Shadows Within Storms(ENTERED IN THE WATTY AWARDS 2015)

Chapter 9

Bramblestar woke up with Jessy next to him, snoring lightly. Bramblestar took a minute to take in her features. Her brown tabby pelt was moving with her breathing, and she just looked so innocent when she was sleeping. She was so beautiful.

Bramblestar stood up and padded out of his nest, and saw that Sprigrunner was walking around the nursery. Bramblestar shook his pelt out, and trotted to him. "Sprigrunner, is something wrong?"

Sprigrunner turned his amber gaze towards his father. "Fawnfrost is kitting. I don't want to leave her."

Bramblestar winced as he heard a cry come from the nursery. "Where are Silverkit and Frostkit?" he asked about the two troublesome kits.

"In the elders den. Jayfeather moved Leafpool into the medicine den so that the other elders don't get ill." Sprigrunner meowed.

Bramblestar nodded and sat down. "It'll be alright," he tried to reassure Sprigrunner. "She's a strong she-cat."

Sprigrunner nodded. He sat down beside his father.

A mewl of a kit sounded inside the nursery, and Blueberry poked her head out. "Come in Sprigrunner," she purred. "You're a father now."

Sprigrunner stood up and burst into the nursery, with Bramblestar at his heels. "Oh, she's beautiful!" Sprigrunner meowed as soon as he saw his kit.

Fawnfrost was laying in her nest, with a splintered stick near her head, and a small tortoiseshell kit laying at her belly. Fawnfrost purred as Sprigrunner licked her head lovingly. "What should we call her?" Fawnfrost asked quietly.

Sprigrunner ducked down and nosed his kit. "She's as beautiful as a rose," he murmured. "How about Rosekit?"

Fawnfrost purred. "I like that."

Bramblestar cleared his throat. "Congratulations you two, she's beautiful."

Sprigrunner purred. "Thank you Bramblestar."

Bramblestar heard squeaks, as Poppyfrost's kits woke up. He saw Ashkit squirm over his mother to look at Rosekit. "Wow, we're not the smallest anymore!" the cream colored tom cheered. "Flamingkit, come look!"

The ginger kit came crawling towards his brother. "What's her name?" he looked up at Fawnfrost.

Fawnfrost purred. "Her name is Rosekit." she told the little flame colored tom.

Poppyfrost sighed. "Go on you two, Fawnfrost needs some space. Why don't you go to the elders den and see if Brackenfur will tell you a story?"

Flamingkit and Ashkit squealed with joy, before running out of the nursery. Lilyheart stood up. "I should go watch them, and make sure they don't get into trouble." With that, the tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat headed out of the nursery, her huge belly pregnant with kits.

Daisy was nosing Rosekit. "She'll make a beautiful warrior." she praised the younger cat.

Fawnfrost looked so pleased with herself. "I know."

Bramblestar backed out of the nursery, and found Lionblaze and Ambermask instructing their apprentices. "We will assess your hunting skills, your partner work." Lionblaze was saying.

"Ravenpaw, you will work with Sorreltail, and Mossypaw, you'll be working with Hickorythorn." Ambermask continued.

As their names were mentioned, the two warriors padded towards the apprentices. Mossypaw looked up at Hickorythorn and tried to stand up straighter, to make herself as big as the large tom.

Bramblestar purred. Those two would do well. He saw Mousewhisker nose his way out of the den, with Ivypool at his side. A bundle of cats followed them out.

"Rosepetal, please take Snowfire, Toadpaw, Copperfur and Birchfall out to the ShadowClan border," Mousewhisker was saying. "Whitewing, you can take Blossomfall, Cherryfall, Stormcloud and Skypaw out to the WindClan border."

Whitewing and Rosepetal dipped their heads and gathered their cats. "I'd like to take Dovewing out hunting." Bramblestar announced, flicking his tail.

The grey warrior looked at her leader surprised. "Okay," she meowed, going to join him.

Bramblestar and Dovewing padded through the forest, until Bramblestar stopped and turned to face Dovewing. "Who fathered your kits?" he asked suddenly.

Dovewing flattened her ears. "I wish to not say." she murmured.

Bramblestar sat down. "Dovewing, I already know, please tell me."

Dovewing sighed. "Tigerheart." she muttered under her breath.

Bramblestar nodded. "Why Dovewing? What made you take a mate in another Clan?"

Dovewing looked into her leaders eyes. "Tigerheart made me feel special. I really thought of him as a friend on the journey to find the beavers, and then I fell for him. He honestly loved me, and I loved him," she explained. "But I don't see him anymore," she added. "I wanted to raise them as loyal warriors."

Bramblestar nodded. "I see." he looked at Dovewing for a while. "You do understand that you broke the code, right?"

Dovewing nodded her head. "I understand Bramblestar, and you may punish me if you'd like."

Bramblestar thought for a moment. "You do realize that Tigerheart has a new mate, and another litter of kits, correct?"

Dovewing nodded again. "Ivypool told us last night?"

"Us?" Bramblestar questioned.

"Ivypool told Ripplepaw, Toadpaw, and Tigerpaw too." Dovewing sighed.

Bramblestar flicked his tail. "As your punishment, I want you to go out every day and hunt all day for the next quarter moon," he finally said. "And I won't tell anyone about this." Bramblestar stared into Dovewing's eyes. "Deal?"

Dovewing dipped her head. "Deal," she murmured.