Chapter 3

Somehow, Wildkit, Fawnkit and Creamkit managed to creep into a bush heavy with berries that ringed the clearing. There was another yowl of pain, and Wildkit winced. She didn't like it when Tigerlily was in pain. Tigerlily was like a second mother to the all the kits in the nursery.
"You'll be alright, Tigerlily," reassured Sagewhisker, running her tail along the wailing she-cat’s back. A spasm rippled through Tigerlily’s body, and it must've been very painful since Tigerlily wailed in pain again. "You four"—Sagewhisker turned to Featherpaw, Squirrelpaw, Cloudpaw, and Sapphirepaw—"I need some moss to make a nest for Tigerlily. Fetch some, quickly, please."
Nodding, the four apprentices sped out of the clearing in search for some moss, tails streaming. The she-cat turned her attention back to her patient. "You'll get through this, Tigerlily," she murmured, placing a paw on her flank as another contraction shook Tigerlily, the milky queen’s flanks heaving. Wildkit admired the way Sagewhisker sounded so calm when clearly there was something wrong. Tigerlily was breathing too heavily and the contractions were increasing, but there weren't any sign of kits. Wildkit glanced at Creamkit and saw her own terror reflected in his amber eyes. Where were the kits? Meanwhile, Icestorm crouched in the shade of a birch tree, shock freezing her to the ground. Her blue eyes revealed her distraught even though she tried to hide it by starring intently at the forest ground. Willowshade patrolled the clearing, wary of every sound and rustle. Bushes shook and ferns swayed as four apprentices returned with clumps of moss dangling in their mouths.
"We got them from a large tree near here," mewed Featherpaw, after putting her moss on the grass, and she flicked his tail in a direction. Squirrelpaw, Cloudpaw, and Sapphirepaw placed their moss on the ground too. Now that Wildkit thought about it, Cloudpaw was only a few moons older than her. He was small for his age and she was small, too. He was only a little bigger than her. Another cry from Tigerlily brought her back to what was happening five tail-lengths in front of her.
"Good. Now help me gather them in a nest." The four apprentices and the medicine cat gently eased the moss under Tigerlily, attempting to make her feel as comfortable as possible. After they were done, Sagewhisker turned to them and told them they could leave. The apprentices bounded out of the clearing, tails streaming out behind them, and eyes shining that they had done something very important. Icestorm seemed to unfreeze as she saw the apprentices bounding away and followed them warily, but Sagewhisker stopped the white she-cat with a flick of her tail.
"Don't go," she meowed, "I need you here to protect us. There might be a fox or something on the loose. I know this isn’t your area of expertise, but please stay. You’re willing to protect me from badgers? Icestorm, I’m sorry I couldn’t save your littermates and mother, but please don’t hate me. They hunt with StarClan now." Sagewhisker looked pleadingly at the white she-cat, giving her brown chest fur a few conscious licks. Wildkit distinctly remembered hearing the elders discuss the deaths of Icestorm’s past. Her mother kitted a moon and a half early, leaving her and the kits weak. Icestorm’s mother died of too much blood loss that night and her two littermates died during the night, leaving only the white kit. Her father had died in the same WindClan raid as Hazelstar’s mate before she was born.
Icestorm hesitated then nodded and started pacing around the clearing, ears pricked. Wildkit saw Ashwhisker, Hazelstar, and Redpaw, Wildkit’s brother, pad into the clearing, obviously finished with the ShadowClan border patrol. Icestorm and Ashwhisker exchanged a knowing look and Ashwhisker murmured something in Redpaw’s ear. Redpaw puffed out his bright ginger chest importantly, and Ashwhisker and he began patrolling around the clearing, sniffing for foxes or badgers. Icestorm paced around the clearing, clearly bored. Hazelstar padded softly over to Sagewhisker and murmured quietly into her ear. Sagewhisker shrugged her shoulders at her leader. Hazelstar seemed frightened for a moment then quickly left the clearing to return to camp.
Wildkit, Fawnkit and Creamkit drew back as quietly as possible as Redpaw passed them. Wildkit hoped the smell of the berries would mask their scent and held her breath. She didn't think her mother and Milkfur would be happy to find out their kits had sneaked out into the forest that was considered dangerous to cats under six moons old.
Thankfully, the bright ginger tom passed them without stopping and Wildkit left her breath out in a whoosh of air. Curious, Fawnkit crept forward a bit to watch Sagewhisker and Tigerlily, her amber eyes gleaming, but as she did so her flank brushed against a few leaves. Having her ears pricked for the slightest sound, Icestorm froze immediately and whipped her head around to face the bush they were hiding in, her eyes narrowing. Wildkit's heart pounded as the warrior took a few pawsteps towards them, sniffing the air.
Suddenly, Tigerlily let out another yowl, startling Icestorm. The white warrior jumped a tail-length into the air, her fur fluffing out with shock. Wildkit heard a muffled snort and turned to see Creamkit trying to stifle a mrrow of laughter, and she frowned. Tigerlily was giving birth and Creamkit was laughing? How rude!
"Oh!" The ThunderClan medicine cat suddenly exclaimed, making the three kits almost jump out of the bush. Ashwhisker, Icestorm, and Redpaw had stopped to watch what was happening. Wildkit forced herself to calm down and watched the medicine cat too. Why did she say that? What was happening? She couldn't really see Tigerlily; Sagewhisker was blocking her way.
"Start pushing, Tigerlily," urged the light brown medicine cat. Wildkit felt excitement grow in her; Tigerlily’s kits would be the first kits to be born in greenleaf. She wouldn't be the smallest kit in the nursery anymore, and she, Lilykit, and Sunkit would have kits to play with once Creamkit and his littermates moved into the apprentices’ den! She couldn't wait for the kits to come! Ashwhisker and Redpaw stopped patrolling to watch the queen give birth to new life. Redpaw’s green eyes widened as Tigerlily shifted and turned away.
Tigerlily shifted as a small, wet bundle slid into the forest. Wildkit watched with wide eyes as the medicine cat began licking the bundle. Why? Why did she have to lick the kit after it was born? Another wet bundle appeared in the nest as another contraction shook Tigerlily. "Icestorm, lick it until it starts breathing," Sagewhisker ordered the white she-cat. Icestorm padded over to the nest and began to lick the second bundle’s fur the wrong way after nipping open the sack. So that's why you have to lick it, thought Wildkit, so that the kit will start breathing.
Then another bundle fell into the nest, and Ashwhisker hurried forward, claiming his sister’s kit to lick his tongue repeatedly against the small kit.Several heartbeats later, there was another kit in the nest.
"Are there any more?" asked Tigerlily, sounding exhausted and her eyelids were drooping."I don't think so." Sagewhisker was still licking the kit, more urgently now. Wildkit was the only one that seemed to notice. Tigerlily let out a sigh of relief, and Ashwhisker nudged his bundle to her. The queen began licking it all around. Wildkit felt a thrill go through her. Four new playmates! She couldn't wait till the kits opened their eyes! Wildkit’s belly lurched. Suddenly, Sagewhisker’s licking became even more urgent. What's wrong? Wildkit’s green eyes widened in alarm. Tigerlily seemed to notice now and watched in horror as the medicine cat’s licking ceased, slowly giving up. The ThunderClan medicine cat raised her eyes to Tigerlily, her eyes full of sadness and sympathy. "Sagewhisker!" Tigerlily’s head snapped up from her kit. "My-my kit's not breathing!" she wailed, looking at the motionless bundle in front of Sagewhisker. She attempted to reach over, but the kitting had completely zapped her of all her energy. Wildkit’s heart sank as she watched Tigerlily fight the urge to wail to StarClan.
“I’m sorry, Tigerlily. It’s a stillborn. It should have been the first kit out, and the other kits were behind it. That’s why your kitting was so difficult,” Sagewhisker choked out.Ashwhisker immediately went over to the kit and his sister, Icestorm taking his place at the edge of the clearing. Redpaw had turned around now to watch and was close to tears. The cats waited with bated breath as the gray tom pushed his nose into the small kit's fur, checking for any sign of life. After what seemed like moons, the tom lifted his head, and shook his head sadly.
"It's a stillborn," he murmured. "I'm sorry, Tigerlily, but she's"—her brother’s voice broke—"she's dead." Icy claws gripped the air as they all mourned the lost kit.Wildkit heard Fawnkit gasped softly with horror. She struggled to control her own shock and sorrow. She would never play with the kit; she would never see the kit open her eyes. Wildkit choked with sadness.Tigerlily let out a loud wail of grief as she pushed her nose into the kit's fur, murmuring words Wildkit could not hear. Ashwhisker curled around her, whispering in her ear.
"Tigerlily, I know you're upset, but your other three kits need you," Sagewhisker meowed softly.The kits, their pelts dappled silver, black, and bracken-colored, were mewling loudly for their mother, for the milk. The still little cat was pale ginger. Tigerlily nodded absentmindedly, tears shining in her eyes, and looked up from the stillborn kit. Icestorm, Redpaw, and Sagewhisker pushed the kits to Tigerlily. The kits kneaded her belly and began suckling as Sagewhisker pushed a spiky green leaf towards the cream-colored she-cat. What is that? wondered Wildkit, as Tigerlily looked questioningly the medicine cat. “The borage will help you milk supply,” explained Sagewhisker.
"What are their names?" asked Redpaw suddenly."The silver one is Shimmerkit," decided Tigerlily, "the black one, Midnightkit, and the honey-colored one is Brackenkit. And this one"—Tigerlily stroked the dead kit's head—"will be named Sandkit, even though she's not alive." The tears threatening to spill out of her hazel eyes did.
"Beautiful names," Sagewhisker mewed softly. The other cats murmured their agreement. Suddenly there were rustles as leaves on bushes shook loudly. Ashwhisker, Redpaw, and Icestorm hissed at the direction from where the rustles came from, arching their backs and fluffing out their fur so that they looked twice their size.A moment later, two she-cats, one a blue-gray cat and the other a light creamy peach, burst out from the bushes, their eyes wide with anxiety and fear. Their different colored pelts were spiked up in horror and fear.
"Stargaze! Milkpool! What's wrong?" Sagewhisker padded over to them. Tigerlily looked up from her suckling kits, her hazel eyes alarmed."It's Wildkit, Fawnkit and Creamkit!" Stargaze yowled loudly. As soon as she heard her name, Wildkit began backing out of the bush, Fawnkit and Creamkit following her example. Never mind the rustles; the cats were focused completely on the two panicking she-cats.
"What about them?" inquired Icestorm, her tail curled in confusion.The three kits were almost out of the bush when Milkpool wailed, "They're gone!"The she-cats gasped. "What do you mean, gone?" demanded Redpaw. "They've disappeared from their nests?""Yes, I've looked around in the camp everywhere," Stargaze mewed tearfully.
“What about Sunkit, Cherrykit, and Lilykit?” meowed Ashwhisker.
“They’re all there in the nursery. They don’t know anything about the disappearance or they say they don’t,” replied Milkfur. Wildkit’s heart tightened in thanks for the kits; they hadn’t told on them!“Start searching,” ordered Ashwhisker. "They may be around here." Immediately Redpaw, Stargaze, Milkpool, Sagewhisker, and Icestorm began sniffing about.Wildkit, Fawnkit and Creamkit were a few tail-lengths from the bush when Wildkit accidently stepped on a twig. It made a loud crack! sound. The three kits froze, unable to move. A heartbeat later, Milkpool had rushed around the bush and she saw the three missing kits. Her amber eyes widened in shock and anger.
We are so in big trouble. Wildkit thought.