Rising Sun- A Warrior Cats Fanfiction ✔️

Chapter 30

A soft scuffling gained Sunflame's attention. It was nearly dawn, but the dawn patrol had not yet left, nor even woken up. Sunflame was the only one up, though his vigil had ended the moment light touched the sky.

Raising himself quietly to his paws, Sunflame padded forward, paws leading him to a small hawthorn bush just outside camp.

His eyes widened when he saw what was inside the bush.

A very skinny, bony frail golden and white dappled she-cat and two small mud-stained kits, suckling greedily at her belly.

When the she-cat caught hold of Sunflame's gaze, he paused, bristling up against the cold, as she just murmured, "Help me, please." in a hoarse voice.

Sunflame immediately grasped the she-cat's scruff. She picked up her kits, and he helped them into the camp.

"Bumblestar!" He called out into his uncle's den. "Come quick."

The ginger blur appeared faster than lightning. "What is it?"

Then his eyes fell upon the she-cat and he nodded. "Take her to the nursery, and I'll get Silverleaf."

Sunflame nodded, padding down the steps to the she-cat. He gently nudged her into the now-empty nursery, allowing her to settle down in a nest before curling around her small frame to warm her up.

He watched as the she-cat began to groom her kits, and as they began to squeal quietly.

"Shh, little ones." She purred in that hoarse voice again. "I'm here."

She then turned to Sunflame, who was watching the kits with confusion. "They're so small... How are they alive?"

She shrugged. "They're only newborns. I had them a few sunrises ago. The cats around my farm aren't exactly... nice, though, so I left. Can I stay here for a while? It's warm, like my barn."

Sunflame nodded immediately, though he didn't know what a farm or a barn was, then turned to the kits. One was a golden she-kit that reminded him of himself, and one was white with pale ginger patches. He looked back up at the pretty she-cat. "My name's Sunflame. What's yours? And what are your kits called?"

The she-cat hesitated, as if still deciding if she could trust him, then answered, "I'm Calisse, and these are Goldie and Spots. They're both little she-kits and as cause much trouble as their father did. Well, before he decided that we weren't enough for him and left us."

Sunflame was about to ask who their father was when Bumblestar returned with a sleepy-looking Whitepool and an alert Silverleaf.

Silverleaf immediately crouched down beside Calisse, looking her up and down before beckoning for Whitepool. "Borage and catmint, please." She meowed as the ginger and white kit, Spots, let out a feeble cough. "This one has whitecough."

Sunflame, despite all the commotion, was strangely impressed that the medicine cat could tell the kit was ill without listening to its chest or hearing so much as a cough beforehand.

When Whitepool returned with the herbs, she dropped the borage by Calisse's paws. "Eat it. It will help your milk to flow."

The she-cat ate quickly, then nodded to the other herb. "That's for Spots, isn't it?"

Sunflame nodded, answering for Silverleaf. "Yes. It will help her cough."

~

It took a while to get Calisse and her kits settled in their nests, but after a few minutes, they managed to do so. As Sunflame padded out of the den, the leader by his side, he realised that the news of the loner had gone around camp. Cats were murmuring to themselves as Sunflame and Bumblestar walked out, casting nervous gazes in their direction before glancing away again.

However, even though Sunflame had been awake all night with his vigil and looked after Calisse and her kits he didn't feel even slightly tired. He padded over to Shrewfoot, who was sending out patrols. "Could I join a hunting patrol? I'm not tired."

"Are you sure?" At Sunflame's nod, he replied, "well, okay, but be careful. Hazelshade, Gingerheart and Toadfur are leaving now, so you can join them."

Sunflame padded over to where his mother was waiting with the others.

"Is something wrong, Sunflame?" Hazelshade instantly mewed, worry sparking in her pale brown- almost amber- gaze.

The tom shook his head. "No, nothing's wrong. I'm just joining your patrol, if that's alright."

His mother nodded, before leading her patrol into the forest.