Poolstar's Destiny

Chapter 21

It was still dark when stabbing pains woke Poolpelt, clutching her stomach like talons.

She staggered to the dirtplace, almost too wrapped in pain to notice the tiny mewling coming from within the nursery.
But when she returned and padded across the snow, she heard soft voices murmuring and soothing the cries.
By the sound of it, Flowertail and Swiftfur were still with Duskwing.

A shadow moved at the edge of the clearing. Amberpaw was creeping out of the apprentices's den.
"Hey!" Poolpelt hissed.
Amberpaw stopped and turned, her eyes flashing in the darkness. Her fur was ruffled, and she looked as wretched as Poolpelt felt.
"Go to get to the dirtplace," she mewed.

"Bad belly?" Poolpelt asked.
Amberpaw nodded. "Icepaw, too."

It must have been the mouse they'd share.
Poolpelt climbed and crept back up to her nest and settled down. Sleep came, but fitfully. Pain haunted her dreams.

"Get off!" Feathershine pushed her away. "You've been kicking me all night!"
"Sorry," Poolpelt groaned. "Bellyache."
Feathershine sat up and blinked sleepily. "Should I get Flowertail?"
Poolpelt shook her head. Her belly was so cramped and sore, she found herself panting between words. "She'll be too busy with the kits,"
Feathershine yawned and curled back down in her nest. "Tell me if you change your mind."

Poolpelt lay blinking in the darkness awhile longer, trying not to fidget. Eventually the urge to use the dirtplace again was too much for her.
She crawled out of the den and climbed down and padded onto the snowy, icy clearing.
Dawn drew a milky haze over the horizon as it began to push back the night sky.
The air was clear and cold, refreshing through Poolpelt.

She paused by the nursery, her ears pricked up. A tiny mew shrilled, then another.
Thank StarClan!
At least two of her kits had survived the night.

Feeling weak, Poolpelt returned from the dirtplace, breathing hard as she padded from the tunnel.
Was that Thornpaw creeping out of the camp through the tunnel? It was early for an apprentice to be heading into the snowy forest alone.
She padded after him, stopping when she reached the entrance to camp.
Silverstar's scent was fresh on the snow-filled branches. She must have been taking Thornpaw out.

Poolpelt turned from the tunnel and headed for her den.
It seemed odd for Silverstar to take Thornpaw out today.
Wouldn't she want to stay in the camp and do her normal visit to the nursery?
Perhaps it was an urgent mission.

She paused in the snowy clearing, still queasy but struggling to understand.
If the mission was urgent, why not take an experienced warrior instead of Thornpaw?

She shook her head, trying to clear it, but the movement only made it spin more.
Unsteadily she climbed up and crept back to her nest and gave in to the drowsiness dragging at her bones.
Aware in her sleep of the warriors moving around her, she half lifted her head. Her belly was sore, but the cramping had stopped.
"Go back to sleep," Feathershine was whispering in her ear. "I'll explain to Icefrost that you're sick."

Too tired to argue, Poolpelt rested her muzzle on her black paws. Then she remembered with a start. "Duskwing?"
"I think she's okay," Feathershine murmured.
Poolpelt closed her eyes.

It was cold in the den when she woke.
Greenleaf snow flowed down on the edges of the entrance to the warrior den, cooling their nests.

Panting, Poolpelt crawled outside and climbed down, breathing the cooler air that wafted across the clearing.
The sun shone high in the sky, and the clearing was empty apart from Stormclaw picking through the fresh-kill pile and Briarpool pacing outside the apprentices's den.
Poolpelt's belly felt as though she'd swallowed thistle, but her head was clearer.