Warriors: Rise of the Shadows (Book 1)

Chapter Nineteen

Sweetscent opened her eyes at the sound of a wail in the nursery. 'Pounceheart is kitting,' she thought, lifting her head, making it throb. Looking around, Sweetscent got to her paws and stumbled out of the medicine den. Looking at the sky, she flinched at the sight of the moon hanging overhead.

"Sweetscent!" Springleap called, racing towards his mate and pressing his cheek against hers. "I was so worried!" He gasped, looking and sniffing her all over. "Are you okay?"

"My head hurts, but I'll be fine." She replied, tail flicking. "What happened? How long have I been out?"

"Only two days," replied the deep voice of Larchwhisker. Sweetscent turned to the deputy to see his gaze was dark and sad. "Swallowripple died during the battle and you were knocked unconscious when your head hit a rock."

Sweetscent nodded but winced at the sound of Pounceheart's yowl of pain. She knew how much Swallowripple meant to Larchwhisker, as they were siblings.

Emberstripe poked her head out of the nursery and called a pacing Talonstripe over. Sweetscent followed the tom inside and sat down, seeing Pounceheart's three new kits.

"Two sons and a daughter," Emberstripe meowed, clearly tired of delivering kits. She cast Sweetscent a glance, tail flicking to show her exhaustion. "Don't hurry to give the Clan more kits." She pleaded and padded out of the den, Snowpaw at her heels.

Sweetscent suppressed an amused snort and gazed at Pounceheart's new litter. There was a black and white kit, a white kit, and a ginger tabby.

"Let's name this tom Swiftkit," suggested a tired Pounceheart, nodding weakly to the black and white tom.

"What about Cloudkit for the she-cat?" Sweetscent suggested softly, pointing with a paw to the all-white kit.

Talonstripe nodded in approval and looked at the ginger tabby shape. "And he could be Smallkit because he's the smallest." He purred and licked his mate on the head, curling up with her.

Not wanting to be seen as intruding, Sweetscent dragged her paws towards her soft and fluffy nest and collapsed, falling asleep much quicker than she thought was possible.

**********

"Okay, Sweetscent, push!" Urged Snowpaw as the queen bit down on the stick that was between her jaws. Pain was flashing through her every second that she was in this situation.

With a heave and a flare of pain, Emberstripe lifted her head, a small tortoiseshell in her jaws. The sight of the kit made the pain disappear briefly before she screeched and the stick splintered as Snowpaw watched.

The white apprentice lapped at a small black and white kit and Sweetscent breathed heavily. "One daughter and one son," Snowpaw mewed, nudging the two kits to the curve of Sweetscent's belly.

"Springleap!" Emberstripe called, tail flicking. "These two kits need their father!"

Springleap pushed his way into the nursery and hurried to his mates' side and lapped at her cheek. "They're beautiful, Sweetscent." He breathed, gazing at his son and daughter with pride. "What will you name them?"

Sweetscent pondered the thought for a moment and gazed at the small black and white she-cat. "Starlingkit and Sparrowkit." She meowed, her head resting on her paws as her eyes closed. She heard no more as sleep dragged her away from her new family.

**********

"Ow!" Complained Sparrowkit as his sister pounced on his tail. "Starlingkit, that hurt!" The tortoiseshell tom flicked his tail free from his sisters' grasp and glared at her.

"You are no fun!" Starlingkit shot back, her black and white fur, like Springleap's, bristled. "Mama! Sparrowkit is being mean!"

Sweetscent looked sternly at her kits, already fed up with their bickering. "Starlingkit! Sparrowkit! Do not hurt each other!" She scolded, watching as their ears pinned themselves to their small heads and their tails drooped.

Sparrowkit looked at his paws while Starlingkit crouched down, waiting for the lecture to end.

"Scamper off to the elders' den and Swiftscar will tell you a story." Sweetscent meowed, wanting some time alone to sleep. "Come back before sunhigh and for StarClan's sake, be quieter!" With the third scolding done, Starlingkit and Sparrowkit wordlessly padded away, tails dragging behind them.

Moments later, Pearpaw pushed her way through the entrance, holding a scrawny vole in her jaws. "They looked like they'd seen a cat be slaughtered." The apprentice commented as she dropped the prey at Sweetscent's paws.

"They were fighting again and I sent them to Swiftscar. He can deal with him while I get some peace and quiet!" Sweetscent remarked as she took a bite of the stringy and tough vole.

Pearpaw purred and flicked her ear, the tip nicked from training. "I'm glad I don't have to be stuck in here all day with kits." She meowed, sniffing the air. "It's much too stuffy and hot, I like the sun on my back instead of kits."Sweetscent rolled her eyes at her former apprentice and shook her head. Since she was stuck in the nursery with Starlingkit and Sparrowkit, Cloverbud took over Pearpaw's training. "Pretty soon, you'll be a warrior while mine and Pounceheart's kits will be apprentices." She pointed out with a flick of her tail. "Possibly an apprentice of yours, Pearpaw." Pearpaw shrugged and rose to her paws, blinking warmly at her former mentor. "I hope not too quickly," she joked as she padded towards the entrance. "I would like a chance to enjoy my youth!"