Warriors: Shooting Star Book #1 A Star Is Born (#Wattys2015)

Prologue

The sun was beginning to shine through the trees. Four cats returned to camp with fresh-kill and dropped the dead prey on the fresh-kill pile. Kits played before heading off to sleep. The queens stayed inside the nursery. Two were expecting their first litters. The grey tabby queen was very close to having her kits. She could have her kits at any moment.

"I can't wait for the new kits to arrive!" the biggest kit, a light brown tabby tom jumped. His green eyes shone as he looked to the nursery. "Hazelnose and Goosetail must be so proud!"

"I wonder how many there will be." the tom's littermate, a tall tan she-kit, squeaked.

"I don't care, as long as at least one is a tom!" the tom growled. "I'm tired of you she-kits!"

"You'll be an apprentice soon," a brown she-kit pointed out, "why should you care if there are toms or not in the nursery?"

"Because, they need guidance from an older tom," the tom mewed, "not she-kits."

"We could teach them all they need to know!" the other she-kit's littermate, a creamy she-kit, retorted.

"Now if only four little kits will get out of my way so that I may check on the popular queen?" a slick white she-cat appeared behind the kits. They jumped and looked up at their medicine cat, her mouth holding a leaf, which had an entoxicating aroma. The apprentice, a light grey she-cat with dark brown stripes, looked down at the kits with her beautiful amber eyes.

"Why don't you and Berrykit go look at the apprentice's den, Bramblekit?" The medicine cat apprentice asked with a purr. The two older kits immediately shot off to the den where apprentices slept. The younger she-kits ran after excitingly, though they wouldn't be apprenticed with their denmates.

The medicine cat and her apprentice walked in to the crowding nursery, where two of the queens slept. The other two expectant queens shared tongues. The grey she-cat's belly was swollen while the long haired white queen's stomach was tiny compared to the one next to her.

"Good evening, Halfmoon," the white she-cat nodded to the medicine cat. The medicine cat nodded before setting her leaf down and taking her herbs out.

"How much longer until my kits are born?" The silver tabby asked.

"They should be coming any minute," The appapprentices reassured, "we brought some herbs to help you feel better through the night."

"Thank you, Lightpaw, I've been feeling drained for days!" the queen licked up the herbs Halfmoon had given her and lied down to feel comfortable.

"Sleep well, Hazelnose," Lightpaw dipped her head, "good night, Lambpelt." she nodded to the white she-cat. Halfmoon and Lightpaw then walked out for the queens to rest.

The kits ran away to the nursery as an apprentice chased them out the apprentice's den and, with a flick of his brown tail tipped silver tail went back inside.

"Halfmoon!" The medicine cat woke with a jolt. She and her apprentice looked up to see Lambpelt at the entrance to their den. Her green eyes full of excitement and worry. "It's Hazelnose, her kits are coming!"

Halfmoon immediately got up and Lightpaw snatched poppy seeds, borage leaves, and juniper berries. Hazelnose's cries could be heard all over camp.

When they arrived, Halfmoon instructed Lightpaw to stay outside and look out for the father to return from the midnight patrol. Halfmoon slipped in and began trying to help Hazelnose. Two of the queens were arguing about whether or not their kits were old enough to see kits be born. Halfmoon ignored the annoying she-cats, Hazelnose was having problems.

With her paw on the kitting queen, Halfmoon said in a soothing voice: "alright, now on my call, I need you to push." Halfmoon took a moment. Nothing moved. Confused, Halfmoon decided to see if Hazelnose could do it. "Now!"

Hazelnose let out a cry of pain. Nothing came out and Halfmoon started getting worried. "Okay.... Uh.... Now!"

Hazelnose let out another pained shriek, but still no kits came. Halfmoon's heart beat fast. She called for Lightpaw to come in and see if she could help while she ran off to find some herbs to help. Lightpaw rested her paw on Hazelnose's belly and waited for the moving of kits. There was no movement. Only the raspy breathing of Hazelnose that made her stomach go up and down.

Just when Lightpaw thought the queen was just having contractions, the feeling of something inside Hazelnose moved and it was time. "Okay, Hazelnose," she said calmly, "now on my word, you push. Ready......... Okay....... N-" Lightpaw was cut off when the sound of ancient whispering over came her ears. She turned and looked out the nursery to the night sky. The stars of Silverpelt. They twinkled and the cats of StarClan looked down waiting for the new arrivals.

Then, a star shot across the sky. Images of a silver tom sat on the high ledge. His green eyes looked down on ThunderClan. Other cats from different Clans walked up and looked up at him as well. Four cats then went to sit next to the silver warrior. The sky was full of stars and ancient cats from StarClan looked down on all of them. Lightpaw almost yowled when she saw the silver tom transform in to a wolf and ran up to the sky. He ran across StarClan with the ancient cats. Then a soft voice was heard, a new prophecy was being given.

"On the night of a fallen warrior, a hero will be born... And the wolf will run with the stars..."

"Lightpaw!" Hazelnose yowled, breaking Lightpaw from the message.

"Right... Sorry," Lightpaw panted, "now!"

Hazelnose screamed as her first kit was finally born. It fell out and Lightpaw quickly bit the sac and began trying to clean and warm the kit. The kit wasn't mewling. It wasn't even moving. Lightpaw stopped and looked down sadly. It was too late. The kit was dead. Lightpaw returned and felt as the next kit was ready.

"Now!" The medicine cat apprentice orderd. Hazelnose pushed and the next kit fell out. Lightpaw licked furiously, but the kit was just like it's brother. There was no noise in the nursery, but the pained breathing of Hazelnose. The older kits watched terrified. Their mothers held them close, trying to protect them from the sad sight.

Lightpaw put her paw to the queen and waited for the next sign of movement. "Now!" Hazelnose screamed and the next kit was born. Lightpaw immediately started licking it. Lightpaw almost lit with joy as the mewling of the tan she-kit filled the nursery. With a relieved sigh, Lightpaw pushed the kit to its mother's stomach and let her have her first meal.

It wasn't over yet. Lightpaw put her paw on Hazelnose's stomach and waited. There was one more kit waiting to be born. After a few moments, the movement glided under Lightpaw's paws. "Now!" The last kit slipped out and, after a few strokes of Lightpaw's tongue, the tom kit started mewling and made his way to Hazelnose's belly.

Halfmoon ran in and gasped at the sight. Her eyes were full of sorrow and her ears lowered. "Oh, you poor things," she stepped up to the dead kits, "may StarClan teach you how to be warriors." she picked up the she-kit and walked out, followed by Lightpaw who took the tom.

Hazelnose lifted her head and looked down at her new kits. They suckled and the smell of milk filled the nursery. The older kits looked closely at the kits. One was a tan she-kit with a white tipped tail and the other was a tom with a silver pelt.

"What are their names?" The creamy she-kit asked.

"this one, the she-kit, is Foxkit," Hazelnose mewed, lying her tail on the tan kits back, "and this one, the tom,"  she moved her tail to the silver tom, "is Wolfkit."