Warriors: the forgotten hearts: trail of pain (book 1)

Chapter five

Hawk grabbed a piece of prey from the small hole that held it.
He trotted over to the sheltered area where Neon, a Former, sat.
Hawk nodded to Feather, who watched him as he went by. He turned look at Tawny, who was talking to Storm. He paused for a moment, and watched them. He felt his stomach flip as she smiled at the gray Tom. He ignored this and grumbled to himself, continuing to walk forward.

"Hawk! Good to see you!" Neon croaked as he neared.

"Good to see you too." Hawk mewed. He dropped the piece of prey, and smiled at the old Tom.

"How was hunting? I imagine Sky worked ya hard?" He asked, leaning down to take a bite of vole.

"Oh yeah, she did indeed!" Hawk mewed.

"Just how Megan taught her.." Neon sighed.

"Megan? Who's Megan?"

"She was Sky's mentor. A former kittypet, but a fine Fighter and Hunter. She was one of the best." Neon mewed.

"What happened?" Hawk mewed quietly.

"Shadowclan.. they killed her in a battle for territories." Neon mewed darkly. Hawk's ears flattened at the sentence. Neon cleared his throat. "Well, on a lighter subject; jealous of Storm, are we?"
Hawk choked on his own spit. And stared shockingly at the Former.

"What? No.." Hawk dragged out the 'o'.
Neon chuckled, smiling at him. He was about to say something else, but was cut short by a yowl of pain coming from where the kit-Mothers were. Tilly stumbled out of the den, and yowled for Feather.

"Feather! Quick! Faith is having her kits!"
Feather disappeared into her den, before reappearing with bundles of herbs in her mouth. She followed the she-cat to the small den.

Tawny trotted up to stand beside Hawk. "What's goin on?" She asked.

"Faith is giving birth." Hawk mewed.
Tawny nodded.

•
*
•
*
•

Hawk's eyes opened when he heard the whispers of two cats. He nudged Tawny, causing her to groan. He huffed, and rose to his paws when she refused to get up.
He hid in a small holly bush, straining to hear the conversation.

"We will do all we can, I just don't think she'll make it." It was Feather who spoke.

"I understand.. I still have milk, I can let them nurse while she recovers." Tilly offered.

"Yes, that would be best." Feather replied.

Hawk debated on whether or not to come out of hiding, or pretend nothing happened.
Feather trotted away, back to her own den.
Tilly sighed, and turned to the holly bush.

"You can come out, Hawk." She mewed.

Hesitantly, Hawk crawled out from hiding. "What happened?"

"Faith. She gave birth to more kits then we expected, it didn't go well. We don't think she'll make it." Tilly sighed. She turned to Hawk suddenly. "Do you want to see them?"

"Uh.. sure, I guess."
Tilly ushered him inside, and told him to be quiet. Hawk's eyes widened. She was right, there were a lot of kits.

"Faith is over there." Tilly flicked her tail over to where the black and white she-cat laid. Her stomach rose and fell at a gentle and slow pace. Almost too slow. "There are seven, four she-kits and three toms. As awful as it sounds, she needs to name them, now."

"I will. But not all." Faith croaked. Hawk jumped, and Tilly chuckled.

"Okay, what will you name them?" Tilly mewed.
Faith was about to stand, but Tilly pushed her back down. "I'll bring them to you."
Tilly gently grabbed a kit from a bundle of leaves. It was a tiny she-kit, her fur was pure black, except for around her small muzzle, which was gray.
Hawk watched Faith stare at her for a moment, before saying; "Moss, her name is Moss."

All but one kit was un-named. There was Moss, Meadow, who was a white and blue-gray she-kit, Sweets, who was a brown and black she-kit, Bramble, who was a identical to his mother, Night, who was a black Tom, and Blizzard, a splotched black, blue-gray, and white Tom.

"Okay, only one more. You've picked wonderful names." Tilly encouraged.

Faith smiled at Tilly. "I won't name the last one. That's for Tawny and Hawk to decide."
Tilly stared shockingly at her friend, as did Hawk. Tilly looked between them both.

"What? Why? Why them? Wha-"

"They are to take are of her." Faith mumbled. Her eyes were beginning to close, and Hawk could see small stars in them. "My time is coming."
Tilly said a few words to her friend, as she went to join Starclan. Hawk stayed silent through this, considering he didn't know Faith all that well.

"You should tell Tawny that you two have to take care of a kit now." Tilly mewed.
Her ears drooped in sadness. She padded over to the bundle of leaves, picking up a small she-kit. She squeaked at the contact. When Tilly put her down, Hawk picked her up by the scruff, and Tilly padded out of the den.

With a tiny kit in his jaws, Hawk walked slowly out of the den. Tawny sat looking around, and when her eyes landed on Hawk, she jumped up.

"Where were you? What were you doing? And- is that a kit? What are you doing with a kit!?" She questioned at a very fast pace.
Hawk sat the kit down between his paws.

"I don't really know what just happened.. but.. I think I'm some kind of Dad now?"