(Warriors) 🌹Flower In The Shadows🌹 Volume I: ✳Dark Seeds✳

Chapter Twenty Four

    It was the first snow of leafbare. And the first time her kits would see snow. Shadestar purred softly to herself. Her kits were curled up next to her, sleeping soundly. They were two moons old now and they were growing fast. Echomist's kits were four moons and were starting to eat prey now. Pebblekit was laying on top of Oakkit and Sweetkit was curled up next to Lilykit.

    "Wake up, my darlings." Shadestar nudged them gently with her nose. Lilykit easily woke up.

    "Morning Mother!" Lilykit meowed happily. She rubbed against her mother. Oakkit shoved Pebblekit off of her which in turn woke her up. The gray shecat glared. Sweetkit awoke and stretched.

    "Morning Mother!" Sweetkit purred. Shadestar smiled and she stood up. Lilykit and Oakkit immediately noticed and looked at their mother. Sweetkit and Pebblekit padded over. Shadestar left the nursery with her kits behind her.

    "What is this?!" Lilykit squealed as her paws touched the snow. Sweetkit's eyes widened and she backed away into the nursery. Pebblekit poked at it with her paw and Oakkit was already rolling in it.

    "Did ThunderClan do this to us? I'll shred 'em!" Pebblekit mewoed, fluffing out her fur and unsheathing her claws. Shadestar stifled laughter.

    "No, Pebblekit. This is not ThunderClan's doing." She meowed.

    "It's cold!" Oakkit meowed. "It's wet too!" She meowed as she walked through it. Lilykit was sniffing it and she licked it.

    "It tastes like water." Lilykit announced loudly. Echofoot emerged from the nursery with Stormkit, Lightningkit, and Rainkit.

    "What is that? " Rainkit meowed, diving into the snow. Stormkit and Lightingkit started wrestling with each other in the snow.

    "It's called snow. It happens in leafbare." Shadestar meowed to her kits.

    "Can we eat it?" Oakkit asked.

    "No you can't eat it you mousebrain!" Pebblekit meowed, rolling her eyes. Shadestar shook her head.

    "It's perfectly normal." Echofoot meowed. Shadestar nodded in response as she padded over to the freshkill pile to get something to eat.

    "Shadestar!" Aspenberry came running over to shadestar. "How are the kits?" Shadestar looked over with a mouse in her jaws. She set it down.

    "Wonderful! They're over there playing." She purred. "Aspenberry, I couldn't be happier!" She meowed. She went to take a bite of the mouse but Aspenberry stopped her.

    "Don't eat that!" Aspenberry meowed with her paw on the creature. "It's rotten!" Shadestar looked down to see that there were maggots eating away at the mouse. "It's crowfood!"

    Shadestar stepped back a few steps in horror. How did crowfood get in the camp?! Cinderclaw and Crowpelt looked over at them in horror.

    "We swear it wasn't like that when we brought it in!" Crowpelt bounded over. "It was perfectly fine then!" Shadestar sighed softly Aspenberry looked worried and concerned.

    "We're so sorry!" Cinderclaw meowed. "We didn't-"

    "It's alright. Relax." Stormfall meowed walking over. "We know you didn't mean it." Cinderclaw and Crowpelt's fur fell flat as they felt relieved that they weren't in trouble, but the fear and concern never left their eyes.

    "Aspenberry what is it?" Shadestar asked her best friend.

    "It's an omen. This shall be a very difficult leaf bare for us. " Aspenberry meowed solemnly. Shadestar gasped as her gaze automatically fell on her kits, and then the elders. Fear prickled at her pelt and the cold seemed to touch her heart with its frozen embrace.

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    It was freezing cold. Shadestar stayed in the nursery with her kits. It had been a moon since Aspenberry's prediction. She shivered ands pulled her kits closer to her. They willingly snuggled up against her belly fur seeking warmth. Echofoot and her kits were curled up close to Shadestar , for warmth. Briarflower, Adderstrike, and Nettleshade were working to reinforce the nursery's walls. Pebblekit was constantly bugging them. Stormfall was out hunting. And Aspenberry was right. This leafbare was horrible.

    Sweetkit kneaded Shadestar's belly, searching for milk. Shadestar was running out of milk because of the lack of prey. Pebblekit snored softly and Lilykit shivered, cuddling up to shadestar. Oakkit was also searching for milk. Shadestar laid her head on her paws. She hoped that she had enough milk for her kits.

    "Mother I'm hungry." Sweetkit meowed.

    "I know, little ones. I know." She meowed softly. Oakbriar squeezed into the nursery with a small mouse.

    "I know it's not much, but here." Oakbriar gave the mouse to Shadestar. Shadestar shook her head.

    "Give it to Echofoot." Shadestar meowed.

    "It's alright, Shadestar. You need it more than I do." Echofoot meowed. Her kits didn't need milk anymore. Shadestar sighed and took the mouse. Oakbriar half smiled. Shadestar ate the mouse, slightly feeling guilty for eating the food. Pebblekit climbed over Shadestar.

    "It's so cold." Lilykit meowed.

    "I know, my dears. Stay close and I'll keep you warm" Shadestar meowed to her kits. I swear to you, StarClan I will be a better mother than Flowerdapple My kits will know my love.