Warriors: Divided Loyalty

Chapter Forty-Three

Nightstar let out a yowl of pure agony as her flank rippled and pain sparked through her body. Her jaws parted and another painful screech escaped her lips. She was trembling with pain as Shellfur and Leaffire charged into her den, eyes alarmed and wide.

"Nightstar? What's the matter?" Asked Shellfur, rushing towards her with Leaffire on his tail. He set a spotted paw on her belly and shuddered. "The kits," he breathed and looked at Leaffire. "Get a stick and bring me Timberskip. Get some other warriors as well, we need some more help with this birth." He ordered and turned back to Nightstar as Leaffire rushed off. "Don't worry, Nightstar. You'll be just fine."

The she-cat couldn't speak through the pain she felt. It was unbearable and she couldn't express through the string of curses under her breath the amount of pain she was enduring. Her vision blurred as pain consumed her. Through the pain, she saw the pelt of Lichenstorm entering the den and placing a stick at her paws. She took it between her teeth and put her paws on top of it, claws sinking into the wood as she braced herself. Pressure built in her chest and her eyes screwed shut as a black wave washed over her eyes and consumed her.

"Leaffire, take this one and lick it." Shellfur's meow was far away as Nightstar's eyes slowly opened. Around her, the medicine cats were speaking to each other and Lichenstorm and Leaffire were licking two kits. "Hang on, Nightstar. There's one more on the way." The gray spotted tom rested a paw on her belly and another powerful ripple racked throughout her body and her eyes quickly shut as she bit so hard on the stick, it splintered.

"That's the last one," meowed Timberskip as he moved towards Nightstar but drew back. The leader opened her eyes and saw three shrieking bundles of fur wiggling towards the curve of her belly, eager for milk.

Shellfur let out a content sigh and watched the three kits nurse. "Three healthy, fighting kits." He purred and glanced at Lichenstorm, who was gaping at the kits. "Come on, you furball. Help Nightstar name them and Timberskip and I will get water." With that, Shellfur and his mentor left the den, Leaffire on their tails yapping about something.

"What will you name them?" Lichenstorm asked softly, sitting next to Nightstar's head. He was staring at the kits, eyes wide and soft as he looked from the three kits to Nightstar. One of them was a gray and white splotched she-cat, a tortoiseshell she-cat, and an identical tortoiseshell tom. He glanced at Nightstar, eyes filled with something she couldn't place her paw on.

She ran her tail across the flank of the gray and white she-cat. The kit shivered and let out an indignant squeak before going back to nursing. Nightstar thought for a moment before she spoke. "Mosskit," her voice was soft and tender, like sharp claws scraping against a stone. "Her name will be Mosskit."

Lichenstorm nodded without speaking, his gaze fluttering to the tom. "What about him?" He asked, pointing with a claw to Nightstar's son. "He looks like an ember from a fire."

Nightstar twitched her ear at the mention of fire. "Then his name will be Emberkit." She touched the top of her son's head and looked at her unnamed kit: a daughter. "Her name will be Hollykit." She meowed and glanced at Lichenstorm, who was nodding.

"They're beautiful, Nightstar," he breathed and touched his nose to her forehead. "I'll let you rest and I'll come back when I wake up." With that, the deputy rose to his paws and quietly padded out of the den.

Nightstar watched him go and looked down at her three kits. Thorntail, are you seeing them? They're so beautiful, why aren't you here with me? Her heart ached as she flashed back to his death, a painful and horrible death that Thorntail did not deserve. He died with honor, that's what he would've wanted. She reminded herself with a sigh.

As she rested her chin on her paws and watched her kits, she shuddered as she remembered her dream from when she was a warrior. Blackness tugged at the corners of her eyes and she was pulled away from her kits into the void that awaited her.

She stood in a starry clearing with trees that reached the puffy white clouds over her head. Nightstar saw the sun shining brightly and it blinded her, making her blink furiously and look away to rid her sight from the white splotches.

"Nightstar," a voice made her jump and she turned her head to see a StarClan spirit. She didn't recognize this cat and she unsheathed her claws. The cat noticed and swished their tail side to side. "Sheathe your claws, Nightstar. I cannot do any harm to you."

"I'd rather be safe than dead," the leader countered and faced the cat. "Who are you? What do you want from me?" The spirit chuckled and Nightstar's fur prickled with unease. Were they taunting her? Why bring her here when her kits needed her in the nest in her den?

"I am a cat whose name has been long forgotten in the vines of time." The cat took a step towards Nightstar as they spoke. "My name is Oaktail and I was the DawnClan medicine cat long before Timberskip or Shellfur."

Nightstar's eyes narrowed. "What do you want?" She repeated, tail lashing from side to side.

Oaktail studied her for a moment before speaking. "I have come to warn you, Nightstar." His voice was serious and Nightstar let out a dry laugh.

"Warn me?" She scoffed and watched Oaktail closely. "Warn me about what?" Nightstar smirked as Oaktail hesitated and sneered. "Is StarClan so up in the clouds that they forget what they're going to say?"

"Beware of the path you walk, Nightstar." A new voice startled Nightstar and she whirled around and she saw no one. Suddenly, cats surrounded her, chanting. "Beware! Beware! Beware!" They closed in and Nightstar let out a warning snarl, trembling.

They pounced and Nightstar let out a screech. Spirits pinned her to the ground and hissed, pawing at her with unsheathed claws that hurt. Nightstar tried to fight back, but her paws fazed through the StarClan cats.

"Beware of the path you walk, Nightstar." Oaktail's meow was far away and Nightstar reached out a paw, desperate for help. "Because one day, it will lead you to your downfall and your demise.