Warriors: Rise of the Shadows (Book 2)

Chapter Forty-Four

"Lilyleaf, watch me!" Flintkit meowed, making his mother turn her warm gaze to watch her sons play-fight. As the small tom crouched down, his haunches wiggled and he shot into the air and landed squarely on Logkit's back.

Lilyleaf purred in approval as Logkit batted his brother's muzzle with a tiny paw, his claws sheathed. They were only half a moon old and were the most energetic kits in the Clans.

Flintkit looked more like Waspsting but without the yellow that his father had on his pelt. His brother, Logkit, didn't look like any of his parents but he had the spirit of Waspsting.

The thought of her ex-mate turning his back on his family made Lilyleaf's heart turn to stone. Shaking her head to shake the feeling of betrayal by the tom off her pelt, the queen turned her attention back to her kits.

They played moss-ball for a while before Hailstorm entered the den with a scrawny crow in his jaws. He looked at the kits then at their mother, dipping his head as he dropped the bird at Lilyleaf's paws.

"Thought you might be hungry after dealing with these two for a while." The tom meowed, chuckling as the two kits charged at him and attached to his pelt like fleas.

"Thank you, Hailstorm." Purred the she-cat and bit into the bird hungrily, chewing carefully to savor the delicious taste of the thin prey.

The orange-eyed warrior nodded and sat down, tail flicking for Logkit and Flintkit to chase. After a few heartbeats of silence while the kits entertained themselves with Hailstorm's tail, he meowed. "Did you hear Shortberry is expecting Duskfur's kits?"

Lilyleaf's eyes widened and she shook her head, astonished. "She's so young, I didn't think she'd want to be in the nursery so soon after getting her warrior name."

Hailstorm nodded, understanding. "I was quite surprised she and Duskfur even are mates." He admitted, his paws shifting. "Have you ever seen them together?"

After a moment of thinking while she chewed another bite of crow, Lilyleaf swallowed and shook her head. "So sudden, wouldn't you say?"

Hailstorm was about to reply when a shriek from out of the den cut him off. Lilyleaf hissed in alarm and shot to her paws, pushing her kits into the moss she laid in.

"DawnClan scum!" Hissed the voice of Mintfall.

"What is the medicine cat of a rival Clan doing in our camp?" Asked what sounded like Barkslip.

Lilyleaf padded out of the nursery and saw her bristling Clanmates all crowded around Moonswirl of DawnClan. "Moonswirl?" She called out, catching the attention of her friend.

"Lilyleaf!" The medicine cat meowed briskily, heading towards the queen. "We have much to discuss."