Featherstar's Destiny

Chapter 2

"Go to sleep little ones", Silvercloud meowed and padded out of the nursery with Dawnmist. 

Featherkit sat up and looked around when her mother and the pregnant queen walked out of the den.  She was about to go to sleep when Smokepaw  and Mintpaw padded into the den with moss in their jaws.  Smokepaw saw the kits and placed his bundle of moss down.  Mintpaw flicked his gray tail in greeting and padded to the far side of the den.  

"You two probably should get out so we can work better", Smokepaw meowed. 

Stormkit raced out of the den and Featherkit followed more slowly. The she-kit was grumbling to herself. She bumped into Smokepaw and with a muttered apology, raced off after Stormkit. Featherkit felt awkward as she raced after her brother.  With a huff, she stalked over to where her brother and Graypelt were talking.  Stormkit spotted her and dipped his head to his sister. 

"Hello Featherkit",  Graypelt meowed. 

"Hi", Featherkit mewed with a slight grunt.

"You are too young for him", Graypelt mewed in warning. 

"But-", Featherkit began. 

She was about to say that she didn't even like the tom. He hadn't even watched where he was going after waking her and her brother up!

"But nothing", Graypelt meowed with his tail raised. He padded off, leaving Featherkit to stare after him. He whispered to Smokepaw and looked at Featherkit. Smokepaw's amber eyes widened, and he padded back into the nursery with his moss his jaws.

Stonepelt, who was watching this take place, glared at Graypelt and stalked up to the elder. 

"You need to try and avoid getting into other cats' business",  Stonepelt growled.

"I will", the gray tom replied with a sigh. He padded over towards Meadowlark. Her tortoiseshell fur was fluffed up and her eyes were narrowed.  "I was just helping", he meowed. 

"Well,  you if want to help, go and help your den mates", Meadowlark hissed. She flicked her ear towards the middle of the clearing.

 Featherkit turned her head to see what was going on.  Petalfur was limping slowly across the clearing. Stormkit looked up with wide amber eyes and raced over to help the yellow she-cat.  He guided her towards the elders' den and purred in her ear as he helped her lay down more comfortably.  Featherkit heard purring and saw her mother and father watching with pride for their son.  

"Our son is wonderful", Breezeclaw purred. The two mates were sharing a mouse together in a shady spot beside the leader's den.  Featherkit couldn't wait to try her first bite of mouse.  Smokepaw padded past and looked swiftly towards her. When Featherkit looked at him, Smokepaw looked away. 

"Hey Smokepaw!", Featherkit called. She wanted to see how he would react.  

The gray tabby turned, waved his tail in greeting, and padded up to her.  Darkclaw padded past and hissed at Featherkit in disgust.

"Hey shut up Darkclaw", Smokepaw growled. The dark gray tabby looked at the apprentice in surprise and stalked off. 

"Don't worry about my father",  Smokepaw told Featherkit. 

The silver kit looked up at the pale gray tabby and began to back up. She didn't want to make the two toms fight over here because she was in the way or being annoying. 

"Hey don't go",  Smokepaw mewed. "My father is like that with very cat."

"I hear Stormkit calling me", Featherkit mewed quickly. 

She raced off and ran into Willowpaw. The kit looked up at the gray apprentice with wide blue eyes. 

"Hey, watch it!", Willowpaw spat. Her amber eyes flashed angrily.  

Featherkit ran into the nursery and buried herself into the fresh moss.  Stormkit padded softly into the den and sat down beside his distraught sister.

"What's wrong?", the dark gray tom-kit asked as he placed a comforting paw on her shoulder.

"I acted like a complete mouse-brain in front of Smokepaw and managed to ruffle Willowpaw's fur", Featherkit squeaked. 

"It will be okay", Stormkit meowed. He backed up when he heard Silvercloud walk in. 

Featherkit could tell by the scent that it was mice. Her stomach growled as she sat up in her nest.

"Here, this will be the first time you try prey", the silver queen meowed. Featherkit grabbed the smaller mouse and took a bite.

"This is delicious!", Stormkit exclaimed. 

"It's tastes good, I guess", Featherkit mewed quietly. 

"What's wrong?", Silvercloud asked her eyes showing bright with worry.

"Smokepaw's giving her trouble", Stormkit meowed.  Featherkit blinked in surprise. It didn't exactly happen like that.

"Breezeclaw used to give me trouble until we became warriors", Silvercloud meowed.  A painful yowl interrupted her.

"It's Dawnmist!", Berrypelt yowled. A golden tabby tom  appeared at the entrance  and nudged the orange queen who was in front of him  to her nest. 

"Is she okay Lionfur?", Berrypelt asked from behind Lionfur.  

"She was eating when she felt the pain coming", the golden tom replied with fear in his pale amber eyes. 

"Oakpaw!", Berrypelt yowled. 

A red-brown tom ran inside of the den and skidded to a halt beside the cream-colored tom.  "What's wrong?", he asked with wide green eyes.

"Fetch me some herbs and a stick", the medicine cat replied. 

The tawny tom came back with the herbs and a long stick. Dawnmist looked up hazily at Oakpaw when he placed the stick between the queen's paws. 

"Go fetch her some water-soaked moss", Berrypelt meowed to Lionfur. The golden tom looked up from his pacing and raced out of the den with a nod. 

Dawnmist grabbed the stick and bit down hard.  Just then Lionfur came in with the moss in his jaws.  He placed it beside the nest and crouched beside his mate. 

"You can do it", the golden tom purred softly.  The queen yowled and a kit fell into the moss beside her.  Berrypelt began to lick the newborn kit until it let out a shrill cry.  Dawnmist yowled loudly and bit the stick.  

"Another kit!", Oakpaw mewed with bright eyes. He pawed the kit towards him and began to lick the kit until it let out a mewing cry like the first kit. Once the last kit was out and cleaned up, the three newborns were placed in the crook of Dawnmist's belly.

Featherkit had watched from the entrance, her eyes wide at the sight of the newborn kits. Had she just witnessed this?

"Remember that these kits will be in grave danger if you do not accept your destiny, young one", a voice whispered in her ear.

"What grave danger?" she asked the voice.

The kit looked around for who had spoken to her but all she could see was Dawnmist and her new family in their nest. With a shake of her silver tabby head, she padded out of the den.