Warriors: Rising Tide

Chapter 28: Sagelight

I shifted in my nest as I felt little bundles squirm at my side. I opened my eyes and tried to shift to see them but I felt so tired that all I could do was open my eyes. I looked around to the best of my ability but the only cats I saw wears Dawndrop and Neville. The dim moonlight from outside glinted on the fallen leaves in the clearing. The air that slowly filtered in from the outside was a little cold but nothing unbearable.

Where was Foxhop? I forced myself to get up which caused one of the kits I haven't seen yet to see let go and mew loudly. Puddlesplash groaned and I finally noticed he was asleep in a nest next to me. He quickly looked over to see me trying to get up.

"Sagelight?" He said tiredly. That dream stuff hit him hard again but he seemed okay at least.

"Puddlesplash where is Foxhop?" I asked hoarsely. My throat felt dry and achey. Puddlesplash pinned his ears back when I asked. He got up from his nest in his own shaker way and came over to lay in front of me. The mourning in his two different colored eyes was all that I needed. "Where is-"

"I am sorry Sagelight" I felt myself want to cry out again, but from sorrow rather than pain. I forced myself not to and just silently weeped into my paws. I curled my tail around my four bundles and cried harder. "He was found dead by... on the way to the tree that crushed Skyleaf... cat claw marks and bite wounds... I am so so sorry Sagelight"

"He-he never got to see them..." I sobbed quietly.

"Do you need food or water?" Puddlesplash asked. He was so ready to care for me it hurt even more.

"I-I want Foxhop" I muttered. I continued to cry as Puddlesplash tiredly got up and left the nursery. After awhile of me sobbing, he came back with soaking moss. As he moved away from the entrance towards me, another shadow appeared to block the moonlight. I recognized the outline of my father as he rushed over to comfort me, curling himself against my back. Puddlesplash placed the wet moss in front of me and silently watched over me as my dad licked my fur. All I could do was weep as they took care of me. Puddlesplash swayed a little from exhaustion but he sat there ready to do as I asked. After a longer time, I stopped crying and was just sniffling but the pain in my chest was still their. Everyone outside must have been doing vigil for my mate while I was in here. I finally removed my tail from my kits and looked over at them. For a moment the grief melted away as joy overfilled me. My four kits were small, born to early, but three were very lively as the squirmed for food. The fourth, closest to my front, was a little weaker but beautiful none the less.

"They are beautiful kits Sagelight" Puddlesplash congratulated me. I licked the closest one as he did so. The weakest right now, a she-cat, was the same dark brown color like me with four white paws. She wasn't a tabby and was the smallest, but was pretty. The next kit was a silver speckled she-kit like Foxhop's mother Spottedsnow. She had a dark grey stripe running from forehead to tail tip just like his mother too. The third was a ginger tabby tom with two white paws and two dark paws. The tom kit had tabby marking just like mine and he was the second biggest of the bunch. The last one was also the loudest. She was a light tabby brown kit and had tabby marking similar to Foxhop's, just sharper. As the light brown kit squeaked, my father picked her up and placed her between my paws. Out of instinct I began to lick her and she quieted down.

"She is feisty" Smokefoot commented quietly. Puddlesplash went back to his nest and curled up to fall asleep. I felt exhaustion grip at me again and I slowly fell back to sleep with Smokefoot I watching over me.

***

I woke up with a jolt, my head moving up fast and my eyes going wide. Little tears were at the edge of my vision as I woke up my kits as well. They mewed, the one she-kit sounding like a bird. My father woke up with my sudden movement, blinking sleep from his eyes.

"What-what is wrong?"

"Dad-" I started, but I stopped myself. "Nothing, just a sad dream"

"Do you need anything?" He asked with a yawn.

"Umm-"

"Sorry dad, but I am ahead of you on that" Springtail said through a mouth full of mouse. My younger sister came over and dropped it at my paws. Hungrily I dove right in and devoured it quickly.

"Thanks Springtail" I said as I looks back at my kits. The dark brown one was moving less than last night and I pulled my ears back. Don't leave me yet! Please...

"Have you given them names yet?" Springtail asked as she sniffed her new kin.

"They were just born yesterday" Smokefoot said. My sister huffed indignantly but gently spoke.

"I know but-"

"I do have names Springtail" I said, sounding a little sadder than I meant. I shook my head and scolded myself. Don't grieve for too long, you can't let your kits down.

"You did?" My sister looked ecstatic, but kept her voice calm.

"Yep, the orange tabby tom will be Eaglekit" I said, pointing with my tail. "Then the silver dapple she-kit will be Ashenkit"

"The name I gave you!" My sister stuck her to tongue out at our dad as she glared at her. "What about the other two?"

"Plumkit for the smallest and-" the light brown tabby kit mewed loudly again before suddenly calming down, making us all laugh. "And Screechkit for the loud one"

"Awwwww!" Springtail couldn't help herself.

"They are beautiful" Smokefoot said getting up. "We should let Sagelight spend time with her kits, come on Springtail"

"Okay" she said surprisingly. My sister looked down at me and smiled. "I can't wait to see how they grow up!"

"Me too" I smiled sadly. I still wish Foxhop could see them. Starclan why did you take him...

"See you later Sagelight!" And they left. Once they did my smile fell and I looked down at my kits. Joy and pain filling my inside up.