccoons? They are thieving-"
"I don't care what they are." Ravenwhisker snapped. "I'm saying that's such a loner-like name."
"I find it lovely." Turtlecreek shot back. "Don't make me summon Honeypool."
"Get him!" Ravenwhisker growled, fur bristling. "He'll agree with me that 'Raccoonkit' is a ridiculous name."
Aqua let out a choked sound, hiding her kits with her plumy tail. "I will change it if that is what satisfies you..." she trailed off, eyes unfocused.
"What satisfies me will be your sorry tail out of this camp! We don't need loner blood mixing with ours." Ravenwhisker snarled, quieting down when one of her kits started squirming and opening their eyes.
"Mama?" The kit yawned, carelessly putting her paws on her brother as she stretched. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, Ryekit." Ravenwhisker's tone had considerably dropped into a softer, fonder mew. She nuzzled Ryekit's gray head. "Go back to sleep, my little kitten."
Ryekit smacked her lips, curling back up next to her brother, Lizardkit. She rested her head on his flank before closing her eyes.
"Look what you did," whispered Ravenwhisker angrily, looking at Turtlecreek directly in the eye, "you woke up my precious kitten."
Hazelpaw scoffed, which was a mistake. Ravenwhisker's glare landed on her.
"Why are you still here?" Ravenwhisker whispered-hissed. "You're not important here."
Turtlecreek gasped, surprised and upset. "My kit is very important."
Horror filled Ravenwhisker's eyes when she realized what she said in front of a certain cat. "I-I didn't mean it."
"That's it." Turtlecreek whipped around, storming out of the nursery.
Hazelpaw sent a glance at Aqua, who had curled herself around her kits, ears flattened with distress. Hazelpaw briefly pondered what the she-cat was thinking.
Turtlecreek returned, dripping wet, with Honeypool on her paws, looking displeased.
Hazelpaw took this as her cue to leave, trotting out of the nursery.
---
-artemis
YOU ARE READING
Warriors: Shadows in the Light - Veiled Stars
ActionA few nights before the Gathering, a cat vanishes, no trace of them or their potential murderer found. Caution was advised, but no cat worried their tails off. But when three more murders followed after the first one only a couple days later, cats b...
