Warriors: Rise of the Shadows (Book 2)

Chapter Thirty-Two

Lilyleaf panted, her belly ached and there was a pile of vomit in front of her. She gagged and another mouthful of slime was added to the mix. 

A few days ago, Sagepine reported to her that she was expecting Waspsting's kits. Thrilled at first, Lilyleaf went straight to the tom and told him the news.

"Kits?!" Her mate had cried, his eyes lit with distress as he heard the news his mate shared with him. "I can't have kits! I'm not ready!"

Lilyleaf had tried to comfort him but he hissed at her, remarking that the as long as they lived, they were nothing to him. Her heart broke at his words and she wanted to rip his pelt off.

'It's his fault these kits are going to be born!' She thought crossly as she sat in the forest. 'I never planned on becoming a mother!'

The snap of a twig followed by the crack of many leaves made the new expecting mother whirl around, claws unsheathing. "Who's there?" She demanded, glaring into the darkness.

"Relax, Lilyleaf." It was a voice she didn't recognize, but she sheathed her claws despite not trusting the cat.

"Are you sure this is the one, Moonswirl?" Asked another cat, a she-cat by the sound and pitch of her voice.

"That's what you said Halfmist told you about, Kinksnow." Replied a deeper voice, supposedly a tom.

"Come out!" Lilyleaf shouted, tail lashing. The moonlight bathed the trees of the forest and she saw three cats stepping out of the line of trees, revealing what they looked like.

There was a plump-looking creamy tabby she-cat, who looked softer than a warrior and Lilyleaf decided that she was a medicine cat.

The other two cats were more muscular than the she-cat, with broad shoulders, big paws, and scars. The white she-cat was gazing at her expectantly while the blue tabby tom flicked an ear.

The tom spoke first, his green eyes bored and tired. "Well?" He demanded, eyes fixed on Lilyleaf.

"'Well?'" Echoed the pregnant she-cat, eyes protective and fierce. "What are you three doing on FireClan territory?"

The medicine cat-looking she-cat stepped towards the demanding and hostile she-cat. "We were looking for you, actually." She mewed, tail flicking.

Lilyleaf tilted her head to the side and narrowed her eyes. "Who are you guys?" She asked warily, claws sheathing reluctantly.

The white she-cat looked to her companions and nodded. "I'm Kinksnow of DuskClan." She introduced and Lilyleaf shifted her piercing glare to the medicine cat.

"I'm Moonswirl of DawnClan," the cream tabby meowed and the three she-cats looked at the tom.

"And I'm Iceblaze of IceClan," he grunted, clearly wishing he were somewhere else. "This is a nice meetup, but care to tell us why we did this, Moonswirl?"

Moonswirl shook her head and rolled her eyes, tail tip flicking in annoyance. "Warriors," she grumbled before straightening. "Kinksnow told me in a dream that Halfmist had dreamed about four cats, we are those four."

Lilyleaf snapped her head to the she-cat and took a pace towards her. "I overheard Sparrowstar, Smallraven, and Sagepine speaking about a similar dream they shared." She admitted.

"Then what does it imply?" Growled Iceblaze, nostrils flaring. "I don't want to be part of some dream that everyone knows about but doesn't understand the meaning."

Lilyleaf and Kinksnow exchanged annoyed glances before Lilyleaf commented. "That's the longest thing I've ever heard you say, fish-face."

Kinksnow snickered at the sheer rage on fish-face's fish-face and cleared her throat. "Halfmist told me that something was coming, beginning in DawnClan and spreading throughout the Clans. If we don't stop it, the Clans will be destroyed." 

A silence swept through the cats before Iceblaze stupidly spoke up. "So, anyone hungry?" His gaze was met with many annoyed and angry glares.