Tadpoledrift's Mistakes

Chapter Eleven

At sunhigh she had woken up suddenly with a sharp pain in her side, quickly taking a sharp breath in as she looked around the den. The black and white she-cat along with all her kits had left the den.

She groaned and rested her head onto her nest, clawing at the ground.

Her ears pricked up when she noticed Icerain had entered the den, a large hare in her mouth.

"It's so nice to see you're finally up Tadpoledrift!" The elegant she-cat chirped as she set down her prey. "Are you feeling alright?"

Tadpoledrift took a sharp breath in and lifted her head up.

"G-get Jayrain...." The silver she-cat's voice seemed weak, she was still tired from not giving herself enough rest the sunrise before and began to regret that decision.

She could hear just outside the den Icerain call out for her son, Jayrain, and her head lifted up again when her other sister came into the den. Kestrelwing lay down nest to Tadpoldrift, licking her ear.

"You'll be alright hun, Jayrain will get here soon enough and this'll all be over with."

Tadpoledrift was taking in sharp breathes, trying her best to steady her breathing as she tried to shift from being on her belly to laying on her side. She squeezed her eyes closed as tight as she could.

More pawsteps came from the entrance of the den and she could tell it was Icerain, she begged that the Medicine Cat was with her.

"He's still out or something, I can't seem to find him anywhere out on the moor or near the stream or barn." Icerain spoke to Kestrelwing.

"Well then look in the tunnels." Kestrelwing spoke in a whisper, trying to hide a hiss. "You know what, you can stay here and comfort Tadpoledrift while she panics having kits and I'll go out and look for your son."

She heard her oldest sister storm off out of the den and felt Icerain lean onto her side.

The other she-cat slowly started to purr and lick Tadpoledrift's ear, tears streamed down the silver she-cat's face as she clawed the ground in pain.

It felt like a whole sunrise had passed by the time Jayrain had stepped into the den, his annoyed grumble giving him away.

"Should'nt've just left camp while your aunt is clearly gonna have kits soon." Kestrelwing hissed to the silver and white tom.

"Just let me do what has to be down and get out quickly alright?" Jayrain hissed to Kestrelwing, then turned his attention to Tadpoledrift. "I'm sure you already know everything about kitting so just take this stick." He gave her a stick, which she quickly bit down on.

Soon enough everything was over with and two kits lay curled up against her side. One a red and grey tortie tom and the other a white and silver she-kit who looked almost exactly like Tadpoledrift's mother.

Tears still streamed down her face as she nuzzled her tiny kits, both of them squeaking as they were moved from where they were nursing.

She looked over to Icerain with a smile, her other sister and brother quietly walked into the den slowly trailed by Mothflight's mate and kits.

Maplekit quickly spotted the new kits and came barreling towards them, tripping onto her face just before Tadpoledrift's nest.

"Where did they came from?" Maplekit got to her paws and batted at the smallest kit, the odd tortie tom.

Tadpoledrift couldn't help but nervously chuckle and looked up to her brother.

"Kits come over here, all of you need to rest and leave Tad's kits alone." Mothflight nudged the nearest kit to him, Hollykit, towards there mother.

"But I wanna play with them!" Maplekit pouted.

"No, you have to come over here and let Tadpoledrift rest, she's had a long day." The black and white she-cat spoke to her kit.

"But she's been resting all day long!" Maplekit padded over to her mother anyways.

Squirrelkit swatted at her sister playfully, the two kits quietly started rolling around and playing.

Tadpoledrift looked at her kits again, still having a smile on her face but not crying anymore.

"What are you going to name them?" Kestrelwing sat next to where Tadpoledrift lay and right next to Icerain.

"The tom will be named Lilypadkit and the she-kit will be named Milk-kit." Tadpoledrift wrapped her tail around them and put her head onto her paws.

"They're beautiful." Kestrelwing was smiling as she looked at the small kits. "We'll be off to let you rest, see you alter Tad."

Her two sisters padded out of the den, Tadpoledrift slowly falling back to sleep.