Warriors: Empire's End ~Book 5 Series 3~

Chapter 6

Shadeheart's POV:

Bluesnow's warm tongue rasped over his head and ears, grooming his messy black fur. "Must've been quite a fight with Flamepaw." The blue she cat commented. "But no wounds, Thank StarCl-" Her voice faltered, and Shadeheart watched her deep blue eyes dart to the napping Flare on the far end of the nursery cave.

Shadeheart snuggled closer to Bluesnow, tugging her attention back to him. "She won't mind."

"She minds." Came a grumble from the winged she cat, her eyes still tightly shut. "But she'll let you off for now."

Bluesnow let out a breath of relief, stretching out in their shared nest. Their six kits were all napping in a second next that was moulded into the main one. Shadeheart glanced at the kits, they were all fast asleep and curled around each other. He smiled proudly at them. They were his kits, and they would soon grow up to be wonderful warriors. If only Blossomfur was still around to watch her three... No, Shadeheart shook his head. Blossomfur was gone, and that was a good thing. It was a good thing, he promised himself silently.

The sound of small pattering paws made Shadeheart prick his ears. Was a kit outside? He wondered as he peered into the tunnel entrance to see who emerged.

A slight chuckle echoed around the den as none other than NoName arrived, her fur prickling already as she strode over to Flare. Shadeheart smiled at the other queens- they had all expected a kit to arrive, with tiny pawsteps like those. He was grateful he took after his father when it came to size.

"How's Obsidiankit?" NoName asked, pushing Flare to wake up.

"He's fine." Her sister mewed, yawning tiredly as she stretched to reveal the three kits nestled at her belly. "He's getting on well with these two." She purred.

"That's good." NoName nodded approvingly, turning to leave.

Flare stopped her. "Why don't you stay here and care for him? He needs his mother. Don't do what you did to Shadeheart."

All eyes turned to him, and Shadeheart looked at the ground, his fur heating up under the sudden attention. Soon the conversation switched away from him again, thankfully.

"He's fine. They're both fine." NoName muttered, her white eyes narrowed. "I'm not living in this LightClan ridden cave."

"Oh but I have to?" Flare growled, her tail giving a single lash. "Just take Obsidiankit to your den then."

"He needs to socialise with the other kits..." NoName meowed with a shift of her paws. "He'd be lonely in my den."

"He would have his mother to care for him." The winged she cat sat up to face NoName. "Or are you just too lazy to look after your own kits? Hm?"

"I never said that." The red she cat snapped defensively.

"Then why did you leave Shadeheart in the care of a LightClan queen? And leave Obsidiankit in my care? Seems to me that you don't want to be a mother to these kits." Flare glared down at her sister.

Shadeheart let out a soft breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. The tension between the sisters was unbearable, and why was he being brought into it? His kithood was over and done with. Bluesnow, Flowerstream and Redleaf all shared similar looks to him as they watched the powerful sisters argue.

However, just as Shadeheart thought the fight had just begun, NoName turned away and stormed out of the cave without another word. What kind of image is she setting for Obsidiankit? Shadeheart wondered with a sigh. She's never around, and when she does show up she's angry and rude to everyone. A slight protectiveness tugged at the black tom. He wanted to teach his brother that their mother wasn't really that bad, that she really did care... But would he actually believe it?

"What was all of that about?" Flintkit asked, climbing over Bluesnow to get to Shadeheart.

Cinderkit grumbled, joining her brother on Shadeheart's back. The two kits curled up in their father's pelt. "Why was she yelling?"

"She woke me up." Shadowkit growled, staying with the rest of the kits in their little nest.

"She's gone now, it doesn't matter what happened." Bluesnow purred, nuzzling the three kits. Shadeheart smiled, it was as if they were her own. He hoped Blossomfur was happy that her kits were cared for... If she was even able to watch over them, wherever she was.

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Spectrum's POV:

"You're new." Zephyr observed as Spectrum took a seat near the prey pile where the other Dark Forest warriors had gathered for their evening meals.

The black she cat studied the other Promethean through narrowed eyes. Her instincts drove her to attack Zephyr- he was an enemy- but she resisted the urge to do so. It seemed he, too, was having trouble handling her presence. "Just accepted by NoName today." Spectrum murmured quietly, tucking her paws underneath herself.

Zephyr's nose twitched, his burning red eyes flicking between her and the other cats around them. "What makes you so special?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"You're weak. Who would want you?" The grey tom growled defensively, and Spectrum sensed a spike of anger course through Zephyr. She had hit a sore spot.

The black she cat acted on impulse without much thought. "Seems to me that you used to be in a similar position not so long ago. What changed that?"

Zephyr muttered. "None of your business, loner."

Spectrum smiled and turned away to get a look at the other cats, feeling that Zephyr was done with their conversation.

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