The Apprentice's Curse (A Shrouded Path book 1) {COMPLETE}

Chapter 7

 Cherryheart had her kits in the night, nearly half a moon early. Minnowpaw woke to find the camp bustling with activity. Cloudsplash was pacing back and forth outside the nursery, while Nightwhisper and Silverheart ran back and forth between the nursery and the medicine den. Outside his own den, Ashstar had his eyes fixed on the nursery, Shadebelly at his side. Ashflower and Maplenose, who had moved back to the warriors' den, looked on with worry in their eyes. Soft groans sounded from the fern-enclosed den.

Minnowpaw padded over to her mother. "Is Cherryheart going to be okay?" she asked, feeling scared for the tortoiseshell queen.

Ashflower licked the top of Minnowpaw's head reassuringly. "Don't worry, little one," she mewed softly. "Queens have been having kits long before Cherryheart. She'll be just fine."

"Yes, I had mine early as well," Maplenose put in. "Nightwhisper and Silverheart are the best medicine cats in the forest. She'll be okay, and so will her kits." To Minnowpaw, it sounded as if Maplenose were trying to convince herself as much as Minnowpaw.

Minnowpaw couldn't bear to just stand around; she needed to do something. Walking over to the fresh-kill pile, she picked up two fish and headed over to the elders' den, where Troutleap and Blacktail were wide awake as they too watched the nursery in anticipation. "Here," she mewed, dropping the fish at the old toms' paws.

"Thanks, Minnowpaw," Troutleap meowed kindly, taking a bite of fish.

Blacktail began to eat his own fish as well. "A fresh one would be better," he grumbled.

Minnowpaw tried not to roll her eyes at the sour gray-and-black tom. Instead she said, "I'm sure Shadebelly will send out a hunting patrol soon."

Troutleap nodded thoughtfully. "Everyone's waiting for those kits," he said. "They're my kin, you know," he added to Minnowpaw.

Minnowpaw's ears pricked. "Really?"

Troutleap nodded, taking another bite. "Cherryheart is my daughter," he explained. "Dovesplash was my mate. She had our kits in leaf-bare, and Cherryheart was the only one that lived." His eyes misted over with sadness. "And then Dovesplash went to join StarClan two leaf-bares ago."

"That was the worst case of greencough I'd ever seen," Blacktail muttered. "We lost so many cats; Frostwhisker, Otternose, Featherpaw."

"And Marshkit and Rockkit," Troutleap finished sadly. Minnowpaw assumed those were the names of Cherryheart's littermates.

Minnowpaw's heart dropped at the thought of losing so many cats to such a fierce illness. It reminded her of Tawnyclaw's words by the river, when he said that Minnowpaw had yet to fight in a battle. She'd also not had to see any of her Clanmates die in her lifetime. She'd been very lucky so far, she realized, and sent a silent prayer to StarClan that she wouldn't lose any Clanmates anytime soon.

"Well, Cherryheart is strong," Minnowpaw said confidently. "I'm sure her kits will be just fine."

A moment later, Nightwhisper and Silverheart emerged from the nursery, looking as if they'd just won a battle with StarClan. Every cat in the camp angled their heads towards the two medicine cats, anticipating the news. "Cherryheart is okay," Nightwhisper called to the Clan. "And she has four beautiful, healthy kits."

Cloudsplash let out a yowl of triumph and raced into the nursery to greet his kits. Ashstar padded forward and dipped his head to Nightwhisper and Silverheart. "Good job," he mewed. "RiverClan is truly blessed."

As the rest of the Clan looked on, Nightwhisper meowed, "It's best if we all leave her to rest for now. None of us could have kept Cloudsplash away," he added lightly, "but she is weak from the kitting and should be allowed to rest for as long as possible."