Hostile

51

Chilly pre-dawn air ebbed in from the nursery entrance. Warmheart lay sleeping back-to-back with Frostcloud, but the younger warrior anxiously awoke over and over throughout the night. She pressed her nose gently into Honeykit, who mewled a sleepy protest.

Days have passed since she lost her two other kits, who she and Buckheart had named Skykit and Flightkit before they were buried. Dawnheart had insisted there was nothing more Frostcloud could have done to save them, but the unrelenting guilt still ate away at her.

They had died because she did not birth Honeykit fast enough.

The tiny cream tom slept with his belly against Frostclouds. He was blind, deaf, and completely alone as his siblings were not bundled in with him.

Frostcloud, once more, pressed her nose into his forehead and deeply breathed in his scent.

Her weakness birthing him had nearly cost him his life as well.

She constantly switched between a determined anger promising herself she would never fail the kit again, she would protect him no matter what it takes. And falling into a pit of despair realizing she may be too weak to keep him safe, as she had already proven herself to be.

"Frostcloud."

The warrior jolted. She hadn't realized Mosspool come in with two mice in her jaws. Behind her, the starry sky had lit into a pink glow as dawn approached.

"Have you slept at all?" She asked quietly, nudging one of the mice towards the new queen.

"Yes." Frostcloud lied easily. She had slept. Just not restfully. Or for any real length of time.

Warmheart scoffed sleepily from behind Frostcloud. At that, Mosspool gave Frostcloud a disapproving look.

She flicked her tail anxiously, then trying to shift the subject off of her, "It looks like Mosspool brought you a mouse, Warmheart."

Warmheart wobbled to her paws and stretched the best she could with her bubble belly. "Why, thank you, Mosspool." She purred. She padded around Frostcloud before she took the mouse, which had grown cold from being in the kill pile overnight.

She lifted one paw and began to wipe the sleep from her whiskers, before her orange eyes fell to Frostclouds bundle. "Good morning, Honeykit." She greeted the little tom.

Frostcloud purred loudly. The day following his birth, nearly the whole Clan had made appearances to welcome the newest Pinecat. Cat after cat popped into the nursery to comment on what a beautiful tom Honeykit was. And he is. However, it didn't take long before Frostcloud became overwhelmed by all the attention pouring in, and Buckheart had taken it upon himself to start turning cats away.

The light in the den was suddenly dimmed as Buckheart's immense frame squeezed into the nursery. He blinked a greeting to Mosspool and Warmheart before pressing his nose against Frostclouds. "How did you sleep last night?" He asked quietly, as to not disturb his deaf son.

"She didn't." Mosspool said disapprovingly, answering on behalf of her friend.

"Why aren't you sleeping, Frostcloud? Maybe you should visit the medicine den?" Buckheart went on.

Frostcloud shook her head. The last thing she wanted to do was bother the healers.

"I can cover you for dawn patrol," Mosspool said, turning to Buckheart, "If you'd like to spend some time with Frostcloud this morning."

Buckheart dipped his head in response. Mosspool blinked farewell to Frostcloud, then crawled from the den. Warmheart followed after her.

Buckheart padded and laid down behind Frostcloud, then ran his tongue over the back of her ears.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" He asked eventually.

"Are you?" Frostcloud returned quietly. She knew they both missed the kits they had never gotten to meet.

He sighed, then pressed his nose into the back of Frostcloud's shoulder for some moments. "It wasn't your fault."

Frostcloud shook her head and said nothing. Buckheart heaved himself up and sat down heavily in front of his mate. He lowered his gaze to match hers. "Do you blame Warmheart for losing some of her kits in her last litter?" He asked.

Frostcloud scoffed, "Of course not!"

"Then why do you blame yourself? You could have died, Frostcloud. I had never seen a cat lose so much blood." He said lowly.

Her eyes fell to Honeykit. To Frostcloud, he was tiny. Just an itty bitty thing. But Dawnheart said he was the largest kit she had ever delivered.

"He's so much like you." Frostcloud said softly, lifting her eyes back to her mate, who twitched his whiskers at the comment. Buckheart's red coat showed in the pale stripes on the cream kits body. His head was round, like a bear, as his father's is.

"He's like you." Buckheart returned playfully. "Look at that nose."

A purr rumbled from deep in Frostcloud's core. His nose was very pink, just as hers was.

She couldn't bring Flightkit and Skykit back. Their lives had never had the opportunity to blossom. There was nothing she could do, besides help Honeykit grow into a strong warrior, and hope his siblings watch from StarClan.