(Outdated) Warriors: Clouded Skies #1 - The First Storm

Chapter Seventeen

When Ravenpaw awoke from sleep, Mossrain was gone, but the tom's scent was fresh inside the den, telling the young apprentice he had probably returned then left again. He yawned, stretching his muscles, and stood from his nest. He was stiff and sore, but he forced himself to ignore it and began cleaning his side.

I'll go see Goldenpool first and check on Stormkit, then I'll see how Willowpaw is, then I'll help out Jaypaw, and Blossompaw if she wants my help... He shook his head to clear his mind then hurried from the den, keeping his eyes down and taking a familiar non-existant path to the nursery. He slipped inside the small den and shivered as the warmth enveloped him, warming his cold skin.

"Ravenpaw, it's nice to see you." He looked over to see Goldenpool lying in her nest, tail flicking softly, while Stormkit, Heatherkit, and Dustkit crawled around by her belly. They were growing every day, and they were becoming quite noisy. He peered over the edge of the nest and saw Stormkit struggling to pin Heatherkit down, both of them wiggling and squealing.

Dustkit crawled over, his small half-open eyes squinted at his sisters. He pawed at Stormkit's head, mewling a high-pitched "No!" while he slowly pushed his head against Stormkit. The small solid brown tabby mewled in complaint as she fell backward and onto her back. Dustkit pawed at her face, climbing over her and stuffing her muzzle in his fluffy fur.

Goldenpool purred with amusement and used a large back paw to separate them. Ravenpaw flicked his ear, spying on the she-cat's side, but the strange bump wasn't there yet. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

Goldenpool purred with amusement. "I'm fine, Ravenpaw, you ask every day." Her eyes were glowing and she looked at her tiny kits with undying love burning in her gaze. She was quiet for a moment before meowing, "I've helped so many queens have kits, but I never truly understood the love a mother had for her kits. I didn't have a mother—she died not long after I was born—so I never got to know how she would've felt. But now that I have them..." Her tone turned wistful. "I would do anything to protect them." She looked up at him.

Ravenpaw swallowed, his throat dry. The fierceness in her eyes made him shiver. He had always seen motherhood as absolute love and kindness, but the look in her gaze let him knew it was so much more. It was protectiveness—a need to raise her kits and keep them safe. She looked like she was ready to take on a fox to protect them, even now, lying peacefully in the camp, completely safe.

He noticed that her muscles were tight, and her legs were positioned so she could leap from her nest in a moment. "Goldenpool?" he mewed softly, his tail flicking fearfully.

She took her gaze from her kits and looked at him. "Yes?" He could see the readiness in her eyes. She was a medicine cat; a cat who healed, who saved lives, but she was ready to fight to the death.

"You're safe." He put a strain in his words.

Her eyes widened, then she looked at her paws. A soft chuckle came from her. "Is it really that noticeable?" she asked softly but didn't wait for a reply. "When I was a moon old, a group of stoats came into camp. It was leaf-bare and they were starving, and they attacked the nursery because they could smell kits. Our nest was the closest to the entrance, so the stoats attacked our nest. My mother died trying to protect me and my littermates. Chiveclaw had fallen asleep with Berrywhisker, and he fought them off, but not before they killed my brother..." Her eyes shimmered with fear. "I don't want that to happen to my kits."

Ravenpaw stayed silent, struggling to breathe. He could picture the scene in his head—a group of the small, skinny vermin slipping into the nursery and jumping into a nest of an unsuspecting queen; a cat who thought they were safe from harm, hidden in camp. StarClan, why would you allow that to happen?