Warriors: How to write a book

Scene 1 - A kit is born

It was all Rapidshine could do not to tear up the ground beneath him as he paced around the camp, his pawprints leaving an evermore present trail encircling the clearing with each passing lap. Nervous butterflies flapping around in his belly threatened to throw him off balance. He needed to distract himself, but the thought of biting down on freshkill made his stomach churn, and he refused to leave camp. So he resigned himself to dipping into a crouch, kneading the dirt underpaw, and waited. And waited. He'd found himself busy pawing at his own face to stop himself from thinking of, well... anything, when a pair of cream-coloured paws landed at his side, and the tail that belonging to what he glanced up and saw was Salmonbreeze, rested on his shoulders.

"It's going to be fine." his deputy cooed, his eyes locked with Rapidshine's, a purr rumbling from his throat, "It's natural to be nervous, but many, many cats have gone through exactly what Hawklilly is going through right at this very moment. Your job is to just hold tight and be strong so that you're there when she needs you." Rapidshine just nodded shakily and stared ahead to the nursery entrance where the periodic yowls of his beloved Hawklilly resonated, echoing through the camp. He took a deep breath. She's not the first, and she won't be the last. He repeated over and over the mantra that  Duskberry had given him when she first chased him outside of the nursery for his mate's kitting, the usually cool-headed medicine cat scolding him for being a distraction, ordering his apprentice fetch the trembling father-to-be a poppy seed - but only one. Despite the seed though, fear circled overhead, like crows eying a piece of crowfood, diving down and nipping at his mind.

"But what if-" The deputy cut him off "What ifs help no cat. You can't control what's happening right now. All you can do is have faith in your mate and your medicine cat, and then, be there when the kits arrive. We can't have you passed out from shock when she needs you the most. So breathe." he ordered, perching himself on his haunches beside Rapidshine, and they waited. They waited there for what felt like seasons before Duskberry popped her head out of the nursery, her gaze darting around before landing on him. He scrambled to his paws at the sight of her, shivering in anticipation.

"You have a son." she called across the clearing. Rapidshine's heart exploded in his chest. The wait had finally come to an end. He was elated. He wanted to do more laps around the clearing in celebration and call into every den that he had a son, but as he held the medicine cat's gaze, there was a poorly hidden hollowness in them. He tilted his head,

"what? . .  Duskberry, what is it?" he flailed, his hackles rising by the moment, repeating himself. The medicine cat hesitated, seemingly trying to find the words, then spoke.

"You had two daughters, but they. . . I'm sorry, Rapidshine. If there's anything you. . ." the medicine cat's voice faded to the background as his world tipped to its side. He floundered over into the nursery, ignoring the sting as twigs sticking out of the entrance that gripped at his fur, his surroundings a blur. Plodding to a stop, he stared down at his brown tabby mate, who lay flat, panting, her eyes clouded. He looked down at the three bundles, two of which did not move. He felt sick. Rapidshine nuzzled up to them pleadingly "Surely you two can stay with me, right. . ? You just need a nudge to . . . get going" He pawed at them gently, willing them to squirm, or cry at him, even jump up and claw his eyes out. Anything. . . But they didn't, they lay there, cold as the ice creeping into his veins. They'd never move again. They'd never open their eyes. He'd never hear their voices, their squeals as they played mossball, their excitement when they finally got their apprentice names. He'd never watch them race into the camp, gloating about how they caught their first fish, stars in their eyes, or swear themselves to the warrior code as they got their warrior names. They'd never find love and have kits of their own, or grow old and move to the elder's den.

Rapidshine imagined his daughters' entire lives flash through his mind, lives that would never come to pass. He choked. StarClan. Oh StarClan why. Why did you need to take them from me so soon. He bit his lip to stop himself from yowling. He forced his eyes back to the bundles of fur. He also had a son. A silver tabby like himself with thick black stripes just like his mother. He kneaded blindly at her belly, prodding feebly for milk with paws that he could fit into a single one of his pads. So tiny and fragile. He couldn't drag his eyes away. He stared so intently that he hardly even registered the paw steps behind him.