Warriors: Flesh and Bone

Chapter 8

      Scarlegs pushed her way into the nursery, seeing Leopardeye curled into a tight ball on the floor. She was wailing out in pain, eyes shut, as she held a small bundle of fur tightly to her chest. The kit was motionless, eyes shut, yet Leopardeye continued to leave hopeful licks all over its body. It was obvious, however, that the kit was already gone.
      Two other kits lay to her side, mouths open and desperate for their mother, yet Leopardeye was too deep in her shock to attend to them. Maskclaw was at her side, his head pressed into her flank, while Opal was attempting to press the two kits into their mother. Leopardeye was refusing to let go of the motionless bundle between her paws.

      "Leopardeye," Opal whispered, "you must let go of the kit. You have two right here that need you." She was sniffing over the two anxiously, shaking her head up towards Scarlegs in dismay. "Berryface and I have no milk left; we have to get her to nurse her kits."

     Scarlegs flattened her ears against the sight of her closest friend, crying out with unimaginable pain. Leopardeye's eyes were glossy, unseeing, and she had never seen her friend in so much pain before. The kit's head flopped unnaturally as Leopardeye licked, but she did not cease her attempts. If she didn't care to her other two soon, they may not make it. Looking over them, Scarlegs noticed with discomfort that they were unusually small.

      "Leopardeye," Scarlegs bent close to her friends muzzle, speaking softly into her cheek. "your kit is with Starclan now, but your other kits are here. If you don't help them, they may not make it."

      "Hazelkit," Leopardeye mumbled, her voice faltering.

      "What?"

      "Her name is Hazelkit." Leopardeye stopped licking, now staring down at the small body with sorrow. Maskclaw looked towards Scarlegs, fury still ablaze in his eyes, along with fresh pain; this was his kit he lost, too.

      "I'll take Hazelkit," Scarlegs whispered, slowly bending her head down towards the body. She felt Leopardeye tense, a low growl coming from deep in her throat as Scarlegs stopped, locking eyes with her friend. She seemed to see Scarlegs for the first time, blinking, and very slowly loosened her grip on the small kit, allowing Scarlegs to grab the neck-scruff and lift it out of her friends reach. She held Hazelkit softly, looking at Maskclaw. He stared back at her with searching eyes, no one speaking a word. The weak whimpers of the two other kits sounded through the cozy den, and Leopardeye flicked her ears, blinking.

      "Where are my other kits?" her voice was hoarse and weak, but Scarlegs watched with relief as Opal slowly pressed the kits close to their mother with her nose, their small pink mouths latching quickly onto Leopardeye's belly. She watched them closely, eyes softening, as a slow purr released from her throat. All the cats around her let out a sigh of relief, watching as she accepted the kits, folding her tail softly over their bottoms and pressing them closer towards her. Their soft pelts resembled their father closely, but Scarlegs smiled, noticing one carried faint spots like it's mother.

      "My kits," Leopardeye mumbled, and Maskclaw purred, pressing his muzzle into her pelt.

      "Our kits." His voice was soft, shutting his eyes against her. "You name one, I'll name the other."

       Leopardeye thought for a moment, not taking her eyes off of them, placing her tail tip softly on the tom. "Beetlekit."

      Maskclaw nodded, shifting his gaze to the she-kit, her pelt most resembling his. "Bearkit."

      Opal purred, encouraging Leopardeye to feed, as Honeykit popped her head up from behind her mother, watching with wide eyes.

      "Mother, what's happening? Are those kits?"