Flowerstar's Judgement {COMPLETE}

Chapter 34

"You need to calm down, Flowerpelt." Lakeflight purred, the gray she-cat was resting outside the nursery.

"I don't see how I can, Lakeflight." Flowerpelt said impatiently. "That's my sister in there! Giving birth to my own kin."

"Stormwind is in very capable paws, and you know that." Lakeflight licked her paw. Flowerpelt looked at the queen, she knew that she was right. Not long after Hawktalon lost his vision to the black liquid, Windflight, Lakeflight and Blazeheart had been made warriors. Poppyfur had also earned her full medicine cat name for coming up with the idea to help them.

That was three moons ago, two moons ago Stormwind had announced that she was expecting Snakewhisker's kits and a moon after, Lakeflight was expecting Slateclaw's. It couldn't have happened at a worse time, Flowerpelt thought as it was officially leaf-bare. Flowerpelt didn't want her sister or Lakeflight to lose their kits to the harsh season of leaf-bare.

Flowerpelt took a deep breath, trying to relax herself. She could hear Stormwind's cries of pain from inside the nursery and Flowerpelt knew it was completely natural, but she couldn't help but completely panic about it.

After a few moments, Stormwind's cries stopped. Flowerpelt tensed, she watched the entrance as Poppyfur poked her head out, green eyes as soft as moss. She has Owlfoot's eyes. Flowerpelt thought. "Flowerpelt, come and meet your niece."

Only one? Flowerpelt tilted her head and stepped into the nursery. Stormwind was looking at a tiny, gray she-cat who nuzzled at her belly. Flowerpelt blinked in surprise, feeling a rush of love pass over her.

Snakewhisker was beside Stormwind, licking her ears lovingly. "Come here." Stormwind beckoned Flowerpelt closer. "This is my daughter."

Flowerpelt stared at the tiny kit, she had seen kits been born before but none of them had filled her with this kind of reaction. Her heart swelled up and she felt a wave of love and protection. "She's beautiful, Stormwind." Flowerpelt nuzzled her sister, purring loudly. "Do you have a name for her?"

Stormwind let out a small chuckle and shared a gaze with Snakewhisker. "I was thinking about naming her Dovekit...after Dovewish."

Flowerpelt's felt a skip in her heart beat. She took a closer look at Dovekit. She looks a lot like Dovewish. "I think it's a perfect name."

A few days had passed since the birth of Dovekit and for the first time in a long time, Flowerpelt felt in intense feeling of happiness. Despite the season of leaf-bare, Dovekit was a perfectly healthy kit. She wasn't very active yet, just mewling without meaning and nursing from her mother. Flowerpelt couldn't wait until she was older, she could play with her.

The whole situation had gotten Flowerpelt really thinking about mates and kits. During her short relationship with Thornpelt she had wanted kits, she wanted to raise a family with him. That was what she had told Falconclaw before he attacked her, but now that she and Thornpelt no longer had anything...Flowerpelt didn't want kits. She wasn't even sure if she wanted a mate, she wanted to be leader. Her mind had truly focused back on what she wanted for her future. The only kit she wanted in her life right now was Dovekit.

Flowerpelt looked around the camp, for once she wasn't terrified for the start of leaf-bare. SunClan had spent a lot of time collecting prey and from what she knew Honeywing and Poppyfur had a lot of catmint for sickness. I have a good feeling about this season.

Flowerpelt looked over at the elder's den, all four elders were relaxing and talking. As he said, when Lakeflight was made a warrior Flintstripe joined Tallfern in the elder's den. With his failed vision, Hawktalon decided to retire as well and Nightwing did the same. "I may be young but there are plenty of cats who can do the things I can no longer do. I want to relax with the love of my life."

Flowerpelt admired their relationship, Hawktalon and Nightwing had a love unlike any other. Flowerpelt was starting to similar relationships however. Tigertail and Sunstream were clearly very much in love with each other as well as Bramblepelt and Willownose. Part of Flowerpelt wanted a love that that, but part of her didn't as well. If I ever do become leader, I won't have time for a mate or kits.

Flowerpelt turned her attention to the medicine cat den. Honeywing was out collecting what herbs didn't get killed in the frost and Poppyfur was sitting outside. She was staring at her paws, something seemed to be upsetting her. Flowerpelt recalled a while ago, when Falconclaw had been discovered dead, she was going to ask Poppyfur what was bothering her. She never did, was it still her father?

Flowerpelt crossed the camp to speak with the medicine cat, Poppyfur looked up as Flowerpelt got closer. "Hey, is everything okay? I've noticed you've been looking distracted and kind of sad."

Poppyfur looked away quickly. "It's nothing, I'm fine."

Flowerpelt knew she was lying. "Come on, Poppyfur. If you can talk to anyone, you can talk to me. I'm the one you talked to when you wanted to be a medicine cat, remember?" Poppyfur lifted her head and looked around, her eyes darting.

"Okay," She lowered her voice. "But we can't talk about it here, follow me."

"Why--"

"Just follow me if you want me to tell you!" Poppyfur cut her off with a sharp hiss, Flowerpelt narrowed her eyes. Still as ill tempered as ever, I see. Flowerpelt thought, but followed Poppyfur out of the back entrance of camp. The cream and black she-cat led her to the moss hollow where they sat down. "Okay..." Poppyfur took a deep breath. "You have to promise not to tell any cat about this okay?"

Flowerpelt was somewhat uncomfortable, but Poppyfur was reaching out to her, she had to respect her wishes. "I promise."

Poppyfur took another deep breath. "I..." This is clearly hard to her to say. "For the past couple moons...I've been kind of...seeing a LichenClan cat..." Flowerpelt's jaw dropped, she really wasn't expecting this.

"What do you mean...seeing?"

"Seeing as in we've been meeting in secret." Poppyfur snapped, then calmed herself down. "I'm sorry it's just...I know it's wrong. I wanted so badly to be a medicine cat, but then I met him..." She closed her eyes. Flowerpelt could see the struggle that was going on in Poppyfur's head. She's just confused. "His name is Branchfur, we met when we were apprentices and we've been meeting for a long time...I'm really happy around him."

She dropped her head, sounding incredibly defeated. "I know I can't be with him, but it hurts to think about not being with him. I can't tell Honeywing because I'm scared she'll tell me I can't be a medicine cat anymore."

"Do you want to still be a medicine cat?" Flowerpelt questioned, wishing she could find better words to help her. Flowerpelt could only slightly relate to what she was feeling. She fell in love with a cat she couldn't be it, but Poppyfur was a medicine cat who was forbidden to have a mate, let alone a mate from a different Clan.

"Of course I do!" Poppyfur exclaimed. "I want nothing more than to be a medicine cat, it's the thing I love most." She quieted down again. "I know I need to say goodbye to Branchfur, I'm just not sure how to do it." She closed her eyes.

"I'm sorry you have to go through something like this." Flowerpelt mewed. "It can't be easy. I think that Honeywing will understand if you tell her, but you have to end this relationship. I'm sorry I can't be more help."

"It's okay." Poppyfur sighed, Flowerpelt felt guilty. She came to me for help and I can't even do that. "I know I need to stop it, but...don't tell Honeywing okay? I'd like to be the one to tell her."

"I won't tell her." Flowerpelt promised again.

"Thanks for letting me tell you." Poppyfur stood up. "It feels a lot better having it off my chest." The medicine cat looked up. "I just hope I can find the strength to say goodbye to Branchfur." Flowerpelt blinked. She watched Poppyfur as she climbed out of the moss hollow, the medicine cat looked different somehow. When she was just an apprentice, she had eyes full of hope and wonder. Now she was haunted by her forbidden relationship with a LichenClan warriors.

Oh, Poppyfur. You have the strength to say goodbye, just as I did. You're an amazing medicine cat, I hope you know that.