Warriors: The Prophecy of Stream

Chapter 7: Bee

A small crowd of warriors including Sunstar and her brother Tigerpaw was awaiting the group in the Windclan camp as they arrived with Riley. Tigerpaw must have just delivered the warning to their leader, for he was still panting as Lightningstrike stepped forward with Riley by his side.

"Sunstar." The golden deputy lowered his head, and mentioned with his tail to the queen beside him. "Riley has asked that we take her final kit to train and live as a warrior with us." 

Other cats who had not heard Tigerpaw's report stopped in their duties and looked at the beautiful queen, who was twitching her whiskers anxiously, aware of the many eyes on her. Thistlekit heard Quickferret whisper something to Tansyfeet, and both she-cats looked at Riley with disgust. More murmurs rose from the clan until Sunstar raised his tail to silence them.

The bold leader stepped forward, and Thistlepaw could see doubt in his amber eyes. "Riley, you know we are grateful of our friendship with you and Arthur, but you must know taking a kit from its mother is a very difficult thing to do."

Thistlepaw winced as Riley spat in anger. "Arthur no longer lives with me. He is no longer a friend of Windclan either." Her cream and brown fur bristling as she lashed her tail, suddenly finding courage to speak for herself. "He left not long after you all helped us fight off the rogue."

Sunstar nodded in understanding, but he still seemed uneasy with what the queen was requesting. He opened his mouth to speak but quickly closed it, glancing for a moment at Lightningstrike.

She must have noticed the look in the mighty warriors eyes, for the small queen stalked up to Sunstar and glowered up at him. "The twolegs took my kits, and I will not let them take her too. I cannot lose her." She turned to Gorserunner, who was standing beside his leader looking conflicted, with desperate fear in her eyes. "What if you lost Thistlepaw? or Tigerpaw?" 

Thistlepaw blinked in shock as Riley mentioned her name, and saw a flash of pain cross her father's blue eyes as if he was remembering how he almost lost both of his kits in one accident. Her father turned to their leader with bristling shoulders and Thistlepaw barely managed to hear his words. "We did lose Saltfur's kits over leafbare."

Sadness filled Thistlepaw as she remembered the terrible morning. Saltfur had given birth to her three kits too early, and only one, a tiny ginger, had survived. However, at barely a moon old, the sickly kit named Palekit died when a sudden snowstorm trapped him on the outskirts of the clearing and he froze. He hadn't even tried freshkill yet.

Saltfur, who had been listening distantly from outside the medicine cats' den stood shakily, and Thistlekit could see her fathers' sister was still struggling to cope with her losses. "I can take her." Her voice sounded clear and confident in the heavy air, but still shook with emotion.

Her mate, Mudear, stood beside her and pressed is muzzle into her shoulder. "Of course we will." He padded forward to Riley, who seemed overcome with emotion. "We will gladly care for her like she is our own."

Riley's body shook with relief as she pressed her nose to Mudear's, and she closed her eyes as she whispered, "Thank you."

Sunstar nodded as he beckoned to Riley with his tail. "Very well," His voice warm and filled with emotion at Saltfur's offer after her loss. "It appears to be settled." He turned to Lightningstrike, who seemed relieved at how the issue had ended. "Take Riley, Saltfur, Mudear, and Thistlepaw to horseplace to bring the kit home." The golden tom then nodded in dismissal and turned to his senior warriors, who some still seemed to oppose the idea.

Thistlepaw curled her tail in delight at being told to go with her kin back to horseplace. She was anxious to meet the kit that would soon be kind of like her kin! As the patrol left the camp behind, Thistlepaw could see hope glittering in Saltfur's deep green eyes, and could feel the joy radiating off of Mudear. 

She bounded forward to walk next to Riley as the group wove their way through the heather bushes across the moor. She dodged a large root as she turned to the queen shyly. "What's your kit's name?"

Riley looked sideways at Thistlepaw and purred. "Bee." She curled her tail in delight. "During my kitting there was a bee's nest nearby, and all I could hear was its buzzing." She flicked her ear dismissively, and Thistlepaw could sense a small amount of sadness. "I named my other three Dust, Mouse, and Red."

Thistlepaw murmured sadly, but didn't fail to notice how Riley's kits were all named similar to that of the clan cats, but hers was so unusual. "How did you get your name? Its so... different?"

The queen laughed and ducked beneath some branches, excitement growing on her pelt and Thistlepaw could see they were nearing the horseplace. "I used to have a twoleg, and this is the game he gave me."

Before she could respond, Lightningstrike signaled for the patrol to stop right below the fence of the open horse field. Thistlepaw looked into the wide open space and was shocked to see a massive black creature standing in the middle of it. "That's a horse?" Her voice squeaked in fear. The horse stood taller than she thought possible, and had huge stone feet stomping the ground kicking up dust. It gave out a shrill, high pitched noise that made Thistlepaw's spine tingle.

"Yes." Her mentor responded, amusement in his eyes. "Just be careful not to get under their feet and they won't bother you, isn't that right Riley?" But the queen had already slunk across the large wooden structure and pulled herself down into a hole hidden from the patrol's sight. He turned to Saltfur and Mudear, who were both waiting anxiously back in the moor grass.

"I guess we will all wait here for Riley to bring out her kit." The deputy signaled for the patrol the relax, but Thistlepaw couldn't hide her excitement as she watched the hole anxiously.

What seemed like moons later, movement caught the patrols' eyes and a small kitten, barely three moons old, appeared in the fading light. She was an exact copy of her mother; Slim features and that strange tan and brown markings and narrow eyes. Her eyes were a striking blue, and Thistlepaw got caught off guard with how strange she looked compared to the cats of Windclan. However, she was drawn to this strange cat in a way she couldn't quite explain. There seemed to be some kind of power behind this small kit, and Thistlepaw saw that the others in her patrol could feel it too. Suddenly the haze was gone, and Thistlepaw was once more watching just a simple kit and her mother.

Riley and her kit hurriedly made their way to the patrol, and paused only when the horse across the field grunted. Once they had reached the Windclan warriors, Riley crept up to Saltfur who was standing still, carefully watching the kit. She didn't give away any emotions but Thistlepaw knew her kin was frightened and excited at the same time. Riley gently placed her tail upon her daughter's head and exclaimed proudly.

"This is Bee."