(Outdated) Warriors: Clouded Skies #2 - Frost

Chapter Twelve

"Sandflight! Someone get Sandflight!"

Rowanpaw woke with a shock, mind blurry from sleep. It wasn't just the calling that had given him such a quick awakening, but the fact that it came from Emberheart. Carppaw was gone from the small den, and Blazepaw slept smoothly in the back corner. But Frondpaw raised her head, brown eyes worried.

"What's going on?" she muttered, letting out a large yawn.

"I'll find out," Rowanpaw said quietly, trying to stretch out his limbs, but the den was too small and his back hit the top of the small cave. Sighing, he struggled out of the entrance, legs sore from a tough battle training with Hazelfur yesterday. She had shown him all sorts of new moves to practice with the other apprentices and had done a number on him physically--he was aching everywhere.

When he left the apprentices den, he saw from the small opening of the camp entrance that it was still dark, and a few cats had appeared from the warriors' den, looking worried. Sandflight's tail was disappearing into the nursery. Hickoryclaw slipped from the warriors' den, looking worried, and hurried after the medicine cat. Just a few moments later, Heronclaw and Brackenfoot, the mates of the other two queens, went after him.

Even though it would be crowded, Rowanpaw headed over, wanting to make sure his friend Emberheart was okay. When he got over, Brackenfoot slipped from the den and looked around the clearing to the cats filing out, looking curious and worried. "Rainsong has begun kitting." He didn't sound too happy about it, probably because he was just like his brother and didn't agree with the former loners living in the Clan.

Now knowing what was happening, many of the Clan relaxed, though some still looked worried for the she-cat. "A little early, isn't it?" Leafpelt murmured to Bloomcloud, who shrugged. "Sandflight said just a few sunrises ago she had another quarter moon until she'd have her kits."

Rowanpaw let the she-cats gossip and slunk into the den, narrowly missing Heronclaw as he left. Rainsong lay spread out in her nest, stomach bulging up as she breathed quickly and heavily. Ashbreeze looked over through narrowed eyes, hiding her kits from the sight, despite the small nose of Breamkit poking out from behind her tail.

Primkit and her sisters lay in their own nest, watching with wide eyes. "Primkit, Meadowkit, Fernkit!" he called, not wanting them to see it either. They looked at him curiously. "Let's head out into the clearing, all right?"

"But we wanna see!" Primkit denied, even though both Meadowkit and Fernkit headed over quietly. Seeing she was beaten, Primkit huffed then followed, tail high in the air.

"Fernkit can stay," Sandflight called unexpectedly. "She'll need to see it sometime if she works with me in the future."

The small kit looked at him with bright, shining eyes. "Oh, Can I, Ro--Ratpaw?"

Though he hated the name, Rowanpaw was glad the kit had caught herself before she revealed his secret. He couldn't believe how the three kits listened to him so well like he was their guardian and not some low-ranking apprentice. "Alright, but only you. Primkit, Meadowkit, out you get." He shoved the two kits out kindly with his nose, then looked over at Emberheart. "Are you okay? Do you need anything?"

Emberheart purred. "No, I'm alright. Though, suggest to Clovertail or Dawnstar that we need more hunting patrols. Rainsong will be hungry and needs to feed her kits," Emberheart said, and Rowanpaw nodded, turning to leave. "Ratpaw," she added, and he looked over. "You're very good with them. You'll be a good father one day."

Embarrassment flooded him, and he hurried to leave. The kits were running over to Wishpaw, mewing in excitement. Rowanpaw spotted Clovertail and Dawnstar and went over to them quickly. "Excuse me?" he said softly, waiting for the two she-cats to look at him before he said anything else. "Emberheart thinks some more hunting patrols would be useful because Rainsong needs prey."