Dawnflower's Sorrow

Chapter 15

A loud yowl pierced the night air and Dawnflower and her kits snapped awake. A moon had passed and Nightclaw must be having her kits now. Dawnflower tried ushering her kits back to the moss bed and back to sleep but it was no use; they were bored and excited for new playmates. There was no point anyway, they were up and they weren't going to go back to sleep as long as Nightclaw was screaming out in pain. "Get these kits out!" She exclaimed angrily as Flamepelt rushed in. She ignored her and gave her a stick. "Yeah, shut her up." Dawnflower muttered to herself with a laugh. It was actually quite humorous. She sat down and her tail flicked with agitation now that her kits were up and intrigued with Nightclaw's kits.

"Brookkit." Dawnflower snapped and the kit jumped and rushed back to her mother. She was sniffing at Nightclaw's foot and getting too close for Dawnflower's comfort. "Look, I'm the kit with a stick." Bramblekit said as he played with the sticks designated for Nightclaw. "Bramblekit." Dawnflower scolded and he dropped it with a sigh. Honeykit and Otterkit were play fighting and Honeykit bumped into Flamepelt. "Dawnflower." Flamepelt complained as she looked back at her sister. "Alright, that's it. You're all going back to sleep." Dawnflower exclaimed and the kits whined. "Then sit by me and don't move." She said and the kits sighed and sat beside her.

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"Dawnflower, I need your help." Flamepelt called and Dawnflower gave a look of disgust. "What, why!?" She exclaimed. "Because you're the only other not busy cat here, now help me for the love of StarClan!" Flamepelt snapped and looked back at her sister and Dawnflower sighed and padded to her. "Press down on her stomach near her leg. She's having complications." She explained and she placed her paw on her stomach and waited for further orders, since she started speaking again. "Nightclaw, I need you to push as hard as you can on the count of three. And when she pushes, Dawnflower, press down but not too hard." She said and Dawnflower nodded. "1, 2, 3." Flamepelt said and an agonizing wail escaped Nightclaw's mouth and Dawnflower pushed.

Out came one kit and then another, both in sacs. Dawnflower never planned a one on one view of a birth and especially not Nightclaw's. "Nip the sac." Flamepelt ordered and Dawnflower groaned. "Do it or it will die!" She snapped and Dawnflower nipped the sac. A brown tabby with lighter brown stripes meowled loudly Flamepelt told her to put it by Nightclaw's stomach. Dawnflower did and when she looked back, Brookkkit was slowly padding to Nightclaw. "Brookkit, what did I say?" Dawnflower hissed and she retreated to the moss bed with the rest of her siblings.

"Here, take this one." Flamepelt said and Dawnflower was unsatisfied to see that it was a black kit with two front white paws, white chest fur, and a white muzzle. She took it by the scruff and placed it by Nightclaw, who was licking her first kit. She then licked the second kit.

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Nightclaw ended up giving birth to four kits; two male, two female. Flamepelt had just left the nursery and Dawnflower's kits jumped around. "Can I go see the new kits?" Brookkit asked excitedly, her green eyes bright and filled with adventure. "Absolutely not. You will not bother with those kits at all." Dawnflower said, crushing Brookkit's wishes. "Oh come on, Dawnflower. Loosen up." Nightclaw said smugly and Dawnflower growled. "I would never do that to my kits no matter how much I hate a cat." Nightclaw said with a smirk. The mere thought of Nightclaw being a better mother than her angered the orange and white queen. She sighed and gave in to her kits. "Fine, but only a peek."

The kits squealed with excitement and they bounded to the black cat and stood in front of her four suckling kits. Dawnflower joined her kits and she saw two brown tabby kits, one with light brown stripes and one with black stripes. There was that black kit and then there was a black and brown tortoiseshell. "What are their names?" Otterkit asked and Nightclaw answered.

"Well, his name is Thornkit." She said, referring to the first born kit. "Her name is Darkkit." She said, and indicated to the second kit, the black one. "Her name is Tawnykit and the last little one, his name is Mudkit." Nightclaw said, referring to the black and brown tortie and the the brown tabby male. Brookit smiled as she looked at Thornkit. "They're so cute. I can't wait to play with them!" Otterkit exclaimed and Nightclaw smiled. Dawnflower knew it was forced and it angered her.

Dawnflower smelt pine and she purred as she padded to the entrance of the nursery and saw him pad in. They nuzzled each other and purred. "Dad!" The kits exclaimed as they bounded to him and jumped up at him. He chuckled and laid on his stomach and tucked his paws under his chest as the kits played with his fluffy neck fur. "So how did it go?" She asked softly and he shrugged. He was at a gathering that night and it hadn't gone so well. "Berrystar is accusing us of stealing prey from her territory. They threatened us with battle." Tigerstorm said softly, so as not to let the kits hear. She could see the unease and worriment grow in his eyes. "I know you're worried, Tigerstorm, but you don't have to be. I'll keep our kits safe no matter what, I promise." She said quietly and he nodded with a reassured smile.

Dawnflower padded to the entrance and looked back to her mate and flicked her tail for him to follow. Once they were out of earshot of both the kits and Nightclaw, she spoke freely. "ShadowClan? We all know Nightclaw is half ShadowClan, even if she doesn't admit it. Do you think she'll be faithful to her home clan? She might even leave with them after killing some of us." Dawnflower said with a dry, humorless laugh. Tigerstorm sighed. "That's what Leafstar said. And you know she's losing her lives quick and her old age isn't helping or it is what's killing her. Either way, she's dying, Dawnflower. And this battle might be the end. Then Whitestorm will be leader." He said, his eyes filled with sorrow. Dawnflower looked back at the nursery and feared, once more, for her kit's lives.

"We've had a long night and I don't want to be bothered by these fears any longer." Dawnflower said and Tigerstorm nodded and followed her to the nursery. "I see Nightclaw had her kits." Tigerstorm said with distaste after he stopped Dawnflower. She nodded with an eye roll. "And I had to help. And the kits are taking a big interest in them, especially Brookkit." Dawnflower informed and Tigerstorm shook his head and padded into the nursery. "Ok, time to go to sleep little ones." Tigerstorm said as he rounded them up and laid down beside them. Dawnflower laid on the other side and she fell asleep quickly.

The dream with her, Tigerstorm and their kits playing replayed in her mind but now all of it was in perfect view. But it soon turned into a nightmare when it tore with cat scratches and images of a battle enfolded and it cut to a white cat overtop a black one with blood dripping from it's jaws. It then cut to that same white cat on top of the Highrock. It was blurry but she could tell it was most likely Whitestorm or Snowfur.