Peaking Stone

Chapter 2.

Flintpaw was in the elders den with his sister, Tanglepaw. While the elders were out on a 'walk' they had both been chosen to take out and replace old bedding. "You know, when they say, go on a walk, I think they just mean sunning themselves near the stream" Tanglepaw said, picking out a stray piece of moss from her wild, ginger pelt. "Mmm hmmm" Flintpaw murmured, rolling up a piece of soiled bedding.

"I wonder how Silentpaw is doing" Tanglepaw mewed worriedly. Silentpaw was the oldest of the Apprentices, she was doing her warriors assessment now. Even though she hardly ever spoke, she was one of the best hunters in the clan.

"I think it'll be going pretty well" Flintpaw mewed back. He knew his sisters tendency to worry over little things and always did his best to reassure her. "But, what if she falls in the stream! She won't be able to cry for help!" Tanglepaw fretted, poking at some of Thistlewater's bedding.

This seemed so preposterous that Flintpaw looked up from what he was doing. "Tanglepaw, she may be your best friend, but I'm sure she's fine and there's no need to act like a worried mother goose over her, plus, She has a voice, she chooses not to speak, instead of not being able to speak" Flintpaw meowed. Kicking the last of the bedding over to the back corner where one of the other apprentices, probably Daisypaw would pick up later.

"I suppose" Tanglepaw sighed as she too rolled over the soiled bedding.

"Come on, I think I overheard that they keep spare bedding at the back of the Medicine cat den." Flintpaw meowed, trying to distract his sister. She seemed to acknowledge  this and padded out after him and over to the  large, fox burrow under the roots of an oak tree that was the den. The den was spacious, with various nests for sick patients, a small tunnel leading to where Doepaw and Speckledface slept, another tunnel leading to a supply store and a small pool in the corner which was fed by the roots that created the ceiling of the den.

As Flintpaw entered, he looked around. Stormfall was laying in a nest close by. Seeing as she was so close to kitting she was being confined to the den and seemed rather bored.

"Stormfall, do you know where Speckledface keeps the extra bedding?" Tanglepaw asked, Squeezing in after Flintpaw. "Um, I think it's kept in a little sort of burrow near the pool, the burrows kind of hidden by some ivy" The queen answered, flicking her tail.

"Thanks" Flintpaw meowed, padding over. And sure enough, there was a large amount of bedding. Just as Flintpaw was reaching in a paw to grab some, he heard a yowl behind him. Turning around, he saw Stormfall writhe in agony and let out a shaking gasp "The kits are coming!"