RisenClan Book Two: Evermore

Chapter Seven

A long, low, howl of pain could be heard off in the distance. As the early morning sun began to rise. It woke cats from their sad slumber and told them that today's tasks would begin a bit earlier than normal. Ruinstar was having her kits on this day. Soaringpaw woke up from a little nudge of Sunnyside. She had slept with him through the whole night. Soaringpaw was amazed he had managed to even close his eyes last night. He sat up slowly and heard a cry coming from the leaders den. 

"Ruinstar must be having her kits." Sunnyside purred as she gave a little shiver. The air outside was cold and while the wind had stayed out of the den; it was not warm in there. Soaringpaw rose to his feet and pushed away the bracken from the den to peer outside, snow covered the ground up to his paws and he felt worried about the kits that had been missing for a few days now. The tom wondered how Worthypelt and Flashstorm felt. Ruinstar was having her kits while both of theirs were gone. He was happy for Ruinstar, but felt sad for the two other queens. Sunnyside seemed to sense his worry and sadness that still tugged his heart for hos sister Dawnpaw. "Don't worry, it will take time for those wounds to heal Soaringpaw. And don't worry about those missing kits either.  I am sure they are safe." She promised him. 

Soaringpaw nodded and headed out into the snow. He wondered where the rest of his siblings were. They had not slept in the apprentices den. Soaringpaw knew they meant to give him peace in his time of sadness. Of course they were all sad too, but Soaringpaw had been extremely close with Dawnpaw. He had already lost a sibling years ago before he had really became a clan cat. He recalled all of them as kits and thought back to that day, memories had faded since then, but the tom still remembered his youngest brother Kipper. He had not been alive when they received their clan names. He remembered calling Kipper by his name and the clumsy runt would speed as fast as his tiny paws would let him. All the rest of them would laugh too, even his mother June. After they laughed June would tell them through her own happy tears, 'Nero, Ceaser, Fiera, Immy, it's not nice to laugh at your little brother.' But they would all just laugh more because it had been funny. Even Kipper would laugh at himself. He recalled many late nights he spent perched on the windowsill with Dawnpaw, Fiera, they would stare at the stars as their red pelts brushed against each others. Then memories of them laying under the stars as a breeze rolled by, doing the same thing. 

The tom padded through the snow to the fresh kill pile with Sunnyside at his heels. The two shared a mouse and watched as Tulip-paw made her way back and forth between the medicine den and the leaders den, carrying herbs that brought fresh scents over to their noses. Soaringpaw caught Grizzlypaw's dark pelt and eyes headed out of the nursery. Once Grizzlypaw saw Soaringpaw he let out a thick smile and bounded over. "Good morning brother!" The hyper tom purred.

"Hello Grizzlypaw." Soaringpaw meowed. The tom was glad that Grizzlypaw was not too upset or anything today. 

"Did you see Risenspirit outside the leaders den this morning? He is a nervous wreck!" 

Sunnyside purred at the apprentice and Soaringpaw let out a laugh. "I would be too if it was my mate having kits."

"Wonder why he just dosen't wait inside with her?" The tabby asked.

With that Sunnyside was hysterical. "Alright, you two behave yourselves. I am going to see if Spiritsong and Tulip-paw need my help."

Soaringpaw flicked his tail and looked at his brother.

"Are you up for a hunt later today? I figured we could do that and take another peek around for the kits near the south side of the woods."

That reminded him that he needed to bring a bit of fresh kill to Putsu in a bit. "We can go later, I am going to go out for a short run in a minute." The red apprentice said. He watched in the distance as Ensoulpaw, and Soulpaw both strolled out of the nursery with tails interlocked. They were so girlie and elegant. Soaringpaw loved his sisters, but they never wanted to do stuff like hunt with him. The only time they went out of camp was for training with their mentors. Finchpaw padded out right after them. He looked tiny compared to any of them. He was still the size of a kit, but he was fast and clever. Finchpaw ran over to the brothers and sat himself down on the snow.