Warriors: Rising River

Chapter 5

Splashkit stretched. He was in the Nursery, and it was about Sunhigh now. Quailwing was leaving them alone more and more often now, either to bask in the sun or talk to other Warriors. If she was leaving them alone so often when they were only three moons, he didn't even want to imagine how often they would be alone when they were five or almost six moons. Of course, they were allowed outside while she was gone, but they weren't allowed to follow her everywhere.

Salmonkit was playing with a chunk of moss outside. Splashkit yawned, rolling over. He wondered how she could have so much energy at Sunhigh..? While yes, he could be energetic, he loved a good nap after playing for hours and hours.

I wonder if her energy will ever run out? He pondered. Then shrugged. Probably not.

He blinked for a few moments, starting to drowse off, when an angry yowl erupted from the clearing. Shaking his fur, he decided he might as well check it out. Padding just outside of the Nursery, he watched the scene unfold. Fogfish had her tail around her large, white belly. Beetlestorm had a single huge black paw in front of her.

"You said you loved me! Nobody else!" Lightslip screeched.

Beetlestorm scoffed. "Love is like a river. It can bend and change."

"Fox-dung to that!" Lightslip yelled, her claws unsheathed and visible. "Do you not think of our kits? Do you not want them to have a father?"

"No father is better than having a father that does not want to father you. You, out of everyone, should know this." Beetlestorm shook his head, and padded off, his bushy night-black tail curled gently around the moon-like she-cat.

Quailwing padded over to Lightslip, comforting her and licking the tears that rolled down her creamy gray cheeks. Petalpaw also did her best to ease her horrid pain.

Splashkit shook his head at the scene. He wandered back over to his nest, a nice orderly pile. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Fogfish had padded into the nursery and was now lying in the corner, alone. Her whip-thin tail lay neatly by her belly, and her large, calming gray eyes we're half closed and were dappled with mixtures of sorrow and guilt.

Splashkit padded over to her, gently touching his nose to her forehead. Her eyes brightened as she looked up to him.

"Hello there, Splashkit." She purred.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, tilting his head.

"Ah, I'm expecting." Her gaze, once again, was taken over by sorrow, and... Was that embarrassment?

"You don't seem too happy about becoming a mother..." Splashkit mewed, lifting a paw.

"Oh... Oh no! It's not that, dear. It's just... I'm afraid for these kits. What if... They get called by names, and the other kits don't accept them?" Fogfish rambled, her claws going in and out nervously.

"I'll accept them." Splashkit put his paw on hers, smiling.

Tears welled in the gray glow of her eyes. "Thank you."