Warriors: The Darkness Within

Chapter 2

The crisp, cold morning air touched Firekit's nose as the warm, shielding body of Quickfox moved away from him. Soft voices followed, he recognised his mother's voice immediately, "I'll fetch Pebblefoot, but for now just breath deeply, you'll be ok." She said
"Please hurry." Whiteblaze replied.
Was something wrong? Firekit wondered vaguely, still groggy with sleep. Blinking open his eyes he let them adjust to the dim lighting of the nursery, he saw his siblings fast asleep beside him and his mother's bushy red tail just leaving the den, shedding enough pale light to reveal Whiteblaze laying across the den. She was slightly panting and looked like she was in pain, what is happening? Is Whiteblaze ok? Are the kits coming? Or is she sick? Questions started bouncing around in his head and he wanted answers to all of them. He stood up giving himself a shake and cautiously padding over to the distressed queen.
"Are you ok Whiteblaze?" He asked quietly, she jumped slightly and opened her eyes which had been screwed shut.
"Oh Firekit! Don't worry, I'll be fine, your mother..." but Whiteblaze didn't finish her sentence because she suddenly let out an agonised wail. Pinekit and Birdkit leaped to their feet wide awake and confused, moments later, Pebblefoot entered the den carrying leaves and a stick. Quickfox followed closely behind him, a ball of dripping moss gripped in her jaws.
"Thank StarClan!" Whiteblaze breathed, evidently relieved.
"Is everything ok in there?" Came a concerned voice from outside the den a few moments later, Whiteblaze answered her mate,"It's ok Branchfall, the kits are coming!"
"What!? Are you ok? Can I come in? Is Pebblefoot there?" He fretted.
"I'm in here with her, she'll be ok, you can't come in though, there isn't enough room." Pebblefoot answered gruffly, a hint of amusement in his voice. Firekit watched the old medicine cat crouch down beside Whiteblaze, feeling her swollen belly and muttering to himself.
"Is something wrong?" Quickfox asked.
"No, it's going to be a long labour, that's all. I would take your kits out, send in Palepaw as well could you?" He instructed, pushing the wet moss towards the birthing queen. Quickfox hesitated, looking with concern towards her friend.
"What are those?" Firekit asked gesturing to the herbs at Pebblefoot's feet.
"Raspberry leaves to ease her pain." He replied still examining Whiteblaze who was panting and groaning.
"Why don't you give them to her? She looks like she is in pain now." He persisted, ignoring a warning look from his mother, but Pebblefoot replied, not annoyed in the slightest.
"I'll give them to her at the sign of her first kit being born."
"Come now kits, let's give Pebblefoot some space." Quickfox said interrupting Firekit's next question, she curled her tail around them, herding them out of the den. Firekit looked over his shoulder with interest, until the nursery entrance shielded his view.
"Ok kits, who can fetch Palepaw the fastest?" She asked them, Birdkit and Pinekit took off across camp, Firekit followed. Pinekit reached the medicine den first, nudging Palepaw, who lay asleep in her nest, and backing off in case she lashed out like her mentor did whenever he was woken up. She stirred, "Pinekit? What is it?" Palepaw asked drowsily.
"Pebblefoot sent us, Whiteblaze is having her kits!" He said, the same excitement showed in his  bouncing up and down echoed in his squeaky voice, Firekit could tell he was happy to be doing something important.
Palepaw gasped, leaping to her feet, eyes wide open. She gave herself a shake, tiny bits of moss flying around the den, Firekit sneezed as a piece landed on his nose, she nodded her thanks and hurried out of the den to the nursery.
"I can't wait to meet the new kits!" Birdkit exclaimed chasing after Palepaw, Pinekit followed her, pausing at the entrance to ask Firekit, "Are you coming?"
Firekit hesitated before nodding and hurrying after his siblings, feeling the chilling morning breeze flowing through his fur. "Kits! Over here!" Their mother called, Birdkit hesitated at the entrance to the nursery, looking at Quickfox with a sort of longing in her eyes.
"Come on, stay out of there until the kits are born." She called. Pinekit and Firekit ran over to her, Birdkit gave her one more pleading look that was quickly silenced by her mother's face, before joining them. Over by the high rock, the deputy, Waterclaw was  announcing the dawn patrol.
"Ok now that the dawn patrol is sorted, I would like a quick hunting patrol. Morningheather, can you lead it with Blizzardpelt, Ambercloud and Silverwater." The warriors that surrounded him nodded and sorted themselves out, Firekit watch in awe as the two patrols bounded out of camp, giving Crowpaw a wave of his tail, she replied with a smile and a nod, before running after the hunting patrol.
Firekit felt a pang of longing to be an apprentice, as much as he loved his mother and siblings, he couldn't wait to be able to learn to fight, hunt and be able to go out on his own. His thoughts were interrupted by an agonised cry from the nursey, Branchfall bounded over to Quickfox, "Does that sound normal?!" He asked frantically.
"Branchfall relax! She'll be ok, the pregnancy was faultless, she rested and ate enough throughout it." She reassured him, "look, birth is a painful process, I know it sounds really bad, but it's going to be ok." Quickfox rested her red tail on his shoulder.
"Thank you Quickfox... but I'm just so worried about her and, what if she's not ok, what if one of the kits doesn't make it." He continued.
"Branchfall, that is very unlikely, think positive and have faith that StarClan will care for Whiteblaze and your kit's health." She finished, nodding to him and padding over to her kits. Firekit knew it was going to be a long day for the whole clan.