Warriors: Rise of the Shadows (Book 2)

Chapter Fourteen

Moonpaw nudged some borage leaves towards Birchmouse, Flowersun, and Goldenfall. All three she-cats were expecting kits and Moonpaw almost shredded their fur for all the kitting she and Heatherspring would have to assist with.

Goldenfall, who Moonpaw thought would never have kits again, seemed to be further along than. 'StarClan give us the prey to feed these queens to keep the kits alive.' She silently begged.

Just as Moonpaw sent the queens away, Heatherspring poked her head inside the den. "You need to come see this, Moonpaw." She meowed, making Moonpaw frown in confusion but stood up and followed her mentor.

They padded into the forest and Moonpaw could detect the scent of excitement and something else radiating off her mentor and denmate. 'What's with her?' She thought, casting her a silence questioning glance.

Just as she was about to say something, Heatherspring raised her tail and looked to her apprentice. "Over there in those bushes are where I found them," she meowed quietly.

"Them?" Moonpaw echoed, taking a couple of wary steps towards the bushes and peered inside. She was shocked beyond herself at what she laid her eyes on that very second.

An all-black kit was curled up with two other kits. One was a dusty brown tabby and the other was a golden brown tabby with lighter paws.

"What in StarClan's name?" Moonpaw meowed, stepping back away from the unknown kits and looked to her mentor. "Who would abandon kits? Especially when they're so young and defenseless."

Heatherspring looked away, her gaze unreadable as she shrugged. "We have to take them in, Moonpaw." She meowed, looking at the kits with an emotion the young she-cat couldn't understand. "They'll die out here if we don't, you know that."

Moonpaw looked at the three helpless kits one last time and nodded slowly. "I'll have Goldenfall nurse them since her kits are due any day now." She meowed slowly and locked eyes with Heatherspring. "Do you know their parents?"

Her mentor flinched as though struck then shook her head sadly. "I found them while searching for some marigold this morning." She meowed, though Moonpaw knew she was lying since marigold grew in FireClan's rich land and the forest in DawnClan wasn't close to rich.

"Very well, Heatherspring." She meowed carefully, tail twitching. "Let's name them before we get them to camp, shall we?"

Her mentor looked ready to burst with excitement at the mention of naming the kits. "Ebonykit for the black one, I'm pretty sure it's a tom." She meowed, seeing Moonpaw nod.

Moonpaw looked at the dusty brown tabby, deciding that it was a she-cat. "Copperkit for her," she meowed.

Heatherspring looked at the final kit and took a breath before speaking. "Branchkit for him," she meowed finally and avoided Moonpaw's suspicious gaze.